The Rock - December 2019

ROCK

THE For daily news, please check out our website rbhs.bearingnews.org

The Student Voice of Rock Bridge Since 1973 . Vol. 47 Issue 3 . Dec. 20, 2019

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ARTS & CULTURE . . . 8

SPORTS. . . . . . . . . . .18

Students voted to determine the most popular games, artists and styles of the decade in celebration of 2020.

Freshmen athletes from the fall season demonstrate notable performances in athletics such as volleyball.

SNOWY LI/THE ROCK

JADYN LISENBY/FLASHBACK

CPS to offer free degrees AMIRA MCKEE

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olumbia Public Schools' (CPS) high school students will be able to earn a free associate's degrees by the end of their four years as a result of the new dual-credit initiative “High School 2.0” beginning in August 2020.

This opportunity arose as a result of a partnership between Moberly Area Community College (MACC) and CPS. CPS based this plan upon a similar program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Although CPS staff is still determining some of the specifics of how the program will work, Community Relations Director Michelle Baumstark said the program is available to any CPS high school student with a GPA greater than 2.75, a yet to be determined Admissions Content Test or Accuplacer, a college readiness assessment, score, a history of “good citizenship” and “good attendance.”

Although the program plans to grow in participants, Baumstark said CPS will accept around 50 students into the program for the 2020-21 school year.

CPS plans to cover transportation to MACC and the cost of tuition at a discount provided by MACC. Junior Charlotte Tolly said she thought the program could be especially helpful in reducing college debt for future CPS graduates, low income and otherwise.

“I think it’s a really good thing to help minimize the gap in educational access. For a lot of people, it’ll be an amazing opportunity they otherwise couldn’t afford,” Tolly said. “The only downside I see is that it might add onto the whole culture of competition and overachievement, and some people might get left behind, so to speak, if they take regular classes.”

Sophomore Zihao Zhou said he thought the program could be beneficial, but not for all RBHS students.

“This is a great program for some people, but maybe not for everyone,” Zhou said. “Like if someone wasn’t planning on attending college after high school, it’s a great program to help them get a degree while still attending high school, and without having to pay.”

CPS hopes the program can provide a greater opportunity for educational advancement with less cost, Baumstark said. “[High School 2.0 students] will then be able to pursue additional education at other institutions or move directly into the workforce,” Baumstark said. “It’s a huge savings for families and provides amazing access to opportunity for our students.”

This story is the first of a two part series coming Jan. 21

AUDREY SNYDER/ THE ROCK

BIG CHANGES: New Security Attendant Benjamin Kolb helps direct a bus in the North lot. His job is directing student traffic, writing tickets for parking violations and observing the entrance during school hours. He and the other two attendants began their positions in mid-November after previous parking lot attendant Daryl Heaton retired earlier that month.

CPS hires new security attendants

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ANNA XU

eginning second semester, Safety and Security Aides may ask students to show their school identification (ID) or a phone picture of their ID when entering the building during a non-passing period, Principal

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANA MANZANO/ THE ROCK

STUDENT ID: Sophomore Eliana Snyder holds her student ID and a photograph of her ID on Dec. 18. Both are examples of acceptable forms of identification to present security attendants.

Jacob Sirna said. If a student lacks ID, Sirna said the security aide will search for the student in the student number system. He said the ID checks will not happen all the time, but only when the aide does not recognize the student.

“I would have my ID ready if I was coming at one of those times that is not the standard passing period,” Sirna said. “Definitely, if I didn’t have it ready, I would try not to be frustrated if I was asked to show it.”

Along with identification checks, second semester will bring stricter enforcement of funneling visitors into the building through the East entrance.

Currently this rule is in place, but Sirna said there wasn’t adequate staff numbers to follow through; however, with the addition of the security aides, visitors coming though North will no longer pass.

“Already this year, we’ve had a handful of people in the building that shouldn’t be in the building,” Sirna said. “Thank goodness nothing bad has happened, but part of the reason [the Safety and Security Aides] are employed is hopefully to prevent someone who’s not supposed to be here from being here.”

Because Sirna intends to enforce the East entrance rule, visitor parking spaces in North may be limited.

He said he believes the school will take down the visitor parking signs in North and change the spaces to student parking. Sirna said, however, administration “didn’t make a definitive decision on that.”

Heather Fowler is one of three new Safety and Security Aides whom CPS hired in November.

Currently her base is the North entrance, and she said she has already become familiar with many of the student faces at RBHS. While her main task is to monitor the entrance to prevent intruders, she, along with the other aides, have supplementary tasks.

One of their responsibilities is to watch security camera footage during the day.

Additionally, one of the three officers will oversee the parking lot and sticker students’ cars who go against parking rules such as parking in an undesignated space.

If a security officer is absent, the roaming member will take either the North or East entrance to fill in.

SECURITY CONT. P3

Marketing class bake sale project creates renewed interest in RBHS' policy over food sale, distribution WILL COVER

A

fter months of preparation, the Business Principles classes opened their bakeries Dec. 11-12 during lunch. The event served as one of five throughout the year in which students sold food for clubs or classes during the school day that did not comply with the Smart Snacks nutrition regulations, a federal law that went into effect in 2014.

Under the law, all products sold to students must meet certain nutrition standards, such as sugar making up less than 35 percent of the products total weight, not just bake sales that serve as fundraisers. The Food and Nutrition Service, an agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, explained in 2019 “The Smart Snacks in School regulation applies to foods sold a la carte, in the school store, vending machines and any other venues where food is sold to students.”

If a non-food item or a food item that meets the nutrition standards is offered, it can be sold at any time as long as the administration approves, with students typically contacting principal Jacob Sirna or assistant principal David Egan. In the case of the French Honors Society’s crepe sale, junior Jacqueline Drown said

this stipulation allowed them to hold their fundraiser.

“We were only allowed to sell the crepes if they had fruit in or on them so they could be considered ‘healthy,’ which was how we got approval from the school,” Drown said.

If students desire to sell items that do not meet nutrition standards, however, it must be on a date pre-chosen by RBHS for a specific event, Egan said.

“The regulations do allow for five exemptions, and those are determined before the school year even starts each year, as priority is given to classes and events,” Egan said. “The Business Principles project is one of the exemptions, as was the food trucks for the College and Career Village [and] Career Center meals [such as] Mardi Gras.”

The bakeries opened by Business Principles are a major project every year, which the entire semester builds to, freshman Anish Ganga said. Teacher Stacy Elsbury gave the class rules about their bakery, such as having school-appropriate designs, but left the students with a large amount of freedom in the food they decided to sell, Ganga said. The only requirements Elsbury set for the items the bakeries sold were

that they had two recipes from the MyCuisine class and one bought from Walmart.

Ganga said the process taught him how to run a successful business.

“I learned that there are way more parts to starting a business than just selling the product and aiming for a profit,” Ganga said. “Good businesses require a lot of attention to detail.”

TURNER DEARMOND/ THE ROCK

BAKING IN THE SNOW: Freshman Whitney Blackburn sells baked goods to staff, visitors and students from her booth, Swinter Sweets, Dec. 11.

INDEX . . NEWS 1 . . OP-ED 5 . . ARTS & CULTURE 7. . IN-DEPTH 11 . . FEATURES 15. . SPORTS 18. . COMIC 20. .

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3 NEWS

THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20, 2019

Delayed

East Entrance

North, East entrance construction pushed back to account for unforeseen material delivery hold-up

Enter

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ANNA XU

Exit North Entrance

Ent er

Exit

ANNA XU, SARAH MOSTELLER/ THE ROCK

ENTRANCE BLUEPRINTS: The red and green arrows illustrate the proposed systems for the North and East entrances. Red highlighted areas are acceptable exits, and green coloring represents acceptable entrances. Orange highlights are future installations.

onstruction at the North and East entrances was supposed to finish by “late fall,” RBHS principal Jacob Sirna said. This estimate, which was already delayed from the original summer deadline, fell short, and Columbia Public Schools (CPS) spokesperson Michelle Baumstark said the school district does not know when the construction will be complete.

RBHS, however, is not alone in its wait as Hickman High School also must be retrofitted with the special glass, called ballistic fiberglass. “[The panels] are very specialized and are custom ordered sizes,” Baumstark said.

“It’s taking longer because of [confidential] reasons by the manufacturer. As soon as those pieces arrive, we will be able to finish the project.”

Currently, CPS still needs to install double doors at the East entrance and place a door within the empty frame at North.

Sirna said the only spot in the entrances that the ballistic fiberglass relates to is between the planned reception desk and

the chamber between the double doors, which will be seen in both entrances. Baumstark, however, said construction cannot start until the glass arrives.

“You have to do it in a certain order,” Baumstark said.

“While we may have some things here, the key piece to start isn’t here yet.”

Instead of ballistic fiberglass, the doors as well as windows at RBHS are shatterproof. Shatterproof glass is different from the “bullet-resistant” fiberglass, which is layers of fiberglass squeezed together.

Sirna said the purpose of shatterproof glass is to withstand a few bullets before puncture.

Market Segment Leader Rick Reid, who works at Total Security Solutions (TSS), a private company responsible for bullet resistant installations, said the cost of the glass differs depending on size and level of protection. Reid suggests schools have Level 3 out of 8 protection, which “stops the highest level handgun out there.”

“At the low end, [the glass costs] $50 per square foot to north of a hundred depending

on the level of ballistic protection,” Reid said. “When you get to those higher levels, [the material] gets expensive and heavy.”

Reid said the security business is expanding across all markets, and the most prominent area of growth is in education.

Senior Elizabeth Musco, however, said she thinks the changes wouldn’t enhance safety. She said because RBHS hasn’t had “incidents” such as a shooting, the measures may amount to nothing.

“I think making the windows and doors shatter resistant would be a waste of tax dollars,” Musco said. “And if someone really wants to get in the school to do [something bad], then having strong glass won’t make that much of a difference.”

Regardless of student opinion, the district will undergo changes to update RBHS into a layout similar to newer schools.

“It takes as long as it takes,” Baumstark said, “and if there are challenges in between then we will wait and have it be done the right way.”

Online classes complete semester with highest enrollment to date AMIRA MCKEE

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olumbia Public Schools (CPS) Online ended the year with the highest ever semester course completion rate with more than 900 total course requests, which was equivalent to 30 percent more requests than last semester, CPS Online Coordinator David Bones said.

CPS Online classes vary from Digital Media to Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science and are available in semester-long or year-long courses. Bones said the CPS Online curriculum offerings have increased over the years to meet the student demand for particular classes.

For example, Forensic Sciences and Astronomy, which were previously only available as in-seat classes to Battle High School and RBHS students respectively, are now open for any CPS students to take online in the 2019-20 school year. Despite the course increases, Bones said he does not think CPS has encouraged online classes more than any previous year.

“I would say that CPS recognizes that it is an option out there for students, and more students are interested in the flexibility and the options that online provides,” Bones said. “We just want to make sure we can provide online as an option for students and families that want to take advantage of it.”

Bones said many students choose to take online classes because they can experience more niche, or otherwise filled classes. Junior Andrew Kim studied online AP Computer Science Principles A this semester. He said his counselor suggested he take

the class online because the in-seat block was full.

“I was asked to take it because I was just trying to get the in-seat class, but they only teach it one block,” Kim said. “They also wouldn’t let me switch my AP U.S. History class, [taught during the same block as AP Computer Science], because it was already full.”

Bones said counselors and teachers also often suggest students take courses online to earn credits necessary for graduation without adding an extra in-seat class to their schedule. Sophomore Riya Amin took online Physical Education (P.E.) during second semester her freshman year. She said although the coursework was not especially hard, she found the Polar Flow monitoring system complicated to manage.

“I thought I should get half of my P.E. credit out of the way,” Amin said. “It wasn’t difficult, but since all my P.E. is really based on technology and heart rate, I had a bunch of technology problems with the watch not working properly.”

As the semester draws to a close, Bones said sometimes students need to put in extra effort in order to catch-up on procrastinated work. Although Bones said some students finish their online course early in the year, many others allow it to become burdensome. While online classes can serve as opportunities for students to take otherwise unavailable classes, those interested should consider their resolve before signing up for an online class, Bones said.

“One of the challenges to taking an on-

line class is students [need to be] self-motivated, organized, an independent learner and responsible,” Bones said. “All those things help, but it just comes down to what you prioritize. The in-seat classes, you’re there every day, so it’s easier to prioritize those, so sometimes, maybe, some of the online stuff slips away and ends up piled up at the end of the semester.”

Despite the required time management, Kim said his online class provided him with a comparable curriculum and education quality to an in-seat class. He said he was concerned about his preparation for May’s AP test but felt he learned several new skills and felt more prepared by taking the class.

“I feel like the course gave me all the [information] that the in-class course would have,” Kim said. “Given the amount of time and effort, the class was pretty manageable.”

Overall, Bones said CPS Online strives to make online classes as similar to in-seat classes as possible by only hiring CPS certified teachers. Bones also said he believes the online curriculum is important to ensuring all students have access to the classes they’re interested in and hopes to continue to meet the needs of CPS students. Since he began working as the CPS Online Coordinator, Bones said he has seen significant development and increased interest of the online curriculum.

“My hope is that we can [continue to achieve] the needs of our students and families,” Bones said. “So if there need to be [online courses] added, then that’s probably a thing for the program to do.”

Online class enrollment increased in 2019

[SOURCE: WWW.THEJOURNAL.COM, DAVID BONES AND CPS COURSE GUIDE]

SARAH KUHLMANN/ THE ROCK

AUDREY SNYDER/ THE ROCK

SAFETY AND SECURITY: Parking attendant Heather Fowler observes students entering the building through the North entrance.

Fowler was employed by Columbia Public Schools this year.

Security attendants enforce new policies SECURITY CONT. P1

“[My job is] to make sure people aren’t in the school that aren’t supposed to be in school, primarily,” Fowler said, “and then we’ll just kind of keep our eye out for things that might look suspicious, as far as just being able to keep the student body all safe.”

Fowler said she interviewed for the job because she felt she was qualified with more than 15 years of security experience; her family also works in CPS, and she “wanted to make sure everyone was safe.” Previously, she worked in the military where she said “there was plenty of activity” that required her observation. “[RBHS is] a really open atmosphere, so from a security perspective it’s challenging, but it’s a great place to work,” Fowler said. “If I like it enough, I might stick around for a good while or a couple years; it just depends, I guess.”

Senior Inessa Verbitsky said she welcomes the new staff and supports CPS’s additional funding for safety and security. In fact, 2018 was the deadliest year for school shootings, according to All Things Considered, a news program for the National Public Radio (NPR).

Although she agrees with the district’s addition of Safety and Security Aides, Verbitsky said she’s “not sure how effective these new changes are going to be.” Sophomore Kyle Chen, however, said CPS should redirect funding elsewhere with more tangible impacts, such as revitalizing education programs.

“I feel like it was not the best use of money for the school district because I feel like [the security attendants] don’t really do much,” Chen said, “and the money could be used for other stuff, such as bringing back the gifted or EEE program.”

While Sirna said he empathizes with students and supports their freedom with responsibility, he said the administration has done its best to ease the transition.

“We know that’s going to be different. We know that’s going to feel different for some people,” Sirna said. “We didn’t do this right away because we wanted people to get to know each other, see each other before we just started doing it.”

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OP-ED| 5

THE ROCK | RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 20, 2019

Bruin Bear

Due to imminent inclement weather and in the interest of safety, Columbia Public Schools (CPS) will not be in session Thursday.

Well, it could be worse.

Snowtime shenanigans I can't believe CPS didn't call for a snow day.

At least make up your mind!

Uh oh. . .

SNOWY LI/ THE ROCK

Online classes result in cheating, procrastination

issouri introduced the MissouM ri Course Access and Virtual School Program in 2019, expanding

cater to the average student. Students who are ahead or behind the curve are an afterthought and subsequently the amount of online classes stu- robbed of individualized instruction.

This lack of interaction with dents can take to a virtually infinite amount. The bill benefits schools that teachers along with flexible deaddo not have an Advanced Placement lines for classwork also breeds pro(AP) program and accommodates to crastination rather than the consistent engagement students’ with the schedule Do online classes provide an equal subject necconflicts, quality of education to an in-seat essary for but RBHS class? retention went too far of content. in its impleTHE ROCK STAFF VOTED With no solmentation, id system treating on0 YES of accountline classes ability, stuas an equal 27 NO dents will alternative often lose to the higher motivation quality edto do work for the class until the end ucation of the traditional classroom.

Online classes provide a one-size of the semester, ultimately learning fits all approach that does not cater nothing and putting their grade and to students. Companies such as Ed- comprehension of the course at stake.

For example, online AP Literagenuity and the University of Missouri K-12 use curriculum meant to ture has no plagiarism checker, the

absence of which counteracts the point of having a class in which students are supposed to synthesize their unique ideas with themes of classical literature. The class has flexible deadlines, so students will procrastinate until the last minute, where they can easily copy an essay off the internet.

Our school motto, “Where learning is for life,” contradicts the philosophy that online classes are an equivalent to physical classes. How can students “Learn for life” if they never prioritize an online class or their curriculum never fits their needs?

The benefits of online classes, however, should be acknowledged.

Class conflicts can make or break students’ schedules. Online classes can fit into any block of the day, which is a major convenience, but this argument is insignificant when compared to the lowered quality of education.

The companies that produce these classes and teachers who instruct them should adapt the courses to provide a higher quality education

on-par with what students would get in-seat.

To start, teachers should offer more frequent, higher quality feedback including regular office hours outside of the school day to meet with students. This should carry the added benefit of stricter deadlines,

BRANDON KIM

C

JARED GEYER/ THE ROCK

The Rock Rock Bridge High School 4303 S. Providence Rd., Columbia, Mo. 65203 Vol. 47, Issue 3 Dec. 20, 2019 Population: 2,067 Students, 148 Faculty Circulation: 1,500 Contact information: Phone: (573) 214-3141 Website: rbhs.bearingnews.org

SNOWY LI/ THE ROCK

No, I don't need any help, I've got a Quizlet and Mathway account.

Current anti-bullying campaigns fail to address the root cause of the issue

Readers’ Crossword

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

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

The Rock is a member of the National Scho-

preventing students’ incessant procrastination and instead promoting better time management.

Additionally, the curriculum should be overhauled to prevent cheating and require students to treat online classes seriously, rather than as just a blow-off block.

ountless posters lined the walls of our schools, re-hammering stale anti-bullying slogans already plastered to the back of our brains.

Years of anti-bullying lessons have caused an oversaturation that ultimately does nothing to solve the problem. Bullying is a serious issue, but we should question if the programs in place are as effective as proponents say. The current curriculum stresses one solution the most for kids: talk to an adult.

Unfortunately, this message teaches students they can’t deal with victimization on their own, and that they need a savior in the form of a teacher to handle issues. This kills the self-confidence they need to resolve the situation on their own, which kids need to learn how to do to survive in the adult world.

Additionally, the involvement of adults can make situations worse, with a psychological concept called triangulation.

Triangulation is where an outside intervention causes the parties to fight with more fervor to get the “judge” on their side.

According to Izzy Kalman of “Psychology Today,” a good ex-

lastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Quill & Scroll.

The Rock accepts letters to the editor 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 or fill it out online.

Limit entries to 400 words. The Rock reserves the right to reject material based on stan-

dards set by the staff.

Staff: Editors-In-Chief: Anna Xu Bailey Stover Business Managers: Mason Cohen William Yoo Arts & Culture Editor: Anna Xu Art & Design Editor: Sarah Kuhlmann Op-Ed Editor: Will Cover Features Editor: Maddie Orr In-Depth Editor:

ample is a sibling rivalry.

“Once the parents get in the middle. . . each child desperately wants the parent on their side,” Kalman said. “The loser. . . becomes angry and seeks the next opportunity to create a fight in the attempt to get the parent on their side against their sibling. The winner also seeks to create further fights to keep the parent on their side. Thus, the cycle of fighting never ends.”

Kids call the victim a snitch because he or she deterred them from contacting authorities from fear of the social stigma of this moniker. Additionally, a bully can easily assume the victim sold him or her out. After a punishment like detention, the aggressor would just come back for revenge.

Also, interventions focus on bringing the hammer down on the offender and don’t really look at the emotional trauma of the victim. What schools should do after the incident is try to console the children and teach them how to resolve the conflict themselves if it happens again because that better prepares kids for the real world. These campaigns should focus on teaching students how to control their Bailey Stover News Editor: Amira McKee Photo Editor: Camryn DeVore Sports Editor: Ryan Choe Staff Writers: Anjali Noel Ramesh, Audrey Novinger, Brandon Kim, Elliot Bachrach, Emily Dearing, Isaac Yontz, Olivia Peters, Sarah Ding Artists: Devin Hall, Lorelei Dohm, Rachel Stevens, Riley Kerns, Snowy Li, Sophie

emotions and show students they can resolve situations on their own.

An anti-bullying campaign in Finland called KiVa focuses mostly on how to intervene effectively through role-playing activities and videos with K-12 students.

It proposes a better way of mediating conflict, with systematic meetings with the bully and victim for an extensive period of time after the conflict, while also focusing on what to do when somebody is bullied.

Italy tested KiVa in its schools, and it brought down reports of incidents by 40 percent in high schools.

These types of campaigns are necessary for the well being of students in K-12. The social media and cyberbullying campaigns in CPS have been great, but they need to be updated.

Instead of zero-tolerance policies that cause bullying to remain under the radar, schools should focus on the individual by looking deeper into what causes victimization as well as how students can mediate the problems themselves, which would make a better school environment for all.

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6 | OP-ED

THE ROCK | RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 20, 2019

Sexist parenting practices begin lifelong biases for all I

AMIRA MCKEE

looked up from my carefully constructed Lego space station to see a boy towering above me clad in yellow overalls and a polka dot shirt. “Those aren’t your Legos,” he shouted. I thought, What? How could these Legos not be mine?

“I said those aren’t your Legos,” he repeated with a type of scrutiny specific to Midwestern 5-year-olds. “Those are your Legos. Those are the girl Legos” he said and pointed to a stack of dusty, unused blocks in the corner.

As he ruthlessly demolished my architectural masterpiece, I investigated the so-called “girl” Legos. They were bigger, less intricate and most importantly, bright pink. Unlike the Legos I had been playing with, the corresponding kit’s directions told me I was supposed to construct a shopping mall, not the space station I had wanted to build. It was as if these Legos weren’t for me as much as for the designer’s idea of what I should be: quiet, uncoordinated, unable to think for myself and in need of someone else’s pretty pink and purple plan to follow.

Society has forced condescending messages like these onto girls for generations, with devastating consequences on their self-image and confidence.

For me, sexism first manifested itself as “girl” Legos, and for my mother it was the Easy-Bake Oven. For generations brands have marketed toys to girls teaching them to be softer, more submissive and more domestic than their male peers: what every woman is “supposed” to be.

When it comes to parenting, these subliminal lessons are particularly pronounced, and they aren’t unique to just gender-specific toys; they begin within many aspects of childhood, according to the Society for Research in Childhood Development, a research organization dedicated to developing knowledge on how parenting and other influences of children affect their mental and emotional development.

Traditional gender-based parenting involves inequality in the forms of`treatment, expectations and even colloquial sayings among boys and girls that further ingrain these sectionalized ideals of children’s future and behavior into the minds of youth across the nation.

Every one of these influences, as parents, family and society perpetrate, is present in one well known phrase caretakers use almost exclusively to justify the behavior of young, rowdy males: “Boys will be boys.”

My teacher called out this phrase in elementary school after I complained to her about a fellow student who pulled my hair while I was on the playground. I was confused, unsure about how to respond. It seemed as though it was easier for her to brush aside his action as simply the mischievousness of a little boy than to address the underlying problems that prompted his behavior.

Although this expression may seem quaint or endearing, its message is more nefarious than its face value. A boy who is disobedient or unruly is just a little boy whose gender has inclined him toward violence so much so that he simply can’t help himself. Rarely, however, have I heard someone use the same phrasing when addressing a girl’s actions. A girl who is rowdy or

high-spirited is not simply a little girl; she is a brat.

In debate, often I’ll find on my ballots that judges describe my style as too aggressive while my male opponents will speak more forcefully than I. To win I need to play into their idea that women must be soft or kind in order for men to respect them and get their point across.

Additionally, as Dr. Elizabeth Meyer of Colorado University observed, “Saying ‘boys will be boys’ teaches children that certain behaviors are endemic to masculinity and exclusive to boys only. This form of thinking reinforces rigid binaries that cause us to develop more ingrained ‘either/or’ attitudes that allow our culture to ignore the true spectrum and variety of behaviors that individuals can exhibit.”

When we teach our children through the toys we give to them and what we say to them that certain characteristics, like bravery, strength, creativity and intelligence, are unique to boys, we rob our girls of the opportunity to embrace their own supposedly masculine qualities.

This problem begins at birth, when many parents buy nearly exclusively blue products for newborn boys and pink for girls. Although developing a system of parenting based on gender may be easy, it brings insidious repercussions for the child both in the short-term and long-term.

The manifestations of these condescending messages may differ among individuals, but they are all rooted in a phenomenon known as stereotype threat. Stereotype threat occurs when a person internalizes a negative personal stereotype so much so that he or she unconsciously conforms to it, according to the National Institute of Health.

My younger sister Clara was only 6-years-old when she came home from school describing how her first grade friend told her, “Math isn’t your thing.” I tried to convince Clara that with hard work and effort she could be good at anything she set her mind to. She, however, heard she wasn’t meant to be good at math and agreed.

She described herself as a reader, not as a math person. Her beliefs created a scapegoat for her efforts because she thought as a woman she wasn’t supposed to be good at math and science, so why bother trying?

The American Psychological Association performed a series of studies on subliminal messaging and concluded that even passive messages of intellectual inferiority can affect how an individual performs on a given task.

One study in 2017 involved having two groups of women complete a math test. In the experiment, the researchers told Group A there was no gender gap in performance and told Group B there was a significant difference between the performance of men and women on the test. The researchers found the women in the second group who were told that women performed worse than men did significantly worse than their Group A counterparts.

Clara isn’t the only one in my family who has experienced the effects of stereotype threat. Before the PreACT my sophomore year, I found myself expecting little from my performance. With this mindset, the math and science portions of the test seemed impossible to me, so I didn’t try as hard as I could have, scoring especially low on those sections.

As I saw the questions that I didn’t understand off the top of my head and required some deeper thinking, instead of taking the time to try to discern and contemplate the answers, I just filled in the bubbles because “Why waste time with questions I’ll get wrong anyway?” I would empower my friends to not shy away from challenges or sexist internalist rhetoric, but I still

find myself in its grasp.

Examples of stereotype threat exist throughout our society. If such a seemingly insignificant comment could have a huge impact on the performance of a group of women, I hate to imagine the effect a lifetime of this stereotype reinforcement would have on family and friends.

Stereotype threat discourages women from pursuing traditionally masculine careers, leading to a disproportionately small number of women in math, engineering, science and medical fields, according to the American Association of University Women, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women’s educational advancement.

Recognizing the harms of stereotype threat, I want to rid myself of my sexist monologue. No matter the career I’m interested in, or the Legos I play with, I know my gender never makes me less than, or less deserving than men. Even though I may doubt my own mathematical and scientific abilities, I am privileged enough to be able to follow my passions and go into a career in journalism or law.

I want to help my sister be more mindful of her own internalization of the hurtful comments people may make toward her because of her gender. I do not want her to experience the same self-doubt I have, and I hope to show her she can be anything or anyone she wants.

To finally end the days of gender-based restraints and allow our girls to grow up free of antiquated notions of forced femininity, we must all challenge the insidious stereotypes we spread.

We are all the root of this evil because we push these ideas upon our children, whether consciously or not. As the philosopher John Locke noted, the mind is a “blank slate” on which our experiences are impressed.

A child’s environment shapes their mind, for better or for worse. It is our duty to create an environment that allows kids to embrace their qualities, whether traditionally masculine or feminine, and nurture their strengths free from gender confinements.

We must raise our children the same regardless of gender and instead embrace the individuality of each child.

It’s time we let our girls become astrophysicists, housewives, both or neither, but never force one or the other upon them on the grounds of tradition or bias.

Let’s stop using outdated sayings that demean girls and justify male superiority.

Let’s stop convincing our girls that they are destined for a domestic life. Let’s stop telling our girls that their gender has somehow predetermined their aptitude for science, technology, engineering and math fields.

I am not saying we should force all our girls into stereotypically male pursuits; that’s the other side of the same oppressive coin.

Instead, we all should understand that if our niece, or sister or daughter is truly inclined toward princesses and housework so be it, but the important thing is that we purchase our gifts, educate our children and speak to them not based on gender stereotypes but instead the individual qualities of each child.

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tripled its number of sports state championships and was ranked eighth best sports program in the nation by MaxPreps in 2012.

2010

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In the decade 2011 RBHS has

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Principal Mark Maus leaves Oak Park High School in Kansas City to become RBHS’s new principal after former principal Kathy Ritter retired.

Wi-fi was installed throughout the school in the library, main hallway, common areas and classrooms.

The planetarium shows on a regular basis. A private donation funded a new, full-dome projection system, one of three in the state.

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Principal Dr. Jennifer Rukstad becomes RBHS’ new principal after Maus returns to Oak Park.

2014

2013 RBHS starts the A and B lunch system.

Before this, under- and upperclassmen were separated for lunch.

MADELYN STEWART/THE ROCK

The girls’ basketball team wins the state championship title for the fourth time in a row with the help of senior Sophie Cunningham, who now plays in the WNBA.

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2015

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The boys’ tennis team begins its four-year winning streak of the state championship title.

CPS decides to issue new laptops to high school students for schoolwork. These would replace the previously used iPads.

2017

Several hundred students walk out of RBHS to honor the Parkland shooting victims and protest gun violence.

RBHS also renovated the stadium.

2018

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Principal Jacob Sirna becomes RBHS’ new principal after Dr. Rukstad leaves to become the assistant superintendent for secondary education for CPS. DESIGN BY SARAH DING/THE ROCK

8 ARTS & CULTURE

Man Bun: Associated with the

Brooklyn Hipster, man buns heavily trended in Google searches from 2013 through 2015.

THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20, 2019

FASHION OF THE DECADE

@lil_babywipe

Chokers: Originally popular in the 1980s, these

necklaces resurged in 2014 when celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Rhianna wore them.

146.6K Followers, 3.3M Likes Senior Mason Gardener went to RBHS for three years and transferred to Battle High School this year. He started making TikToks Nov. 6, 2018 and since has amassed a large following, earning the title “TikTok famous.”

Tiny Sunglasses: Following the giant sunglasses trend in the 2000s, tiny sunglasses stood out this decade despite seeing backlash on Twitter from celebrities such as Reece Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling.

Denim: While denim plays a role in fashion every decade,

straight leg jeans, high waisted jeans, denim overalls, jumpsuits and rompers were at the forefront of this decade.

Why “lil_babywipe?”

“I was in math class last year, and me and a couple friends in there made a song while in class. My name was ‘lil babywipe.’”

Uggs: Worn by sheep shearers in the 1920s, Birkenstocks: Sales tripled between 2012

and 2016, and Birkenstocks sold 25 million pairs in 2018. In 2019, Gigi Hadid sported the socks and sandals at the Paris Haute Couture Week.

the brand became popular in the 21st century.

In 2011, the market expanded to men’s fashion, endorsed by stars such as Tom Brady.

Silly Bandz: These bracelets, created in

2008, peaked in popularity in 2010 for six months. These rubber bands were initially intended to promote sustainability.

Who is your target demographic?

“Most of my people are, like, in their teens, like 13 to 16, and most of them are female.”

[SOURCES: WWW.INTEREXCHANGE.ORG, WWW.BUISNESSOFFASHION. COM, WWW.THELOOP.COM, WWW.BBC.COM, WWW.VOX.COM] ART BY: DEVIN HALL/THE ROCK

ARTIST OF THE DECADE A 200 RBHS ccording to a poll of

1. Drake He broke the Beatles’ record for the most Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 songs in a single year in 2018.

Decade Albums: Thank Me Later (2010), Take Care (2011), Nothing Was the Same (2013), If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (2015), Views (2016), More Life (2017), Scorpion (2018)

2. Taylor Swift She won the Artist of the Decade award at the American Music Awards and Woman of the Decade award from the Billboard Music Awards in 2019.

Decade Albums: Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), reputation (2017), Lover (2019)

3. Ariana Grande Following her 2017 concert in the Manchester Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom, there was a suicide bombing, killing 23.

Decade Albums: Yours Truly (2013), My Everything (2014), Dangerous Woman (2016), Sweetener (2018), thank u, next (2019)

4. Juice WRLD Following his death Dec. 8, streams were up 453 percent. The breakout artist was 21 years old when he passed. “Lucid Dreams” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 list in 2018.

Decade Albums: Goodbye & Good Riddance (2018), Death Race for Love (2019)

5. Post Malone He broke Michael Jackson’s record when his album Stoney spent its 77th week in the top 10 of Billboard‘s Top R&B and Hip-Hop Albums chart in 2018.

Decade Albums: Stoney (2016), beerbongs & bentleys (2018), Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019)

6. Justin Bieber 7. Beyonce 8. Kanye West 9. Billie Ellish

82%

use or have used Youtube or Instagram regularly.

12. Eminem 13. Kendrick Lamar 14. Lil Wayne

70% 31% 15%

estimated 144 million units sold estimated 90 million units sold

3. “Overwatch” estimated 35 million units sold

4. “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” stimated 30 million units sold

5. “Diablo 3”

estimated 30 million units sold

DESIGNED BY ANNA XU, TURNER DEARMOND/THE ROCK ADDITIONAL HELP FROM ANJALI NOEL RAMESH, SOPHI EATON, ELLIOT BACHRACH, SARAH KUHLMANN/THE ROCK

Mario Kart 8 DELUXE

—Aiden Alvis, sophomore

AUDREY SNYDER/THE ROCK

- Luke Paddock, junior

was released in 2017, and it was the fastest selling game in the Mario Kart series, selling 459,000 copies on its U.S. launch date.

“[My favorite game on the list is] Grand Theft Auto because you have the most freedom besides Minecraft, but you get to shoot people in Grand Theft Auto. [I play for] probably two hours during the weekend.”

use or have used these social media platforms regularly.

“It was super addictive. [I played it during] probably all of math.

It did make me want to destroy my phone many times.”

15. Young Thug

2. “Grand Theft Auto V”

use or have used TikTok regularly.

10. NBA Youngboy (tied)

1. “Minecraft”

45%

10. One Direction (tied)

GAMES OF THE DECADE Best-Selling Games from 2010-2018

THE ROCK SURVEYED 200 STUDENTS

CULTURE OF THE DECADE

students

[IMAGES SOURCE: IMDB.COM, ATLANTIC RECORDS]

ARTS & CULTURE 9

THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20, 2019

Fortnite

Five Nights at Freddy’s

“[My favorite mobile app game is] Clash Royale. I have a lot of fun playing that. It’s made by the same people who made Clash of Clans. I didn’t think [Honour of Kings] would be on the list. I’ve never heard of that game before.”

was released in 2014. It had the most sequals released in one year.

—William VanDyke, junior

Top Downloaded Games from 2010-2019

1. Clash of Clans 2. Monster Strike 3. Candy Crush Saga 4. Puzzles & Dragons 5. Fate/Grand Order

6. Honour of Kings 7. Fantasy Westward Journey 8. Pokemon Go 9. Game of War 10. Clash Royale

was released in 2014, and it has the highest concurrent player count of any video game: 8.3 million.

“The reason why I liked [PlayStation 2] was because it was the first console that I ever got to play on.

I’d go to my nana’s house, and she would always have it inside of her basement, so I would go down there and play the different games she had on there, whether it’d be something like Crash Bandicoot, anything like that.

It’s very nostalgic.”

—Denver Shaw, junior

Pokemon Go

was released in 2016, and in the first month, it earned $270 million, breaking the world record for first month sales.

PlayStation 2

is the best-selling console of all time with 157.68 million units sold.

[SOURCES: WWW.CHRISTIANPOST.COM, WWW.TECHCRUNCH.COM, WWW.GUINNESSWORLDRECORDS.COM, WWW.BUSINESSOFAPPS.COM, WWW.POLYGON.COM, WWW.MCVUK.COM] PHOTOS BY: ANA MANZANO, SARAH MOSTELLER/THE ROCK ART BY: SNOWY LI/THE ROCK

10 ADS

n Have at least 95% attendance over the 4 years of high school n Graduate with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 n Perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring in a CPS school n Maintain good citizenship (fewer than 5 days OSS) and avoid un- lawful use of drugs and alcohol

THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20, 2019

THE ROCK | RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 20, 2019

IN-DEPTH | 11 ILLUSTRATED BY RACHEL STEVENS, SARAH KUHLMANN

CRUCIAL

Connections

For two million years, humans have interacted with and needed one another to survive. Through physical stability in the past and emotional satisfaction in the present, the necessity of human interaction and familiarity throughout one’s life is imperative to his or her success. Humans may mold the world around them and build it up as their own, but their environments shape them in return.

12 | IN-DEPTH

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IN-DEPTH | 13

Biology furthers friendships R

such that it doesn’t overwhelm them.”

Signs of stress include rapid heart rate, sweaty palms and shortness of breath. These signs often display themselves in unfamiliar social situations or when people first meet each other, according to HelpGuide, an informational mental health and wellness website.

Senior Lexi Piecko meets people frequently because of her involvement in Rock Bridge Ambassadors, a club that welcomes new students to RBHS. She said some students show nervousness during the tour.

“When I meet a new student, I kind of have the same questions that I ask each kid,” Piecko said. “I normally ask where they’re from and what they’re interested in, and I look at their teachers and give them my opinions. To make them feel comfortable, I try to talk to them about things they’ll actually care about.”

If people do get overwhelmed, Dr. Carlo said, they might withdraw from interacting with the person they met. Because of this, a timid person might not approach another to be friends. A shy person might feel comfortable with someone who is not necessarily less outgoing but more calm and similar to his or her nature. These people may not talk much and be reserved, but they are unfazed by negative judgment like shy people are.

“This one girl came from a really small school and was super freaked out,” Piecko said. “I walked her around for quite a while and talked to her about how [RBHS is] really not that big and scary.”

Although personality plays a large part in determining friendships, biological features do as well. Individuals can also be attracted to someone and want to form a friendship based on a number of visual cues. Attraction, both platonic and romantic, increases if one individual perceives another to be equally attractive. A Wilfrid Laurier University study on this concept showed research participants tended to sit next to someone they saw as similar to themselves through factors such as race, sex, hair and even glasses.

In addition, people tend to make connections with others resembling themselves in ways of likes, political affiliations, values and hobbies, University of Missouri — St. Louis Department of Psychological Sciences professor Dr. Bettina Casad said. Similarity is one factor that predicts friendships, dating and marriage, she said.

“People are comfortable with familiarity,” Dr. Casad said. “If someone is similar to us, we can rely on norms, social roles and scripts to interact with them and can expect how social interactions might play out. When interacting with a dissimilar other, people may feel awkward or uncomfortable and not know what to expect or how to act and may worry about acting incorrectly and being embarrassed.”

People might also want to be friends with someone if they consider him or her to be physically attractive, Dr. Casad said. Biology deems features such as large eyes, high eyebrows and larger hips on women attractive. Additionally, attractive male features include broad shoulders, prominent cheekbones and tall height. Facial symmetry is desirable for both genders.

“We are also attracted to non-biological characteristics including honesty, trustworthiness, pleasant [SOURCE: JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH] personality [and] humor,” Dr. Casad said. “Supportive of evolutionary theory, women are attracted to . . . ambition, industriousness and earning capacity.”

Alternatively, men most value physical attractiveness, nurture and youthfulness, according to Principles of Social Psychology, a textbook. There are mixed findings on whether men and women equally round people he is close with, Schneider said he is more confident and tends value attractiveness. to talk more. Surrounded by people he is unfamiliar with, however, he uses his Besides physical appearance, one of the common ways people observations to decide what he should or should not say. Schneider said he may ocdevelop friendship after the first meeting is engaging in prosocial casionally gloss over an experience he is sharing to make it seem better than it was. behavior: actions that benefit others, Dr. Carlo said.

He said there were times growing up when he would get in trouble with his par“Over time, you continue to have these positive exchanges with ents and only share the parts of the story that cast blame away from him. While he one another, compliments and helping each other out,” Dr. Carlo said he never makes up details, he may omits parts he does not feel comfortable said. “When you develop a sharing. friendship with someone, “[My fear of failure] sometimes keeps me from even starting the conversation, you come to understand that and I don’t really want to talk to people, or especially to a group, if I feel like they that person is someone you might think that I’m wrong or if I’m weird or something, and so I take that into a lot can rely on, that you can trust of consideration,” Schneider said. “And then, when I’m actually in conversation, it and that they’re gonna help also makes me kind of want to justify myself in certain ways and kind of take a little you when you need help.” bit more time to say exactly what I want to say.”

Being able to maintain His observational tendencies enable Schneider to better understand others, but he friendships for a long perisaid always fearing failure can sometimes slow his speech and actions, even with od of time comes down to his friends. Differences in personality can result in varied quantities and qualities of a combination of different social interactions and satisfaction in friendships, according to the Association for factors. Physical proximity, Psychological Science. Dr. Helm said people display different characteristics of insustainable common intertroversion and extroversion based on their environment. Dr. Woods said people may ests and frequent prosocial choose to isolate themselves for fear of rejection because of race, family structure behavior are key to sustain or sexual orientation. healthy relationships. They “A person can have one friend, but only want one friend, and thus not feel loneare more likely to last if OXYTOCIN, DOPAMINE, SEROTONIN ly,” Dr. Helm said. “In contrast, someone could have 300 friends but want more or people continue to feel like different connections and thus feel lonely.”

These cause a surge of positive emotions they can rely on each other Although he is always open to making new friends, Schneider said he does not and have a strong sense of and relate to trust, relaxation and general have a problem with how many he currently has. He said his quiet personality may trust. Even at the end of life, cause others to have an inaccurate or negative view of him. If someone hears him friendship continues to play psychological stability. say something rude, because it may be one of the few things he does say, Schneider an important role. said he could come across as prideful or insensitive. To avoid such misconceptions, “Having friends is very Schneider said he tries to be conscious of what he says and how he acts, observing beneficial to psychological their patterns of behaviors before opening up and forming lasting connections. and physical health. Friends “I think I try to observe who that person is. . . how they talk or their personality,” provide social support and Schneider said. “Are they a loud person who kind of likes to talk a lot? Especially help us establish our idenat school are they a studious person? Are they giving a lot of effort into their schooltities and roles within our ing? I guess I’m kind of judgmental at times in that way, and so I kind of make quick friendship groups,” Dr. Casad judgments sometimes, like ‘Is that person someone I consider to be making smart said. “Humans are social anidecisions.’ But then after I spend more time with people, that seems to matter a lot mals, and we need others for less.” our well-being and survival.”

[SOURCE: HEALTHLINE.COM] SARAH DING

Peopleneed people

W BAILEY STOVER

hen senior Nathan Schneider was younger, he said he was carefree, but with age he became more reserved. Because of his insecurities in middle school, as he has gotten older he has put an increasing value on what others think of him. He said his fear of failure drives what he does and how he interacts with others.

Dr. Peter Helm is a postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Missouri — Columbia. He said people are born with a unique set of personality characteristics, which change and solidify during development as their dispositions, temperaments and modes of expression evolve.

A shy child seeking out more mellow environments will often reinforce his or her reserved behavior, Dr. Helm said. Being less socially active than others does not necessarily mean one is lonely, but in some cases social withdrawal can cause feelings of loneliness. Humans, out of necessity, are social beings, according to the website and magazine “Psychology Today.” The desire for connectedness initially stems from one’s need to survive against threats early in human evolution, which requires one to fit in with his or her community and avoid alienation.

When he does not “fully know all the details” of a social situation, Schneider said he worries there is a chance what he does or says may be wrong. He will sometimes take a step back to observe what everyone else is doing. Once he better understands the existing social dynamics, he will rejoin the conversation. Now, however, he is beginning to learn how to break out of his shell and take risks, which holds true to his competitive, tenacious and outgoing nature.

“I guess I find it easier when people come to me,” Schneider said, “and I kind of do my observing thing and then they kind of — we kind of share a lot of time together, and I get that time to observe them. Then, I kind of open up after I do that, and we’re able to be friends at that point because I feel like I know more about them, or enough about them to be able to interact with them.”

In situations where he may feel out of place, Schneider said he will try to keep to himself and listen to other people’s conversations and find ways to relate to them.

If someone approaches him to talk, he will engage, but he tends not to initiate an interaction so as to avoid awkwardness. Over time he said he may become friends with the people around him, but for him it takes a good amount of time to form such a relationship.

“I should really be more trusting that people will be nice,” Schneider said, “but I guess high school isn’t really a great place to develop such a trust in people, necessarily.”

When he is somewhere where he does not know anybody or is in a new class, Schneider said he “definitely feels lonely.” As important as physical separation from others and general feelings of loneliness are in understanding someone’s actions and thoughts, Dr. Helm said existential isolation occurs when one feels unable to share his or her “subjective experiences of the world.” This remains a relatively new field of research, but he said one may feel lonely without experiencing existential isolation, and vice versa, which makes it different than loneliness. He said this “relatively under-discussed type of isolation” brings light to the importance of having the people in someone’s life support and validate his or her actions, thoughts and feelings.

“It’s not enough to just be around others, or to have people you feel close to,” Dr. Helm said. “It’s also important to feel like others really understand you.”

Behaviors possess potential for progress

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s Schneider prepares to enter college next year, he said he will remember some aspects of what high school has been like but also expects to lose contact with all of his school friends. At social gatherings or parties, he said he misses out on the enjoyment he could have had because he stays out of the action and tends to remain near the people he knows. Schneider said the variety of available activities in a college environment will help him to make new friends and interact with others. Dr. Helm said humans have an intense need to belong to groups in a meaningful way.

When social interactions go well, he said people feel accepted and loved, but if they go poorly, then one may withdraw and have low-self esteem.

As relationships develop, they pass through five stages: acquaintance, buildup, continuation, deterioration and ending, according to the health information website Healthline Media. Lacking strong social support may cause one to feel lonely or undervalued. Interpersonal relationships, however, provide people with a physical and emotional happiness as well as a sense of purpose. Through the Psychology Department at the University of Missouri — Columbia, Dr. Phil Wood focuses his work on changes in personality over the course of one’s lifespan and studies areas such as longitudinal methodology and research on substance abuse.

“We did a study a few years ago which found that people become less impulsive and less neurotic across the college years,” Dr. Wood said. “There were also some trends that people increased in extraversion over this time.”

While people commonly align introversion with shyness and extraversion with loudness, these personalities characteristics instead deal with where one’s energy

comes from: within themselves or from others, according to the national nonprofit organization Changing Minds. Dr. Helm said introversion and extraversion are “two sides of the same coin and exist along a continuum.” The degree to which a person displays introverted and extroverted tendencies varies.

“It’s easy to think about introversion and extraversion as personality traits, but really they’re more like indicators for a variety of more specific behaviors,” Dr. Helm said. “For example, extraversion can be used to describe someone who is outgoing, talkative, sociable, warm, assertive, active and upbeat. In contrast, introversion could be used to describe someone who is quiet, shy, aloof, passive and pensive.”

Observation enhances understanding

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chneider’s observational nature allows him to gather information about others’ opinions, beliefs and interests to see if they align with his own. Dr. Helm said one’s family and close friends often make up his or her core social groups. Belonging and acceptance with these people are far more important than with secondary social groups, he said, and thus rejection by strangers is less detrimental.

Schneider cares less about what people around him think of his outside appearance and more about whether or not they value him and his future aspirations. The more Schneider gets to know people, the more he said their opinions matter to him.

Isolation breaks down into two categories: involuntary and voluntary. While Dr. Helm said involuntary isolation has negative associations and can result from deliberate exclusion, rejection, individual differences and an array of other factors, voluntary isolation may have a more positive connotation. Meditation and solitude are just two ways people may isolate themselves, taking time to reflect or, typically in the case of introverts, recharge.

Although Schneider enjoys being alone and having time by himself to work and play video games, he has “learned that too much of that leads to this selfishness” of not spending his time responsibly, which he does not want in his life.Video games consume a large portion of Schneider’s time, which leaves him with little time to do what is important to him like being with his family or completing his homework.

He said he often permits procrastination and laziness to “wreak havoc” on his life.

When he spends his free time on whatever he wants, Schneider said he starts to feel stuck watching YouTube and engaging in other mindless and idle activities.

“Once I finally force myself to stop, it’s like, ‘Dang. I have not spent any time with people during this spare time that I’ve had.’ Because when you go to school you’re kind of forced to be there, right? So it’s kind of that choice of being with other people,” Schneider said. “And especially when I hear my family doing something else. . . I realize that I haven’t been productive that day. And now I’m trying to be productive, finally, but now I don’t have time to go and spend time with them.

That’s really when I realize that I’m kind of lonely right now. I’d like to have some interaction with people.”

Who one interacts with and what the interaction entails can determine how it affects his or her well-being, Dr. Helm said, but “the nature and quality of social interactions are of paramount importance.” Recently, Schneider has been trying to combat his self-imposed isolation and cut down on the “me-time” he spends alone by dedicating more time to his friends and family. In the last year or two, Schneider said he has become more sure of himself, even if his previous insecurities get in the way of his goals from time to time.

While personalities naturally evolve with age, maturity and life experience, Dr. Helm said “with enough effort people can intentionally change their personalities if they actively work to change their behaviors.” Up until a year or two ago Schneider said he would “never spend time with other people outside of school” and during the summer would be home all the time. To decrease how much down time he has, Schneider got a job at Hy-Vee. “I’ve noticed that I like bagging the groceries, and it’s not the bagging of the groceries; it’s that I’m interacting with the cashier or whoever’s buying the stuff,” Schneider said. “And so just that interaction with people, I enjoy that a lot more than stocking the shelves or doing other chores without other people.”

Schneider said spending time away from home while at work and playing games with his friends makes him happy. Throughout high school, he has begun to notice how taking risks, being open to becoming friends with almost anybody and having new experiences in and out of an educational environment can benefit one’s life.

“Seen across the entire lifespan,” Dr. Wood said, “there’s some evidence for less extraversion and openness to new experiences as people age, but increases in agreeableness.”

ecorded by nurse Bronnie Ware, the book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying” lists common sorrows of patients on their deathbed. One of the top regrets the patients said was that they wished they had stayed in touch with their friends.

“Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks, and it was not always possible to track them down,” Ware wrote. “Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years.

There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved.”

Friendships play a significant role in promoting overall health, according to the Mayo Clinic. Adults with strong social support have a reduced risk of depression, high blood pressure and stress. Older adults with a rich social life are also likely to live longer than their peers with fewer connections.

University of Missouri — Columbia professor Dr. Gustavo Carlo said these friendships release brain chemicals that foster pleasurable feelings such as reward and happiness. Dr. Carlo, a developmental psychologist at the Department of Human Development and Family Science, studies how children and adolescents learn positive ways of behaving and interacting with one another through quality friend and family relationships.

“Those hormones are things like oxytocin. . . a neurotransmitter that gives us that pleasurable sensation but also draws us closer to other people,” Dr. Carlo said.

Oxytocin, known as the “love hormone,” Dr. Carlo said, is important in instances of human connection.

These behaviors include attachment, trust and mother-infant bonding, according to the Society for Endocrinology. Other hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine, provoke rewarding feelings that humans seek out, which is one reason why friendships feel so good. The hormones play a part in arousal, the state of being alert, awake and attentive.

“When you first meet someone, there’s a natural, physiological arousal, and arousal actually reflects stress,” Dr. Carlo said. “Then the question is whether the individual is able to regulate that arousal

Loneliness is a common experience for 80 percent of the population ages 18 and younger.

Fear of failure hinders social interactions

A

"Happy Hormones"

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Agents of socialization forge identity ANJALI NOEL RAMESH

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oddlers know Harvard Graduate School of Education. Teens also said their parents were barely anything more proud of them for good grades than for being caring people.

Though parents want to develop considerate children, it appears family of civilization beconversations are geared toward educational success, which could impact yond the walls of their their future actions.

What media children prefer, what religion they practice home as they begin to and who they befriend are all types of socialization linked to family. walk unsteadily and “Family values get wrapped up in the other social institutions,” Valentine babble to their heart’s content. Their under- said. “If you. . . come from a particular religious background, your. . . values standing of happiness, are probably going to be defined by your religious identity.”

For sophomores Cassie Morse and Hannah Kuhnert, family and religion sadness and anger detie closely to one another. Raised in dominantly Christian households, both pends on the actions attended church at a young age with their parents. Kuhnert said her mom of their parents and taught her many lessons rooted in the Bible when she was younger, and most guardians, according of them stuck with her as she grew up. to The Center on the “My mom’s always been super adamant about loving your enemies, Social and Emotional Foundations which can be so difficult sometimes,” Kuhnert said. “But that teaching esfor Early Learning pecially has come up a lot within high school, and it’s been super helpful to at Vanderbilt Uni- have been able to wrestle with it and practice that.”

Kuhnert also said her peers have changed the way she interacts through versity. Socializafaith.

She has both Christian and non-Christian friends, and she said their tion, the process perspective concerning her faith impacted how she views herself and others. where commu“I was really nervous to share my faith around my friends who aren’t relinal learning and gious or aren’t Christian because I was scared of how they’d react,” Kuhnert ideologies create someone’s said. “Over time it’s helped me really build and be bold with my faith.”

Morse and Kuhnert go to the same place of worship, and they both said personality, althey’ve met new people through their religious groups. Youth organizations lows infants to can help teenagers increase their self-esteem by providing a place for safe, develop mentally youth-to-youth interactions, according to the Center for Community Health and emotionally. and Development at the University of Kansas. These groups also develop Family, peers, religion, critical thinking skills for children as they practice problem-solving in a school and media are all agents group scenario.

Morse said she met many of her close friends through her of socialization, according to the University of Minnesota’s church, and they’ve been able to share the same beliefs and principles.

“I think it’s really nice for me to be able to have my church and my youth online libraries. From entering group for that because they’re all such great people,” Morse said. “We’re kindergarten to finding a job, able to be authentic with each other and push towards the same goals.” these components continue Another key facet of human development is sibling interaction. Siblings to contour humanity. Distinct are a major part of who children communicate with, according to an article roles within people’s environfeaturing Laurie Kramer, a professor of applied family studies in the Department build their own personaliment of Human and Community Development at the University of Illinois. ty and morality.

Family is the primary form They included older and younger siblings, brother and sister and biological of socialization because it is to adopted in the article.

Junior Jocelyn Ash has five adoptive siblings, but she said they treat each the earliest form of guidance other the same way biological siblings do. She recalls “driving her mother a child receives. Later on in insane” with the constant bickering between her and her siblings and feels life, other agents, such as their quips are akin to those of biological children. After her parents told her media and peers, come about her siblings’ lives before they adopted them, Ash said she has become into play as well, but less inclined to judge people at first sight and more thankful for her own life. the home environment “I think having adoptive and foster siblings has shaped my character in provides a baby’s first experienc- a way that would virtually be impossible to unshape,” Ash said. “I’m one to es with culture quickly judge others based on outside appearance and the situation they’re and human in, but what I’ve realized with having a hybrid of siblings from various e t i q u e t t e . backgrounds is that we can’t always judge by what we see.”

Ash also said her adopted siblings help her be more understanding of Parents can people’s cultural backgrounds. Children often enter the foster care system teach chilbecause their birth parents do not have the resources to support them, acdren the importance cording to the Missouri Department of Social Services. While their biologof earning ical family works to create a safe home before they and their children can an allowance reunite, the kids go to foster parents who take care of them. In the case of through paid labor, adoption, the goal is to provide permanent places of residence for the chilshowing them the how to dren rather than temporary foster homes, according to the American Acadework toward their goals. my of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

“Before having siblings from all different backgrounds, I used to conThroughout the rest stantly apply the just world phenomenon, [the idea that people get what they of a child’s life, his or her knowledge of rela- deserve because the world is fair and just], to every scenario,” Ash said. tionships and commu- “But now that I have siblings who have lived in that state of life, I’m prone nity determines how he to be more understanding of where they’re coming from.”

In everyday life, from religious practices to sibling banter, the agents or she, in turn, interacts of socialization are visible. Positive effects of these agents form the base with others. Douglas Valof human interaction and group cohesion from the infant stage in order to entine, a Ph.D. Candidate make humans productive beings, Valentine said. The agents of socialization, in the Sociology and Rehowever, often overlap.

In both religious youth organizations and school ligious Studies Department at the University of Missouri projects, students learn to cooperate and behave as a community, and they — Columbia, said while history learn from interacting with each other as much as from the activity itself, classes teach students one way according to the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities.

With media on the rise and culture in people’s homes modernizing, they of looking at the significance of learn about materialistic and non-materialistic values, such as digital techa holiday, family often sets the nology and intangible norms or beliefs. Newspaper, television and the Interperspective of how people view net are types of mass media that people consume on a daily basis, according special occasions as well. to the educational technology company Lu“Some men Learning. people are With the recent impeachment hearings tied very and political conflict, where people find their close to the information helps reinforce their personal Some people are tied very close to particular thoughts, Valentine said. For example, if a the particular idea of America, and idea of Ameriperson with conservative values finds news ca, and family valfamily values reflect the history of based on social media pages from their conues reflect the history of American [standards],” American [standards]. For examservative friends, they are more likely to furValentine said. “For example, if a family is really ple, if a family is really into the pilther strengthen their own beliefs without lisinto the pilgrim narrative, they’re going to get one tening to opposing viewpoints. This leads to grim narrative, they’re going to get belief; if the family is really into business history, potentially false conclusions that may shape a one belief; if the family is really into they’re going to get a much different belief.” person’s perspective into one of extreme bias.

Since families are different from each other, they business history, they’re going to “Even though we have an idea that there is will teach contrasting morals, which their children carget a much different belief.” this huge world of [broadcasting] we can go ry as they grow older. For instance, if young people out and explore,” Valentine said, “I think peowitness a parental figure being respectful or dis—Dr. Doug Valentine, ple are increasingly sticking to the media they respectful, they are likely to mimic the actions University of Missouri — Columbia want that backs up what they already think.” of the adult because of the influence parents Mass media may also impact how young have over their children. viewers perceive the world. In the PBS KIDS The bond between parents and youth, show Sesame Street, children grasp the value however, might be more strained of teamwork and kindness through costumed than the adults are willing to let characters.

The show teaches letters, numbers and simple math problems, on. Most teachers and parents said their top priority stimulating learning in the kids, according to the National Center for Biowas to develop kind children, but 80 percent technology Information (NCBI) and U.S. National Library of Medicine. of youth surveyed said their parents Media, however, also include subjects such as violence, alcohol, drug focused on achievements rather than kind attitude, use and sexuality, which children may be exposed to as well. There is a coraccording to a relation between the violence young people see and their rough behavior in survey by the future, according to a study mentioned by the NCBI from the American t h e Association for the Advancement of Science.

Mass media, while influential, are not the only agents of socialization that affect negative behavior. If a child watches violent television shows and is part of an abusive or distressful family, they are more prone to copying dangerous conduct, according to the NCBI. Family and media can link to each other, just like peer groups and religion can all sculpt someone’s personality, but they are not limited to one or the other.

“At school, kids learn from other kids just as much as they’re learning from teachers, and they also learn from households with dominant forms of religion, government and law enforcement,” Valentine said. “[These institutions] complement one another; they interact with one another and they back each other up.”

16 FEATURES

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THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20, 2019

Graduation dress codes unify class O MADDIE ORR

n May 24, 2020, a sea of green will stand alone against the dark background of the University of Missouri — Columbia’s basketball arena. Hundreds of anxious teenagers adorned in matching caps and gowns will await their turn to walk across the stage, diploma in hand, into the unknown world of a life outside of RBHS. Graduation marks a significant milestone in the lives of teenagers emerging from 13 years of schooling, according to Stage of Life, a privately held, educational startup company, and 85.4 percent of teens said graduation was extremely important, ranking it a five on a one-to-five scale. During this major event, high schools across the country recognize their graduating seniors in different ways.

Some value graduation honors in the form of a cord, stole or other kind of sash draped across the shoulders of graduates.

RBHS, Hickman High School, Douglass High School and Battle High School, however, do not follow this same standard, said former principal and current Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education in Columbia Public Schools Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, a tradition that has been in place since 1973.

“The graduation ceremony is to celebrate one thing, and that is the achievement of the graduation diploma. So everyone who walks across that stage has achieved a minimum of 24 credits in the right combination, and they are a Rock Bridge graduate from Columbia Public Schools,” Dr. Rukstad said.

“The day is not designed to rub it in whether you came in at 24 credits or you have over 35. The whole thing is to say that every one of us in this room met that requirement, and no matter how high or low you hit it, we hit the requirement to be a Rock Bridge graduate.”

As a current senior and high achieving extracurricular participant, senior Eric Kwon said the desire to wear any such honor would be a personal preference. Kwon, who is involved in Science Olympiad, Mu Alpha Theta and Math Club, is also an All-State musician. He said he thinks the recognition could be a “good thing.” “[Honors] shows each individual talent that a person has, and they’re able to portray it and show it off and let others know what they accomplished during high school,” Kwon said. “I think it would be a really interesting addition to our graduation ceremony.”

Dr. Rukstad said RBHS has maintained the no-adornment policy as a way of focusing on “the togetherness of the class.” She said graduation is a unifying experience and is not designed to point out differences among individuals.

“For some families, it’s very important for them to see their son or daughter honored during the graduation with an honor cord or a stole to celebrate their accomplishments during high school, and we understand that, but we also understand that those accomplishments have already been celebrated or will,” Dr. Rukstad said.

“There’s nothing that says that’s right or wrong; that’s just where Rock Bridge has always been.”

Unlike Kwon, senior Alice Hert has no preference in whether or not visible adornments should be present at graduation. She said the purpose of the event is primarily “just to graduate” and prefers the ceremony not waste time recognizing various individuals.

“I think it would be an interesting idea, but it would almost encourage leaving out people because not everyone is going to get mentioned, and it would most likely be the more mainstream of clubs and activities that would get mentioned and not so much the more niche and unique clubs and activities,” Hert said. “We just don’t have time to do all of them even though most of them deserve some kind of recognition.”

Another concern Hert had would be whether or not students would have to pay for their own adornments.

She said seniors already have to pay for the caps and gowns, which can be expensive, and adding more graduation memorabilia might become a deficit for students of lower incomes who also deserve recognition.

“We don’t need to worry about by how far or by how little you passed that standard. You passed the standard.

You’re getting a diploma ... You made it,” Dr. Rukstad said. “Our student speakers are chosen by students. Our valedictorians do not speak unless they are chosen to speak by their classmates. Those are all things that are not necessarily conventional, and we’re certainly not trying to be unconventional, but our approach is just what it is, and we generally get very positive feedback ... based on an approach that every graduate matters.”

Grades, scores create heavy weight for students

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trying to fix” grades. Senior Reece Furkin understands unhealthy relationships students develop with scores.

Furkin, who lost her 4.0 to a B+ in physical education (P.E.) her sophomore year said she felt relief as a junior compared to her friends who were still fighting for straight As. Her P.E. grade dropped as a result of classes she missed for surgery and was unable to make up.

Furkin’s injury, which was an uncontrollable factor, left her with the knowledge she’d given her best effort and there was no more she could do. She realized the grade didn’t define her.

Barnes and Popescu said they feel pressure to earn As, but some teachers accept late or corrected assignments, which reduces their stress. Allowing overdue or revised work provides an opportunity for further learning, according to Education World, a resource offering material and content for educators.

“The classes I like are the classes where I’m actually learning something,” Furkin said, “and those aren’t necessarily the classes I have the best grade in.”

Although Barnes has a strong academic track record, she said she tells students in the advisory class she mentors they are worth more than their grades. She said scores serve to motivate individuals but are often blown out of perspective.

She would advise everyone to take a step back and view the bigger picture.

“I would say to do your best, but know a score doesn’t define you. A number is never going to change who you are as a person,” Barnes said. “At the end of the day, when you’re out of school, the grade you got in a math class isn’t going to have that big of an impact on your life.”

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Homework policies at RBHS are decided at the Professional Learning Team level. Honors Physics and Honors Chemistry ach semester ends with the arrival of a fateful white enveteacher Stephanie Harman said homework helps students praclope concealing a grade report in the mail. Some celebrate its contents while others grimace as they tear open the seal. tice to eventually master concepts, which is why she does not Although senior Ansley Barnes knows scores don’t define her, collect it for a grade. Instead, she weights exam and test performances to reflect the knowledge and skills students gained. she still feels their weight.

Harman’s views on grades, however, have not always been “I like pushing myself to do my best,” Barnes said, “and I just feel like if I’m not getting As I’m not doing my best, which this way. As a high school student, Harman didn’t worry about grades as she easily aced tests without studying. In college she I know is not the case at all.”

Barnes has a 4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) and said her learned how to study but continued her straight-A streak. It incentive to maintain it partly stems from her parents, but most wasn’t until her master’s program she received her first B. While of it comes from her desire to work hard. She said being named the score stung, Harman said her opinions on grades were changvaledictorian would be an added bonus. Besides internal moti- ing.

“In the beginning of my career, I really thought that a stuvators, external factors such as post-secondary education drive dent’s behavior should correlate to students such as sophomore Peter Popescu, their grade. I held the belief that if who also has a 4.0 GPA. there were points taken off for beGPA is one of the top components adThe classes I like are the classes ing late or unfinished, that would missions officers consider for scholarships where I’m actually learning somechange the bad behavior I was seeand admittance applications, according to ing,” Harman said. “The longer I the college applications preparatory system thing, and those aren’t necessarily have taught, though, I really have ScholarPrep. While Popescu is undecidthe classes I have the best grade in.” started embracing the idea that a ed on which college to attend, he said he grade should reflect what the stustrives to perform well academically to keep — Reece Furkin, dent knows and is able to do.” his post-secondary opportunities abundant. senior Standards-Referenced Grading He said being considered for acceptance (SRG) embodies the same philosat schools such as Stanford University reophy Harman described, accordquires an excellent academic record.

With an unweighted grading system at RBHS, Popescu said ing to an article from Wichita Public Schools. This system only maintaining strong scores is harder when taking higher-level demonstrates a student’s knowledge of material and their ability courses as opposed to on-level classes. Some of Popescu’s class- to use it as opposed to traditional grading, which averages ases include Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1 and AP World signments and incorporates additional factors such as behavior History. Weighted grades give students enrolled in rigorous into the final grade.

While Columbia Public Schools (CPS) currently operates courses a numerical advantage when calculating GPA, according under a traditional grading system, SRG is scheduled to appear to “The Glossary of Education Reform,” an online organization in report cards by the 2020-21 academic year starting with disproviding education reform information.

Popescu said grades represent work ethic rather than one’s trict elementary schools followed by middle schools and high ability to perform well in a subject. He said regardless of how schools, according to the “Columbia Daily Tribune.”

Although she must still enter scores, Harman incorporates much one understands a concept, hard work will eventually lead to mastery and visible results through grades. Similarly, Barnes her grades’ ideology into her classroom environment. She said said homework scores more often measure timeliness and one’s grades put an incredible amount of stress on students because of the time and energy they waste “worrying about, calculating and understanding of questions in the moment.

AUDREY NOVINGER

SNOWY LI/ THE ROCK

THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20 , 2019

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18 SPORTS

THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20, 2019

Freshmen standouts highlight fall season

JADYN LISENBY/FLASHBACK

STRIDE BY STRIDE: Freshman Carolyn Ford runs during the Forest Park Cross Country Festival Sept. 14. Ford placed second overall in the varsity girls 5K green race. Both RBHS teams placed first for the entire event. During the Nov. 9 state meet on the Gans Creek course, Ford became the first freshman in Missouri’s history to win the individual state title.

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history to win the individual state title for cross djusting to the halls of RBHS from country at the Gans Creek course in Columbia. middle school doesn’t seem too inBoys’ and girls’ cross country head coach timidating on Jumpstart Day. Fresh- Neal Blackburn spoke highly of all 15 freshmen receive their schedules, learn men who participated on the team. Including which rooms their classes are in, participate Ford, freshmen Ian Kemey and Morgan Sexton in the rollercoaster of information and discov- also received varsity letters. When pinpointer various clubs and organizations, but once ing Ford’s success in particular, Blackburn school begins, the first few days may be diffi- couldn’t reference just one reason for her proscult to adapt to. perity, saying it “was just a great mix of a lot of Whether it’s adjusting to the sleep sched- different things.” ule, parking and parent pick-up system, lunch “There were a lot of variables that allowed menu, student laptops, newfound freedom or for her talents to surface,” Blackburn said. “The sheer size of RBHS, freshmen can easily feel fact that she committed to doing work with the overwhelmed. team [helped her] develop relationships with For some students, athletics are a way to those other girls. Her outlook on races, and experience a smooth transition from middle to also just balance [with] levels of expectation, high school through bonding and playing on not going through the roof or over the top but different sports teams. With 12 total Missouri trying to keep things level ... played a role in State High School Athletic Association (MSH- really allowing her talents to surface.”

SAA) sports for boys and girls, there is abunFellow freshman Ella Swindle arrived at dant room for RBHS deterstudent-athletes mined to bring a “The hardest thing to adjust to was balanc- “winning culture” at RBHS. ing sports and school. . . It took some trial to the volleyball For freshman and error, but my final solution was to do team; Carolyn Ford, however, her transition was homework right before and after practice.” volleyball from Gentry not her first sport.

Middle School spent — Carolyn Ford, Swindle (GMS) to RBHS freshman most of her athletwasn’t too dific career playing ficult, and partennis, only startticipating in athletics helped create a fun and ing volleyball when she was at GMS. seamless change. Ford said the switch to RBHS “Tennis was really lonely, and I missed hav“was weird [because] the lunch line got bigger, ing someone to talk to,” Swindle said. “[Being] and there were so many [more] people.” With encouraged whenever things aren’t going my experience running cross country since the sev- way [was something] I really liked about volenth grade, Ford set a goal to catch up to soph- leyball.” omores Mallory Gard, Maci Steuber and others Swindle participated in a highly competitive who were teammates with Ford at GMS. volleyball club in Kansas City in seventh and “Balancing sports and school was the hard- eighth grade, which fueled her passion for winest. When you regularly get home [late] but ning. During her eighth grade year, Swindle then have to eat and do homework, you can get helped GMS attain an 18-2 finish and a regular pretty stressed,” Ford said. “It took trial and er- season championship. That same year, Swindle ror, but my final solution was to do homework made the U.S.A. High Performance A1 select before and after practice.” division, a league which produces future U.S. Ford ran as a varsity member during the national team prospects and Olympic athletes. season, dishing out historic performances, like “When I was selected, I was so excited. It when she placed first at the Gans Creek Clas- was such a huge honor to be selected to play sic in September, and learning moments. Ford with some of the top athletes in the nation,” recalled an epiphany that displayed the differ- Swindle said. “I’m dreaming that my volleyence in the level of competition between mid- ball career will take me as far as possible.” dle school and high school.

Standing at 6-foot-2, Swindle often tow“My biggest rookie moment came when I ers above opponents as the setter. She began got dusted by Camille Jackson in [a meet] in playing the position in seventh grade and soon Iowa,” Ford said. “She beat me by almost 70 “became hooked.” Similar to a point guard in seconds to get first [place]. I finished the race basketball, Swindle is responsible for creatthinking, ‘Wow, she’s really good.’ Having that ing scoring opportunities for the team, but she large of a [time] gap between us was certainly must also block, serve and defend to help the a [great learning] experience.” team win. The skills Swindle displayed as a With this motivation, Ford finished the sea- setter throughout the year earned her a spot on son as the first freshman, boy or girl, in state the Class 4 All-State girls’ team. She was the RYAN CHOE

only freshman to make the team.

First-year head coach Nicole Murphy said she wanted to revamp the program, starting with practices. From day one, Murphy believed Swindle would play a crucial role.

“I knew [the program] didn’t have a very successful past, so I really wanted to change the mindset of the program by instilling a winning mentality,” Murphy said. “[Swindle] has the experience of being a tall setter, and I think it’s awesome that she got the opportunity ... leading the program as a freshman [starter], and as a setter, accomplishing great things.”

Murphy said she is happy with how much talent Swindle displayed during matches. With time for her to grow, Murphy is excited to see how Swindle will develop.

“Her ball placement is really awesome right now. Her block is huge.

She’s really tall, and she [has] a great setter dump. When she goes up on the second hit instead of setting for the third hit, she attacks the ball almost like a kill. A lot of referees around this area haven’t seen a setter dump a ball the way Ella does,” Murphy said. “This year we worked with her on her serving [because] it was kind of inconsistent all season. I think if she improves [this] and moves the location of her setter dumps, she’s going to be unstoppable.”

Unlike Swindle, Ford had more long-term experience in cross country. Growing up, Ford loved to run and at GMS, Ford competed primarily as a sprinter. At this time, Ford said she ran for herself. When she arrived at RBHS, Ford said her mentality changed to running for her teammates. Ford also said the entire coaching staff helped her develop her skills while still having fun. Without their feedback, Ford said her season could have been different.

“All of the coaches were super supportive.

Coach Leach [made me] laugh, [and] Coach Gabel was easy to talk to ... Coach Blackburn would talk for 45 minutes every day, but those were probably some of the most inspirational 45 minutes of my life,” Ford said. “All of my teammates were super helpful. ... The ones that did the most were probably the girls’ varsity group, as they showed me the ropes. This [encouragement] was greatly appreciated.”

Blackburn said Ford’s performance is inspirational, not only for current RBHS athletes, but also for runners in upcoming years. He said seeing Ford, Kemey and Sexton all discover their potential is amazing. “ [ C a r o l y n ’s performance] is going to raise the level of excitement for what [runners] can do as individuals [and] as a team,” Blackburn said. “I think, more than anything, it really gets people more committed to doing what it is that we hope they’re capable of doing. ... Every single one of them can make a contribution.”

After memorable and positive freshmen campaigns, Swindle and Ford look forward to getting JARED GEYER/THE ROCK better during their next three years. For Ford, this means focusing more on her stride when running on grass and improving her mile time. Swindle is just as eager to return to the postseason and advance further after her team lost to Hickman in the district tournament. More than anything, both are grateful for their new friendships, development and support.

“I think that the freshmen were very welcomed coming in. [The] open gyms over the summer helped everyone get acclimated to the culture of Rock Bridge,” Swindle said. “As far as next year goes, and future years, I think that I want to establish a competitive culture and let everyone know that [we] can do big things.”

Why did you choose to play a sport in your freshman year?

I chose to play because I knew I would make [many] friends and have fun.

Specifically, [I chose softball] because I got begged to.”

JARED GEYER/THE ROCK

CAMRYN DEVORE/THE ROCK

— Abby Hay, softball

I have always loved sports and personally think that it makes me bond with other people better and make more friends. Also, I really want to [play in] college, so I need to be able to progress.”

CAMRYN DEVORE/THE ROCK

— Jasmine Moser, basketball

THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20, 2019

SPORTS 19

No-cut sports allow for more inclusion

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MADDIE ORR

t’s Friday night, and brilliant white lights overhead illuminate the green turf of the football field.

Rows of stainless steel bleachers fill the stadium packed with fans, foes and family.

As the sun sets in a fading pink sky, the clock strikes 7 p.m. and dozens of boys clad in matching jerseys sprint onto the field tearing through banners adorned by their school’s logo. The crowd roars.

The Friday night lights, referenced in countless Instagram captions using the abbreviation “FNL,” symbolize a signature staple of high school life: football games. Yet, for these student-athletes, there’s more to the sport than just game day. Football and the members and staff it incorporates provides freshmen with a team, becomes a home and disciplines their character.

For freshman Mark Hajicek, the sport allows for fun and an opportunity to play alongside a distinctive group of boys who bring him joy.

Also, looking up to his brothers and RBHS athletes before him, Hajicek has rooted his life in athletics and hard work.

“Sports provide a chance to develop leadership on and off the court or field,” Hajicek said. “[You learn to] trust in your teammates while having fun doing something you like at the same time.”

Football joins four other sports at RBHS in an inclusive athletic policy of not cutting or removing players from the team, a tactic the “Milwaukee Journal Sentinel” said “encourages exploration and bravery” for high school student-athletes.

At RBHS, football, cross country, track and field, swimming and diving and wrestling do not cut aspiring competitors. All other sports, however, must conduct a tryout where players have to compete for a spot to join the team each year. Hajicek, who dedicates a significant amount of time to sports, both football and basketball, said no-cut sports “encourage more people to play.”

When there are more opportunities for students to get involved, they often seize the chance to join teams and play sports they might be passionate about, Hajicek said. Lauren Sulz, a researcher and assistant professor of education at the University of Alberta who studied the impact of youth being cut from sports teams, said the skills

ANA MANZANO/THE ROCK

PINNING THE COMPETITION: Sophomore Owen Twaddle wrestles during a competition Dec. 3. RBHS lost to Kirksville High School 30-48 but defeated Tolton Catholic High School 48-30. The team continues play in the Lee’s Summit Holiday invite today, beginning at 5 p.m.

teenagers acquire from participation in sports seasons outweigh the opportunities to “learn a lesson” from being cut. She said sports develop children, and not allowing a certain child to obtain that growth is unfair.

Head football coach Van Vanatta, however, said football would cut if it were necessary.

“There’s no rule that says we couldn’t [cut], but I’ve just never been in a situation where I can cut guys. If we start running out of equipment and things like that, that could be an issue, but usually we would just order it up for them.

Plus, you just never want to quit on guys,” Vanatta said.

“We just don’t cut because, a lot of times, guys get hurt, and it’s a long season; you need bodies. ... It’s one of the longer sports.

CAMRYN DEVORE/THE ROCK If you go the whole way, it’s 17 weeks plus three weeks in the summer plus lifting.”

For each varsity, junior varsity and freshman team, Vanatta said he’s considering 30 or 40 athletes who could potentially play. This brings the program to a total of roughly 120 players, an amount where the program does not experience a problem

of having too many participants.

Volleyball head coach Nicole Murphy, however, finds determining who makes the team a different story. Her program, like football, also consists of three teams, but the sport requires fewer people on the court at one time, and Murphy said the Missouri State High School Athletics Association limits each team to 15 roster spots.

“I think [cutting] teaches life lessons. I think it teaches you to work harder if that is something you want to pursue. I think, sometimes, it leads people to a different path, a different sport that they like better,” Murphy said. “I also think it’s beneficial because it challenges kids to work hard all the time, [knowing] that their position isn’t secure.”

There are other reasons for a smaller roster, such as lacking the necessary finances to have numerous players. Vanatta said in order to suit his athletes, the price per student equates to around $800.

Currently, the school has enough equipment to outfit 150 players, a threshold the team hasn’t reached yet. If the football program surpasses that number, Vanatta said he would no longer be able to support the entire team.

Many coaches dislike cuts, according to an article published by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), a body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports in the U.S. In particular NFHS said athletes don’t like being told they’re not good enough. Murphy said her cutting policy is “not just about skills; it’s about work ethic, too.” When deciding which players make the team, she surveys whether or not an athlete is a team player and has a good attitude.

“You’re trying out for a cut sport, so you can’t really hold it against that coach. If they do cut you, it has to be done,” Murphy said. “Of course we don’t like doing it. It’s very painful to tell a freshman they didn’t make a team or tell a junior ‘I’m sorry,

you’re not making the team.’ But I some and an uncomfortable expefind if you give them that facial in- rience for others. The stress comes teraction and also reasons why they from the fact that it is a cut sport, and didn’t make the team, they can take not everyone will make the team. it and learn from it.”

“Football is like a grind. Great Athletic programs can only house coaches always say, ‘Enjoy the so many students on their teams grind’ and ‘Enjoy the suck’ because while still providing significant in- it’s tough. Everybody wants to be struction and competition, according out there on a Friday night because to NFHS. playing a football game is a lot of For many cut sports, it comes fun,” Vanatta said. “I think you just down to having too many players. have to find those guys that want to Sports like do it, and there football, for are, and they all example, want to be on the I think sports provide a chance hold abunteam. Everybody to develop leadership on and dant playing wants to be a part off the court or field. [You learn time opporof the team. The tunities and question is how to] trust in your teammates require a involved do you while having fun doing somelarge numwant to be. That’s thing you like at the same ber of athwhere you find time.” letes in order those guys.”

— Mark Hajicek, to compete.

Some schools freshman In a sport in the U.S., most such as basnotably smaller ketball, however, there are only five schools, have moved to not cutting people on the court at one time, and athletes in all sports. As a result, coaches don’t want to load their these schools see higher involvement bench up with kids who will not see in athletics. This participation beneeven a minute of playing time. fits academics as well; studies have Junior Emilia Feltner, a member shown athletic involvement relates to of the girls’ golf team, said being a improved performance in school. part of a team of only 12 or 13 memSports help to fight stress and bers helps grow and strengthen her also improve cognitive function of skills. the brain, according to Interactive “Golf has impacted my life Health Technologies, an organizathrough friendship. I have made tion dedicated to student wellness. some amazing friends that have giv- Exercise increases blood flow to the en me great advice and companion- brain and helps the body build more ship and, also, the discipline of me connections between nerves, leading going to practice and working hard to increased concentration, enhanced on my game has shaped my person- memory and better-developed probality and also a realization of work lem solving skills. Playing sports ethic,” Feltner said. “I think sports allows your brain to work more efprovide relationships, passion and ficiently. determination, and knowing what it “I definitely think people need to is like to be part of a team and work- play a high school sport,” Hajicek ing together.” said. “Even if you’ve never played Tryouts are designed to cut a team before, you never know if you’re down to its best possible players, good at something unless you try it which is one way these sports build out. Sports help me personally by excellence, but the nerves that come giving me something fun to do but with trying out for a competitive also teaching me life skills at the sport can be both a driving force for same time.”

20 COMICS

THE ROCK RBHS.BEARINGNEWS.ORG DECEMBER 20, 2019

Let It Snow

Students tell their favorite winter tales

ART, INTERVIEWS BY LORELEI DOHM Hunter Naylor, senior

“My dad used to tie a rope to a giant tractor inner tube, and whenever it would snow, he would tie it to the back of his tractor, or four-wheeler or the car, and he would drive it around our big front yard. And I would slide off and fall, but it was still really fun. I enjoyed it a lot.”

Abbie Sivaraman, sophomore

“On the first snow of every year, at least for how long I can remember, my sister and I enjoy going outside, and we make different snowmen with scarves or whatever we can find, or we make snowballs and have snowball fights or sometimes we make snow angels. And usually afterwards, we go back inside and drink hot chocolate to warm back up. It’s always a super fun time.”

Ray Adelstein, sophomore

“Last year it was just me and my mom living in the house because my sister was out on exchange, and it was a normal weekend and we weren’t really doing anything, so my mom presented the idea that we bake some cookies. I was like, ‘Sure. That could be fun.’ I’ve never baked anything. The most I’ve ever made was, like, some good toast, and that’s about it. We ended up putting a lot of sugar in them. Half of it was just sugar, but we spent a while working on them, and they turned out really well. Even though I had no idea what I was doing, spending time with my mom was great.”