globe.
2 | SPONSORS
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! The Globe is an entirely self-funded publication. We receive no funding from the school district for printing. Each issue of the Globe costs approximately $2000 to print. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their support of our publication. They make our work possible. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email us at globe@claytonschools.net. ISSUE SPONSORS ($2000 Level) Gail Workman Herbie’s in Clayton
GOLDEN GREYHOUND SPONSORS ($200+ Level) Big Bend Auto Center Center of Clayton Integrity DTLS Landscape Architecture Dale Avenue Pediatrics Windsor Madonna O Cotlar Centene
Yeung Realtors Melissa Clark Clayton Pilates Studio The Thompson Richardson Team St. Louis Suit Company English-to-English Clayton All in Coalition
WORLD TRAVELER SPONSORS ($100+ Level) Northwest Coffee The LaGesse Stanton Family The Brown Family The Higuchi Family The Sturmoski Family The Abburi Family Jane Cross Eugene Cross Bob and Betsy Cuneo Bob Chapman The Stemmler Family Charlotte de Sauvage Nolting The Curtis Family Sangeeta Khanna and Aseem Sharma The Chung Family Washington University Physicians Allergy & Immunology Clinics Mary and Dick Anthony
Robin and Neil Snelling Christy Hager DDS Ann Sachar Sarah Bernard Dr. James Fehr Dr. Anne Glowinski Angela and Troy Quinn Chandrakant C. Tailor Alex Waldbart Florist Protzel’s Delicatessen Cobblestone Quality Shoe Repair Celsius Cryo-Therapy The Erlin Family Debbie and Andy Schwartz Chandrakant Tailor The Choo-Kang Family The Family of Lary Baker Go Inc. Kay Quinn Malone
May 2019
3 | CONTENTS
13 Saying Goodbye
Wishing farewell to the retiring teachers.
34 Hustling Hill
CHS’s soccer team gets a new addition, freshman Lauren Hill.
38 Ice Cream of STL
A review of the best ice cream near Clayton.
CORRECTIONS In the staff editorial of the April issue, on page 42, the Globe referred to Max Beggs as “a trans male (biologically female, identifying as a male).” The preferred way to refer to a trans male in transition would be to say, “Beggs a trans male (assigned female at birth, transitioning to male).”
Comments or suggestions? Send them to globe@claytonschools.net
Photo by Michael Melinger
globe. STAFF
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Luka Bassnett
Keilan Morrissey
Eliot Blackmoore
Siddhi Narayan
Disha Chatterjee
Laura Parvulescu
Danielle Choo-Kang
Ruth Pierson
CHIEF VIDEO EDITOR
Cece Cohen
Sophia Puerto
Sean Kim
Ella Cuneo
Reese Quinn
Camille Curtis
Emma Raine
Michael Bernard and Jacob LaGesse
CHIEF DIGITAL EDITOR Justin Guilak
CHIEF PHOTO EDITOR Michael Melinger
REPORTERS
COPY EDITOR Anna Sturmoski
Sofia Erlin
Dheera Rathikindi
Kate Freedman
Helena Reuter
BUSINESS MANAGER
Sahithya Gokaraju
William Redington
Daniel Cohen
Tallulah Hawley
Maya Richter
Maxwell Keller
Damien Stahl
Sasha Keller
Ingrid Stahl
Paul Liu
Abigail Sucher
Shane LaGesse
Jackson Swinigan
Rachel Liang
Kaitlyn Tran
SECTION EDITORS
Moriah Lotsoff
Louis Van’t Hof
David Higuchi, NEWS
Gabriela Madriz
Jessie Wang
Sara Stemmler, FEATURE
Kaia Mills-Lee
Angela Xiao
Daniel Cohen, SPORTS
Margy Mooney
Lana Xu
SENIOR MANAGING EDITORS Richard Cheng Grace Snelling Lila Taylor
Ashley Chung, OPINION Hongkai Jiang, REVIEW
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PAGE EDITORS Sarah Baker
Jimmy Malone
Josephine Cross
Neema Naemi
Lise Derksen
Junyi Su
Zachary Fisher
Sophie Thompson
Katie He
Bridget Walsh
Noor Jerath
Victor Wei
Isabella Clark
Caroline Marsden
Gwen Duplain
Mallory Palmer
Catherine Holtzman
Deborah Park
Xuenan Jin
Maya Richter
Lucia Johnson
Elia Rios
Areeba Khan
Annika Sandquist
Cicely Krutzsch
Madalyn Schroeder
Julian Lawless
Emma Siegel
Kathleen Lay
Anna Walsh
Whitney Le
Lauren Wolff
Audrey Deutsch Professional Affiliations: JournalismSTL, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association, Missouri Journalism Education Association, Journalism Education Association National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association Please visit chsglobe.com for our editorial policy, mission statement, and ethics code. You can contact us at chsglobe@claytonschools.net with comments, story ideas or letters to the editor.
Photo by Mi
5 | editors letter
from the editor
from the editor At the beginning of this school year, we posed a challenge to our graduating class. In the midst of the frenzy surrounding college applications, could we still make the most of our final year at CHS? We hope that what we take away from the building that has become our second home includes more than just a GPA and a tentative plan for the future. Because although in a way senior year is about taking the first step into your future, a future that you have worked towards throughout your high school career, it is also the culmination of four years of growth, relationship-building and personal discovery that will shape who you become as much as any college. So here, at the end of one road and the beginning of another, we think it’s an appropriate time to reflect. It’s been only 345,000 minutes since we began our journey as seedlings in this garden of education. We, alongside our 200 other peers, were eager to photosynthesize under the guidance our teachers and mentors, in hopes of one day being able to pass along this knowledge and provide the fertilizer for another seedling’s journey. We probably should have listened when Dr. Turley warned us against using over-thetop analogies. Our four-year trek did not come free of hiccups. The journey often seemed to have more downs than up, and the encompassing stress often made us call into question whether the ends truly justified the means. But in retrospect, our perseverance through the drudgery of homework and tests may have taught us a little more about ourselves. Besides how to solve differential equations and analyze rhetorical appeals, beyond time-management skills and study strategies, Clayton has showed us how to be valued members of a larger community. The school offers so many opportunities to find your niche, to find a place in a club or classroom
where you can excel and contribute your unique talents and insights, but it is up to each student to take initiative and seek this outlet for success. This diverse environment has allowed us to grow as people as well as learners, our thinking challenged by others who view the world through a different lens. However, as we examine in this issue’s cover story, this diversity is threatened. The District prides itself on developing students into well-rounded people through its “whole-child” principal. According to the District website, one of the core values it tries to promote in its students is inclusivity, “by valuing individual differences and the contributions of a diverse student body and staff.” However, with the number of minority students brought to the District through the
VST program poised to drop significantly over the next few years, the ability of administrators to provide this diverse environment is seemingly imperiled. Our own experiences in Clayton schools have molded us into the people we are today, and we hope that the District will continue to provide this enriching educational experience in the years to come. Interacting with a diverse group of inspired learners on a daily basis has prepared us for life outside of Clayton, and now it is time for us to leave the community that has become a home. As eager spectators, we have watched many seniors cross into the next phase of their lives. It is time for us to make that same walk across the stage, away from the comfort CHS has provided and into the unknown. Goodbye, Clayton. Hello, world.
JACOB LAGESSE and MICHAEL BERNARD I EDITORS IN CHIEF
BOBER’S BALL Junior midfielder Emily Bober dribbles down the field at an away game against University City. The Hounds won the game 7-1. The CHS girls varsity soccer team currently holds a record of 9-7 as of May 8th, 2019.
EMMA SIEGEL | PHOTOGRAPHER
news & notes
STENGER GETS STUNG
Former county executive Steve Stenger faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after federal corruption charges.
After a fire ravaged the cathedral on April 16, Notre Dame prepares for reconstruction.
CLAYTON DECA GOES INTERNATIONAL
Clayton DECA attended the International DECA Competition from April 26-May 1 in Orlando, Florida. Senior Greg Pierson placed 2nd in Sports and Entertainment Marketing.
TRAGEDY ON EASTER
Junior Richard Cheng placed top 10 in Business Finance Series. Sophomore Grace Homann earned top 10 in her presentation for Entrepreneurship Series.
Church bombings on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka by a local militant Islamic group leave over 300 dead.
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SHANE LAGESSE | REPORTER
An alleged Russian beluga spy whale was discovered in a Norwegian port city and has since refused to leave, seemingly seeking the attention of the Norwegians
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UNDERWATER ESPIONAGE
SHOOTING AT LADUE SCHNUCKS
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COMEDIAN WINS THE VOTE
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Photo by Michael Melinger On April 23, a shooting took place in the 8800 block of the Ladue road. Multiple officers were involved in the event. For more information, visit www.chsglobe.com.
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Comedian and entertainer Voldymyr Zolensky uproots Petro Poroshenko, winning the 2019 Ukranian with nearly 73 percent of the vote.
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messengers medals St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger awarded Pulitzer Prize ranging from feature photography to public service to, of course, commentary. “For bold columns that exposed the malfeasance and injustice of forcing poor rural Missourians charged with misdemeanor crimes to pay unaffordable fines or be sent to jail,” The Pulitzer Commentary Jury said about Messenger’s work. Messenger will be awarded $15,000 dollars for his work and honored at the annual Pulitzer luncheon later this year at Columbia University.
- MICHAEL MELINGER
mayor harris Photo from Messenger St. Louis Post Dispatch Metro Columnist Tony Messenger was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his commentary on debtors’ prisons in Missouri. Messenger began reporting on this issue back in 2017 when he met Victoria Branson. Branson was an individual who was jailed over court costs she couldn’t pay. Messenger followed up with Branson in early 2018 and continued his reporting on the issue throughout the year. Beginning his tenure as Metro Columnist in 2015, Messenger has covered issues such as airport privatization and the city-county merger. Then he found this new, seemingly bi-partisan issue to report on. After meeting with Branson, Messenger embarked on what would later become one of the greatest pieces of journalism of 2018. A countless number of tips and similar stories began to rush into his inbox, Messenger was soon following up. “That initial reporting process is, does it feel wrong? Does it feel like there’s a story here?” Messenger said. Digging deeper into the issue, Messenger found this to be an epidemic across the state. Judges keeping people in poverty and out of work over unpaid fines. “I think people started to recognize themselves in these tragic stories of people who happen to be poor and the judicial system was keeping people in poverty, actually making them more poor, and it was just a travesty,” Messenger said. Messenger’s Pulitzer winning works featured 10 columns from throughout 2018. The Pulitzer Prizes award the best in journalism each year in 14 journalistic categories
Michelle Harris steps up to the plate as new mayor of Clayton
Photo from Harris On April 23, Harris was sworn in as the new mayor of Clayton. A resident of Clayton for 29 years, Harris has served as alderman for 11. On November 28, 2018 Harris launched her campaign, and on December 11, 2018, she officially filed as a candidate for the position in the upcoming election as a result of her passion for the city. Aside from her years as an alderman, she has helped found various organizations, including the Clayton Century Foundation. She also serves as a board member for the ZMD, or Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District.
“All of these things have been very rewarding,” Harris said. Harris’ campaign centered on three priorities, all revolving around a single concept. “My priorities are zeroing in on sustainability,” said Harris. “I mean economic, environmental and social. Economically, we’re in great shape.” Harris also added that she wishes to direct more attention towards quality-of-life measures, among which include making Clayton more walkable and protecting Clayton’s quaint shopping districts from over-development. Her immediate plans involve getting to know those who work around and with her. “It’s really important, in that early stage, for me to meet with each individual alderman and discuss their vision for our community’s future,” Harris said. Harris’ own values include those of honesty, transparency and inclusion, as according to Harris, cities are about people. Harris feels strongly about creating a diverse atmosphere in Clayton and strengthening social sustainability. “One of the early things I’d like to look at is exploring policies that will ensure that Clayton is welcoming to all,” Harris said. Moving forward, Harris plans on continuing an ongoing dialogue with the Clayton School District during her time as mayor. “Something that I’ve been doing for a few years now is leading a strategic relationship team,” Harris said. This group includes many major stakeholders which directly affect the Clayton community. Information is shared between the Superintendent of the Clayton School District, Sean Doherty, as well as representatives from nearby universities and organizations. “I plan to continue leading that, as well as specifically supporting the district’s activities through communication and collaboration.” Harris plans on keeping in touch with youth in the Clayton School District, such as through MYAC, the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council-- a group of high school students who meet and discuss topics with the mayor. Harris is the proud parent of two CHS graduates, Clayton and Carson, who are working on undergraduate and graduate degrees, respectively. Throughout her term you can find her in Claverach Park, with her husband, Scott, her retriever Sugar and an elderly cat named Kit. Harris is the proud parent of two CHS graduates, Clayton and Carson, who are working on undergraduate and graduate degrees, respectively. Throughout her term you can find her in Claverach Park, with her husband, Scott, her retriever Sugar and an elderly cat named Kit. \.
- SHANE LAGESSE
10 | NEWS DAVID HIGUCHI | NEWS SECTION EDITOR
globe graduates
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS
“Getting to be creative and tackling real life issues in our community.”
The seniors on the staff reflect on what they liked best about Globe
ZACHARY FISHER | PAGE EDITOR
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS
“Getting the opportunity to write stories with a dedicated team of intelligent students that helped me grow as a writer and as a person.”
DANIEL COHEN | SPORTS SECTION EDITOR WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS
“Learning the importance of journalism in today’s society.”
JACOB LAGESSE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
“Getting to see Justin Guilak’s beautiful face everyday.”
JUSTIN GUILAK | CHIEF DIGITAL EDITOR RICE UNIVERSITY
“Getting to show Jacob LaGesse my beautiful face everyday.”
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11 | NEWS
DAMIEN STAHL | REPORTER UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN “Meeting new people.”
MICHAEL BERNARD | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
n our
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
“Being able to use the newspaper as a flashlight to shed light on important issues that have been pushed into the shadows of society- and hanging out with Nick Foles.”
SEAN KIM | CHIEF VIDEO EDITOR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
“Going on a very very educational trip to the NSPA Convention in LA! Rooming with Justin, Jacob, and Michael was quite the experience. ”
HONGKAI JIANG | REVIEW SECTION EDITOR PURDUE UNIVERSITY
“Broadening my view of school and the world through working and interacting with other intelligent students.”
LISE DERKSEN | PAGE EDITOR UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
“Getting to know other individuals on the staff and establishing a closer connection with the Clayton community.”
PAUL LIU | REPORTER PURDUE UNIVERSITY
“Learning the skills I need to write stories and learning how to communicate, which prepares me for the future.”
12 | NEWS
The Center Renovation
The Center of Clayton plans for future renovations that will benefit Clayton High School students CECE COHEN | PAGE EDITOR The Center of Clayton plans to go through a massive amount of renovations within the next year. One of these changes include renovating the current power lifting room behind court two, which CHS will have full access to. CHS chose to create a weight room because they wanted to teach students how to use weights safely. Mr. Steve Hutson, gym teacher at CHS and leader of the project, said “We haven’t had a space to workout designed specifically for students at least in the last 16 years I’ve been here at Clayton. We wanted to set up a set of strength training lifts that all students should know and the foundations for everything that you do in the weight room. We want a space that an entire class could be lifting doing those core lifts and learning them all at the same time.” CHS can currently use The Center of Clayton’s power lifting room. However, the room’s conditions are not ideal for a class. The power lifting room is set up like a community center instead of a classroom There is no whiteboard or SMART Board, and there is a stereo playing in the background, making it hard for students to hear the teacher. There are also members using the room at the same time, making it even harder to use. CHS Principal, Dr. Dan Gutchewsky, said, “One of the challenges we have had since they opened is that the weight room space is
not huge and the fact that we have to share it at all times with members makes it even smaller for us. Like when we want to run a class or whether before school or during school. It’s just not big enough. This will give us the opportunity to have our own dedicated space that we don’t have to share that is big enough to run a whole PE class in.” One difference between the current weight room and the new weight room designed specifically for CHS is that there will be more room to workout and more people will be able to workout at once. Hutson said, “Currently there are four racks being used. Only two of them can be used safely due to missing brackets. The new set up would allow for 12 different students doing the same core exercises at the same time, and then if you include a spotter and a student taking a break between their repetitions and sets, you could have quite a few students working out at one time, which you cannot do right now.” The power lifting room renovations are supposed to begin around December 1, 2019 and end around March 31, 2020. Dr. Ryan Luhning and Mr. Hutson are trying to schedule a majority of the strength training classes during first semester. The first semester classes will be able to use the current weight room before it undergoes renovations, with the addition of some new equipment to make classes run a little more smoothly, so there’s less standing around and
more students are working out at one time. However, the second semester strength training classes are not going to have a weight room for all of third quarter. “Our second semester classes will start out using another space either upstairs at the Center of Clayton or in set up equipment in one of the gyms, with the hope that we will be able to use the new weight room once we return from spring break. So the downside to second semester is we’re going to have to be flexible. But after spring break, if the project goes smoothly, you’re going to have a brand new space to work out and you’ll be one of the first students to use it,” Hutson said. As well as creating a space for classes, the new weight room will help give the sports teams a space to workout. “Many coaches have two to three weeks before our first contest,” Hutson said. “So much of our growth needs to happen in the offseason and having a training facility that our student athletes can go into either during the day, in the mornings, or after school with a coach, I think is essential to building a strong athletic program.” In order for a student to use the weight room, there needs to be supervision there. So, when school is not in session, the weight room will be locked, just like any other classroom at CHS. Gutchewsky said, “The renovation I’m most excited about is the new weight room for us. We have not had one in a while.”
A new weight room that has a classroom design in mind will be on the new features of the Center renovations. Photo by Erin Sucher-O’Grady.
13 | FEATURE
saying goodbye Beloved CHS teachers Stacy Felps, Richard Kordenbrock and Rebecca Taylor, as well as Athletic Director Bob Bone, plan to retire at the end of this school year
bob bone
ANGELA XIAO | REPORTER
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onning a blue and orange jacket, CHS Athletic Director Bob Bone is frequently seen standing near the bleachers of Stuber Gym or on the sidelines of Gay Field. Rain or shine, Bone is in attendance. However, his athletic involvement started long before arriving at Clayton. In the early 70’s, Bone was an exceptional athlete at Collinsville High School in Illinois. He continued his athletic career at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he played both baseball and basketball. He holds almost every offensive record there, such as most career points (2,678) and career assists (446). After his decorated basketball career at UMSL, Bone decided against attempting to play professional basketball. Instead, he began coaching basketball. Bone coached college basketball for several years before choosing to return to his high school alma mater, Collinsville, to coach. One major factor motivated him to make the transition: his children. “At the time, I had young children, and obviously with college coaching, you move around a lot,” Bone said. “So, I really felt like I wanted to see my kids grow up.” Bone’s decision paid off. He spent 21 years at Collinsville as the athletic director and boys’ basketball coach. With his guidance, Collinsville won 10 Southwest Conference championships and 13 Illinois High School Association Regional championships. Soon after Bone’s youngest son graduated from Collinsville, he accepted the position of Athletic Director at Clayton. As soon as he arrived, Bone noticed one major thing that set CHS apart from other schools: the participation policy. “I’d never been at a place that had a
participation policy like the one we have. I’d come from a program where we’d have 60-70 boys go out for boys basketball, and we’d end up cutting about 50 kids and keeping 15. I’d always struggled with that idea of somebody wanting to play but not having the opportunity to. We really believe that with athletics,
you can learn things that you can’t learn anywhere else,” Bone said. Now, in his 13th year at CHS, Bone said the decision to remain here has was easy. “I really like the kids here. I think we just have a great outlook on the way we do things. Our student body is very accepting of other
people both inside and outside of our school. So, that was really appealing to me. Then, just the education being so good here. I look at the competitive balance between the playing field and the classroom. I don’t think they are many schools anywhere that have that balance, where students are able to compete athletically, but they also do very well in the classroom,” Bone said. Many changes have occurred during Bone’s tenure at CHS, including alterations of the participation policy and improvements to facilities. These adjustments will continue to positively impact the CHS athletic program for years to come. Although winning has always been significant for Bone, CHS students have remained his top priority. “I hope we’ve been able to make our decisions, over the last 13 years, for our students. That’s what we’ve tried to do, when we do have to make decisions we think: what’s best for our kids, what fits here, and I think for the most part we’ve been able to do that,” Bone said. Clayton boys’ and girls’ soccer coach Tom Redmond reiterated Bone’s desire to place students first. “One of the things Coach Bone did in my nine years here is he really encouraged us to build relationships with our players,” Redmond said. “He always said, “Don’t just coach. Make sure you get to know your players. Figure out what their needs are, and try to build positive relationships with them.”” As yet another chapter of Bob Bone’s storied career comes to a close, he prepares to trade in watching high-intensity high school games for watching his grandkids’ rec-league games. In retirement, Bone also plans to travel and spend more time with his wife and grandchildren.
14 | FEATURE
SOFIA ERLIN | REPORTER
stacy felps SOFIA ERLIN | REPORTER
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or many students, CHS brings to mind thoughts of stress, homework and tests. However, for CHS math teacher Stacy Felps, high school brings one word to mind: home. Felps has taught at CHS for 35 years, the place where she began her teacher career, and where she has taught ever since. “When I started teaching, I wasn’t drawn here. I didn’t even really know very much about Clayton. I knew that first year teachers weren’t hired in the Clayton School District, so I hadn’t really even thought about Clayton as being an option for me, but there were some people who watched me during my student-teaching that recommended that I get some attachment to the District,” Felps said. Teaching has always felt natural to Felps. “I always knew that I was supposed to be a teacher. Even in grade school I was helping people with things they were struggling with, but it really became clear in college when I was taking physics and calculus and my dorm room became the room where everybody hung out because everybody just wanted to get help.” said Felps. During her time at CHS, one of the things Felps focused on was helping new teachers feel comfortable and accepted. Because she was younger and less experienced than most of the other staff when she first arrived,
Felps found it difficult to navigate the social aspects of being a teacher. Felps has also put an emphasis on forming relationships with students during her time at the high school. One of her favorite aspects of being a teacher is hearing teenager’s perspective on the world. “I love the freedom that we have to form relationships with the students,” Felps said. “I think [my favorite part about being a teacher] is just hanging out with young people and hearing what they’re excited about.” During her career, Felps has been able to teach a wide variety of courses, from Calculus AB to Algebra 2 to Geometry. “There is something about every course that we teach to be excited about, so you can’t go wrong” said Felps. Her time at CHS has defined much of Felps’ adult life. “Thinking of going forward and not having [CHS as a part] of it feels really weird,” said Felps. “As an adult I’ve never known anything different… so it’s really weird to think about not being here.” As the senior faculty in the building, Felps has worked at CHS longer than any other staff or faculty member. “I’ve been here longer than anybody else in this building,” Felps said. “It’s like the passing of the torch. In a way, everybody’s my family and I want to make sure that we did it well enough that it can carry on.”
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rebecca taylor
RUTHIE PIERSON | REPORTER
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to some, these two letters may seem puzzling, but when mentioned at Clayton High School, most students and teachers immediately know what they mean. DT is an abbreviation for Dr. Rebecca Taylor, an English teacher at CHS. Known for her challenging papers, classic red cart and quirky outfits, Taylor has gained a sort of fame throughout Clayton. However, it is her extreme love and passion for teaching English that differentiates her from most. According to Taylor, who has been teaching at Clayton for the past 19 years, obtaining a position in the district was a stroke of good luck. “Oh, I was lucky. I was teaching sort of part-time as a graduate student at WASHU. They did conferenced English, and I just thought it was great. I had never done formal conferenced English before. Of course, I had conferenced with my students informally. So, when I heard that Clayton had a conferenced English program, I thought, ‘That’s the place for me!’” Taylor applied for a job at Clayton, but did not immediately get it. Then, when a teacher at Clayton quit, a spot opened up. The school called a friend of Dr. Taylor’s, who then referred them to her. The next thing she knew, she was being interviewed and hired. “It was like, ‘Bam!’-- just like that,” Taylor said. Although Taylor was originally a zoology major, she fell in love with teaching English at CHS. When asked what makes her love Clayton so much, Taylor said, “Oh, I just love my students.” Taylor also noted that, at Clayton, she enjoys that students take their academics seriously. “There are a lot of high schools where students don’t study at all, or they can’t study because it’s such a crazy situation,” Taylor said. Though Taylor is unsure of her long-term retirement plans, she does hope to begin traveling within the coming months. This July she will be packing her bags and heading to Transylvania in Romania, and also looks forward to visiting the East Coast with her brother. Taylor feels that it is time for her to retire. Although she is sad to be leaving CHS, she is excited to be moving on with her life and having new experiences. She compared retiring to graduating high school. “You know, when you graduate you’ll be sad, but you’ll be delighted to be going to college,” Taylor said. Dr. Taylor has left a significant mark on CHS and, more importantly, on the lives of her many students, who will never forget her.
15 | FEATURE
o one at CHS is more excited for the start of summer break than social studies teacher Richard Kordenbrock. “I think I’ll miss [teaching] somewhat. I’m ready to not have a job,” Kordenbrock said. As a high school student and college student at Mizzou, Kordenbrock described himself as “completely irresponsible” and often chose not to attend his classes. He claimed that reading a book called “The Best and the Brightest”by David Halberstam during his sophomore winter break in college was the sole motive behind his mindset shift into being an attentive and responsible student. Once he returned to school for the second semester of his sophomore year, Kordenbrock began working hard for the first time ever. “When I really applied myself and did everything I was supposed to do and I had some success, it opened up a whole new world for me,” Kordenbrock said. Eventually graduating from University of Missouri Law School, Kordenbrock was a lawyer for 24 years at a firm in Clayton. While he enjoyed his combative career and life as a lawyer, Kordenbrock decided that he wanted to do something different with the last part of his working life. As he accompanied his son on a college visit to Tulane University, Kordenbrock sat in the quadrangle and watched students traverse across the campus. “And I just thought -- academics, academia, school -- it’s a great thing!” Kordenbrock said. “And I wanted to be a baseball coach,” he added, smiling. “My thinking was that I can be a high school teacher and I can coach baseball.” Kordenbrock felt drawn to teach social studies due to his law experience, though he has never taught government. He taught at Ritenour High School for five years, then moved to CHS. He has taught sociology in the past and currently teaches African American History and US/ World History II. “[I’ll miss] the routine of coming to school and teaching the material that I’ve now taught for a long time. I do enjoy that,” Kordenbrock said. In addition to leaving a legacy as a great history teacher, he’ll leave the mark of his multitude of personal anecdotes, lengthy lectures, his discussion of current political issues and his 16 years of collected student data -- which includes the class averages of every test, quiz, or homework assignment he’s ever given as a teacher. As he says to his eighth hour sophomore history class each time he finishes a powerpoint: “That’s the last time I’ll do that again!”
rick kordenbrock
TALLULAH HAWLEY | REPORTER
it doesn’t have to en
end.
By Lila Taylor, Grace Snelling, Michael Melinger, Sara Stemmler and Margy Mooney Photos by Michael Melinger
The History It’s 7:45 a.m on a warm August morning. the court mandated a voluntary student school districts to be declared unitary so that Several students peek out of the smudged transfer system in 1983 that included the the transfer program could be phased out windows of a school bus as they approach busing of city students to county districts, the completely. one of three well-manicured buildings set creation of magnet schools in the city with Instead, many county schools, including against a suburban skyline. They drive past the intention to draw white families out of Clayton, agreed to continue with the transfer rows of expensive cars around to the side of the county and a more even distribution by as long as it was fully paid for by the state; their school, where they are unloaded. There, race of teachers in St. Louis districts. It was at this time, the districts were profiting ecothey wait apprehensively outside the looming at this point that court mandate dictated that nomically as a result of the state-paid tuition doors of their new elementary school, a many county districts, including Clayton, of transfer students. strange and unfamiliar place. A place where would begin to receive African-American Several years later, funding for the prothey were promised opportunity. They may students from city schools, as well as fully gram was cut substantially by the state, and not understand it yet, but each child serves a funding tuition for each student from the many districts used this as a reason to leave small part in a much larger the agreement. Clayton project of social equity. could’ve followed suit, but This has been the instead joined a state-auexperience of generations thorized group of districts of students in the voluntary in the Voluntary Interdisstudent transfer program. trict Choice Corporation If action isn’t taken, it will (VICC) in order to retain happen for the last time in the program. This decision 2023. was greatly influenced by But let’s start at the an unprecedented walkbeginning. out held by high school In 1971, as a result of students at the time to overcrowding in schools, protest an end to voluntary city officials informed partransfer. ents of students attending Today, Clayton once public schools in St. Louis again finds itself at the that their children would be crossroads that it faced moved to a deteriorating, 20 years ago in 1999. The dated building miles away VICC board, comprised of from their current school. the superintendents of each After indirect efforts to participating district, votes obtain a fair and equitable on the continuation of education for their children voluntary student transfer, failed, five parents sued the as well as the number of Board of Education of the students that it will accept, City of St. Louis for disevery five years. Those criminatory allocation of repercentages of accepted sources and identifiable rastudents have been consiscial boundaries (purposeful tently declining for nearly a segregation) of schools. The decade, but, even more crucourt found that intentional cially, the misinformed idea segregation was continuing that VICC no longer has in St. Louis and in the state, legal grounds has resulted and that remedial action in a perpetuated belief was necessary to mend the that VICC must come to harmful consequences of an end. The VICC board this practice. Thus began the itself is also under this first voluntary student transimpression, yet according fer program in the country to former Clayton board Maki Pickett at his drumset in his home. used as a solution to a school member Susan Buse, is open to desegregation case. exploring options to continuing This case, known as the Liddell litigation, state. the program as more information comes to continued to develop for decades, becoming By 1999, however, it became clear that light. increasingly complex. After years of legal efforts to bring white students into the city “There has been a perception that the law back-and-forth over the intricacies of prowere having little effect, and there was a requires the VICC program to end soon,” moting desegregation in the city and county, substantial push from the state for St. Louis Buse said. “But, that’s not so clear under
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either the statutes or case law. The Missouri statutes that recognize VICC have no required end date. The court decisions addressing desegregation efforts don’t mandate its quick end. Instead, the court decisions state that these types of remedial efforts can continue until the harm of the past segregation has been remedied – or until the courts find a “unitary status” has been reached, that there is no longer a dual system of racially separate schools. How is St Louis doing? In a 2016 case, the district court, in ruling in favor of VICC, held that unitary status had not yet been found.” In this case, an African American mother, La’Shieka White, sued the voluntary student transfer program on behalf of her son, E.L White Jr., in an effort to attend a charter school in the city of St. Louis after his family had relocated to the county when he was in third grade. The court decided that he had no standing to sue, as charter schools are not under the jurisdiction of the voluntary student transfer program. However, during the proceedings of the case, Judge Ronnie White stated that because city and county schools remain segregated and St. Louis has not yet reached a unitary school system, VICC remains viable. Thomas Wack, a former Clayton parent and attorney, agreed that the case provided reasonable legal standing for VICC to continue.
“It’s a complicated decision, but you know, the court said in the course of its opinion that VICC still had a vital role to play, and that although VICC said that it was winding down, it still had the authority to continue. It’s a good precedent for the continuation of VICC,” Wack said. Despite the fact that E.L. White was unable to return to Gateway Science and Art Academy in the City of St. Louis, this case has fostered prolongation of the VICC program. White’s decision that St. Louis schools have not reached unitary status gave substantial merit to the claims of those who wish the program to continue. Since the beginning of the program, Clayton has relied on VICC to bring African American diversity to the District. African Americans make up only 7 percent of the city Clayton itself, with an overwhelming 74.6 percent of residents being white. At the height of voluntary student transfer, the world within Clayton schools looked much more diverse than the city around it. “Historically, Clayton’s African American student diversity has depended heavily on the voluntary transfer program,” Buse said. “20 years ago, black students comprised over 20 percent of District students. Kindergarten classrooms then looked very different from how they look today. If you look at District enrollment graphs, you will see most enroll-
ment categories holding fairly steady over the years, with the primary reason for the decline in black student enrollment in the District being the continued decline in the voluntary transfer program enrollment.” According to Clayton Superintendent Sean Doherty, one reason that the program has dwindled is that some superintendents from public city schools feel that it is not mutually beneficial for their districts and students. “Representatives of the St. Louis Public Schools have shared, “We know that diversity is really important for a community, but our community isn’t that diverse if you truly look at it. It’s almost a really single-race in our schools. So if it’s beneficial for St. Louis County schools to have diversity, how can it also be beneficial for the city as well?”” Doherty said. However, he also contended that allowing the program to dissipate or end over the next several years would be an oversight and, ultimately, a mistake for both the city and the county. “Right now, we are working on some strategic thinking that we can put in place to continue partnerships between St. Louis County schools and St. Louis public schools, so that way our students are exposed to different perspectives, different races, different opportunities,” Doherty said. “My feeling is
Avé March on her sibling’s bed at her house in St. Louis, MO.
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that this is a mechanism that the district has had for many years, this is a program we’ve valued-- we will want to continue to do some type of program like VICC as long as possible.” Currently, only 17 percent of Clayton students identify as black, with 48.7 percent of those students coming from the VICC program. Though demand for voluntary transfer has not waned, the percentage of students that the VICC Board has voted to accept has steadily declined with each renewal cycle, dropping to only 17 percent of applicants being enrolled in the program last year, most of which being the siblings of current VICC students. Hopeful parents continue to apply for a spot in VICC in order to secure a better education for their children, yet, paradoxically, as the years since the push for desegregation increase, their chances of obtaining that better education decrease. “From my perspective, there is a need [for VICC],” Doherty said. “We still get calls every day from people that have an interest in the program. That’s my impetus for saying, “If we can’t figure out a way to continue [VICC] the way it is now, we need to start thinking about another way we can do it.”” As the number of VICC students dwindles, another population at Clayton is in jeopardy: statutory tuition students who came to Clayton from unaccredited districts. When two St. Louis County districts, Normandy and Riverview Gardens, lost their state accreditation several years ago due to a combination of factors, they chose two neighboring districts that their students could attend without paying tuition (this was paid by the state), neither of which was Clayton. However, some students opted to instead provide their own transportation and come to Clayton, where their education is also covered by the state. At the peak of this system, over 60 students from unaccredited districts were attending Clayton. Now that those districts have regained their accreditation, statutory tuition students who reach a “transition year” (between elementary and middle school or middle school and high school), who may have attended Clayton for upwards of six years, are faced with the prospect of returning to their previous district. In order to stay, they must fall into another category of enrollment through a board grant, personal tuition, moving into the district, or becoming a part of the VICC program. 10 students were confronted by this issue for the upcoming school season, and while six of them have found a way to continue in the district, four remain without a solution. In the next several years, at least 30 children will be challenged with the same situation. “Let’s question. Let’s see if there’s a better way to do this. That’s why I don’t want to wait until 2024 to have these conversations. I don’t want us to wait until the last minute to say, “Oh, is there something better we could be doing?” Doherty said. The vast schism in education is not a surface-level problem, but rather an institutionalized divide rooted in white flight, segregation, housing codes and the lack of economic motivation for white suburban areas to share their resources with struggling city districts. One cannot put a band-aid over this issue and expect it to heal; it requires monumental reconstruction from the ground up. It requires a mutually beneficial agreement between the city and county to work towards a more unitary educational system. It requires affordable housing in areas with stable school districts. It requires a greater influx of funding to those districts that lack it. These are the very real problems that perpetuate unequal education in our city and country that must be addressed.
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Deonna Robison and her daughter Ari’Yonna Guichard sit in their living room as Ari’Yonna shows her mother her homwork from her day at school. ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
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Caleb Whitfield
“When he was researching schools, he looked into schools that were big on performing arts. Clayton had that. Theatre has always been something I wanted to do. To finally get the opportunity to do something I love was really eye-opening. I don’t consider the other theatre kids my friends. They’re more like my family. That was life-changing for me.” For students entering the district through the VICC program (should it continue), Whitfield has one piece of advice in regards to Clayton’s rigorous academic environment: “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Don’t feel like you have to be at a certain place because this is where you’re at. Don’t feel like you’re the odd one out. And mingle. Make new friends. Form those bonds. Enjoy these four years because they go by really fast.”
“I was heartbroken.” As senior Caleb Whitfield prepared for what he always assumed would be his freshman year at CHS, his dad told him he wouldn’t be coming back. Normandy had regained its accreditation, and many Clayton students previously from that district were told that the school wanted them back. “I had made all these bonds with these people. I didn’t want to leave. I don’t think I would be able to flourish or grow in the way that I did here. Being here was a great opportunity for me. I really found myself here. I don’t think that would have been an option if I had been sent back to Normandy,” Whitfield said. Luckily, Whitfield would find that he could choose to stay within the district where he has remained since his seventh grade year. His arrival was largely a result of his father’s push for a better education for his son after his own lacking experience at Vashon High School. “Him going to Vashon, he didn’t want me in that environment. He really wanted the best for me. It was really important to him that I got the education that he didn’t get. He felt that this was a place where I could grow and succeed . . . me being in Clayton was one of the greatest decisions he ever made.” Whitfield’s instant comfort at Clayton was a stark contrast to a trend of bullying that both his father and his peers experienced while attending inner-city schools. Much of the discovery of his own identity as a gay man was fostered by an accepting culture unique to Clayton. “If I was at Vashon, coming out would’ve been totally different. I would’ve been bullied. I was never bullied here. My friends were like, ‘Yeah, we already knew. But cool,’” Whitfield said. While Whitfield found Clayton to cultivate an accepting environment overall, he was also able to find his niche of friends as a result of his passion for theatre, another reason that he ended up at CHS. “My dad has always known that I wanted to do something with theatre,” Whitfield said.
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Senior Caleb Whitfield poses for portait.
Inside the March Family home.
The March Family It’s 5:45 a.m. and Maki Pickett has just woken up ahead of the two hour bus ride that awaits him. His siblings get a mere 15 extra minutes of sleep. And before the sun can even rise, all of them will be on their way to school. On any given morning, Samantha March, a Clayton alum and mother of four children in the VICC program, is preparing her kids for the long day ahead. Samantha was a part of the VICC program, graduating in 2004, and is now is passing along the same experience to her kids. “For the most part we enjoyed the program,” Samantha said.“We really had a great time. We made lots of connections with people in the Clayton community and I expect the same from my kids.” Samantha has focused much of her time advocating for her children’s’ education. Maki and his three siblings have been in Clayton schools for their entire educational careers, with Maki, the oldest of the three, starting high school next year. However, the younger three have a couple
more years of frolicing on the playground, as the youngest is only in first grade. More importantly, they will continue to gain the skills they need to succeed in Clayton. Avé March, a fourth grader at Glenridge Elementary and Samantha’s second oldest, recounted a classroom experience that went beyond adding and subtracting. “My teacher read us this book one time. It said your race is different, your sex is different, but if you feel your bones they’re the same,” Avé said. This idea is central to Samantha’s philosophy about the education she wants for her children. A strong advocate for equity, she has pushed her kids to take every opportunity available to them. However, although Samantha’s children have established beneficial academic connections within Clayton, their physical seperation from their peers and school fosters a tangible and damaging social divide. Many VST students travel miles to attend Clayton and only get to see their friends during
school hours. “We should all be growing together. And the way that our zip codes are set up, the way our economic status is set up, we’re so segregated and separated here in Saint Louis,” Samantha said. Despite the challenges, Maki has found a way to succeed inside the school walls. He has become an avid percussionist and is committed to morning practices up to four days a week. The Clayton School District does not currently provide the transportation needed to make these practices at the crack of dawn, so Samantha takes time out of her day to drive him. This is just one of the many sacrifices she makes in the fight for an equitable education for her children. “I think in St. Louis it’s almost what you have to do,” Samantha said. “If you live in the city, you have to make some sort of sacrifice for you children to get a good education.”
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“I was nervous, and at first I thought everyone would be mean to me. But then people showed me around and all of a sudden they started being nice to me, and caring.” -ari’yonna guichard
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The Donaldson Family
Junior Mahalia Donaldson poses for portait. Some of Mahalia Donaldson’s earliest accounts of the Clayton School District involve she and her siblings piling into a cab as the bell rang at Captain Elementary School. Clayton schools are all Mahalia has ever known. Introduced to the District as a 5-yearold, she began to make friendships and find her way in the classroom, following in the footsteps of her older siblings. However, Mahalia wasn’t always destined to go to Clayton. Mahalia’s mother Carlisa was faced with a choice when she had twins nearly 20 years ago. Her eldest was enrolled in private school and the idea of putting all her kids in a private education was fleeting; an alternative was needed. That alternative was VICC. “I didn’t know much about [VICC],” Carlisa said. “I knew that if you lived in the city, you were African American, you could transfer to county schools. I didn’t know what the differences were between districts. So when I first went, I don’t believe I had a choice. I think there were certain deadlines that I missed because I just didn’t know what it entailed.” Mahalia’s older brother was initially assigned to Mehlville School District and later transi-
tioned to Clayton in sixth grade. Simultaneously, Mahalia’s twin siblings were working their way through Captain Elementary. Mahalia soon followed in the footsteps her siblings, entering the school that had no walls and lines the street of Northwood Ave. For many kids, learning stays within the classroom and stops when homework is completed, but her mother instilled in Mahalia a passion for lifelong learning. As a child, Mahalia was dragged along to countless lectures and museums in the pursuit of knowledge. “A big thing for me has always been okay, you go to school on Monday through Friday, but outside of that you’re going to have outside support, outside influences, outside programs,” Carlisa said. “Like I’ll beat you over the head with programs, dragging them here and dragging them there to lectures. All types of things to make sure that, although I like what is happening in Clayton, Clayton is not going to be the end all be all to the influence over what you see.” This additional support has not been lost on Mahalia. For many VICC kids, Clayton can seem very distant, but her mother’s efforts have drawn Mahalia closer to the community.
An avid band member and participant in theater productions, Mahalia has found a niche in CHS where she feels accepted. Beyond extracurriculars, she continues to challenge herself and others inside of the classroom, as she is currently enrolled in various AP and Honors courses. However, she still often considers the lack of representation for others in the VST program and African-American students as a whole. “I think that’s the case because when you live in a place where you can see the positive impact that having a good education has, like when your neighbor works at [Washington University] and your dad’s a lawyer, it’s easy to see the power of education, but when you don’t live in that type of environment, it can seem pointless,” Mahalia said. This is the reality for many VICC students, and this feeling can even be exacerbated in certain situations that include the expression of racism and hatred inside Clayton. Mahalia’s mother has served on the Parent of African American Students committee (PASS) for the greater part of her time at Clayton. PASS is committed to creating a dialogue and dealing with the issues that African American students face, a large portion of which are in the the VICC program. “I was involved with a lot of meetings [and know] the District is aware of issues. The District says that it are willing to make some changes and more positive directions. And I’ve seen where the meetings have been there. A couple of other communications have gone forward, but I’ve never been one to wait for things to change,” Carlisa said. Despite the negative challenges facing some VICC students, Mahalia has had a positive experience in the District. With her years in Clayton winding down and all of her siblings graduated, she looks fondly on her time. VICC has given Mahalia the opportunity to succeed and build friendships where she wouldn’t have otherwise. And her mother has faith in the decades-old choice to send her kids to Clayton. “I’ve heard that that program is due to end,” Carlisa said. “A part of me is worried, a part of is concerned about what’s going to happen to the younger ones that come up. I mean, [Mahalia is] my youngest, so, I know that some people may say with any one problem, you know, I’m done, she’s going to be a senior and what happens next is not in my business, but it really is our business. What’s going to happen to those young people in our community who don’t have the ability or opportunity resources? I’m not sure, I’m really not sure.”
The Broussard Family On her first day of kindergarten, Gabriella Broussard woke up, got ready, was driven to Glenridge Elementary School by her parents and cried on the playground. In a new school setting surrounded by unfamiliar peers, she immediately sought out anyone that looked like her. Finding two girls (whose names she later learned to be be Chanel and Gionna) on the swingset, she asked to play with them, and they said yes. This is her limited memory of her first experience in the Clayton School District. According to Gabriella’s father, Andres Broussard, the violence and instability in St. Louis City public schools meant that he did not consider them as an option for his two daughters. It was either work overtime to pay for private school, or get them into Clayton through VICC. Andres’ effort to ensure that his children would be able to go to Clayton is one that Gabriella feels has benefited her. “I’m kind’ve glad I didn’t [go to private school] because I like going here, and you get the feel of both [a public and private school]. I think the diversity would’ve been lower than being at Clayton, because it’s a public school,” Gabriella said
schools. But I feel like we still need to try harder. It would be better to come to school today if I could see myself represented in my teachers and my peers.” According to Gabriella, the loss of the VICC program would have a devastating impact on both African American and white students. “It’s not a want, it’s a need to have this program in the Clayton School District. It’s not just beneficial for the African American students. For the white children here who don’t see much outside of Clayton, to see more people in their school with different cultural backgrounds is beneficial in ways that they don’t really understand.”
Andres, who has had family members go through the program and heard the stories of those who benefited from it, echoed this same idea. “[The VICC program ending] would be tragic for some children. I was just reminiscing, back 25 plus years ago a guy who had gone to Clayton School District told me that it had prepared him when he got to college for the amount of homework that he had gotten. And he was saying how thankful and blessed he was to go through Clayton. It would be unfortunate if people didn’t have that option. Everybody wants a great education for their children. That’s what we all want.”
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“Everybody wants a great education for their children. That’s what we all want.”
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Although Gabriella lives in the city, she does not take the bus, and instead is driven to school by her parents. This has been beneficial in allowing her to feel less disconnected from her friends in Clayton, but was also an important factor to Andres, who was warned by friends to avoid putting his children on the bus. “Whether it’s a public bus or not, it goes through the city and picks up all the children, and some of the children are much older, they mix the high school students and the middle school students, so that’s not a good mix,” Andres said. “So it was always told to me, get them in the school, but whatever you do, don’t put your children on that bus.” Despite the fact that Gabriella described Clayton as “an amazing school to be in,” she believes that the district lacks representation of students and teachers who look like her, an issue that will be exacerbated if VICC is terminated. “I do wish I saw myself more represented in the school, as an African American woman,” Gabriella said. “But I know we’re getting a lot of new teachers next year, some being African American, which is amazing, and I feel like Clayton is trying harder in that area than other
Freshman Gabriella Broussard poses for portrait.
Ari’Yonna and Giovanni at Captain elementry in Clayton.
The Guichard Family First grader Giovanni Guichard wants to be an artist when he grows up. “I’m gonna be an artist. Like a design artist, a drawing artist. In kindergarten I used to draw stick figures, but I don’t do that anymore. One time I drew myself, and then I got better and better at it,” Giovanni said. Giovanni and his sister Ari’Yonna have attended Captain Elementary School since kindergarten. Their mother, 26-year-old Deonna Robinson, is currently attending nursing school and working night shifts while raising her two children. “I grew up in an African American school district, graduated, and am currently in a nursing program,” Deonna said. “I just want a different type of education for my kids that I didn’t receive in high school. I went to Normandy School District, and I told myself I wasn’t going to allow my kids to go to Normandy School District.” Deonna’s high school experience was a difficult one. Normandy School District was not a place where she felt comfortable or supported, and she wanted something better for her own children. “I was living in Normandy [when it was unaccredited]. My daughter was going into kindergarten, and I pretty much had the options to send her to the Normandy School District or transfer. And actually her father went to Captain Elementary School and he suggested that we send her to Captain, so that’s how we found out about it. I really didn’t know much about Captain, but I
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knew that, thinking about what I went through as a child in Normandy School District and my daughter’s personality, she wasn’t going to be able to survive in Normandy School District, because I barely survived. That’s what made me choose a different option for her,” Deonna said. Ari’Yonna was apprehensive on her first day of school, but was quickly put at ease by the kindness of her peers, who gave her a tour of the building and introduced her to her new classmates. “I was nervous, and at first I thought everyone would be mean to me,” Ari’Yonna said. “But then people showed me around and all of a sudden they started being nice to me, and caring.” As Ari’Yonna worried about finding friends in her grade, learning how to navigate the school building and meeting her new teacher, Deonna’s thoughts were fixated on a more pressing issue. “I was nervous [on the first day of school],” Deonna said. “I was nervous because, I wanna say, a lot of people act like racism doesn’t exist. I was very nervous about that. But ever since my child started at Captain I have not had an issue. At all. I feel like we’re actually a part of the family. That was very unexpected, because I thought they would treat my daughter differently because she’s African American. But no, everyday she used to come home I would ask her, ‘Anything happen at school today, did anyone make you feel uncomfortable?’ Every day she would tell me that everyone was so nice, she loved her school, she was very comfortable and she could be
herself there. And that’s why we sent them to this school, so they can be themselves. I want them to know that it’s more than just being African American, there’s all kinds of cultures, and everyone can come together as a whole.” According to Deonna, both Giovanni and Ari’Yonna have found a sense of belonging in Clayton and look forward to going to school each day, sometimes even waking her up early in the morning to get ready to go. Deonna is especially proud that her children have been exposed to students of other cultures and have grown close to peers who look different from themselves. “[My best friend] was a different color. He was white,” Giovanni said. Deonna added that before Giovanni’s best friend moved schools, the two were inseparable, talking constantly throughout the day and climbing trees together at recess. Today, Giovanni calls his friend to keep in touch. This is just one of the many positive connections that her son has made at Captain that Deonna feels have allowed him to mature and develop self-confidence. To Deonna, one of the greatest values of the VICC program is that, when she heads off to school in the morning, her mind is at ease. She knows that her children are safe, comfortable and supported. “Every day when I go to school, there’s not a doubt in my mind about whether or not my kids are okay,” Deonna said. “I know that they are.”
Ken Price
30 years ago, Ken Price took a series of tests in order to qualify for the VICC program. Having lived in the city, he would not have been able to attend CHS had it not been for the program. “The high school I would’ve gone to, had it not been for Clayton, would’ve been Sumner High School,” Price said. “I didn’t test into the deseg[regation] program until my freshman year of high school; prior to that I attended private grade school.” The choice wasn’t only his–– his age and understanding of the different St. Louis schools was not as developed, and so his parents played a large role in his decision to attend Clayton. “It was an encouragement of my parents,” said Price. “Back then you had to test into every school you went to. It was between Parkway North, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, and Clayton. Those were the three my family focused on as far as public high schools.” After testing into all three schools, Price and his family selected Clayton because of its location and highest ranking out of the schools. Despite Clayton being the closest one of the options, Price still utilised CHS’ busing system as a means of transportation. “I think the thing [that made me nervous] was just getting bused in from my neighborhood, because I didn’t really know what to expect at Clayton, I had no idea how wealthy individuals were. It was a culture shock to see people driving convertible cars around when they just turned 16. That was not my world! There was some apprehension there,” Price said. Among other students, Price felt more socio-economic prejudice than racial discrimination. “I think the discrimination wasn’t as race related as it was socio-economic,” Price said. “It was either you had a BMW and you lived in the neighborhood, or you didn’t.”
Price’s discomfort in the new school setting began to dissolve halfway through his first year at CHS. “It wasn’t until midway until freshman year until that feeling started to change,” Price said. “All of the deseg students sat in the same part of the cafeteria. I remember at one point, this kid, a funny kid, I went over and talked with him and we hit it off. He was a student just like me,
Ken Price pictured in his senior yearbook from 1989. and I didn’t see the point of segregating myself.” While he didn’t feel much racial discrimination personally from other students, CHS itself––its teachers as well as the process of admitting students––felt biased to Price. He noticed this pattern the week before his first day as a freshman. “We had to take another exam to figure out placement within the courses,” Price said. “I
remember at that point in time, this is a lot of testing to go to a public school. I almost had the feeling of people making us validate that we had to be there. That’s how it started. That was my first introduction. Culturally, teacher-wise, there were a lot of teachers that were towards the end of their career who, maybe that first freshman and sophomore year––we call it implicit bias now––maybe teachers had certain assumptions about students there. They just assumed that all deseg students were at the same level even if some of us took honors courses and AP courses and did really well. Not to mention that I was coming in from a lot of private schools. So it took me a little while to realize that, coming in from the bus, I was a little different from those weren’t on the bus. The was just the presumption back then.” Despite these setbacks, Price felt constantly supported by his principal, Dr. Burr. “It was one of those things where every time you feel like you’re a part of a culture, there would be these little road bumps,” Price said.“The principal at the time did a phenomenal job of making sure that all students, especially deseg students, had equal voice and say.” One instance of this took place when Price’s English class was reading Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. The book uses the n-word to describe the runaway slave character, Jim. Price and some of his fellow classmates felt uncomfortable using this word, and the teacher’s reaction was less than satisfactory. “We got sent to the principal’s office, and we told [Dr. Burr] what had happened, and without missing a beat he went over and got the teacher,” said Price. “He had a conversation with that teacher who then came in and apologized. He said we could go back to class and call Jim whatever we wanted.”
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college bound athletes A look at Clayton athletes playing at the next level
DANIEL COHEN | SPORTS SECTION EDITOR JIMMY MALONE | PAGE EDITOR
Reese Barnett Missouri S&T
From a young age I’ve always wanted to be the best. Football has rewarded me with countless memories, relationships, and lessons. Not only was I competing athletically but also academically. Football gave me the drive to keep my grades up and taught me the importance of hard work. Football has taught me to push myself on and off the field. Football became a strong part of my life throughout high school. As my last high school season was ending I had to decide whether or not I wanted football to continue to be in my life. I looked back on all the valuable things football has given me and found that I can’t give up football. Missouri S&T is the best option for me. They have an outstanding football program and provide great education for life after college football. Football has become apart of my identity and who I am. Missouri S&T is a place where I can make more memories, learn more lessons, and build more relationships.
Blake Bax
St. Charles Community College
Playing baseball at CHS has really helped me develop as a pitcher. As a freshman I had a lot of junior and seniors to look up to. My coaches have also helped guide me throughout my time on the team. My favorite memory from Clayton is mercy ruling Ladue High School 11-1. Going into college, I hope to transfer to a Division 1 school to continue my baseball career.
Michael Bernard Fordham University
I signed with Fordham University as a kicker/punter. The coaching staff of Clayton’s football team really pushed me to play at the next level. I have only played football for two years, so until this year, I never thought of playing in college. So, when Coach Barnes told me that I have a shot, I really began to take the sport seriously. However, when I hired my first recruiting coach, he told me that I did not have what it takes to play football at the schools I was interested in. This lack of belief only motivated me more and caused me to dedicate more time on my craft. After visiting many universities across the country, it was clear to me that Fordham University was the perfect fit for me. It will allow me to receive a top-tier education in New York City while playing for a phenomenal program with a rich football tradition, which includes the great Vince Lombardi.
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James Dulle University of Redlands
Playing soccer at CHS truly has had its ups and downs. When I first joined the team freshman year, we were struggling to keep our record .500, and now during my senior season, we were able to have a 22-4-1 record and bring home a CYC tournament trophy. Playing at CHS forced me to step in a bigger role than I’m used to on my club team, but this challenge helped me grow as both a player and leader. Even though we weren’t able to win a district championship, the entire senior class helped change the culture within the soccer program. Because of the season we had, the younger guys were able to experience the joy of a 16 game win streak and a championship, but the pain of an double OT loss to our rivals. The returning guys are hungry for future success and I wish them all the best next year. Looking forward to college I am excited to continue my development as a student-athlete. I have been playing soccer since elementary school and have dreamt of becoming a college athlete. It is an honor to be able to continue playing soccer after my high school experience. There is nothing more special than a team of guys working all year to achieve a common goal, and at Redlands the ultimate goal is to win a national championship. I can’t wait to head out to California in August and get preseason rolling.
James Glenn Missouri Baptist University
I started playing football when I was nine years old. At that age it really wasn’t about being the best but about doing something that I loved. I loved practicing in the hot sun, running extra laps to build mental toughness and the ability to build strong bonds with fellow players. Playing football at CHS has propelled me to new heights as I now believe that I capable of playing at the next level. Although I am thankful for many wonderful and awesome experiences, I leave knowing that those experiences cannot be recreated. My hope for attending MOBap will be to instill everything I have learned at CHS to become a better person. Football may have started as just a hobby, but after my time at Clayton I have found myself devoted to the game. Hopefully, that devotion can take me to the NFL.
Maybe add more human cutoutsHu this Darian year because University of Missouri For me, my time at CHS has given me the mentality of always striving the lady to be better. When I have finally reached my goals, I set another one just beyond the old ones. This cycle has allowed me to hone my skills and imfrom prove through manylast aspects of the game. In my opinion, bonding with my teammates is the most rewarding part of the sport. Building relationships allows year for better communication sug- and teamwork, which gives the sensation of having a unified goal. Although building this trust is important, it’s also difficult achieve. One of the greatest challenges is losing, ultimately gested it creating tension and drops morale in the team. In the future, I’m looking forward to improving myself as a player and a person.
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the great traverse Senior Damien Stahl and Clayton resident JT Thompson recount their 40 mile backcountry ski race INGRID STAHL AND SOPHIA THOMPSON | REPORTERS
Photos from Damien Stahl
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e once biked 240 miles from Kansas City to St. Louis in one night and that was nothing compared to this.” Senior Damien Stahl and Clayton resident JT Thompson share a common love and passion for anything outdoors. The two have found themselves biking through the night, skiing 100,000 vertical feet in one day and taking part in countless other adventures. Yet, the Grand Traverse ski race was the most challenging thing either of them have ever taken on. The Grand Traverse ski race is a 40 mile race from Crested Butte to Aspen, Colorado. The race takes its athletes through an array of terrains, mostly uphill on steep slopes and down an occasional descent. Needless to say, it seems unthinkable to most Missourians. By November, Stahl and Thompson had made it into the lottery race and began training for their trek in March. “One of the hardest parts of the race was the training experience we had beforehand. We were training at 200 feet above sea level and the race took place 13,000 feet above sea level,” Thompson said. Throughout the winter season, there had been many sightings of avalanches, and after two men died practicing for the race, the Grand Traverse leaders, as well as both Crested Butte and Aspen mountain. took extra precautions and altered the route to keep the athletes safe. Another incident caused a major setback
in the mental, as well as physical states of Stahl and Thompson. The first Thursday into spring break, Thompson sprained his ankle while cross country skiing through the back mountains in Crested Butte. Both Stahl and Thompson’s families did not believe the race would be a possibility. However, Thompson was encouraged by family members to make a quick and steady- although not fullrecovery. After calling an orthopedic back home, Thompson met with a physical therapist in Crested Butte to begin strengthening his ankle again. He was able to build up just enough strength to imagine crossing the finish line. When the clock struck midnight on March 28, Stahl and Thompson set out on their 16-hour journey. “I could tell that JT was hurting from his ankle. At this point, I was a little nervous about being able to finish because this was a partner event, and we had to do it together,” Damien said. The race required each set of pairs to get to certain “huts” or “checkpoints” by a specific time to stay in the race. These points were vital for the two to be able to cross the finish line in Aspen. Stahl and Thompson carried along and worked together throughout the night to keep making their checkpoints on time, doing their best to encourage one another to continue.
“By mile 30, it was about 1 pm and we had three hours and 10 miles to make it to Aspen if we wanted to cross the finish line,” Stahl said. As the two went to put their skis back on after taking a break, they saw a 40-foot climb that appeared to be at an almost 90-degree angle. They stomped up the powdery snow, which was very difficult because each time they would set their feet in, they would sink through the first layer of snow and get stuck. “I felt like we had been moving at a great speed and I thought we had about a mile to go, but just as I thought that I saw a sign that read ‘three more miles’ I was shocked, tired, and discouraged,” Stahl said. However, Stahl and Thompson did not give up. The two of them have crossed many finish lines, but seeing that Aspen Grand Traverse finish banner and the crowds of people brought them extreme joy. “When I first finished the race, I was very out of it and I was ready to eat something. It was days after, once the pain went away when I felt proud that we had completed the challenging race,” Stahl said. Completing this race alone is a huge accomplishment. However, considering the many obstacles that both Stahl and Thompson faced, it is even more impressive. Two men from Missouri with a passion and love for the outdoors were able to complete the unthinkable by having each other as partners and an abundance of determination.
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lindblad’s leadership Despite only one year of prior experience playing the sport, new varsity girls’ lacrosse coach Alexis Lindblad has already made a positive impact on the team VIVIAN CHEN | PAGE EDITOR
Photo by Annika Sandquist
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lexis Lindblad, the new girls’ varsity lacrosse coach, grew up playing field hockey. She currently coaches the CHS girls’ varsity field hockey team and club field hockey at Gateway Field Hockey Club, and only played lacrosse for one year in high school before moving on to coach the sport this year. Lindblad was first introduced to the sport by friends in high school. “I had some friends who played, and I always went to their games,” Lindblad said. She decided to try it out for a year, and never went back-- until this year. “I decided to take the lacrosse job because I have coached some of the girls during field hockey season and wanted to continue working with them,” Lindblad said. “I also wanted to coach another sport and be around Clayton athletics more.” Jumping back into the sport that she had been away from for so long was rather daunting for Lindblad. “I did not know many of the girls… [or] what to expect from the team and how they would respond to me as their coach. I
was also intimidated because I had recently learned more about the sport since I had been away from it for so long,” Lindblad said. Despite being relatively new to the sport and the team, Lindblad has already developed a great relationship with the girls. “She is very encouraging and open to our suggestions,” said freshman and team member Paige Rawitscher. “She tries to make sure we like the plays that we run and feel as though they will work.” For freshmen like Rawitscher, making it onto the varsity team can be a nerve wracking experience. However, Lindblad’s leadership emphasizes the importance of teamwork, encouraging the girls to grow closer. “We have a strong team bond that coach Lexi has helped facilitate,” Rawitscher said. “She has helped us connect [with each other] on and off the field.” Lindblad’s success is due to her unorthodox style of coaching: letting the players take control over their practices. “There’s an element of keeping them in focus and paying attention, but letting them help teach each other is definitely helpful and gives them a chance to work together and
trust each other, too,” Lindblad said. Lindblad’s unconventional coaching style was effective in bringing the team closer together, as can be observed through the massive growth in their skills during the time they have been under her guidance. Last year, the team’s record was 1-13. So far this year, the team has won seven games, while only losing one [as of April 23]. “At practice, [they] let me know what they want to work on… I always bring my ideas as well, but they run some of the drills and it gives them a sense of ownership,” Lindblad said. “It’s nice to let them take the reins too.” Before jumping into the job as the new girls’ varsity lacrosse coach, Lindblad was less experienced in the sport compared to many of the girls she prepared to coach. However, over the span of the past few months, she has developed a strong passion for the sport and continues to motivate the team towards their full potential. “[These girls have] taught me about patience and trust,” Lindblad said. “Lacrosse has taught me more about myself as a coach. It has shown me different coaching techniques and ways to approach situations. It has introduced me to an awesome group of girls, and I’m so thankful I took the job.”
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hustling hill a new freshman athlete rises on the soccer scene ELLA CUNEO | PAGE EDITOR & ABBY SUCHER | REPORTER
Freshman forward Lauren Hill strikes the ball in her game against Ladue High School. Photo by Lee Laskowski.
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ith 19 minutes left in the Clayton High School girls’ varsity soccer game against Whitfield High School, freshman Lauren Hill has the ball. She dribbles down the field, the other team’s defender on her trail. With a small touch past the goalie, she scores! Starting soccer at only three and a half years old, Hill has always had a passion for playing. Her undeniable determination and motivation to continuously push herself to her limits has allowed her to become better and be an important member of the CHS varsity soccer team. “Lauren is always encouraging everyone which really helps to increase the positive attitude on the field,” said Kaia Mills-Lee, another freshman on the team. “There have been times that I’ve been upset about my performance and she is always the first person to reassure me and offer support.” Hill’s parents have always encouraged her to play as hard as she can. Hill says she can’t remember a time when . she wasn’t playing.
“[Lauren] has flourished from recreational to club over the years and she has become more passionate to challenge herself to a higher standard,” Hill’s father Brian said. Not only is Hill an outstanding person off the field, but she also has put in the effort to be great while playing. “She has a really good perception of the field and is really good at guiding our teammates,” Mills-Lee said. “She also has a really calm presence, which helps everyone else to gain their composure and play as well as we can.” Tom Redmond, head coach of Clayton’s varsity soccer team, also appreciates Hill’s method of connecting with her teammates as well as her importanc as a player. “Lauren is very strong on the ball,” Redmond said. “She is difficult to knock off the ball and she tackles well. She possesses many qualities that good soccer players must have. She controls the ball well and she is proficient in passing with either foot.” Also leading the team in assists, it’s easy to see why Hill was put on the team as a freshman.
“We first saw Lauren during summer camp. The coaches thought at that time that Lauren may have a chance to make varsity. When tryouts began on February 25th, the coaches agreed that Lauren already had what it takes to play at the varsity level. We also felt that she would probably compete for a starting position,” Redmond said. Hill has also been said to show great maturity and leadership on the team, which shows promise for her future in soccer. Although Hill’s high school soccer legacy is just beginning, she still has big dreams for the future. She wants to continue bonding with her teammates and coaches as well as potentially becoming a captain at some point. She hopes to continue learning about life. “Although soccer has allowed me to learn many important lessons, I believe one of the most important ones is learning from mistakes or a bad game because it happens, a lot actually,” Hill said. “Being able to learn and move on takes a lot of mental strength, it’s not all physical.”
35 | REVIEW
the balkan treat box New restaurant in Webster Groves has become very popular upon opening KAIA MILLS-LEE | PAGE EDITOR
Photo from Balkan Treat Box
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ocated in downtown Webster Groves, the Balkan Treat Box attracts people of all ages. Unlike most popular restaurants, the Balkan Treat Box was started as a food truck in 2017 by husband-and-wife duo Loryn and Edo Nalic. After the restaurant quickly increased in popularity, the couple decided to expand to its new location. Upon entering the seemingly small space for the number of people inside, the first thing I noticed was the colorful collage of wooden blocks on the back wall. This vibrant piece, along with the restaurant’s other decor, brightened its overall mood. At first glance, the line outside the door was somewhat intimidating. However, it went by very quickly and while waiting in line to order, someone came by to discuss seating arrangements for the rather large party we had. They were accommodating and moved chairs and tables so we could all sit together. The menu was much smaller than the typical restaurant, with only nine entree options, some
of them being described as specifically vegetarian or vegan. At first, I was apprehensive about being able to find something I would enjoy, but the limited options made it much easier to decide on a dish. Shortly before ordering, someone from the kitchen came out to inform us they were running low on bread. This was about two and a half hours after opening. While this didn’t have an effect on our orders, people behind us in line might have had to revise their decisions. I ended up ordering the Lahmacun for 12 dollars. This was a rolled flatbread with beef, parsley, lemon, onion, sumac salad and sauce inside. The other attendees got the Pide, a flatbread with cheese and various herbs, and the Doner, chicken inside somun bread with cheese and other vegetables. We waited about ten minutes for our food, and it was worth it. Each of the different dishes were savory and delicious. Each bite held the perfect blend of crunchiness and creaminess. My meal was slightly spicier than I would have preferred, but after adding creamy feta cheese to
it, the meal was ideal. I thought my meal was amazing, but after trying some of the other options, I realized each one had a unique combination of flavors that everyone seemed to enjoy. The food was worth the price, and even after leaving the restaurant, I continued to hear phrases such as “That was delicious”, “Great choice!”, and “I’ll definitely be going back there!”. I absolutely enjoyed everything about The Balkan Treat Box. Not only was the food delicious, but the service was impeccable. We were constantly asked if we were enjoying our meal, and even while waiting in line, people started conversations with us and ensured our needs were met. As soon as a party got up from their table, it was instantly cleaned off and prepared for the next group, keeping the entire restaurant spotless. The Balkan Treat Box had an excellent variety of food and a positive atmosphere. I absolutely loved this restaurant and will definitely be back.
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A native of El Paso, O’Rourke is focused on reforming America. With his climate plan and possible immigration reform, O’Rourke seems like he’s focusing on some universal issues. Comfortably in the middle of the race, O’Rourke will have to work to make it to the top.
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38 | REVIEW
Ice cream OF
STL
The Globe examines some of the best ice cream shops in and around Clayton REESE QUINN | REPORTER
ICES Plan and fancy As soon as you walk into Ices, you immediately are drawn to the large, steel containers at the end of the store. Upon asking what they are, you find that they hold nitrogen. Yes, nitrogen. Ices makes ice cream with nitrogen in several flavors including, but not limited to, Rocky Road, Chocolate, Butter Pecan and Cherry Cordial. Ices Plain and Fancy also has dairy free-flavors. The ice cream there is made on the spot, so you get what you are paying for. Upon getting a cup of ice cream, it is smooth and creamy, and there are many topping to choose from. The servers are relatively fast making the ice cream, and are friendly when you come in. However, the price of the ice cream is on the high end with the price of a regular ice cream cup averaging around five dollars. The store is also sadly far away from Clayton as it rests in the City of St. Louis. Ices would be a great option with great ice cream, great people, and a great building. However, due to the distance relative to the school, Ices Plain and Fancy does not claim our number one spot.
BE’s O L G K PIC
Snow Factory
Snow Factory in St. Louis is a popular choice among teens because of its multiple locations, various fun flavors, and free toppings. The unique rolled ice cream has several flavors including Key Lime Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake, Avocado Rhapsody, and Mint to Be. The prices vary to be around seven dollars and come with three free toppings of your choosing. There are several convenient locations such as in the Loop, downtown St. Louis, and several malls in St. Louis county. Also, the stand-alone locations such as in the Loop feature good seating options and a unique atmosphere with post-its with messages on them scattered around the shoppe. The rolled ice cream definitely tastes fresh and you are able to distinguish the flavors by which they make it from. The Snow Factory is a great option to cool off on a hot summer day, however the ice cream is on the higher end of the ice cream shoppes on our list. Despite the high pricing, Snow Factory claims our number one spot, because of the locations, flavors, and atmosphere.
39 | REVIEW
The Baked bear The Baked Bear can satisfy your sweet tooth sporting cookies, ice cream, brownies, and their famous ice cream sandwiches. Although many prefer to get their ice cream sandwiches, we opted to get plain ice cream which comes in flavors including, but not limited to, Espresso Bean, Toasted S’mores, Blackberry Crumble, and Cookie Dough. The scene is lit up by blue neon signs and friendly people of all ages. The shoppe has both indoor and outdoor seating, but struggles to have adequate space to move around. Their ice cream retails for around four dollars, but what you give is what you get. The ice cream was very chunky and had little flavor. Granted, The Baked Bear is not known for their ice cream, but they should have great ice cream along with their cookies for an ice cream sandwich to remember. Because of this, The Baked Bear sadly earns our last place spot on our list.
Clementine’s Clementine’s is very popular among Clayton students for its sheer convenience. It has flavors to cater to people of all ages, and has a clean, unique facility. They sport a vintage atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating around Captain Elementary School. Clementine’s has friendly staff who are eager to help and have many unique flavors such as Honey Lavender, Thai Tea, Pistachio Rosewater and Gooey Butter Cake. One scoop of ice cream runs for around $4.95, and is St. Louis’ only microcreamery. Clementine’s makes their ice cream with natural, local ingredients so you know what you are getting every single time. The ice cream was creamy and packed with flavor. Clementine’s can satisfy even the pickiest of eaters because of their multitude of flavors. However, if you want plain chocolate or vanilla, you are out of luck. Clementine’s truly has exclusive flavors you won’t see anywhere else. The “Naughty and Nice Creamery” earns our gold medal for their atmosphere, prices, and flavors which are sure to delight everyone in the family.
Photo of Paul Castellano enjoying a sandwich at the Baked Bear by Erin Sucher-O’Grady. Other photos from respective establishments.
40 | REVIEW
Pet Sematary hit theaters, receiving a mixed bag of reactions. A Stephen King novel has not been adapted into a film since 2017’s IT.
P O P culture
An update on recent months in pop culture. KEILAN MORISSEY | REPORTER
The iconic DC character, Swamp Thing, made his return to live action in the first trailer for the DC Universe original series, directed by Aquaman director James Wan.
90 years of ted drewes LAURA PARVULESCU and BRIDGET WALSH | REPORTER
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, a legacy of St. Louis, celebrated their 90th anniversary this past April and they are incredibly grateful to the St. Louis community for all of their support and love over the years. Ted Drewes has been a family business from the start and they intend to remain that way as long as possible. When asked how they felt about being a landmark of St. Louis, a member of the family business, Travis Dillon, expressed humility and excitement towards the idea. Honored to be a landmark, Dillon said they owe it all to the people who keep coming back. It takes time to become a landmark and they feel grateful that they have been able to keep the tradition alive for so long. Their location was strategically chosen and has greatly contributed to their success. When the store was built, Grand Avenue was the most driven street in St. Louis, and their lot was carefully chosen according to traffic patterns, with plenty of parking to ensure that their popularity would be sustainable. Despite the store’s immense success, their
choice to expand to only one more store was intentional. When asked if they had any plans to further expand, there was no hesitation before the answer was ‘no’. Ted Drewes is not a franchise, nor does it wish to be. As it is now, the business can stay in the family and the family can control the quality of the product and the business in general. “We’re very lucky and fortunate to say that a lot of people like us and if you’ve been here as long as we have that does help,” Dillon says. The word of mouth communication between St. Louis residents allowed for Ted Drewes to become such a staple in the community. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard has become an extremely popular treat for St. Louis residents and tourists. Their delicious hot fudge sundaes and various concretes are raved about by the many who eat there. It is definitely one of the most known landmarks of St. Louis and an establishment the community can be proud of.
Marvel’s culmination film, Avengers: Endgame, which served as a follow-up to last year’s blockbuster hit Avengers: Infinity War, marked the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to exceed a 3-hour runtime. More importantly, it obliterated opening night box office records, beating not just all past superhero movies, but all movies in history, making $350 million in the first weekend. Disney released the first trailer for the ninth episode in the Star Wars franchise and revealed its official title: Rise of Skywalker. The preview received mostly unanimous positive praise from fans. The ending few seconds indicated the return of fan favorite character, Darth Sidious. DC’s Shazam! marked the seventh film in the DC Extended Universe and certainly the most light-hearted in the span of the superhero series.
Season 8 of Game of Thrones premiered, uniting viewers across the nation as they tune in and enjoy the return
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42 | REVIEW
meskerem ethiopan restaurant Exploring an Ethiopian restaurant in St Louis. SIDDHI NARYAN | REPORTER RACHEL LIANG | REPORTER
food was like a slice of heaven, with all kinds of flavors bursting in our mouths. Meskerem was a one-of-a-kind restaurant. The servers were helpful, the food authentic and flavorful, and the interior homey and decorative. It was evident that the food was carefully thought through in order to make authentic Ethiopian food shine bright. Our only complaint is that the portions were very large, but that just makes it easier to bring a friend and share. In St. Louis, there are so many different kinds of cultures inhabiting a small area. To divulge in a new experience, we strongly trying out Meskerem.
Photos by Rachel Liang
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eskerem, a homey Ethiopian restaurant hailing from South Grand Boulevard, serves hearty platters that are tailored towards any guest’s taste and enjoyment. If you’re trying to find a restaurant to treat your entire clique of friends, or are just wanting to satisfy your cravings, consider stopping by Meskerem. When we first stepped into the eatery, we noted the dim lighting and compact interior. The space within the restaurant was limited, but was kept tidy overall. Traditional illustrations of Ethiopians hung on the mahogany walls. After taking our seats, we picked our dishes. We decided to order the recommended appetizer of lentil-sambusas: classic Ethiopian savory pastries with soft dough that wraps around textured lentil filling. We also ordered a single-serving vegetarian and meat platter and an entrée called ‘lamb tibs’. We only had to wait around five minutes before the sambusas were served. We bit into the pastries with ease, the crispy, pastry-pufflike outer layer cracking to reveal the spicy lentil paste. The paste was tangy and packed a mouth-watering punch of flavor. We couldn’t resist wolfing down the sambusa and regretted not ordering more. The server then brought in a platter that was larger in diameter than a steering
wheel. On the platter was a layer of injera, an Ethiopian sourdough pancake. On top of the injera sat small mounds of lentil paste, chickpea paste, collard greens, ground beef, and other dishes. The server poured a bowlful of lamb tibs onto the platter and set plates of individual injera in front of each of us. The server identified each meat and vegetable dish, as well as instructing us on how to use our hands to eat using our personal injeras. We immediately began eating by dipping our injeras into the multiple vegetarian options. While all of the vegetarian dishes had similar textures, each one had a different and unique taste. The lentil paste was musky and sweet, the chickpea paste spicy and savory. The collard greens had a slight tang to them and were perfectly cooked. The cabbage mix was crunchy and slightly pickled. The pungency of the injera perfectly complemented the various tastes of the vegetable dishes, giving us a roller coaster ride of flavors. We then moved on to the meats. We had the lamb tibs, ground beef and chicken, each with various sauces. The meats all had different textures and tastes. The lamb was musky and savory, with a slight spicy kick. The beef was chewy and crumbly, seasoned perfectly. The chicken was saucy, served with roasted, colorful vegetables. The injera’s sourness cut through the musky sweetness of the meats perfectly. Combining textures and flavors, the
43 | REVIEW
Mauhaus Cat Cafe Mauhaus Cat Cafe in Maplewood is a great spot for cat lovers EMMA RAINE | REPORTER
Photos by Olivia Williams
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auhaus Cat Cafe is exactly what it sounds like: a cafe with cats! To get into Mauhaus, it is recommended that you make a reservation at a cost of 10 dollars per person. With your reservation, you will receive a drink costing up to five dollars, and 20 percent off of any food you purchase. Although walk ins are allowed, there is no guarantee you will not have to wait for an opening. The one tedious part of this process is that if you are under 18 you must be accompanied by an adult, and while it is understandable that this rule is in place, for high school students it can be irritating to get your parent to chaperone you. When you arrive at Mauhaus, the atmosphere is very relaxed and unique. All of the cats at the cafe are from Stray Haven Rescue, and all of them are adoptable (except for their two resident cats). The cats are very friendly and playful; one even sat on my lap, which was definitely the high point of my visit.
We got to play with cats while we waited for our order, which is infinitely preferable to impatiently hovering by the counter at Starbucks. The experience of waiting and receiving our drinks was much more relaxing and enjoyable at Mauhaus than at your average coffee shop. For drinks, we ordered a cappuccino and a Vietnamese iced coffee. The cappuccino had a very rich flavor, but it wasn’t overly strong, which made drinking it a very pleasant experience. The Vietnamese coffee was also good, but it was a little too sweet for my taste. It lacked the richness and depth of flavor that makes a good Vietnamese coffee so enjoyable. Overall, while the beverages were quite good, the novelty of playing with the cats is what really makes Mauhaus so special. If you are interested in adopting a cat, playing with cats, or just enjoying a coffee (or tea), this establishment is certainly worth a visit. Overall, Mauhaus is a welcome change from your average cafe, especially if you love cats.
44 | OPINION
love, the globe Sofia Puerto reminisces over her love for Cozumel SOFIA PUERTO | REPORTER
Photo by Sofia Puerto
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s the wind glides through your hair, bending the palm trees every which way, you feel the sand slip between your toes and the cool salty water brush up against the tops of your feet. You hear the sweet constant rumble of the waves as you lie napping in your hammock, with nothing but the beachy air wandering past your nose. This was my life for a year. For me, the best feeling in the world is feeling safe and warm, comfortable in my own skin. This is how I felt in Cozumel, Mexico. When I was in seventh grade, my parents decided it would best for me and my sister to move to Mexico for a year. We could learn to speak Spanish fluently, get to spend time with family that we didn’t see often and get a sense of what it’s like to immerse ourselves in another culture. One of my favorite aspects of living in Cozumel was the beach. The beach is my favorite place to be. It can’t be just any beach though-- my favorites are the beaches on the side of Cozumel that face open water, the side
of the island that has not been overtaken with expensive beach clubs and restaurants. The sand is so fine and so white that it feels like a puffy cloud. The aqua hue of the water is the most appealing color that has ever met my eyes. The best part is the sun, just soaking up all of that warmth feels like the heat is a big blanketed hug around your whole body. Something else that I love about Cozumel is the food. The fruit is always fresh, and the food is cooked with love. On Sundays, my family and I would go to the Los Tres Patos (The Three Ducks) empanada stand, get some freshly made empanadas, and go to the beach. Sometimes after school we would come home with my aunt, Tía Gaby, and she would make her arroz con pollo. I loved the new foods that I could experience and even learn to cook. I adore all of these things about Cozumel, but they mean nothing to me without the people that I care about. My mom and my little sister supported me in my every step to improve in my language learning and as a person. They always made sure I was doing well. My Tía Gaby always looked out for me. She tried to help me in any
way that she could. She opened me to all aspects of the culture and her way of life, and I learned to live a different way. My cousin Gaby, who is my age, became a good friend of mine, always sticking by my side, especially when I had trouble adjusting to a new school. The person who I think impacted me the most was my best friend, Adrian. We were friends before I moved there because he was neighbors with my cousin who spoke English. In that year, he became my confidant, the person who helped me with all of my problems, and I always returned the favor. He became my best, closest and most trusted friend, and I became his. We still help each other and are still best friends. I can’t wait to visit him again. These people helped me in a new and diverging chapter of my life, and I think I love that most about my time in Cozumel. There is no doubt in my mind that the little island of Cozumel is my happy place. It is the place where I feel most calm and protected and where I can simply be myself. For the beach, the food and the people, Cozumel is the place I love the most.
45 | OPINION
voucher program The education voucher program comes as more of a detriment to students than a benefit ELIOT BLACKMOORE | REPORTER
The voucher program threatens the state of public education by redirecting public money to already thriving religious schools. Today, public school funding comes from three main revenue streams: federal funding makes up about 10 percent, local funding averages 45 percent and state funding averages the remaining 45 percent. State choice programs draw on some or all of that state funding, resulting in vouchers that are usually worth 40 to 60 percent of what would be spent on students in public schools. Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick This means that vouchers to be the next Secretary of Education, testifies result in lower state funding of during her confirmation hearing before the Senate public schools. In a fervor to pass Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee any state choice program, proin the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill ponents have repeatedly made January 17, 2017 in Washington, DC. DeVos is known political compromises and setfor her advocacy of school choice and education tled for under-funded programs voucher programs and is a long-time leader of the that are unlikely to succeed. Because of this political Republican Party in Michigan. haze, the nature of the private (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) schools receiving money from the voucher program is often overlooked. With 85 percent of ouchers have long been hailed as all private schools that receive voucher monthe free market solution to educaey, another problem arises with the voucher tion, but even Milton Friedman, the program. “grandfather” of education vouchFirst coined by Thomas Jefferson, the coners, was skeptical about the power of vouchers cept of the separation of the church and state to help poor and underprivileged students, is considered a fundamental facet of Ameriwriting, “it is essential that no conditions be can governance. When the state uses taxpayer attached to the acceptance of vouchers that inmoney to fund private religious institutions, terfere with the freedom of private enterprises the American taxpayer unwittingly spends to experiment.” their money on the church, blurring the necGiven that a strong education is a primaessary line between church and state. ry indicator of general wellbeing, it is evident This means that not only does the voucher that we ought to help develop a system of eduprogram take money from underfunded pubcation that meets the needs of as many Amerlic schools, but it is also a potential violation of ican students as possible. the Constitution as well. Actively disrupting other programs which The voucher program doesn’t even help seek to bolster American public education, the transferred students. There have been three voucher program is an unsatisfactory solution major trial cases of the voucher program: DC, for today’s students. Indiana, and Ohio. The voucher program has
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been found to have a detrimental effect on students in all three of these regions. The Institute for Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education released a study demonstrating that students randomly selected to receive a voucher under the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program had lower math achievement after one year compared to students who were not selected. They went on to describe that the overall effect of the D.C. voucher program on students is the equivalent of 68 fewer days of schooling than they otherwise would have received had they remained in their traditional public school. We can’t afford to let our nation’s children lose months in private religious institutions, the funding of which endangers the rights of the American taxpayer. In Indiana, more than 34,000 students received vouchers in the 2016-17 school year. Another study compared the test scores of students who transferred to participating voucher schools with similar students who remained in public schools. It found that students who used vouchers did not see academic gains in their new schools and that they performed worse, on average, than their matched peers in the public schools that they left. Data from Ohio yielded the same results. Over 18,000 Ohio students in the 2013-14 school year used the voucher program. Unlike other voucher programs, the Ohio program is targeted to only students attending low-performing public schools. As Milton Freedmen predicted, however, the study’s findings were that vouchers had negative effects on students in math and reading after attending a voucher school. Boosting student achievement is vital for America’s future. Raising outcomes in the nation’s school system will both maximize the potential of every child and foster the skills of tomorrow’s workforce. While choice in the education sector can spur innovation and offer parents and children options to best meet individual needs, evidence indicates that voucher programs do not improve results for students and will not achieve that aim.
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47 | OPINION
staff ed: the home stretch The Globe delves into the seniors’ end-of-year schedule fectively applied to Clayton’s large student body. Without the consistent, individualized guidance available in smaller schools, most fourth-quarter seniors would be unable to find the initiative to make this time valuable. Drained of curiosity by their years in high school, the majority of students might use their newfound freedom to binge a show rather than start an online course. Another approach to avoiding class involves giving the students a less traditional education; between the end of classes and graduation, some high schools require all seniors to find work of some sort. Whether it be a part-time job or consistent volunteering with an organization, the soon-to-begraduates have an opportunity Photo by Michael to experience the world through Melinger a different lens and gain a more practical kind of knowledge. Globe’s seniors saying farewell, from left to right: Sean Kim, Justin Guliak, Requiring the school to sign off on Jacob LaGesse, David Higuchi, Michael Bernard their work eliminates the issue of self-discipline, and this proposal even gives students a chance to earn a little cash or give back to the or seniors entering the home stretch some form of busy work. community. of their high school careers, motivaWhile it may be impossible to squeeze The most significant problem with this tion to perform academically seems a few extra weeks worth of content into the approach is ensuring sustainability. For a vato decline to an all-time low. Despite first three quarters, it is unnecessary for riety of valid reasons, the majority of students consistent urging from college counselors seniors to continue to attend a class after it don’t want to keep working during their last to maintain decent grades or face college has devolved into nothing more than movie summer before college, so they choose to end rescission, grades tend to infallibly drop. By watching or work time. Instead, seniors could their work as soon as the school allows it. the end of spring break, most colleges have find a more productive way to spend their Businesses and organizations are less inclined released final decisions, and student mindsets final days at CHS. to hire and train someone who won’t even be have shifted toward the future. In other high schools across the country, there two full weeks, so actually getting any Yet seniors in the Clayton School District administrators have embraced this idea in a work set up becomes a lot less feasible. are required to work through a final high variety of ways. However, local success stories exist. St. school quarter before moving on. Many Some have tried allowing students to Louis University High (SLUH) implements a course curriculums wrap up early in the learn on their own, designating a two-week similar system and has found a workaround fourth quarter, leaving students at least two period for students to have the freedom to to the sustainability issue. As part of their weeks without any real learning. Seniors conexplore new topics, find new hobbies or learn required “Senior Project,” every student tinue to drowsily walk into class for hours of new skills. This method has been explored volunteers at one of 66 organizations selected review worksheets or final preparation, neiby some private schools and often is met by the school instead of having to seek out ther of which can captivate their inattentive with success. At the prestigious Academy at their own work. By developing partnerships minds, already dreaming of the ever-nearing Charlemont in Massachusetts, students begin with local groups as SLUH does, the Clayton end of high school. meeting with faculty advisors during the School District could ensure all students have In AP classes, this problem is exacerbated. October of their senior year to plan a senior access to opportunities for growth beyond The majority of instructional time during the project, which is then finalized and presented the classroom. fourth quarter is often spent preparing studuring the last few weeks of the year. AlWith the proper guidance, CHS seniors dents for the AP test, yet not all students take though this would give students the opportucould spend their last high school quarter enthe exam. In some cases, the class is divided, nity to engage in a topic they are passionate gaging in personal growth or giving back to as the students sitting for the test prepare about and get a taste of college-level research, the community instead of grudgingly making with the teacher while the rest are assigned the idea of a senior project might not be eftheir way through classes.
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