Feb 23, 2018

Feb. 23, 2018 | Vol. 49, No. 6

| I M A G E | Lafayette High School | 17050 Clayton Rd. Wildwood, MO 63011 | lancerfeed.press | @thelancerfeed

JUUL...

School?

in

Students are driving across the county line to buy e-cigs and they are vaping in and off school grounds.

They are also being exposed to a variety of toxins and developing nicotine addictions ... without even knowing it. photo by Marlo May

See pages 8-9 to read about the effects of vaping on teens.

2

Feb. 23, 2018 |OPINIONS| Don’t underestimate teenagers, we’re smarter than you think Shwetha Sundarrajan | Reporter

Staff Editorial Time to stop ignoring what’s in front of us Since the start of this school year, there have The staff editorial been 10 shootings at a school that specifically represents a majority targeted teachers or students, resulting in 24 deaths and 43 injuries. opinion of the The most recent was at Marjory Stoneman Image Editorial Board.

Douglas High School in Parkland, Fl on Feb. 14.

People think these incidents only happen in impoverished communities and dangerous neighborhoods. The reality is they can happen anywhere. Parkland was named the safest city in Florida in 2017. For the record, Ballwin was named the safest city in Missouri in 2018.

Rockwood has made major efforts to improve security in schools. But, though Lafayette’s many doors are locked from the outside during school hours, they are wide open in the morning to anyone who looks like they belong. Even during the day, if you look like you belong, it would not be difficult to get in. In Parkland, the shooter, Nikolas Cruz, looked like any other student. In fact, he was a student who had been expelled previously.

At LHS, only the main entrance is accessible during the school day and it is monitored so outsiders must be “buzzed in” through the locked doors. But, student negligence often compromises that security effort. Kids let people who knock on side doors in or prop doors open when they go outside for a class or to their car for an item they left behind accidentally.

Why is this an issue? What’s the harm in simply opening a door? It’s this: every open door is an opportunity for someone who doesn’t belong here to gain access.

Parents should be able to trust their kids will be safe at school. But this just can’t be guaranteed anymore by even the most stringent safety measures and active shooter drills, and that reality needs to be addressed.

Regardless of your belief on how to tackle the issue of gun violence, something needs to be done and right now.

All the thoughts and prayers in the world will not prevent the next tragedy. Society needs to put aside politics and personal viewpoints. How many more deaths does it take for action by our leaders?

We can’t wait any longer. So, change clearly must start with us in our own school.

Students need to stay vigilant. We can’t be afraid to be ‘snitches.’ Even though we rely on adults to protect us, we are the ones who know one another the best. If we hear about someone making threats on social media or exhibiting suspicious behavior, we must to speak up and notify an adult who can help and keep speaking up until we are heard.

Once we realize everyone could be capable of despicable deeds, we are addressing the reality we live in instead of waiting for the next Marjory Stoneman Douglas to happen.

| About Us | Contact Info

Room 137A at Lafayette H.S. 17050 Clayton Road Wildwood, MO 63011 (636) 733-4118 e-mail: thelancerfeed@gmail.com online: lancerfeed.press follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @thelancerfeed

“You want to go into journalism? You do realize that’s a dying industry, right?”

I looked up from my phone with a sharp glance.

Did my uncle really say that?

How could he say my passion wasn’t worth pursuing? To my dismay, I see my father nod in polite agreement. I open my mouth to retort, when I remember a familiar phrase my parents used to pound into my brain.

Respect your elders.

For years, I’d blindly followed that logic, without knowing the reason as to why. This rhetoric exists in every culture. Because adults have more life experience, us youths must blindly listen to their words.

While I understand why parents have pounded this logic into our minds, it strips us of self determination.

Should one sit quietly and not point out the fallacies in an elder’s argument? Or should they be bold and retort, to risk receiving a sharp rebuke?

When teens try to respond, we’re branded as disrespectful, impudent and contemptuous. We get

Expressing affection can be conveyed through non-verbal actions Clare Mulherin | Reporter Eight letters, three simple little words, yet they seem to mean so much in our society. “I love you.”

That simple phrase can make or shatter someone’s world.

Such meaningful words are said in many ways too. There are the big grand gestures like stopping someone at the airport right before they walk out of your life forever, expressing your love through song or theatrics and even giving flowers and chocolates.

But what about the more subtle ways?

There’s the saying, ‘Actions speak louder than words,’ and in the grand silver-screen sort of way, that’s true. Some people are a little more reserved with their declarations. Some people never say “I love you” verbally. Of course, that doesn’t mean they don’t love you, it just means they show their feelings in an unconventional way.

I grew up in a big annoyingly-mushy family.

We say “I love you” constantly, but there are little things we do to express these feelings in a more subtle nature. My mother will pick up my father’s favorite orange juice when she goes to the store. My dad will get my mom a sandwich on his way home from work. My siblings all leap to my side when I’m in the slightest bit of stress. While it isn’t explicitly expressed, that’s how they say I love you.

Some people will tell you to just “be careful!” and some will have a skywriter proclaim it. Though it may not be apparent or constantly stated, I’m sure you’re loved. You may not be showered with gifts of sweet honeyed-words, but you’re loved. You may just be loved in the sense of someone bringing you coffee after a long day or someone remembering your birthday.

As clichéd as it is, it’s the little things that count.

General Information

The Image is published nine times a year by the News Production class. Subscriptions are $30. Free issues are distributed on campus. The 2016-2017 Image received a First Class rating with three marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association.

Philosophy Statement & Policies

The newspaper’s primary obligation is to inform its readers about events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population.

The newspaper, while serving as a training ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. Operating as a public forum, student editors will apply professional standards and ethics for decision making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper. The Rockwood School District Policies and Regulations concerning official student publications and the specific policies and procedures used by student publications can be found at lancerfeed.press under the About Us tab.

Image Staff

into trouble for being insubordinate.

Why? Even though we still are viewed as children in an adult’s point of view, teens are becoming self-aware.

I know many students at Lafayette who are politically and socially active, often knowing more about global news than most adults. Realize this: We aren’t children anymore. We can sense your nonsense.

Before writing me off as an impudent teenager who simply wrote a column to vent about her mommy and daddy issues, hear me out: I write this not on the behalf of myself, but all teens whose voices have been shunned because “they don’t know anything”.

Just because someone is older doesn’t mean we have to listen to everything he or she says.

Part of having a mature conversation is pointing out flaws in the opposing argument. When one side is prohibited from doing that, it prevents both sides from growing.

Adults make mistakes too. Don’t punish the ones who point them out.

So before you command my respect, behave in a way that earns it.

STARS & GRIPES Stars:

• The Olympics are coming to a close, so now we can finally stop pretending to care about sports we didn’t even know existed.

• The Cafeteria has a new hotdog rotisserie. Yes! We can all agree that rotating hotdogs are much better than stationary ones!

Gripes:

• Natural disasters and stock market fluctuations abound, yet people flipped out when Snapchat got a new update.

• Why does Barack Obama’s portrait look like a Chance the Rapper album cover? We don’t even recognize Michelle Obama in her portrait.

• Logan Paul celebrated his return to YouTube by using a Taser on a dead rat. Quality content at its finest.

• Baby Stormi Webster (Jenner) and prostitute Stormy Daniels for rounding out hurricane season with class. These will also take a while to recover from.

Editor in Chief | Jessica Cargill Asst. Editor | Amisha Paul Web Editor | Delaney Stulce Asst. Web Editor | Natalie Karlsson News Editor | Ty Prozorowski Opinions Editor | Travis Bodell Feature Editor | Gehrig Prozorowski Sports Editor | Kayla Carpenter Artists | Charlotte Komrosky-Licata, Ty Prozorowski Graphic Designer | Marlo May Adviser | Nancy Y. Smith, MJE Staff: Chloe Baker, Shelby Darnell, Abby Karandjeff, Jasmin Kim, Grace Kirtley, Carson Luther, Clare Mulherin, Alex Rozar, Naomi Saegusa, Shwetha Sundarrajan, Addie Watson

Digital Media Staff

Digital Media Editor | Jack Weaver Special Projects Editor | Jimmy Bowman Video Package Editor | Kiley Black Aurasma Editor | Emma Grant Staff: Nick Koester, Clay Komor, Jonah Nickerson, Lucas Nickerson, Annika Renganathan, Shwetha Sundarrajan, Jacob Ward

Feb. 23, 2018 The Monthly Strawman

by Charlotte Komrosky-Licata

3 |OPINIONS| ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN RSD CLASSROOMS: Easier access to Chromebooks doesn't equal a better education

F

THE SNOW-ME STATE It may be late in winter, but snow is still a possibility. Here are some fun facts about snow in Missouri.

The largest snowfall recorded in Missouri was 40 inches on Feb. 25, 1979.

Facts courtesy of Missouri Climate Center and the RSD website.

Between March 3031, 1890, a record 20.4 inches of snow fell in St. Louis.

Rockwood has six snow days built into the calendar which means school could be cancelled and it would not affect the date school ends.

compiled by Shelby Darnell

Gehrig Prozorowski | Feature Editor

rom Bring Your Own Device to One-to-One, Rockwood policy keeps the classroom “updated”, to meet the needs of a youth population raised more and more in front of screens.

I appreciate allowing students access smart phones and ensuring that they have computers.

Here’s where I have a problem: kids use smart phones, tablets and computers all day, and a lot of this screen time is mindless internet surfing or social media scrolling.

Then kids are expected to do their homework or learn through a computer. They can’t possibly keep their brains engaged to do their online schoolwork then.

Plus, kids are already surrounded by technology.

Although they're “used to it,” and more technology doesn't seem so bad, how can students differentiate from what they read on their computers at home versus at school?

Now for online textbooks: first of all, kids can’t retain information on screen as well as they do by reading a book. Scrolling interrupts spatial awareness which is integral to comprehension.

When reading, kids reconstruct that information mentally in order to recall what they learned, but that option isn't available online.

Online textbooks are convenient, but they shouldn't take the place of actually taking notes.

More technology doesn't mean shortcuts.

Changing curriculum to accommodate for computers isn't the best option either.

Some classes aren't especially translatable to online programs.

With math, for example, graphing and complex operations are better done on paper.

If answers need to be inputted into an online program, but you still need to show your work, then what's the point of the extra step?

And if students don't have to show their work, they risk making mistakes and the teacher can't see what the student did wrong.

I know these programs are used at Rockwood Valley, and I don't think it be in the interest of Lafayette students.

My last point involves the flipped classroom, something already present in some classes at Lafayette as part of an educational trend sweeping the country.

Flipping a classroom has good intentions by letting kids learn at their own pace, but it doesn't facilitate timely conversation that some students need.

It removes the option for discussion during a lesson, and if students have many questions, the teacher has to practically reteach the lesson to make sure the students understand. Seems unnecessary, doesn’t it?

Learning shouldn't be onesided, but computer-based teaching brings us one step closer to that reality.

What I'm trying to say is that technology does have a place in the classroom, but just because we have Chromebooks doesn't mean it should be forced into curriculum.

Innovative approaches to learning are always welcome, but when technology comes into play, it over complicates an already streamlined system.

Pen-and-paper, textbook-andteacher learning has worked fine up to this point.

Maybe kids need a break from all of this technology for once.

Teachers: don't confuse novelty with convenience because in technology's case, they aren't alike.

Photo

Opinion

by Clare Mulherin Reporter

If you could have any talent, what would it be?

| Ian Gordon, 9 | “I would want to sprint faster. I'm athletic and I just like sports.”

| Madeline Muse,10 | "I've always wanted to be

able to sing. I see all these people going on talent shows like American Idol.

I've always wanted to be able to do that."

|Sarah Agolia, 11 | “I want to be able to sing opera. I've always been interrested in that type of music and I'm a fan of the Phantom of the Opera.”

| Clayton Stoller, 12 |

| April Ehrhardt,

“Writing skill. Writing for me a form or creativity.

It lets all the thoughts in your head come together in ways you've never thought possible."

“To be able to laugh when I make mistakes dancing. I want to have a good sense of shumor like the dancers on Dancing with the Stars.

They’re able to laugh it off even when dancing with celebrities.”

Flex Resource |

4

Dog Days

|NEWS |

Feb. 23 2018

Hartley works to bring therapy dog to Gifted Office for stressed students Chloe Baker | Reporter Along with high school comes stress for many students, especially for those taking challenging courses.

On the De-Stress Days before exams that Lancers Helping Lancers hosts, support dogs from CHAMP Assistance dogs are brought in to help students relieve some of that stress.

Gifted counselor Paige Hartley is currently training a dog to come into Lafayette as a certified therapy dog. She is hoping to have a therapy dog in the Gifted Office to help calm students and staff that are stressed.

“I am seeing so much stress and so much anxiety. I am working on teaching mindfulness to some kids.

But with the overwhelming stress that so many kids are under, and the research proving that [dogs] help, it’s an easy and 100 percent proven way to help kids relax,” Hartley said.

Hartley bought Lucy, a golden retriever mix she hopes to bring in as a therapy dog, from senior Anthony Michaels.

Hartley is training her so she can be tested in order to come into her office by next school year.

In 2004, when Hartley taught at Crestview Middle School, she had a therapy dog for her students.

With the dog present, she was able to teach her kids about kindness, humane education and animal care.

While she had that dog, Hartley won the Missouri State Award for the Humane Teacher of the Year.

Two schools in the district, Rockwood Valley Middle School (RVMS) and Woerther Elementary School, have therapy dogs available for students.

RVMS counselor Jamie McHale brings Chip, a therapy dog that lives with her, to the counselor’s office.

McHale said ever since getting the dog, she has definitely seen kids relax and a clear shift in the atmosphere of her office.

“You can visibly see people’s

body language change in many cases when Chip is around. Just walking the halls with him, I hear kids and adults calling out ‘Chip!’ or ‘Hi, Chip!’

It has opened the door for many conversations with kids and adults who I might not otherwise have access to or who might not know how to approach me otherwise,” McHale said.

McHale fully supports having a touch-therapy dog in school settings.

She hopes Chip will continue to help students.

“When seated on the floor next to him, they often have their back to the rest of the room, and are eye-to-eye with Chip. It’s almost as if the chaos of their world stops for that brief time, and they can get the stillness they are seeking,” McHale said.

In order for Chip to come in, McHale had to certify him as a Touch Therapy dog, as well as obtain veterinarian approval.

RVMS also received liability insurance from Pet Partners.

While having Chip at RVMS is technically not covered under district policy, they were given special permission to bring him in.

While Hartley believes a therapy dog could be a good addition to Lafayette, it does raise certain concerns. For example, students that have an allergy might be put at risk.

According to the Rockwood School District Regulations, “Cats and dogs other than service dogs in the classroom should be limited to very brief and infrequent visits, if at all, and tied to student instruction or rewards. They can be triggers for many children with asthma and allergies.”

The district policy goes on to

photo courtesy of Paige Hartley

Gifted Education teacher Paige Hartley is currently training Lucy, a golden retriever mix to be a therapy dog for stressed students. You can follow her on Instagram at @lucythelancerdog and on Twitter at @LucyLancerdog. Hartley hopes to use social media to help spread awareness about Lucy. say that animals are a source of “allergens, asthma triggers, and microorganisms that can cause infectious diseases.”

Hartley said if she had a student with allergies that needed to meet with her, they could go to another room away from the dog. She also trusts that high schoolers will take responsibility for their allergies and be safe.

“There are plenty of solutions to [allergies] at the high school where the students are able to take a little more responsibility for avoiding allergens themselves,” Hartley said.

While allergies pose a potential issue for some students, fear is an issue for others.

Although the dog may be relaxing and help relieve the stress of some students, the source of anxiety for others could be the dog.

Principal Karen Calcaterra said, “Just like anything it would be a positive and a negative experience for people. There are people that don’t like dogs, and for them they would probably have anxiety about it and not want to be around a dog.

There are people who love dogs.”

It’s almost as if the chaos of their world stops for that brief time, and they can get the stillness they are seeking. | Jamie McHale, RVMS counselor |

Since therapy dogs are different than service dogs, they do not have the same protection under the American Disabilities Act (ADA).

Under Title II and Title III of the ADA emotional support animals, comfort animals and therapy dogs do not qualify as service animals.

The work of service dogs is directly related to a disability while therapy animals provide people with therapeutic contact and emotional support.

According to an article by the ADA, “Emotional support animals, therapy animals and companion animals are seldom allowed to accompany students in public schools. Indeed, the ADA does not contemplate the use of animals other than those meeting the definition of ‘service animal.’”

Despite this, research suggests that if a student is not allergic or afraid of dogs, they can be very beneficial in helping to relieve students of stress.

Junior Ashley Shaw spends a lot of time in the Gifted Office.

“I think having a therapy dog would be super helpful. Obviously high school is very stressful, and with all the success we have had with bringing in the dogs on De-stress Day, I think that having a dog [in the Gifted Office] that is accessible at any

time would be super beneficial for the mental health of our students,” Shaw said.

Senior Alyssa Hahn is in charge of De-Stress Days and has seen the positive effects of the dogs.

“Many times we get caught up in things that we haven’t done or need to do and it’s a pleasant surprise when you get to be in the moment and block out outside stress by participating in De-Stress Day and petting a therapy dog,” Hahn said.

Hartley hopes to bring Lucy into the building later this year and over the summer to train her so she is ready for the environment at school.

“She would definitely be trained and registered so that she could come in every day, and be a Lancer.

That is why I named her Lucy. But if they (district) were comfortable only having her in a couple days a week, then she would just do that. But it would be wonderful if she could just be here all the time and people would just know that she is here if they needed her,” Hartley said.

Lafayette administrators and the district are still deciding whether to let Lucy come to the school.

“I am willing to have conversations with students, staff and district officials to investigate it further. I am always open to learn more about it,” Calcaterra said.

Prescription and over-the-counter medications are safe when used correctly.

If misused, you can become addicted, experience medical complications or die from overdose.

Don’t become a drug abuser.

Don’t take medication if it’s not yours.

Feb. 23, 2018

Black History Month

Students, staff work to do more to acknowlege people of color

|NEWS | Addie Watson | Reporter The month of February is known as Black History Month. But, before it was celebrated as a month, it was only a week.

In 1915, minister Jesse E. Moorland, and Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), which is now known as the Association for the study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

Woodson, the son of former slaves, was the second African American to earn a PhD at Harvard University.

ASALH does research and promotes achievements from African Americans and those of African descent. In 1926, they dedicated the second week in February to celebrate National Negro History Week.

The second week in February was chosen in order to correspond with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

Soon afterwards, cities across the country began recognizing Negro History Week. By the late 1960s, the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, many people started becoming aware of the so-called “celebration of blackness.”

On many college campuses Negro History Week had become Black History month, and in 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month.

At Lafayette, facts are read over the announcements about African Americans and their achievements in order to recognize Black History Month.

This idea was brought up by sophomore Taji Israel-Cazembe, vice president of Black Student Union 4 All. “We are the ones that started that, just to educate about black culture because we don’t really feel like the history curriculum covers black culture,” president of BSU 4 All, junior

Kira Downing said.

Even though it is a good way to let students become aware of black culture, Downing also said, “I do feel like we could be more. Maybe implementing it into the history curriculum more would be a good start.”

Language Arts teacher, Nathan Willard, also thinks Lafayette could have a different approach to recognizing Black History Month.

“The facts are a start, but it seems to lack context. It doesn’t really explain the struggle that is going on,” Willard said. “I think it would be more impressive to do something more interactive of what was going on in the communities and people in those time periods. Maybe even do it chronologically.”

Willard went on to say how the school could talk about the issues of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1920s, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the civil rights movements that are going on today with Michael Brown and how it’s all a continuum.

“Rather than saying it like it’s isolated figures, see it as ongoing history,” Willard said.

During the month of February, Willard teaches about the Harlem Renaissance which he describes as, “pushing back against white supremacy and a lot of the other issues of the day that they were combating.”

Willard also said he makes the timing work so that after talking about the modernism of literature in the early 20th century, February is the month where he can talk more about the Harlem Renaissance and its impact in American Literature.

While talking about race and other controversial topics in the classroom, Willard has noticed that some students seem to get uncomfortable. Willard does not remember that sort of discomfort while growing up.

“No one here [in the class] owned slaves.

No one here was a slave. That all happened 150 years ago, but we can’t deny that sort of racial

Black history is American history. Black culture is American culture; it’s all connected. | Nathan Willard, language arts teacher |

5 issue is still haunting us and casting a shadow,” he said. “We don’t really look at our history and don’t really celebrate it, and I don’t mean it in a sense that ‘oh, let’s just celebrate black history’, no, let’s celebrate American history. Black history is American history. Black Culture is American culture; it’s all connected.”

Willard believes somewhere in history, whether it be because of education or our culture, there seemed to be a split and the world became “self” and “other.”

“It kind of bothers me that it has become separated in that way. Like looking at these writers and authors, from any race, or any religion, or any sort of group, there’s something to be celebrated about the way that they saw the world,” Willard said.

BSU 4 All is trying to help students overcome this feeling of discomfort while talking about race.

“We are also trying to have educated conversations about race [in BSU 4 All], and that can be tense sometimes, but so can having conversations about the past,” BSU 4 All sponsor and social studies teacher, Amy Merriott said.

Downing said in order to make it less tense, they are trying to educate themselves on history and what to say. They discuss how to have tough conversations in order to be accepting of others.

“If people see we are relaxed and that we know what we are talking about, hopefully they can feel the same way,” Downing said.

BSU 4 All is also celebrating black culture during this month.

“The other leaders and I were talking about having some sort of party on Thursday during the last week in February and having some snacks and stuff like that. Maybe just listen to music and chill,” Downing said.

Downing believes in the saying “Black History Month, every month”. She said black culture needs to be celebrated every month and not be ignored for the 11 months remaining in the year.

“We should still try to learn about Black History Month and our ancestors over all 12 months and not just in February,” she said.

6

|NEWS |

Feb. 23, 2018

Youth in Need, Rockwood partnership ends Jessica Cargill | Editor-in-Chief Ty Prozorowski| News Editor Following funding cuts, the Youth in Need program (YIN) is no longer partnered with Lafayette and the rest of the Rockwood School District starting this semester.

According to YIN’s website, “YIN is a nonprofit child and family services agency that is dedicated to building positive futures for the community’s most vulnerable children, teens and families.”

Lafayette’s former YIN therapist was Samuel Bethel.

Rockwood Executive Director of Student Services Terry Harris said, “Our YIN therapists are hired and trained by YIN. Rockwood School District created a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with YIN for therapeutic support.”

YIN operates in 12 school districts and has 37 therapists throughout those districts.

YIN Senior Director of Counseling Cara Merritt said, “Our funding comes from the Children’s Services Fund (CSF) for the services that we provided at Lafayette and the other three high schools.”

When YIN reapplied for funding, it received a $500,000 decrease over the next two years.

This is about a 10 percent cut.

“The CSF has less money to distribute to agencies, and all the agencies that we’re aware of had at least a 10-20 percent cut in mental health services that we were providing. YIN was one of them,” Merritt said. “There was nothing on our end that we did to lose the money. The money just wasn’t available for the CSF to give out at the same level that they had given it out in the past.”

YIN considered several aspects to determine how they could reduce the number of therapists to accommodate this decreased funding.

“The main factors that went into our decision is the amount of resources in the different districts that we’re in, and if we reduced our services, would there be other similar services that could be available,” Merritt said.

In some districts, such as Rockwood, it was determined similar resources would be available to replace the services YIN was providing.

“We technically downsized our counseling team by about five full-time therapists,” Merritt said.

“The other factor is we’ve only been in Rockwood for the last two school years, and we’ve been in other districts since 2010, so it was one of the newest districts that we started in,” Merritt said.

Other measures were taken to handle the cuts. YIN reduced its office space and eliminated an administrative assistant position.

“Across all the districts, we have decreased our time. So, in a district or a school where we were serving a school for five days, we decreased that to four days or three days,” Merritt said.

“Every district in the county and almost every school has had a reduction in services because of the funding cuts.”

YIN was aware of the cuts early last semester.

“Starting in October, we communicated that we wouldn’t return in January. Every student that was in services at that time individually talked with the therapist about whether they needed to continue in a therapy with somebody else, and if so, the therapist linked them with other resources, whether that was private practice for insurance, or another agency or our agency,” Merritt said.

Some students decided to visit the YIN office to continue counseling, while others were connected with the school guidance counselors or the school social worker.

Lafayette Social Worker Cindy Laudel doesn’t know for sure if the absence of YIN has led to more students meeting with her.

Laudel said, “I can say that for some of the kids I work with, who did see him (Bethel), I do notice that without that layer of support, there does seem to be some sort of help missing. There are some students where I feel without that resource, they are just missing that support that he gave.”

Laudel believes some students have had more trouble since their YIN therapy ended.

“I can’t ever say for certain if this happened because therapy stopped, but I can say some of the kids I work with are having struggles that concern me in a way that make me think if therapy were still there, would be struggling in that way,” she said.

The nature of counseling causes this uncertainty.

“It’s not an exact science. Counseling, help, therapy and support is all kind of based on the client and how they report things are going. No one has ever said specifically, ‘Now that I don’t have my therapist I’m dealing with this, this and this,’” Laudel said.

Every student that met with Bethel didn’t necessarily work with Laudel as well.

“His referrals were given to him by counselors, principals and nurses, so there could have been a situation that was referred to him that I never even met the student or knew the student,” Laudel said.

Sometimes, Laudel would refer one of her students to Bethel.

It’s disappointing to see a layer of support for students be removed.

Accessing therapy is difficult sometimes for people based on various situations. | Cindy Laudel, Social Worker|

“There were some students I worked with that I felt could benefit from the therapeutic piece that he could offer. Sometimes we would refer students out for that based on their ability to access therapy outside of school. If they couldn’t, I might have referred to him directly, but I would still keep that student to work with in regard to other issues” Laudel said.

Although Laudel and Bethel both helped students, they each provided unique services.

“There is a lot of overlap in what we do, but a lot of students will start with their counselor, and then I would be another layer of support after them, and then Mr. Bethel would have been another layer of support. He and I were sometimes on the same plane, but sometimes on planes side by side in the sense that I didn’t work with all of his kids, and he didn’t work will all of my kids,” Laudel said.

YIN also provided therapy to students, which Laudel and the school counselors can’t do.

“The counselors and I do a lot of crisis intervention, brief counseling, check-ins with students, follow up on situations, problem solving. I do a lot of listening,” Laudel said.

Laudel is dismayed that YIN and Bethel are no longer available at Lafayette.

“It’s disappointing to see a layer of support for students be removed. Accessing therapy is difficult sometimes for people based on various things. There’s cost and there’s time and there’s accessibility and then there’s finding somebody that you like and connect with, so having it at school made it for some a lot more manageable,” Laudel said.

Students who felt they resolved their issues ended therapy.

“For students that [Bethel] felt like did need to continue, he offered for them to see him at the Creve Coeur office,” Laudel said.

Multiple attempts to reach Bethel were made. He did not respond to requests for an interview.

|NEWS |

Feb. 23, 2018

7

Lost Opportunities to Do Good

Community Service dropped four years ago due to staffing availability; still exists at other schools Shwetha Sundarrajan | Reporter For several years, Lafayette had a class called Community Service where seniors could participate in a variety of service projects. The class was introduced in the early 1990s.

Retired Guidance Department Chair Marybeth Desloge was an LHS counselor when the class was introduced. She is back this semester filling in for counselor Sarah Hicks, who is on maternity leave.

Desloge said the course was designed for seniors interested in learning about and performing community service.

“Students were responsible for researching, selecting, developing, implementing, and assessing a community service project,” Desloge said. “In the class, students researched community needs and issues and were required to present the material researched in a variety of ways. Written and oral communication were an integral part of the course.”

However, four years ago, the course was removed from the course offering guide due to staffing issues.

“It just came down to staff available to teach it. At one point, we needed to make staffing decisions, based on the allotment of teachers that we had and classes available for them to teach,” Calcaterra said. “Whenever you have to make choices about what you can offer, you have to weigh a lot of options.”

Former Principal John Shaughnessy, who cut the program, said he made the choice when they need staff members to teach other classes because there were other community service opportunities for Lafayette students.

“Many clubs and sports were already doing community service activities on their own to

It just came down to staff available to teach it. At one point, we needed to make staffing decisions, based on the allotment of teachers that we had and classes available for them to teach. | Karen Calcaterra, principal |

support what they wanted to do,” Shaughnessy said.

“It was a decision that I didn’t want to do, but I knew that even without the class, students were going to be able to be involved in community service.”

Before its removal, the class was taught by various faculty members including most recently, business teacher Scott Beaver.

“It started off as a class that a full-time teacher needed a class to teach, and it kind of floated around. It was really a filler class. I was sad to see it go, because it was beneficial,” Beaver said.

Although the class was passed around among many teachers, Beaver, who taught the class for three years, said the class left a significant impact on students and the community.

“The biggest portion of the class was going out to the elementary schools and tutoring.

Students would read to kids and tutor them in math. I know they got a lot out of that, and I got a lot of emails from the elementary schools and the teachers about how beneficial it was,” Beaver said.

Throughout the years, the curriculum often changed, but retained its original purpose to provide students with the opportunity to serve their community.

“The curriculum was set up originally very loosely so that students generated projects.

I think it taught many things that were not

173 Long Road Next to Wildhorse Grill Chesterfield, MO 63005

(636) 536-HAIR (4247)

• Latest Styles & Trends • Colors / Highlights • Up Dos Yeah, we have stuff for guys, too . . .

15% Off Services

expressly written in the curriculum,” retired social studies teacher Susan Glenn said. “For example, empathy for others, organizational skills, a view of the world that exposed issues and concerns... over time, the curriculum was rewritten several times and I believe it was a more specific objective-driven class. When I taught it, the curriculum was not very specific.”

Glenn taught the Community Service class for about five years.

Desloge said the class was introduced to all four high schools, so that each school provided their seniors with the opportunity to participate in the community service class. The district wanted to have consistent opportunities among all the high schools.

Currently, only Marquette and Eureka High Schools offer a Community Service class.

“The district has a curriculum for the class, but the main thing we do is community

service projects around the school,” Alex Nelle, Marquette’s Community Service teacher said.

“We run blood drives in the fall and spring, do service projects, like volunteering at the 5 Acres Animal Shelter, delivering Thanksgiving meals to various schools in the St. Louis area, and we tutor at elementary schools.”

As for Rockwood Summit, the school has changed its service class to benefit students working on a biodiesel project.

Summit counselor Gerri Bollinger said,“This year, we didn’t have enough kids to do the Community Service class. One of our science teachers has got a deal with Monsanto to convert waste into fuel for our three biodiesel cars. Those kids are doing all this work after school, so they proposed to work on the project during the Community Service class hour. So only students involved in the biodiesel project can be in the class.”

In a time when high schoolers seek community service hours to put on their college resumes, many students, such as junior Anna Karner believe the Community Service class would greatly benefit them.

“It would be so helpful because I have a big calendar and I try to squeeze in my volunteer hours. It’s so hard because it’s never the same schedule when you’re volunteering. So if there was a way to do it that was scheduled and easier, I think more people would do it,” Karner said.

Others also see potential benefits of the class being offered.

Beaver said, “If students have never been in a club like Key Club or National Honor Society, then I don’t think they know the feeling you get from serving and how that helps the other person. Being able to teach students the importance of giving back is invaluable.”

8

Feb. 23, 2018

9

|COVER STORY|

"E-cigarettes appear to be safer than traditional forms of tobacco such as cigarettes in terms of lifelong cancer risk. However, this does not make them safe. Juuls are simply smaller versions of e-cigarettes. These are brand new products, so the public health field does not know about the specific health risks of juuls, but they are likely to be similar to other types of e-cigarettes. There is nothing in juuls that makes them any safer to use." - Dr. Douglas Luke, Director of the Center for Public Health Systems and Science at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Administration aims to educate students on e-cig use Travis Bodell | Opinions Editor

Accompanied by a friend, John* makes his way towards the restroom between 6th and 7th Hour.

He surveys the hall. There are no administrators in sight. The two enter, and after checking once more to make sure the coast is clear, John pulls a JUUL, a compact and portable e-cigarette, from his pocket.

The green light on the device flashes, signaling the device is charged and ready for use, and the pair switches off taking hits.

It wasn’t until the duo exited the bathrooms did they realize that an administrator had seen them, and at that moment, John knew what he had gotten himself into. “[The administrator] saw us at the perfect angle through the door, and it was over,” he said.

John, like any other student who is caught vaping or using an e-cigarette product on campus, was subjected to three days of ISS. “After the initial infraction, we usually go caseby-case,” Principal Karen Calcaterra said. “The three days of ISS is guaranteed, but we treat every case differently after that point.”

Before being caught, John had made it a habit to go to the bathroom and take a hit of his JUUL every day at lunch, and he was by no means the only one.

“I know a lot of kids that bring their JUULs and vapes to school,” John said.

The administrators, too, are aware that vape and e-cigarette products are being used on school grounds, specifically in the restrooms.

“Technically, there is no official practice in place in which we watch over the student restrooms,” Associate Principal Matt Irvin said. “With that being said, we realize it is a likely place for kids to be using these items to vape.”

Some teachers and faculty members do keep a closer eye on the restrooms for this reason. However, the extent to which they can monitor the restrooms is restricted.

“It’s just like how airports don’t have cameras in the restrooms.

There is that expectation of privacy with the Fourth Amendment

that applies to public places, including school,” Irvin said.

The need to monitor student activity during passing periods and lunch have increased in the past few years.

This can be attributed to the creation and widespread distribution of the JUUL, created by James Monsees and Adam Bowen. The device is small in size compared to standard e-cigarettes and other vape devices.

The vape juice is held within pods of varying flavors and holds about as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.

The JUUL website requires its buyers to be 21 years old, and buyers in St. Louis County must be 21 in order to purchase a vape or e-cigarette product.

Even then, there are loopholes in the system to where high school students can still get their hands on these products.

“I got my JUUL off of eBay at the end of last summer,” said John, who is only 17 years old.

In St. Charles County, the age to purchase a JUUL, and the pods (cartridge that holds the liquid nicotine) that come with them, is only 18.

“Kids who are 18 can drive out to St. Charles and buy JUULs and pods, come back and either keep it for themselves or sell it to kids who are even younger than they are,” School Resource Officer Jim McDonald said.

When underaged individuals are caught smoking or vaping on campus, discipline and punishment are handled entirely at the administrative level. Outside of school, underaged users are handled much differently by law enforcement.

“It depends on the officer, but generally we don’t charge minors with underaged tobacco or vape product usage,” McDonald said.

“If we see a cigarette or a vape, we can use that as probable cause to search the rest of the vehicle. Once we find additional paraphernalia, that's when that underage usage charge comes into place since it was what got the individual pulled over in the first place.”

Ordinance in St. Louis County regarding vaping, and the ambiguity of its nature, only further contributes to the difficulty in dealing with cases of underage use on a legal level.

“A minor can be in possession of a vape or e-cigarette outside of school, and as long as they don’t physically use it in front of an officer, they’re in the clear,” McDonald said.

For the administration, the focus is on education and monitoring of the situation rather than punishment.

“Education and dissuasion are like hand-inglove when it comes to this process,” Irvin said.

“We want students to have the knowledge and resources they need to make a healthy lifestyle decision.”

Students on their first on-campus vape usage infraction are required to complete an assignment on a specialized Google Classroom page while in ISS. The program includes a variety of media covering the health risks followed by a form in which the student reflects on their choices and what they have learned since then. This assignment has also been employed by Freshman Seminar classes.

“At some point, I’d like to work with our health teachers and incorporate this sort of activity into what they teach,” Irvin said.

In addition to student education, McDonald has been tasked by administrators, and now the district, to help adults better understand vaping. Teachers were informed on the different style of vape devices, the science behind how they work and the ways teens are concealing them.

These [JUULs] are really hard to detect. They look like flash drives. I didn't even know what JUULing was three months ago." | Officer Jim McDonald, School Resource Officer |

"Vaping is such a new thing that a lot of teachers don't know what to look out for," McDonald said.

For John, the experience of being caught had at least some sort of impact, but maybe not in the way that the ISS program and administration intended.

“I only vape out of school now,” John said. “The risk is too high because all of the staff know about [JUULs] now.”

School policy and discipline only have an impact when the underage usage occurs on campus, but this is not stopping the effort the administration, teachers and faculty are putting forward to educate the student body.

Irvin said, “My hope is that what [students] learn here will help them make a smart decision that will positively benefit their lives in the future.” *Editor's Note: the names in the stories have been changed to protect student identity and privacy.

Anatomy of a JUUL

20%

265 total students polled on @thelancerfeed Instagram

What's the Rule for JUUL?

The vape juice is heated up, then inhaled through the mouth piece.

The circle in the middle of the device flashes green when ready for use or red when charging is needed.

Of those polled, 20% of students own a JUUL or other vaping device.

Of those who do own and actively use a vaping device, 84% use theirs on school grounds.

84%

The JUUL is plugged in and charged at the bottom of the device's body via magnet.

93% of those polled know someone who uses a vape, e-cigarette or JUUL.

93%

The pen is portable and compact in size.

2% of those polled own and use a pen.

Cool Cucumber

Juice from the pod is stored here and can be seen through the clear plastic port.

The USB charger that comes with every JUUL makes the device convenient for on the go use.

Vape Pen

JUUL pods come in a variety of flavors to appeal to different users:

JUUL The JUUL is a modernized and increasingly convenient form of a pen.

87% use a JUUL.

Fruit Medley

Cool Mint

Creme Brulee

Mango

Virginia Tobacco

Classic Menthol

Vape Mod A mod is heavier than a pen, and has increasing battery life and voltage.

0% reported using a mod.

e-Cigarette

e-cig

The e-cigarette style resembles the shape and size of an actual cigarette.

11% of users polled use this style.

Teens fail to recognize negative health effects of vaping

A

Kayla Carpenter | Sports Editor

ll of Emma’s* friends had become vapers. They vaped and got buzzed together while she watched from the outside and yearned to be a part of their fun. Emma didn’t want to drift away from her friends, so she started using e-cigarettes too. Now, Emma vapes on a daily basis, usually outside of school with those friends.

It’s no secret: Emma isn’t the only student at LHS who vapes.

According to a 2015 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 15.5 percent of high school students around the country also vape.

Vaping with e-cigarettes has become a growing sensation among high school students who seek the buzz that nicotine provides.

One of the most prevalent e-cigs in high schools are JUULs. Known for their four inch tall structure and flash drive-like appearance, JUULs have become known as the iPhone of e-cigarettes and are the most common e-cigarette used by teenagers today.

“The JUUL is easy to hide. It’s easy to stash places, and it’s pretty convenient. Vapes are so big and the JUUL is so small,” Emma said.

In addition to their size, JUULs are different from other e-cigarettes because they use nicotine salts from the tobacco leaf instead of free base nicotine. Nicotine salts are able to make the satisfaction of the vapor similar to that of a real cigarette.

The JUUL Vapor company makes their product similar to real cigarettes because the original goal of the JUUL was to provide an alternative option for smokers and a tool to help them quit.

According to the JUUL Vapor company, “JUUL was designed with smokers in mind, [and] JUUL stands out as a genuinely satisfying vapor alternative for adult smokers.”

In addition to their convenient size, JUULs are also appealing to teenagers due to the sweetly flavored juices in the JUUL pods.

The JUUL Vapor company sells flavors such as mango, cool mint, Virginia tobacco, fruit medley and creme bruleé.

“Mango’s obviously the best. It tastes so good,” Emma said.

Users can buy a JUUL starter pack which contains one JUUL pen, a four pack of pods, a USB charger and a one year warranty for $49.99.

JUULs work by using a nichrome coil system to deliver the nicotine to users by converting liquid juice into a vapor which the user can inhale. JUULs do not contain tobacco; therefore, many

people think JUULs do not pose the health risks as cigarettes.

Dr. Douglas Luke, Director of the Center for Public Health Systems and Science at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, warns JUULs are just as dangerous as other e-cigarettes.

“JUULs are simply smaller versions of e-cigarettes. These are brand new products, so the public health field does not know about the specific health risks of JUULs, but they are likely to be similar to other types of e-cigarettes. As far as I know, there is nothing in JUULs that makes them any safer to use,” Luke said.

Although the specific health risks of JUULs are unknown, health professionals know the hot vapor in e-cigarettes is extremely dangerous to users. It has been found that the hotter a vaped liquid is, the harsher the effects are on the human body.

In a user’s mouth, the vapor can inflame mouth cells which can lead to gum disease and tooth loss. The high temperatures of the vapor can also inflame the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs which can cause wheezing, coughing and eventually bronchitis.

Additionally, a chemical called diacetyl which flavors the liquid in JUULs can lead to bronchiolitis obliterans or “popcorn lung” which scars the air sacs in the lungs and narrows a person’s airways. The symptoms of bronchiolitis obliterans are similar to those of bronchitis, but unlike bronchitis, bronchiolitis obliterans is permanent and never goes away.

“E-cigarettes appear to be safer than traditional, combustible forms of tobacco such as cigarettes in terms of lifelong cancer risk.

That is, e-cigarettes are less likely to lead to lung cancer. However, this does not make them safe,” Luke said. “E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. Nicotine exposure, along with other ingredients in e-cigarettes, can lead to addiction, priming for use of other addictive substances, reduced impulse control, cognitive deficits, and mood disorders.”

When someone uses an e-cigarette, the nicotine in the vapor is put into their bloodstream, and it quickly reaches the vaper’s brain where it releases a boost of adrenaline which accounts for buzz that hundreds of people seek. “[The buzz] is one of those things that you have to experience, but it’s like a warm feeling inside, and you kind of get disoriented in your head a little bit,” Emma said.

However, the buzz usually only lasts a few minutes, and it leaves the vaper feeling tired and wanting to feel the buzz again. A person’s body can build up a high tolerance to nicotine, so they’ll need to

vape more frequently to experience the effects of the nicotine. This constant cycle is what leads to nicotine addiction.

Addiction can cause withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, a depressed mood, restlessness and difficulty concentrating.

Luke says nicotine addiction is especially dangerous for teenagers due to their brain’s vulnerability.

“Habitual use of cigarettes and other tobacco products almost always begins during young adulthood,” Luke said. “Our brains are still developing until about the age of 25. So, both habits and addiction are occurring when the brain is still developing. Addiction by its very nature is hard to overcome, and young adults do not have the same cognitive and behavioral capacities that adults have.”

Although Emma vapes on a daily basis, she does not think she is actually addicted to the nicotine she gets from her JUUL. “I don’t think I’m genuinely addicted [to vaping]. I think I’m more addicted to doing it, just hitting it rather than the nicotine. It’s a habit more than an addiction,” Emma said.

As a young adult becomes increasingly addicted to nicotine, the harder it will be for them to quit and they will be at risk for more health complications.

Luke works at the Center for Public Health Systems Sciences as a health policy scientist. His job involves helping groups such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implement and study tobacco prevention policies that affect teenagers and help make it easier to quit using e-cigarettes.

For example, a policy that Luke has studied is one that restricts the flavoring of cigarettes and e-cigarettes to make products such as JUULs less attractive to teenagers, so more youths are encouraged to quit vaping.

Emma has only been vaping for one year, so she hasn’t yet attempted to quit, but sometimes, she thinks she should.

“I have not attempted [to quit]. There’s some days where I’m like ‘This is so stupid. Genuinely, it’s stupid. I should just stop. What’s the point of this?’, but I have not attempted,” Emma said.

As a health policy scientist, Luke’s work helps to prevent underage tobacco use, and he thinks that one of the most crucial parts of his job.

“As the saying goes, 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’” Luke said. “In tobacco control, that means it's easier and better to prevent a young person from starting to use tobacco products rather than treating them for addiction, heart disease, cancer, etc., later on in life.”

10

|FEATURE S |

Feb. 23, 2018

Llama-Rama

Wier family farm offers break from stress Alex Rozar | Reporter Most people aren’t around llamas on an everyday basis. But most people aren’t Joe Wier.

When he’s not working as a Lafayette science teacher, coaching two wrestling teams or running his family business selling wrestling gear, Wier helps out on his parents’ llama and alpaca farm.

Joe said, “I go over there a couple times a week and help move bales of hay and some grain for the animals.

It’s kind of a place the family can go to relax and work together.”

Joe likes being around the animals and sees working on the farm as a break from his busy life.

“I like the peace and quiet. I’m a busy, busy person with being a wrestling coach on two different levels, my kids are all over the board doing things, I have my own business.

It is nice and peaceful. I love going over there in the evenings and just hanging with the animals there,” Joe said.

Joe feels a sympathetic bond with the llamas, just like a dog or cat owner.

“They’re so quiet and so peaceful, and actually pretty appreciative in their own way. They’re not affectionate like dogs, but they’re very appreciative when you come, and they always come out to see you, and they’re really excited to get their grain and hay for the day,” he said.

Joe’s family also enjoys going to the farm.

“I like feeding them carrots,” Joe’s daughter, freshman Amy Wier said.

Every year, the family hires a man from Wisconsin to shear the animals.

“We have to take off their winter coats, or else they would die in the summer,” Joe said. “So we’re usually involved in that, and we’re involved in moving hay and grain this time of year.”

After shearing the llamas, Joe says, the wool and fiber is bagged and spun into yarn.

“Then [my mom] knits hats and things like that,” Joe said.

Joe said taking care of the llamas on his parents’ farm has been a good learning experience for his three children, Amy, Andrew and Ashley.

“It really gives them some activities to do together,” Joe said. “I know my youngest [Andrew] loves going to the farm because he really likes moving the hay and doing part of the work. It’s always great for a family to work together to accomplish a goal, which is to keep those animals around, and also to help out grandma.”

In 1981, when Joe was 10 years old, his mother, Julie Wier, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease, an often fatal cancer of the lymphatic system. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but Julie, her husband and their six children prepared for the worst.

“She was fighting it hard. It was a pretty rough situation for the whole family,” Joe said.

On the Catholic holiday of Epiphany, Jan. 6, 1983, a local priest, Father Roger Carbon from Carbondale, IL called Julie and asked if she was willing to keep two llamas, Jasper and Jethro, until later that spring.

“I said yes,” Julie said. “So, I called my husband and said, ‘on your way home, stop and get some rolled fencing and T-Posts, we’re getting two llamas at 6 o’clock.’ And he did.”

The Wiers cared for Jasper and Jethro for the next five months, until Julie became very sick in May of 1983. Doctors gave her only six months to live.

“So I phoned Roger and said, ‘I can’t take care of six kids and two llamas.’ So he came and got the llamas,” Julie said.

However, during her treatment, Jasper and Jethro remained on her mind.

“The whole time I was receiving treatment, chemotherapy and radiation, I missed the llamas because they’re very compassionate animals, and they seem to sense when you are sad. They comfort you,” Julie said.

Despite the odds, Julie fought the cancer and went into remission. She then bought a llama which she named Gus. “After that, we pretty much got rid of every other animal and just started

photos courtesy of Julie Wier

Julie Wier stands with her llamas at her family farm, Wier World Llamas & Alpacas, in Rockwood Reservation. having llamas and alpacas,” Joe said.

“At one point, she had as many as 180 llamas and alpacas.”

Since becoming cancer-free, Julie has devoted her life to helping llamas and alpacas. For many years, she ran the Southwest Illinois Llama Rescue.

“My mom was in charge of that for many years,” Joe said. “She would go all over the country. She had a 400500 mile radius that she would rescue animals that had been either abused or maybe somebody just couldn’t take care of them anymore.”

After rescuing a llama, Julie would take care of it until another owner would take it from her. During her time running the Southwest Illinois Llama Rescue, the majority of Julie’s llamas were rescues.

“She would house them and take

care of them for a long time,” Joe said.

Eight years ago, Julie also began adopting alpacas.

“Alpacas are a bit smaller. They’re not quite as hardy or strong as llamas,” Joe said.

Julie and her husband now live in a farmhouse in Rockwood Reservation, which is the only house in the area. They keep between 10 and 15 llamas and alpacas.

“My mom and dad both live there, but my dad travels a lot. He still works,” Joe said.

Julie teaches about llamas and alpacas at her farm, now named Wier World Llamas & Alpacas. She also teaches wool spinning classes in the area and is frequently at arts and craft shows.

11

|FEATURES|

Feb. 23, 2018

Staying busy over Spring Break Grace Kirtley | Reporter

Day-by-day break activities ak S

ts tar

9

11

Bre

SEC Men’s Basketball SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament Tournament National Promposal National Meatball Day Day Daylight Savings SEC Men’s Basketball Time SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament Tournament International Women’s National Mario Day Day

8

10 13 15 12 14 17 19 16 18 Mid-States High Blues vs. Colorado School Hockey Avalanche Tournament National Kansas Day National Good National Plant a Samaritan Day P!NK Concert Flower Day National Pi Day National Napping National Potato Chip Day Day

photo courtesy of Rohith Riyali

Freshman Rohith Ryali (left) and Soham Saraf and pose with Missouri’s second place Science Bowl trophy they won last spring when competing as Crestview 8th Graders.

Science Olympiad Team to debut in competition alternate and a teacher as an adviser and coach.

Freshman Rohith Ryali has participated in this competition for the past three years and he has won a second place title and two third places with his previous teams.

Riyali hopes the rookie team this year makes the top three in Missouri and make it to Nationals in Washington D.C. The team consists of senior Rohan Bohra, junior Jonathan Ebenezer, sophomores Kshitij Sinha, Kevin Qi and freshman Rohith Riyali.

Spring Break Binge Fest

ool

Blues vs. New York National Let’s Rangers Laugh Day St. Patrick’s Day National Chocolate National Corn dog Caramel Day Day National Freedom of National Awkward Information Day Moments Day National Panda Day

rts Sta

March 9-10 will mark the Science Olympiad Team’s first participation in the National Science Bowl competition in Overland Park, KS. The nationwide academic competition tests students on different subjects including earth science, chemistry, biology, physics, energy and math.

The competition is a face-off in a fast-paced “question and answer” format in which any of the five players can answer questions.

Each team consists of five students, one an

S ch

Vacation destinations recovering after hurricanes St. Martin Island

Which show will you settle in to watch during the 11 days off of school?

British Virgin Islands

THE FLASH

6%

FRIENDS

Gulf of Mexico

Caribbean Island of Roseau

40%

52 people polled on @thelancerfeed Twitter

23%

A

THE OFFICE

31% GREY’S ANATOMY

lthough 2017 was not the deadliest hurricane season in the U.S., it was the second costliest since 1900 according to Time magazine.

Most of the East Coast in North America was hit by the hurricanes, but most areas have recovered from the damage and are safe to visit.

The worst hit area was Puerto Rico where many people still lack food, supplies, water and/or electricity. The Dominican Republic, however, has mostly recovered from the and is

open to spring break vacationers. Also, many islands are accessible this season, including St. Kitts, Bahamas, Haiti, Martinique, Antigua, St. Lucia and Aruba.

Donations are still being taken from many organizations to aid the impacted areas, including the Red Cross and The Central Emergency Response Fund.

Before travelling, double check the safety of the destination and the forecast of what weather may come.

12

|FEATURE S |

Feb. 23, 2018

Leaving the past behind

Senior goes through process of changing name to strengthen bond with his stepfather Natalie Karlsson | Asst. Web Editor

Your name is your identity. It’s on your license, your diploma, your birth certificate, your school records. It’s everything.

But what if that name doesn’t really represent who you are, on the inside and outside?

Senior Nick Dygert, formerly known as Nick Colvin, was in that situation and is now in the middle of making his name truly represent who he says he is.

Dygert started the process of changing his last name on his 18th birthday.

For Dygert, changing his last name from his birth name to his stepfather’s last name was an obvious choice.

“I changed my name because I wanted to pay respect to my stepdad.

He was the only real father figure in my life,” Nick said.

Changing his name was not a difficult decision to make because of his turbulent past with his biological father.

“My stepdad was the one who raised me, ever since I was 3 years old,” Nick said. “He shaped me into the person I am today and encouraged me to follow my dreams.

Now, I’m a part of a new family tree.”

In order for someone to legally change their last name on their own, the person must be at least 18 years old.

Anyone under the age of 18 must have signed consent from both biological parents.

In Nick’s case, his biological father chose not to sign off, so Nick had to wait until this year to get the process started.

To legally change one’s last name, the Missouri Circuit Court needs a proof of residency, a birth certificate, proof the name change will not harm anyone, the name of one’s biological parents, why the name change is necessary, their current name and what they would like to change it to.

For Dygert, all of this paperwork was done by his lawyer.

“The name change process was relatively easy since I hired a lawyer to help with the process,” Candy, Nick’s mom, said.

I want to pay respect to my stepdad. He was the father figure in my life. | Nick Dygert, 12 | “Nick had to fill out paperwork explaining the reason for his name change and the new name he was requesting. That paperwork was filed with the court and a hearing was set in front of a judge,” she explained.

The process of changing Dygert’s name is still underway and involves a lot of paperwork and patience.

“Just all the work afterwards was overwhelming. You have to change everything-your birth certificate, your social security, everything about you has to be changed,” Nick said. “It was actually kind of scary because I had to go to court for two hours, and they make you swear under oath. You can’t change your name to hide from people, which is obviously not my intention.”

Dygert’s mother, Candy, and his stepfather, Jim, have been with him every step of the way.

“Nick approached me a long time ago [about changing his name], but knowing that his biological father wouldn’t agree, it was in our best interest to wait until he turned 18 to avoid any conflict,” Candy said.

She added, “I do understand why the law wants both parents to agree to a name change if the child is under 18.”

Candy believes the parents in a child’s life should have all the credit.

“When you have one parent that doesn’t want to be part of your child’s life by choice, then I feel you should be able to change the child’s

photo courtesy of Nick Dygert

Jimmy, Candy, Jim and Nick Dygert gather this past Christmas at his step-grandmother’s house. Jimmy is Nick’s half-brother.

After the judge approved of the name change, Nick became one step closer to officially becoming a Dygert. “The process was very long,” he said. “ I just wish I didn’t have to go through all the work and just get my name changed.” name, so they feel included in their new family,” Candy said. “Especially when half siblings are involved, and they are the only one with a ‘different’ name from the whole family.”

Dygert’s mother has also been supportive of leaving his biological father behind and in the past, especially around his graduation this upcoming May, and having the chance to have his step-father’s last name on his diploma.

“Nick has always said that his biological father has never done anything for him, so he will not take credit for any of his success in life, even something as small as his high school graduation. He will not have his biological father’s last name on his diploma,” Candy said.

The judge approved of the decision after hearing the circumstances. As soon as they could, the family went to start the case. All the family has to do now is change

Nick’s birth certificate.

“On Nov. 30, Nick’s 18 birthday, we drove to the lawyer’s and started the process,” Candy said. “[Nick] now has to wait until he is emancipated with the courts, which happens when he graduates high school. We plan on doing that at his graduation party.”

Although his official school record in Infinite Campus lists him as Dygert, getting people to make the change is harder because of habit.

“All my friends call me by my old last name. I don’t think that they’re going to change because they’ve known me for years and they’re still going to call me Colvin,” Nick said.

“But for the people that I don’t know as much, they’ll call me Dygert.”

However, Dygert has had the opportunity to reveal his new name before the legal process started.

“I model and act a little bit, and I actually have a ‘stage name,’” which is Nick Dygert, my new name,” he said.

“I did that because I believed that my father under the name Colvin didn’t deserve any credibility for my work.

He doesn’t deserve any recognition he gets through me. In my eyes, he’s a stranger.”

Nick’s stepdad, Jim, is more than happy with the decision to change his last name.

“The first word that comes to mind is ‘proud’. I’ve raised Nick since he was three years old and for me it’s never been about blood. It’s always been about character and honor,” he said.

Raising Nick has been a great experience for his stepdad, but not just because of how long he’s been doing it.

Jim said, “I could not be more proud of the young man that Nick has turned into, and I am truly humbled that he feels I did a good enough job as a parent that he would want to share my last name.”

Feb. 23, 2018

|ADS|

13

14

|SPORT S |

Feb. 23, 2018

Students train, excel in winter Olympic sports

T

Jasmin Kim | Reporter

Hinton will race this weekend in Wisconsin.

Synchronized Skating

he Olympics is a dream stage for all athletes. There is no better dream come true for an athlete than to stand on the top of the podium with a gold medal in his or her hands while the winning athlete’s national anthem rings through the stadium.

The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea wraps up this week and then athletes around the world will begin training for the next Olympic games.

The journey to the Olympics often starts very early. Athletes need a serious amount of practice before they can participate in this globally prestigious event.

At Lafayette, there are several students who play sports that are represented at the Olympics.

They may not be star Olympic athletes yet, but they all possess the same passion for sports as Olympic athletes do.

Ice Hockey reports that ice hockey attracts the most American viewers out of all the Winter Olympic sports.

Sophomore Josh Hansen plays for Lafayette’s Ice Hockey Club. His hockey career started at a young age when his dad first introduced him to the sport.

“I’m a center. I was probably 4 or 5 years old when I was on a team. My dad got me on skates, and I liked it. I liked watching it,” Hansen said.

His favorite memory from hockey was when he played a critical role in winning a game for his team.

This memory has stayed with him through his high school years.

“When I was 8, I scored a game-winning goal for State,” Hansen said.

In high school, Hansen follows a rigorous practice plan.

“For practices, we do skating. For conditioning, we do stick handling and work on our hands. All five days, we have to work out.

That’s with every sport. You just have to get better in general,” Hansen said.

Hansen sees many benefits to participation in ice hockey.

“It made me more athletic and gave me something to do and stay out of trouble,” Hansen said.

As the Olympics season was on, Hansen anticipated watching the games. He was excited to discover lesser-known skaters. “[The Olympics] are so cool. It gives more

photos courtesy of Sophia Miltenberger and Jacob Hinton

(Left) Sophia Miltenberger skates with her team in Wichita, KS, at the Midwestern Sectionals. (Right) Jacob Hinton skis down the NASTAR giant slalom race course at Hidden Valley. people a chance to be known and get better,” Hansen said.

Luge Luge first appeared in the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics. Despite its later arrival to the Olympics, the rooted tradition of the sport can be traced back to 16th century Switzerland.

Junior Mark Anderson tried luge when he was 15. It was a thrilling experience for him.

“My dad’s company sponsors the USA luge, and he got the opportunity to do the luge fantasy camp. My dad and I went up to the Olympic Training center in Lake Placid, NY,” he said.

USA Luge Fantasy Camp is a weekend event run by former Olympic medalists, Gordy Sheer and Chris Thorpe. Participants get a firsthand experience with luge during the camp.

For Anderson, luge was different from any sport he had been exposed to.

In the sport, the player glides through the ice track lying flat on the sled at a very high rate of speed.

“It’s like bobsleigh, but you are lying down on your back with your feet going forward [and] going down on the ice track,” Anderson said.

He said the speed was the most memorable thing about luge.

“It goes pretty fast. It’s fun. [The best thing about luge] is the speed [and] just the thought

about going fast,” Anderson said.

Skiing Skiing is one of the classic sports of the Winter Olympics. It appeared in the first 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France.

Sophomore Jacob Hinton skis at Hidden Valley.

“I’m a ski racer. I started skiing probably when I was around 7 or 8. My dad [introduced me to skiing]. He didn’t do ski racing, but he enjoyed skiing,” Hinton said.

During the winter season, Hinton goes through intense training to prepare him for the competition. These trainings and rules resemble those of the real Olympic games.

“We go down a course with gates that we have to go around. These gates stick in the ground. You have to ski around them like in the Olympics,” Hinton said.

Hinton reaped many benefits from skiing.

It keeps him physically fit through its rigorous activities.

“It has definitely impacted my other physical activities, like swimming and tennis and it’s fun,” Hinton said. “And, it’s a good form of exercise,” Hinton said.

As a skier, Hinton will be tuned in to the Winter Olympics.

“I’m excited to see it. It’s fun to watch other skiers,” Hinton said.

Freshman Sophia Miltenberger is a synchronized figure skater.

Even though synchronized figure skating is not yet officially recognized as an Olympic sport, there are about 600 registered teams in America, according to the U.S. Figure Skating’s website.

Miltenberger started skating when she was 7. She did not initially go into skating with the intention of competition.

“I didn’t really start competing until I was eight. I first tried synchronized skating in Jefferson City at the Washington Park Ice Arena. I went there for a school trip with some of my friends. I really liked it and asked my mom if I could take lessons,” Miltenberger said.

Although synchronized skating resembles figure skating in appearance, it follows different rules than regular figure skating.

Synchronized skating requires a teamwork of multiple skaters.

“There are 16 girls on the ice. Usually, you are linked up. There are jumps and spins in it. It’s a lot like figure skating, but also a lot different from figure skating,” she said.

She also said she gained many valuable lessons from participating in the sport.

“It really teaches me a lot more than other sports. It teaches me teamwork [and] how to work for something,” Miltenberger said.

“On my team, there are 20 girls, but only 16 compete at the competition. Sometimes, you don’t get the chance to skate and compete with them. It’s something you have to work for,” she added.

Miltenberger said last year was the most memorable time of her skating career so far due to her team’s accomplishments.

“Last year, I was an alternate, so I skated half the time. This girl got sick the day of the competition, so they had me go in her spot. I’ve never been so nervous in my life, but I pulled it off. We placed third out of 20 teams at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in North Dakota,” Miltenberger said.

Miltenberger is excited to watch other skaters perform in the Winter Olympics, but said she hopes synchronized skating will be with other sports in the next Olympics.

Miltenberger said, “I think the [Olympics] are really cool. I just wish they would have synchronized ice skating, but I will still watch it.”

-additional reporting by Shelby Darnell

JOB OPPORTUNITIES NOW HIRING FOR SUMMER 2018!

JOB OPPORTUNITIES NOW HIRING FOR SUMMER 2018!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

(314) PRO-POOL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

(314) PRO-POOL www.swimpropool.com

www.swimpropool.com

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisement.

15

|SPORTS|

Feb. 23, 2018

Setting the bar for success

McCool builds on strengths, works on weaknesses for future competitions Carson Luther | Reporter Junior Connor McCool, a Level 10 gymnast, and current National Champion in Floor, has been competing and practicing since he was two years old. He practices five days a week, for about five hours per practice. His strongest events are floor and vault.

Connor started gymnastics because of his mom and his siblings, and continues to train due to the influence of Sam Mikulak, a professional gymnast who is a seven-time NCAA gymnastics champion.

“Sam Mikulak is the best U.S. gymnast in a while,” Connor said.

Barbara McCool, Connor’s mother, said she feels like winning Nationals for floor would be the obvious accomplishment that she is proud of Connor for. He pushes himself as far as skills such as working on an elite level vault and working on a quad twist.

Connor’s most prideful moment was becoming the 2016 National Floor Champion.

Barbara said, “I am proud of how he is as a competitor. He has to be willing to look at a competition season practically. He always shows up ready to get in there and compete.”

Conner’s coaches, Mike Filla and Donny Spradling, have been with Connor for five years ever since he first moved to St. Louis.

Spradling said, “Connor has always had a strong desire for knowledge to the sport.”

Barbara believes that Connor has put forth a large amount of effort, and none of his siblings took interest to the level he has.

“The hardest thing for me was moving here in 2013 or 2014, when I was not as good of a gymnast, and I had to catch up and be competitive. It probably took me a year or two to reach the same level as my teammates and compete with other gymnasts,” Connor said.

One of the hardest things for the family to do was to go on a family vacation. Trying to get away for a weekend or for Spring Break is nearly impossible with family’s schedule.

“I like to think of the training and competing as such a small portion of our entire lives,

photo courtesy of Connor McCool

Connor McCool, junior, performs a scissor, in order to get into the circle rings of the pommel horse.

The pommel horse is traditionally used by male gymnasts, and yields a new set of skills unlike other events. leaving plenty of time to travel and go on vacations,” Barbara said.

Every year, there is typically one local competition, Meet Me in St. Louis, hosted by St. Louis Gym Centre. Teams from Alabama, Indiana, Oklahoma and other surrounding areas compete. However, McCool’s toughest competitors are from Texas and Kansas.

Although there is only one local competition per year, Connor frequently competes in other areas of the nation.

“I compete eight to nine times a year, and from December through May, at Nationals,” Connor said. “I usually compete every other weekend.”

Connor competes quite often, but he doesn’t get burnt out because of his passion.

“The thing that keeps me in gymnastics is the fact that I love it. It’s all I like to do. Since I grew up in it, it’s second nature to me,” he said.

Boys gymnastics isn’t close to girls

NOW HIRING Are you an enthusiastic, friendly individual looking for a fun fast paced work environment?

We offer a flexible schedule to work around school and activities with shifts beginning at 6 p.m.

Apply today!

gymnastics as far as popularity and attention goes.

“In girls gymnastics, it really matters a lot more. There are over 100 NCAA girls teams, but only 15 for boys, and boys don’t have the same events, like balance beam, because no one really cares or notices.” Connor said.

Even with a little showing in comparison to other sports, Connor does plan to further compete after high school.

“I would definitely compete in college, and depending on how I do there, I would like to continue on later in life,” Connor said.

Spradling said with Connor’s talent and drive for gymnastics, he will excel in two or three events at the collegiate level. He has been Connor’s coach for the past five years. To Spradling, Connor has always been an extremely talented athlete and has a strong desire to learn and improve upon his skills. “[Coach Spradling] told me he feels like

Connor has to coach himself because he has never coached someone with this level of difficulty in his routines,” Barbara said.

“And when the time comes for Connor to compete in college, [our family] will support his pursuit of the sport.”

Before competitions or a stunt, a gymnast needs to prepare himself for what is to come, and what he has to do. This is one of Connor’s favorite parts of competing.

Connor said, “A lot of people can’t think about [the stunt] and just have to tell themselves just do it how they know. I thrive off of telling myself what I need to do, to do each skill correctly and remind myself what I need to hit or land. I like to calm myself down and just go through every step of what I need to do for that routine.”

When learning and training, every change or tweak will make the athlete nervous, but Connor has learned to overcome this fear.

“If you have never done anything like it, it’s freaky. Going over the bar for the first time and just thinking about landing on it or doing something you have never tried before. Not knowing what to expect from it is scary because you just have to wing it.” Connor said.

What’s It Going To Be? The Boy vs. Girl Undefined Improv Show March 2nd 3:30 p.m. for $3 or 7 p.m. for $5

The 7 p.m. show will be revealing the gender of Mrs. Fischer’s baby!

Seniors!

Check your Rockwood email!

It’s time to fill out an Activities Form for the Yearbook and vote for Superlatives and turn in your info for the Senior Mag! Google Forms must be submitted online by March 2.

Feb. 23, 2018 | Page 16

| E N C O R E | Amisha Paul | Asst. Editor-in-Chief

Abby Karandjeff| Reporter Gehrig Prozorowski | Feature Editor

NEVER have I

EVER Kids everywhere play the game ‘Never Have I Ever,’ but what are some of the strangest things some Lancers have never done . . .

Wyatt Kurtz, 12 Never have I ever . . . been to Build-a-Bear.

Nicole Lawson, 11 Never have I ever... been to the Arch.

Will Gerretsen, 12 Never have I ever... had soda.

Emily Arciszewski ,12 Never have I ever... been to a party.

Joe Quick, 11 Never have I ever... seen a Harry Potter movie.

Jacqueline Jansen, 11 Never have I ever... eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Savanah Presson, 10 Never have I ever... been to Hidden Valley. Shree Samavedhi, 11 Never have I ever... cried in ALARP. Kailey Kantouth, 12 Never have I ever... been baptized. David Choate, Language Arts Never have I ever... learned how to ride a bike.

Latesha Scott, 11 Never have I ever... ice skated.

Chris Settle, 11 Never have I ever... seen an R-rated movie. Lauren Liggins, 10 Never have I ever... been to a basketball game.

Sarah Collins, 11 Never have I ever... traveled outside of the U.S. Clara Tarpey, 12 Never have I ever... been to Chicago. Sakura Warren, 11 Never have I ever... been to a concert. Ryan Oberlin, 12 Never have I ever... been on an escalator.

Faith Woytus, 9 Never have I ever... been to Chipotle. Katie Barefield, 10 Never have I ever... had fast food. Noah Korenfeld, 11 Never have I ever... been to a wedding.

Vito Lin, 11 Never have I ever... vaped. Jordyn Terry, 12 Never have I ever... eaten pork. Shruthi Sangameswaran, 12 Never have I ever... had beef.

Joseph Lu, 11 Never have I ever... kissed someone.

Jackson Van Iwaarden, 12 Never have I ever... been to a Blues game. Erin Thorley, 9 Never have I ever... been to Starbucks. Julia Behlmann, 11 Never have I ever... seen The Matrix.

Elvis Wei, 11 Never have I ever... watched Star Wars. Kelli Rinkenberger, 11 Never have I ever... had my ears pierced.