Central High Times - Volume 111, Issue 3 - Spring 2025

IN THIS ISSUE . . .

ADVISER Kori O’Dell

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lucy Caplinger PAGE DESIGNERS

Emma Lewis & Reese Wood

ASSISTANT PAGE DESIGNS

Dhruti Bandaru, Cooper Lawson, Abbott Schmidt & Malachi Wright

COPY EDITORS

Sarah Greene, Jack Herr & Jack Wegrzyn

ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR

Ari Abbott & Grant Pickett

SENIOR REPORTER Nathaniel Hunter

REPORTERS

Ariana Abbott, Dhruti Bandaru, Nadia Finan, Audrey Gao, Cooper Lawson, Grant Pickett, Abbott Schmidt, Dane Scholz & Malachi Wright

THE CHT Volume 111 Issue 3 CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 423 E. Central St., Springfield, MO 65802

CONTACT keodell@spsmail.org FONT FAMILIES Function, Century PUBLISHER Jostens Publishing

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Central High Times is a student-produced publication of the Central High School journalism department. The staff and adviser strive to create an open forum for students and teachers. We take resposibility for accuracy and fairness and for work to be unbiased and responsive to the needs of readers in order to encourage the submission of readers’ ideas. We promise to practice honesty, to run the paper as a business and to avoid printing material that is legally considered obscene, libelous or private.

COVER

Donovan Martin (11) dribbles the basketball at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.

Photo by Emma Gugliotta.

Downfall

Schmidt

SPS Budget Cuts

C. Lawson

LETTER TO THE EDITOR POLICY

The Central High Times encourages the submission of ideas or comments from readers. Letters to the Editor must contain no more than 150 words. Letter to the Editor submissions should be typed, printed, signed and delivered to Central High School’s journalism office (room 024) or sent to keodell@spsmail. org with the subject line “Letter to the CHT Editor.” The Central High Times reserves the right to edit submissions for grammatical and spelling errors and for space limitations.

ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIP POLICY

The Central High Times has the right to accept, reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. Advertising will not contain any statements, illustrations or implications offensive to good taste or public decency based on the opinion of the Central High Times staff (i.e. any content containing anything racist, sexist or illegal for high school students or violates journalistic principles). Advertisements accepted by the Central High Times staff are not an endorsement from the staff, adviser, administration or Springfield Public Schools District. Advertisements should refrain from attacking competitors unfairly or disparaging their products, services or methods of doing business. If your organization would like to advertise in the Central High Times, or if you would like to provide a financial sponsorship for the Central High Times, please contact the adviser, Kori O’Dell, at keodell@spsmail.org. Sponsorships begins at $25 per year, advertising pricing begins at $50 per issue, and all money raised goes toward our printing budget.

D. Bandaru

Armando

G. Pickett

Tiktok Ban

D. Bandaru

THE EDITOR LETTER FROM

Every year of high school I have had different classes–my schedule has been full of new teachers and intimidating coursework. School is stressful, especially as someone who is a part of honors IB classes. Having a constant is important. For me, that has been the library

This has been true for a long time–libraries have provided an environment that is quiet and full of knowledge. Whatever you are looking for, whether that be knowledge or focus, you can probably find that in the library.

My relationship with reading has not always been quite so sentimental. A fun fact about me: I did not finish a chapter book, of my own volition, until seventh grade.

I had just always been a sort of slow reader and I did not understand the appeal. Reading had always been a school sanctioned activity and I did not know that there were books of every genre. Something for every reader.

I am not the only Central student who relies on not only the library but the librarians inside of it. As an IB student I have been thrust into IB classes that require Internal Assessments (IA’s) in order to complete my IB tests.

These IA’s require loads of research outside of class, including primary sources and non-digital ones at that.

To have these resources

available and at the ready during school hours is simply a gift. Being a student is hard, but to have such incredible tools makes it that much easier.

The only reason we have these resources–and know how to use them is because of our librarians.

There have been so many times where I was looking for a specific book and Mrs. Morris pointed me not only directly to it but to similar titles that may also be useful.

One of my favorite parts of the library is the camaraderie it brings.

To be in a room full of other people who are also (maybe) failing chemistry, or are also super behind on the Global Politics IA–creates this silent bond that confirms we are peers.

The library not only provides physical resources like books, but also an atmosphere that inspires you to learn. I have spent countless hours in the Glass Classroom recording videos for my Intro to Speech class or studying at the circle tables for U.S. History tests.

The library is not only a room of shelves–it is a spawn point (LOL, Minecraft) for community and collaboration–our Central library hosts the counselors when they are doing class schedules and the IB ambassadors for their lunches. It houses the frantic juniors as they pick their EE topics and journalists, like myself, that need a designated zone to lock in.

Our library also supports us in other

ways. Mrs. Morris sponsors Archive Club, a task-based club that is dedicated to cataloging all of Central’s old yearbooks, playbills, magazines and fliers. Alongside that, the Archive club helps the librarians keep the library in shape by organizing books or dusting shelves.

I also know that, with the help of the Archive Club, our librarians create informational slideshows that coincide with whatever month it is. These could be the upcoming Gateway nominees or facts about Black History Month. Our library and our librarians want you to learn, want to help you access knowledge that will help you not only in class but in the real world too.

Our librarians do not only check books in and out–they foster communication and create relationships with the CHS population. They put an incredible amount of time and energy into making our library a space that aids creativity and cultivates creation.

It is easy to take things for granted–do not let our librarians be one of them. Take advantage of the resources at your fingertips but make sure that you show appreciation for them as well. I urge you to go to the library, check out a book, and learn something new.

Yours,

Tables for working students in the Central High School Library. Photo by Lucy Caplinger.

Editor-In-Chief Lucy Caplinger, alongside librarians Sarah Gugliotta and Emily Morris. Photo by Finley Loethen.

The New Books shelf, allowing students to explore the latest materials in the library. Photo by Lucy Caplinger.

COOPER LAWSON REPORTER

With stimulus checks provided during COVID wearing off as the pandemic era comes to a close, Central and SPS have been presented with an issue; funding. When presented with this issue, many departments within SPS have taken a hit. Coming into 2025, plenty of job positions are compromised with the district cutting more than ten million dollars.

“Some savings will be gained by reducing costs related to purchased services, supplies, maintenance, etc. However, roughly 80% of the district’s operating budget is allocated to employee salary and benefits,” the message to staff reads. “Achieving the savings necessary will require reducing positions. While partial savings may be achieved through attrition as employees retire or resign, it is necessary to eliminate some positions at all levels, including administration, departments and schools.”

Many other positions are also being hit with attrition, the idea that, if someone voluntarily leaves their job, they will not be replaced and their job position will be phased out. The district is incentivizing attrition by providing $1,500 to anyone who lets the district know they are quitting ahead of time.

“Although you might see a cut, most of the educators here will have a place to land if they so choose,” Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “They have an opportunity to move to another position in the district.”

Many students and parents have said that the district spent the stimulus check from COVID irresponsibly, and argue that the staff in SPS have to take the fall now.

“They have spent so much money on unnecessary stuff, like a new logo that looks near identical to another company,” Richard VanAntwerp (10) said. “And they’re holding millions in unspent COVID relief funds.”

Superintendent Lathan has made multiple statements regarding the budget cuts, as well as explaining how

ON A BUDGET

HOW BUDGET CUTS ARE RESHAPING OUR DISTRICT

they will improve, and the purpose behind their actions with the layoffs and budget cuts.

“Long-term fiscal stability is a focus of our strategic plan and is key to the district’s ability to continue to provide quality learning opportunities for students,” Superintendent Lathan said. “Over the past few years, steady state and local funding, a healthy fund balance and federal stimulus money have provided the resources necessary to address our needs. However, anticipated funding shortfalls due to the end of ESSER stimulus funds and a reduction of local and state revenue will require SPS to maximize efficiencies and carefully consider all expenditures over the next few years.”

Some students have formed their own opinions on the matter, and many opt to side against the district regarding their policies on job cuts and attrition. Many students have also been affected by the incoming absence of staff.

“The budget cuts are absolutely horrible. They’ve made it so even if we do make it to nationals in debate, we aren’t able to go. This is after we won nationals last year. Now we are restricted to doing less due to them being just cheap,” VanAntwerp said. “But that’s not the end of it; they’re reducing essential staff like librarians and the IB CP coordinator. This makes it so that the DP coordinator now has to do double the work just because the district is saying they can’t pay both coordinators.”

Staff that are being hit with layoffs have to consider how it will affect their life and what it will be like not being full-time at Central, or even not being there at all.

“Budget cuts and the district vision for IB basically took IB away from my schedule. I love the IB program and have been involved since 2000 in some way ever since. I have been an IB teacher and coordinator for 25 years. I was hired in 2015 to create the IB Career-related Program and I have loved the process of building a program for students to be successful,” said Donita Cox, Central IB Coordinator.

The budget cuts had been foreshadowed since November of 2024, with many board members in the district making statements about how these cuts will affect the district, and how it’s not doing the staff justice.

“I think it’s unfair to those educators to be blindsided by this,” said Nicole Baker, a SPS parent. “I can’t imagine how it would feel to me as a professional with a professional job to have other people find out before me or my leadership. That’s going to compromise the integrity of our programs and then…it’s just going to keep falling down on these kids, and eventually it’s going to lead to compromising that education that they’re getting.”

Local news leaders have also talked about the reasoning behind these cuts and have kept Springfield informed about the incoming layoffs, providing quotes and information from district board members. With the layoffs soon coming into effect this year, Central’s economic and staffing future is up for debate.

“I have been the only coordinator IB CP has ever had, and we have gone from 5 graduating students in 3 pathways in 2017 to having junior classes over 100 students in 10 pathways this year,” Cox said. “We’ve accomplished a lot in this short time so I am so proud of what we are able to offer and the amazing students we have had in our program. It makes it difficult to know next year I will not be a part of the program at all. IB is the reason I stayed at this school for so many years and one of the many reasons I love it here. I will still be the A+ coordinator, but it will be a heartbreaking transition for me to no longer be a part of the program to which I have dedicated so much of my life.”

NOURISHING MINDS

CENTRAL’S FOOD AND HYGIENE PANTRIES

The Central High School Food Pantry has long served as an essential distribution center, providing families in need with the opportunity to receive food bags. Over the past few years, a combination of efforts from Central staff, students and nonprofit support has facilitated further expansion of this program, allowing students to have the foundational needs to thrive in an academic environment.

“Kids can’t learn if they are hungry,” Laura Anderson, the head of the food pantry and FACS teacher, said. “Here at Central, we have such a wide range of students, especially economically. We’ve got kids in the same classroom who, you know, have too much to eat and then kids who have nothing. Making that gap smaller, building a bridge, is so important.”

The collaboration between Care to Learn and Central has lasted for many years, the administration shifting from teacher to teacher based on who is able. After former history teacher and tennis coach Madison Platko moved to Kickapoo, Anderson was presented with this unique opportunity.

“[The food pantry has been going on for] a really long time,” Anderson said. “Last year, another staff member was doing the food pantry. She moved on to a different position in the district, and I had connected with her in the middle of last year because it’s a topic that I find really important. When she was leaving, she offered it to me [and] I took it over from there.”

However, Central’s distribution of resources is certainly not a one-woman effort. Jessica West serves as the lead of the hygiene pantry, providing necessary

hygiene supplies to students and families in need.

“While I did not begin this program, I was inspired to help keep it running,” West said. “Ms. Anderson was originally in charge of all aspects of the partnership between Central and Care to Learn. With her success in growing the food pantry, she was not able to keep the hygiene side of the pantry as well. She asked me if I would like to take it over, as my students were helping stock hygiene stations. I also had the space in my classroom to store hygiene items.”

Since August of 2022, West has taught in Central’s Special Education Department. With classes surrounding fundamental life skills and transitions into adult life, West has found unique ways to incorporate the distribution of hygiene products into her classes.

“I teach a class called Transition Internship,” West said. “In this class, students learn valuable life skills that are necessary to be successful and as independent as possible. Two of the things that we work on are how to complete orders and how to interact with others. By sorting the hygiene items my students are learning how to complete orders, but also how to follow directions given by a boss. After they are sorted, one of my A+ tutors goes around with my students and distributes them in the correct locations so that all students and teachers have access to hygiene items.”

Alongside the food and hygienic branches, Central’s librarians have recently organized a shelf of supplies. It holds a collection of both food cans donated from Central’s supporters and hygiene supplies from Care to Learn, a nonfor-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for families. The shelf can be found below the Spanish foreign language section in the library.

“I serve on the SAINT Team for our monthly PLT groups here in the high school,” Emily Morris, one of Central’s librarians, said. “Miss West gets hygiene products monthly, and she started bringing us boxes a couple of months ago. This month, when she brought us a box, I got out what we had previously stored from under the cabinet back here. Everybody seemed to have success, just setting it out where it’s kind of like a book, but you don’t have to check it out, you just take what you need.”

Even students have joined the effort to distribute hygiene products, furthering the mission of equal and convenient access for all. Sophomore Erica Fernandez’s dissatisfaction with a lack of period products in bathrooms culminated in her MYP9 Project, an undertaking that has extended far beyond her freshman year.

“It’s so tedious to have to go to the bathroom, find out the time of the month has come, go back, get a pad, and finally be able to use the bathroom in peace,” Fernandez said. “Us girls have the right to period products; it’s something out of our control and shouldn’t be something that students should have to worry about.”

On the basis of this frustration, Fernandez

and her peers established a system of publicly available period products in Central’s bathrooms. As the project evolved, Fernandez made the decision to continue in collaboration with Care to Learn.

“Care to Learn is my main partner when gathering products,” Fernandez said. “Ms. Ashley Blankinship has been so cooperative with my project and I’m ever so grateful. Currently, we’re working on how to stock up effectively and splitting a grant with other SPS schools!”

Likewise, Anderson’s food pantry and West’s hygiene pantry are both funded by Care to Learn. With support from this group, Anderson and West are both able to use the organization’s online ordering system to distribute resources to students in need.

“[Care to Learn provides] all of the food that we hand out and we give students the opportunity to come get a bag every week that will hopefully help feed their family through at least the weekend,” Anderson said. “We do those on Thursdays, and then second chance on Friday. If anybody needs a second bag to get through the week, we help them with that too.”

For both systems, the most essential piece of the process is ensuring resources are accessible to the entire student body. Thus, the librarians, Anderson, and West are intentional about avoiding registration processes that come off as unapproachable to students.

“Any kid that needs anything can just come up here and get it as needed,” Morris said. “This is always available. We get grocery deliveries weekly, and [hygiene products] come monthly. I can just kind of take it and pull it out of the cabinet and put it on a shelf. I thought it would be kind of a fun idea to have supplies in the library, you know, a lot of public libraries have things like this. This you

The Bulldog Supply Shelf, stocked with a variety of hygiene products. Photo by Emma Lewis.

Fernandez posed alongside Services Manager Ashley Blankinship at Care to Learn’s facilities.

Photo courtesy of Erica Fernandez.

don’t even have to check out. You just take what you want.”

Anderson similarly avoids lengthy requirements, opting for a more simple approach. This allows students to utilize their resources without confusion, shame or delay.

“There’s no sign up or sign out process for the weekly bags,” Anderson said. “You just come through the commons where the pantry is and pick up the bags that we have prepared for you. If that is too much for you to get home because you walk or bike or ride the bus or whatever, we try to have smaller bags out in the bus lane. If you need to pack an individual bag, because of dietary needs or just ability to carry, then we can do that case by case.”

The food pantry at Central aims to be particularly aware of student needs, specifically regarding breaks in the school year. Without an opportunity to utilize the food

SARAH GREENE

REPORTER

EMMA LEWIS DESIGN EDITOR

pantry, such periods leave students vulnerable to a lack of food or hygiene products. To avoid leaving students in need, the food pantry offers larger bags for bigger breaks.

“We do bigger handouts before longer breaks,” Anderson said. “We did Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then we’ll do another one, spring break, and another one right before school lets out. You have to sign up for those because they’re quite a bit bigger, but we put posters and QR codes all over the place when it’s time to do that. We need more volunteers then and … serve more people.”

With the increased demand of recent years, the pantries are in even greater need of student and staff volunteer help. Whether an individual is a student or a staff-member, every member of the Central community can find ways to help students in need.

“Making sure that classmates know it exists is

super helpful,” Anderson said. “I think based on our free/reduced lunch numbers and how many students we actually see every week, there’s a big gap. There are students who are not getting what they need, probably because they don’t know how to come get it. I have a SportsYou page for volunteers. I need help Monday and Wednesday mornings, and Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays after school.”

As the pantry has grown, Anderson continues to encourage any interested students to volunteer. For these volunteers, a brief session after school could mean students in need being fed for the upcoming week.

“I’m really glad that Central has the opportunity to help kids in this way and that there is currently funding from Care to Learn,” Morris said. “You just walk up and take what you need. I hope that it continues.”

As sustained by Care to Learn, the various pantries at Central have been essential for many students. In years to come, the hygiene and food pantries will continue on the basis of their central motivation; no student should have to worry about their next meal or shower.

“It is important for students to have access to these resources, because students shouldn’t have to worry about their basic needs being met,” West said. “Students should be able to grab a bottle of shampoo or some laundry detergent if they are running low at home. Students should be able to come to school and the only worry they have is how well they did on a math test. We know this is not always the case.”

Anderson instructing student volunteers. Photo by Thomas Klepper.

Students lined up to collect food bags at the Winter Break Basket Distribution. Photo by Thomas Klepper.

Central’s Food Pantry, stationed in the Commons. Photo by Emma Lewis.

SECOND TERM TRUMP’S

Very little time has passed since Trump was inaugurated on January 20 at the beginning of this year. Since he’s come into power, there have been constant updates on every action he’s taken and the consequences they will have. However, beyond sensationalized headlines and political pundits taking any opportunity they have to target the other side, Trump’s actions do have real consequences on many people. It may be hard to understand when there’s so much noise, but that is at the heart of why his actions are so important, why they are worth following so closely and being reported on constantly. The President of the United States is considered the most powerful man in the world, so it’d be foolish to not consider the repercussions of how that power is being used.

Trump’s main promise on the campaign trail was to deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes and get the situation at the United StatesMexico border under control. He has immediately tried to act on this promise by directing ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) deportation efforts to go into overdrive, going as far as to set quotas for how many illegal immigrants they need to deport a day. This has resulted in the accidental detaining of US citizens, including a veteran from New Jersey and members of the Navajo nation in Arizona and New Mexico. There has been a concentrated effort to resist ICE’s efforts to enter homes and find their targets, with citizens being educated on what to say and what Constitutional rights to bring up to keep ICE officials out of their houses. Trump is not deterred, however, and continues to make his assault on the border one of his top priorities.

Another campaign promise he immediately

NATHANIEL HUNTER SENIOR REPORTER

acted upon was pardoning over a thousand people convicted of charges related to the capital riot on January 6, 2021. These people were charged with trespassing and violence towards police officers, but Trump has consistently defended them and proclaimed them victims and defenders rather than aggressors. Now that so many of them have been freed, they now have the chance to try and reintegrate back into society, something that many people strongly object to. One of these people, Illinois Governor J.B. Pretzker, has taken action to prohibit any of the pardoned parties from being in any government position in the future.

Trump has also taken swift action in combating ‘wokeness’ and ‘DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives’, ideas that the Republican Party has become staunchly opposed to in recent years due to their allegations of unfairness and anti-

proclaiming the government will only recognize two genders, and ordering the Attorney General to coordinate with state authorities to take action against teachers and schools seen as indoctrinating children with ideas about racism or transgenderism. As an anti-DEI measure, he has also signed an executive order revoking a 60 year old order passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the same man who signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, meant to ensure that employers do not discriminate based on race when hiring. Furthermore, Trump has tried to shrink the federal government as much as possible, putting a freeze on hiring government employees to fill vacant positions or create new ones for three months. He has also dismantled many government agencies he claims are unnecessary and attempted to freeze all federal aid spending, but quickly revoked his order attempting to do so after resistance from many civilians who rely on government aid, such as food stamps, to keep their families afloat. One of the agencies that Trump broke down was the Aviation Safety Committee, as well as firing the head of the TSA. On January 30, there was a mid-air collision between a helicopter and airliner in Washington, D.C. that left 67 people dead, the most devastating airline collision in 16 years. Trump was heavily criticized for his actions against government agencies dedicated to aviation safety, and for freezing hiring of air traffic controllers when there is currently a shortage of them, but his supporters have been quick to blame DEI as the cause.

Elon Musk’s role in Trump’s administration has also come under heavy scrutiny, as he was originally positioned to be helping Trump shrink the size of the government by eliminating unnecessary positions through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).He is now even being accused of committing a full-on coup against the United States. Musk and some of his unelected associates working through DOGE have gained access to the US Treasury’s payment system, and all the medical and financial records that it contains. Having control

of this system would essentially give Musk unchecked power over all the financials in the country, a dangerous amount of power for an unelected official to have. Musk has the full backing of the Trump administration, and his first actions have been targeting the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which helps provide civilian aid and economic and political development to foreign countries in

need. The building was closed and USAID workers were told to stay at home without warning, leading to significant questioning of Musk’s power and role in the administration. His reputation has only continued to tank following his controversial actions and beliefs, like his stance on H-1B visas, his lies about his gaming achievements, and the gesture he made at Trump’s inauguration which looked quite similar to a Nazi salute.

Despite being such a big part of his campaign, Trump’s promises of extreme tariffs have not yet come to fruition. He has announced more than once plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico, has been met with promises of tariffs of their own, and has backed down when faced with a trade war. Trump’s isolationist policy on tariffs has also been at odds with his expansionist rhetoric, making claims to take control of Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal, and even the Gaza Strip.

Two pages is not enough to cover everything Trump has done in only two weeks. This article will almost certainly become outdated as soon as it is published, and it does not even mention his cabinet appointments, the lawsuits against his administration that have already been filed, or the Democratic attempts to fight against his actions. This story is only a brief glimpse into the world of

a second Trump term, and more in-depth information about his actions should be pursued with great caution due to the amount of misinformation and lies being spread. Trump has claimed this is the beginning of a Golden Age for the United States, and no matter an individual’s own opinion, America has certainly entered a new era.

Photo courtesy of AP News.

Photo courtesy of ABC News.

Photo map showing DEI law status by state; courtesy of ABC News.

REESE WOOD

DESIGN EDITOR

The State of California is known for many things, one of which is frequent fires. Recently, there has been an outbreak of fires, specifically in the Palisades, a neighborhood to the east of Los Angeles. On January 7th, small brush fires escalated into a burning blaze that quickly engulfed much of the Palisades.

“The winds were moving at around 70-100 miles per hour,” Ryan Johnson, a firefighter in San Diego County, said. “The Santa Ana winds fed the fire and spread it rapidly.”

Air is part of the fire triangle, fuel, starter, and air, and it is needed to start and sustain a fire. The Santa Ana winds fueled the fire and spread smoldering ashes across LA and surrounding areas.

“We have had to hose ashes off of our

garage door and driveway and patio,” Cindy Allison, a California resident, said. “I have had a scratchy throat and cough since the fires began due to unhealthy air, even though we are 20-30 miles away from the fire.”

Aside from the fire itself, the air quality of the affected areas causes many health concerns. Human lungs are not meant to inhale many of the substances inside the fire.

‘This is not just a regular fire,’ [Reza Ronaghni, a California resident who lost his home in the fire,] said in an interview with NPR. “The ash contains material from thousands of houses and all the material the house was made of, the inside, the appliances, the roof, the list goes on.” “[Breathing in dangerous chemicals coming from the fires can

FROM RUINS TO RECOVERY

cause;] Acute respiratory symptoms and worsening of lung conditions, including asthma and COPD,” HarvardUniversity.edu said. “Neurological impacts, including headaches and cognitive issues, cardiovascular effects, including increased risk of heart disease and stroke, immune system disruption, reproductive health concerns, and increased cancer risk.”

There is also much to be said about firefighters, who not only fight fires but are also exposed to all of the aforementioned health complications. Firefighters risk their lives and limbs to protect the neighborhoods in and around LA.

“The first responders did all they could with the resources they had to work with,” Allison said. “Even with the hydrants dried up due to an empty reservoir above the Pacific Palisades, they continued to aid homeowners and alert residents to evacuate. The human response was valiant, indeed.”

There has been a public backlash against the California government because of problems such as unfilled fire hydrants.

“We voted in 2014 to build new reservoirs so we would have enough water, yet the governor has not built even one new reservoir in ten years,” Allison said. “The coastal commission did not insist that

the brush be cleared from the Pacific Palisades area, so State Farm and other insurance companies canceled their coverage knowing fires were going to happen, it was just a matter of time. The governor put a limit on what these companies could charge homeowners, so the companies said ‘We are not going to write fire insurance policies anymore in California.’”

Insurance policies have affected many victims, as many companies do not cover fire damage. One local organization that has stepped in to assist the victims is Convoy of Hope.

Convoy of Hope is a humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people in need, normally after disasters have struck communities. Convoy often teams up with local organizations in affected areas to help them.

“The fires burned more than 56,000 acres and cost 29 people their lives,” ConvoyofHope.

org said. “The need is great. For people in Altadena, the Palisades, and other areas affected by the fires, life looks completely different. The way residents get groceries, basic hygiene supplies, water, shelter, and work has changed.”

In Calabasas, California, Convoy of Hope has teamed up with Believe LA, a local church in the LA area. The Convoy delivered food, water, hygiene supplies, and other supplies to this church, which then distributed them to the victims. Convoy of Hope’s main facility is in Springfield, and it holds large amounts of food, water, hygiene items, and other supplies.

If you wish to learn more about the fire and ways to help residents of LA, visit www.fire. ca.gov.

Photo courtesy of People Magazine.

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.

Photo courtesy of the New York Post.

Photo courtesy of BBC News.

LOYALTY UNDERCOVER

The 2024-2025 Loyalty Dance saw many Central students attend, with different behindthe-scenes preparations happening to make the James Bond theme possible.

“Passion is the letter in P.R.I.D.E. that describes me best because I love planning and creating fun experiences for all of Central, and I like using my passion for art to come up with unique ideas and decorations,” Grace Luo (12) said. Luo is the Dance Commissioner for the Central Cabinet and exhibits bulldog P.R.I.D.E. “I like how diverse and different all the people are at Central and I like getting to meet people from different backgrounds with unique identities. I’m involved in Cabinet, Bellatones, DECA, and FBLA at Central.”

As Dance Commissioner, Luo worked with other members of Cabinet to build a James Bond experience prior to the dance date, February 7,

to give them extra time.

“Planning for Loyalty started around a month and a half before the dance, and I sketched out the murals, the decorations, and more,” Luo said. “We started painting two weeks before and did a majority of the painting in the days before.”

Luo led the setup and decorating for Loyalty once the theme was decided and finalized, which was a process requiring the opinions of all Cabinet members.

“The jobs that I had as Dance Commissioner included sketching the murals, picking the decorations, ordering them online, designing the platforms and coordinating the overall setup,” Luo said. “I came up with the idea of the James Bond theme myself, which I proposed to Cabinet and they agreed with me. All the cabinet members worked together along with some STUCO members and other miscellaneous volunteers to bring the theme to life.”

Although Cabinet already has a collection that houses supplies for dances like Loyalty, more items were needed to execute the 2024-2025 theme.

“We ordered supplies off of Amazon and also used our current inventory of supplies for Loyalty,” Luo said. “The casino elements, such as the poker cards, as well as the city vibe we had with the mural, the shiny tinsel, and the museum mural at Central’s entrance for the dance all best represented the James Bond atmosphere.”

Luo believes that some aspects of the dance worked well and others can be improved for future dances, both from personal experience and outside feedback.

“I think the major strengths of this year’s Loyalty were the quality of the decorations, which is because we put lots of work into creating unique decorations and murals,” Luo said. “Some things we can improve next time are the student attendance and the playlist.”

Luo and other Cabinet members utilized

JACK WEGRZYN REPORTER

methods of communication to get students excited for Loyalty and attend for Central school spirit.

“We advertised Loyalty to everyone through social media, in-person interactions and through announcements on Canvas,” Luo said. “For the music playlist, I made most of it myself, and other Cabinet members added some songs.”

Now that Loyalty has passed for this year, Luo looks to the future so students can look forward to and enjoy more dances and other Central events down the line.

“I took away from this Loyalty that it is important to plan things ahead of time and to make sure to pick a unique theme,” Luo said. “Spending lots of time on the murals was also needed.”

Central’s Cheer Team performing at the assembly. Photo by Landon White.

Central’s Kilties performing at the Loyalty assembly. Photo by Audrey Gao.

Students at the dance. Photo by Abbott Schmidt.

Students celebrating at the Loyalty dance. Photo by Abbott Schmidt.

Central’s 2024-2025 Loyalty Court. Photo by Audrey Gao.

THESCON THE ROAD TO

On the weekend of January 9, 2025, Central High School’s (CHS) production of Hadestown: Teen Edition traveled to St. Louis to experience and perform at MOThespian State Conference.

Bennett Derossett, 9, a student at CHS, plays Orpheus in Central’s Production of Hadestown.

“His whole character arc is that he is a songwriter, he plays the lyre, and he’s currently working on a song to bring the world back into tune,” Derossett said. “It’s a Greek Mythology piece.”

The cast began work on the musical in early September and performed for local audiences in mid-November.

was a chance, a rather good chance, because Hadestown is a fairly popular show, that we were going to be selected, but deep down I was like ‘There’s no chance.”

The transition period between the regular performance and heading to ThesCon saw a series of rehearsals and preparation.

“The show ended, but we kept all the sets and all the props because we weren’t entirely sure whether or not we were selected. We found out December 6, I believe, so we started rehearsals back up the following week and then we rehearsed up till Winter Break. After Winter Break we had like two tech rehearsals before we went to St. Louis,” Derossett said.

Performing at ITS meant that the show needed to be polished and professional. The troupe spent the winter rehearsals fixing some of the show’s problems.

“The nice part was that the show was staged, and completed, and done and strong. So what we did was more so working on music and cleaning up vocals that could sound cleaner and better. We also worked on some staging and dance issues that we just made stronger for the performance,” Derossett said.

After preparing, the cast and crew packed up the set and traveled by bus to St. Louis to compete at ThesCon.

“[ThesCon] It’s a bunch of high school theatre troupes from Missouri gathering in St. Louis for a conference that consisted of seeing three high school shows that were brought there, including Hadestown, our show. There were other activities and some random conference stuff,” Derossett said.

JACK HERR COPY EDITOR

the stage, spreading out, and just getting the basics down.”

After setting up, the Central troupe performed on the biggest stage the production had seen.

“We finished the show, and after the show was over the curtain fell and everyone just started sobbing. It was finally over,” Derossett said.

There was not much time for emotional reflection, after the performance, the show needed to pack up and return to Springfield.

H“During one of those performances, we got it judged to potentially be brought to the International Thespian Society (ITS),” Derossett said.

The troupe and production were chosen to perform at the Missouri chapter conference of ITS. The opportunity to appear and perform at ThesCon was new to Central’s drama program. This was cause for excitement upon hearing the news of being invited.

“I was just kind of in shock,” Derossett said. “We all knew there

The other activities consisted of enrichment opportunities and events for small groups and individuals; including but not limited to workshops, classes, and trivia nights.

“People, including people from Central, competed in these smaller competitions during the day to advance to nationals. Ben Loughary, Sumaya Clark, and I competed in the musical group performance, achieved a superior rating, and are now headed to nationals.” Derossett said.

Following these competitions, the cast and crew worked to unpack and transfer the show from the stage at Central to the stage at Union Station.

“Friday, that was our show day,” Derossett said. “The theatre, it was just gorgeous. It sat around 3000 and was almost completely filled when we performed. The entire rehearsal day was insane. We had staging rehearsals, which was just fixing our performance to the size of

“We had to immediately take down the set, get it back in the truck, and get out of the theatre by midnight. It was roughly a 17-hour day at that theatre of rehearsing and performing,” Derossett said.

Upon returning to Springfield, the cast and crew were able to breathe a sigh of relief and unpack what they had learned, experienced, and what memories they had made.

“I think the show has taught me a lot about the importance of character work in theatre and how important it is to develop a character, know and understand what your character is feeling in different scenes to truly evoke that emotion,” Derossett said. “I forced myself to not process the show when it ended at Central the first time, because I knew there was a chance we would go to ITS, and I think because I shoved it all down, I still haven’t processed the ending of it. I’m convinced it’s still going to happen forever and ever.”

Freshman Bennett Derossett performing as Orpheus at the Missouri Thespian Conference.

Photo by Maya Murdaugh.

The highest view from the Stifel Theatre, the venue at which Hadestown was performed. Photo by Keilei Downer.

GRANT PICKETT

REPORTER

Armando Johnson, award Spanish teacher, has recently taken the opportunity to appear on a PBS show, teaching to many across the world online.

“I’ll be teaching nine two minute lessons on a show called Teaching in Room Nine, which is an award winning show on PBS. It was something that became real popular during COVID because kids needed somewhere to learn during those times when everybody was at home,” Johnson said.

The St. Louis show started to get more funding around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and within this last year. Johnson was offered to teach episodes relating to Spanish, adding to the show’s catalog of math, science, and social development.

“I’m always promoting world languages because I believe that kids should start at a young age, just like in any other [country],” Johnson said.

He believes that by working on this show, he will promote to younger audiences in America, giving them the opportunity to learn another language.

“Kids begin learning languages at an early age. Usually in other countries, kids already speak two or three languages as opposed to our students who basically only have English,” Johnson said. “So, to be able to promote a world language to our kids at a young age… I thought it was like the perfect opportunity to be a world language advocate and promote Spanish.”

Johnson’s audience has expanded his

ARMANDO SPOTLIGHT ON

teaching significantly, allowing him to reach more people across not only the United States, but the entire world.

“I’m now able to reach a million, you know, because of PBS, it covers this region, but it’s also on YouTube. So anybody …anywhere, not only… in our area in the entire world, has access to this language show. They were like,’Hey,, you’re gonna gain about a million students as opposed to having the ones that are in your school,’” Johnson said.

The reason why he chose this opportunity was to broaden his scope of teaching. He believes that children’s television shows can be extremely helpful in educating and strengthening the knowledge abilities of kids. In other countries, bilingualism is common and Johnson is trying to help aid kids in America who would benefit from these shows.

“I think of realistic approaches to learning, like watching television shows in the target language, like in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, and because television actually is one of the best ways you can learn because you get the visual, along with just the instruction.” Johnson stated. “There’s bilingual schools everywhere, those kids started at an early age, and they get that instruction in English and Spanish, and they grow exponentially as opposed to like we wait until kids get to elementary.”

Many students around CHS agree with Johnson. They believe that language is extremely important as well, concurring with the notion that kids shows are important as well.

“You know, I would tend to say that yes, I do think it’s important to learn a language at a younger age”, Carter Cornman (9), a Spanish II student, said “First off, your brain is more capable of adapting to those types of things at a younger age, and learning those languages. And second off, a younger second language can be useful in many different ways throughout life, and since it’s so much easier to learn in youth, you should learn it then.”

Cornman thinks that watching these kinds of educational shows directed at a younger audience can help kids across the world. He said that children’s television shows can help the youth create a safe space they might not always have within their homes. Cornman believes that even though the show wouldn’t have him as a target demographic, he would still enjoy seeing one of his teachers on the silver screen.

“I would watch that show. I would kind of wonder how they’re teaching style would differ from in class to on TV,” Cornman said.

Yohann Oghlakian (9), a Spanish III student, speaks more languages than just English, and he believes that learning another language is not promoted enough in America.

“Yeah, I think that’s a really not as like, profound thing in today’s society, like learning another language, but something that could definitely be like really improved on, because there are a lot of benefits to knowing other language more than just being able to speak it, but like, there’s also a different kind of knowledge based that comes within learning another language,” Oghlakian said.

Johnson has wanted to work on a project like this for a while. Working as a teacher allowed him to spend more time with his family and grandkids but it also gave him the opportunities to work on large creative educational pathways, such as Teaching in Room Nine.

“I try to think of creative ways to because …I like entertaining kids, but at the same time, while they’re being entertained, they also are learning,” Johnson said.

With learning new languages, Johnson wants to not only entertain but really improve each of his students whether they are in his class or watching online.

“The main thing is the growth, taking kids who don’t know anything about the language, and by the end of the year, all the culture that I get [to] impart with them; all of the language to see they didn’t know anything, but hola and adios by the end of the year,” Johnson said.

Armando Johnson’s 2024-2025 CHS headshot.

Photo by Kori O’Dell.

A LEADER

FOR CHANGE

On December 29, 2024, Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States of America, passed away. He is remembered as a good man by many politicians and citizens, but what did he do as president? What was his upbringing? What were his beliefs? How did he affect and influence history?

After his death, Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter’s grandson, commented on his life. “His political life and presidency, for me, was not just ahead of its time. It was prophetic. He had the courage and strength to stick to his principles even when they were politically unpopular. As governor of Georgia half a century ago, he preached an end to racial discrimination and an end to mass incarceration. As president in the 1970s, as you’ve heard, he protected more land than any other

president in history,” Carter said.

Democrat president James Earl Carter was born in Plains, Georgia on October 1, 1924. Before becoming president, he received a bachelor of science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and served in the US Navy. In 1953, he became a peanut farmer at his family business, Carter Farms. “Earlier in my life I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I’ve grown older I’ve become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can’t see, the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are,” Carter said. His presidency:

Jimmy Carter was very well known

for his foreign policy during his presidential term, especially in the Middle East. He was heavily diplomatic in his approaches to world conflicts, such as the Panama Canal Treaties, the SALT II Soviet Union treaty, and diplomatic relations between China. He was particularly influential in the peace accords between Israel and Egypt, during which Israel withdrew their forces from Egypt and was allowed safe travel through the Suez Canal. A meeting was arranged for the peace accords, and President Carter signed the treaty along with Awar Sandat, President of Egypt, and Menachem Begin, prime minister of Israel.

“For too many years, we’ve been willing to adopt the flawed and erroneous principles

DANE SCHOLZ REPORTER

and tactics of our adversaries, sometimes abandoning our own values for theirs. We’ve fought fire with fire, never thinking that fire is sometimes best quenched with water,” Carter said. “This approach failed, with Vietnam the best example of its intellectual and moral poverty. But through failure, we have now found our way back to our own principles and values, and we have regained our lost confidence.” Beliefs:

Jimmy Carter was very progressive in his beliefs for his time. He was very pro-clean energy and was vocal about his beliefs in renewable energy production. He was president during a time when there was a global fuel shortage. He supported personal efforts from all citizens to lower emissions and conserve energy, such as driving less to use less fossil fuels. During winters, he encouraged less use of thermostats and promoted his beliefs by wearing sweaters instead of suits to speeches. He was outspoken on his dream of electricity producing 20% of US energy by the year 2000.

“Fifty years ago he was a climate warrior who pushed for a world where we conserved energy, limited emissions and traded our reliance on fossil fuels for expanded renewable sources. By the way, he cut the deficit, wanted to decriminalize marijuana, and deregulated so many industries that he gave us cheap flights and, as you heard, craft beer. Basically all of those years ago, he was the first millennial. And he could make great playlists, as we’ve heard as well.” His funeral:

Jimmy Carter’s funeral was held on January 9, 2025, at Washington National Cathedral. During his funeral, multiple government officials attended and spoke about his life and presidential legacy. Former presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and current president Donald Trump were all in attendance.

“We have an obligation to give hate no safe harbor. The very journey of our nation is a walk of sheer faith, to do the work, to be the country we say we are, to be the country we say we want to be. Today many think he was from a bygone era, but in reality he saw well into the future. I miss him, but I take solace in knowing that he and Rosalynn are reunited again. To the entire Carter family, thank you, and I mean this sincerely, for sharing them both with America and the world. We love you all,” Biden said.

Photo courtesy of Penn Today.

The official Jimmy Carter peanut state outside of his farm gates. Photo courtesy of the National Park Planner.

Photo courtesy of the US Department of Defense.

DHRUTI BANDARU REPORTER

Hollywood is preparing for the 2025 award season, with the Golden Globes, GRAMMYs, and Oscars set to take place in the coming months. With major contenders dominating nominations and netizens sharing predictions, excitement is building up.

“Awards season allows us to check in with the entertainment industry,” StageMilk, an online acting scene club, said. “It grants a broad understanding of what audiences and critics are responding to, which allows us to identify trends and recognize where our industry might be heading. If there are glaring omissions in awards season, we can also learn from this.”

The Golden Globe nominations have already sparked discussions across social media. ‘Emilia Pérez’ leads the pack with ten nominations, followed closely by ‘The Brutalist’ with seven and ‘Conclave’ with six.

“In these troubling times I hope Emilia Pérez will be a beacon of light…and I hope to offer a hug to all of the people who are worried,” said Emilia Pérez’s director Jacques Audiard after winning Best Foreign Film.

One of the biggest stories of this year’s Golden Globes is the rise of international cinema. More foreign-language films and diverse storytelling are receiving recognition, showing a shift in industry trends. For the Golden Globes, many find the nominees and winners easy to guess.

“I was on a roll with my Golden Globe predictions this year. Despite my despise for Emilia Perez I knew Zoe Saldana would win best supporting actress for musical or a comedy

THE BIGGEST NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD

and I’m predicting the same for the Oscars. Hacks won best comedy which I was very excited about, including Jean Smart winning for best actress in a comedy series. Very well deserved and an incredible series,” said Bennett Derossett (9).

The 2025 Grammy Awards promise an equally thrilling showdown. The battle for Album of the Year is especially competitive, with multiple artists dominating the charts and critical acclaim.

“I feel very and very honored it’s been many many years and I just wanna thank the GRAMMYs, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, and all the hard work..and I just wanna keep pushing forward opening doors. God bless you all and thank you,” said Beyoncé after accepting the Album of the Year for COWBOY CARTER.

Genre diversity is a key theme this year in the GRAMMYs. Hip-hop, rock, and global music are gaining fame in major categories, and younger independent artists are making their mark. As a result, many find the winners satisfying and impactful.

“I didn’t watch the entirety of the GRAMMYs but I have done my research. I’m so glad that Doechii won best rap album and her performance was one of the best of the night. I’m happy Chappell Roan won Best New Artist but I would have appreciated Doechii too. I’m not a die-hard Billie Eilish fan but I do agree she deserved something for Hit Me Hard and Soft,” said Derossett.

The Academy Awards, the most prestigious night in Hollywood, will occur on March 2nd. While the Golden Globes often hint at the Oscars frontrunners, the Academy has been known for surprises yet is still highly awaited.

“Demi Moore’s win for The Substance was so well deserved, and I predict she will win the Oscar for best actress. Truly a fantastic performance. Also, I will riot if Adrien Brody doesn’t win Best Actor at the Oscars for the Brutalist. The Brutalist is a fantastic movie and I hope and believe it will sweep at the Oscars. Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and more,” said Derossett.

This year’s Best Picture race appears more open than usual with many of the specific nominees not being known yet. Overall, the Oscars will be exciting and hard to wait for.

“For our final category, I can not wait… Here are the 10, 10! nominees for Best Picture,” said Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott when announcing the Best Picture nominees for the 97th Oscars Ceremony.

With so much anticipation surrounding these events, the next few months will be an exciting time for movie fans and music lovers. Whether longtime favorites sweep the awards or underdogs emerge as the winners, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for entertainment.

“As someone who watches a lot of movies and TV, I am very excited for all of the Hollywood awards…I think the significance from them is mainly in the honor that comes from the awards and what it means as far as recognition and publicity,” said Derossett.

Emilia Perez winning Best Original Song. Photo courtesy of ABC News.

Beyonce reacting to her Grammy win. Photo courtesy of the Hindustan Times.

Chappell Roan performing at the Grammy’s. Photo courtesy of Pitchfork News.

The National Organization for Women (NOW), returned after disappearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The old club was recently brought back to life - a club that has long been a symbol of advocacy and support for women.

It is now under the leadership of Hailey Youngblood, who teaches government and civics. She is in her first year teaching at Central, and the club is reestablishing its presence in the school community, with plans to grow and create a lasting impact. Youngblood’s past connection to Central has also helped shape her leadership style. She was a former student, and her experience within the school’s welcoming community left a lasting impression.

“It’s a chance to be part of something that’s growing and making a difference,” Youngblood said. “It’s a chance to make an impact and help create the foundation for something that will last.”

NOW is a nationwide organization dedicated to advocating for women’s rights, gender equality, and female empowerment. The organization works to increase awareness of women’s issues, create opportunities for leadership, and encourage students to support one another. It was founded on June 30, 1966, when Betty Friedan wrote three letters on a paper napkin: N O W. She invited fifteen women to her hotel room. Then, Catherine Conroy slid a five-dollar bill onto the table and said, “Put your money down and sign your name.” In that moment, the National Organization for Women became a reality.

According to the White House’s website, these women were inspired by the Civil Rights movement and historic march-

HAPPENS NOW EMPOWERMENT

es such as in Selma, the women founded a parallel effort to ensure the equal treatment of both sexes. They brainstormed an alternate action plan to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on gender, race, color, nationality, and religion.

The school’s chapter of NOW was revived this school year. Youngblood shared her vision for the club and its goals.

“It’s a club that supports women, female athletes, and clubs,” Youngblood said.“It builds a community among women supporting women.”

The club’s mission is to empower women and create an environment where female students can come together and uplift each other. As part of their activities, NOW began showing their support for women by supporting the girls’ basketball team,

Central, she quickly got into her role with NOW. She believes the club has a bright future with potential. Goode is the president, and although the club’s leadership structure is still developing, there are hopes for more positions to be added next year. Youngblood explained that NOW has big plans for the future.

“We’re definitely hoping to have a lot more positions next year,” Youngblood said. “Leaders like a vice president and secretary, for example.”

Some of the club’s members have already proposed activities such as food drives and inviting guest speakers to discuss important topics, including the history of feminism.

“We’ve talked about food drives and getting a speaker to come in on educating about a certain topic,” Youngblood said. “They had some good ideas, like the history of feminism.”

Although the club does not yet have a set schedule, the club’s meetings are usually held once or twice a month.

including organizing events where members attend the games and dress according to a theme. These events try to increase school spirit.

“The main thing has been basketball games, and then we’ve met to discuss ideas going forward, ” Youngblood said.

“The club died off during COVID,” Youngblood explained. “When Gentry found out about it, she wanted to bring it back.”

Gentry Goode (11), reestablished the club during the 2024-2025 school year. After her leadership, NOW started to gain more recognition within the building, rallying students for the cause of supporting women.

“I was a student here, so I remember a lot about the community,” Youngblood said. “I always felt really welcome here, and this place is a belonging.”

Although Ms. Youngblood is new to teaching at

“Our meetings are in room 332,” Ms. Youngblood said. “These meetings allow students to discuss new ideas, plan future events, and form connections with one another. While the club’s focus has been on supporting female athletes, I see the potential for further growth. It’s a chance to be part of a club that’s growing and finding its mission. It’s like being a part of creating the club.”

Students of all kinds are welcome to join and participate in the organization’s activities. For students considering joining the club, Youngblood had some more words to share with them.

As NOW moves forward, Youngblood hopes it will leave a lasting impact on the students. Their mission is to empower women and create an environment of a supportive community.

“I think this club has a lot of room for growth and positivity,” Youngblood said.

Students from NOW in spirit gear, supporting the girls’ basketball team. Photo courtesy of Gentry Goode.

Photos courtesy of Britannica.

AUDREY GAO REPORTER

NOW’s members discussing films centered around female leadership. Photo courtesy of Gentry Goode.

TIKTOK

B A N B A N B A N

With a user base of 170 million Americans, TikTok has become more than just a social media platform. It’s a cultural phenomenon, a business hub, and a lifeline for creators and small businesses. Except now, the clock is ticking. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, faces a looming deadline to sell its U.S. operations or risk an outright ban.

Initially set for January 19, this deadline would have cut off millions of users who depend on TikTok to build communities, share critical information, and make a living. In a last-minute effort to delay the decision, Senators Edward J. Markey, Ron Wyden, Cory Booker, and Representative Ro Khanna introduced the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act on January 14, a proposal to give Congress an additional 270 days to assess the ban’s implications.

“TikTok has become a space where people share resources during crises, like the Los Angeles wildfires, and earn money for groceries or medical care,” Senator Markey said in support of the legislation. “This straightforward bill gives us the time needed to fully evaluate the impact of this decision. Congress must act swiftly.”

While this bill could have worked and was gaining popularity the idea was lost quickly as on January 19 President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting ByteDance a 75-day extension. While this buys the company time until early April, it doesn’t eliminate the central issue: ByteDance must comply with the law banning TikTok unless it fully withdraws from its U.S. operations.

When signing the executive order, President Donald Trump emphasized the platform’s significance: “Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it.”

The stakes are high. ByteDance had fought back, arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment rights of Americans. However, the Supreme Court ruled against the company, leaving the sale or ban of TikTok the only options. January 19, just one day before President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, TikTok’s fate remained unsettled.

Representative Ro Khanna echoed the growing frustration of TikTok’s users and creators, saying, “A ban on TikTok violates the free speech of 170 million Americans and hurts the livelihoods of creators and small business owners who rely on the app.”

The push for the ban stems from concerns over national security. According to Executive Order No. 24,657, 2025, the measure was “designed to prevent China, a designated foreign adversary, from leveraging its control over ByteDance to capture the personal data of U.S. TikTok users.”

With time running out, several U.S. tech companies, private equity firms, and high-profile entrepreneurs have emerged as potential buyers. Elon Musk, YouTube star MrBeast, and Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary are among the names brought up as possible suitors.

President Trump even weighed in, saying, “Every rich

person has called me,” to express interest in acquiring TikTok. Trump named Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Musk as potential buyers, adding, “I would be open to it if he wanted to buy it.”

For now, TikTok remains partially operational in the U.S., available only to those who have already downloaded it. New downloads from Apple and Google app stores have been blocked, a harsh reminder of what’s to come.

“This one kid told me I would get a virus and my phone would die and I’d have to get a new phone so I deleted it but then it came back the next day…and I am sad, although I do have the choice of using a VPN but apparently it’s illegal, so I’m really sad and really upset that I can’t see all the trends that my friends are talking about,” said Sieun Lee (10), who in word of her friend’s is a “TikTok ban victim.”

As the early April deadline approaches, the question

REPORTER

lingers: Can ByteDance meet the U.S. government’s demands and preserve TikTok’s presence in America? For millions of users, creators, and businesses, the countdown to compliance is more than a corporate battle, it’s a fight to save a platform that has reshaped their lives.

“I had hit my first million before I was over a year on TikTok, I knew the big milestone was like: oh, more people follow me than live in the city,” said Jonathon Kung, TikTok creator with 1.7 million followers.

Many at Central feel that banning TikTok would disrupt users, creators, and businesses on the platform. It would also cut off a key platform for expression, creativity, and income. When not at school, having these platforms is important for many to communicate.

“I feel relieved because TikTok is a way I communicate with many of my friends. I also enjoy the content and creators on the app and it would be disappointing if they lost their creative opportunities,” said Phoebe Lin (9).

The mental health aspects of the banning of TikTok could lead to frustration or even a decline in their sense of accomplishment, increased anxiety, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

“I believe my mental health would be impacted negatively as I and many teens use social media or TikTok as a way to cope and find entertainment. Losing TikTok could also potentially lead to losing connections with my friends,” said Lin.

A TikTok ban would disconnect millions of users from a platform that fuels entertainment, trends, and social interaction, but to some, it may just be a part of life they can easily move on from.

“I love TikTok, but I can definitely survive without it,” said a pedestrian in a BBC street interview, ‘Can young Americans live without TikTok?’

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

Photo Courtesy of CATO Institute

DHRUTI BANDARU

Photo Courtesy of NewCenterMaine

winter

depression

The sky turns gray and the trees are bare. You sit at your desk, doing your best to work on the homework that was due two weeks ago. You tell yourself to keep focusing and finish the assignment, but your chest is heavy and you feel tired. You almost don’t care about turning the assignment in and wonder why you even bother anyway. You put on Christmas music to wake yourself up, but the lively, upbeat tune of “Jingle Bell Rock” just makes you feel… sad.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is very common among students every year. SAD can cause a person to feel unmotivated and depressed, impacting a student’s ability to complete assignments.

“The premise of SAD is that shorter days, less sunlight, and disturbed circadian rhythm impact energy levels,” Les Brown, a guidance counselor, said.“Decreased sunlight leads to less serotonin and more melatonin in the body, resulting in more feelings of depression and less motivation.”

While there is no known direct cause for SAD and depression, psychologists believe that the lack of sunlight and human interaction can lead to an underproduction of dopamine, a drug that provides feelings of satisfaction and motivation, and serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a functional role in moods.

“We can talk about it biologically,” Emily Halinger, a psychology teacher, said. “We’ve got a lack of dopamine and a lack of serotonin [in] key areas in the brain, specifically the limbic system, that are not going to offer the juices that you need for your emotions to be heightened enough. Whenever you experience depression, what you’re really experiencing is a lack of excitement towards anything. It’s just

kind of this numbness kind of feeling, along with this sadness that you’re not getting any that of dopamine and serotonin.”

While psychologists studying SAD noticed the correlation between limited sunlight and warmth in the winter and its effect on the production of serotonin and dopamine, other factors such as the holiday season might play a role in the development of SAD.

“We can see patterns geographically, and we can see patterns seasonally that more people are going to be depressed,” Halinger said. “Those patterns [could] also correlate with the fact that we see more… depressive symptoms and suicide rates and stuff like that in the winter because of the holidays, because of the… cultural [idea] that you’re supposed to be with family, that you’re supposed to be with loved ones during that time. Is it the weather that is making people more depressed, or whatever it is that their life isn’t, you know, living up to the expectations of society?”

While the causes of depression and SAD are mostly unknown by research psychologists, studies have shown that reduced production of serotonin and dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for social behavior, can limit a person’s motivation.

“Additionally, the last part of the brain to fully form, the prefrontal cortex, is responsible for understanding long-term effects of our decisions,” Brown said. “So, students being motivated by long-term consequences isn’t as likely as parents would like to think. It feels easier to lean into immediate distractions that feel good than to lean into the discomfort of doing homework or studying. However, the consequences of not completing schoolwork are real and extend well beyond high school.”

While there is no known way to prevent SAD, lifestyle changes can help reduce symptoms by increasing the production of serotonin and dopamine. These changes include socializing, taking vitamin D supplements, light therapy, exercising, and spending time outside when it is warm.

“You will have warm days in the winter, try to soak up that sun, try to see people as often as you can, try to exercise outside even if it’s cold,” Halinger said. “That fresh air and… that little bit

ARI ABBOTT REPORTER

of sunlight that’s peaking through the clouds is going to help.”

According to Halinger, even getting out of bed and doing things to raise your dopamine and serotonin levels can be challenging when experiencing SAD, however, it is important to break depressive habits early, such as doom scrolling.

“Most people have to work on adjusting their lifestyle to include more physical activity and creativity… and ensuring that they aren’t absorbed in doom scrolling,” Brown said. “The brain needs to be starved of the easy dopamine drip that comes with scrolling if we hope that our brain will then work toward everyday rewards, and certainly if we expect to stay motivated for larger, more long-term goals like aiming toward academic success and opportunities after high school.”

According to Brown, students who visit with guidance counselors to discuss feeling SAD can recognize the symptoms, but are often unwilling to make changes to reduce the effects. “Our society doesn’t do enough to inform students about how neurotransmitters work in the body in combination with our environment and the weather,” Brown said. “Therefore, students likely think they can keep many of their same habits from the rest of the year, while also being less active, and that their mental health will not change.”

Understanding the potential causes of SAD can be helpful when choosing to take preventive measures, but if you need extra support or help, you can stop by the counseling center or book an appointment with a guidance counselor by filling out the form on the Central Counseling Commons Canvas page.

“School counselors are here to help, and we can speak with students one-onone about SAD, what lifestyle changes they can make, and also connect students without outside resources too,” Brown said.

Photo Courtesy of Beverly Hills Therapy Group

Photo Courtesy of Avera Health

ABBOTT SCHMIDT REPORTER

Ubisoft, one of the largest video game publishers, has seen financial failure since 2020. Some say it is due to lower-quality video games.

The creators of games like the “Far Cry” series, “The Crew” series, “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6” series, and “Prince of Persia” series, as well as games like “Star Wars: Outlaws”, “Brawlhalla”, and “Skull and Bones”, have seen a drop in profit since 2018. Ubisoft has lost more than 10 billion dollars since 2021 and Ubisoft stock has dropped more than 50% since the beginning of 2024.

“Smaller studios are able to make better games than Ubisoft has in

THE DOWNFALL OF UBISOFT

unlock an area, over and over again,” Johnson said. “They need to limit the scope, make their games more specialized, and also try out new genres.” He thinks that Ubisoft’s games feel empty and buggy.

Liam Nelson, another fan of many video games from Ubisoft, thinks that bugs or glitches that break the game are the cause of Ubisoft’s failure.

“Some Ubisoft games have gotten better, but some of them have gotten a lot worse. They launch as big messes that take a couple months to fix. What they could do is work on it a little more and fix all of the bugs, then release it late,” Nelson said. “If they could not put out a release date before they make sure their game is not messed up on release, I think they could do a lot better then they are now.”

2024 release, “Skull and Bones.”

“One of the games, Skull and Bones, got awful reception. Everybody hated it,” Nelson said.

This pirate-themed game cost Ubisoft 650-800 million dollars and only made an estimated 70 million in return. Nelson and Johnson note how they would make these games better.

“I value a game with an intriguing story. Video games are an interactive medium, so I think a video game can display a different kind of story than any other kind of medium. That’s what I value most in a game,” Johnson said. “They have the resources and staff to come back as a

Nelson also mentioned his experience playing “Star Wars: Outlaws”, a 2024 release that got negative reviews.

Johnson, a fan of many Ubisoft titles, said. He said that Ubisoft games are not as good because they are spending resources on the wrong things, and that even if Ubisoft games are big with lots of space to explore, they feel empty.

“Ubisoft makes some of the biggest games, but they feel tiny in comparison to more specialized worlds.” Johnson said. “The Legends of Zelda: Breath of the Wild map is tiny in comparison to many of Ubisoft’s modern maps, but it feels a lot bigger of a world because you can explore every inch of it. Ubisoft tries to do this, but they do it in a non-interesting way.”

He mentioned the monotonous feel of many of Ubisoft’s new games.

“Ubisoft is trying to make all of their IP the same thing, go to this place, capture it, and

“Star Wars: Outlaws at launch was super buggy, a mess. It’s got a little better, but they could have done so much better with the budget they got,” Nelson said. “In Star Wars: Outlaws, [Ubisoft should] make the characters look better. It does not look like a AAA game.” Johnson corroborates his experience.

“Star Wars: Outlaws feels incomplete with how buggy it was. Also, I’m not a big fan of microtransactions,” Johnson said. Microtransactions are monetary transactions in games that allow players to pay money to get certain features. This can sometimes be unfair and restricted to players who do not want to pay extra.

“Once you get into a gameplay loop, [Star Wars: Outlaws] is enjoyable, but I just like playing other games,” Johnson said.

Another game that got negative press was the

company.” Nelson prioritizes playability and fun in games.

“If there is a good story, it looks good, and it is fun to play, you can make a fun game,” Nelson said.

These players want to see Ubisoft succeed and continue to make good games.

Will Musgrave, a fan of the game, “Rainbow 6: Siege,” said he likes the games but thinks they could be better.

“I think they’re doing bad as a company. I like Siege, but it’s overall a bad game,” Musgrave said.

Johnson agrees, and mentions his hopes for Ubisoft’s future.

“Ubisoft games peaked with Far Cry 3, Assassin’s Creed 2 and 4, those were the greatest of the Ubisoft games,” Johnson said. “I want to see Ubisoft succeed. I want to see them make games that I enjoy.”

Photo by Ubisoft

GIRLS’ WRESTLING FOR THE PIN

With this 2024-2025 Season coming to a close for Central´s Girls wrestling team, many experiences are shared by some of Central´s team. Wrestlers believe it definitely has had its ups, but also its downs. “We´re getting into the thick of it with wrestling, and so that always poses some challenges,” Jaidyn Pohlsander (12), the captain of the girl’s team, said. “I miss a lot of school, and I don’t have much time after practice, but I’ve been really excited to get back into it.”

Off season practices had started in November 2024, and competitions followed in December with ongoing practices.

“We split up into three groups, and we cycle through our three different coaches for about 10 minutes each and they really focus on those ten minutes with small groups on specific things that we can work on and wrestling,” Pohlsander said.

Wrestlers also share the coaches take on how practice should be formulated

“It’s really important to coach that he gets us in and out,” Pohlsander said. “He doesn’t believe that we need long practices if he’s working us hard enough and as he’s working us in the right way and he really wants us to have time for our other extracurriculars, our families and school work and friends.”

Newer wrestlers believe that participation can build the foundation for important life skills and work as something to rely on.

“Wrestling has given me many things both physically and mentally. It’s taught me how to be more disciplined and it has also taught me how to be more respectful, and it’s just given me a lot,” Chloe Stout,

(9) a wrestler on the team, said.

Athletes have many reasons to start their chosen sport, be it family, curiosity, a want for discipline, or physical fitness, while some are attracted by the competition. For Pohlsander, it was for a different reason.

“I got into wrestling because of spite. I had recently moved from the central scholars program back to my home school. I was new and sat at a table of all boys,” Pohlsander said. “Someone had come up and said to raise your hand if you wanted to wrestle. The entire table immediately was like, ‘you couldn’t do it, you’d be so bad at it, you must be joking.’ And I was joking, but it was at that moment I decided I wasn’t joking anymore.”

Though she joined wrestling out of spite, Pohlsander, when looking back, realizes the positive benefits of wrestling.

“I wrestle because genuinely it really saved my life,” Pohlsander said. “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for wrestling and the community it gave me in the coaches and friends… I really just have a drive to do things for the people that are like me.”

Stout similarly believes in the positive effects of

COOPER LAWSON REPORTER

MALACHI WRIGHT REPORTER

wrestling on her personal growth.

“I’ve made a lot of friends from it and I think it’s a good sport because it also shows you how to be tough mentally and physically,” Stout said.

“When you’re on the mat, it’s like they are a different person,” Stout said. “They can be the nicest person, switch to all business and combat, and then go on to being the nicest person you’ve ever met.”

The athletes do believe they hold a strong, lasting bond with one another despite the hostile nature of the sport. Sometimes wrestlers get to help athletes with other grades or schools.

“I love when I get to help kids that are newer. I love helping the middle schoolers and youth wrestlers,” Pohlsander said.

Pohlsander feels she has sacrificed much for wrestling and by extension, the community of Springfield sports.

“I´m coming up on six years of my life to wrestling,” Pohlsander said. “I ended up quitting my other sports besides cross country. I only kept that because it had benefited my wrestling and I did unfortunately end up quitting because of health issues.”

Wrestling requires some sacrifices beyond the extracurricular, cutting into personal time.

“I´m devoting a lot of time to this. I give time outside of the practice, I go to the gym, I cut weight, I give a lot for this sport.” Pohlsander said.

Pohlsander tries to be a standup citizen and an active member of the broader Springfield wrestling community.

“I’m kind of known as someone that you can always ask for help,” Pohlsander said. “Even girls from other schools will come ask for help, and that’s really my favorite part of wrestling and that’s why I do it. I do it for my coaches, my team, I do it for my family, and I do it for the people that can’t wrestle.”

Photo by Emma Gugliotta.

Photo by Kevin Myers.

EMMA LEWIS

DESIGN EDITOR

In the face of last season’s larger graduating class, the underclassmen of Central’s wrestling team have continued to show dedication and commitment to the sport. Because of these promising qualities, Central’s coaches believe that this wrestling season will serve as an essential first step for future senior leaders; ensuring continued success for the team in years to come.

“ This season is an essential rebuilding season for our program,” Head Coach Michael Dalangin said. “With 11 graduating seniors last season, we have a lot of younger wrestlers in the lineup. We will be using this season as a year to grow on the mat.”

Despite this challenge, the wrestling coaches and team alike have remained dedicated to the sport’s values of perseverance and accountability. In this environment of strong work ethic, this season’s younger wrestlers are provided with a foundation of discipline for the rest of their high school career.

“Wrestling certainly requires discipline,” Tommy Turley, 11, said. “ I have needed to keep coming back, even if it was rough the past day at practice. You need strength, both mental and physical. You get tired, and you get hurt, but you have to keep telling yourself that you can do it.”

Turley has been a member of Central’s wrestling team since his freshman year, having witnessed changes in coaching, staff, and teammates alike. With the addition of second-year Coach Dalangin in particular, the wrestlers have strengthened their passion and determination to stay in the sport.

“Coach Dalangin has helped me to get stronger, and to stay in wrestling even harder times,” Turley said. “Without him, I simply wouldn’t be a wrestler. Coach Puckett has helped me stay calm, even when things get chaotic on the mat. Coach Vince has helped me with the more technical parts of wrestling, to the point where I can do the moves better.

BOYS’ WRESTLING FROM THE MAT

Coach Nelson practices with us students; he will get into it hand fighting, even to the point of going live with us.”

Coach Puckett, with a background in both wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu, has been with Central’s team since 2022. After wrestling for Missouri State University, Coach Stout joined the same year. Most recently, Coach Nelson joined, having participated in Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco wrestling.

“All of our coaches have one thing in common,” Dalangin said. “That is the love of the sport and to ensure that our student-athletes are receiving the appropriate practices to be successful during competitions. We are all committed to Central Wrestling, and go above and beyond to help our wrestlers grow!”

The coaches have proven to be essential to members of the team and managing staff alike. For Dionicio Gonzales, 11, the best reflection of his commitment to wrestling has been his changed contribution to the team.

“They always push you to do your best,” Gonzales said. “After a loss or a win. The coaches always show new ways to do certain moves and help with any problems on the team. This is so important, because wrestling is a very difficult sport, mentally and physically. Even watching it makes me want to do my best and become stronger - I have.”

Because of his concussion in the previous schoolyear, Gonzales was left unable to wrestle for the remainder of the season. Still, he has found unique ways to assist the group in the face of adversity.

“I have been wrestling since freshman year,” Gonzales said. “I became a manager during sophomore year after I got concussed. As a manager, I help assist with the home dual, run the score, track wrestling, and assist with any needs at other tournaments. Sometimes, I record matches, help gain more wrestlers, and keep pushing people to do their best.”

Whether a student serves as a manager on the sidelines or a wrestler on the mat, members of this unique sport have found ways to build camaraderie with one another. When off the mat, the wrestling team finds that they have grown into a tight-knit group.

“We will sing and have fun with each other,” Turley said. “At the same time, we encourage each other when it’s tough. We will go to the captains for help, even with things outside of wrestling. We go to team dinners, we all sleep on the bus, and we are more of a family than a team.”

Due to the relationships formed among the members, the wrestling team supports each other through all achievements. When Turley was nominated for and later won Ozark Sports Zone’s Photo of the Week, he was congratulated with his team by his side.

“Winning the photo of the week was a big push in my wrestling career,” Turley said. “It made me feel like I was finally a good wrestler. I had finally felt like I was where I belonged.”

As the season comes to a close, the coaches remain proud of the wrestlers regardless of win-loss records. While many of the wrestlers have placed at invitational duels throughout Missouri, even those without medals have experienced great reward.

“All of our wrestlers have shown so much growth from the beginning of the season,” Dalangin said. “They have made great improvements from when they first stepped into the room. Each of our wrestlers have things to improve, but, ultimately, it is left to the wrestler to make it happen. I couldn’t be prouder of our wrestlers and the growth that they continue to make!”

Photo by Emma Gugliotta.

Photo by Kevin Myers.

Photo by Emma Gugliotta.

JACK WEGRZYN COPY EDITOR

Five Girls Swim and Dive season has seen multiple state qualifying times from Central’s swimmers, through competing at various meets and proving relay potential.

Edie Ferguson, 10, is a returning varsity girl’s swimmer and high school state qualifier for two years running, being involved as both an athlete and Central student.

“Apart from Girl’s Swim, I do CI (Central Intelligence), which is our broadcast media program at Central,” Ferguson said. “My favorite aspect of Central is that everyone is really welcoming and inclusive and I think everyone is genuinely good people.”

In addition to attending Central, Ferguson also has various values and

hobbies that, paired with swimming, allow her to bring everything she can to the team.

“I think one of the things that motivates me are my goals and working towards them, and even though I’ve made mistakes in the past I try to overcome them and be a better person each day,” Ferguson said. “I really enjoy media and filming, as well as being athletic and playing pickleball with my friends, and

GIRLS’ SWIM AND DIVE

going to the stables and riding horses.”

Ferguson began swimming at a young age which has allowed her to take part in the sport for the majority of her life and become competitive over time.

“Ever since I was younger my parents put me into swim lessons for water safety and things like that, and since then I grew to love the sport,” Ferguson said. “I’ve been swimming since I was probably 4, but I didn’t start competing until about 5th grade and that’s when I really got serious about it.”

Ferguson is also involved in club swimming during the high school off-season, having tried both of the major teams in the Springfield area, eventually sticking with one.

“I really started getting involved when I switched teams from SPA (Springfield Aquatics) at Drury to MSA (Missouri State Aquatics) because not only did I find my second home there, I also found my family in a way,” Ferguson said. “Everyone there pushed me to be a better person and I feel like we are able to push each other together and have good outcomes from that.”

The Girl’s Swim season began on November 11, with the first meet, All-Relays, being held in the beginning of December, with daily practices from 3:30-5:30 PM on days where there is no meet after school.

“For practices, usually we get to the pool and have a group meeting where Coach Joe will talk to us about the sets, and then we break off into our groups,” Ferguson said. “Then we warm up and start our main set, and closer to meets we do more group activities and pace work where we get our times, working on turns and technique.”

Ferguson believes that the Girl’s Swim team shows Bulldog P.R.I.D.E. in different ways, with

one letter being represented above the rest.

“Passion best describes swim because all the people on the team want to do well and they all have a lot of goals and expectations for themselves,” Ferguson said. “Everyone is very passionate about working hard and showing up for everyone.”

With many meets held at the Foster Natatorium throughout the season, ranging from smaller dual meets to championship meets, Naomi Meng, 12, a varsity girl’s swimmer, recalls a unique aspect of one in particular.

“I had a lot of fun at the Valkyrie Invitational hosted by Parkview and they had mystery heats where if you won the race you would get a Viking hat,” Meng said. “I didn’t get one, but I thought it was really fun to be thinking that I could be in a mystery heat.”

The State Championship meet is the only and last opportunity for the girls to travel and have an overnight trip with the team for the 2024-2025 season, making it different from other meets.

“I feel like state is really fun and everyone can just let loose and we all get to travel together and room together so everyone builds stronger relationships and friendships,” Ferguson said. “It is really hype and everyone gets excited for it.”

Both swimming through the Central team and using the sport as exercise have benefits that Ferguson experiences.

“I think swimming makes me feel a lot more productive and I love pushing myself and working hard, so at the end of each practice I feel better about myself,” Ferguson said. “You also meet people from the sport and I’ve made a lot of strong relationships through it.”

Photo by Thomas Klepper.

Photo by Paige Bodnar.

Photo by Thomas Klepper.

RIGHT ON TARGET

Central High schools’ archery team continues to compete going to high school competitions within SPS. Ninth grade CHS archers Evan Henke and Madan Katangur reflect on their season so far and the highs and lows. “The team is doing pretty good… the lowest score was a 120 which is not bad,” Henke said.

Being an archer takes time and practice which are held at 6:30-7:30 after school with coach, Audra Uzzell in the New Gym/Aux Gym.

“Typically all of us line up in a row and we’ll shoot targets in the gym,” Henke said. “[Though] it is mainly target practice, however, we do have two ranges that we shoot at, 10 meters and 15 meters. Typically about halfway through the practice we would move the targets back to 15 meters.”

Archers practice techniques such as the archer’s finish. This technique helps with the arrow’s path after release.

“Since the arrow can still change after release… simply swipe your fingers across the right side of your cheek or the left side of the cheek. A smooth, slow motion… directly backward. It helps control the arrow so the arrow doesn’t wiggle in the air,” Katangur said.

This skill has been adapted by archers including Henke. “Painting your face,” Henke said, was what he calls this technique.

Practice and competitions are similar, but in competitions archers are designated to flight times.

“Flight times are basically when you shoot,” Katangur said. Some of the flight times are 5:30 to 6:30 and 6:30 to 7:30. “After you shoot your arrows and put your scorecard in the bin, you can just leave,” Katangur said.

There are frequent competitions for state qualifications. “We would typically go to the Ozarks Fair Grounds [for competitions] and typically shoot there,” Henke said.

Results are given a day after competition with competitors from different high schools within

SPS. The team stays within SPS for their regional competitions while state competitions are in other parts of Missouri such as Branson. Current ninth graders Skyler Lee and Bertha Hanson have gone to state within the past 3 seasons.

“There are two ways of getting into state. Either individually getting a 275, or [the] team getting like a 1600,” Katangur said.

Though two players have made it into state within the last 3 years, the team has come close to qualifying as a group. “I think we’re doing really well this year. We were 44 points off from making state as a whole team,” Henke said.

The CHS archery team is split in two. “For the [full] high school team, I would say about 40 people,” Henke said.

The team as a whole is a mixture of the different grade levels with one team being composed of the higher caliber archers.

“It’s pretty evenly mixed,” Henke said. “The teams are basically JV and Varsity.” Henke said.

Katangur believes the team is good but there’s always room for improvement. The teams are based on the performance of archers during practices with team one consisting of the more consistent archers. Katangur explains the importance of consistency.

“So there are two groups of people. People who shoot consistently and people who shoot

inconsistent,” Katangur said.

Henke believes a specific set of skills is necessary for a good archer.

“I think focus is definitely important. Next I would say precision. Those are the two most important things you need to have in archery,” Henke said. “If you are not focused, you are not going to shoot good… control [is also important].”

Doing the process consistently and repeatedly with the right focus and precision is what Henke and Katangur believe make a good archer.

“Its mainly about repetition… theres only one movement that you’ll want to shoot with,” Henke said. “There’s like eleven to twelve steps in order to shoot and you want to repeat those each time so you get the same results.”

Another tip is to have your own bow. “With your own bow you can refine it,” Katangur said. He also says customizing your bow makes it easier for the user.

While archers attend practice and competitions, they also have to maintain a GPA of 2.5 to stay on the team.

“[Archery] doesn’t really play too much in my academics, although i would say when i was in scholars, it did take place during the school day, so i would have to make up work… now in high school their after school hours,” Henke said.

Katangur believes that school is important.

“So don’t ignore all your classes and just focus on archery,” Katangur said.

Henke agrees and believes that school is important.

Henke believes that archery is good for the school. “I think its really important because its an accessible sport to all people” Henke says.

All Photos by Sydney McCaskill.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

NOTHING BUT NET

Central’s NOW club has been creating spirit days for girl’s basketball games and promotes them on social media.

Even with a season record of 0-11, the girls are still working to improve.

“We’re all tired, and of course we’re losing games, but there are also some games where we’re excited to play,” Emma Gugliotta, 11, said.

Gugliotta has been playing basketball for six years, and has been on Central’s team for two. She plays every position on varsity.

“We’re playing Parkview and Buffalo soon, so I think once we start getting closer to those games we’ll start having

high spirits since those are games we’ll have a chance of winning.” Gugliotta said.

This is the first year Central is facing Buffalo, as it has been newly added to the schedule.

“Some may feel drained or tired due to the demands of basketball but this is a fun game and each girl has great spirits and is very determined.”

Caitlin Lamberth, head girls basketball coach, said.

Coach Lamberth has been coaching basketball for fourteen years, and eleven of those years have been at Central.

“The biggest hardship for me coaching girls basketball is keeping their mental health as healthy as can be during a long season,” said Lambert, “Balancing their personal life, school life and basketball is important to us but can be difficult at times with a long season.”

Both Lambert and Gugliotta said that Basketball

can take a toll on the girls’ mental health, and balancing everything is difficult.

“They only post about the boys’ games and don’t post about the girl’s home games, and it was just like we didn’t exist.” Gugliotta said.

“Even if there’s a girls basketball game, then no one’s going to come,” Gugliotta said.“We just need to be posting about all of our sports, not just the ones that are successful.”

Central’s Cabinet posts regularly about boy’s basketball games and gets the word out, but does not give the same attention to girls’ basketball.

“Our athletes appreciate all the support from the students.” Lamberth said.

Girl’s basketball practice everyday after school five days a week for two hours, with about three games per week.

“If we’re hyped and like and all that then we’ll play better because we feel better, that’s how I see everything.” Gugliotta said.

A group of girls from NOW have been regularly attending games, which players find is helpful towards the spirit.

NADIA FINAN REPORTER

“Having some people to fill up our stands is better than nothing,” Gugliotta said. “I love what they’re doing, it’s better than last year because last year no one came to the games.”

Attendance has improved compared to last year, bringing more support to the team.

“The spirits have been okay, there are just some times where we get down on ourselves,” Gugliotta said, “So we just need to keep a high spirit and know we are trying our best.”

The team works on staying positive and focused, even during difficult times.

“These girls want their hard work to be seen and appreciated,” said Lamberth, “It is important for the student body to see how much work they put in every day.”

Central’s girls basketball team celebrating. Photo by Emma Gugliotta.

Talia Dyson, 12, dribbling a basketball. Photo by Emma Gugliotta. Talia Dyson, 12, taking a shot. Photo by Emma Gugliotta.

JACK HERR

COPY EDITOR

The Central High School (CHS) boys basketball team has achieved multiple wins in the start of the 2025 season, competing with local and distant schools alike in events such as the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.

Nathaniel Green, 9, is a student at CHS and member of the boys basketball team. Green has been playing basketball since the second grade.

“This is my first year playing basketball at Central,” Green said.

Although only recently being introduced to CHS’s basketball team, Green is an active member of a unique culture.

“Central’s overall culture about basketball is hard to define, some don’t care while others take it very seriously and have it as a priority. Overall, I would say we want to win and show people Central is great,” Green said.

In order to achieve aforementioned greatness, a certain level of commitment is required, especially regarding time.

“I have something almost everyday, games, practice, events, it is a busy schedule,” Green said.

Practice occurs nearly every day and is aimed at building game-skills that can be realistically applied to a competitive environment.

“An average practice: We start with a warm up that works on stretching and getting some shots up, then we usually split into junior varsity and varsity and do plays, specific things each team needs to work on. Then, we work together, scrimmage, and do game-like scenarios. Then, we end with conditioning or more skill work,” Green said.

All of this practice leads up to competition. Central participates in bouts against other local teams; including rivals such as Hillcrest and Republic. Competing can be exciting, and there is pressure to perform.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL SLAM DUNK

“A game is the best environment to be in, specifically home. The energy from the crowd and team, and the (good) pressure to perform. Overall, I would say it looks like a mix of pressure and energy,” Green said.

One of the tournaments the team competes in is the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, an opportunity that allows for Central to play other, higher-caliber teams. The team’s coach, Jordan Epps, believes that participating in the Tournament of Champions does a lot of good for the team.

“Bass Pro is always a fun experience, great competition, but overall they do and provide a lot for the players. From the games, to the Wonders of Wildlife trip, it is a fun week of basketball events,” Epps said.

Despite losing twice at the Tournament of Champions, Central has found a groove and continues to win games.

“Central’s performance is good, we are starting to get into a flow of winning and showing people what kind of program Central is.” Green said.

A sense of camaraderie aids in having a strong competitive showing.

“The team dynamic is nice.” Green said. “Everyone gets along and jokes with each other. Overall it is a tight knit, amazing team.”

Central has seen success in recent matches, claiming a victory at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions as well as victories over Hillcrest and Webb City, each by a margin of over 15 points. John Tadlock, 10, attests to the importance of a good team dynamic.

“I believe Central’s success comes from talent, coaching, and the chemistry of the team,” Tadlock said. Winning games is a partially mental, partially physical endeavor. The team presses the

advantages they have.

“I think Central’s performance is kind of gritty and scrappy with lots of skill, speed, and a good coach,” Tadlock said.

Epps has worked to develop Central’s program into what it is today.

“Experience with this group has been exciting. Most of these guys started playing for me as freshman, and having them grow and develop the program to where it is has been a pleasure to coach,” Epps said.

Photo by Emma Gugliotta

Photo by Emma Gugliotta

Photo by Owen Smith

Photo by Owen Smith

WICKED

Review

The Wicked remake had enormous (sparkly red) shoes to fill, as it is the first remake of one of the most iconic Broadway shows in the last fifty years. I, for one, was incredibly shocked to learn that Ariana Grande would be staring alongside Cynthia Erivo as the new Galinda–I am not quite sure if my shock ever turned pleasant. At first I thought that maybe my surprise stemmed from a more personal dislike of Grande. I have never personally enjoyed her pop songs nor her acting on Disney Channel (though we all must admit that she is an incredibly talented vocalist and deserves her flowers).

After seeing the movie in the theater three times, I think the casting agent could have done better. Grande simply does not have that natural balance of bubble and wit needed to be a successful Galinda. However, the standard is insanely high after the performance of Christen Chenoweth, who debuted on Broadway back in 2003.

I think my biggest quip with Grande’s performance was her lack of acting ability. It was nothing terrible–it was just meh. This was especially highlighted by her partner-in-crime Ms. Cynthia Erivo who has a background in Broadway acting (see; The Color Purple) and totally stole the show as Elphaba.

Grande’s emotions never seemed to reach her whole face in the way an audience wants in those up close and tighter shots. To me, it felt less like blockbuster passion and more like SNL comedic timing getting her through to the next musical number.

Despite her just ‘meh’ acting, Grande is an excellent soprano and, in my opinion, hits every single high note. Wicked has some

very notoriously hard songs like “No One Mourns the Wicked”and “Popular” which are intimidating. Yet, she nailed it.

While my opinion on Grande remains mostly neutral, I cannot say the same for Erivo. As someone whose favorite princess (or queen, depending on how you look at things) is Elsa and one of my favorite shows is Glee, my (parasocial) fangirling over Idina Menzel is intense and has been festering in my closeted theater kid heart for as long as I can remember. Lets just say I was expecting a lot from whoever took over as Elphie.

I don’t know that anyone could have done what Erivo did. She took the role and tailored it to herself. Elphaba fit her perfectly.

If playing Galinda is difficult then playing Elphaba is grueling. This character requires a wide vocal range, compelling theatrical acting and the ability to not only charm the audience, but to gain their sympathy. As the background story of a villain, audiences may go into the movie with prejudice against Elphaba and the person cast to play her must deconstruct these preconceived notions and shift the narrative.

As someone who not only has previous acting experience but has also been on Broadway, as a lead, Erivo had the tools to play Elphie stunningly. With this in mind–I would say she succeeded.

Not only did she provide the big emotions necessary for the role, she also had the singing abilities to back up the plot. It was so easy to believe Erivo as she sang songs full of hope and longing. She brought a unique aspect of cunning to the character and used her talent to captivate those watching. Her belts were full of emotion and her tears felt like a slap to the face. I assert that she devoured this remake and did good on Elphie’s name. She is that girl.

Wicked does more than just offer its two main characters. A big part of its allure has to do with those in the background. I (and

LUCY CAPLINGER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

everybody else in my theater) thoroughly enjoyed Jonathan Bailey’s contribution as Prince Fiyero. Fiyero requires an air of fluidness that he captures perfectly. His show stopping “Dancing Through Life” performance could be on loop forever and I don’t think I would notice. He represents sexuality in a way that is not contained by arbitrary things like heteronormativity–we saw the way he looked at Boq.

A side character I liked for a different reason was Cesily Collette Taylor as young Nessarose. Yes, she only had two lines and yes her screen time was under three minutes but I do not think mine is the only heart she stole. This being said, Nessarose as a teen may be one of the most annoying characters in all of On screen history. Hot take? I think not. Overall, I think my list of complaints is short. While I think Grande did a great job vocally, her acting just could have been better and makes me feel as though her acquisition of this role was due to her fame over her talent as an actress. I also would like to say that I am very confused about my feelings pertaining to Jeff Goldblum as the wizard. I am lost on if he was great or if I just feel like I need to say that. I do know that he provoked some emotion within me, not necessarily positive or negative–maybe the confusion of his character was the whole point.

To me, Wicked was a very faithful reimagining adaptation of the original Broadway performance and I am pleased with it from an objective standpoint. Personally, my Spotify wrapped will be filled to the brim with the soundtrack and my storage is running out due to the amount of Jonathan Bailey edits this movie has inspired. This remake doesn’t necessarily have the same charm and flair as the original but has legs for sure. I am excited for part two, especially to hear Erivo sing ‘Fiyero, Fiyero Where are you?’

SONIC The Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 made me realize the importance of fun in motion pictures. I have been watching many horror films within the past weeks and this movie was just a plain joy to watch in comparison. The bright nature and wholesome messaging were something I think most people need around this season. While this film is targeted at a much younger audience than myself, I still found that it could be enjoyed by all ages. The movie knows what it is trying to do and it does it extremely well. The characters are interesting and characteristic, while the plot is easy to understand and simple enough to follow along with. Even though I am not very familiar with the Sonic franchise yet I could easily jump into this movie with investment in the characters. The quippy humor and boppy soundtrack contribute to a film that is both fun and uplifting to watch.

Another strong point of this film was the stunning visuals and fantastic costume design. Watching many of the fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat. I did not expect to enjoy a super action oriented flick but I was pleasantly surprised with the great amount of intriguing scenes. The animation and CGI of all of the animated characters was fantastic and full of expression. I don’t tend to enjoy 3D animation or live action hybrids but the film found a good balance. Originally, the first design of Sonic for the first movie was visually terrifying, but the creators of the franchise listened to the community and came up with a very appealing new design that works very well. The designs for Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails also

GRANT PICKETT REPORTER

worked well to make the hybrid animation appear more natural. The fur effects and fantastic technological creations that the developers work on appear beautiful on the silver screen. The costume design is also great. The amount of personality in the outfits the characters wear is truly great. Granted, most of this comes from Dr Robotnik’s glorious overcoat. The red fabric shines brightly within the explosions and chaos on screen. His tailored mustache appears to be almost a character of its own when Jim Carrey is doing his expressive facial emotions. I really commend the VFX artists for going as wild as they could with the racing as well. I truly felt as if I were really running with the characters in the film. I can only imagine what these kinds of effects would have on the younger target audience the film aims to.

Jim Carrey’s acting as Dr Robotnik was truly the most memorable part of the flick. His signature exaggerated and cartoonish acting style was great for his role. Whether he is performing a surprisingly fun dance number or furiously attacking Sonic, Jim Carrey manages to steal the spotlight in every scene. His work in features like The Truman Show, or The Grinch can really be seen in the film. The fluctuating calmto-enraged acting style that he portrays allowed me to see the true personality of Dr Robotnik. For a while at the start of the screening, I did not see much depth with the character, but slowly I think it showed enough to be interesting. Although this was a very fun flick, I think it definitely had a lot of issues. The numerous pacing issues with the plot would often take me out of the viewing

experience. I felt that many times throughout the film I would see the start of an interesting plot point, but then it would immediately race past it and ignore it completely. I think if the movie didn’t introduce so many plot holes, it would definitely not suffer as much as it did. Occasionally, it would slow down the pacing and some pretty good dialogue could be heard, but that was not always the case. The length, however, could have had a shorter runtime if it prioritized a balance of dialogue and action. For the most part, the action is interesting but it gets a bit old in some parts of the film. I think if the movie focused on maybe scaling down some of the scope of the plot, it could make each scene feel a bit less rushed. That being said, I still enjoyed the feature and the flaws do not take away from the overall experience very much.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was one of the most enjoyable movies I have watched lately. Not because it is a great work of cinema but because it is aware that it is just fun. The expressive characters and colorful concepts come together to create a beautifully simple film amidst a landscape of complex dramas. It isn’t one of my favorite flicks, but it is great. This movie knows it doesn’t need to be a statement on humanity to be enjoyable, and that is what makes it great.

Photos courtesy of Sonic Wiki Zone.

DO YOUNG AMERICANS

NEED A TIKTOK BAN? TIKTOK BAN TIKTOK BAN?

On January 18, 2025, several Americans were lying in their beds, doomscrolling on their favorite app, TikTok, when it went dark. Every TikTok user in the United States received the message, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you

can’t use TikTok for right now.” This ban had been discussed for months but the shock and the blow greatly affected some users. The ban only lasted a measly 12 hours and many rejoiced in its return; however, I would argue that a TikTok ban is exactly what young Americans need.

I am a very anti-social media person. I don’t have Instagram, Snapchat, X or Facebook. The decision to not have social media was a decision I made four years ago after watching the Netflix Documentary, “The Social Dilemma.” The documentary exposed the unhealthy and toxic nature of social media and how companies like Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta and Alphabet’s Google received information about their users. I was 13 with no social media aside from YouTube and GoodReads, and I was terrified of how much information my phone knew about me. I couldn’t look at my phone for weeks without feeling nauseous. I was horrified at the thought that these big corporations were able to know my age, weight, height and interests. When I found out that they knew where I lived, went to school, and who I was friends with, it sent me into a full-blown mental spiral. Not only did the documentary expose how social media

ARI ABBOTT

REPORTER

received information and built a digital profile of each of its users, but it also discussed the role of social media on mental health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates for people ages 10 to 24 increased from 6.8 deaths per 100,00 from 2001-2007 to 11.0 deaths per 100,000 from 2007 to 2021. That’s an increase in suicide rates amongst young people by 62%. From 2007-2021, we have seen social media flourish in popularity with the establishment of Instagram in 2010 and Snapchat in 2011. Social media has allowed people to be connected with the world and experience new cultures. In a lot of ways, social media has made the world a better place. We are able to build and find communities where we feel like we belong. However, that connection is not always all fun and games. Because social media has allowed for communication through a screen, it unlocked a

whole new world of bullying.

The concept of bullying and teens being mean to each other is not new, but with the development of social media, angsty teens with an agenda are able to take to the keyboard to be hateful. Social media has made bullying even more accessible, leaving room for hateful messages in the comment sections of posts. These comments can greatly affect teens, as they are going through a lot of changes and are very susceptible and vulnerable. Teens who log into social media and see negative comments about their looks, weight, and interests are naturally going to think less of themselves. UC Davis Health reported that over 44% of Internet users have experienced cyberbullying. Personally, I believe that cyberbullying has played a major role in the increase of suicide rates, as bullying can lead to depression and anxiety. Social media has also been known to raise these rates.

My biggest gripe with the use of social media is its impact on teen mental health. Apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok promote displaying yourself on the Internet for people to see and comment on. They encourage the use of filters, which promotes changing your looks to appease beauty standards. Instead of building body positivity and confidence within their users, these apps enable self-sabotage and insecurities. Not only does social media shine a light on unrealistic beauty standards, but it also provides a platform for influencers to make posts showcasing their lives, however, they only show the luxurious and glamorous moments. This means that users are exposed to what are supposed to be “realistic” demonstrations of life, causing them to feel like what they have isn’t enough because it isn’t pretty. These small posts about life are called “highlight reels,” and they play a role in the detrimental social media addiction that teens have.

The Addiction Center reported that psychologists believe that 5% to 10% of Americans suffer from social media addiction. This is because the brain receives a quick boost of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood from short-form content, like TikToks. When we are constantly exposed to short and easy dopamine boosts, our brains get addicted to it, making it hard to find enjoyment in other activities other than doom scrolling. When there is a dopamine boost so easily accessible, our attention spans get shorter and we have a hard time finding enjoyment in other activities. This also means that we rely on a quick “high” of dopamine, and begin to feel depressed without it.

I understand that it is a hard pill to swallow. I understand that we might hate the reality, but we can’t ignore the truth. The fact of the matter is, suicide rates are increasing and the mental well-being of teens is deteriorating. While social media has allowed people in different parts of the world to connect, the negative effects outweigh the positives. We can’t ignore cyberbullying and we can’t say that we won’t let unrealistic expectations of what life should be bother us. I know that everyone would be miserable without having access to Subway Surfer gameplays while an AI voice reads Reddit stories, but this too shall pass, and it is a necessary move to protect teens.

Courtesy of Forbes

Photo courtesy of Epiq.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.

NADIA FINAN REPORTER

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB); which program is better? Both are amazing for colleges, offer challenging coursework, and get you college credit, so what’s the difference? Although both programs are similar in terms of college credit and rigor, the programs themselves are very different. AP only offers courses, which is still helpful for college but does not really encourage students to do anything outside of their coursework. IB offers a well rounded program, encouraging students to engage in sports, community service, and things outside of school. Both IB and AP are helpful for college, but as an overall program IB is more well rounded and is more helpful in preparing students for college.

The AP program is excellent for college credit, especially in Missouri. About two years ago, a law was passed that a student who scored a three or higher on any AP exam would get guaranteed college credit for any public university in Missouri.

“For AP Human Geography, you can get a social studies credit, which is just amazing,” Emily Halinger, an AP Human Geography and IB Psychology teacher, said.

The AP program is also amazing for getting very general college classes out of the way in high school. It can open up a college schedule more, and give you more freedom with the classes you can take.

“If you’re trying to get your gen-eds out of the way, AP is just perfect for that,” Halinger said. AP is also more common among high schools, and is generally offered in more high schools. Schools have to meet certain requirements to

THE BATTLE OF RIGOR:

IB VS. AP CLASSES

become an IB school, while AP does not have those requirements. Any school is able to participate in AP, and all students are able to take AP classes. AP classes also go more in depth compared to regular classes; it covers all the material in regular classes, but expands on each concept.

“For AP Government, you’ll probably learn just a little bit more information than in the regular government course,” Halinger said.

However, this makes AP classes much more difficult than regular classes. Since they go more into the information, the coursework for the class is a lot harder and heavier. But for students who enjoy more difficult classes, it offers much more to them than a regular class would.

IB is a program that is offered all over the world, which makes it great for students who want to attend university overseas. Since the program is internationally recognized, if a student were to go to a university in a different country, the credits may still transfer over. IB schools also offer the opportunity to travel to another country while in high school. At Central, we see many foreign exchange students from many different countries who attend Central because of IB.

“You are learning research information, and that information is like masters level college courses,” Halinger said. “I didn’t do any research for psychology until I was in my masters.” IB coursework is meant to be college level, and go above and beyond the content covered in normal classes. Students who take IB in high school find that a lot of the concepts they are learning in college, they already learned in high school. Most universities also offer college credit for students who score a 4 or higher on their IB exams.

“I also love how IB teaches you how to go through the process of writing your research paper with an advisor for your extended essay, because that is something you will have to do in masters courses.” Halinger said.

IB does a lot to prepare students for college, not only in coursework but in their work ethic. Students have to manage their time well and learn how to work with others to be successful in their courses, skills which transfer over to college courses. IB encourages students to be well rounded, and requires students to engage in things outside of school, such as physical activity, community service, etc.

To gain an IB diploma, students must gain a cumulative score of at least 24 points (DP) or 12 points (CP) on all their exams. The cumulative

score is taken by adding up all IB test scores. For two year IB courses all the material on the exam is from both years, which means students have to remember all the material and find the most effective methods to help them remember. This might be difficult for many students, as most students forget most of the material they learn in class. Students need good study habits in order to do well on the exams, which also transfers over to university. Most college courses require a lot of studying outside of class, so instilling good study habits in students while in high school is critical. Although IB and AP are both similar in terms of coursework, IB is a lot more of an established program. IB requires students to be well rounded, and teaches them concepts that are beyond the classroom. IB students are taught to be well-rounded, balancing school, sports, and the community. AP is just coursework, which only teaches students concepts that are useful in a high school. IB classes are more flexible, and encourage students to explore their interests, while AP classes are usually just focused on learning exam material. Both AP and IB can open doors, but if you want an experience that builds both your brain and your character, IB is the ultimate game-changer.

Photo courtesy of Amphitheater High School.

Photo courtesy of International Baccalaureate.

BEEF-A-ROOVIEW

SARAH GREENE REPORTER

Fast food has long been an iconic staple of American culture. It makes up a huge amount of our global perception and stereotypes, with our extreme rates of obesity and total disregard for any degree of food safety to back it up. While I’m not the biggest fan of fast food– the horrible stomach ache and guilt I always get after is almost never worth it– I do still eat it occasionally. After all, it’s almost unavoidable with how little quality, healthy food is available at a reasonable cost. So, since you’re almost guaranteed to be eating fast food at least sometimes, the question arises; where do you eat? According to Yelp, Springfield alone has about 99 fast food restaurants. All of the options can be overwhelming, and so I have taken it upon myself to solve the years-old-question of which burger chain is best.

To figure this out, I tried the 5 most popular burger restaurants; Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Whataburger, Burger King, and Braum’s. I also tried Beefaroo, because no one in my family had ever heard of it before it suddenly appeared in place of the Hardee’s, and I wanted to throw in something I’d never tried before. All of the orders were timely and correct, so those factors were taken out of consideration. My final criteria are: the quality of the burger itself, the quality of the fries, the appearance of the meal/the packaging, texture, and price. I ordered a #1 burger, medium fry, and medium soda at every place.

WENDY’S

Wendy’s was the first restaurant I reviewed, and other than Beefaroo, was the one I was least familiar with. I hadn’t eaten at Wendy’s since I was very little, as little me had decided I hated them for bashing McDonald’s. I was quite curious, as Wendy’s has a decent reputation and brags so much about being fresh. Surprisingly, it really did deliver, and ended up scoring quite well.

Price: $10.50

Fries: 9/10

Burger: 9/10

Appearance: 9/10

Mouthfeel: 7/10

BURGER KING MCDONALD’S

One of the most infamous fast food restaurants of all, Burger King was the one that I was dreading the most. I only know one person who genuinely enjoys Burger King, and the one time I went with her, I thought it was just okay. I haven’t tried it since then, and I was hesitantly optimistic. Who knows, maybe she was right and it’s delicious! Sadly, my hope fell apart immediately.

Price: $15

Fries: 4/10

Burger: 3/10 Total garbage. Appearance: 9/10 (it lies to you.)

Mouthfeel: 3/10

BRAUM’S

The burger is a good size and the meat is good, but there aren’t that many toppings and the cheese is way overpowering. The first bites were very good, but the heavy cheese flavor combined with the plainness of the rest of the burger was quickly very unenjoyable.

Price: $10

Fries: 9/10

Burger: 7/10 unenjoyable.

Mouthfeel: 6/10

Appearance: 6/10

The McDonald’s burger actually ended up being surprisingly good. The last time I had a Quarter Pounder a couple years ago, it was burnt and bland and a purely miserable experience, and so I hadn’t eaten there since. I was dreading this burger, but it turned out to be well-balanced and actually fresh tasting. I had likely been lucky enough to get one that was actually off the grill and hadn’t been sitting under the heating lamp for hours, and it was genuinely enjoyable.

Fries: 7/10

Burger: 8/10

Appearance: 8/10

Mouthfeel: 8/10

WINNER: BEEF-A-ROO WHATABURGER

Beefaroo’s burger was actually surprisingly really good. The meat was incredibly well made and actually tasted like real meat, and toppings were fresh and well-balanced. The bread was good, and the whole burger was a good size and wellproportioned.

Price: $14

Fries: 8/10

Burger: 10/10

Appearance: 9.5/10

Mouthfeel: 9/10

It was very big, kind of excessive; it had too much mustard, which I know it’s known for but it overpowers the other toppings and makes the whole thing too tangy. Everything else was good; it was certainly enjoyable, but didn’t really stand out.

Price: $9.69

Fries: 6/10

Burger: 7/10

Appearance: 7/10

Mouthfeel: 7/10

Established in 1990, Garbo’s Pizzeria is family owned and operated and transferred from founder Pam to her daughter Laine in December, 2023. The family was proud to welcome a third generation to the team when Laine’s son took his first part-time job at the restaurant that year. The tradition continues.

Garbo’s Pizzeria features thin, St. Louis style crust, that originated on “The Hill” in St. Louis, MO. If you like thin, crispy pizza, you’ll love our authentic crust. We also offer thick crust for those who like a more traditional style pizza.

But Garbo’s Pizzeria offers so much more than just pizza. Loaded with fresh veggies and meat, if you choose, and topped with our secret recipe oil and vinegar dressing, our award winning salads offer a little something that you just can’t find anywhere else. Our subs are baked fresh and prepared to order and our garlic cheese bread or pesto pie offer a nice side to any meal. You’ll love our appetizers, calzones, and pastas.