November, 29th 2023 by North Star

NORTH

STAR

MARCHING BAND WRAPS SEASON FHN’s marching band and color guard receive season high score at last competition. Page 13

CHANGES TO AP HISTORY CLASSES Page 11

FHN’S PICKLEBALL PLAYERS Page 18-19

FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 03 11.29.2023

NORTH STAR

Editors-in-Chief of News: McKenna Hudson Chase Pray News Editors Ray Hathcock Violet Newton Michaela Manfull Drew Johnson Miranda Fabian Izzy Lash Kaylee Priest News General Staff: John Butler Cheyenne Steed Cherry Clark Nylah Smith Patricia Fechter Gavin Swart Ben Henry Peyton Thies Riley Jensen Noah Tucker Grant Kilen Naomi VanDyne Sadie Ortmeyer Alex Wheadon Editor-in-Chief of Photography Payton Johnston Photo Editors: Mady Brewer Bri Dunham Ankita Pandurangi Grace Pinson Faith Smith Kylie Taliaferro

Photo General Staff: Jazmin Acevedo Demi Johnson Mallory Barker Kyra Landers Madalyn Bridgwater Torie Montomery Alayna Clement Thomas Jones Bella Collins Angelee Orozco Andrew Goffinet Jordan Ousley Austin Griffin Eashaan Patel Maddie Huckabay Kylie Ramirez Heidi Huff Alexis Rowland Jupiter Stephens

42-43

Video Editors-in-Chief: Madelyn Clark Rhea Patel Video Editors: Max Ramirez Laney Quandt General Staff: Riley Aldenderfer Melissa Guerrero Nigel Bailey Wilson Lam Ben Bartels Reagan Moellering Jacob Bass Eric Morrow Camden Blair Vanessa Ng Sean Brand Jayda Reece Emily Clausner Taylor Saale Sassy Garcia Harper Schneider Nate Smith

Sports Editor-in-Chief: Parker Smith Sports Editors: Jackson Calhoun Jackson Fifer Owen Gonzalez Braeden Kettinger Kevin McGuire Om Nair

(Cover Design by Michaela Manfull, Photo by Faith Smith)

INDESTRUCTIBLE IPHONE

CAT CAFE ON MAIN STREET

BELL CHANGES News, Page 12

KEEPING UP WITH THE KNIGHTS

PICKLEBALL PASTIMES

WHERE’S NORM?

Entertainment, Page 2

Features, Page 18-19

Features, Page 22-23

Features, Page 26-27 Interactives, Page 28

STATE WRESTLERS Sports, Page 34-35

EDITORIAL: SEX EDUCATION CLASSES IN MISSOURI NEED TO IMPROVE Opinions, Page 44-45

Sports General Staff: Luis Escobar Mason Mitchell Maahin Fatima Kenneth Nunn Liv Graeser Avee Patel Elise Grimshaw Sam Reimer Katie Head Ryan Simerda Mo Huff Jaden Slusser Addy Jones Morgan Smith James Kowalczyk Carter Stover Alayna Lohaus Austin Vollmer Lito Ledezma Advisers: Aaron Manfull Jordyn Kiel

THERES A PODCAST FOR THAT

FHN students and faculty share their favorite podcasts

Companies like Netflix have put a limit on password sharing due to security risks and other factors. (Photo by Austin Griffin) “I like history, I’m a nerd though. I like the My Fake History podcast.” - Jack Engelhard, 12

DISNEY PLUS TRACKING USER SUBSCRIPTIONS by Nylah Smith

nsmith474@g.fhsdschools.org

Juniors Laney Quandt and Bri Dunham record in the podcast studio for FHNtoday. There are currently four different podcasts on FHNtoday; “Music Mayhem,” “Fashion History Update,” “The Podcast Chronicles,” and “Class of 2024 Reflections.” (Photos by Chris Brandt)

These are a few different podcasts to add to any listening experience by McKenna Hudson

mhudson365@g.fhsdschools.org

odcasts exist to cover every sort of topic. Here are five easily accessible podcasts to listen to wherever and whenever. Office Ladies “Office Ladies,” hosted by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, discusses their time on the tv show “The Office” and gives listeners the behind-the-scenes scoop. They do interviews with cast from the show, break down episodes and add in conversation about their own lives. “Office Ladies” releases once a week and is a great podcast for Office lovers. This podcast is good for an easy listen or for a good laugh. These ladies do their research and provide lots of fascinating facts from the history of doodles to exploring Kinsey’s digital clutter. Celebrity Memoir Book Club “CMBC,” hosted by Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton is a podcast that reads a celebrity memoir once a week and discusses its contents. The book club reads excerpts from the pages and reads between the lines to provide their own opinions on the book. Parker and Hamilton are also New York comedians who provide listeners with plenty of laughs and an inside look into their lives. “CMBC” has read memoirs from celebrities like Jason Derulo and Paris Hilton to Matthew Perry and Will Smith as well as many others. “If you’ve ever wondered what could possibly be in all those celebrity memoirs but have a life and cannot sit down to read them all, we’ll just tell you all the important details,” a representative from Celebrity Memoir Book Club said via Instagram.

Sweet Bobby “Sweet Bobby” is a six episode podcast series that documents the story of Kirat, a woman who is catfished for almost a decade. The series takes an extensive look on how Kirat was able to be catfished and the extent of the deception. Hosted by Alexi Mostrous, the podcast is addictive with lots of twists and turns in this true story. The show also entices listeners to find out the identity of the catfisher and the motive. Each episode is around 30 minutes and can be listened to in a day. American Scandal “American Scandal” is a podcast series that documents the most publicized scandals in America and takes the listener on an in-depth journey through the deceits. The podcast releases once a week and around four episodes cover one scandal. The podcast, started in 2018, is still ongoing today and has covered scandals such as the Clinton-Lewinksy scandal and the Watergate scandal. Listeners get extensive context behind the events and learn knowledge that may be useful in a U.S. history course. Cookies and Crime Based off the viral TikTok series, “Cookies and Crime by Karen Thi,” this is a podcast for all things true crime and delicious cookies. The idea for the podcast originated off TikTok when Thi’s cookie decorating account, Bakersmann Cookies, went viral when she decorated a cookie with a true crime story voice-over. She then took the series to podcasting where she reviews a true crime or paranormal story and eats a cookie. Thi provides bi-weekly episodes where she adds her opinions and commentary to the crimes to give her podcast a unique point of view from other true crime podcasts.

“The Ed Mylett Show [is my favorite] because it’s all about self development and it’s good information for how to grow yourself.” -Dr. Jeff Blankenship

“I listen to The Broski Report and I listen because she’s very smart and the funniest person so I like laughing to her by myself.” - Anora Addison, 12

“My favorite podcast is My First Millions because it teaches you how to make money.” -Aiden Digar, 11

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Chase Pray (Contents) and McKenna Hudson (1) • Entertainment

FIVE PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS

“Dateline is my favorite podcast because it’s really interesting and it holds my attention.” - Delaney St. John, 11

Disney+ has started to take precautions to address the issue of password sharing. Password sharing on most streaming platforms has allowed account sharing on different devices and locations, but Disney+ and other platforms have started to believe it’s an issue and can lead to abuse. For instance, Netflix password crackdown policy tracks your data and stops you or others from watching in any other state you don’t live in. Password sharing is when you give friends, family, etc. your password to your account. Disney+ and Netflix don’t allow password sharing because they believe it can cause problems with cyber security and scams. With streaming companies implementing this new policy, some users have voiced their dissatisfaction online with the increased security and restrictions. Most users have been sharing their passwords for years but may feel disappointed when the feature becomes unavailable. Many platforms have started this policy because password sharing can be risky in several ways. For instance, sharing your passwords may make it easier for hackers to hack into your network and steal valuable information. Password sharing can also cause a loss of your account because of security issues. Sharing your password can lead to risky situations, however password sharing can also be beneficial in some ways. Sharing passwords makes it easier to access shared accounts and not deal with the hassle of repeated logins. Sharing a subscription on streaming platforms could save money for consumers, however, sharing your subscriptions is losing companies money and that’s their main problem with password sharing. Despite the pros and cons of sharing passwords, streaming platform’s “Password Crackdown” has been successful. Netflix has gained around 23 percent of new accounts since they added their new policy. Following Netflix, Disney+ also implemented their password crackdown on Nov 1. Seeing how successful Netflix’s policy has been, other streaming platforms may follow as well, so be on the lookout.

THE ORIGIN OF WONKA by Alex Wheadon

awheadon315@g.fhsdschools.org

Wonka is a film releasing on Dec. 15. The film stars Timothee Chalamet as the titular character, Willy Wonka. This movie is a prequel to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie and book and the movie will show the origin of Wonka and how he became the chocolate-maker people know and love. This movie will have Wonka meet an Oompa-Loompa, played by Hugh Grant, and will go through the adventures of Wonka, the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker, as he goes from working in a small candy store to someone known all over the world for the chocolate that he makes. This movie will feature musical numbers but, according to the director, it isn’t a musical, just a film with music. Chalamet recently hosted SNL on Nov. 11. It was his second time hosting the show. Chalamet has appeared in many popular films such as Call Me by Your Name, Little Women, Beautiful Boy, Lady Bird and many others. (Photo from Warner Brothers theater poster)

GET YOUR GAME ON

Nintendo Direct

Scan this QR code to see the Nintendo Direct for Nick AllStars Brawl 2

The Brawl Site

Scan this QR code to see the official Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl website

IGN Review

Scan this QR code to see IGN’s review of the game

(Photo by Shutterstock)

(Photo from Universal movie poster)

by Alex Wheadon

by Cherry Clark

ALL-STARS BRAWL 2 RELEASES awheadon315@g.fhsdschools.org

Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl 2 was released on Nov. 3 and it sets out to improve on its predecessor. Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl was a 2D platform fighter similar to Super Smash Bros that was released in 2021. The game set out to answer the question of what if SpongeBob could fight Danny Phantom. The original game, upon release, had mixed reviews with some loving it and some hating it. The game’s mechanics made it a capable fighting game but it was released with little polish, no voice acting and little content other than the main fighting mode. This is part of what led to the game’s early demise. Nickelodeon All Stars Brawl 2 has voice acting and a new campaign. It supports an expanded roster of Nickelodeon characters both new to the game and old with new skins and refined mechanics. There will also be a new online experience including crossplay and updated lobby systems. This all being there on release will hopefully improve on the original to make a game everyone can enjoy.

(Photo by Maddie Huckabay)

DUCKS MIGRATE TO THEATERS

TITANIUM TROUBLES

cclark599@g.fhsdschools.org

jbutler035@g.fhsdschools.org

On Dec. 22, the new ‘Migration’ movie by Illumination will be officially released in the United States in theaters. Directed by Benjamin Renner, the movie will be a comedy for all ages. The movie is a story of a family of Mallard ducks, who have the vacation of a lifetime, migrating from their New England pond, through New York City, to Jamaica. The film holds an impressive cast, including some notable voice actors such as Awkafina, known for Shang-Chi, and Danny Devito, an esteemed American actor and award winner. The movie will also feature a musical score from composer John Powell, returning to Illumination after the release of ‘The Lorax’ (2012). Additionally, for those unable to watch it in theaters, the movie will be available on the Peacock and Netflix platforms for families to watch as part of Universal’s deal with Netflix. The film was originally scheduled to release in June of 2023 however it was delayed and is now releasing in December.

by John Butler

Apple has recently released the iPhone 15 and that became widely popular for the new titanium frame added to the pro models of the phone. Be careful though as titanium does react with oxygen which may cause cracks in the frames of these phones over time. It is recommended to keep a case on so that the phone remains in functioning order as long as possible. “It’s mainly a marketing gimmick, it’s most likely going to put a hard limit on the phones,” FHN PLTW teacher Michael Green said. Apple’s reason for switching from their standard stainless steel or aluminum design to titanium is because of how titanium weighs up to 40 percent less but still has the strength of stainless steel. Also the frame is made mostly of titanium and not just plated on a different material.

MEET THE MAYBE MAN by Cherry Clark

cclark599@g.fhsdschools.org

(Photo from Shutterstock)

On Nov. 10, the indie pop band AJR released their fifth studio album, ‘The Maybe Man’. On Sept. 11, 2023, AJR revealed the album cover and track list, featuring 12 songs (one less than previously announced). Five singles have already been released. AJR has released four studio albums: ‘Living Room’ (2015), ‘The Click’ (2017), ‘Neotheater’ (2019), and ‘OK Orchestra’ (2021). A teaser on Nov. 12, 2022, left fans speculating about the album’s title, with guesses ranging from

‘The Music Men’ to ‘Ten-Meter Men’. Then, on Aug. 28, 2023, the band unveiled the highly anticipated title: ‘The Maybe Man’. Originating from New York City, AJR is an indie pop trio consisting of brothers Adam Met, Jack Met and Ryan Met. The band started in 2005, but didn’t see any relative success until 2012 with their single, ‘I’m Ready’. The single was later released with their debut studio album ‘The Living Room’ in 2015.

became one of the few artists to receive all DOLLY PARTON’S four major entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy and Tony. Her most recent ROCKING NEW ERA Oscar, release, “Rockstar”, has 30 all new rock songs.

by Izzy Lash

ilash623@g.fhsdschools.org

Dolly Parton: actress, singer, songwriter, musician and philanthropist extraordinaire. She’s ruled the country music industry with a smile since her debut in 1967, and 56 years later she’s still singing with her first rock album, “Rockstar”, which dropped a couple weeks ago. After her debut album titled, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” she experienced success that carried her into the 1980s. Since the 2000’s she received plenty of commercial success and

It was released on Nov. 17 under Butterfly Records, and is available on all streaming platforms. It even has appearances from popular artists like Lizzo, P!nk, Elton John, Joan Jett and Miley Cyrus. Her first feature film appearance was in the comedy “9-5”, with a leading role as a secretary, which she sang the title song for. Both the song and the movie received Golden Globe nominations, the movie became a major success and the song topped the charts. Parton was named the Top Female Box Office Star in 1981 and 1982 thanks to the film’s success.

(Photo by Shutterstock)

BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL

Lydia can see ghosts, and ghosts can see Lydia, unlike her parents. Partnering up with her new ghost friends to scare her parents out of their new house is a lot greener when the weird guy you threw off the roof offers to help, for a price. If your creepy ghost problem solver offers to marry you, you should always decline.

(Illustration by Michaela Manfull)

EDIBLE CLOTHING EMERGES by John Butler

jbutler035@g.fhsdschools.org

Edible fashion is a step in a new direction, and may not have much flavor to some but it will be an exciting entry into the new lineup. Recently Leeann Huang came out with a new line of edible clothing that has real jelly and chocolate woven into cable knits, beaded trousers made with sugar glass from vintage chandeliers and glazed oranges, and jewelry made from prawn crackers. However this clothing comes with a catch, since it is made of real food there is a risk of it spoiling. “No, just think of it rotting,” FHN senior Erica Stanford said. Huang also stated in Dazed magazine that the reason for this clothing line was because she was inspired by the French cookbook “Les Diners De Gala” and French food driven films “La Grande Bouffe” and “Tampopo”.

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Mean girls and meaner guys make high school the worst for Veronica Sawyer, certified nerd. Her life suddenly looks better thanks to a lunch table invitation from the Heathers, aka the queen bees of her school. It turns out that when a guy in a leather coat threatens to blow up the school, he means it, no matter how much Sawyer wants to kiss him.

HAMILTON THE MUSICAL

History buffs, meet your newest obsession. Following the story of the American Revolution, future founding father Alexander Hamilton does his best to make his mark in history. With only slight exaggerations and sometimes uncomfortable situations, Hamilton proves that sometimes not shutting your mouth is a good thing, and sometimes you end up dead.

WICKED

Based off of the “Wizard of Oz,” the musical follows the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, or Glinda the Good Witch. It follows their adventures together before they became the famous witches, and it explores their relationship and the relationship with the people of Oz, ultimately starting and ending with the death of Elphaba.

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL

Sorority girl, meet law school and bad boyfriends. After a shocking break up, Elle Woods decides to get him back by getting into Harvard Law School and discovers a passion for law. After putting the pink in prosecution, she figures out that you don’t need a man to be a girl boss and graduate top of your class.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Alex Wheadon • Entertainment

MUSICAL MANIA

An infographic detailing different musicals (Content by Izzy Lash, Illustrations by Violet Newton and Alex Wheadon)

RISE THE

OF DIVERISTY IN THE MCU by Michaela Manfull

mmanfull438@g.fhsdschools.org

The discussion about diversity when it comes to the ﬁlm industry mainly focuses on gender and race, with a slightly newer focus on LGBTQIA+, but rarely on the concept of mental health/illnesses or physical disabilities. While Marvel is nowhere near a perfect example of how a company should show diversity through their ﬁlms, their comics have been improving, and slowly but surely, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is trying to catch up. According to an interview with Paul Terry, the co-author of The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Marvel Studio's mantra is "never stop plussing." 'Plussing' is not saying that an idea is bad or wishing it was something else, but instead accepting it as a starting point and building from there. This is what Marvel has been doing and should continue to do with their characters, especially when it comes to representation of gender, race, mental illnesses, LGBTQIA+ and physical disabilities.

CHARACTER GENDER & RACE When it comes to films, it should be shocking to very few Marvel or non-Marvel fans that the first non-white lead was Black Panther in 2018 and the first female lead was Captain Marvel in 2019. Both of these films performed very well in the grand scheme of Marvel releases, with Black Panther placing third of their 74 films in box offices and Captain Marvel placing eighth, encouraging Marvel to increase the amount of diverse characters and ideas they presented in their films and shows in the following years. In the MCU's 2021 spurt, which included a total of four films and five Disney+ shows, seven had main characters that were either not white, not male, or neither, significantly adding to the amount of diverse projects in the MCU. Of course, there is more to gender and race than just a main female character or a main non-white character. While Kamala Khan in 2022's Ms. Marvel may not have been the best way to approach her storyline, it still brought in new, clear representation for Pakistani-Americans and was able to tell the story of the Partition, which many viewers may not have known much about beforehand. So far, she has only appeared in Ms. Marvel and The Marvels, but fans are excited to see what the MCU does with her character next.

FILM DIRECTOR GENDER & RACE

2008

First MCU Film Jon Favreau, Iron Man

For a long while after the first MCU film, every director of a Marvel movie was a white male. Some people don’t understand just how big of a deal diversity behind the camera can be. While seeing characters on the screen can be important, the directors are the ones making sure that each character is treated as they should be. It took Marvel nine years to allow a non-white male to direct and over a decade for a female director. The timeline shows just how far away the films are from each other.

LGBTQIA+

The LGBTQIA+ community has been ﬁghting for fair representation for years and the MCU would ultimately gain many fans if their characters are handled well. Along with that, a brand as large as Marvel has the chance to make LGBTQIA+ relationships and orientations more conversation-friendly in many homes across the US and the world, showing people that if heroes can be queer, real people can too. At long last, Marvel has begun introducing more LGBTQIA+ characters into their MCU ﬁlms and shows. Granted, there are not very many of these characters, especially not main characters, but there are still a few worth noting.

2021 2017

First Non-White Director Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarok

2019

First Female Co-Director Anna Boden, Captain Marvel

First Solo Female Director Cate Shortland, Black Widow & First Woman of Color Director Chloé Zhao, Eternals

Q&A: PHYSICAL DISABILITY REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA A question & answer session with Joe Henke, one of the program coordinators for FHSD’s alternative learning department.

MENTAL ILLNESSES

Mental illnesses and mental health may seem to be one of the least likely things to be portrayed in superhero films and shows, but it turns out that most of the MCU's protagonists face some sort of issue with their mental health at one point or another. This is not only because of the toll that going through battles and wars has on people in general, but also because Marvel tends to use mental illnesses as a way to humanize their heroes more and give them a "weakness," as opposed to showing other aspects of their lives. This is by no means the correct way to give characters multiple dimensions, and Marvel is moving away from it as of recently, but this is how they have generally approached it in the past. In the 2022 series Moon Knight, Marvel took a dive into Marc Spector, a man who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). With most things, there were a few aspects that got Hollywood-ified by Marvel, but they did hire a psychologist in order to grasp it the best they could and managed to get some things right as well. Along with that, there are a multitude of characters that have confirmed mental illnesses amongst multiple movies and shows throughout the MCU, some of which are listed below.

Q: Do you think the way Marvel and the ﬁlm industry as a whole has been representing more groups of people is going in a positive or negative direction and why?

“I would say mostly positive in my opinion. There's a variety of diﬀerent people and it can be hard to work with and around all of the diﬀerent licenses that are out there.”

Q: Is there any speciﬁc Marvel character, movie, or show that you think presented physical disability representation in a very good way?

Dementia

Loki Laufeyson

Borderline Personality Disorder

PHYSICAL DISABILITIES Gamora & Nebula Childhood Trauma

Wanda Maximoﬀ Trauma & Grief

Moon Knight

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Physical disabilities are debatably the most overlooked part of diversity in the MCU. The main source of physical disability representation that Marvel has produced has been through the use of deaf and hard-of-hearing characters, all of which were in ﬁlms and shows released in 2021. These include Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, from the original Avengers group; Maya Lopez, aka Echo, from the series Hawkeye; and, of course, Makkari from the Eternals movie. These are great strides in representation of physical disabilities, but when paired with the fact that there are currently only three other conﬁrmed characters in the MCU- Dr. Strange, who lost use of his hands in a car accident only to have the plot point somewhat overlooked later in his appearances in the MCU; Bucky Barnes with his bionic arm; and Dr. Jane Foster in Thor: Love and Thunder, who battles stage four cancer throughout the course of the movie- it really shows how little Marvel focuses on them.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Michaela Manfull • Entertainment

“Even though he isn’t from the actual Marvel universe, Professor Xavier uses a wheelchair and is still one of the most powerful mutants. Along with that, there are other characters who are in Netflix shows but not the MCU like Daredevil who is blind. It’s really cool to see the diﬀerent aspects of characters in movies and shows that are brought to life.”

Thena

COMICS

FOOTBALL FREAK

Scan the QR code to the right to view more comics on FHNtoday.com

BOOM

EDUCATION

Demi Johnson

Max Ramirez

Izzy Lash

CAT MEETS WORLD

Alex Wheadon

JOME’S ADVENTURES Lennon Sharp

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Nylah Smith • Entertainment

‘

We’re social, are you? INSTAGRAM: @FHNtoday and @FHNgameday

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/FHNtoday

SNAPCHAT: @FHNtoday & @FHNgameday

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/FHNtodayFan & @FHNgameday TWITTER: @FHNtoday & @FHNgameday

TIKTOK: @FHNtoday & @FHNgameday

As always, we have lots of updates week as well on FHNtoday.com.

FHN ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB

SAVE THE DATE

Join the Booster Club and support your student! Funds raised through memberships and concession stand earnings are used to support athletic teams as well as year-end scholarships. To Join Email:

2024

JULY

8-11

FOR SUMMER’S FAVORITE JOURNALISM CAMP

HowellNorthAthleticBoosters@gmail.com

Black Membership: $25 Black and Gold Membership: $50 (comes with $25 booster bucks) Knights Membership: $100 (comes with $50 booster bucks)

ME D I ANOW. PR E S S @medianowbuzz

10/31/23, 4:57 PM

Word Search Puzzle |

NORTH STAR PUZZLE PAGE

Puzzlemaker is a

and print custom own word lists.

Fun puzzles to complete with your friends (Games generated and used with permission from Discovery Education)

Start

AJRWORD BANK ComfortFood AJR

ArtCub PROP S

DollyParton

Nickelodeon SENIOR ATHLETES

PropS

SeniorAthletes SMILEY FRIES

11/2/23, 5:22 PM

MarchingBand ART

CAT CAFE

SpringMusical COMFORT FOOD ViralStudents DOLLY PARTON Wonka

INDESTRUCTIBLE PHONE 20 of 20 words placed.

Start

Maze Puzzle | Discovery Education Puzzlemaker

Puzzlemaker is a puzzle generation tool for teachers, students and parents. Create

and print customized word search, criss-cross, math puzzles, and more-using your own word lists.

(Content by Eleanor Mathewson)

(Content by Sadie Ortmeyer)

StanleyCups

SPRING MUSICAL

WinterSports

STANLEY CUPS

Wrestling

TARGET VIRAL STUDENTS

MARCHING BAND

WINTER TRENDS

NICKELODEON

WONKA

PICKLEBALL

WRESTLING

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Page Designed by Sadie Ortmeyer • Interactives

Maze Puzzle | Discovery Education Puzzlemaker

Puzzlemaker is a puzzle generation tool for teachers, students and parents. Create

End

This is your Maze!

Maze #2

and print customized word search, criss-cross, math puzzles, and more-using your own word lists.

End

North Star Word Search WORD SEARCH 10/31/23, 7:59 AM

(Content by Canyon Dubis)

This is your Maze!

Maze #1

Senior Maggie Covington paints a portrait of an eye with the painting ‘A Starry Night’ in the background on April 19. (File Photo)

(Illustration by Naomi VanDyne)

ADJUSTING THE SCORES by Gavin Swart

gswart370@g.fhsdschools.org

After many years of having no changes made to the rubric for the AP History classes, College Board has decided to alter the scoring rubric for the DBQ section of these AP tests. The complexity point used to have to be separate from other point earning sections, however, after the change, it can be included within any part of the essay. This helps to clarify how the otherwise unpredictable point can be achieved. “I think anything that’s going to allow for a student’s work to receive the points that it’s probably due, is always beneficial,” AP World History teacher Kimberly Coil said. Only two changes have been made to the AP World curriculum in the past 14 years. This is done by the College Board in order to try to keep the grading system stable over the course of many years of classes. “At least they COLLEGE clarified what exactly BOARD you should be Scan the QR code doing,” senior Riya Sidabattula, a former to read more on AP World student, changes to AP said. “But also it’s testing. going to be tougher for people to get a higher score just because more people are going to get it. So the curve is going to be a lot lower.” Not many changes are made to the scoring rubrics of AP classes. The rubrics are designed to attempt to last for a long time, however, that doesn’t mean that they are perfect. Making proper changes to help modernize the rubrics is very important and something that should not be neglected going forward. “So, the formula works,” Coil said. “We get kids to come along and get the gist of how to write them. I think if too many changes are made, it becomes too confusing on the teaching side of it.”

NORTH DOES AWAY WITH ART CLUB

Due to a number of conflicts, Francis Howell North’s Art Club was shut down at the beginning of this year, leaving the sponsor and students dissatisfied by Riley Jensen

rjensen810@g.fhsdschools.org

he FHN art club was a club where students could express themselves and live out their passion for art after school hours. However, it has been shut down due to lack of students, staff, and time. Many FHN students who joined the art club early in their high school careers were saddened by its gradual decline and eventual closure. “I immediately joined the art club when I got to high school,” junior Abby Hashieder said. “I was really sad when it got shut down, but I wasn’t surprised.” By the end of last year, FHN’s art club was already struggling. The sponsor for the club, art teacher Denise Maples, was having an especially hard time keeping up with both the club’s after school activities and her work life. She was the only teacher who was up for the job, but the hours kept piling up. “I chose not to run the art club this year

because I am working all seven hours at school,” Maples said. “I do department chair duties, I also have a second job that I work and I just felt like I just didn’t have the time to dedicate more of my life to art. I was really hoping we could find someone else to do it.” As if Maples wasn’t under enough stress already, another problem arose: the number of students signing up for the art club started to decrease. Many students weren’t aware of the club, and some of the actual members only used the club as a hangout space instead of an art room. “As the year went on, it seemed to dwindle down,” Maples said. “I was getting a lot of kids that really didn’t want to be in an art club, they were just looking for a place to hang out, so it got a little problematic. I didn’t quite have the involvement that I wanted.” Though the art club is no longer standing, club members still have fond memories to reflect on. Every year, the club would go to Frenchtown to sell crafts, paintings, and

(Illustration by Max Ramirez)

SHOPLIFTING SHENANIGANS by Noah Tucker

ntucker088@g.fhsdschools.org

other various creations they had made during their time in the club. “It was honestly some of the most fun I’ve had in high school,” Hashieder said. “It was a really fun experience. I definitely miss it, but the shutdown was bound to happen. The teacher was busy and people weren’t aware that the art club existed so nobody was joining.” Maples believes that with a little more financial help, the shutdown could have been prevented. There was no salary bonus for club sponsors, and Maples felt that charging an activity fee would disrupt the club’s inclusive environment. “Maybe if there was a little more incentive as far as having some kind of compensation for being a sponsor, that might help,” Maples said. Even with all the struggle, there is still hope for the art club to return. If staff and students put in the work, the art club can make a comeback and be even bigger and more involved than before. “I hope that we continue to have an art club in the future and then maybe we find a way that gets art staff and students more invested in it,” Maples said. “Perhaps it is good for everybody to have more people who are involved.” Sophomore Cherry Ann Clark pours blue acrylic paint onto a palette. (File Photo)

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Cherry Clark • News

Big retail stores and supermarkets such as Walmart, Kohl’s, Schnucks and many others have consistently been victims of shoplifting. This has escalated in recent years as a result of many different things from a worse economy to lack of workers present. Target has been a victim of this TARGET increased shoplifting. CLOSURES Target reported a Scan the QR code $400 million dollar below to read an loss in profits, and while not all of that article from CNN.com about profit loss can be recent Target closures. attributed to solely shoplifting, it did contribute to the large loss in profits. Target has shut down nine stores in major cities, with the reasoning that there has been too much crime for the stores to remain sustainable. At the Mid-Rivers Target, Kystal Arias, who is a front-end advocate and has been working at Target for nearly two years, has dealt with shoplifting instances in the store. “A lot of the times we just have to let security know, we can’t stop them ourselves because it might be dangerous. We call them on the radio and they’re usually on top of it,” Arias said. “At my Target it’s pretty okay, though we get a lot of scam calls during the holidays.” By having everything available in one store from food and technology to decor and toys, Target has managed to become the eighth largest retailer in the United States and is a staple stop for many students at FHN who go shopping. Elizabeth Rodriguez-Morales is a freshman at FHN and is one of those students. “My family’s always shopped at Target,” Rodriguez-Morales said. “It’s just better quality than other stuff.” No statements have been made regarding the potential closing of the MidRivers and Mexico Road Target locations, but in the event that the Target locations would close, it would leave students dissatisfied. “I wouldn’t know where to shop for stuff,” Rodriguez-Morales said.

SPEECH AND DEBATE SET TO SHINE by Ben Henry

bhenry501@g.fhsdschools.org

The FHN Speech and Debate club is in full swing, with the next competition on Dec. 9 and 10. At practices the club prepares for their own events by doing practice debates, public speaking skills and developing their personal strategy. Co-vice president and senior Savanna Degenhardt competes in the public forum and congressional debate events. “While we are all competing individually or in pairs at competitions, we all help each other practice,” Degenhardt said. Speech and Debate has both varsity and novice subdivisions, and includes debate categories like public forum, where competitors debate with a partner against another pair. The Lincoln-Douglas debate is when participants compete solo. “I feel pretty good about our performance, we usually do pretty well,” Degenhardt said. “The novices are good and I expect them to get better as the season goes on.” Juniors Carter Houdeshell and Sophia Arnold talk to Speech & Debate coach Randy Pierce on Mock Trial during a meeting that took place on Nov. 8. (Photo by Eshaan Patel)

BELL SCHEDULES iOS

To stay updated on any new bell schedule changes, download the FHNtoday app for iOS.

(Illustration by Miranda Fabian)

by Grant Kilen

by Ray Hathcock

BELL SCHEDULE CHANGES AT FHN

Android

To stay updated on any new bell schedule changes, download the FHNtoday app for Android.

“I don’t like Knight Time being after second hour.” Caleb Couch, 10

gkilen380@g.fhsdschools.org

At the beginning of second quarter, there were minor changes made to the bell schedule, including the elimination of the five-minute “community building” period in first hour. “Some of it was just making sure that there was more equal time between all seven periods,” Head Principal Jeff Fletcher said. “There was equal time for instructional minutes. This revolved around plan time minutes [being equalized].” Starting second semester, Knight Time will be held on Wednesdays and Fridays. This change was made in order to increase the number of full-length hours in a week. “One of the concerns was that we only had two days that had 50-minute periods,” Fletcher said. “I think there’s good things happening in Knight Time. But we also recognize that having three days of shortened class periods limits some lab classes. It’s really an adjustment to fit the needs of all the different things we’re trying to do in the building.”

(Illustration by Izzy Lash)

PROP S BOOSTS SCHOOL SAFETY

STATE AUDITS DISTRICT

rhathcock942@g.fhsdschools.org

bhenry501@g.fhsdschools.org

Prop S is a commonly talked about subject within the school district, especially at North with the new building under construction. Prop S grants FHSD money to improve its buildings without taking money from residents. The Board of Education meetings have been a resource for the people of the district to learn the details of Prop S uses and building updates. “We’ve met with the appropriate building leaders to gather input to ensure that the schematic design will support the instructional and operational needs at the building level, while also supporting the security enhancements that we seek,” D\ director of Facilities Salum Stutzer said. The district had been working on improving the safety security at the schools. FHN, both old and new, had some considerations taken about how to have the schools as protected as possible. “The security vestibule [for the new FHN] is more of a multi-use instructional space,” Stutzer said.

by Ben Henry

With the new school building experiencing cost overruns in excess of $70 million, members of the community have called for the state of Missouri to perform an audit on the district in an attempt to uncover what happened. While State Auditor Scott Fitzpatick is working his way through district finances, members of the community want to know what the audit means for FHSD. “They’re going to look back at the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years, and they might go back further,” Board treasurer Jane Puszkar said. The audit is a long process that requires a deep dive into years of complicated financial data. According to Board Vice President Randy Cook, the state will look at the district’s processes and finances to make sure FHSD is following policy. “They told us it will take from three to six months for the audit to be completed, and some time after that until they publish the results,” Cook said.

UPCOMING ACT DATES February 10

Francis Howell North Fort Zumwalt East Fort Zumwalt South Fort Zumwalt North Parkway Central

(Photo by Angelee Orozco)

SPELLING BEE SHOWDOWN

The FHN Drama Club will hold auditions Dec. 7 for their upcoming spring musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The story of an adolescent spelling showdown, the musical was written by Rachel Sheinkin and features music and lyrics by William Finn. Preliminary auditions will be a monologue combined with a singing part. Callbacks will consist of collaborative dialogues and dance choreography. Those who don’t particularly enjoy singing shouldn’t be discouraged though. “There are so many different positions for crew, but then there are also smaller parts,” Thespian President Mack Akerman said. “Where people were added in [and they don’t] have to physically sing. (Brief by Grant Kilen)

(Photo by Faith Smith)

MARCHING BAND SEASON ENDS

Marching band is a large part of the band player’s lives with how much time they spend practicing and improving. “Placement wise, this has been the best year that I have [been in the program],” senior trumpet player Sin Wang said. “I would say I enjoy the work ethic that we put into the program.” The Marching Band had received their highest score of their season in their final performance of 74 points. “My favorite memories are from the competitions and performances,” freshman flute player Rylan Trotter said. During the season, color guard won Best Color Guard Caption at the Wright City Wildcat Pride Invitational on Sept. 23. (Brief by Ray Hathcock)

(Photo by Ben Henry)

KRISPY KREME DELIGHT

Drama club is selling donuts on Dec. 8 and has been selling Krispy Kreme donuts in the mornings twice a year since 2022. They do this to raise money for the club’s Thescon trips in the winter and to help the club where needed throughout the year. The fundraiser started when senior president Mack Akerman had gotten a job at Krispy Kreme and decided to bring it together to help the club. The club also does other fundraisers such as selling cotton candy, hosting their karaoke nights, and partnering with Craig Hospital. “I hope it’s something we do every year, I don’t know if they’ll stop since they won’t have any connections but it’s a nice event that people like doing,” Akerman said. (Brief by Miranda Fabian)

April 13

Francis Howell North Fort Zumwalt East Fort Zumwalt South Fort Zumwalt West

TOP 3 Ways to study for the ACT

1. Check the Library

Both St. Charles County libraries and the FHN Learning Commons have books and workbooks that can be for free.

2. Take the ACT Prep Class

Putting the ACT prep class on a schedule next year is a good way to get used to the content the ACT consists of.

3. Use Online Resources

The internet is a powerful resource to find practice tests and example questions.

ONLINE

Use the Edmentum Online ACT Course to prepare for the test

PUBLIC LIBRARY Check out the official ACT prep book from the County library

PREPARING FOR ACT TESTING mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org

English teacher Amy Stoker reads a literature book (File Photo)

This year for ACT testing, students are able to prepare by taking semester classes such as the ACT prep taught by English teacher Diane Thompson and math and sciences covered by Kent Stover that is still available second semester. “Basically there’s this one class made up of roughly 30 kids and it’s split in half. [Stover] has half and I have half and second quarter the kids switch,” Thompson said. This class is used so all sections of the ACT

are being covered along with ACT bootcamps that Thompson does outside of school. There are five national ACT test dates, the nearest one being Feb. 10 with a registration deadline of Jan. 5 the rest are available on ACT.org where students can register and learn more on the ACT testings. “I really do believe that if you put the time and effort into honing the skills that you aren’t really that great with, you can increase your scores,” Thompson said. “But you can’t just not do anything.”

ECOLOGY CLUB HOSTS WINTER PARTY by Violet Newton

vnewton158@g.fhsdschools.org

Ecology Club members assist with an outdoor project. (File Photo)

On Dec. 20, Ecology club will be hosting their yearly winter party after school until 3:20. They will be celebrating with pizza and a holiday movie. Ecology will also discuss their plans for their second semester outings. To attend the party two previous meetings and one prior trip are required. “Our meetings are always a great time, its a fun atmosphere and we make good memories with each other,” junior Ecology Club president Olivia Van Horn said.

There will be a meeting on Dec. 12 for anyone looking to go. At this meeting they will plan the party along with having members sign up to bring snacks or drinks to the party. “I’m really looking forward to our party because it will be a good way to end off before we leave for Christmas break. It will be nice to relax,” Van Horn said.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2022 • Pages Designed by Ben Henry • News

by Miranda Fabian

NORTH HOSTS VETERANS ASSEMBLY

On Nov. 10, FHN hosts its annual Veterans Day assembly to honor, remember, and celebrate all of the soldiers past and present who fought for our country. The ceremony consisted of the singing of the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a moment of silence to remember all of those soldiers who gave their life in sacrifice for the US. “Taps” was played by senior Grant Kilen, and all of the veterans in attendance at the assembly were commemorated. Guest Speaker Jesus Silverio tells about his time at FHN and why he chose to join the Marines. (Photo by Mady Brewer)

At the end of the Veterans Day assembly, guest speaker Jesus Silverio hugs teacher Kim Coil. Silverio is an FHN alumni who graduated in 2015. (Photo by Madalyn Bridgewater) Senior Kaitlyn Shariff and sophomore Kailyn Curtis perform in Knightsound during the national anthem to open the ceremony. (Photo by Madalyn Bridgewater)

Cutline size for real.

Head principal Jeff Fletcher speaks to the students and veterans to thank the veterans for their service. (Photo by Mady Brewer) During the Veterans Day assembly, FHN band performs one of two songs. Senior band member Grant Kilen also ended the ceremony with the song “Taps” performed on the trumpet. (Photo by Payton Johnston)

FHNTODAY

OUR VALUES

The FHN media program has an up-to-date editorial policy that states all of our polices from legal issues, to what we cover and our staff values. If you have any questions about anything in the policy or think something needs to be added feel to reach out to us and we will take any consideration.

by Chase Pray

praychase315@gmail.com

FHNgamday has seen a winter overhaul with a lot of new exciting content being published over the winter sports season. An up to date scoreboard for people who might have missed sporting events that will updated daily has been added on the right side of the page. Previews to upcoming games and recaps of previous games will be sporadically posted. Photo galleries with the top action shots of all of your favorite winter sports will be posted daily as well. Alternate videos that showcase life on a high school sports team will periodical be dropping as well. Fan favorite hype videos

will also begin to be posted more frequently. On top of the content that is being posted, new visual features have been added. An up to date gold has been applied to all of our headers and a updated Gameday logo has been instated. More coherent hyper-links are in place to make traversing from FHNtoday to FHNgameday easier. The FHN sports staff is excited to showcase their amazing work coming out of room 105 in third hour and the newly improved Gameday website is the first sign of all the awesome content you can expect from them during the winter.

HAVE AN IDEA?

Do you have idea that you’d like us to cover in the North Star or on FHNtoday? You can submit any stories you want us to cover on the Google form above and we will add it to our list of story ideas. Story ideas can range from things happening in the community or a cool feature on someone at North that we haven’t done yet.

AWARD WINNING CONTENT THIS YEAR Yadi’s Yummies

Humans of FHN

COVID Stress

Yadi’d Yummies is a cat and dog treat store in St. Peters that hires special needs workers. (Story by McKenna Hudson)

This video showcases senior Hailey Zhangs doing many of her passions. (Video by Rhea Patel and Laney Quandt)

Members of the board share their feelings about the new strain of COVID-19. (Story by Grant Kilen)

WANT TO JOIN US? Staff applications for the 2024-25 school year have opened. You’re able to apply to any of our five staffs on this form. Apply by Dec. 14 to have priority acceptance and the final deadline to apply is Jan. 5. If you have any questions reach out to Mr. Manfull in room 105 or Mrs. Kiel in room 131.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Kylie Taliaferrro (14) Chase Pray (15) • Features

REVAMPED GAMEDAY

AVA BAX TAKES THE RINK WATCH THE FULL VIDEO HERE

Ava Bax figure skates at the St. Peters Rec-Plex on Oct. 31. Bax is a current sophomore at FHN and is a competitive figure skater. She spends numerous hours a day after school practicing for competitions of all kinds. Bax grew up skating and it has become one of her many passions because it connects her to her Russian heritage. (Photo by Jordan Ousley)

NORTH

STAR

Main Street houses cat cafe where patrons can adopt and hang out with cats. Page 22-23

CHANGES TO AP HISTORY CLASSES Page 11

FHN’S PICKLEBALL PLAYERS

FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 03 11.29.2023

Page 18-19

ALTERNATE COVER

Photo by Demi Johnson Designed by Michaela Manfull

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2022 • Pages Designed by Izzy Lash (16) and Grant Kilen (17) • Features

CAT ZEN CAFE

Waplehorst Park

PLACES TO PICKLE

To the right are three local places in which people can play pickleball. This is a small amount compared to the quickly growing fascination in the game.

The tennis courts here have been converted to allow for pickleball play. The courts are also close to many of the people at FHN and that makes it convenient to play there.

PICKLERS PROMOTE POWERFUL PLAY Two pedestrian peoples’ perspectives on a popular pastime

by Naomi VanDyne

nvandyne312@g.fhsdschools.org

or some, pickleball is an intense professional sport, and for others it can be a casual game. Either way, many people enjoy playing this unique and newly popular sport. “It’s a big ping pong game, a mix of a bunch of sports,” FHN senior Ethan McCoy, who plays soccer at North and pickleball in his free time, said. “It’s not that physical, it’s chill.” Pickleball is like a combination of ping pong, tennis and badminton. The paddles used are similar to an oversized version of those used in ping pong, while the court has the same stripes as a tennis court but is the size of a badminton court. Pickleball can be played both indoors and outdoors, and both tennis courts and badminton courts can easily be modified for the game. Players, called picklers, can range in age from children to senior adults. “My kids could play it,” office secretary at North Dana Button, who enjoys playing pickleball in her free time, said. “It doesn’t cost a lot of money to get the equipment and it’s good exercise.” Pickleball is quickly becoming an incredibly popular sport because of several reasons, one of which is that it is easy to get into. The only equipment required is a ball and a paddle, which is closer to the hand than in tennis, making it easier to get used to hitting. The court is smaller so players do not have to move as much and also get to socialize. The smaller courts also mean that more games can take place simultaneously. In fact, the tennis courts close to Wapelhorst Park have been modified to allow for pickleball players, and this is where both McCoy and Button play. Button enjoys keeping up with her kids, and the consistent challenge of staying just as good as them. “I really love how it’s one of those lifelong sports that [you can play] if you’re young or if you’re an older adult,” Button said. “I know a lot of older adults who still like to stay active and play it, so I think that’s really appealing.” For those interested in learning to play pickleball, Button shares advice on how to get started. “Start out by just playing for fun and learning the motion of it,” Button said. “And how hard you have to hit the ball, because it’s very different from tennis.” McCoy also gives a tip to people interested in playing pickleball and getting even better at the sport. “Just keep your feet moving, and be ready for the ball at all times,” McCoy said.

GET STARTED

Scan the QR codes below for tips & tools.

Buy Supplies

Find pickleball paddles on Amazon

Shop for pickleball balls on Amazon

How To Play

Learn more about pickleball and how to play.

Chicken n Pickle

Lindenwood Courts

Chicken n Pickle is a new place near Main Street that is set to open later this year. It’s a combination of pickleball courts, restaurants, sports bar and more.

The Lindenwood courts are another place relatively close to the FHN area and a great choice if you need lots of space because there are a great amount of courts to play on.

St. Louis Gooey Louie bakery displays their products on the front counter. (Photo by Heidi Huff)

THE BEST GOOEY BUTTER IN STL by Sadie Ortemeyer

sortmeyer483@g.fhsdschools.org

People

Pickleball can be played as one person per side (singles) or two (doubles), but doubles is more common. Players stay on a section of the court marked off in halves, similar to tennis.

How it Works

Players hit the ball back and forth just like tennis or ping pong, over the net. The net is lower than tennis. The ball has to bounce on the other side once after the serve, but for every other hit the ball can bounce one time or no times before you hit it, just like in tennis.

What They’re Made Of

Pickleball paddles can be made of many different materials, such as graphite, carbon fiber, fiberglass, and wood. Different kinds of paddles are used to let different kinds of shots happen, and different people have different preferences. Pickleball balls are made of hard plastic and mainly resemble wiffleballs. They are light and relatively easy to hit. There are different balls for indoor and outdoor pickleball: indoor pickleball usually uses bright yellow balls, but outdoor pickleball uses yellow, orange, or green balls. This is to help contrast the ball more with the surroundings. Pickleball balls can come in pretty much any color, players just want it to contrast whatever background they are playing on.

PICKLEBALL HISTORY Even though pickleball is a mixture of sports, it has its own uniqueness and interesting facts. Pickleball was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. They came up with the idea one evening using the paddle from ping pong to hit a plastic ball over a badminton net. Pickleball is a funny way to name this sport. There are a couple different views on how pickleball got its unusual name. The story most told consists of the reasoning that a ‘pickle boat’ in a rowing competition includes the leftover people who were put in the same boat at random. However, in sailing, it refers to the last place boat in a race. Since pickleball uses different aspects of several sports, the first explanation is generally credited to how the sport got its name. Years after pickleball debuted, it started to gain publicity in 1975, showing up in newspapers and magazines. As pickleball popularity grew, the more people started to play it. As of now pickleball is played by more than 36.5 million people worldwide and is expected to be even more popular in the following years.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Naomi VanDyne • Features

ON THE COURT

Very few business owners can say that when people walk into their shop, it’s like walking into a butterstick. However, Debbie Stieferman, the owner of Gooey Louie Gooey Butter Cakes in Creve Coeur feels just that way. The shop is almost completely yellow on the inside, and has been specializing in making different types of gooey butter cakes using Stieferman’s family recipe since 2006. “I just like to say it’s like five minutes of happy,” Stieferman said. “People come in, it’s a happy time, they get their cake, and they’re set.The big thing is just trying to make it like a little bright spot in somebody’s day.” Even though the shop is somewhat small, it has a variety of cakes to choose from that can be sold in individual portions such as chocolate chip or caramel snickerdoodle. But the best seller has always been the original gooey butter cake. They also sell seasonal gooey butter cakes such as white chocolate peppermint near Christmas. “We have different packaging for every holiday,” Stieferman said. “So, if you go to the website you can find Christmas, Thanksgiving, just about any holiday or special occasion.” Over the years it has been open, the shop has been recognized to have the best gooey butter cake in St. Louis from many different magazines and organizations. It has been featured on the Food Network, Taste of Home magazine, and even on the Today Show. “It’s the best gooey butter, and you can really only get real gooey butter in St. Louis,” baker Christina Capstick said. “And I think ours is the best.” Organizations and magazines are not the only ones who love this shop, so do the many customers who spread the word of the business. Some have even made it part of their family’s traditions, or come from out of town just to have some. “I think St. Louisans love to spread the love of St. Louis,” Stieferman said. “And what better way than gooey butter cake?”

SEASONAL FASHION TRENDS

Fashion trends are one of the many things that change all year around. Fall fashion and winter fashion are sometimes things that go pretty hand-in-hand. Here are some of the ones for 2023. (by Kaylee Priest)

HAIR BOWS

Sometimes adding the final touch to your outfit is hard to find. Hair bows have seemed to be a more dainty way to add elegance or a more girly look to an outfit. It can be as simple as tying a strand of ribbon up into braids, or one can buy clip-on silk bows from any store, giving an outfit the final touch it needs. “I think they are cute because they bring out a femine side,” junior Faith Smith said.

CHUNKY SWEATERS

On chilly, cozy fall days when people want to be cute and still cozy, chunky sweaters are the perfect thing to throw on and can be paired with pretty much any fall or winter outfit with the ability to dress up or down. Chunky sweaters are commonly worn with baggy jeans or some kind of skirt. “I think chunky sweaters are so cute, they keep me warm and are so easy to style,” sophomore Ava Bax said.

SLOUCHY SOCKS

Slouchy socks are a longer but typically thicker sock that naturally slouch down to give a careless cozy look to any seasonal outfit. They are currently trendy to wear with things like mini UGG boots, Converse or Birkenstock clogs. As shown in the image, this is a pair of slouchy socks paired with mini UGGs. “They tie your oufit together perfectly, they keep your feet warm, preventing you from having to put on mutiple layers,” sophomore Ava Bartlett said.

BAGGY JEANS A more alternative take on an everyday piece of clothing, baggy jeans are just a loose-fitted pair of regular jeans giving the “careless, trendy” look to any outfit. They are more commonly worn in winter with UGG boots or some sort of closetoed shoe. In the fall, worn with Converse or sneakers. “Baggy jeans make me feel more like myself, like I don’t have to live up to the expectations of being lady like,” sophomore Chloe Fiely said.

MINI UGG BOOTS Mini UGG boots, a new take on the classic UGG boot, are the perfect fall or early winter staple since they are not too tall, thick or heavy, pairing great with a pair of leggings or a baggy pair of jeans makes them perfect for a cozy fall outfit. “Well, I'm pretty short so I think they look way better on me than the super tall ones,” sophomore Mykole Hogge said.

DANCING THROUGH THE NIGHT

Junior Dani Glenn has been dancing for 12 years at Performing Arts Center (Photos by Ankita Pandurangi) Glenn learns ballet, modern, lyrical, hip hop, jazz, and some tap dancing.

Glenn’s favorite style of dancing is lyrical because it has a lot of freedom compared to other styles. “My favorite thing about dancing is getting to express myself and performing,” Glenn said.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Kaylee Priest (20) and Kylie Taliaferro (21) • Features

Glenn started dancing because her sister did it and she ended up loving it.

Junior Violet Newton eats chicken noodle soup, a meal commonly referred to as a comfort food. (Photo by Faith Smith)

THE STORY BEHIND COMFORT

Cat Zen Cafe is located on Mai Street n downtoin St. Cha wn rles

by Cheyenne Steed

csteed056@g.fhsdschools.org

Comfort food can play a major part in most people’s lives, it can be viewed as something that brings happy memories of childhood, make some people feel good, and also could possibly benefit mental health. Comfort foods can help produce a chemical messenger called dopamine which is released in your brain when you feel any type of pleasure. “My comfort food would probably be ramen noodles, specifically the chicken ones. I like that it’s warm and I like the taste,” junior Luis Torres said. “Sometimes it’s comforting to eat something warm, I probably eat ramen noodles a couple of times a month, maybe every other week.” A large percentage of people have comfort foods, some people even claimed they gained this comfort food from their parents cooking, or something their family has passed down. “My comfort food is kind of random but it’s my mom’s homemade cheesy chicken and rice and I like that my mom doesn’t make it much and when she does it’s more like a surprise,” freshman Payton Baker says. Comfort foods can also be extremely beneficial to one’s mental health. According to an article on Vox.com by Raycheal Sugar, comfort foods can help relieve stress. Over Learn More time, people Scan the QR code have learned above to read an that they actually article about comfort dampen stress foods in relation to hormones. mental health. “I like dill pickles because I like the flavor of it, they are non-fattening so I can eat as many as I want, it’s filling, they come in jars so they are easy to carry around and the pickle juice is good to drink for you, they aren’t expensive and they come with a good amount in each jar,” sophomore Logan Upchurch said.

At the Zen Cat Cafe, people can love and relax with the cats and find peace with a coffee. The cafe is a resource for stray cats to find a home with the cafe or other cat lovers. (Photos by Demi Johnson, Illustration by Izzy Lash)

MORE INFO Scan the QR codes below to find more information about Cat Zen Cafe.

FINDING A FOREVER HOME Cat Zen Cafe and Lounge looks to find homes for cats and provide a calming environment for customers by Drew Johnson

djohnson440@g.fhsdschools.org

Reservations

Scan the QR code above to find available reservations at the Cat Zen Cafe.

Visiting

Scan the QR code above to find important information about visiting the cafe.

For Tonya Williams, simply visiting shelters wasn’t enough to advocate for animals. Using her background in social work, Williams applied what she knew about human hospitality to pet care and opened Cat Zen Cafe and Lounge on Main Street in St. Charles. “I worked in that area [for] close to 20 years helping support people in the community and I’ve always had a love for cats and figured I wanted to switch gears and focus on helping cats find forever-loving homes, just like I’ve done in my profession as a social worker,” Williams said. Williams’ cat hospitality differs from classic animal shelters. Unlike shelters, cats at the cafe are allowed to stay until they are adopted and are able to roam free in the cafe. Customers can interact with the cats for $8.64 per half-hour or $13.50 per hour. “Sometimes it would be depressing seeing cats in metal cages looking very sad,” Williams said. “But I know that shelters are doing the best that they can to help cats find homes and so after visiting a different cat cafe, that really inspired the idea to open one because it is an alternative to your typical cat adoption

facility or shelter.” Williams’ approach to companionship has proven successful. Largely, the cafe averages about 10 adoptions per month. “We actually just exceeded 100 adoptions,” Williams said. “We’re really excited about that.” Much of the success has been dependent on the cafe’s vision to prioritize both the customer’s satisfaction and the cat’s comfort. “We take a lot of pride in creating an aesthetic environment not only for our customers but for our cats,” Williams said. “We’re really big on making sure that our cats are happy, our customers are happy, providing optimal customer service, and really making sure that we have a team of staff and employees here that really care about the well-being of the cats.” With a large number of cats in the building, it can be challenging to care for each individually. Although the cafe is sometimes only a temporary home, employees like Josie Fenton still make an effort to ensure that all of the cats have the best experience possible. “Honestly, we’re just trying to make sure that cats that have been through not the best life, have the best life that they can have,” Fenton said. “We’re trying to make things better for as many cats as we can, as much as we can.” Cats in the cafe are picked in partnership with local rescue shelters to ensure that they will make a good fit for the cafe. Due to the number of people visiting them, energetic and friendly cats are often picked to be in the cafe. “We work in partnership with our rescues,” Williams said. “They know what this model looks like and what this environment is so they identify cats that are in their care that they think would be a good fit for the cat

Scan to below list find a s of cat ble availa for ion adopt

STEPS TO ADOPT A CAT Below are four simple steps to follow when preparing to adopt a cat in the future (Illustration by Violet Newton)

1: 2:

Fill out an application

3: 4:

Take your new cat home

Wait for the application to be approved

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Drew Johnson • Features

cafe. Obviously, if it’s a cat that is extremely timid, extremely shy, or may not get along with other cats or people then that cat wouldn’t necessarily be a good fit to come here. They do a personality check and then we work together to make sure that it’s the right candidate.” Cats aren’t the only ones taken care of in the cafe, people are too. Although food and beverages are served for patrons, none of it is made in the cafe. Prepackaged baked goods made locally by Sugar Bot Sweet Shop and Sugar and Slice are available for purchase along with a self-serve coffee bar. Due to its size, a kitchen is not able to fit in the cafe. “We would love to expand so we can have a bigger space or to add a second location,” Williams said. “In those locations, we would like to have a full kitchen where we can offer more food and drink selections.” The cafe also hosts a variety of special events including yoga, painting and arts and crafts. “Depending on what it is, yoga, painting with cats, or if they’re coming just to do arts and crafts, they’re coming to do something fun, but in the company of cats, so it’s a little different,” Williams said. “You can sit down and paint on canvas and have a cat sitting in your lap or have a cat purring or rubbing against you. You don’t get that at a typical place where you go and do those activities.” With a variety of unique events and activities, the employees hope that everyone can find a reason to visit the cafe. “In general, I think it’s great, especially if you like cats,” Fenton said. “It’s really good to come in and you’ll feel a lot better afterward.”

Find your future cat

Senior Sam Wilson shows off his TikTok following. (Photo by Patricia Fechter)

STUDENTS GO VIRAL AT FHN by Patricia Fechter

pfechter698@g.fhsdschools.org

Senior Alayna Lohaus went viral last April during prom season for posting a video of her and her boyfriend Ethan McCoy to show off their prom outfits. The video they posted on TikTok ended up getting 1.6 million views and close to 300,000 likes. “This caused me to gain a lot of followers from TikTtok and Instagram,” Lohaus said. “I still get more views on my videos than I did before depending on what I post.” Going viral is something someone never really expects to happen. Things people post can blow up at any time even on a drive home. “I remember we were driving home and I was shocked when I got 5,000 likes, I thought that was a lot, Then it just kept getting more and more, it was crazy,” Lohaus said As well as Lohaus, senior Aiden Manthey went viral on TikTok for “RKO’ing” senior Sam Wilson at a volleyball game. Famous wrestler Randy Orton was in the stands for this game and during a timeout, they did this famous move in front of him and the crowd went wild. “I thought this would be a funny idea, so in between sets, me and Sam did it in front of the student section and they went crazy,” Manthey said. “Famous accounts like Barstool, ESPN, Sports Center, House of Highlights, and many others reposted it.” Senior Parker Smith who recorded and posted the original video gained many followers from it and got 177,100 views and 30,000 likes. “It was pretty cool because I didn’t really expect it to go that viral. I kind of thought it would be funny and it went way more viral than I thought because we saw news articles about it,” Wilson said. It’s many peoples dream to go viral on social media, but for senior Mason Mitchell, his fame came from his dad. Mitchell posted a video at a Pitbull concert back in September of 2022 of his dad dressed as pitbull posing with fans. Since Mitchells dad is an extreme look-alike of Pitbull, it gained lots of attention on TikTok, getting 17.8 Million views. “I was expecting to get some views but I did not expect it to get as many views and likes as it did,” Mitchell said.

24 24

Para professional Sirnz Yurihoward plays basketball with freshman Jonah Bowen in the gym. Yurihoward has been playing basketball since he was a teenager in Africa and he now helps special education students at FHN. (Photo by Alexis Rowland)

MUSIC, BASKETBALL AND A FRESH START IN STL

Para Sirnz Yurihowards time in the states hasn’t been easy and he’s had to overcome many hardships and obstacles before he became a special education para at North by Chase Pray

praychase315@gmail.com

Being on your own in a place where you have no friends and family to rely on seems like something straight out of a nightmare. For para Sirnz Yurihoward, this has been his life since he was a teenager. Originally from Cameroon, Africa, Yurihoward found comfort in playing basketball and hit a lucky break when he was 15. “When I was 15, a scout actually came and saw me play and they liked me so much they offered me a $50,000 scholarship,” Yurihoward said. “The catch was it was for a boarding school in California that was a few hours away from LA.” With dreams of eventually playing in the NBA, Yurihoward gladly accepted the scholarship and moved across the globe to an unfamiliar land miles and miles away from any friends and family that he had. Life in the states however was not how Yurihoward imagined it would be. Yurihoward was one of the only African American students at the boarding school

YURIHOWARDS MUSIC Scan the QR code below to check out SiRNz Records on Instagram.

so he constantly felt like an outcast from the rest of the students and teachers there. In a school where people tended to stick around people with similar backgrounds as themselves, he often found himself alone. To make matters worse, once he graduated he had nowhere to go and was stuck in LA with no degree and no family to rely on. “I was in an environment where everyone looked different than me and people tended to stay with people who looked like them,” Yurihoward said. “After I graduated, I realized I had nowhere to go and the school abandoned me so I’d say my journey in the US was going very rough so far.” Yurihoward realized he had two choices; he could either give up and likely live the rest of his life stuck in an environment where he had no idea what his purpose was or he could persevere and pursue other things he was passionate about. Yurihoward realized that while his dream of playing in the NBA was likely too far gone, his love for the sport of basketball had him looking for ways he could help youth chase the dream that he

GET INTO IT If something piqued your interest in Sirnz Yurihoward’s story, scan the QR codes below to learn more.

Student Success Learn more about how to support the success of international students.

Junior Ashley Mora poses with a Stanley cup (Photo by Alayna Clement)

THE THRILLS AND SPILLS OF STANLEYS by Peyton Thies IDEA

Look into the history of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Make Music

If making music sounds interesting, check out the link below.

once had. Yurihoward decided that the best way he could achieve this was to become a trainer. “When I used to play basketball overseas, I ended up having a lot of injuries so I decided to stop playing and to start coaching those who wanted my help,” Yurihoward said. “Unfortunately, I had to have another surgery so I don’t know if I will still continue coaching because I’m at a point in my life where I’m content if I never play basketball again.” With his basketball hopes dashed, Yurihoward started focusing his attention on another one of his passions, creating music. Going by “SiRNz Records” Yurihoward would begin creating his own music with the goal of helping inspire those going through rough times like the ones he was experiencing. “A lot of people are angry without really knowing why they’re angry and I make my music to help them understand it’s okay to be angry and that everything is going to be okay,” Yurihoward said. After over 12 years in LA, Yurihoward believed he wasn’t achieving his true calling in life. That’s when he decided that maybe it was time for a change of scenery and moved to Missouri. Yurihoward has lived his life trying to help others succeed and believed that moving to an area like Saint Charles would help him better achieve that goal. “I noticed I wasn’t doing what my calling on this Earth is and that’s helping the youth,” Yurihoward said. “I had a lot of hardships in LA and I hoped that I could start my life over

with a change of scenery.” After arriving in Missouri, Yurihoward applied for a job as a special education para at FHN. Working in a high school environment gives him an opportunity to help out the youth in ways that he wished he had when he was their age. “I never really had a childhood,” Yurihoward said. “So, I wanted to help those students like me and when I walk through the halls of North and see so many smiling faces and people who look up to me, it makes me realize I made something out of myself and it makes me smile.” Yurihoward doesn’t know what his future holds, but he wants to live his life helping others wherever he can, whether it’s from his coaching, his work at North or through his music. He’s learned through all of his hardships in his life that nobody is ever at a point of non-redemption. “I love God so much and I want to use the gifts that he has given me to help others succeed,” Yurihoward said. “I wake everyday looking forward to helping all these beautiful kids and I just wish for blessings for everyone.”

Play Ball

Ten tips on how to start playing basketball.

Get Recruited

Advice from NCSA sports on how to get recruited for Men’s college basketball.

Stanley water bottles have been made more popular in recent years despite having been around for over a century. The shift in branding from a durable camping supply to a stylish on-the-go water bottle leads to this product becoming more of a lifestyle than a cup. “Something cute makes me use it more, and I drink more water because it’s cute,” sophomore Reagan Wilson said. The water bottles are made to be durable and keep the contents inside at the desired temperature, while also being fashionable. Although they are much more expensive than a normal, plastic water bottle, many who own one believe that the price is well worth it. “I don’t like to carry water bottles, and it has a handle so I can carry the handle,” freshman Julia Kreifels said. “It keeps my water cool.” However, the Stanley doesn’t come without its problems. The maintenance for these cups is more than a normal water bottle would require. For some of the Stanley products, rice and distilled white vinegar are recommended for the cleaning process. This requires more planning, time and effort that many people would prefer not to deal with. “You’ve got to take so many pieces off to fully clean it, like on the lid,” Slunaker said. “There’s videos where people are taking the cups apart and have had mold growing.” The amount of water it holds can be a positive quality, but when on-thego, the weight can be a drawback for some. The popular Stanley Tumbler holds 1.2 liters of liquid and without water, weighs 635 grams. To put this into perspective, the weight of a plastic Dasani water bottle is about 498 grams with water. “You could easily get a water bottle that holds close to that amount, and just fill it up more without having to carry around that super massive, heavy, thing,” Slunaker said.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Chase Pray • Features

Yurihoward plays one-on-one basketball with freshman Jonah Bowen. Yurihoward originally came to the United States from Africa on a basketball scholarship. (Photo by Alexis Rowland)

pthies629@g.fhsdschools.org

KEEPING UP WITH THE KNIGHTS PAST QUEEN HELPS NORTH’S ROYALTY by Chase Pray

cpray812@g.fhsdschools.org

Being royalty at a high school dance is an experience that very few people get to have. Back in 2018, when math teacher Rachel Pirrone went to North, she was one of the few students who had the opportunity to be a part of that year’s Snowcoming court. After Pirrone returned to North as a teacher, she decided to become a STUCO sponsor alongside Rowan Pugh. By taking this position, Pirrone is now responsible for running all of the courts at school dances. “I think it’s super fun to help run these types of things in STUCO so I can help our students have good experiences in high school,” Pirrone said. “When I was on court I was definitely shocked but extremely grateful and I enjoy watching some students at North getting to have that experience as well.” Pirrone and Pugh help coach those on court feel more comfortable prior to their big day by walking them step by step through the process they will be going through. (Photo by Thomas Jones)

BUY YARN HERE Scan to purchase yarn to make your own crochet creations.

RICHMANN CROCHETS ARTISTRY by Cheyenne Steed

csteed056@g.fhsdschools.org

The first crochet pattern ever created was around as early as 1829 and junior Ava Richmann is still using those techniques today. “I crochet because it’s a way of coping for me and it’s very relaxing plus I like to craft. I do consider it more of a hobby than a business, I tried to do a business but experienced burn outs frequently,” Richmann said. Richmann has been crocheting since her freshman year and is self taught. She continues to crochet because it’s fun and she loves the community. “I hyperfocus a lot so I crochet on and off and I do like to do it quite often until I have a burn out and eventually go back to it a

while after,” Richmann said. There are over 30 different crochet styles and all of them are unique and different. Richmann’s favorite stitch is treble but she mostly uses a double stitch. She crochets a variety of different things, such as blankets and tops, but her favorite has to be her blue hat she’s made or her green checkered bag. “My step sister inspired me to crochet because she started doing it before me and I thought it would be cool,” Richmann says. Richmann continues to crochet and inspire people with her creativity, as well as encourage people to create art themselves. She has taught many other students and even a teacher how to crochet successfully and she says she enjoys teaching others. “I enjoy helping others. I love to crochet and want to teach others how to do the craft,” Richmann said. (Photo by Brianna Dunham)

Senior Torie Montgomery was one of the homecoming queen finalists this year and had the opportunity to walk on the field during the homecoming football game this year. Montgomery credits Pirrone’s guidance as one of the biggest factors that made her feel more comfortable. “I felt more comfortable this year because we were walked through the motions on what we would do and that didn’t happen when I was on court my sophomore year so I definitely felt more prepared,” Montgomery said. Pirrone loved her time in high school so much that in 2021 she returned to North as a math teacher. Pirrone wants to help students have the same experiences that she was able to have back when she was in high school. “I had a lot of people in my corner when I won and it makes me happy to help students who were like me make life long memories,” Pirrone said.

HANDMADE JEWLERY BY STATEN by Peyton Thies

pthies629@g.fhsdschools.org

Senior Sydney Staten is known among her family and friends for her jewelry making skills. From bracelets to necklaces, she produces her own hand-made items that she wears herself. “I would try to go find jewelry in stores and they wouldn’t have the kind that I wanted,” Staten said. “It would have some features that I liked but some that I didn’t like and they’d always be kind of expensive for the ones I did like, so I just decided to make my own.” During the past year that she has been making her own jewelry, she has gone through trial and error on what works and what doesn’t. She came across an issue when making some of her items. Many who have made beaded bracelets or necklaces in their lives know that beads are notoriously hard to handle, but Staten was able to find a solution

(Photos by Thomas Jones)

that made the process of using them a little bit easier. “When I first started holding the other end of the string, I would just tape it to my desk and then put the beads on one at a time,” Staten said. “Now I just put them in this little container that I have and I put them on one by one still, but the container holds it in a way where they don’t slip off and I don’t have to hold the other end or tape it down.” Even though she loves making them, Staten doesn’t only limit herself to bracelets. She makes different types of necklaces, some of which hold crystals. “I weave the string together to make a pattern to hold the crystal,” Staten said. “I can take them out and replace them.” Although she doesn’t sell any right now, her products may be sold on a site like Etsy in the future. At the moment, however, she is content with keeping this skill a hobby, and often creates and layers her jewelry to go with the colors of whatever outfit she is wearing. “[I like] to make bracelets just because of the noise they make,” Staten said. “Just being able to style them with all my outfits because I make a lot of neutral color bracelets and jewelry.”

(Photo by Thomas Jones)

(Photo by Thomas Jones, Illustration by Miranda Fabian )

SMITH CREATES NEW CLUB FOR FHN UNITY

GREY LEARNS TO BUILD HIS OWN COMPUTERS

MARABLE’S CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP TO FRANCE

Junior Colin Smith created a new club at FHN this year, Smith created this club to organize and unite the clubs and club leaders, and create a good form of communication throughout the clubs. “I feel like we just lacked communication and kids that were in multiple clubs weren’t able to attend certain meetings because the clubs didn’t talk to each other, so I just wanted to fix that problem, and just create a sense of unity,” Smith said. Although they don’t currently have a sponsor for this club, Jordyn Kiel has helped a lot with the production and running of this club. The attendance for meetings has still been good and the meetings run smoothly. In meetings they discuss things about the school and talk about what and when each of the clubs upcoming events and meetings are. Smith is very passionate about the values about this club and its purpose. “I’ve always just thrived on the sense of communicating and organizing, and being that we really didn’t have one big communication source or any sense of organization for all the clubs really inspired me to get that done,” Smith said. (Brief by Patricia Fechter)

Nate Grey is a sophomore who has come to learn how to create his own computers. As of now, he has created a gaming computer for himself as it was cheaper to make it then buying it. He also made one for his father as an upgrade to what he previously had. “A solid beginner PC can be $800 and it can go all the way up past $3,000, it’s really just up to what you wanna spend,” Grey said. Grey would use his winter and fall breaks and any other spare time researching Youtube tutorials with his friends on the best methods. His method involves putting together all the computer’s components and then putting it into its case. As he found his way around making the computers he learned a few tips along the way. “Try not to get scammed and buy from reliable sites,” Grey said. “Make sure you have a good idea of what you wanna do and how much you wanna spend.” Grey has also moved on to building other projects including RC cars which are cars controlled by radio and has also moved towards parts for cars, specifically motors. “You pretty much just have to put it all together and hope it turns on,” Grey said. (Brief by Miranda Fabian)

Some students may move around because of their parent’s jobs, however, most don’t move out of the country. Because of her father’s job, freshman Quinn Marable moved to France in 2014 and lived there for three years. “There were a lot of cultural differences,” Marable said. “There was also a lot of people from other countries there.” She lived in a small village called Valbonne, and went to an international school which taught classes in multiple languages. “When I first moved there, my sisters and I, we didn’t speak French,” Marable said. “But we went to an international school. They would speak French and English from the teachers, so we just kind of learned from going.” After living there for some time, Marable does not only want to travel more, but recommends traveling internationally to others as well. “I think it’s a really good experience to have, and I think it really changes the way you see things a lot,” Marable said. (Brief by Sadie Ortmeyer)

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Peyton Thies (26) & Riley Jensen (27) Features

(Photo by Thomas Jones)

WHERE’S NORM THE KNIGHT

Find all five Norms, one is in each of the crowd photos of different events from the school (Illustration by Naomi VanDyne)

(Photo by Alayna Clement)

(Photo by Salem Cotton)

(Photo by Mallory Barker)

MORE PICTURES

Interested in buying photos of events without the watermark? Scan the QR code below.

(Photo by Andrew Goffinet)

Find this guy ↘

VIDEO SELL YOUR SHIRTS ONLINE! WHAT WE’VE DROPPED by Rhea Patel

hellothere@g.fhsdschools.org

new school and a feature on the FHN book club. Also watch if you are interested in learning about philosophy and the theory of absurdism, be sure to check out the Knightly Show because we have an explainer video covering that topic. If you like coffee or Main Street you’ll definitely like this segment of the Knightly Show because we have a story covering the Peace Love Coffee shop on Main Street. For weekly awesome content like this, make sure to check out the Knightly show.

MISSED OUR MOST RECENT PODCASTS? FASHION HISTORY 1 NATE AND BEN

FASHION HISTORY 2

In her debuting podcast, Emily Clausner talks about how fashion has changed throughout history and the changes that have occured.

In this episode of Fashion History Updates Emily Clausner goes over how dresses have changed over the years.

Ben Bartels and Nathan Smith discuss the NFL, UFC, Olympics and everything inbetween in the first episode of their brand new podcast.

$50 OFF

an online store setup when you mention the North Star Newspaper!

stores@stlshirtco.com (636) 926-2777 @stlshirtco

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023• Pages Designed by Chase Pray

Hey FHN, remember to watch the Knightly Show on the FHNtoday YouTube channel or on FHNtoday.com. The show covers everything from sports, to video game reviews and podcast promos, to featuring local business and school events. We also cover Humans of FHN, like a video we have out today covering a figure skater, Ava Bax. We drop the show every Tuesday at 10 a.m on our Youtube. So to keep up with the FHN community, be sure to check out the latest episode of the Knightly Show and keep up with the FHNtoday YouTube channel. Check out next week’s show on Dec. 5 to see content like an exclusive look at the

•Quick and easy store setup process •Hundreds of shirt options •Fundraising opportunities •Pickup and delivery options

Student Superpowers FHN students share their favorite superpowers.

“My favorite superpower is teleportation.” -Olivia Abeln, 9

“My favorite superpower is breathing underwater.” -Makayla Howell, 9

TOP10

Below are the top ten superpowers ranked by usefulness, power and overall greatness. Having superhuman abilities of any sort would no doubt help with everyday activities as well as abstract hobbies. However, the list of powers below stand out above the rest (Content by Riley Jensen)

TIME CONTROL By far the most useful superpower, time control allows its holder to not only pause time but also wind it forward or backwards. With this unique ability, past mistakes could be erased and impossible things could be accomplished.

FLIGHT Everyone has had the desire to soar in the air like a bird at some point in time. Flight can give someone the freedom to explore the world and be high in the sky without the need for transportation or money. “I’ve always wanted to fly, I could get places quicker.” -Jennifer Martin, math teacher

TELEKINESIS Moving things with only brain power and concentration would help everyone out a great deal, especially lazy people.

3 5

6 “My favorite superpower is time travel.” - Addie Butler, 11

TELEPORTATION Similar to flight, this power can help with transportation. Being able to get from one place to another in the blink of an eye could also be of use when escaping tricky situations. “I like escaping. I like being able to be home then poof. I wouldn’t even need a car. It would solve all my problems.” -Asher Kloepper, 10

SUPER SPEED Super speed is one of the most generic but also one of the most valuable superpowers. However, it’s abilities don’t really reach beyond being flashy and making it’s holder great at sports.

(Illustration from Shutterstock/Sokib Lani)

“My favorite superpower is mindreading.” - Anne Ledbetter, math teacher

INVISIBILITY Escaping without a trace would come in handy in many situations, even though not all of them are of good morals. Though invisibility can be extremely helpful in select situations, it’s not as flashy or as powerful as the top four. “I could sneak up on people and literally just go anywhere.” -Dani Glenn, 11

“I can be lazy and I don’t have to get up.” -Rani Weidner, 10

“My favorite superpower is mindreading.” -Kailyn Curtis, 10

SHAPE SHIFTING The idea of being able to turn into something or someone else is often overlooked. There are many things that could be accomplished with this ability, such as getting out of trouble or seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.

TELEPATHY Though reading people’s minds could be helpful in the case of curiosity, it could be quite annoying. Hearing everyone’s thoughts all the time could drive anyone insane.

IMMORTALITY This superpower, although extremely powerful, is not for everybody. Living forever is great for visionaries who want to grow to see the end of the world, but loving and losing so many people would eventually crush one’s dreams.

SUPER STRENGTH This commonly seen power isn’t so super anymore. As people evolve, more and more people are becoming incredibly strong. However, this primary power still deserves to be on the list.

NORTH

STAR

Inside is a photo collection from the Veteran’s Day assembly that took place on Friday, Nov. 11. Page 15

CHANGES TO AP HISTORY CLASSES Page 11

FHN’S PICKLEBALL PLAYERS

FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 03 11.29.2023

Page 18-19

ALTERNATE COVER

Photo by Payton Johnston Designed by Michaela Manfull

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by McKenna Hudson & Riley Jensen (30) Cheyenne Steed (31) • Features

VETERAN’S DAY ASSEMBLY

(Photo by Eshaan Patel)

(Photo by Kylie Taliaferro)

(Photo by Faith Smith)

(Photo by Chris Brandt )

GIRLS GOLF

BOYS SWIM

GIRLS TENNIS

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

On Sept. 6, senior Liza Burgos set a team season low on a 9-hole course at 37 strokes. Also on Oct. 2, Burgos set another team season low on a 18hole course at 79 strokes. “It was very exciting getting the lowest scores for the season, but not just in comparison to the team,” Burgos said. “I was more excited that I had beat my own personal best by a lot of strokes because I have put in a lot of hard work over the years, and it finally started to reflect in my scores.” The Knight’s golf team ended their season Oct. 9, finishing third in districts and sending three golfers, senior Cassie Hodgkins, junior Alyssa Perkins and Burgos, to state. (Brief by Carter Stover)

The boys swim season came to a wrap on Nov. 10, with one diver and eight going to state including seniors Elias Avila, Andrew Lee and Om Nair. Edward Lee finished 11th place for the 100 butterfly, Avila in 10th for the 200 IM and 13th for 100 backstroke. Logan Scott placed 20th for diving and the 400 freestyle relay team consisting of Avila, Edward, Andrew and Huntington Everheart got 27th. The relay team broke a school record with a time of 1:44:04. “It was the strongest season I’ve had and we met our ultimate goal,” Edward said. “Many seniors are leaving though which means we will have to work even harder.” (Brief by Elise Grimshaw)

The girls tennis season ended with a record of 7-9 and they had a fifth place finish at the GAC South tournament where four girls medaled. “This team made me so proud,” coach Samantha Soltysiak said. “They worked so hard all season long.” The girls tennis season ended on Oct. 4 with a tough loss against Francis Howell High 5-0. “It was not the best day,” senior Jayati Karre said. “But I had a really fun season with my team.” The team has five seniors who played their final season of tennis. “It was a fun season, I am really going to miss it,” Karre said. “I will miss playing with the team and having fun with them.” (Brief by Kevin McGuire)

During one of the last games of the season, junior Kennedy Jones broke the school record for most blocks during a season. The previous record was 110, but it now stands at 122. “It felt really good [to break the record] because there was a lot of support from the parents, managers and my teammates,” Jones said. The varsity girl’s volleyball season ended on Oct.18 after a loss against Westminster, resulting in a season record of 8-20-3. “It was not the outcome we wanted, but we saw many good things in that game and our seniors played their hearts out,” Assistant Coach Danielle Dagenais said. (Brief by Alayna Lohaus)

REFLECTING ON SPORTS

Seniors share their experience with sports for the duration of their high school careers by Maahin Fatima

mfatima007@g.fhsdschools.org

FHN fall sport senior athletes stare at the last second they have to play their sport. (Photos by Kylie Taliaferro and Andrew Goffinet)

(Photo by Eshaan Patel)

(Photo by Jazmin Acevedo )

CROSS COUNTRY The 2023 cross country season ended for FHN on Oct. 28 at their district meet at Sioux Passage Park. This was a successful meet, as 12 runners ran a personal best time for the season. “We had a lot of PRs that day, but overall we really just improved as a team,” sophomore Colin McGuire said. “We pushed through a hard race and overall had a great meet.” Districts also produced PRs for both the boys and girls leaders, juniors Kevin McGuire and Madeline Dustin. Kevin finished with a time of 17:54, with Dustin running a 21:29. Both runners look to continue into their senior seasons. (Brief by Braeden Kettinger)

(Photo by Mallory Barker)

(Photo by Bri Dunham)

FOOTBALL

SOFTBALL

FHN’s sixth game of the season was against FHC and just like the year before, North beat Central 42-21 with one point off for each team to match the scores from last year. North ended their season on Oct. 27 with a loss against Liberty in their first district game. The Knights season started off very strong with a 3-2 record. “The whole season was filled with ups and downs, we had a lot of injuries that affected our game play and it really just brought down the whole team,” senior Derrick Warren said. The team ended the season with record of 3-7 and Warren had 9 touchdowns and 762 yards. (Brief by Luis Escobar)

The FHN girls softball team went into the playoffs with a 12-16 record. Starting off against Pattonville and beating them 16-1 helped to gain confidence going into the next round. The momentum carried when they beat Ritenour 9-3. With one game left to win districts, they played rival FHC. Coach Freedline made the decision to play freshman Lohnes at pitcher who ultimately led her team to a 10-8 win in the final inning of the game. They ended up losing to Troy Buchanan in their next game. “I’m glad I got the opportunity to play in a big game like the district final,” Lohnes said. “It was really fun.” (Brief by Jackson Fifer)

BOYS SOCCER

In the first round of districts, the Knights faced off against Pattonville High School which ended with a shutout win for the Knights. “It was a very fun game to play in,” sophomore Carson Howard said. “It was nice to get to score some more goals this time to put away the win.” The Knights then moved onto the second round of districts and went out losing 1-0 in a hard fought battle to the John Burroughs Bombers. The team ended with a record of 14-5 and at the beginning of the season, ended up with a record breaking 6-0 winning record. Along with the 6-0 record, the Knights had a total of 12 seniors. (Brief by Morgan Smith)

NORTH STAR • FHNgameday.com • @FHNgameday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Maahin Fatima and Ray Hathcock • Sports

tarting high school is difficult for most students. For some it can be adjusting to a new school and for others it can be the struggle of finding their people. Seniors felt that their team was the best part of the season, rather than the sport itself. They loved how their sport gave them a community of people and new friendships. As a multi-sport athlete, senior Evie Kraus has been playing softball and basketball at FHN since her freshman year. Evie scored over 10 points in multiple basketball games to being a phenomenal pitcher during the season and at softball state for the past two years. “For basketball, another fun tradition we have is our team photoshoot,” Kraus said, “We come in after school and basically spend the whole night together just taking a bunch of pictures and having a fun time.” Kraus is a multi-sport athlete and this winter season will be her last high school sports season. Throughout the years, Kraus would always be eager for her season to begin because they just didn’t make her a better athlete. “My sports have taught me a lot of life lessons about perseverance and hardwork,” Kraus said. From participating in business classes to playing tennis, FBLA president and senior Riya Siddabattula concluded her last tennis season of high school. The girls tennis season started early in the fall and is the first fall sport to end. “Every year our team’s Black and Gold Day tradition is to have our annual basket making

to sell raffles,” Siddabattula said. Over the four years Siddabattula has played tennis, she claims to have enjoy every moment of it. “Getting an ace on my serve so that my opponent is unable to receive it, therefore they can’t hit the ball back, I also love hitting overheads,” Siddabattula said. Aside from playing the actual game, Siddabattula has learned a lot from being on the tennis team. “I got to see how a team works together and forms bonds and I have developed a lot of leadership skills especially my senior year,” Siddabattula said. The biggest thing that brings Victoria Montgomery joy is swimming, especially the 100 backstroke event. Montgomery is going to begin her final swim season of her high school career. The whole swim team is close knit and they have a lot of great memories together. “My favorite and most funny memory was from freshman year when we were doing dryland on the pool deck and there was a random fruit snack on the pool deck by the kids’ pool and Cassie Hodgkins ate it,” Montgomery said. Along with having fun at swim, Montgomery has learned a lot. “Swim has made me find confidence in a different way and it teaches me a lot of leadership skills that I love,” Montgomery said. Montgomery has for advice for anyone thinking about starting a sport. “Just do it, it doesn’t matter in the long run as long as you’re having fun with it,” Montgomery said.

Senior Hannah Button smiles at her teammates after competing in a swim meet against St. Charles West. Button has been a swimmer at FHN for the past two years and is about to start her third year on the team. She is also a lifeguard at the Rec-Plex and swims for fun outside of the school environment. (File Photo)

BUTTON WORKS IN OFF-SEASON by McKenna Hudson

mhudson365@g.fhsdschools.org

Time at the Rec-Plex is well spent for girls swimmer Hannah Button. Button has been working during the summer as a lifeguard as well as utilizing her free access to the pool to help keep in shape for the upcoming swim season. Her main goal of practicing was to improve upon the styles of swim that she struggled with. “One of the biggest struggles was a bunch of the technique stuff, like flip turns,” senior Button said. Rec-Plex “And just all of Information the strokes, like Scan the QR code below I know how to to learn how to become do freestyle, but a staff member at the hitting down Rec-Plex. butterfly and breaststroke and backstroke.” Her fall season was also spent on FAST, the Flyer Aquatic Swim Team. “I like having a coach to push me [at FAST] because if I had to practice by myself and do my own practices and everything, I wouldn’t push myself and keep myself on those time intervals and going as fast as I can,” Button said. Last season, Button had a personal record of 33.70 seconds in the 50m freestyle. “I’m probably just looking to drop all my times and see our team come together more this year,” Button said. Coach of the girls swim team Rowan Pugh is looking forward to Button’s start of the season and seeing her contribute to the team score. “She is definitely one of our key players on our relay,” Pugh said, “Without her on that relay, we wouldn’t make any of our times that we need to.” Pugh is also excited at the thought of Button putting in the extra effort for the upcoming season. “Oh, I’m so excited because they were so close last year to being able to compete at state,” Pugh said. “I feel like if we have Hannah’s extra dedication and practice times that it only takes a second or two to drop and be able to also drop time and place.”

THE ROAD BACK TO STATE FOR WRESTLERS Grapplers look to improve upon their previous season and return back to state by Braeden Kettinger

bkettinger509@g.fhsdschools.org

hen building a team in any sport, a good foundation is key to compete at a high level. It’s a basis for striving for success. This may be great coaching, great players, or in the case of FHN’s wrestling team, both. FHN had six wrestlers qualify for state last season, four of which are returning for this season. When looking for a great foundation, North has as good as any. “Players of that caliber make it a lot easier for sure,” coach Christopher Brown, who has had 30+ wrestlers qualify for state during his 23-year tenure as head coach, said. “When players are constantly medaling and constantly succeeding, it definitely helps the growth of the team.” In building a great wrestling team, coaches walk a fine line, as well as build up each individual player to be great in such an individual sport. Coaches also need to

Last Seasons Stats Scan the code below to view a wrestling recap about the previous season.

create a unity between the team. In each competition or meet, wrestlers are alone, but in practice, they have their support system and team to grow as a player. “Wrestling is definitely an individual sport, but we build up together,” senior DJ Dillon, who wrestles at 150 lbs, said. “As leaders on the team, we lead the warmups and are looked up to by underclassmen.” Along with striving for success, it can be equally as important to find great leaders. A coach’s voice is pivotal for a player’s development, but so is a player that their peers can look up to. A fellow player’s voice can resonate more with a player when receiving critiques. Dillon has done this quite well during this time wrestling at FHN. “I think making state has given me a certain level of authority,” DJ said. “On top of that because my teammates feel like they can ask me for help if they need it.” A great example of this is Dillon’s

Senior DJ Dillon wins his wrestling match at FHN against the Troy Buchanan Trojans on Dec. 14, 2022. The Knights ended up losing to the Trojans 46-36. (File photo)

The girls varsity basketball team went to Licking Middle School in Branson and played in a seven-game series. (Photo submitted)

GIRLS BASKETBALL COMPETES IN BRANSON by Kenneth Nunn

knunn718@g.fhsdschools.org

Junior Aubrey Peterson attempts to pin down her opponent from St. Charles West at a Quad match against St. Charles West, Orchard Farms and Palmyra on Dec. 1. (File photo)

relationship with his younger brother, Cole Dillon. Cole, a sophomore at FHN, was also a state qualifier last season at 120 lbs. Cole has wrestled nearly his whole life, beginning when he was six years old. This has been an opportunity for the brothers to become very close, spending countless hours together. DJ has valued the opportunity to compete with his brother very much. “My favorite part is cheering him on because his match is before mine usually so I can cheer him on,” DJ said. “My match will be up shortly after so I feel like it is motivating in a way and going to state with him is cool because not many people get to have that experience so it’s unique and I know that our family is proud of us.” Cole has a similar experience, although being the younger of the brothers, he definitely has a different outlook on their wrestling relationship. “Wrestling with my brother is really fun,” Cole said. “It definitely will be a lot different next year with him leaving for college but he is a great supporter and helps out the team and it’s just fun to have him there with me.” Being as successful as the Dillons have

been in their wrestling career, they have also gotten the opportunity to learn quite a few life lessons and learn about themselves through wrestling. “Wrestling has definitely taught me a lot,” Cole said. “It’s taught me to be a good sport in everything I do and have discipline in everything as well.” DJ and Cole have been leading the team in preparation for the season with open mats and off-season workouts, looking forward to the winter. This was not without difficulty, as Cole sprained his ankle prior to the season, playing football. “With the sprained ankle, I just have tried to relax and get back to 100 percent while still trying to be a good leader for my teammates.” Cole said. Looking ahead, this season is an emotional one for DJ, as this will be his last wrestling, as he plans to only play football in college. “After this season, I plan to only focus on football,” DJ said. “I hope to make this a really great season.”

NORTH STAR • FHNgameday.com • @FHNgameday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Addy Jones and McKenna Hudson • Sports

Wrestling state qualifiers senior DJ Dillon, junior Izzy Apple and sophomore Aubrey Peterson showcase their unwavering dedication in this intense moment. (Photo by Faith Smith)

Over the summer, the girls varsity basketball team traveled to Branson in order to compete with other teams from different states, from June 7-9. This gave them the opportunity to compete with other teams as well as grow as a team. “The whole point of the trip was for team bonding and to grow even closer together so we could have an even better team the following year,” senior Alicia Hunn said. “We were able to have fun while playing and get better. One of my favorite memories from the trip is going go-kart racing with the whole team. It was so fun to see all the girls plus the coaches laughing and having fun together. It was also funny to see that all of us are just as competitive outside of basketball too.” The team competed at Licking Middle and High School and played in a seven-game series. They made it to the championships but ended up losing. Since the competition was different, communication with each other was vital, as well as utilizing each individual’s skills. “It is very important because the game can’t be all on one person with only one person working,” sophomore Morgan Smith said. “I think communication is absolutely key in those games because when you get tired it gets really hard, so I think communication really helps out with that.” Coaches also help the players stay connected when playing, while also encouraging and motivating them during competitive and strenuous games. ‘Coach [Rampley] is an amazing coach,” Hunn, who plays guard, said. “She pushes us to do our best and not give up. She’s tough on us and sometimes makes us run a lot, but she’s doing it because she wants us to be the best team we can be. And I think having a coach that wants to see us get better is really good for our team.”

VARSITY CHEER

HARRY

VARSITY BOYS WRESTLING

HINES

VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL

BUTLER

WINTER SPORTS

NORTH STAR • FHNgameday.com • @FHNgameday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Kylie Taliaferro • Sports

(Photos by Grace Pinson and Kylie Taliaferro)

VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL

VOLLMER

VARSITY GIRLS WRESTLING

PETERSON

VARSITY GIRLS SWIM

MONTGOMERY

COLUMN Braeden Kettinger

LOSSES ARE PIVOTAL TO WINS by Braeden kettinger

bkettinger509@g.fhsdschools.org

For sports fans, there is no greater despair than your favorite team losing. They don’t show up in the big game. They choke a lead. They can’t hold on. It sucks. We’ve all been there. In my life, some of the most disappointing moments have come from a team that, in all reality, I have zero connection with. Many nights have been ruined over something I had zero control over. In the same respect, I have had some of my happiest times watching my team. When they finally do make the big play. They make a comeback. These emotional rollercoasters have also been all so pivotal to who I am as a person. The highs are great. The fun of a win streak can carry you through a tough week. When your team is 2016 NBA Finals winning, there isn’t a better feeling in Check out the QR the world. With all code below to see things though, it a huge comeback in isn’t always easy. sports history that Teams don’t go influenced Kettinger. undefeated every season. The highest high can become the lowest low very quickly. This is an important lesson. You can’t win every game. In the past, I have let losses tear me down. What I’ve learned is that a win has no value without the loss. If a team won every game, they would no meaning. The feeling you get when you lose fuels the winning fire. Along with fueling the fire, you learn the most from a loss. It’s hard to reflect when everything is going right. Some of the of the greatest gains stem off of the biggest losses. A loss opens your lens and truly allows you to grow. Now, whenever I am watching my team, I don’t let my emotions get the best of me. Sure, it’s easy to get carried away. There are definitely still times that I can overreact. The difference is when they lose, I know that the win is following suit. When they lose, they can get better.

Brothers Elijah and Isaac Bollinger high-five during a basketball practice on Nov. 13. (Photo by Payton Johnston)

BOLLINGERS BRING CONSISTENCY

Bollinger brothers step up to lead varsity team for the upcoming basketball season by Carter Stover

cstover092@g.fhsdschools.org

ne can become a leader in many different ways. Senior Isaac and sophomore Elijah Bollinger are two varsity basketball returners. Elijah has been playing since second grade and Isaac has since third grade. Both players have a lot of experience under their belt. Being the two returners, they now step into more of a leadership role. “There’s only two returning varsity players so me and my brother will try to be the leaders,” Elijah said. With already having past varsity experience these two will be able to share their light with their teammates. “I’ll be able to pass it on to my teammates who didn’t play varsity last year and I’m just trying to give them some knowledge to benefit themselves and the team,” Elijah said. They have been able to get involved in the program by partaking in open gyms hosted by coach Larry Green. These open gyms have been tough to get the boys ready for the upcoming season. The Bollingers enjoy the way they have been run this offseason. “A lot harder than it was last year,” Elijah said. “I think the coach is really stepping it up and taking it a bit more serious.” Open gyms are a way for high school programs to benefit the program and get them ready for the upcoming season. Isaac believes that these open gyms will play a big factor benefiting them for the upcoming season.

Elijahs 22/23 Stats Check out the QR code below to see sophomore Elijah Bollinger’s stats from last season.

Isaac’s 22/23 Stats Check out the QR code below to see senior Isaac Bollinger’s stats from last season.

“Since the open gyms got the players in I think we will have a lot more stamina and be able to run for a lot longer and be in good shape,” Isaac said. Since the open gyms got the players in such good shape it will benefit them against teams that are out of shape. “We will be in a lot better shape than a lot of other teams and we will be a lot more prepared,” Elijah said. Both the Bollingers are excited for the season and playing games with this newer team. Isaac believes that the team has been able to build up chemistry in a couple different ways. “I think a lot of the players last year played on JV together and we have been doing a lot of the workouts which has helped build chemistry,” Isaac said. Elijah believes this chemistry will help them be able to win more games this year. “We are all so young now because all the past seniors are gone and we will all know each other and are good friends which will benefit us on the court,” Elijah said. “We will have a lot more determination and everyone is going to want to win more and play together.”

NORTH

STAR

Junior Ava Richmann crochets a variety of cute creatures and clothing items. Page 26

CHANGES TO AP HISTORY CLASSES Page 11

FHN’S PICKLEBALL PLAYERS

FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 03 11.29.2023

Page 18-19

ALTERNATE COVER

Photo by Bri Dunham

NORTH STAR • FHNgameday.com • @FHNgameday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Jackson Fifer & Mo Huff (38) John Butler (39) • Sports

YARN TREASURES

WHY SHOULD I BUY A YEARBOOK? We’ll tell the whole story in this yearbook. It’s always our goal to document the people, things, events and stories that make a school year unique and special-- this year is no exception and we have special plans to celebrate the final year in the current building. We’ll feature students, clubs, academics, sports and so much more. Purchase yours and celebrate “Just one Last” year in this building. HOW MUCH DOES THE YEARBOOK COST? The book is currently $60 and is the LOWEST price it will be until Jan. 1 when it increases to $70. Don’t miss your chance to get yours for this price while you can! CLICK HERE TO SEE IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED YOURS YET:

HOW DO I BUY MY 2024 YEARBOOK? You can purchase your yearbook in THREE different ways. 1. ONLINE - You can order online now by visiting the link or scanning the QR code above. 2. IN PERSON - At this year’s registration dates or at any time throughout the school year, you can bring cash or a check (written out to FHN) in person. We’ll have a table at registration, or you can drop an order form and payment off in room 131 or the main office during school hours once school begins. 3. BY MAIL - You can mail in the attached order form with your payment straight to FHN. FHN Yearbook 2549 Hackmann Rd. St. Charles, MO 63303 QUESTIONS? Contact yearbook adviser Jordyn Kiel at 636-851-5048 or jckiel@g.fhsdschools.org.

OPINION Violet Newton

THE MORNING RUSH

A TRIBUTE TO HOLLY Reminiscing on a childhood pet and the lessons learned from her protection

Mental health Tips for the loss of a pet

OPINION McKenna Hudson

At least, that’s what my dad and I called her after hearing the phrase in a book. She was the kind of dog to bark at the wind. She would be the culprit behind my family stepping on chewed up Nylabones that would feel like stepping on Legos. Long bat ears and all, Holly was my first dog and greatest protector. We picked her out of a litter of German Shepherds. Holly’s jet-black coat and lovable face made her a stand-out to be the perfect choice for a family of three with a five-yearold daughter. She was a guard-dog first and foremost. She didn’t like cuddles, wouldn’t lay down with you and certainly wouldn’t let you have friends over without scaring them a little first. Her territorial behavior often made me wonder why I couldn’t have a dog that liked people or cuddles. Holly enjoyed many typical dog activities like going for walks, playing with her ball and getting covered in mud from the creek in our backyard. We would go for long walks and bike rides with her on the Katy Trail and she loved hamburgers from McDonald’s. However, she couldn’t keep up with us forever and soon her light and energy began to fade. Like what happens to many German Shepherds, she developed hip and elbow Dysplasia which limited her ability to walk, run, sit and get back up. Eventually, she couldn’t control her bladder and we would wake up to messes in the morning. She became confined to the hardwood-floored kitchen where her messes would be easier to clean up. She couldn’t enjoy doing the things

she loved to do and her quality of life was deteriorating. It was a rainy day in June when we went for our last McDonald’s hamburger. I cried as I handed the cashier my money knowing we had made the decision to put her down the next day. I sat on the porch of my house watching her enjoy the meal she loved most. Holly barked at a couple walking past our house and I wondered how I could have ever wanted anything other than my guard dog. She always protected me and while I always wanted her to have been more affectionate, I learned that her way of showing affection was by protecting her family. On her last day, Holly hopped around the yard the best she could, basking in the temperate weather. We held her paw when it was her time and we reminisced about our favorite memories together over the past 12 years. I only wished I could have let her protect me a little while longer.

Pet Grief Chat Room

Scan the QR code to access a chat room for people trying to cope with the loss of

Arch Animal Hospital West Scan the QR code to view the Arch Animal Hospital website.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Noah Tucker and Chase Pray • Opinion

he was our fur-faced-fluffin’-barker with a wigger-wagger.

Scan the QR code for six mental health tips to cope with the loss of a pet.

Let’s be honest. Who actually eats breakfast before school? You wake up at the crack of dawn after getting a maximum of six hours of sleep, you throw some clothes on, wash your face if you are feeling really fancy, and by the time you feel remotely ready to set foot in school, you’ve already brushed your teeth and there is not nearly enough time to wash out the toothpaste taste in order to not throw up your orange juice. Every adult around will tell you just how oh so important breakfast is but… how important is it really? The answer is not at all, maybe it’s important for those who have the privilege of leaving their house after 6 a.m. But for the average high school student, it’s less important than getting ready and enacting proper hygiene for the day ahead. Breakfast is important. Although this completely contradicts the previous statement that every meal of the day is important. However, the breakfast you are most likely eating isn’t important. A small pastry or granola bar isn’t nutritious in any way, unless you are eating a hearty and balanced breakfast, it’s a worse start to your day than no breakfast at all. Students could, in theory, wake up earlier allowing them to have more time towards breakfast. But when faced with the whirlwind of homework, extracurricular activities, friendships, relationships and family time, getting to bed early can be quite a difficult task. Not everyone has the chance to eat a healthy breakfast every morning, especially if they are leaving at 6:30 for a day at school. It’s important to recognize that eating a healthy and nourishing breakfast is not just about caloric intake but about cultivating a habit of self-care. In the end, the importance of breakfast really boils down to personal choices and circumstances. For some the morning is a hectic race against the clock, making it hard to prioritize a substantial breakfast. Making breakfast the last to-do on the list.

COLUMN Riley Jensen

OVERCOMING A SILENT CHRISTMAS

It’s strange that such a crowded neighborhood could sound so quiet during the most wonderful time of the year. What’s even stranger is that I’m sure a certain little house in the middle of a highway was bustling with excitement. My mom said it would be better for us to move to a place where there were more kids, a place where I could leave the porch without the fear of stepping too far and being bombarded by car horns and traffic. However, the crickets that rang in my ears as I opened gifts on Christmas morning made me question her reasoning. If it were a good Christmas, I would be opening the door for caroling neighbors. If it were a good Christmas, my cousins and uncles would be at my side. This year wasn’t like that. After we opened presents, I was sent to my room for throwing a tantrum. This was a horrible Christmas. Nothing could undo my sorrow, not even the leftover cookies that Santa forgot to eat. It felt as if the Grinch had robbed our house and stole my heart. The dull white bulbs strung around the ceiling were nothing but empty shells of the colorful lights I used to help my neighbors hang up. The next morning came, I marched down the stairs. I had enough of this sorry excuse of a Christmas. I was ready to protest, but when I reached the ground floor, my despair disappeared. In front of me were my cousins, my neighbors and the people I had deluded myself into thinking I lost. I sat down and began to laugh. Everyone I loved surrounded me, and even though it was different than before, the joy was still the same. Christmas is something that is to be shared, not something to be ruined by a negative outlook. Now, I know that better than anyone else.

(Illustration by Violet Newton)

FACE OFF: SHOULD FHSD HAVE A BIBLE STUDY CLASS

Read the Face Off on if the Francis Howell School District should have a Bible study class (Illustrations by Alex Wheadon)

FHSD SHOULD IMPLEMENT A BIBLICAL STUDIES CLASS TO SCHOOLS by Grant Kilen

gkilen380@g.fhsdschools.org

On June 7, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed Senate Bill 34 into law. SB 34, which passed the Missouri General Assembly with an overwhelming, bipartisan majority in the House and unanimously in the Senate, “authorizes school districts and charter schools to offer elective social studies courses on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament.” The bill’s provisions are delineated in 170.341 RSMo. Even before SB 34, though, several schools across Missouri offered and continue to offer classes on the Bible. The Bible—the single most influential text in our human race’s history—warrants a class examining its effect on society both historically and today. A Biblical studies elective would teach the important context that the Bible contributes to history. For instance, the Bible was heavily influential upon England and its colonies. Originally an English colony itself, America is no exception, especially as the American colonies were founded at least in part by religious pilgrims to practice their Christian faith. Furthermore, Biblical principles (“... the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God...”) inspired the Declaration of Independence, which has since served as the basis for our constitutional form of government. Consider also the religious motivations of philanthropists, such as the late John D. Rockefeller, who donated large sums of money in manners influenced by the Christian faith. His style of generosity had a great effect on American history and should not be discounted. The study of the Bible also has a great deal of secular value in terms of culture. Just as English common law was fundamentally inspired by the Bible, most Western conventions of secular morality are inspired by the Bible and sometimes even wholly congruent with the Bible. More formally, the influence of the Bible upon our society’s laws cannot be understated, as nearly 90 percent of members of Congress self-identify as Christian (with more than 5 percent of the remainder identifying as Jewish). Even fashion lends some of its aspects to Biblical inspiration; both genders’ clothing styles have differences that can be attributed to Biblically-inspired tradition. It could be argued that such a class would be disrespectful to nonbelievers or believers depending upon whether the Bible is taught as correct or incorrect, respectively. This is a false dichotomy. A biblical studies course need not take a position on the correctness of the Bible. The indisputable fact that the Bible has tremendously influenced history ultimately does not hinge upon its accuracy. To be fair, FHSD teaches several

non-elective science classes that teach the theory of evolution as fact. This is far more offensive than an elective class taking no position on the truth of the Bible. Some may also be skeptical about a teacher being a believer or a non-believer and how that may affect the class. However, just as a civics teacher is capable of teaching the platforms of both major parties, and an ancient world civilizations teacher is capable of teaching the beliefs of all religions, a biblical studies teacher would still be an effective teacher regardless of their personal beliefs. Finally, one may worry that the usage of a particular translation of the Bible may be a source of controversy. However, this idea that only one version of the Bible could be used is a misconception. In the 21st century, we have access to a variety of translations of the Bible via the internet. Differences among the translations could even be a feature of the class, including education on using the original Hebrew and Greek as an aid. Francis Howell ought to adopt a Biblical studies class to reinforce the existing curriculum and teach the Bible’s historical and cultural significance. Senate Bill 34 in Missouri has affirmed this course, paving the way for Francis Howell and other Missouri school districts to allow students to explore the Bible’s impact on the development of Western civilization. By focusing on academic objectives, rather than devotional religious pursuits, objections regarding the Bible’s correctness and the effect of the teacher’s beliefs are disproven. A Biblical studies class would be a great tool for Francis Howell to contribute to the well-rounded education that our district seeks to offer, and supplement students’ understanding of our society’s foundations.

FHSD SHOULD NOT IMPLEMENT A BIBLICAL STUDIES CLASS TO SCHOOLS

QR Codes

by Gavin Swart

Scan this QR Code in order to vote for which side you think wins the Face Off.

gswart370@g.fhsdschools.org

Missouri Senate Bill 34 Scan this QR Code in order to see the Senate Bill 34 that regards to the Bible being taught in schools.

Other Scrutinized Classes Scan this QR Code in order to read an article from FHNtoday.com about Black Literature and Black American History.

Bible Study Classes in Missouri Scan this QR Code in order to read an arcticle on Missouri public schools who have already began teaching a Bible study class.

COLUMN Sadie Ortemeyer

GEOCACHING IN A NUTSHELL Picture this - an outside scavenger hunt, but you never know exactly what you are looking for. It could be a box in the middle of a tick infested woods, or it could be a capsule about the size of your fingernail hanging in a 100 foot tall pine tree. What is leading you to these spots? Well, it’s an online compass that is never exactly 100 percent accurate. Every time I have gone geocaching, it has always been some sort of new experience. Of course all the treasure, or “caches’’ you are looking for are in public parks, but that doesn’t mean they are always so easy to get to. I can’t even begin to count how many streams I have crossed (or failed to cross dryly) just to try and find a cache that is out in the middle of nowhere. What is worse is that sometimes, it can’t even be found. No matter how long I trekked, how much my legs hurt, Cachly or how bad my Scan this QR Code in insect bites order to see the app itched from that Sadie uses for being outside, their geocaching. sometimes it just was simply all for nothing. Now don’t take this the wrong way, I mean it when I say that geocaching is fun. All of this is just part of the challenge of never knowing what to expect when you’re out doing it. I once watched a deer give birth in the middle of a bike trail all because I happened to be there while geocaching, but on the other hand I have also found a creepy plastic baby as the cache itself that would give anyone chills. However, in the end it’s all worth it. The scratches and mud stains I would have on my legs from walking through the parks were not seen as a bad thing, but as battle scars to show that I earned the satisfaction of finding a cache and that I had fun doing it nonetheless.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Gavin Swart • Opinion

Throughout history, the single most important text has always and will continue to be the Bible, and precisely because of its significance, it should not be taught in schools. Any Bible study class in a school system would inherently not be able to apply proper respect both to the sanctity of the holy book and to the students who do not believe in its teachings. In order to respect everyone in school, religion should be kept out of the curriculum. The first thing that needs to be recognized when considering the existence of a Bible study class is the sanctity of the Bible as a document. For hundreds of millions of people, the Bible is more than just a collection of historical stories, but instead a guideline for how one should live life. To teach the Bible not as a religious document, but instead only a historical one, would go directly against the ideals of most religious identities and be considered blasphemous. When looking at what classes to add into schools, one of the most important things to look at is how it fits the diverse needs of a student body. Whenever classes are added, schools need to make sure that they fit the needs of all students. Adding a class that only applies to one subset of students will inherently cause some groups of students to be excluded. The Bible isn’t just a historical document, it is an actual religious way of life, to teach it as a historical document would exclude religious identities that are looking for an actual religious analysis and to teach it as a spiritual scripture would exclude anyone who isn’t a Christian. The existence of so many different religious identities in public schools makes it impossible to select one identity for a class. Even just the choice of which translation of the Bible to use will cause conflict between people with different religious identities. If it is taught in the most localized versions that are the easiest to understand, it would be less connected to the original message as the translations that are closer to the original source text. The largest issue with teaching a Bible study class is how it should be taught. One issue is the matter of who should teach the class. If the class is taught by a Christian, then it would exclude anyone looking for a historical analysis, as

expecting a teacher to put aside their entire set of beliefs to teach a class is absurd. However, if the class is taught by someone of a different religious identity that is not Christian in nature, then the entire class would appear blasphemous to any Christians taking it. The class would not teach the Bible at that point, but simply be another world history class. It gets even worse when you think about all of the different identities within Christianity, the conflicts between these identities over how the Bible should be taught, what translations best encompass His Word, and what the actual meaning of the Scripture is would make it impossible for the class to be taught in a coherent way without putting down at least one of these identities. Furthermore, bringing something as important as the Bible into a school setting where objectivity is held at a high standard would inherently encourage conflict between students. The Bible isn’t just a statement on how one should live life, it is the claim that one needs to live like this or else they will not make it to paradise. Different sects having different interpretations of this book has caused wars and death and now we expect for a curriculum to be able to have a “correct” answer on a test for what the “correct” interpretation is. Expecting that every student would take this class with the honest expectation to simply hear arguments and give their opinion is foolish. What will inevitably happen is that some people would take the class to have more time with their religion and others would take the class just to mock the religion. Everyone’s drastically different interpretations of the importance of the Bible invites conflict between students. The classroom system in our schools makes it so that there are two things that are always true, the teacher teaches and the students are graded. These two elements make it impossible to have a quality Bible study class. The teachers’ necessity to teach makes it so that no matter what the teacher is giving their interpretation of the facts, in most classes that’s not much of an issue however when we are looking at the religious implications of a text, no one wants for one person’s interpretations to be the assumed correct interpretation. Next the existence of grades continues this same problem. If at the end of the year, the teacher has to determine whether a student came to the correct conclusions and give them a letter grade on their interpretation of the Bible, then the teacher would have to acknowledge that there is a correct interpretation and wrong interpretations. It is not possible to take something as big as a student’s understanding of the Bible and narrow it down to a letter grade. Some might say that the class wouldn’t necessarily need to have objective tests and grades, however if the students aren’t being graded or the teacher isn’t teaching then this isn’t a class, just a church that happens to be within a school. In totality, our school system needs to stop interfering with powers beyond itself. Schools are meant to educate and yet any class about the holiest of texts would always fail to educate and simply drive conflict as people try to push their own interpretations onto each other.

Vote for the Face Off

BY THE NUMBERS

Statistics facing sexual activity for teens in Missouri.

Around 51% pregnancies are unplanned in Missouri for women ages 15-44.

26.5%

20.5%

45.8%

54.2%

The graphic above depicts the percentage of sexually active students by grade level. (Freshman: 20.5%, Sophomores: 26.5%, Juniors: 45.8%, Seniors: 54.2%) Around 98% of sexually active teenagers in Missouri report that they used some method of contraceptive during their most recent sexual encounter.

55.7% are not

71.9% are not

44.3% are

Sexually Active High Schoolers in Missouri

Sexually Active 28.1% are High Schoolers in California

In Missouri 44.3% of high schoolers are sexually active. This number nearly splits in half to 28.1% when looking at sexually active high schoolers in California. Around 20% of teens in Missouri drank alcohol or used drugs before the last time they had sex.

IT’S TIME TO UPDATE OUR EDUCATION Missouri’s state regulations for sex education are extremely lacking On Behalf of the Editorial Board yourfhn@FHNtoday.com

56.4%

27.4%

12.8%

8.2%

The graphic above depicts the methods of protection used by sexually active teenagers. (56.4% used condoms, 27.4% used some method of birth control other than condoms 12.8% used condoms, and a method of bith control and 8.2% used no method of protection) Around 4% of children below the age of 13 in Missouri have had sexual intercourse.

(Information from the Missouri Health Department

Survey 2019 and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Survery 2019)

ith its common misconceptions such as having to watch a woman give birth and putting condoms on bananas, sex-ed is a topic generally avoided among students. Our sex education system is stigmatized by students, teachers and parents alike. It’s an awkward subject for many, but getting it over with and ignoring it is not the answer. Instead our state legislature needs to update its regulations in order to keep the curriculum helpful to all students. For a consistently red state, our curriculum is slightly ahead of the curve by including education on consent, sexual abuse and sexual harassment. However, there are still some lacking regulations in our state’s requirements.

Continuation of education

Unfortunately, the state of Missouri does not require that schools continue to educate students on sexual development and safe sex throughout high school. If the school chooses that they will have a sexual education lesson in health class, all they have to do is check off the box and be done with it. This education is vital to students to

promote abstinence, safe sex and healthy relationships. These lessons should be given to all students every year, or at least every other year, regardless of if they are in a health class or not. The reason that this is so important is because, according to a safety report done by the state of Missouri, 20.5 percent of freshmen and 26.5 percent of sophomores are sexually active. This statistic nearly doubles to 44.3 percent and 45.8 percent as juniors and seniors. By the time students are juniors and seniors it’s most likely been two to three years since they have been taught sex-ed. Simply refreshing students their junior year would be extremely beneficial.

Holes in the requirements

While our district’s curriculum follows everything state required for a sex-education system, there’s a lot of holes in what is required. For starters, it’s not legally required that the curriculum is delivered by trained instructors. This is a dangerous lack of regulation seeing as how this is some of the most delicate, important and useful education high schoolers receive. The state lacking this requirement puts students into a situation where they could possibly receive misinformation which is just irresponsible. Some health teachers in our state are

STATE BY STATE REGULATION

Take a look into the regulations and requirements some of each state’s sex education curriculum.

Missouri • •

• • •

The decision of whether or not to teach sex education is left to the local school board Must teach about contraceptives while “Presenting abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior in relation to all sexual activity for unmarried pupils.” Teach about contraceptives, within a curriculum that promotes abstinence. Include information on sexual predators, sexual harassment, sexual violence, and consent. To see the full list visit https://tinyurl.com/2tx5m4wy

(Illustration by Izzy Lash)

California

• •

• • • •

• •

•

Be appropriate for use with pupils of all races, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Be appropriate for and accessible to pupils with disabilities; Be appropriate for and equally available to English language learners. Be appropriate for and accessible to pupils with disabilities Affirmatively recognize different sexual orientations and be inclusive of same-sex relationships in discussions and examples. Teach about gender, gender expression, gender identity, and the harm of negative gender stereotypes. Encourage students to communicate with their parents/guardians and other trusted adults about human sexuality, and provide skills for doing so. Teach the value of and prepare students to have and maintain committed relationships such as marriage. Provide knowledge and skills for forming healthy relationships that are free from violence and provide knowledge and skills for making and implementing healthy decisions about sexuality including negotiation and refusal skills to assist students in overcoming peer pressure and using effective decision making skills to avoid high-risk activities. To see the full list visit https://tinyurl.com/28ayazme

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2023 • Pages Designed by Violet Newton • Opinion

trained more for a fire drill than they are to parent. The issue with these talks is the huge teach a sex-ed class. Along with the lack of bits of left out information for females, such regulation on training, there is also a lack of as discharge, spotting, how long a period is regulation on how often educational material supposed to last and different parts of the has to be updated. Most of the videos that menstruation cycle. are shown in sex-ed classes are from before LGBTQIA+ its watchers were even in kindergarten. Schools are required to provide education These videos are not factually inaccurate, but on heterosexual sex. Homosexual sex watching a grainy video about education is not required. This the development of the human is not surprising as LGBTQIA+ body adds to the already present QR CODE is a very recently destigmatized Read the QR code awkwardness. These are not subject in school and society below to learn more hard changes to make to help in general. Strides for inclusive about LGBTQIA+ sex better educate students on how education are being fought for education. to keep themselves safe. now more than ever, adding this to Puberty our state requirements is crucial. Everyone remembers how One out of every four high school awkward the elementary school students identify as being part of talks were. The girls would go in the LGBTQIA+ community and one room, learn all about how yet they receive no education on their breasts would develop, how to have safe sex. Although they would get pubic hair, the threat of teen pregnancy isn’t menstruation and all of the looming, the danger of sexually painful side effects that come transmitted infections and diseases with it. Meanwhile, the boys sit in a room are. There are still types of contraceptives learning about how their voices would begin that should be used even if there is not a to crack, they too would get pubic hair and danger of pregnancy due to the possibility of how they would begin to be more attracted contracting an STD or STI from any sexual to those around them. These talks happen partner. multiple times throughout elementary and In the end, our state requirements could middle school. However, unlike english and be worse. However, when it comes to the math, the content taught in these talks education of students, a fully faceted view never increased in difficulty in the maturity of their bodies and how to keep their body of what was taught as students progress in safe is vital to ensure sex education remains age. Every student has been included in a helpful. puberty talk unless they were opted out by a