The Rock January 2015

THE

ROCK

Bruins ready to face Jefferson City, OG Anunobo on Feb. 3.

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Rock Bridge High School • 4303 S. Providence Rd. • Columbia Mo, 65203 • Vol. 42, Issue 4 • January 29, 2015

Columbia raises age to purchase tobacco to 21 L uke C hval

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photo by Devesh Kumar

Integration: Students of a US Studies class take a test. At RBHS, state mandated social studies classes are integrated with English classes.

CPS plans to make vast changes to social studies R enata W illiams

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iminishing repeated material, focusing on leading questions and identifying a set of literacy skills and themes are the three major changes Columbia Public Schools K-12 Social Studies curriculum has undergone in an aim to revamp the courses. All changes are set to take effect in the 2015-16 school year.

Program evaluations, done in order to better curriculum, take place approximately every five years, during which, committees look at the current curriculum and develop it further.

“In the case of our high school Social Studies program,” CPS Social Studies coordinator Nick Kremer said, “it had been over a decade since any revisions had been made.”

A steering committee was formed, made up of teacher and community members, to overview the curriculum. The committee made the “broad program revision recommendations” through reviewing research and surveys of students, parents and teachers.

Once the committee made these

recommendations, teacher teams ture career, and civic life because at each grade level developed the of these things.” specific course changes.

Indifferent to the commit“I guess what the committee tee’s views, sophomore Dzung found was that the phrase is our Nguyen said the existing curriccurriculum was ‘a mile wide and ulum hasn’t been repeated often an inch deep,’” RBHS Social and that repetition actually helps Studies department chair Austin students recall knowledge. But Reed said. “Meaning we were re- despite this, Nguyen did see the quired to cover a lot of stuff, but benefits of the changes.

“I agree with the part where the depth of thought and coverstudents get to learn more about age was limited.”

Specifically, 8th and 11th grade significance rather than facts,” Nguyen said. “... cover much of the same maWe can look that up on we can look that up on our phone terial. To comour phone and that’s and that’s not rebat this, high not really important ally important school courses knowledge. knowledge … will spend but you do need more time on Dzung Nguyen to understand modern hissophomore what impacts tory, in hopes that event made to reduce the redundancy of content from Kin- on history.”

Six to 10 “essential questions” dergarten to 12th grade.

“We hope that students will will take the place of the long list become more versed in contem- of learning objectives that curporary history,” Kremer said. rently exists. These questions “Will better retain the knowledge will lead courses, allowing stuthey learn in social studies be- dents to delve into topics, as well cause they learn in more depth, as giving teachers the chance to will learn a key set of skills by tailor their lessons.

“It gives the freedom,” Reed which to tackle any social issue they encounter in the future, and said. “So you may be teaching will be prepared for college, a fu- less content, but we like that

because when you’re teaching deeper, you’re going into more critical thinking skills.”

While these changes are district-wide, RBHS specifically feels them. As a part of the RBHS curriculum, Social Studies and English core course offerings are all integrated, so RBHS English teachers will be affected as well as social tudies teachers. English teacher Randy Swift’s classes have already begun to make these changes.

“At the very least, we had to change our sets of novels and short readings for class,” Swift said. “However, with our focus on skills and change in the history curriculum at most means we revise our formative and summative assessment prompts.”

Ultimately, Kremer said the English curriculum is not directly affected, but adjustments by teachers will need to occur.

“Students will still be expected to master the same learning objectives for reading, writing, speaking/listening, etcetera,” Kremer said. “But, the Social Studies changes will indirectly impact the types of texts and composition topics that are being used by English teachers.”

o RBHS students can legally purchase tobacco in Columbia anymore. The Columbia City Council decided by a 6-1 vote to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products to 21 on Dec. 15.

Many localities have approved the increase recently, such as New York City and Evanston, Illinois; however, Columbia is the first city in Missouri.

1st Ward Councilwoman Ginny Chadwick, who has since resigned, introduced the issue because of her background in public health. The proposal also added e-cigarettes to the city’s indoor smoking ban.

5th Ward Councilwoman Laura Nauser was the only vote against the proposal. Nauser’s objections were based on personal liberty, not the belief that youths should be smoking.

“I feel that any decision by the government to prohibit adults from engaging in legal activity is an infringement on the individual and their ability to make choices,” Nauser said.

RBHS school nurse Tammy Adkins knows almost all smokers start before they turn 18, making the situation dire for communities to deter youth from smoking. Nearly nine out of ten smokers have tried cigarettes by the age of 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“If it could maybe stop some people from smoking, that would be good,” Adkins said. “But it would be interesting to see the actual effectiveness of the law.”

Nauser, however, believes any attempts to stop people of 18 to 21 years from consuming tobacco are futile, because of the trend of smokers beginning at a much younger age.

“I think that if we want to keep kids from making poor choices then education is the most productive solution,” Nauser said. “Prohibiting an individual once they have reached the age of adulthood from engaging in the legal activity is too late to deter the behavior, especially when we consider the fact that most individuals start the bad habit of consuming tobacco products long before they reach the age of adulthood.”

Senior Bailey Washer, who is 18, is not a tobacco user but believes the law will do little to stop the amount of teen smoking in Columbia.

“The law definitely does not affect me in any way,” Washer said. “However, I think it’s not an effective rule because anyone who uses tobacco can easily just drive outside city limits to buy it.”

Along with the belief that the law strips personal freedoms, Nauser said the rule is not an effective deterrent to lower the number of teen smokers because in Missouri, it is legal for a person of any age to possess tobacco products.

“In my opinion the law that the city passed will not deter adults age 18-21 to stop the consumption of tobacco products as all they will need to do is cross the city limit and purchase the legal product,” Nauser said. “I have been told that sales at these stores has increased since the law was put into place. In addition, history has shown us that with any prohibition of a product there is always an increase in the black market sales.”

Florida legalizes same-sex marriage, U.S. Supreme Court decision looms J enna L iu

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s of early January, gay and lesbian couples can now marry in the state of Florida, a development that prefaced the Supreme Court’s decision to hear four cases regarding gay marriage, the result of which could affect every state. The court is expected to release their decision by late June.

The Florida ruling was the result

of many months of appeals regarding the case Brenner v. Scott. In deciding the case back in August, a district court ruled that Florida’s gay marriage bans were unconstitutional, with the first marriage licenses issued on Jan. 6.

Florida is the 36th state to legalize gay marriage, a considerable increase from three years ago when it was legal in just two states. Keeping in mind this upward trend, junior

Jodie Bappe is optimistic about what the Florida ruling means for the legal status of gay marriage in Missouri.

“I think [the ruling] is awesome,” Bappe said. “I don’t really think of Florida as a particularly liberal state, so I think it’s pretty awesome that it’s moving on to more moderate states and hopefully Missouri will legalize it soon.”

Read story at www.bearingnews.org art by Claire Simon

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otal: $4.60 = Paying with an 100” “Does everyone else eat with golden silverware, or is that just an #RBLife thing?”

“Just paid for a $5 meal at Sonic with a $100 bill.”...

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School lunches force CPS to operate on a deficit A bby K empf

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olumbia Public Schools, along with every district in the nation, is struggling in the wake of new United States Department of Agriculture school lunch regulations.

These regulations have drained out food budgets, discouraged kids from buying school lunches and left administrators wondering what comes next.

“Every five years the USDA asks Congress if they can reauthorize the services of the child nutrition program. Congress says yea or nay, and they usually say yes. With that comes extra rules that are proposed

by USDA. Part of 2010’s reauthorization was the use of nutrition guidelines as well as a plethora of other things attached to that particular initiative,” CPS Nutrition Services Director Laina Fullum said. “Basically the rule came down in 2010 and implementation started three years ago.

Then about a year after the final rule came out, and implementation was required.”

Fullum said there is “definite direct correlation” between these new regulations and the decimation of school lunch reserves, which lost over $1,000,000 last year and is projected to lose nearly $700,000 this year.

“If everything stays as it has, we will be at $12,000 by the end of the year,” Superintendent Dr. Peter Stiepleman said. “In such a short amount of time our numbers have completely dried up, just to meet the requirements under new regulations.”

These new regulations have altered the way schools decide what to serve. Instead of allowing sweet splurges with the inclusion of leafy greens, every item found on the tray must be healthy by itself.

“The big change for us, and everyone nationwide, is that we moved away from nutrient based menu planning to a food based menu planning.

The difference is in a nutrient based menu planning the things on the plate a student would carry through the lunch line would be added up and

then you would divide it by their nutritional value they had to equal what would be considered nutritious. So, for example, you could have pudding, or Tollhouse cookies, but it would be canceled out by having spinach on your plate,” Stiepleman said. “We had to move away from that. Now every single food has to be individually nutritious. That’s why the cookie has changed considerably in our school lunches. It is now smaller; it is whole grain. It has fewer chips, and, quite frankly, our kids tell us they hate it.”

Sophomore Toby Washer agrees.

The verdict is in for school lunches, and it doesn’t look appealing. Lunches have shrunk in size and in flavor.

“I don’t like a lot of the food any-

more because a lot of it is still really unhealthy and just kind of gross,” Washer said. “Usually when I buy lunch, I get the salads which are really small.”

The students not only are discouraged by the blandness of the food, but also by the increased cost of lunches.

“I never really purchased lunch here before,” Washer said. “But when I do buy it, there is a lot less. Sometimes I have to get extra food on the side. It does [cost more.]”

But these prices do not equate income for the district. Stiepleman said the number of students on free and reduced lunch plans has grown, while the number of students willing to pay extra for lunch has shriveled. This

imbalance is devastating to a district that is used to making, not losing, money by selling lunches.

“Parents are packing lunch, or kids are making their own lunch and bringing it to school,” Stiepleman said. “Those who are on free and reduced lunch may still be participating in lunch, but what it costs us to get them that plate is much more expensive than what the government actually pays us for free lunch. It is a difference of about $1.30. We serve more than a million meals a year, so that quickly adds up to big losses for the school district.”

Once the school completely depletes the lunch budget, money will

photo by Devesh Kumar

Censored food: Freshman Marqtrel Harris stands in line to buy lunch. The new USDA regulations on the healthiness of all food items have caused the district to lose money to the food budget, along with more food waste.

State Rep. introduces bill to lower Missouri voting age to 16 D erek W ang

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emocratic Rep. Karla May of Missouri District 84, located in St. Louis, proposed a bill that would lower the voting age in Missouri to 16 years old in December.

If the bill becomes law, current freshmen could vote in the 2016 presidential election. With the bill, May hopes to inspire increased youth involvement in their government in order for them to have a greater say in making the laws that apply to them.

“I think that this is a huge voting population that is a working population, that I believe understand government enough to be included and have a vote,” May said.

“Right now in our state, students take the Missouri Constitution and U.S. Constitution tests which have to be passed before they graduate. [The bill] is allowing those young people the opportunity to participate and I think that it is a good idea to start participation early.”

However, Civic Studies teacher Scott Wittenborn is skeptical that the bill would change the amount of youth involvement in politics. Wittenborn said that not enough of the people who are able to vote right now participate enough for the bill to make a big difference.

“I’m not sure that it would [do anything],” Wittenborn said. “18-year-olds can vote, and I’m not sure that right has really affected them very much. I do believe that students would be more inclined to partici-

pate in our government, and I believe this would align well with how they take their government class early in their high school career. I would hope that young kids would care more about politics if they were given more of a voice.”

Freshman Dalton Nunamaker said he thinks the number of young voters will stay relatively the same, with only a low percentage of 16-year-olds actually voting because of a lack of education or transportation.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 21.2 percent of the citizens between ages 18 to 29 participated in the 2012 election and voted, compared to 35.6 percent of citizens between ages 45 to 64. Nunamaker said that although he himself would take advantage of the bill and vote if it was passed, he isn’t sure if it is a good idea.

“I think that a lot of teenagers are very misinformed about things and not really involved enough,” Nunamaker said. “They haven’t had enough time to mature in order to formulate their views and what they really think. I think a lot of people would regret some votes they made. We just don’t know enough. Of course, some people do, but a lot of us don’t.”

Wittenborn said currently, most 18-year-olds do not actively participate in the government and vote. By lowering the age limit, there would merely be an influx of even more uneducated voters. However, Wittenborn said that 16-year-olds being able to vote would

have to be used from the operating budget. The operating budget pays for teachers’ salaries, supplies, athletics, fine arts, and other school activities, Stiepleman said. “Significant cuts” must be made to keep the school out of deficit spending.

Now, administrators are trying to solve this issue before it spreads throughout the district. Stiepleman last week consulted with advisors for Senator Roy Blunt and Senator Claire McCaskill to share their concerns and ask for Washington D.C. to repeal these regulations.

“The solution is that USDA needs to back off and slow down. They have done too much, too fast. They did not pilot this anywhere, therefore they have no idea what the fiscal impact on schools would be. We need to go back and do nutrient standard menu planning. That is when we actually analyze our own menu, nutritiously,” Fullum said. “That gives us a lot more flexibility in our menu planning. The last thing is that they actually need to fund it. If they actually want us to serve healthy food, they need to increase the reimbursement that we receive for each of the meals.”

These unnecessary rules need to be removed to allow schools to avoid waste and utilize every cent they receive to feed students, Stiepleman said.

“We have to get apples and oranges of a certain size and certain weight. Everything has to be a certain weight. We have to tell kids you can’t come through the line without getting apples and then they go through the line and throw away the apple. So we are so concerned about all the waste.

They said you can keep the apple and put it back into the supply, as long as it has been wrapped in plastic. We hire someone, we pay more money, we buy the wrap, they wrap the apple. So now we have spent even more money on these regulations that are really cumbersome and costly,” Stiepleman said. “If we don’t figure it out soon, it will be very difficult for us.”

Student council, dancers, prepare for yearly Golden Cow competition E mily F ranke

filmmakers and projects of a movie picked every year,” Bones or the at least 20 years, the said. “This year it’s a film about Golden Cow Lip Sync con- genocide in Cambodia.”

According to truefalse.org, the test has been an outlet for students and teachers to stretch their True Life Fund “ demonstrates dancing, lip-syncing and even co- that documentaries can create medic skills, all to benefit an orga- change by offering tangible assistance to the real-life subjects of nization in our community.

Student council member junior a new non-fiction film” by choosRonni Farid said the deadline for ing one film each year and raising teams to enter was Friday Jan. money for the real people who 23, and the contest will be Feb. stand in front of the camera.

“Taylor, Haley Wilson and 18, but student I decided that council must It’s a great way to would be the finalize reservations of the showcase my talent of best fund because it was a PAC. Entry to dancing like a female. branch of True/ the event is $5 False which reper person. ally tied Rock “There are Spencer Linder Bridge to our sign up sheets senior c o m m u n i t y, ” in Activities.

Farid said. “We [Friday] morning we had two teams, but I’m are planning on having a rep from sure that’s gone up. we are ex- True Life or playing a short video pecting around five teams,” Farid, about [the fund]. But we really Golden Cow Committee Chair, want to emphasize how Golden said.”The auditions will be held Cow benefits people.”

Farid looks forward to the at the end of next week. We will have one rehearsal that will be the teacher team and the panel of week before, but other than that judges, which will include past teams are expected to practice on student council president Jack Schimpf, alumnus 2014, printheir own.”

Farid said each team must au- cipal Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and a dition so student council can en- surprise guest. Farid also expects sure all dancing is appropriate for the return of last year’s champions, “The Milk Men.” Senior the family event.

In past years, funds raised at Spencer Linder, a member of the the event have benefited the Uni- “Milk Men” team, has an idea of versity of Missouri student orga- the music and moves his team will nization Rockin’ Against Multiple employ, and he said it is classified Sclerosis and Children’s Miracle information until the contest.

“Last year we were The Milk Network, activities director David Bones said. This year Farid, along Men. This year we are the ‘Sweetwith student council members ened Condensed Milk Men,’” forsenior Taylor DeVault and senior mer Milk Men member and senior Hayley Wilson, decided to donate Spencer Linder said. “[I enjoy] all proceeds to the True Life Fund the smack talk that takes place from the True/False Film Festival. before and the feeling when you “This year’s student council get out on stage. ... It’s a great way voted to contribute to the True to showcase my talent of dancing Life Fund, which helps support like a female.”

F

infographic by Maddy Mueller

not only allow them to get involved with their government, but it would also help with their education.

“We currently already try to emphasize political involvement and educated voting quite a bit, but this task would be much easier if kids were able to actually go out and vote,” Wittenborn said. “I think we would benefit a lot teaching these concepts when an election was taking place.”

Junior Mirnes Mustafic believes even with the right to vote, many 16-year-olds would not even think about heading to the ballot box.

He said teenagers not only are not educated enough to make a serious decision on who to vote for, but also have different priorities.

Mustafic said if he had been able to vote when he was 16, he would have ignored the opportunity and instead looked for a job.

“I don’t think 16-yearolds will take that responsibility to themselves and go out and vote,” Mustafic said. “They have more im-

portant things to do, like having a job.”

Wittenborn believes there would be more interest in politics among the youth if they were allowed to vote.

However, Wittenborn said the legal voting age is fine just how it is.

“I believe that keeping the voting age at 18 makes the most sense as it is a big transitional age for most as they leave high school, and enter the world much more on their own,” Wittenborn said.

May hopes that the bill will promote the revision of outdated laws that involve the youth community. She said that much of the youth population is unaware of many laws that apply to them.

“The main purpose is to try to get more involvement from the youth so they can actually help adjust and give ideas for the laws that govern them and also to change some of the laws and make them more relevant,” May said.

A4 FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Butt of the joke www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

H umera L odhi

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hree simple words. They were first used in France, hastily scrawled onto note cards. Soon, they spread across Europe, then to America then to Asia. The words found their way online, in the form of Twitter hashtags and instagram selfies. They were used in posters for rallies and protests. In less than a week, these words had become a rallying call; a slogan that had spread across the world. Three simple words: Je Suis Charlie. I Am Charlie.

Many started using this phrase to showcase their belief in the right to free speech when, on Jan. 7, two gunmen forced their way into the Paris headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine and opened fire, killing 12.

The gunmen took offense to the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, published in the magazine. In the days that followed, the attack fueled a debate over the freedom of speech, with prominent political and religious leaders speaking out.

Some, like Pope Francis, believed the magazine took ‘freedom of ex-

pression’ too far, while others, like UK Prime Minister David Cameron, said freedom of speech should have no limitations at any cost.

This debate over freedom of speech has found its way into the U.S. media and politics, as well. Again and again, people ask the same question: Did Charlie Hebdo have the right to depict the Prophet Muhammad?

To some, like Humanities teacher Jim Meyer, the answer is simple.

While the decision may not have been smart, Meyer said, according to the law in France, the magazine did not do anything wrong in publishing such images.

“Yes, in a legal sense, [Charlie Hebdo magazine] did have the right,” Meyer said. “The French government goes out of its way to ensure particular civil rights, not unlike the way our Bill of Right does.”

However, to senior Alex Parks, this situation is more complex than it initially seems. While the obvious answer might be to support an individual’s freedom of speech and the actions committed by the gunmen was extreme, Parks said, laws in each country are different, and France already has limitations against free speech that need to be considered.

Should there be a l humor and freedom

“Philosophically speaking, I be- generally minorities. I would defend lieve they had the right to depict their right to do so,” Meyer said. “But Muhammad although I’m sure they in doing so, I am in no way condoning would be aware of the consequences the particular things they are saying.”

Before its release, members from of their actions,” Parks said. “However, with censorship in France and their the Muslim community asked the constitutional rights outlined by their cover to be pulled, saying the cover government in mind, I am more on the was disrespectful and incited racial hatred.

Despite fence about wheththis, Charlie Hebdo er or not they had I am also not Charlie because I published the covthe right to [depict don’t think Charlie is making, er.

Some were upProphet Muhamalways, appropriate or helpful set by the attempt mad]. Censorship contributions to what is an in France is almost important debate; a debate to change the covering and saw it as non-existent but [about] free speech. an attempt to limit acts have been put Jim Meyer freedom of expresin place that prohumanities teacher sion.

However, hibit racial hatred.”

This issue of the right to free Parks said the request to have the covspeech, however, went far beyond er pulled was not unreasonable.

“People had the right to be upset the Paris attacks. Shortly after the fatal shooting, Charlie Hebdo re- and ask to pull the cartoon,” Parks leased a controversial new edition said. “Everyone has the right to feel of the magazine with a caricature of upset and to take action for their selfthe Prophet Muhammad once again interest.”

Following the attack, many apdepicted on the cover as an attempt to display their right to free speech. plauded Charlie Hebdo’s decision While he defends their right to pub- to publish another depiction of the lish such things, Meyer said, that does Prophet Muhammad. Instead of hastily “picking a side,” Meyer said, it is not mean he promotes their work.

“It really goes out of its way to ei- important to understand the magather call into question and,or offend a zines reasons behind these depictions.

“To me, the really important thing lot of social, political, and religious,

k a e p s t u o

is are they satirizing from a point of informed knowledge or are they satirizing from a point of lazy stereotypes,” Meyer said, “ because if they are doing the latter, we exercise our rights at a cost. I would ask them, ‘Is it worth that cost?’ And by cost, I don’t mean murder; I mean ... a kind of social acceptance or lack thereof.”

To some, the issue is more black and white. The publishing was not the correct response to the shooting, senior Betsy Poehlman said, and only exacerbated tensions on either side.

“There is a fine line between joking and making offensive comments, or using jokes to cover offensive stuff,” Poehlman said. “[Charlie Hebdo] should have been more cautious the second time and really think about who [they] are disrespecting.”

In the days since the attack, it has been hard to appease both ardent supporters of freedom of expression and members of different religious organizations. These members do not want to see their religious leaders and founders disrespected.

While the government can’t regulate speech, Parks said people need to keep in mind the implications of what they say.

“A lot of people, entities and or-

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n June 4, 1989, a date now known for the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Chinese military attacked student protesters in an effort to silence their cries. The Chinese government called the protest in the Beijing Tiananmen Square a “counter-revolutionary riot” and ordered the military to fire on the unarmed crowd.

As many as 300,000 Chinese troops were called to the scene after the government declared mar-

Egypt coup’s dead protesters

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n July 3, 2013, the Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi along with a coalition of high-ranking military officials overthrew the democratically-elected President Mohammad Morsi.

A new constitution was instituted and Morsi was imprisoned. Ever since then, protests have

come and gone around Egypt opposing the coup planned by now-President Abdel Fattah elSisi.

The police force in Egypt killed 15 protesters on Jan. 25, 2015 and left dozens injured and in 2014, dozens of people were killed in a similar way, according to the BBC.

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group of students from the University of Munich in Germany and their philosophy professor distributed anonymous leaflets that called for an active opposition to Adolf Hitler’s rule.

From June 1942 until their arrest in February 1943, the group, named the White Rose, spread

pap clud vinc atro O ber trie

Dying for change: Blood not spille

FOREIGN AFFAIRS A5

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

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nizations take freedom of speech far a majority of the time. There eds to be a balance between freem of speech and respecting difent cultures as well as being more en to criticism and humor,” Parks d. “But speech should never be mited by governmental regulations. hould be limited by common sense d logical thinking of an individual.”

This attack has ignited a debate out freedom of expression; one that still the topic of much media and itical attention. And while “Je Suis arlie” can be an easy catch phrase embrace, Meyer said, he does not nsider himself to be a “Charlie.”

“I’m not Charlie because I’m not ench, and I’m not living under se particular government’s rules. m not Charlie because I’m not riskmy life,” Meyer said. “ But I am o not Charlie because I don’t think arlie is making, always, approprior helpful contributions to what an important debate—a debate out] free speech.”

i c in

mmunist China’s anmen Square

law on May 20. Fifteen days later, the blooded began. After the crackdown, anyone workin the government who was sympathetic h the protesters was fired and foreign journalwere forced to leave the country.

According to official figures, 200 to 300 people re killed. However, unofficial estimates put the ath toll above 2,000. To this day, people in Chiare prohibited from speaking about the event.

i regime s White Rose

pers around that used historic documents, inding the Bible and Aristotle’s works, to conce people that the Nazi government was ocious.

On Feb. 18, the Nazis arrested the active memrs of the White Rose. Four days later, they were ed and beheaded in public.

ed in vain

art and stories by Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Kafi

AP P h Ricc otos / Hu ardo De L ssein M uca / Cla alla /Jas o ude Pari n DeCro s w/

S p c s II ard ment ainst d so War as n u g d a doc sed a ism Worl this w . u n h r r e u e en mm e aft heth speec o car f w c n d S ople om o ed pe Re he sked ir fre e a ck of th n o ati

Extremists take up arms Peaceful minorities blamed, live in fear A bdul -R ahman A bdul -K afi

A

t one point or another, in every single country on Earth, minority populations have been persecuted, harassed and humiliated.

It is not news that during World War II, thousands of Japanese Americans were rounded up and placed in concentration camps in America because the U.S. government was afraid they were enemies of the state.

In Germany, non-Aryans were thrown in concentration camps and killed. In Russia, the ethnic Tatars who lived in present-day Crimea were murdered in the tens of millions during World War II because they were different.

A large minority in France is the Muslim population.

“The challenges of some of these European states and communities that are allowing lots of immigration from especially the ISIS-held territories and allowing a lot of refuges [is] allowing certain people freedom of movement between Syria or Yemen,” AP World History teacher Greg Irwin said. “You might have a young disaffected person go to some of these terrorist groups and training camps [and] there [are] challenges that go with that.”

In Paris Jan. 7, 11 people were murdered inside the headquarters of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Then, a police officer was slain on the sidewalk outside of the headquarters. Later that day, gunmen killed five innocent civilians shopping at a kosher grocery store in another part of France.

“We’ve lived in a post-9/11 world long enough that anyone who is an educated person and is aware of what is happening in the world knows that this is not true Islam, This is a corrupt ideology that has some claims to have roots in something,” Irwin said. “Just as Westboro Baptist is to Christianity, so are Al-Qaeda or the [Paris attackers] are to Islam.

They are non-factors, non realities, and I just think the big reality is that here in the USA the Muslim immigrants and the Muslim citizens’ association with these [extremists] just need to

die, and we should let it die.”

As with most, if not all, other terrorist attacks committed by Muslims, minority Muslims in France are experiencing the harm resulting from the actions of the extremists who chose to take up arms against satirical cartoonists. According to the Associated Press, the number of anti-Muslim attacks since the events of the Charlie Hebdo massacre has surpassed the number of attacks in the entire year of 2014.

“When I first heard about the attacks and the 12 dead, I didn’t really hear who it was [committed] by,” Noah Mefrakis, a Muslim student at RBHS, said. “But I assumed they were going to say the attackers were Muslims.”

Mefrakis said he never faced bigotry from his peers, but he has Muslim friends who went through cases of blind hatred.

“There have been times in my freshman year of high school when I was still at West Junior where there were individuals who seemed pretty serious when they called me a terrorist,” senior Alp Kahveci said. “I didn’t respond to them, and I cut off my relationship with them because they became pretty annoying.”

While Mefrakis and Kahveci both believe the actions of the attackers are not justifiable in anyway, they also think Charlie Hebdo shouldn’t have printed the cartoons of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. They say doing so provoked the attackers to do what they did.

Many prominent and famous figures have Mefrakis’ same views. Last week in an interview in the Philippines, the Pope said that while the violence is not justified, people should not provoke, insult or make fun of other people’s religion. Others, like Rupert Murdoch, owner of a multi-national news or-

17 ED R E D R MU MIL AWA LIONS KEN ED art by Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Kafi

ganization, believe the Muslim population at large should apologize for the actions of these terrorists. Irwin believes it doesn’t matter whether or not a Muslim in Columbia or anywhere condemns the attacks because the only people responsible for them are the people who did them.

“It is degrading to ask ... Muslims [to condemn] these acts. These are extremists from all sorts,” Irwin said. “Why are you asking someone from Columbia, Missouri to apologize for someone from France or Syria?”

Kahveci and Mefrakis said if more people walk up and talk with their Muslim peers rather than believing all that the media tell them, they would know that almost all Muslims are not violent people.

“Not all Muslims are terrorists, we are very peaceful people,” Mefrakis said. “And [Muslim students] think everybody needs to take a moment and actually talk to one of the Muslims at Rock Bridge and ask questions and learn what Islam is actually about rather than taking what the media says because a lot of the time [what they say] is false.”

A6 OP/ED

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

It’s time for teen suffrage

A

art by Ellie Stitzer

merican colonists in the 1700s had no say in their motherland’s parliament. Laws they did not like were imposed on them, and they were pushed into wars they did not wish to enter.

As a result, they were taxed heavily, again with no say. The colonists became fed up with their government and formed a revolt which formed the great nation of America.

No taxation without representation became their cry. Now, more than 200 years later, it must become ours.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 51.9 percent of people age 16 to 24 had a job and paid income tax in 2014. We drive, have car insurance and earn an income. We are going to school and bettering ourselves for the future of this nation.

The amount of money we bring into the economy, from the cost of our cars to the clothes we buy with our hard-earned money to the amount of goods we sell in our jobs, shows we are fully functioning and contributing citizens of this nation.

Those taxes we pay should

give us the right to decide how have never taken any governthe taxes are used. The only way ment classes or actual history we can do that is by having the classes, but 16- and 17-year-olds power to vote. When we are 16 are as much adults as their parand 17, we are likely living with ents are.

By the age of 16, essentially our parents and getting ready to go to college to live on our own every student who attends public school in Missouri has taken for the first time in our lives.

Either we should be allowed a government class, multiple American histo vote or our tory classes right to work and a required should be reShould 16 year olds be alPersonal Fimoved. Both lowed to vote? nance class. cannot justly Our politiexist simulcal views are t a n e o u s l y.

YES - 7 almost cerThe governtainly solidiment cannot ABSTAINED - 2 fied, whether and should NO - 5 moderate, not tax a left-leaning or large group right-leaning. of citizens We have our own opinions on without giving them the power to vote. many subjects and have almost The biggest argument given finished high school. Half of by skeptics is 16- and 17-year- us have a job and pay our own olds should not be able to vote taxes. because we would be influenced There will certainly be some by our parents too much when of us who don’t care about we go to the polls. In complete politics and don’t vote, but that honesty, this argument makes no shouldn’t make a difference. logical sense. This would defi- More than 100 million people nitely be true if we allowed 10 voted in the last presidential year olds to vote because they election. While that is a lot of

The Rock staff voted

people, almost 210 million eligible voters live in America, and there are certainly more votingage people in America than those who cast a ballot in 2012.

Many voting-age citizens simply don’t care enough to vote or have other circumstances that prevent them from voting.

The same would be true for 16-and 17-year-olds. We are not forced to vote, but we will have that option available if we chose to do so.

A bill in the Missouri Congress, proposed by State Representative Karla May, would give everyone age 16 and up a voice in their government and their world. It is good for Missouri, and it will be a good precedent for other states to eventually change their age, as well.

In order for this bill to pass, it would need sufficient votes in the Missouri Congress. Everyone should contact their district representatives and convince them that this effort is productive and is needed for the future of this great nation.

No taxation without representation must become our generation’s cry.

President shows blatant disregard for Constitution L uke C hval

I

n March 2008, during his campaign for the presidency, then-Sen. Barack Obama criticized President George Bush in a speech in which he said, “The biggest problems that we’re facing right now had to do with George Bush trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not go through Congress at all, and that’s what I intend to reverse when I’m president of the United States of America.”

These words sound like a different man than the one who decided without any legislation to grant amnesty to an estimated five million undocumented immigrants in November. Or the one who in his 2014 State of the Union Address said, “Wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Obama’s claims that he has the right to push his agenda when he is working with a “donothing” Congress are false.

There is a strong difference between a Congress that does nothing and a Congress with different political ideologies than him.

Nothing gives the president the right to handle things such as delaying integral provisions of the Affordable Care Act after strenuous debate in congressional committees, as in February 2014 Obama delayed the deadline for small companies to offer health insurance from 2015 to 2016.

More substantially, there was the invocation of executive privilege by Obama, in order to provide investigational relief to his appointed Attorney General Eric Holder. The act impeded an investigation by the congressio-

THE ROCK Rock Bridge High School 4303 S. Providence Road Columbia, Mo. 65203 Vol. 42, Issue 4 Jan. 29, 2015 Population: 1,884 Students, 187 Faculty Circulation: 1,500 Contact: 573-214-3141 contact@bearingnews.org Advertising: $50 - - 1/4 Page $100 - - 1/2 Page $150 - - Full Page $200 - - Backpage

nal House Committee on Over- dren born in the United States sight and Government Reform and had been in the country for on Operation Fast and Furious, a at least five years. The undocuscheme in which the Bureau of mented immigrants would be Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and eligible to receive work permits, Explosives gave guns to Mexi- drivers licenses, and in-state tucan cartels through illegal deal- ition for public universities.

The U.S. Constitution in ers in order to entrap the cartel Article II, Section three states members.

The privilege prohibited the that the U.S. President “shall committee from seeing vital take care that the laws be faithreports within the Department fully executed.” Obama has the of Justice after the commit- prerogative to determine which tee received evidence contrary method is the most effective in to Holder’s earlier statement executing the laws; however, he does not that he had no have the ability knowledge of There is a strong to determine the scheme of difference between whether or not giving guns to a Congress that does Mexican carnothing and a Congress to execute the tels through ilwith different political I m m i g r a t i o n and Nationality legal dealers in ideologies than [the Act of 1965, order to entrap President]. which states them. that illegal enThe incontry of non-nationals into the U.S. sistency in Holder’s statement is a misdemeanor. caused the House of RepresentaTo be fair to the current Comtives to vote 255-67 in favor of mander in Chief, he isn’t the holding Holder in contempt of Congress in June 2012, the first only president in recent years time that has happened to a Cab- guilty of executive overreach. inet member in the history of the George W. Bush frequently used signing statements to push his United States.

Obama’s legally murky sup- harsh counterterrorism agenda, pression of the investigation is and Ronald Reagan ignored a clear cut example of his dis- Congress by continuing to supregard for congressional author- port the Nicaraguan Revolution. ity, and prioritizes himself and Overreach is not about a politihis colleagues of the executive cal party, ideology, or the predisbranch. In doing this he broke positions of one individual; it is a promise made by his January rampant across all of our execu2009 memorandum in which he tive leaders.

George Washington declined stated, “My administration will take appropriate action, con- a third-term of presidency and sistent with law and policy, to Thomas Jefferson had reservadisclose information rapidly in tions about the Louisiana Purforms that the public can readily chase because he did not think he had the power to make such find and use.”

Most recently, in a November a decision. Similarly to the men 2014 speech, Obama announced who founded this nation, our exa plan for immigration amnesty, ecutive leaders should embrace in which undocumented immi- the idea of limited power that grants who were parents of chil- created this great democracy.

The Journalism: Newspaper and Honors Seminar classes produce The Rock, Bearing News and Southpaw.

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The Rock is a member of National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Quill & Scroll and Missouri Interscholastic

Press Association.

Staff editorials are the only articles in The Rock which will appear without a byline, but the author will appear on the bottom of the story each issue.

Staff Editorials are positions on particular issues that portray the opinions of the entire staff. These pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the individual authors who write them.

Any factual misinformation made in The Rock will be corrected in the succeeding issue and on Bearing News upon written or verbal

request and verification.

Adviser: Robin Stover Editors-in-Chief: Brett Stover, Renata Williams Production Manager: Emily Franke Arts and Entertainment Editor: Ashley Tanner Art Editor: Maddy Mueller Commentary Editor: Derek Wang News & Community Editor: Luke Chval Features Editor: Jenna Liu Editorials & Foreign Affairs Editor: Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Kafi Health & Wellness Editor:

art by Maddy Mueller

Alice Yu Science & Technology Editor: Alice Yu In-Depths Editor: Abby Kempf Sports Editors: Harsh Singh, Graham Ratermann Staff: Caylea Erickson, Grace Vance, Humera Lodhi, John Flanegin, Nicole Schroeder Artists: Claire Simon, Ellie Stitzer Photographers: Caylea Erickson, Devesh Kumar, Madelyn Stewart, Suryanshi Rawat Videographer: Renata Williams

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Marx was right

OP/ED A7

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

Progressive taxation can fix economic inequality B rett S tover

T

infographic by Ellie Stitzer and Maddy Mueller

he United States is a country of ideals.

It was founded on freedom and equality and developed from thirteen unrelated colonies into one of the world’s most powerful unions in fewer than two centuries.

During the mid-to-late 1900s, America was the most influential and well-respected nation in the world.

Propelled by a robust middle class, we led the world in innovation, education and overall quality of life.

However, the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries have seen a reversion into old flaws that exacerbate the nation’s income gap and plunge lowerincome families into poverty.

There is a strong correlation between the nation’s growth and prominence and its income inequality. In part as a consequence of war, the income disparity in America fell greatly from the 1930s until the 1940s.

During this time, thenPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal helped put people back to work and rapidly improve the overall quality of life of the lower and middle classes. His tax codes remained essentially unchanged until the 1960s, when the top tax rate – which peaked around 1944 – fell from 90 to around 70 percent, according to the Tax Foundation.

Through this period of high taxes on the wealthy, the lowest tax bracket was between 15 and 20 percent.

This all changed in the 1980s when then-President Ronald Reagan was elected and brought with him a set of new ideas about taxes. Rather than the progressive taxes

The difference is that that had rescued America from the Great Depression many leaders in our country and propelled her to preemi- hold the antiquated notion nence on the global stage, that unrestrained capitalReagan decided that the best ism will eventually lead to way to increase job growth a more stable and healthy and prosperity was to drasti- economy. That ridiculous idea is the cause of Reagancally cut taxes on the rich.

During his eight years omics and similar theories in office, Reagan’s “trickle- that have resulted in a widendown” policies caused the ing divide between the haves wealthy to be taxed at an and the have-nots.

In 1980, Warren Buffett incredibly lower rate, down w o u l d from 68 percent in Congress must increase have paid 70 percent 1980 to 28 taxes on the wealthiof his curpercent in est Americans ... and esti1988. Siredistribute that wealth rent mated $13 multaneto the impoverished, billion ously, he struggling families and a n n u a l raised the citizens of our nation. income tax brackin taxes, et for the poorest Americans from be- while Joey from down the low 10 percent to 15 percent. street who works a nine-toWhile the levels have five in a cubicle and makes stabilized in recent years, at $50,000 each year (in toaround 35 percent for the rich day’s money) would have and 10 percent for the poor, given 19 percent to Uncle Reagan’s ridiculous ideas Sam. At the end of the day, about wealth and capital- Warren would have walked ism have plunged our nation home with “only” $3.9 bilinto a constantly shrinking lion. Joey would have kept middle class and worsening $40,500.

In 2014, Warren Bufincome inequality.

According to the Gini in- fett keeps $8.5 billion. Joey dex, which measures the in- keeps $41,500.

That’s a problem, and the come inequality within each nation, the United States only way to combat it is to ranks 10th among developed reform our woefully incomcountries. However, that petent tax codes.

Progressives must not number is before taxes. After all income is taxed, America let conservatives and their ranks second in income in- corporate donors drive the equality among developed agenda lest we let them drive the rest of the country into countries.

Clearly there’s a discon- poverty.

We need to push not just nect here. Yes, the wealthy in our country make more for modest increases in taxthan the poor in relation to es, but for a complete overother developed countries, haul of our tax code.

Congress must increase but the difference is that foreign governments have taxes on the wealthiest discovered the (relatively Americans — a progressive easy) connection between tax system — and redistribhigher taxes on the wealthy ute that wealth to the impovand lower disparity. America erished, struggling families and citizens of our nation. once had as well.

Don’t wait until the Being the new kid on the block new year to change Strange environments become second homes after time R enata Williams

A

s the first month of 2015 wraps up, I can’t help but think about all of the resolutions that have been dumped. A study conducted by the University of Scranton found that only 55 percent of people have kept their goals by now.

I attribute this lack of kept resolutions to the phrase, “new year, new me.”

It’s a phrase that starts to come about when Jan. 1 nears and people scramble to figure out what they want to change for the new year.

But in my eyes, it’s just a simple date change, so I don’t understand why people see Dec. 31 so differently from Jan. 1.

I have friends who text me on Dec. 27, asking me what new year’s resolution to pick. People are on Twitter saying they can’t wait for the new year because it’ll be their time to change. According to statisticbrain.com, 45 percent of Americans usually make resolutions but only eight percent are successful in achieving their resolutions.

As a kid, I couldn’t ever come up with resolutions because I either didn’t have something I magically wanted to change or I knew I wouldn’t keep to some outlandish goal, such as never lying. Even as a teenager, I have tried to do a sudden resolution at the turn of the year. A few years ago I told myself Jan. 2 that I was going to stop drinking soda for a whole year, which didn’t pan out too well because it was a resolution I came up with just to have one.

Since then, I see why I never truly cared about the calendar switch that came at the end of December.

If I really wanted to change, there

are 365 days in a year when I have the opportunity to do so. The new year shouldn’t be the reason we start exercising or stop procrastinating or whatever the case may be.

The reason should be that we want to change because each day should be a time to reflect; each new day is a clean slate. To be able to wake up and see another day is a blessing and should be reason enough to take advantage of that day.

Now, of course, it’s great if people reflect on the past year and see places in life to make improvement, but I don’t believe anyone absolutely has to make a resolution, a promise, just to say they’re going to change. Society has made it so people wait for the new year instead of taking action immediately.

Throughout the year, if I ever see an area in my life I want to improve on, I do it then and there. I don’t wait until Jan. 1 to do something I wanted to do in March.

This month I have realized I am completely out of shape and so one week ago, I made a goal to go to the gym consistently throughout the month. It’s Jan. 29 and I am not going to wait 11 months to finally get fit.

The new year is not meant for someone to become a whole new person. Sure, reflect on the past, see room for improvement, but the best resolution is to not lose yourself and to make everyday a “new year.” We are lucky to see 2015 and if you wait for Jan. 1 every time, you may not get the chance to change. I hope society can break through this idea that you have to change yourself in order to have a good year and to, instead, allow people to enjoy the new year by looking at it as, “I’ve lived another year; let’s celebrate.”

A shley Tanner

A

s my mom, stepdad and I walked through the front doors of RBHS on my first day last year, I began crying. I had moved from Rolla, Missouri about three weeks earlier and wasn’t prepared to have to find new friends or be the “new kid.”

I hadn’t handled moving well; I left Rolla willingly but not without expressing my feelings because the idea of leaving my friends terrified me. At the time, I saw transferring as an unnecessary evil that was forced upon me rather than an opportunity to meet new people and see new places.

The thought of moving to Columbia as anything other than a disadvantage had never occurred to me. Looking back I was very naive of the possibilities I would come across amongst the challenges I had to overcome.

Starting fresh is both good and bad, but to me a year ago it was only a negative situation. Rather than taking advantage of all of the after school activities that RBHS offers or going to Golden Cow or show choir events, staying home seemed like a better option. My mindset toward social interaction with peers was cynical, and I now realize that neglecting to embrace my new peers set me up for a lonely school year.

I knew transferring would be challenging.

The academic change was probably the hardest obstacle to overcome.

Learning how to write essays by RBHS standards and trying to catch up in classes that were paced differently than my previous school was equally as hard. My GPA dropped, leaving a heavy academic weight on my shoulders.

My reluctance to

move on from Rolla set me up for failure in future relationships, too. Social media was a way of staying connected to my friends who lived 100 miles away. My fixation with keeping up with my closest friends closed the door for new friendships.

Though it is important to continue close-knit relationships, no matter the distance, it is also crucial to build new friendships for people close to us. I didn’t understand that concept. My mom repeatedly tried to tell me but I refused to listen.

It wasn’t until this year that RBHS started to feel like home. I took journalistic writing in preparation for newspaper, which was one of the best decisions I made. New students — all students — need a co-curricular activity to invest in. Being on the newspaper staff opened up a world of friendships for me. I now have a group of diverse people to call my family. I look forward to getting to work with them every day.

Since I let go of my life in Rolla and moved on, I have started attending youth group with my closest friend here where I have gotten the opportunity to meet new people and grow in my faith.

I’ve gone to concerts, dances and football games with my friends.

A little more than a year ago my mascot was a maroon and gray bulldog, but now it’s a green and gold bruin that I wear proudly.

Moving on from my previous school doesn’t mean forgetting about the relationships I created. It doesn’t mean visiting or texting often is going to affect my new life. It means I must accept my situation and deal with it head on. Letting go helped me build new friendships and accept that I live in Columbia now, and that’s not going to change. infographic by Claire Simon

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www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

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Rock Bridge High School • 4303 S. Providence Rd. • Columbia Mo, 65203 • Vol. 42, Issue 4 • January 29, 2015

Bright Futures instruments Columbia donates instruments to youth in need R enata W illiams

F

ollowing the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, the non-profit organization Bright Futures was established after a social media outpour in order for the community to involve outside help to fulfill children’s necessities.

Their goal, according to brightfuturesusa.org, is to “engage businesses, human service agencies, faith-based organizations and parent groups...to meet the needs of children so every child can be successful, now and in the future.”

As a result of Bright Futures’ success, CPS kicked off their very own Bright Futures Columbia Jan. 1 as a way to connect the community with the needs of students.

“Our focus is on AEO: Achievement, Enrichment, and Opportunity — access to an excellent education,” CPS Superintendent Dr. Peter Stiepleman said. “Our community does an amazing job of eliminating

barriers for students, especially when it comes to basic needs.”

In collaboration, Dr. Stiepleman, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Ben Tilley and Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Dr. Jolene Yoakum started the Bright Futures Columbia journey.

They looked at student needs that “slip through the crack,” according to Department of Fine Arts coordinator James Melton.

“We felt like we were losing kids to playing in band or orchestra,” Melton said, “because they might not feel like they can because they can’t afford it or they don’t have access [or] they just don’t feel like it’s an option for them.”

To begin the endeavour, Bright Futures Columbia has asked for instrument donations.

“We want children enrolling in music and art and athletics and practical arts,” Stiepleman said. “We’re starting with music.”

Freshman trumpet player Evan

Borst said it was a great way to get students into the arts.

“It would be a lot better because there are some people who are like, ‘No, I don’t want to go get that instrument,’” Borst said.

Instead of taking the cheaper option of renting an instrument, sophomore Christian Candia, who has been playing since 7th grade, bought his trumpet. Candia said it was roughly $500 to $600 and though his parents were able to purchase his instrument, he believed the call for instrument donations was important to future musicians.

“It’s a lifetime commitment to play an instrument,” Candia said. “I think it would benefit it greatly because people who can’t afford the instruments and who could have potential to be really good, wouldn’t be able to do it.”

There are no requirements to donate an instrument. The CPS Board office accepts donations. Instruments can also be brought to instrument en-

photo by Madelyn Stewart

Making music: Columbia Bright Futures takes donations at the eighth grade music extraveganza at Lange Middle School Jan. 26. Bright Futures provides instruments to students who can’t afford them otherwise. rollment nights at the middle schools.

“As students enroll in music classes, we will be able to help students overcome barriers that have traditionally existed,” Dr. Stiepleman said.

Candia said it’s important to bring the arts into schools not just around

Columbia, but also the nation.

“Band isn’t just about making music,” Candia said. “It’s also very involved with teamwork and leadership, and it has different aspects of life into it. There are friendships made in band.”

photo by Levi Smith

Practice makes perfect: On Jan. 20 in the PAC , the RBHS Wind Ensemble perfromed the set they have prepared for the MMEA conference at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.

Striking wind ensemble performance precedes MMEA K ristine C ho

A

s anxious silence hung in the room, head band director Steve Mathews took his position at the conductor’s podium.

Lifting his hands, Mathews prepped the Wind Ensemble; with a quick breath in, he signaled the downbeat for “joyRiDE” by Michael Markowski, and the send-off concert started off with a drumroll and a cymbal crash. Themes of “Ode to Joy” weaved in and out of the piece through harmonies and dynamics.

The program continued to an Argentinean beat with two movements of Alfred Reed’s “Second Suite for Band (Latino-Mexicana)” and slowed down for “Afterlight” by William Pitts where assistant band director Patrick Sullivan took over conducting. As Sullivan passed the baton back to Mathews, the band continued with Kenneth J. Alford’s “Old Panama” march and ended with the complex and borderline chaotic “Two-Lane Blacktop” by James M. David.

More than a week after this performance, the Wind Ensemble will perform today at the Missouri Music Educator’s Association (MMEA) conference at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.

At 4:30 a.m., almost two hours before most students even woke up for school today, more than 40 musicians congregated at RBHS, loaded into buses and traveled two hours to the beachside resort. This group of dedicated musicians comprises the RBHS Wind Ensemble, which performed for the second time in the past five years for the 77th MMEA this morning.

“I think they’re going to do great. They’re confident. They’re having fun. They’re going to do great. I’m looking forward to it,” head band

director Steve Mathews said. “To be able to do fast music, which is more technical. We’re doa program like this, everybody needs to be able ing a really slow, beautiful piece that shows to rely on each other and have confidence, have emotion, and we’re doing something very trust in one another and doing a program like cultural with the Mexican Latino piece we’re this has really built up the comradery and the doing. Every one of them requires a certain culture of the band itself has just improved as amount of maturity.”

Their program was particularly difficult, and the months have gone.”

In preparation for MMEA, the Wind En- effectively showcases the sheer ability and efsemble performed their entire program at their fort the band has put into it. Each piece has its own challenges, with the send-off concert Tuesday, Jan. “Two Lane Blacktop” be20. Following the final notes There are a lot of of the concert, the professioning the most technically al musicians from the UMKC daunting. university bands out Brass Quintet stood in awe, “There’s a lot of technithere that can’t play as impressed by the abilities of cal demand where people musically and well as this high school band. are playing in crazy regthese guys did.

“There are a lot of univeristers of their instruments, Thomas Stein playing very quickly, playsity bands out there that can’t professor ing loud, playing soft and play as musically and as well the tempo is very high, as these guys did,” Professor too,” Sullivan said. ‘joyThomas Stein, the quintet’s tubist, said. “They did it with fun, and it was a RiDE’ and ‘Two Lane Blacktop’ have “a very hard program. It’s been a long time since I’ve high demand for musicians technically. Howbeen this pleased at hearing a high school group ever, I think that musically, the piece ‘Afterlight’ is very challenging as well. We talked like this.”

Mathews said his group is already very tal- about that with the students. It requires a lot of ented, “but if you don’t work really hard, ... you finesse. It requires a lot of patience.”

With its complicated harmonies and unprewon’t be able to play at the level they’re playing right now.” The group had been rehearsing dictable turns in melody, “Two Lane Blacktop” and preparing their program for the entirety of was a force to be reckoned with, even for those the last semester. Last week’s show was one not who have been playing in band throughout their just of ability but of hard work and persever- entire high school career.

“It’s a really difficult piece, and it’s probably ance following practices in the mornings, after school and sectionals scattered throughout in the most difficult piece that we’ve played in this group over my past few years, probably one of addition to their class time.

“Again, it’s a very diverse program,” the most difficult I’ve played,” senior trombonMathews said. “We’re doing traditional things ist Stephanie Stanley said. “There’s a lot of tallike a march. We’re doing some contemporary ent in this band, and that makes it really easy to

come together and play really cool music.”

“Two Lane Blacktop” was particularly difficult for the percussionists of the wind ensemble, with the section having to face many difficult rhythms and new instruments. The section tackled the difficult areas efficiently and effectively, even taking time by themselves to get together and work out and improve even the most formidable of phrases.

“In the beginning it was really difficult. We had no idea what we were doing. Sticks were flying everywhere, drums were dropping — literally. It was just a mess,” freshman percussionist Connor Squellati said. “We would have several rehearsals where we got together, not by teacher, but by peer to peer, and we really worked on things together.”

Squellati said he watched as it came from nothing, “a literal terrible mess,” and the percussionists took time with one another to tackle and master their parts.

Through the tough pieces, hard work and long periods of toil, the band remains committed to playing their best. They have not only impressed professional musicians, but collegiate band directors from across Missouri and the country, as well as MMEA judges - they did well enough last year to get them on the program for the annual conference.

“I feel like it shows that we’ve grown a lot as a band from the beginning of the year. If you’d have heard us at the beginning of the year, you would have thought, ‘Oh this is a joke. They’re not actually going to play this,’” Stanley said.

“It was a mess. But whenever we go to the conference, it’s going to show that we can work together as a band really, really well, and sound good.”

B2 B4 IN-DEPTHS

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

Many students think RBHS is the stereotypical rich school. All the students have a big house, new cars, and a credit card with unlimited funds, right? But the truth is that some Missouri teens are waiting until they can eat again, unable to get a ride to school once they miss the bus, or wearing clothes they bought in grade school and one of those teens could be

the girl sitting next to you 22 percent of Missouri’s children live in poverty

Only 74 percent of Missouri’s high schoolers in poverty graduate highschool

23 percent of Missouri’s children struggle with hunger

383,000 of Missouri children receive free and reduced lunches 9 percent of Missouri’s teens age 1619 are not in school and not working

Photo by Madelyn Stewart Statistics from governing.org, nokidhungry.org, and nccp.org

IN-DEPTHS B3 B5

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

Rock Bridge is the rich school, right?

B rett S tover “Total: $4.60 = Paying with a 100” “Does everyone else eat with golden silverware or is that just a #RBlife thing?”

“Just paid for a $5 meal at Sonic with an $100 bill” “Got tired of our beach house, so now we are at a mountainside cabin”

S

o goes a quick search of #RBLife on Twitter. Peaking in frequency each year during the week leading up to the Providence Bowl, these tweets often provide a satirical view of the general stereotype of RBHS. “I have sensed ... this idea that Rock Bridge is the rich school, which is kinda the word in the community,” guidance counselor Dr. Samuel Martin, who has worked at RBHS for eight years, said.

“That’s been my experience; not really being from Sometimes when you’re Columbia, that’s in an environment where all I’ve heard about it since you don’t have what you I’ve been here.” feel like everybody else To junior has then that heightens Clayton Warder, your awareness of what the common view is “definiteyou don’t have. ly” that RBHS is Dr. Samuel Martin more wealthy in relation to other guidance counselor Columbia high schools. However, he says this assumption by RBHS students doesn’t create a negative view of Hickman and Battle.

“There are a lot of jokes about the other schools being ‘ghetto’ and other things,” Warder said, “but I’m not sure if people from Rock Bridge – I know, I personally wouldn’t look at someone from Battle and be like, ‘Ugh you poor person,’ or anything.”

While there are few blatant aggressions against low-income students, some restrictions are in place; lunch policies limit the food options available. Columbia Public Schools secondary guidance coordinator and RBHS counselor Betsy Jones said students on free or reduced lunch can’t purchase any à la carte items like Bosco sticks, chips or bottled water.

However, the additional support Jones and other faculty members provide by far outweigh those limitations.

“We are operating small food banks out of the guidance office and the copy center room for free and reduced lunch kids who have A lunch because that means they may go a very long period of time before eating,” Jones said.

“Then, also, we have some stuff for some fami-

lies in need to take home with them, so we try to very discreetly but very supportively support our families as needed.

“There’s a Bruin Closet that we’ve put together for that,” Jones said. “I run the Bruin Care Account, which is an account that I request from student council to donate and also sometimes we get anonymous donations into that account so that I can buy emergency food or clothing for families. We cannot do utility assistance, but we work directly with the Voluntary Action Center through our outreach counselor to connect our families to the community agencies that they need.”

Although the RBHS faculty helps to facilitate the needs of low-income students, Dr. Martin said some students have told him that they feel uncomfortable.

“One thing I do know that is challenging is that when you have this idea that the model experience at Rock Bridge is upper-middle class, students on the margin socioeconomically can further feel marginalized,” Dr. Martin said.

“Sometimes when you’re in an environment where you don’t have what you feel like everybody else has then that heightens your awareness of what you don’t have. So, I definitely have spoken to some students about that, so I know that some folks may feel that way. I think that Rock Bridge’s numbers — if you look at our district profile — we do have a lower number of students that meet federal poverty standards than the other three high schools in town, so that part is what it is.”

In fact, the demographics show that the “RBLife” stereotype may be coming from the statistics. According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 40 percent of students in CPS met the requirements for free or reduced lunch (FTE) in 2014.

However, only 19.4 percent of RBHS students met those requirements, compared to 32.6 percent at Hickman and a staggering 50 percent at Battle.

Jones, however, doesn’t believe the DESE numbers reveal the full picture of poverty at RBHS. “I would say that the numbers are skewed at the high school level because they are underreported. This is true nationally, so students don’t report that they need the services,” Jones said.

“Our numbers right now, the last I had looked, we were at 23 percent, which puts us up slightly [from the 2014 numbers], but what we do is we send a letter in the summer mailing that helps our families connect to additional programs if they qualify for free and reduced lunch.”

When people see those numbers, like the more than 30 percent difference between RBHS and BHS, they often jump to conclusions and generalities about each schools’ students, Dr. Martin said.

“I think perception is powerful, and to a cer-

tain degree a person’s perception determines the reality they operate in, right?” Dr. Martin said.

“You have some people who’ve never been inside the building of Rock Bridge in the community, whether they be students or adults, who say, ‘Rock Bridge, always the rich school, I would never want to send my kid there because I know the type of kids [that] go there.’ Then you’ll have people in the community that’ll say ‘Oh, I’ll never send my kid to Battle because these are the bad kids from Oakland,’ which I’ve heard in the community. Or you say, ‘I’ll never send my kids to Hickman because it’s old or dirty.’ So, you hear these things in the community, and I do think it affects — it definitely affects perception or reputation, right?”

With the stereotypical views of the three high schools from the outside comes a certain way of thinking inside the walls of RBHS as well. Sophomore Becca Wells believes although RBHS has the “stigma” of having more wealth, that alone doesn’t define the students that attend the school.

“I’ve known some [people] to be like, ‘If Rock Bridge is the rich, white school, why am I here?’” Wells said. “But, I’ve also known others to get along just fine at Rock Bridge. It’s not like we’re kicking out people because they’re not the top one percent.”

HHS junior Natalia Groshong was in the RBHS boundary lines until Battle opened last year. She says although her family is “financially stable,” she doesn’t feel uncomfortable at Hickman, though she does see a stigma of her school being poorer.

“Well, the stereotype that Rock Bridge has all the rich white kids is what most Hickman students think,” Groshong said. “In general I don’t think [attending RBHS] would be too much different than going to Hickman.”

Despite her belief that much of the observed differences are only perception deep, Groshong admits that they contribute to a degree of animosity between RBHS and HHS. “I think there are definitely some bitter opinions between the schools,” Groshong said. “I also think the long time rivalry between the schools causes [and] increases this dislike.”

Despite the common joke and stereotype of RBHS being wealthy, as well as the accompanying awkwardness for disadvantaged students, Dr. Martin still enjoys watching diverse students thrive inside the school.

“The thing I like about Rock Bridge is seeing students come here from, like I say, every fabric of the Columbia community,” Dr. Martin said. “So high SES kids, low-income students, students kinda like upper middle class, students like working class, so I’ve seen them thrive here. The thing I like about Rock Bridge is that if you’re willing to carve out the space I think most students are willing to do so and find support, so that part I appreciate.”

Programs attempt to close achievement gap A bby K empf

N

othing is harder for talented and driven students than choosing between practicality and their dreams.

Junior Anthony Robinson gets good grades and is an excellent debater. He’s smart, but his brains aren’t the only things that will matter when he makes his post-high school plans.

“The colleges I want to go to are costly, and my family just doesn’t have the money to pay for them. The colleges that are cheaper don’t really catch my interest. But I suppose beggars can’t be choosers,” Robinson said. “While expensive, I have always believed that every capable and worthy person deserves a chance at a higher education. I’ve [been] in support [of] reducing college expenses as much as possible for quite some time.”

At a school like RBHS, it is an assumption that every student has the ability to go on to college; according to RBHS’s guidance page, 80 percent of students go onto college, but the other 20 percent cannot be forgotten.

“It’s public school, so I can understand why there is a financial gap between students, but that spills over into social status. Usually the poor people are friends with the other poor people, and it’s the same for well off people,” Robinson said. “The only time these two groups seem to ever interact is when an adult forces them to or they’re in conflict. The other always think they are making a non-fallible point or joking. I can recall being targeted and to my own shame targeting others of different socioeconomic status.”

So the question arises of how to close this “financial gap” in regards to how it translates to student opportunities to pursue higher education and leave the realms of poverty.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama announced his proposal for free com-

munity college education for all high school students who maintain a 2.5 grade point average. If all 50 states participate, this proposal could help nine million students save an average of $3,800 in tuition, according to the White House.

“I think it can be a really good thing. We’re at a time where our economy is changing along with globalization and such. Our export status is not very good and our number three export status is trash. So I think whatever we can do to provide more jobs, to increase the economic power of the middle class through education, vocational or technical training, so what we sell, what we market is in high value, and if that’s connected to vocational training to community college, then I think that would be a great thing,” AP United States History teacher Chris Fischer said. “I think anytime you can have a well trained work force, you’re going to do better, right?”

Guidance counselor Dr. Jordan Alexander sees the merit in President Obama’s proposal along with other programs, such as the A+ program which is utilized by many RBHS students.

“We have a similar program in Missouri, as you know, called the A+ program, which requires certain things of students in order to receive that free two year tuition, so I think it’s a great program,” Dr. Alexander said. “We have many Rock Bridge students that do take advantage of the A+ program. I think more money would help even more students to help prepare for their career by giving them the two years free.”

Many families don’t have a myriad of options when facing college tuition due to finances but also oppose the idea of only getting an associates degree at a two year college. Dr. Alexander sees attending a community college for free and then transferring into a four-year college as a perfect solution.

“I think that increasingly with the cost of four-year colleges continuing to rise, it’s just not realistic for families to pay for a four year college tuition. Obviously two years free at a community [college] helps them get two years paid for and then [they can] transfer to a four year school, so they would get that tuition cost for

Organizations that offer aid

A+ program: requirements: 50 hours of service, good attendance and staying out of trouble, reward: 2 years free community college in Missouri

Armed Forces Tuition Assistance: requirements: enlist in either army, navy, air force, marines, coast guard, national guard, or reserve, reward: up to 100% off college tuition during offduty hours

Missouri Department of Education: requirements: must fill out FAFSA form by April 1, reward: eligible for state grants and scholarships source nasfaa.org and dhe.mo.gov

only two years instead of four,” Dr. Alexander said. “I hope that there is some movement towards that happening. I know Tennessee allows people to go to a two year community college for free so hopefully it’ll come to bear and we can get even more students to further their education were fiance is not a bearer.”

But closing the gap between students who can afford attending college and those who cannot is not enough. The gap between students who have an excess of educational opportunities and those who do not is large, and not many are trying to bridge it.

Transportation is a large limiting factor in the extracurricular involvement of many students, as Robinson knows. If a student’s parents work until late at night, and they do not have the means to own their own car, they are essentially barred from clubs or sports teams unless they can work out a ride.

“I am on the debate team and I can only attend the after school meetings on Mondays because I can’t get to school any earlier than my bus,” Robinson said. “Driving myself would solve that but for a teenager who works so much after school everyday and even on the weekends, paying for a car is [still] expensive. Luckily for me I can try to schedule meetings with team members after school but even then having parents that are busy does not guarantee that sometimes.”

Robinson sees the ability of the wealthier students to pay for tutoring that works with their schedules, getting transportation easily among many other things as the true gap that needs to be closed.

“Having activity buses that pick kids up before the regular school buses and take them home later after could help with transportation,” Robinson said. “I think the principle should always take priority over expenses.”

Additional reporting by Caylea Erikson

B4 ADS

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

FEATURES

Rock Bridge High School • 4303 S. Providence Rd. • Columbia Mo, 65203 • Vol. 42, Issue 4 • January, 29 2014

College Confidential Students give insight into college admissions

A lice Y u

I

f senior Delaney Tevis decided to take a road trip and spend one day visiting each of the colleges she applied to, she’d be forced to take a two-week vacation. Luckily, she began touring universities during the spring break of her junior year.

After visiting secondary education institutions like Grinnell College, Drake University, Northwestern University-Chicago, and the University of Wisconson in the spring, Tevis spent summer break touring the east coast Ivy League schools.

Exposing herself to college atmospheres in the North, on the east coast and in the Midwest, Tevis was able to narrow down her final list to a grand total of 14 colleges and universities.

“It’s important to visit colleges because you get a different feeling from them than you would just reading about them,” Tevis said. “When you think about the Ivy Leagues, you imagine them all being wonderful, but I ended up hating Yale. I thought I wasn’t going to like Harvard but I really loved the atmosphere on the campus and of Cambridge. It just surprised me in a lot of ways so I think it’s important to actually visit colleges.

Before students try to mold their high school career to fit the acceptance standards of their “dream” college, they need to make sure the college of their choosing fits their needs and preferences.

“I would pay attention to the location and

atmosphere of the surrounding area, not only the institution,” RBHS alumni Esther Liu, who is currently a freshman at Vanderbilt University, said. “These aspects of college life are often underrated but really shape the community you build in college.”

The guidance office provides opportunities for students to get more in-depth understanding of a college by inviting college admission officers to RBHS, but many students pass up those chances and miss out on a potential college match.

“The big one is having the college reps come here on our campus to meet with students and sadly, that’s one of the most underutilized resources we have,” guidance counselor Leslie Kersha said. “When a college admissions officer comes here, they’re wanting to meet with our students and sometimes they have only two or three students.

My hope would be that more students would be utilizing these opportunities.”

Along with college visits and research, students should make sure that their grades and transcripts reflect their academic abilities.

“The primary focus for any student applying to college should be academics,” University of Missouri-Kansas City admissions officer Christin Tolle said. “Before anything else, a school is going to review a student’s high school curriculum.”

For UMKC, the automatic admission requirements are similar to CPS graduation requirements; four credits of English, three credits of science, three credits of so-

cial studies, and one credit of fine arts. The admission requirements for Ivy League schools, such as Stanford, are more focused on accelerated, honors or Advanced Placement courses, according to Stanford’s admission webpage.

After reviewing grade-point averages and ACT/SAT scores, admission officers move on to extracurriculars, looking at volunteer hours and internships. Students should show full dedication to one of their passions.

“After academics, schools will look at a student’ involvement in extracurricular activities,” Tolle said. “This doesn’t mean that a student needs to be a part of every student organization [or] sports team. What colleges like to see is that a student has made a commitment to at least one organization and has hopefully show[n] leadership in that organization.”

In addition to keeping grades up and checking out the college’s environment and surroundings, students should also make sure to try to fulfill their individual passions.

Pushing aside interests to adopt what they think the college expects diminishes their unique identity, Liu said.

“If there’s something that you love doing in high school that is productive and stimulating, don’t stop doing it just because you need time to do ‘resume builders’ or ‘application stuffers’ because college admission reps really see through meaningless activities,” Liu said. “Doing what is important to you is ultimately what will take you farthest in life and in college.”

Art by Maddy Mueller

Tyler brings confidence, leadership to Model UN A bby K empf

A

handful of red-faced, tired looking students enter the building at 6:15 p.m. on a dark Tuesday.

They amble towards a certain social studies room, one that AP United States History teacher Chris Fischer is already in, waiting for this dedicated, frozen group to enter.

As the Model United Nations practice begins, students slowly wake up after a goofy University of Missouri student with a mop of red hair — a former Model UN participant — hits them with a steady line of jokes.

One girl is particularly engaged, particularly funny. This participant is junior Sydney Tyler. Upon hearing anything comical, Tyler is ready to lob a witty comment right back.

This is Tyler’s second year in Model UN, and she has grown to love this world of research, drafting resolutions, delivering extemporaneous speeches and constructing position papers.

“As a sophomore, [last year] it was my first year at Rock Bridge, and I was really trying to find a place where I fit in. Last year, there were a lot of really strong seniors in Model UN and I was friends with a couple of them and they were like ‘You should really try this,’” Tyler said. “They made it sound like a lot of fun and they said you got to go to Washington D.C. So I decided to give it a shot and I really enjoyed it. I decided to do it again this year.”

As all new delegates do, Tyler started Model UN in a big committee with a partner to lean on. As a sophomore with no experience in this kind of political role-playing, she had no idea that she was about to be in the eye of a tornado when she arrived in Washington D.C. “I was surprised by how intense it was. I remember sitting there in the conference like ‘This must be what it’s like going to work every day.’ But in a good way, you are always working. It’s nonstop,” Tyler said. “I was in a larger conference last year. There were so many people when you are trying to get a resolution done and it was a lot of outside work because that was when you could really have

that one-on-one interaction with other people.”

Sydney proved herself as a valuable player, earning an honorable mention in a room of more than 50 delegations.

“Sydney did have success early on, which is really rare. The fact that she won an award as a rookie is really unprecedented. I think she knows what she has to do and it gives her a little bit more direction,” Fischer said. “She understands that you have to put all the time into it outside of the classroom and outside of the delegation, and she is willing to do it.”

But this year, she is moving on to a smaller committee where she can showcase her wit. Smaller committees are more streamlined in nature.

“With my committee this year, it’s just going to be 19 or 20 really strong people who are really set. We are given a person and you have to stick with your person,” Tyler said. “It is going to be people who have very little wiggle room. It might just be everyone in deadlock for the entire conference. It will be interesting to see how it works out.” photo by Abby Kempf Tyler’s teammates have confi- Motion to laugh: Juniors Sydney Tyler and Stephen Sowers chuckle at Model UN. Model UN is an activity dence in her ability to succeed in this where students represent countries in simulations of the United Nations and other diplomatic affairs. cutthroat environment though. Her natural qualities and personality al- listen,” Fischer said. “She cares about diligent. It means something to her, our topics we are doing two practices low her to stand out on a team filled people and that really comes out in so maybe that equates to the time she a week, on Tuesday after school and with intelligent students. her ability to build coalitions and get puts into it. She has an amazing work then on Sunday, which is a longer “Sydney is obviously a very smart people to buy into what she is saying. ethic. To be competitive it really takes one, for two or two and half hours. girl and that combined with the fact because she is engaged. She is not as- multiple years, especially the way we But that’s just preparing to go to the that she is a good kind of stubborn suming and she’s humble. She is also do it at Rock Bridge, because it’s not conference,” Tyler said. “All the reand she likes a really good pub- a class and at the the schools we com- search has to be done at home. I’d to debate Sydney is obviously a very lic speaker, as she pete against it is,” Fischer said. “For say I’ve put in about five hours of and anaus it’s extracurricular, so we have to research so far and I really should smart girl and that combined is confident.” lyze things, But her natu- try to fit it into our busy schedules. have a lot more. Within the next three with the fact that she is a good makes her a kind of stubborn and she likes ral talent isn’t the All the kids I’ve got are in AP and weeks I’ll put in another 15 or 20 better deleto debate and analyze things, only thing that in show choir and sports, so they do hours of research.” gate,” Model Tyler hopes that all of this work makes her stand everything under the sun. It makes it makes her a better delegate.

UN member will pay off. At this year’s conferout.

Tyler’s predifficult.

But you have to start early Stephen Sowers junior Steence, she wants to compete to the paredness and and be patient.” junior phen Sowers hard work truly set So just how much research does best of her abilities and bring home said. her apart, Sowers Tyler put in? When the conference is another award.

Fischer agrees with Sowers. He said.

“Obviously if you put in all this all over, she will have spent about 25 sees Tyler’s superior people skills and “That is a given [Tyler puts in more cumulative hours reading about her work, and I will be putting in a lot of other traits as qualities that give her work],” Sowers said. “If you want to character and solidifying her histori- work, you want to get results. It’s also a higher platform than many of her be good at it, you have to put in more cal knowledge regarding her commit- nice to come home and say I earned competitors. that and I did my best and I did better work than other people.” tee.

“She is a really effective commuFischer believes her passion is “We don’t get our topics until De- than other people,” Tyler said. “You nicator, probably more so than she what drives her to concentrate and cember or January. So until then we don’t want to say you want to win, really knows. She has the ability to devote so much time to Model UN. just have an hour and half practice but I do. I want to prove myself to listen to someone, really sincerely “Sydney works really hard. She’s once a week. But now that we’ve got myself. It’s nice to win.”

C2 ADS

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

Handwriting

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY C3

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

Can it endure against typing?

N icole S chroeder

T

he sounds of students tapping on keyboards fills Jennifer Black-Cone’s Creative Writing classroom. Not one student uses a pen and paper, a sight that is becoming all too common in schools throughout the United States.

In RBHS, nearly 47 percent of students say they prefer typing over handwriting on school assignments, according to a recent survey of 180 students by The Rock.

Black-Cone said though her students write by hand occasionally, all final projects she assigns are typed.

This requires her students mainly to use keyboards.

“In creative writing, we hand write in-class quick writes,” Black-Cone said. “All other work is typed ... because most handwriting is ... difficult to read and slows down my grading.”

Despite her preference for typed projects, however, Black-Cone said she still thinks the ability to write by hand is vital for students, and even views it as an art form.

“I truly believe it is an important skill,” Black-Cone said. “There are actual studies that verify the importance of the tactile connection between hand and brain that enhance learning, comprehension and memory.”

In fact, according to an April 2014 study in Psychological Science, students who took notes by hand scored consistently better on conceptual questions on a lecture than those who took notes on laptops, primarily because students who used laptops took more notes verbatim than those who wrote longhand.

Yet senior John Basa said although he learned to write by hand in kindergarten, he never learned to write cursive. Further, he said his class transitioned to typing on computers by fifth grade and since then he has found himself writing things by hand much less frequently.

“Ever since I finished my English courses, I don’t write as much, actually. We definitely type more in most of my classes now,” Basa said. “Technology is taking over, I feel like.”

Such assumptions are not out of place. As of 2010, 45 states and the District of Columbia have implemented Common Core standards in their public school systems. The stan-

dards make no mention of handwrit- doesn’t necessarily think handwriting or cursive, leading many schools ing’s disappearance is bad. On the to neglect the curriculum altogether. contrary, he said he believes schools A 2013 survey by teacher supply should continue to focus on typing in retailer Really Good Stuff revealed their curriculum instead of handwritthat nearly 41 percent of elementary ing.

“I think that handwriting should school teachers no longer incorporate be gotten rid of in favor of the comcursive into their lessons.

As part of the other 59 percent puter, as a computer is much more of elementary school teachers still versatile,” Kolenikov said. “Future incorporating handwriting into their generations should be taught to efcurriculum, Fleming Middle School fectively use a computer.”

There is merit to Kolenikov’s teacher John Cowens from Grants Pass, Oregon learned handwriting viewpoint. In 1993 a study by the analysis from a friend and utilizes American College Testing program the skills often to understand the per- determined students who typed the sonalities of his students and other essay portion of their tests scored writers he may come across. Such a significantly higher than students connection between the reader and who wrote the essays by hand on writer, he said, is often lost when a standardized writing assessments.

While authors of the study noted document is typed rather than handthat students choosing to type their written.

“Handwriting leaves ... visual cues essays, “demonstrated confidence in such as pressure of the pen on paper, their keyboard abilities,” that could be attributed to spacing between Skills need to be proficient educaletters ... and lettaught for all areas of tion in writing, the ter formation that indicates mood life that do not require results still clearly showed that typed and temperament,” a power source. essays received Cowens said.

Communication is higher scores on “Typing ... can reone of our primary the writer’s abilveal personality resources. ity to follow the of the writer, but Jennifer Black-Cone prompt and more doesn’t go as deep teacher positive comments as graphology.” on the paper’s coWhile Cowens has seen handwriting’s recent decline hesiveness than their handwritten in school systems, he doesn’t believe counterparts.

Even with these findings, howit will completely disappear from society simply because of the growing ever, standardized-testing agencies such as the ACT program and the popularity of typing.

“I don’t believe we’ll lose too College Board still require portions much by handwriting less and typ- of the assessment to be handwriting more. People still write by hand ten. Basa said schools should return in advertising, graffiti, and making handwriting to the required curricusome signs,” Cowens said. “Tech- lum, especially because of the stannology is rapidly changing societies. dardized tests that still require longHandwriting will always be around, hand writing. but not as much in the 21st century.”

“I think classes should go back to Sophomore Timofey Kolenikov writing, because you know how in said he believes longhand writing the ACT or SAT—in the tests that we will continue to be used in future have to write in, I think that we defigenerations, though its importance in nitely need to go back to [handwritsociety will continue to decrease with ing],” Basa said. “Now in classes we the use of computers and tablets. have to type essays instead of writing “Handwriting will persist in the them.” form of personal signatures,” KoDespite handwriting’s declining lenikov said, “[but] handwriting is prevalence in schools, Black-Cone slowly being taken over by the com- said she doesn’t think it will ever disputer as a venue for writing. It is appear completely from society, just easier for many to type rather than to as cooking with a stove didn’t disapwrite by hand.” pear with the invention of the microHowever, Kolenikov said he wave. Still, she said it is necessary

infographic by Claire Simon

for people to recognize handwriting is fading in order to better preserve the art form.

“We must fight to keep [handwriting] a part of our own education,” Black-Cone said. “Skills need to be taught for all areas of life that do not require a power source. Communication is one of our primary resources.”

In Cowen’s opinion, however, there are many other problems to

worry about rather than the loss of handwriting.

“Handwriting will be always be around and treasured and so will keyboarding and voice commanding,” Cowens said. “I am more concerned about over-populating Earth, producing food ... outbreaks of diseases, [and] hatred among humans. Why are humans becoming a plague on this beautiful and fragile planet?”

“On the consumer side, I think it’s under-developed in terms of what need it’s fulfilling. The hardware they put into this initial version was made to look nice which is important if you’re wearing it on your face, but also it doesn’t really have the strength to do any really innovative applications for the consumer,” computer engineering major at the University of Missouri-Columbia and RBHS alumni John Gillis said. “On the flip side, from a research standpoint, I think it is under-appreciated.

The ability and the price point, research wise—it’s great. You want a hands-free device that you can see through the screen. It’s transparent, it has a camera, it has all the sensors that you want.”

Gillis is part of a research team at the University of Missouri-Columbia that is revolutionizing a new system in the procedures triage doctors use in times of disaster.

Named Panacea’s Glass, the research project uses Google Glass to establish hands-free communication that could transmit information via video among doctors in cases of no power or network infrastructure. This communication network could exist within the same hospital or between hospitals at areas affected by natural disasters and other hospitals.

For the general consumer learning to navigate the AR glasses, a world of

hands-free information will be taken out of their hands and placed in front of their eyes.

“It was kind of hard to figure out how to use at first,” sophomore Catherine Ryberg said, who used the glasses last year in EEE. “If I had the opportunity to, I would [buy a pair]. I know you can get a GPS off of it so, say you’re driving and you need it, or running or something like that.”

Along with completing day-today activities, AR glasses can also enhance the world of entertainment, specifically the gaming world.

By bringing graphics right to the eyes of the gamer, AR glasses can create an atmosphere that raises the aspect of realism to a whole new level.

“They would cause you to be able to look around in your full field of vision, and that would increase immersion a lot,” junior Connor Fitzmaurice said. “[I would really like to have a pair] if I can afford them.”

Despite its range of functions and applications, the technology still has space to improve to become even more user-friendly.

“Maybe for people who have a lot of money to blow, you can get them, but the average consumer, I don’t think it’s going to be mass adoption for a little while,” Gillis said. “Right now, they act [like a] weak Android phone in terms of processing power.”

New augmented reality glasses open eyes A lice Y u

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hile Google shocked the technological world Jan. 15 by announcing that production of Google Glass Explorer Edition was ending, a little-known San Francisco-based company is catching the eye of developers.

By the end of 2015, the Osterhout Design Group will release their line

of consumer-friendly augmented reality glasses that will cost less than $1,000 and make a one-way viewing experience, meaning no one other than the viewer can see projections on the AR glasses.

But before consumers upgrade to the ODG — and also as an odd sort of farewell to the Google Glass Explorer Edition — the capabilities and functions of AR glasses should be

discussed.

Essentially a computer condensed into the shape of eyeglasses, AR glasses allow users to go hands-free with their search for information.

While all basic AR glasses can retrieve information from an internal or external source, such as a cell phone, some more advanced glasses like the Google Glass have cameras, GPS capabilities and access to Wi-Fi.

photo by Madelyn Stewart

C4 HEALTH & WELLNESS

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

Trying to boost your metabolism?

Don’t Bother T A lice Y u

Despite the importance of metabolism in keeping a healthy body, many students don’t he estimated 45 million Americans get adequate information. CPS health courses who’ve tried year after year to lose the only cover it briefly in the fitness unit before extra pounds know getting into shape moving on to another subject.

“We talk about what your basal metabolic isn’t easy.

It’s definitely not a piece of cake — just rate is and how that affects how you burn calomentioning cake challenges a person’s very ries. We really don’t talk about [bad metabofragile self-control. Between avoiding the junk lism]. It just never has really been part of it. food, embracing a balanced diet and getting No particular reason why it’s not been. We talk that heart rate into the target heart rate zone, about it as we talk about other things with fitness,” CPS physical education and health coorstaying on track is an uphill struggle.

But another obstacle might be blocking dinator Christi Hopper said. “It’s not something the road to a toned body. Rarely mentioned that we’re opposed to. It’s just never really been and overshadowed by tips to exercise and eat anything that we brought up.”

But Dr. Khan says metabolism and diabetes healthy, metabolism plays a bigger role in maintaining a healthy weight than many people is a problem that needs to be addressed now.

With rising rates of obesity in children, rates of give it credit for.

“When I’m sitting doing nothing, that’s my metabolic syndrome and diabetes are climbing resting metabolic rate and as far as my knowl- as well.

In 2012, 9.3 percent of children had diabeedge goes, that’s something that is genetically determined. That is how many calories I’m us- tes, compared to 8.3 percent in 2010, according ing to do my daily functions,” University of to diabetes.org. For metabolic syndrome, trouMissouri-Columbia Hospital associate profes- bling statistics began showing up as far back sor of clinical medicine in the endocrinology as 2005.

In a report from the University of Kansas, department Dr. Uzma Khan said. “If you’re not balancing the consumption of your calories so researchers found that of 375 second and third your output of calories is not balanced by your graders, five percent had metabolic syndrome input of calories you get an imbalance which and 45 percent had risk factors for it.

“I think it’s important for young people results in a bad balance in your body, causing to know that there is this condition called the the metabolic syndrome.”

One blaring alarm for the metabolic syn- ‘metabolic syndrome,’ which includes increase drome is visceral fat, or what’s commonly in fat around your waist area, high blood presknown as the “beer belly.” Primarily caused by sure, cholesterol problems and increased insuinactivity and obesity, metabolic syndrome can lin resistance because it puts you at risk for dialead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol betes and heart disease,” Dr. Khan said. “You and diabetes. Like many other diseases, the in- don’t want it, and we’re seeing it in young chilactivity and obesity is caused by an imbalance dren. You’ve all inherited some medical probin hormones, specifically leptins and adipocy- lems that you don’t know of yet. You all are going to have some type tokines. lifestyle that may “The fat cells that we You all are going to have some of not be under 100 peralways think of, we don’t type of lifestyle that may not cent your control, but if think of them as being be under 100 percent your you don’t know what a active cells. We think of them as little things full of control, but if you don’t know healthy lifestyle is and fat, but they are actually what a healthy lifestyle is and if you don’t apply it starting now, you’ll be hormonally active cells,” if you don’t apply it starting in a bad shape later on.

Dr. Khan said. “The fat now, you’ll be in a bad shape We know that lifestyle cell is actually a metalater on. modifications help. We bolically active, hormone know there’s a genetic producing cell. It proDr. Uzma Khan component, so I don’t duces something called associate professor tell my patients, ‘It’s adipocytokines and then because you’re eating there’s another very important hormone that you need to know that’s too much.’ I tell them, ‘This runs in the family, called leptin. Leptin is a hormone that actually but there are environmental factors that you can goes and works on your brain. So as your body modify.’”

Junior Gabrielle Jones’ family hasn’t always fat increases, there’s an imbalance of these very hormones, leptin and the adipocytokines, and had the best metabolism and so understanding then they lead to an imbalance which causes the the genetic component of bad metabolism encouraged her to establish a healthy lifestyle. metabolic syndrome.”

art by Claire Simon

Fuelng the fire of lies: Despite the science that says resting metabolic levels cannot be changed, health articles continue to push out tips on boosting metabolic levels. Women’s Health magazine published an article just last Novemeber with these seven tips.

“For a lot of people, when you’re young it goes really fast and you can metabolize a lot of junk food and a lot of people eat junk food, but in my family, by the time you turn 20, it starts to hit you,” Jones said. “In my family, when you’re older your body can’t metabolize as fast, and you start gaining weight and usually weight gains at the hips and it’s not a pretty cycle.”

Along with genetics, gender also impacts metabolic levels. Women tend to have lower risks of developing the unhealthy visceral fat, a trait that may be because of estrogen.

“In women, the estrogen makes your fat go to under skin and then other parts of the body, but that type of fat is not the one that causes the imbalance of the adipocytokines,” Dr. Khan said. “The type of fat that does it is the one that’s called visceral fat which is the one in the belly. That one is more the cause of hormonal imbalance and the suspicion is that estrogen prevents women from getting that — unless something else is going on — which is why

after they go through menopause ... they start getting their visceral fat. Because the estrogen levels have become lower, their risk for heart disease and metabolic syndrome starts getting to where it is for men.”

New research suggests that those who are affected by metabolic syndrome may have bacteria in their stomach that processes foods differently than those who don’t have the syndrome or diabetes. This new discovery only uncovers a little bit more to the mystery behind metabolism and diabetes.

“There’s the genetics [and] there’s the environmental factors. The environmental factors include easy access to cheap, excess calories, decrease in burning of the calories, but maybe there’s more to the story,” Dr. Khan said.

“Maybe those changing bacteria in our gut are the problem. Maybe chemicals in our environment are not allowing our body to deal with everything. It’s a jigsaw puzzle. We have a few pieces, but we’re just starting out.”

Sick day policies more lax for high schoolers N icole S chroeder

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round five to 20 percent of people in the United States contract the influenza virus every year between December and February, according to new statistics from the Center for Disease Control. This year, however, the CDC said the combination of a stronger strain of the virus and a mostly ineffective vaccine have caused an unnaturally high number of people to fall ill, with over 37,000 cases of laboratory-positive influenza diagnosed in the state of Missouri since the week of Oct. 4.

While hospitals and pediatricians often see more patients during flu season, school nurses often see an increase in the number of students sent home with flu-like symptoms during the winter months. Nurse Tammy Adkins said every year RBHS seems to have its own flu season in which many students are sent home sick during a short period of time.

“We don’t see a lot of fevers normally, but in flu season, that’s when we really see them the most,” Adkins said. “A lot of times we will go weeks without fevers, but then when we hit flu season or when flu season has hit Rock Bridge, we will have several fe-

vers in a day or a week.”

Unlike the flu season in the United States, however, Adkins said the period of time when more students fall ill at school is much shorter, though she still sees an average of 35 to 45 students in her office each day.

“There will be times that we have sort of a big peak and upswing kindof-thing, but it’s not during the whole flu season,” Adkins said. “It’s just usually in one or two weeks. You might see the peaks. We ebb and flow a lot during the year.”

Senior Sydney Griggs said she does not visit the nurse’s office often, but when she has visited the nurse,

photo by Madelyn Stewart

Soaring temperatures: Freshman Lauren Hofmann uses a thermometer to check her temperature in the nurse’s office on Jan. 22. This year, common flus included two strands of influenza A and one strand of influenza B.

Adkins has been kind and helpful in taking care of Griggs’ ailments.

“I, honestly, don’t ever go to the nurse,” Griggs said. “I’ve only been probably once out of all of high school, and whenever I went, I had a great experience. [Adkins] was really cool.”

Unlike Griggs, junior Mickey Jamieson said he tends to go to the nurse’s office more often than most students.

“It depends on the year,” Jamieson said. “Last year, I didn’t really go to the nurse, but this year I’ve been at least two or three times. It’s been a rather difficult year.”

Compared to his past experiences with the nurse, Jamieson said the nurse at RBHS is much more helpful and better able to take care of the students than the nurses at his elementary and middle schools.

“Here at Rock Bridge, it seems like they’ve got a little bit more to offer because I know I can leave medicine here if I need to,” Jamieson said.

“I went to a private school when I was in elementary school and they didn’t seem to offer as much. You could go in there and get your temperature checked out...but that was about the extent of what they could do.”

Though the nurses’ policies remains similar across the Columbia Public Schools district, Adkins said she understands how the nurses’ offices at different grade levels can seem to be less helpful than those at RBHS. She said the reason for this is the greater level of responsibility that can be placed on students as they get older.

“Some of that is philosophy. Obviously, as the school nurse … kids being healthy and staying in school is part of my job,” Adkins said. “But, when you get to high school level, you guys are much more involved

in the choices that are happening, so you need to be able to say, ‘I don’t feel good. I need to go home,’ or ‘No, I’m going to work through this…’ At this age, you’re the one that bears the consequences of not going to school.”

Nevertheless, Jamieson said he believes policies in the nurses’ offices across the school district should be more relaxed so students are able to leave if they are not feeling well, especially around flu season.

“Fevers come and go, but during flu season ... if they are running a fever and it could potentially be the flu, I think it would be in the best interest of the school to send them home,” Jamieson said. “They don’t want to have anyone else catching the flu.”

Griggs disagrees and said the nurse is helpful in caring for sick students already. She said she believes they shouldn’t need to change their policies simply to accommodate an annual spike in students catching the flu.

“I think they should just keep doing what they were doing because everyone gets sick, and you’re going to have rough seasons and seasons that are better,” Griggs said. “I think if they just stay on top of the kids and make sure they really are sick and are going home for the right reasons then I think they should just continue with their protocol.”

Overall, Adkins said the nurse’s office already follows a specific policy for sending students home sick, such as when they have a fever over 100 degrees or an unexplained rash. She said these policies will not change around flu season and will continue to be used year-round for the foreseeable future.

“Our guidelines are our guidelines,” Adkins said. “We just send more kids home with fevers during flu season.”

HEALTH & WELLNESS C5

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

Battling the stigmas of dementia

Understanding memory loss, mood swings, misplaced meanings J enna L iu

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nce a week, junior Abe Drury travels to the Southhampton Nursing Home to play games and chat with the residents as part of the volunteer group Wheelers and Dealers.

On one of these visits a few months ago, Drury was walking down a hallway when a woman approached him, grabbed his arm and refused to let go.

“She came up to me and was like, ‘Please just stay here with me,’” Drury said. “I didn’t really know what was going on at first … she just held my hand, and I sat with her for about half an hour.”

This was one of Drury’s first encounters with someone with dementia, an umbrella term for the symptoms resulting from a number of diseases that involve the progressive loss of brain function. While the most well-known of these diseases is Alzheimer’s disease, others such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease affect millions across the United States, according to the Institute for Dementia Research & Prevention.

One of the largest organizations fighting to combat dementia is the national Alzheimer’s Association, for which Kim Richmond works as a care consultant. With regard to Alzheimer’s specifically, Richmond said cases of the illness are very prevalent and can cross expected age boundaries.

“There are people who have the disease as young as in their 30s, ” Richmond said. “Statistics are that one out of two will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at 85 years of age or older and one out of nine after age 65.”

Apart from his time working with residents who have demen-

tia at the Southampton Nursing Home, Drury has also encountered this disease within his own family.

Recently, his grandfather exhibited symptoms that alarmingly resembled dementia. Unfortunately, his fears proved true, giving Drury a firsthand experience.

“Things didn’t click anymore and he started associating things with being really valuable,” Drury said. “He found an address book in his desk and started thinking it was really important — started leafing through it.”

These signs of dementia usually start with something as simple as short-term memory loss, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease brochure. Over time the individual afflicted with this condition begins to lose his or her ability to communicate and is often prone to mood swings.

Drury still spends time with the woman he comforted in the hallway whenever he volunteers with Wheelers and Dealers, and said it is important to be patient with those who have dementia.

“The [woman] is in her 90s, and her mind has deteriorated a fair amount,” Drury said. “It can be a little unsettling at first, but you just have to keep calm and stick with it.”

Like Drury, junior Hannah Chen also spends her free time volunteering at a nursing facility.

As a leader of the volunteer group C.A.R.E., Chen has spent a lot of time with the residents of Bluff Creek Terrace, a home that specializes in memory care assisted living.

“There’s an old lady at the home and every time we go she always asks us if we know a certain girl,” Chen said. “Then she always

proudly says, ‘That’s my granddaughter’ and smiles really big. I think it’s the sweetest thing ever.”

Chen said the key to interacting with Alzheimer’s patients is simply treating them like regular people.

“Generally they’re just like anyone else,” Chen said. “You might have to repeat things sometimes, but that’s it.”

While Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia seem to have a lot of national attention,

the truth is that many Alzheimer’s patients are not aware that they have the disease, according to livescience.com. When the University of Michigan conducted a Health and Retirement study, the researchers found that 55 percent of patients they screened for Alzheimers had never been examined beforehand, in spite of clear symptoms of dementia.

These numbers may be a result of the stigma that still surrounds dementia as a mental illness, with

photo by Caylea Erickson

Chen saying that even today, some in society have negative views on the disease. She added, however, that she believes people are starting to become more enlightened as to what dementia is and are less likely to judge those who have it.

“I think [the stigma] is completely unfounded,” Chen said.

“Nevertheless, I do believe that this negative feeling is gradually disappearing as people have become more accepting and supportive.”

One way people can work toward eradicating this stigma and opening dialogue on dementia is by simply improving education on the disease.

“We should spread awareness about the subject of Alzheimer’s and other mental illnesses rather than treat it as taboo,” Chen said.

The Alzheimer’s Association is just one of many organizations that helps circulate information about dementia, according to Richmond.

She said in Missouri alone, there are three chapters dedicated to helping those living with dementia.

“We have an 800 number that is available 24/7 for care givers or the person with early stage dementia to call for care and support,” Richmond said. “Educational brochures are also available free of charge.”

Richmond emphasized the need to spur discourse and action on the subject of dementia, and said that such efforts save lives.

“Telling people to call 1-800272-3900 or directing them to alz. org can make a huge difference to someone who is on the journey with dementia,” Richmond said.

“One of our goals is to help them to understand they don’t have to walk this walk alone.”

Meticulous spending results in happiness A lice Y u

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infographic by Claire Simon infographic information: time.com

rom Camelback water bottles to the iPhone 6 Plus, society continues to shell out the big bucks in exchange for little parcels of happiness despite the chiding voice that chants, “money can’t buy happiness.”

The United States was ranked the wealthiest in the world based on average household financial wealth and personal earnings, but levels of life satisfaction didn’t even make it to top 10, only settling at 15th place, according to the 2014 Better Life Index conducted on 36 countries by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

While this study fully supports the supposed lack of connection between wealth and happiness, new literature suggests that money, when spent in the right places, can indeed buy happiness. In a 2014 Harvard study, researchers found that “prosocial” spending, the act of spending on others, can actually increase the emotional well-being of people by providing the fundamental need for social connection.

In another Harvard study, this time conducted in 2011 by Daniel Gilbert, the results showed that buying experiences tends to leave consumers happier than material purchases.

“I think the general sense of the literature is that buying things tends to give you a very short payoff,” St. Louis University associate professor of philosophy Dr. Dan Haybron said. “We tend to adapt very quickly to things that we acquire so you get a little

boost at the time you buy it. It’s nice because at home you’re kind exciting and you get a new cam- of restricted to what everyone era or phone and the next day else wants.”

For those who turn to shelling you realize, ‘Well, it’s still just a camera,’ and I think in most cas- out cash on shopping sprees to es, buying things doesn’t make a improve their mood, a more natural alternative awaits them. lasting difference.”

Rather than debating whether Even though purchasing materialistic objects provide an explo- money can buy happiness or not, sive but short surge of happiness, those who are in pursuit of happibuying moments through experi- ness have a more effective way to ences doesn’t come with a “sat- ensure happiness.

“Exercise, exercise, exercise,” isfaction or your money back” Washington University profesguarantee of happiness either. sor of phi“Just belosophy cause you’re Just because you’re and philosspending spending money on that ophy-neumoney on particular activity, you’re rosciencethat particupsychology lar activity, not necessarily going to John Doris you’re not achieve happiness just by said. “That’s necessarspending the money itself. p r o b a b l y ily going to one of the achieve hapDavid Feng best things piness just junior people can by spending do to inocuthe money itself,” junior David Feng said. late themselves against depres“It’s not the act of spending the sion. Health is pretty uncontromoney. It’s more so how you par- versially implicated in happiness.

Exercise is implicated in health take in the event.”

For sophomore Chase Ford, so therefore exercise makes you the experience of practicing inde- happier in that way. Exercise also pendence in choice and thought has positive mood effects, which hikes up happiness. As a member is another way it impacts happiof the debate team, Ford gets to ness.”

With a continuous stream of escape familial influences and make independent decisions. technological improvements and With the freedom to act on per- a battle between brand names for sonal preferences, Ford not only consumer attention, material obopens the door for joy with a ma- jects are just too much of a volaterial purchase, but also with an tile investment for our happiness.

“There’ll be all sorts of cool experience of self-rule.

“Going on debate tournaments new stuff that we’re going to own ... we get to go to a restaurant or ten years from now that maybe something and be like, ‘I can or- we don’t have today,” Haybron der whatever I want’,” Ford said. said. “I’d be surprised if we’re “It sounds really lame, but it’s any happier for it.”

C6 SPORTS

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015

photo by Devesh Kumar

Posterized: Junior Tre Williams rattles the backboard while slamming home a monster dunk, against crosstown rival Battle High School on Jan. 23. Senior Ryan Kreklow led the way for the team with 19 points while Williams was second in scoring with 12 points. In four days, RBHS will have a chance to exact revenge on Jeff City, the same team that ended their season last year.

Bruins ready to face Jeff City, Anunoby H arsh S ingh

W

hen the boys basketball team got its schedule at the begininning of the season, the Bruins took instant notice of the Feb. 3 matchup against Jefferson City. With 11 games out of the way, they are now seeking revenge against their rival opponents.

Last March, the district finals played at RBHS didn’t include the Bruins. Instead it was Jeff City, a team that stole the fourth quarter against the Bruins with a 16-1 run and eventually stole a win. Senior forward Eric Kuse said knowing there is a districts final being played at their home court yet not participating in it was a horrible feeling.

“Losing to them last year in the way that we did on our home floor stung,” Kuse said. “It left me and some of the other players with a bad taste in our mouths.”

Now, the Bruins have a shot to overcome the tum.

“We really focus on having crisper more foanger left by the loss against the Jays. RBHS is sitting at 10-2 with their last game on Jan. 23 cused practices,” Ringdahl said. “This way, we being a commanding 66-41 win against Battle make sure we come out sharp since there is a High School. Kuse said less margin for error.” there were a lot of positives Since the team has only With them being rivals to take from the dominatplayed 11 games so far, most and with them beating of their tough moments are ing win. us last year, it holds “Hopefully it shows us still to come. Athletic direcmore weight with really tor David Egan said the month that when we run and get wanting to win. out into transition, we are of February will be the team’s Karson Ringdahl able to knock down shots biggest test.

Senior and take a lead,” Kuse said.

“I think February is go“Also, we did a good job ing to be a really informative rebounding and taking care of the ball which is month to tell us how good of a team they are,” vital when playing big games.”

Egan said. “The boys basketball program, goWith a lot of important games coming up, ing back many years, has won 20 to 25 games including the one against the Jays, Kuse’s team- each year, and I think we are on track to do that mate junior forward Karson Ringdahl said in- again. However, with games against Hickman, tense practices are a key to building momen- Jeff City and Rockhurst coming up this month,

we will be able to really tell how everything goes.”

Egan believes even without the loss last year, this game would still be big because of the huge rivalry between the two teams.

“Jeff City is always a rival. Regardless of records, it’s always going to be competitive.

Jeff City has a player recruited by Indiana so they are definitely a talented team,” Egan said.

“Coach Scanlon is really good at preparing a team for big games, so I have full belief in him.”

Jeff City’s OG Anunoby, and Indiana recruit, presents a unique challenge. Last year, Anunoby was injured during the districts match against the Bruins. Kuse said Anunoby deserved special attention.

“It has to be hard tough defense against him,” Kuse said. “Maybe we will have to double him down in the post to make it hard for him. But as far as who’s on him is undecided yet.”

CYBA provides recreational, competitive entertainment during winter months Every Sunday, students from RBHS get in their teams, compete against their own friends and students from other schools in Columbia attracting a large crowd

J i -H o L ee

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ock Bridge basketball consistently puts a competitive team on the court year after year. The girls’ program, coached by Jill Nagel, has won three consecutive state titles, while the boys team, managed by coach Jim Scanlon, claimed three district titles from 2009 to 2012. But multiple Bruins play the sport without donning green and gold.

Founded in 1992 by Dean Berry, the Columbia Youth Basketball Association (CYBA) holds games at different locations every Saturday. The locations include several schools around the city, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and games are open to the public.

Boys and girls from third to twelfth grade are eligible to compete against teams in their respective age group. Many RBHS students formed teams with their friends and participate in the league.

“We knew there was not a place for the high school age group to play, unless you were on a school team,”

Allen Jennings, president of CYBA, said. “Our mission is to have fun and allow students to play with their friends and enjoy what recreational basketball has to offer.”

Several students ranging from freshmen to seniors enjoy taking their skills to the court on Saturday afternoons whilst donning their And1 sneakers and annoyingly bright neon headbands.

Senior Matt Echelmeier began competing in the league in fifth grade after a friend told him about it.

“It allows me to prove myself as a gladiator,” Echelmeier, who also golfs for the Bruins, said. “It’s always fun to go out and compete with your friends and beat teams by 40 while embarrassing them in front of their parents.”

Echelmeier, like several of the other players at Rock Bridge, extrudes an abundance of confidence in his personal talent. He also believes the excitment during a CYBA game is unmatched.

“You have to make sure the other team knows that you’re better than

them,” sophomore Moiz Muhammad said about the competitive conversation. “And then you go out on the court and prove it.”

CYBA is rooted in this friendly competition. Very few Rock Bridge students take the games seriously.

Instead, it’s about having fun with friends and holding bragging rights over opposing teams and students.

This oxymoronic competition: a recreational environment filled with friendly competition, is embraced by the players, with battles between perrenial powerhouses and newcomers to the league taking place at New Haven Elementary, The Armory, and multiple courts all over Columbia.

Junior Megan Sherman, along with the friends on her team, enjoy the competitive balance CYBA offers. Sherman’s team, Victorious Secret, has yet to win a game all season, but the squad continues to play hard while enjoying the sport.

“It’s all about having fun,” Sherman, also a Bruin Girl, said. “Everyone plays to have a good time and to play basketball with some friends.”

photo by Madelyn Stewart

Zoned in: Senior Margie Crosby tries to keep the ball away from her opponents during a CYBA game. These games are played every Saturday.

C8 ADS

www.bearingnews.org • The Rock • January 29, 2015