Central Focus December 2012

focus central { } francis howell central high school | volume sixteen | issue three | 12.7.2012

delve 3-10 | sweat 11-15 | in focus 16-23 | the scene 25-30 | be heard 31-34 | interact 35 | aperture 36

NINE {formally, in winter} Sadie Hawkins will be at the winter dance in mid-February, will you? Student Council is in the planning stages of reviving a winter dance and giving it a new twist.

THIRTEEN {turf} Thanks to extra money in the district budget, Don Muench Memorial Field will be getting a facelift in the form of a new synthetic turf field, drawing both praise and ire from athletes.

FIFTEEN {it’s insane}

30

tasty treats

Max interval training has found its way to members of school sports teams, as athletes use programs like “Insanity” to trim fat, build muscle and get into shape.

TWENTY-SEVEN {sweaters} Prancing reindeer and dancing penguins creep out of grandma's closet around this time in the form of ugly Christmas sweaters. Which are the best of the worst?

THIRTY {staff selections} candy controversy

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#fhcpride

opening shots | december 7, 2012

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Members of the Central Focus share their favorite holidaythemed recipes so you can have them on your table, no matter what holiday you celebrate.

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Ever-popular cookies, morning candy sales find ways to thrive, despite mandated Teachers who flip classrooms put learning in hands of students health regulations

Push play

By Dylan Gerding staff reporter

Chances are, most students at FHC have eaten a DECA cookie, or at least heard of or smelled them.

Either way, the cookies have become a staple for students on a search for something sweet. Ever since the school banned regular soda from being sold four years ago, cookies have been the last sweet treat left; until this school year.

Up until now, the selection of candy at the school has only included Wonka Shockers, but recently, people have been seen

roaming the halls with Snickers bars, which are now sold before school at a table in the cafeteria.

“We started doing it this year,” said Lisa Barron, who sells for the different graduating class parent clubs. “We sell the candy bars to help pay for grad parties. We do it for all the classes.”

However, candy bars may violate school regulations. After all, the school doesn’t approve any snacks that contain more than seven grams of fat or more than 15 grams of sugar, but a single Snickers bar contains almost 14 grams of fat and 30 grams of

sugar. If the candy bars exceed regulations, then things don’t look good for the DECA cookies either.

“We’ve been selling DECA cookies since 2000,” said DECA sponsor Steve Cross. The restrictions placed on schools were very different 12 years ago though.

It wasn’t until last year that all trans fats were banned, but the cookies are still around.

“We have health-conscious cookies,” said Cross. “They’re made with whole grain and whole wheat, so they’re not as fattening.”

DECA’s Otis Spunkmeyer cookies are indeed made with whole grain,

contain no trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, and they only contain eleven grams of fat. The cookies are sold in bags of two cookies each, though, adding up to 22 grams of fat per bag.

“The cookies went through the process of discernment a couple years ago and passed,” said Principal Sonny Arnel. “We don’t sell them every day, though.”

The cookies are off the hook along with DECA, but candy bars are a different story.

please read more: DECA, PAGE 10

“We have healthconscious cookies.

They’re made with whole grain and whole wheat.” { Steve Cross} DECA sponsor DECA cookies have changed over the course of the years as the state and district have mandated food sold at schools meet certain health guidelines.

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you’ve heard of the Emmys ... you’ve heard of the Grammys...

But have you heard of the The halfway point of the year is rapidly

EXAMMYS?

approaching. The pressure to excel on standardized tests mounts as the college mail starts flooding the mailboxes of juniors, even sophomores, and the finishing touches are put on the applications of seniors. Those who have not yet taken the ACT are rushing to do so, as are those who may feel compelled to improve their score. The Exammys is a compilation of awards presented to some of the most notable test takers at Francis Howell Central.

The Exammy for Hardest Subject goes to...

By a landslide vote, mathematics was declared the most difficult subject. When asked why she thought this was the case, math teacher Tiffany MacMillan explains, “With math, you need to know some specific data. If you don’t know it, you’re playing a guessing game.” Several measures are being taken to raise confidence in math. “In Algebra 3, we have ACT practice packets.

I’ve also started using Khan Academy,” says MacMillan, which is essentially an online resource that provides step by step videos on how to succeed in several subjects, including math, history, and science.

The Exammy for Highest Scoring Student goes to...

Francis Howell Central has seen many incredibly bright students throughout its history. However, it its entire 15-year existence, only one Spartan has ever achieved the ever-so-coveted perfect score on the ACT. According to 2009 FHC graduate Kevin Robb, his 36 was accidental. “When I took the test my freshman year, I got a 34, which is more than good enough, but when you apply to colleges they typically want scores which are a bit more recent, which is why I took the test again,” confessed Robb. The living legend plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry after he graduates from Truman State University with his bachelor’s in May. When asked if he had any advice to offer those shooting for an absurdly high score, Robb had this to say: “On day one of college, no one will care if you got a 36 or a 16 on the ACT, and I think it’s a bit sad how standardized tests have become so overemphasized in high school. So honestly, just eat breakfast and do the best you can.”

The Exammy for Biggest Procrastinator goes to...

“I need to take the ACT; I haven’t even signed up yet.” These words would make any guidance counselor cringe, especially being spoken halfway through the year by a 12th grade student. Senior Lauren Hesseldenz has somehow made it through almost seven semesters of high school without once giving in to the pressure to take the ACT. There’s no rush to get it taken though, she says. “I only need a score for St. Charles Community College.

After I finish tutoring, I get two free years because of the A+ Program.”

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AND THE WINNER FOR

HIGHEST SCORING DISTRICT IS...

*

1. Ladue - 26.0 2. Rockwood - 24.1

FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL - 22.5

3. Parkway - 22.9 4. Francis Howell - 22.6 5. St. Charles - 22.6 6. Wentzville - 22.4 7. Ft. Zumwalt - 21.8

* The scores presented are the 2011 averages for each district, as compiled by the Missouri Comprehensive Data System, a resource made available by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The database provides education-related information 457 to the public.

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Let it snow, you’ll be ready Evan Pagano staff reporter

Snow days are a polarizing anomaly during the school year: students either love these sporadic days off, or view them as a nuisance.

Snow day-loving students cherish not only the periodical free day off, but the atmosphere surrounding the cancellation.

On the other side of the spectrum, students see these days as pesky, and merely a day falling off of their summer calendar.

Teachers have their own take on snow days. These days affect not only their daily schedule, but their planned curriculums.

According to science teacher Mr. Scott Thorpe, they make things more difficult.

“Snow days before Christmas break make covering the curriculum more difficult,” said Mr. Thorpe. “The days missed get added to second semester but if you have only a semester long course, you just lose those days from your first semester.”

Occasionally, though, even teachers can yearn for a snow day. For Mr. Thorpe, they are, in a way, making up for lost opportunities as a kid.

“Growing up in Buffalo, New York, we

didn’t get many. A six-inch snow there is like a dusting in Missouri,” Mr. Thorpe said. “We had six to ten foot snow drifts and we were only out of school for three days.”

Those lost days, however many, are usually the subject that incite the most opinion out of students. The battle between a day off in the winter or a day off in the summer can trigger hot debate in the classroom. One student, junior Lewis Hussey, believes school cancellations due to snow can be a nice refresher.

“I think it’s good to have the break,” Hussey said. “I use them to do homework that I forgot to do over the weekend or the day before.”

These days are not only good for a chance to play catch up. Hussey emphasized that sometimes, a student needs a little rest and relaxation.

“Sometimes there are days where I just don’t want to go to school,” Hussey said.

Other students however, believe that they are not only a hinderance to their summer break, but interfere with students who are involved in clubs and athletics during the winter months.

“One or two days off is fine, but once you

Shovel

Water

Keep have water in your car in case you break down somewhere for a long period of time.

Jumper cables

Jumper cables allow you to get your vehicle started in the event that your battery dies

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delve | december 7, 2012

get any more than that it starts to become a distraction,” said junior Chris Prince.

“It makes it difficult for people who are in charge of clubs to plan things.”

Regardless of a student’s stance on snow days, they all have their very own resident snow day predictor to consult when the weather gets weary. Mr. Thorpe has been predicting snow days since he was in fifth or sixth grade, and has an impressive record to boot.

“I think I have missed one or two in 16 years of teaching,” Mr. Thorpe said, confident in his abilities.

Mr. Thorpe’s predictions are not just a shot in the dark. His background in weather dates back more than a decade, and is through his own education as well as his profession.

“I taught Earth Science for ten years and have taken several graduate classes dealing with weather,” Thorpe said.

Even with his extensive education on the subject of weather, predicting a school closing is tricky business. Many factors weigh in to the type of weather we will receive,

Flares

Keep a shovel in your trunk to clear around the entrance and the driveway after a snow storm.

In a situation of an auto emergency, flares can be used as a signal for other cars.

perhaps making Mr. Thorpe’s record all the more impressive.

“I watch all of the news channels and compare what they are saying, and I look at the upper atmosphere winds to find the storm track and monitor the temperatures closely,” Mr. Thorpe said. “A one degree difference between the surface and the clouds can mean sleet, freezing rain, snow, or just rain.”

By the end of the school day, it is decision time.

“Finally, I do what any well trained meteorologist would do…I guess,” Mr. Thorpe said, in true meteorological fashion.

Soon after, his trusted educated guess will be relayed throughout the hallways by students around the school. Many of those students are excited for their predicted day off, already planning to turn off their alarm clock, or in some cases, set it for a day of sledding.

Holiday origins

As it becomes harder and harder to tell the difference between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m., it’s becoming more and more apparent that winter is upon us. With winter comes snow. As the season to be jolly approaches situations. Junior Chase Mullin, who is enrolled in Lewis and Clark Tech School’s automotive service program, provides a list of the right gear to have in your car to turn a major problem into nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Christmas

new drivers may be curious what to keep in their car for just-in-case

Gas can

Keep a gas can in the occasion that you run out of gas, nowhere near a gas station.

Recognized as the holiday of Santa, evergreens and nativity scenes, Christmas is traditionally known as the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Although the holiday has become mostly about gifts, whether giving or receiving, the countdown to December 25th is always accompanied an undercurrent of cheer and ‘goodwill to all men’.

Candy canes, gingerbread men, red and green decor, and music for the season are sure to be seen and the Christmas season rolls around.

“Because of my beliefs as a Jehovah’s witness, I don’t celebrate Christmas because it has pagan backgrounds. It’s not based in the Bible,” senior Tommy Mai said.

Granola bars

Cat litter/ ice melt

Keep a bag of cat litter in the trunk of your car. Use it to add traction when you’re stuck in ice or snow

Hanukkah

In case you are stuck somewhere for a long duration of time, you can have something to hold you over.

Also known as the Festival of the Lights, this eight day Jewish holiday celebrates the time when the Jews rebuilt and rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Symbolized by the menorah, an eight piece candelabra, this holiday is a reminder of when one day’s supply of oil lit lanterns in the temple for eight days. With some gift giving and a special importance placed on family, Hanukkah is a time spent with others.

First aid kit

“I celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah because my mom is Jewish and my dad is Christian/Catholic.

Hanukkah is a big party with the family, but somewhat more formal and strict to the religion than Christmas,” senior Pierce Bloebaum said .

Blanket/ sleeping bag

Keep a blanket in the car, to stay warm if in the event that your car breaks down while it’s cold out.

Cell phone, with camera

Having a cell phone on you to call for help. In the event of a crash, you should take a picture of both cars with a camera to document the damage.

Kwanzaa

In case of an accident it’s always good to have a first aid kit in your car to patch up cuts until the emergency teams get to the site of the accident.

Focused on a traditionally African culture and community, Kwanzaa is traditionally an African holiday. Celebrating seven key concepts, Umoja — Unity, Kuji-chagulia — Self-determination, Ujima — Collective Work and Responsibility, Ujamaa — Cooperative Economics, Nia — Purpose, Kuumba ­— Creativity, and Imani — Faith, this festival lasts a full week, one day for each value according to the Official Kwanzaa Website. Kwanzaa was founded in 1966 to restore a bond between Africans in America and around the world. Although the symbol for Kwanzaa may look a lot like the Jewish menorah, it is actually a seven candle candelabra called a Kinara.

Each of these candles represent one of the values important to the theme of the holiday.

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Teachers take to Twitter

By Blake Beck delve editor

In March of this year, Twitter reached 140 million active users, marking a 40 percent increase over the 100 million users seen in September 2011. The number of online adults has only seen an increase, as the figure has now reached 15 percent, up from eight percent just two years ago, according to a Pew Internet research. The numbers are projected to only go up.

Among those taking to Twitter are the teachers at FHC. The social media website provides another outlet for communication between teachers and students. However, use of the site is limited due to district guidelines when it comes to teachers and social media.

According to the district’s policy adopted in January 2011, employees of the district are not allowed to use their personal accounts when communicating with students.

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Using an approved account, however, teachers are allowed to communicate electronically. Communication with students is restricted to school-related matters.

The district defines these matters as, “communications regarding any instructional coursework or extra-curricular activity involving the employee and students.” Social studies teacher Brian Cissell feels these rules are justified.

“As of right now it is because there’s very little interference,” Mr. Cissell said. “At some point it could be a problem, but at this point I think the rules are pretty fair.”

Mr. Cissell uses his Twitter account primarily for his coaching endeavors, but he finds the uses and the benefits of the quickly growing social media website to be almost endless, ranging anywhere from statistics to inform sports enthusiasts to quotes to inspire student athletes.

“I think [Twitter] could be handy for coaches communicating to students and expressing ideas, thoughts, and quotes,” Mr. Cissell said. “It makes communication much more efficient just like in real life, so it’s kind of nice to use it for a bunch of different things.”

French teacher April Burton, who is also a proponent of the flipped classroom way of teaching, uses Twitter to remind her foreign language students when assignments are due.

Much like her co-worker Mr. Cissell, Mrs. Burton admits there are additional benefits to the social media website.

“Besides the simple use of reminders, there are a lot of professionals in many areas that kids could learn from. Kids can follow conversations that are going on regarding current events as well,” Mrs. Burton said.

Despite the growing number of teachers

using Twitter for educational purposes, both Mrs. Burton and Mr. Cissell encourage more teachers to use the site because of the ways it could improve communication between students and teachers and the sheer convenience of it.

“I would only say that if teachers really want their students to know something, they should have a Twitter account. More students are going to get the message from Twitter than from a teacher’s website. And honestly, it is much easier to tweet something than to update my website,” Mrs. Burton, who was talked into getting a Twitter account by her students, said.

Mr. Cissell adds that it has brought together school clubs as well.

“I don’t know that there’s enough [teachers] who use it, but I like what it has done for clubs supporting each other, giving shout outs to each other,” Mr. Cissell said. “It’s kind of nice.”

photo by prestige portraits

Winter Dance Poll Results For the winter dance being planned, Student Council decided to let the FHC students themselves decide both the formality of the dance and who asks who.

Here are the results from the online poll.

Dancing with his fellow junior Will Jones, Taylor Stone gets into a song during the fall Homecoming dance. Student Council is planning a winter Homecoming for mid-February.

Formal v.

Informal

‘Wishes’ come true

By Ben Morrison staff reporter

When most students think of the dances FHC holds, they think of two: Homecoming and Prom. For the past few years, this has been true. But since the homecoming dance ended, Student Council has been putting a resurrected idea into motion: having a winter dance.

Having a winter dance is not an idea foreign to FHC. Until the 2010-11 school year, there was a winter formal dance at the school.

While the dance is formal, it is being called the winter Homecoming by the populace of the school, since that was the name that was used when the format was decided in October.

“We decided Winter Homecoming before we even decided whether it was going to be formal or casual so we didn’t call it winter formal,” said senior Anna Killpack, the president of StuCo. “The name of the dance is Wishes in Wonderland.”

The name is more than just a traditional cliché school dance name. The name is alluding to what the money is going to go to.

“It’s all going to a good cause, we’re

supporting Make-A-Wish,” said Killpack.

“We’re doing things to incorporate Make-AWish throughout the dance.”

Since it is a new dance, the Student Council did something a little unorthodox for the Feb. 23 dance. They allowed students to vote on what format they wanted the dance to be.

This created some complications though, since one of the votes was nearly a tie.

Students were invited to decide whether the dance would be formal or informal, and normal or Sadie Hawkins.

“Formal won by a landslide so we just went with that,” said Killpack. “Sadie Hawkins only won by four, so obviously that puts a little bit of a predicament on it, which way do we go?”

StuCo decided to revisit the issue of whether to declare the dance a Sadie Hawkins.

“Student Council discussed it, and was like what are the pros and cons of having a Sadie Hawkins versus having just a regular dance,” said Killpack.

In the end, StuCo decided to put it up to a second vote of its members. Surprisingly, the vote was decidedly a normal format when the council voted on it.

“The council actually voted that they would

prefer a regular, but the officers decided to override the decision,” said Killpack. “Part of it going into it was the officers said that the school had voted on it originally.”

The idea of having a Sadie Hawkins dance is one which has declined in schools in recent years, and StuCo is not really worried about people not following it.

“They’re not very popular anymore, but we said, ‘Let’s try it and see what happens,’” said Killpack. “It’s not like we’re forcing them, it’s not like a situation where you have to bring a date, you have to ask a guy.

We’re just making it something different that we’ve never done before and we’ll see how it goes.”

The big concern among students, however, has not been about the Sadie Hawkins format. The main concern has been the cost of having a third formal dance.

“Even though everyone voted for formal dance, we were worried about because it is a lot more money especially for seniors and juniors having to buy a prom dress and all that,” said Killpack. “But we ultimately decided to go to formal and hopefully people will just change their minds.”

74% 26% voted for formal

voted for informal

Sadie Hawkins v. traditional

53% voted for Sadie Hawkins

47% voted for traditional

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photo by dohen gallagher

Looking into the cookie bin, sophomore Dale Voege gets his change back and decides which two cookies he will select. DECA cookie sales start in the morning and run during lunches.

jump from page 3: DECA

“The national government has a few differences for when students are considered a captive audience,” Dr. Arnel said. “You guys have to be here from 7:20 to 2:20. The government establishes food and nutrition guidelines during that time, and when we act as your parents, we make sure the food we provide for you has good nutritional health.”

The candy bars are sold before school,

when the regulations don’t apply.

“After school is considered open game because you’re not a captive audience,” Dr. Arnel said. “You choose to come to school early or stay after school, so if you come to our concession stand after school, you’ll see it’s very different food for basketball games, for wrestling, for baseball, and for soccer games. There’s no guidelines at all.”

Due to the fact that there are no regulations on any food served before school starts, or after school ends, the Parent Club is welcome to sell candy bars in the morning, and concession stands are allowed to to sell soda and candy as well.

DECA cookies are here to stay too, since the cookies were vetted by the district and found to have met the health guidelines imposed by the state.

Into video?

Tune in to FHCtoday.com on Dec. 7 for Episode 3 of our broadcast You will find stories on: Winter Homecoming and Local bands

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FHC Publications is hoping to have a full staff to devote to iFocus, its fledgling monthly broadcast.

If you have skills when it comes to videography, sound design, video editing, story boarding and more, talk to Mr. Schott in Room 139.

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Lab rats

Students doubt the legitimacy of district’s random drug testing policy

By Evan Pagano staff reporter

Students are going about their business as usual in the classroom, and the day has progressed as any normal day would.

Suddenly, that familiar beep emanates from the intercom speaker, waking many a dozing student from their slumbers. Each student has their suspicion as to what the call might be, but the voice of activities secretary Tammy Cissell confirms what it regards.

“Can I have a student down to the activities office?”

This usually signifies that the student has been called down for a random drug test.

Since 2006, the district has run its strict drug screening program, which applies to anyone involved in extracurricular activities or who has a parking permit with the school.

If a student tests positive, he or she will be immediately suspended for ten days and be required to attend a month long drug counseling program. Questions of the program’s legitimacy have perpetually blanketed the topic.

While the district and activities offices insist

that the program selects eligible students at random to be tested, some students seriously doubt that claim. The test — which is a urinary drug test that searches for amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana, among other drugs — seems to be given to only a small number of the students who are signed up for the program.

“They say random drug test, but it seems like they always try to take people that they think will pass,” said senior soccer player Sarah O’Leary, who has been tested three times in four years at FHC. Activities Director Scott Harris explains, however, that this is by sheer coincidence.

Mr. Harris has heard the criticism, and understands. He reiterates, however, that which student are selected are out of the school’s control.

“The student numbers, not names, are submitted to a third-party testing agency who randomly select a certain number of student ID numbers each week for testing,” Mr. Harris said. “With the number of students who are in the pool, some will go their entire high school career and not be tested. We test a certain

number each week for 36 weeks.”

So the problem of some students being tested multiple times while others can evade the program for the entirety of high school is out of Harris’s control, whether students agree with that or not. One thing students seem to concur with, however, is the purpose of the program.

The district website states it has a “genuine concern for each student participating in extracurricular activities and on-campus parking” along with “the obligation to assure that the extracurricular activities and oncampus parking programs are operated in the best interest of all who participate.” Senior Tyler DeBlaze, who runs track in the spring, agrees with that objective. “[I agree with the drug testing] because if you’re in sports or activities, I feel like they have a right to,” DeBlaze said, who has been tested once by the program. “I feel like people won’t be as dumb and do drugs.”

Despite its good intentions, students do not appreciate the program simply because it is time consuming.

“I don’t like it because sometimes you get

stuck in there for over an hour, and if you peed before the class you can’t go,” O’Leary said, honestly. For her, the program is tedious and inconvenient.

According to O’Leary, there are many painstaking precautions taken to ensure when a student is called down to be drug tested.

“The administration people will walk you down to the training room and then you go in there,” said O’Leary, “and you can’t run the faucet, you can’t flush, the door has to be slightly cracked.”

While it may be a drag for the testees, Mr. Harris agrees with the district that the random drug screening provides a ready source of help for students who may be dealing with drug problems.

So as the days continue to progress, the intercom bells will continue to ring, the students will continue to make that trip down to the activities office. While some of them will not doubt the validity of the drug testing program, the faction of students that question it remains prevalent.

“Some have been tested numerous times,” Mr. Harris said. “It’s just the luck of the draw.”

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‘Get rowdy’

By Ben Berberich staff reporter

photo by brittany thomsen

The biggest prize for any school team is winning their playoff games. The team gets to represent the whole school and show the state that they are the best at what they do. One thing with playoffs, though, is it helps when fans are there to support the athletes playing in such important games.

Students are always asked to support their teams, but sometimes this support is easier to get when teams make the playoffs.

“I, for sure, think it is harder to get kids to go to away games with having to get rides on their own and all, but we do

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Fans at the FHC semifinal soccer game get rowdy for their team trying to give them a boost to beat Chaminade.

The Spartans lost in the Elite 8 of the tournament to the Red Devils 2-0

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get kids to come out more during playoff games,” said Activities Director Scott Harris.

During the regular fall sports season, there are about eight different sports, making it difficult for students to attend all of them.

Once the season ends and playoffs begin, the list of sports going on drops in number to about one or two.

For FHC, the team that made fall playoffs was the boys soccer team, who made good progress in the district tournament, advancing to the elite eight. It allowed the fans to support one team with all they had to give, whether it was wishing them good luck, or going to the game and screaming cheers for the players.

“During the season, we didn’t have a ton of support, but now we get support a lot more

Athletes get boost from faithful fans during playoff games

and that helps us get motivated on the field. We just have to play like every game is our last because for some of us it is,” said senior goalkeeper Clayton Luley.

For the seniors on the team, they know they need to perform their best because their season could end with the next game.

Being able to continue their soccer career and prove to the school they are showing their school is best in the state is big motivation. Fan support not only at games but in the halls and classrooms goes a long way too.

“There’s more pride in playing because people come up and say ‘good luck’ in the hall or say ‘good game last night’ in the classroom,” said senior Brett Hodges.

School pride is something teams like this drive and build off of during games. When players play for club teams, the feeling of pride isn’t prominent since the whole point of playing for club is really to be seen by scouts. When they play for FHC they are playing for their

school, their classmates, and their community.

“Being able to see students coming to games, yelling, and screaming; it’s awesome,” said Coach Nick Beckmann.

The school is always looking for students to go to sporting events and get rowdy; however, even if there’s not a huge fan section at the game, the fans can make their mark on the team by just a simple ‘good luck’ in the halls. With the amount of coverage the school has on playoffs through Twitter and Facebook, students can stay up to date and make sure they follow their teams progress through the big games.

“Our school spirit has come a long way, and the coaches and myself are always looking for ways to increase that school spirit,” said Harris.

Most activities and sports teams have team Twitters to keep their fans in the know about how their seasons are going which is a good way to gain school spirit. With all the sports that make the playoffs this year, the teams are always looking for new people to get out there and get rowdy for FHC.

Key Facts Cost: $1.4 million for new turf fields at FHC and FHN. Installation date: Undetermined. It will be decide at the next Board of Education meeting when ground will be broken at both sites. The meeting is Dec. 20.

After four years of waiting, Don Muench Memorial Stadium will have its grass replaced with turf

By Jeremy Karp staff reporter

In either December or May, a new turf field will be replacing the current grass field here at Central. A turf field will also be installed at Francis Howell North. The district board expects the additions of artificial turf at North and Central to cost about $1.4 million each.

There have been plans to install turf fields at both schools since 2008, but the plans kept getting rejected by the Board of Education.

Junior Nick Creamer, who is an offensive guard and defensive tackle on the football team, is very excited for the new turf field.

“I am happy that we are getting turf because turf is a lot easier to play on than grass,” Creamer said.

Usually, the football team practices on the fields by the tennis courts, but because of the slanted hills on the field, rainwater runs down to the bottom field, the field which Creamer and the other linemen practice on.

To Creamer, with a new turf field, irrigation should not be an issue.

“No matter what the weather conditions

are, the field will still look presentable, and will not be covered in mud, unlike the grass field,” Creamer explained.

With every positive, however, there are negatives about the new turf. Many injuries occur only on turf field, and some have lingering affects on the athletes.

“Turf toe and turf burns are the two biggest turf-related injuries, and they really can limit your playing ability,” Creamer said.

Mr. Scott Harris, the school’s athletic director, said the Board of Education finally agreed to the turf proposal at the recent board meeting.

“In October, the board approved a new turf field for both us and Howell North, and we are currently working on a date when it can be installed,” Harris said. A decision on when to begin construction on the new field will be made at the Dec. 20 board meeting.

Harris thinks the new turf field will also help improve the safety for the school band, who normally has to practice on the parking lot, which has been a major issue in recent years.

“With the new turf field, not only will athletic clubs get to practice on it, but the

photosbybyelise madithomas wagner and elise thomas photo

For better or for turf

Teams and clubs will rotate days in which they use the turf field, according to Harris. Francis Howell High got a turf field in 2009.

With the new turf fields, every high school will have turf.

“Francis Howell High got it four years ago, and since then our community’s been wanted to get [turf],” said activities director Mr. Scott Harris.

Each season, the grass field at Don Muench Memorial Stadium takes a beating due to use from the football and soccer teams, as well as the Spartan Regiment. With artificial turf, like the field at Fort Zumwalt East, that won't be a problem.

band will no longer have to practice on the parking lot, which had raised health and safety concerns in the past,” Harris said.

The clubs and sports will rotate which days they get to practice on the turf, to make it fair for everyone, according to Harris. Over the years, the grass at the stadium has been worn down and become more complex to manage, and the risk for injury has increased. For Harris, health and safety are what matters most when it comes to the activities.

“Hopefully, the turf will decrease the rate of injuries for both sports and clubs,” Harris said.

Harris believes the turf not only will help improve health and safety, it will have a major positive impact on both the school and the community as a whole.

“I think that getting a new turf field will bring a great sense of pride for both our school and our community,” Harris said.

“It’s been a long time coming, and I am very excited.”

However, there have been many issues pertaining to the new turf. As of right now,

it is not currently known when the turf field will be installed.

According to Harris, when the bids for the turf fields were placed, they proposed installing the turf in the winter and late spring. This uncertainty of when the turf will be installed has raised concerns among the girls soccer team, because they might not be able to have home games if the installation isn’t until May. Senior Lexie Hunk, who is on the girls soccer team, said while a turf field is needed, she will not tolerate having to play on another soccer field in the spring.

“It’s my senior year, and the last thing I want to do is play a varsity game on one of the practice fields,” Hunk said. “If they install the turf field in May, it will be unfair to all the soccer players because we won’t get a chance to play on the turf,” she added.

Hunk agrees that getting turf will be a good addition that’s been needed for a long time, but she believes that they need to install it when it won’t conflict with other sports, so everyone gets a fair chance to play on it.

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By Blake Beck delve editor

Fantasy sports participants are often portrayed as middle-aged men gathered in one’s family room. They drink adult beverages and have a jolly good time as their fantasy draft gets underway, throwing money around like their fantasy quarterbacks throw the pigskin.

For the most part, these stereotypes are true.

According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, of the 34 million fantasy sports players in the United States and Canada, 87 percent are male. Throw in the fact that the average age is 33 and the statistics are almost a mirror image. However, through the eyes of senior Dan Duecker, the number of students playing fantasy football is on the rise.

“There are a lot of kids who have leagues within the school,” Duecker, who is a member of a fantasy football league with nine other FHC students, said. “I even play in leagues with kids from Francis Howell and Fort Zumwalt schools.”

Oddly enough, Duecker was introduced to the game by his older brother, who was also an avid fantasy sports player. Duecker fueled his addiction to fantasy sports when he entered a fantasy football league with his friends, which continues to this day. Duecker

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| december 7, 2012

later recruited his friend Gabriel Faron for assistance in managing his fantasy team.

Brothers and friends were not the only factors that brought Duecker and Faron into the world of fantasy sports, as there are other aspects of the game that make it appealing.

“I think it makes a friendly competition as you compete with your friends as you try to build the strongest team,” Duecker said.

In order to build the best team possible, participants draft players from different teams in the league, giving the team owner the ability to field a team they could only “fantasize” about. An example of this would be Duecker’s current fantasy football team, which consists of Drew Brees at quarterback, Jamaal Charles at running back, Demaryius Thomas at wide receiver, and a concoction of other premier football players.

Each week, after assembling a team through the draft, players go head-to-head with other teams. Scoring is based on the performances of the athletes, with yards, touchdowns, turnovers, etc. all taken into account.

Examples include six points for a rushing touchdown and one point per 25 passing yards, according to nfl.

com’s scoring system.

At present, fantasy football is the most popular fantasy sport by a wide margin, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. 72 percent of total fantasy players play fantasy football, as opposed to baseball, the second most popular, with only 37 percent.

The shorter season also allows deeper discussions with friends due to the smaller timeframe. But it is not only friends who students who play fantasy sports talk to, as they have often discussed their fantasy sport adventures with their teachers.

“You’re connected through something and I think that ultimately helps you get to know people better. I talk to Mr. Matthew Schott about fantasy football all the time and Mr. Chris Barth when I had his class,” Faron said.

Mr. Barth, a history teacher, has been playing fantasy football for eight years and noticed more and more of his students are playing fantasy football, many of which are playing for the same reason as him, because you call the shots. In Barth’s opinion, fantasy sports gives teachers and students an opportunity to bond.

“The students and teachers who play fantasy sports love to talk about the great plays that players make and who did you draft, and it helps me to make connections and relate to students,” Mr. Barth said.

Welcome back students! visit our newest location at 308 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters 636.278.2605 Contact us about fundraising opportunities: marketing.orangeleaf@gmail.com!

Thursdays 7:00 pm The REALM

Insanity!

Teams, individual athletes take to intense workout video to prepare them for season

By Cody Jones

muscle groups, one’s body is also being put through a hurricane of sweat and fatigue.

In most workouts, a consistent pace of Dripping in sweat and gasping for air, bones collapse as the student’s body falls to the energy is kept, then every so often, a short ground. He uses his last remaining sliver of spark of high intensity forces the body to push energy to reach up and grab the water bottle itself. Insanity flips the conventional methods and turns them into a cardio killer. Long sitting on the table.

The water chills his blood, but the body consistent high energy reps will push the body remains lifeless on the ground. He cannot to its ultimate limits, and a short rest will give move a muscle, as they burn with the intensity it just enough time to recover for the next one.

But to break a sweat, you will have to break of 1,000 supernovas. He makes a last ditch the bank. The cost of the full Insanity program effort to pull himself to his feet, to no avail.

Quietly, he falls into a deep cumbersome is three whopping payments of $39.95.

“I don’t know if it’s worth the money, but it’s unconsciousness. In retrospect, a semicoma.

The student is not dying ­— at least, not in a literal definitely a good workout,” Boruff said. The entire regular Insanity program is sense — he has just undergone currently selling on Amazon for a treatment like none other. The $144.80, a pretty penny for two student has gone ... insane.

“It’s definitely months of workouts. According This overdramatization could be hard. You’ll to Jack Webb, this program is any student at FHC trying the first workout in the famed “Insanity” get winded by essential to those new to exercise, program; even you. the end of it, despite the price.

“I think that if you’re not “Insanity” is out to dismiss all but it builds motivated, or if this is your first the common misconceptions you up, so time working out or on a workout about infomercial workouts. The by the end of program, it’s great because it gives Beachbody company teamed it, you’re in you step by step,” Webb said. up with trainer Shaun T to create The selling point of the Insanity a program that is capable of much better program is the weight loss that delivering a powerful workout like shape.” corresponds with the hard work no other, without requiring weights involved. However, one of the or equipment. { Jack Webb} junior hidden benefits of Insanity lies “It’s definitely hard. You’ll get in the rapid cardio training. The winded by the end of it. But it Webb uses the workout video “Insanity” to help get in shape cardio aspect of the program builds you up, so by the end of for the cross country and it, you’re in much better shape,” baseball seasons. Proponents prompted Mrs. Jennifer Denny of the video say it helps them to incorporate some of the DVDs junior baseball player Jack Webb drop weight, but also builds cardiovascular endurance. into her aerobics curriculum. said. Webb follows the program “Trying these new activities closely, and has found success in improves [the students’] cardio,” the DVD’s rigors.

“This gets you looking better, as opposed to Mrs. Denny said. “My main thing is just for just getting stronger. I’ve lost about six percent them to see improvement in that.”

On most occasions, fulfilling the last gym body fat just in this program,” Webb said.

The program works various muscle groups, credit is why students enroll in Aerobics. always keeping the body fresh and ready for Asking said students to partake in what the website boasts is “the hardest workout ever the next day.

The lack of weights might be a detractor for put on DVD” seems like a potentially tall task, a person looking to get stronger, but there is yet Mrs. Denny says most of the students nothing to worry about, according to senior respond well to the challenge.

“In general, there is about 75 percent of kids Dan Boruff.

“Body weight exercises can be a very good that will give you their full energy, and the other replacement for actual weights, especially in 25 don’t dress out. They don’t need to do the whole thing or go all out though. Even [Shaun the upper body,” Boruff said.

Getting stronger is not the only benefit from T] does not expect first timers to be able to,” this program, however. While working out the Mrs. Denny said. sweat editor

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{

A LIGHT IN THE

{

DARKNESS

I

remember that I went up to my dad, and I was like, ‘Dad, my stomach really hurts.’”

A hint of a smile plays across senior Amanda Pelletier’s face as she looks toward her father, Mike Pelletier. It is a knowing smile, one that harbors seven months worth of memories, of pain, of telling stories just like this one.

story by

maddie wilson

16 }

in focus | december 7, 2012

photo by kelci davis

Facing endoscopic brain surgery in 13 days, senior Amanda Pelletier relies upon her faith and the comfort and aid provided to her by her family and friends. “I think it’s just an opportunity for me to grow, and I see it as that and not as, like, some tragic thing that sucks. Even though sometimes it does," Amanda said.

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in focus | december 7, 2012

photo by kelci davis

18 }

Since Amanda began showing symptoms related to the cyst on the pineal gland in her brain, she has visited 26 different doctors, in what became a frustrating quest for answers for the Pelletier family.

“You know, when we’re going to the doctor’s offices, we’re all sitting there and ... you want that doctor visit ... to be able to tell you what’s wrong with your child,” Janet Pelletier, her mother, said. “There’s been 25 of them. You know, we’re chatting and listening to music the whole way down, but it’s coming home after they tell you that they have no idea what to do, it’s silent. It’s silent."

“I think you felt [my stomach] - didn’t you feel it?” Amanda prompts.

“Yeah, we looked at it,” says Mr. Pelletier.

“There were no bruises, nothing.”

The two share an easy banter. They remember the night together, carefully piecing the details together word by word.

“Yeah, there was nothing there,” Amanda says.

A twinkle has crept into her eyes.

“And [my dad] was like, ‘Oh, just go to bed. You’ll be fine in the morning.’”

The idea is just too funny. Amanda is laughing before she can finish her thought.

The room warms as her contagious chuckle rises up to the ceiling and everyone joins in, if just for a moment.

The mood cools as Amanda picks up her story where she left off: how she went to school the next day. How she found herself in math class, texting her mom – here, another chuckle – the words that would prove to ring true for months to come: “Mom, I feel bad.”

The day was April 15. Janet Pelletier, Amanda’s mother, remembers it distinctly.

“It was tax day,” she says.

Peals of laughter ring out into the room again. It was the day everything changed for Amanda and her family, one they will remember forever.

As the laughter dies down, silence settles over the room once more.

A

manda’s fingers move steadily across the keyboard as she types in the web address for the Skull Base Institute of Los Angeles. Recurring blurred vision makes this type of thing difficult, but it’s clear she’s been here before. When the site pops up – a sleek, blue-and-grey page that calls to mind the files of a high-tech lab – she navigates to the side of the screen with finesse.

She clicks once on a tab that reads ‘Pineal Tumor.’

To be accurate, Amanda does not have a true pineal tumor. What she does have is a cyst in her pineal gland – a small, pine coneshaped node tucked away deep inside the brain. At 1.2 cm, it is roughly the size of a marble. It is benign – non-cancerous – but this does not mean that it has not outgrown its welcome; the pressure the cyst exerts on its surroundings is causing a plethora of unpleasant symptoms for Amanda, including blurred vision, severe headaches, dizziness, nausea and coughing fits.

Still, the treatment for an obstructively large pineal cyst is generally the same as that of a tumor: brain surgery. It is a daunting solution, but one the Pelletier family welcomes after months of searching for answers in a maze of misdiagnoses, false hopes, and doctors’ heartbreaking shrugs of defeat.

When Amanda began having severe abdominal pain in mid-April, a 21-hour trip to the emergency room and a string of medical tests fell short of solving the mystery behind her symptoms. Finally, a test revealed Amanda’s gallbladder was functioning at around 11 percent efficiency.

“It was working,” Mr. Pelletier says. “It wasn’t working optimally.”

The pain persisted, and Amanda was wheeled into surgery in late April for a cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal.

“When I went into [surgery], I was not mentally thinking that it was anything,” Amanda says. “I was thinking, ‘Oh, this is going to be a breeze.’ And then I got out of it, and obviously it was not easy.”

The operation did not appear to eliminate any of Amanda’s symptoms. In retrospect, the family believes the true root of the pain to have been a rib that had become separated from the cartilage of her chest.

to her shoulders to reveal elegant pearl earrings. Nevertheless, there is a flicker of weariness in her eyes as she describes the moment she knew her life was changing.

“The world was just spinning,” she says.

“I knew then … I was really sick.”

Amanda sat on the porch, dizzy and breathless, as her friends Jack Rodell and Danielle Lorenscheit called Mrs. Pelletier to alert her to Amanda’s worsened condition.

She had tried to push through the pain up until that evening.

“And then I couldn’t,” Amanda says, smiling faintly.

T

he Pelletiers stumbled across what would prove to be the home stretch of their journey after scores of doctors’ appointments, diagnostic tests, and hospital visits. Amanda has been admitted to the hospital three times; she

“[I’ve] seen GI specialists, cardiothoracic surgeons, orthopedics, general surgeons, neurologists, neurosurgeons, pain teams, [and] diagnostic teams,” says Amanda. She looks at her mother quizzically.

“That’s it, right?”

The pain persisted, and Amanda struggled to finish her junior year in the midst of prom, AP exams, and finals.

She entered the summer with a host of afflictions, including the newly appearing symptoms of headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and blurred vision.

“Summer was really hard,” Amanda says simply.

The tipping point arrived one murky night in late July. After spending two days in Columbia, Mo. helping her sister, Caitlin Pelletier, move into her apartment at the University of Missouri, Amanda drove home solo.

“I tried to just go back to my normal life,” Amanda says with a sage shake of her head. “And I drove both ways … probably not the best idea, but I did. I remember I got home and my face was green.”

Amanda sits, tranquil and poised, in one of the blue plastic chairs that huddle in flocks in the classrooms of school. The sun has fallen below the skyline, and the pale moon is beginning its ascent to the top of the sky as she continues recounting the story of that night at the end of the summer. As always, she is impeccably dressed, in a crisp, khaki jacket, tall boots, and a gold locket, with hair falling down

has had X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, bone density scans, and nerve block injections.

She has seen a total of 26 doctors. “[I’ve] seen GI [gastroenterology] specialists, cardiothoracic surgeons, orthopedics… general surgeons, neurologists, neurosurgeons, pain teams, [and] diagnostic teams,” says Amanda.

She looks at her mother quizzically, her focus darting briefly to the thick tome of medical records her mother has compiled.

“I think that’s it, right?”

“What happens is that [Amanda’s condition] doesn’t fit into one of their neat little categories,” Mr. Pelletier says.

Mrs. Pelletier, who was already a stayat-home mother when Amanda’s situation began to demand a more ardent plan of action, took much of the in-between work upon herself. She has compiled a binder full to the brim with doctors’ notes, test results, scan images, and her own research.

“When you’re sitting there, and [the doctors] are all going, ‘We have no idea,’ and they’ve looked at everything…” Mrs. Pelletier takes a steadying breath.

“We did a lot of research on our own,” she continues. “But at some point you have to believe your kid, that she’s not a

child that has ever complained if there ever wasn’t something wrong.”

“There’s been 25 [doctors]; you drive down there, and we’re chatting and listening to music the whole way down.

But it’s coming home after they tell you that they have no idea what to do … it’s silent.”

The silence ended with three neurologists standing in front of Amanda at Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. After examining her for the umpteenth time, they ordered an MRI of her brain.

There, in the center of the scan, they found the cyst.

The Pelletiers immediately began searching for experts on pineal cysts. They found the Skull Base Institute site online; after securing a referral from Amanda’s primary care physician, they arranged for a videoconference with the director of the clinic, Dr. Hraryr Shahinian.

Dr. Shahinian boasts an impressive background in the field of endoscopic skull base surgery, a discipline that differs from traditionally invasive brain surgery. He has been a guest on television programs such as “Oprah” and “The Doctors” and holds several patents for minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Amanda and her parents exchange reserved smiles as they remember their first meeting with him.

“It was just instant,” Mrs. Pelletier says.

“He knew exactly what was going on.” “[Dr. Shahinian] has helped patients who have exhibited the same symptoms that Amanda has had,” says Mr. Pelletier.

They are grinning now, in a cautiously optimistic state of excitement. In the weeks since their first consultation, Dr. Shahinian has outlined a course of treatment for Amanda that aims to alleviate all of her symptoms and have her back to her normal life by February.

In one 15-minute meeting, Dr. Shahinian was able to do what two dozen doctors weren’t able to accomplish in two dozen weeks.

According to the Skull Base Institute, Amanda’s cyst is relatively large, but by no means record-breaking in size. It is a small comfort as the family prepares for the most dramatic step in the process to Amanda’s recovery: brain surgery.

A

manda has no qualms about clicking play on the video that shows, in detail, the exact procedure the Skull Base Institute team will perform on her 13 days from now.

The short video, which uses footage from an actual pineal tumor removal done by Dr. Shahinian, does not shy away from up-close shots of blood, bone or brain.

Watching it is not for the faint of heart; envisioning it being done on your own

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inside the surgery The Central Focus spoke to Dr. Hrayr Shahinian, who will be performing Amanda’s surgery, about pineal cysts and the procedure to remove it from Amanda’s brain.

ON THE NATURE OF PINEAL CYSTS

“In the case of [a] pineal cyst, most of the time, you are born with them ...

Some of them stay that way for the rest of life; some progress.

[Once removed], these cysts do not come back.”

ON THE PROCEDURE

“What we do is a minimally invasive alternative using fiber optic technology [endoscopes]...which allows us to peek inside the brain in hi-def. It’s literally like playing a video game.

We do [surgery] while watching an LCD screen.”

PINEAL GLAND

ON WORKING WITH YOUNG PATIENTS

PATH OF ENDOSCOPE

“We love working with younger people. They’re much more resilient than older people. They take it much better than older folks. In that context, it’s nice. On the other hand, there is an innate feeling [that] you don’t want to operate on younger people. Once you make the decision, it is much more pleasant and much more rewarding in younger people.”

KEYHOLE INCISION graphic by maddie wilson

brain is an entirely different matter that most would avoid altogether.

Amanda not only watches the video, she watches with a keen interest. She has said that she wants to become a surgeon herself one day, and with her widened eyes and body shifted slightly forward, it’s convincing. She is ready.

“Just knowing that [Dr. Shahinian] is the best is reassuring,” she says later. “There are risks… with him, I’ll have the best chance.” Her voice barely wavers.

The location of Amanda’s cyst in her pineal gland makes any surgical operation difficult. The gland is located in almost the exact center of the cerebrum, the wrinkled grey matter that constitutes the majority of our brain. To see the pineal gland is almost impossible; attempting to do so is fraught with risks. It is the brain, after all – the organ in which every neuron is important and too much manipulation could be detrimental.

This is where endoscopic skull base surgery comes into play. Dr. Shahinian will make a two-centimeter incision at the back of Amanda’s head. Through that small opening, he will thread an endoscope (a long, flexible tube-like device that allows surgeons to see deep inside the body) through the natural passageways of her brain, locate the cyst, and then remove it piece by piece.

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in focus | december 7, 2012

It is the medical equivalent of a secret agent penetrating a villain’s lair, hopping from toe to toe to avoid the perilous laser beams shining from wall to wall, and quickly making off with the target.

Amanda knows this. Her sisters know this. Her parents know this. But this operation is about bringing back the energetic Amanda they knew, the Amanda that plays volleyball with a passion, goes to church every weekend, and works around the clock to balance schoolwork and Student Council duties.

How will Amanda prepare for such a big moment?

“I’ll probably do a lot of praying,” she says with a laugh.

A

lthough the number of days until her surgery is now finite, Amanda continues to soldier on just as she has before. She continues to laugh just as loud, smile just as wide, and see her friends just as much as she has been for the past year. She is adamant about not letting her predicament become steeped in negativity.

School is a part of Amanda’s day from about 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., when she sits in AP Calculus AB, AP Literature, AP Biology, and lunch.

Armed with an elevator key and an

iPad from the district (to assist her with reading assignments when her vision is compromised), Amanda considers her time at school to be normal. When she goes home, much of her time is consumed by homework — something she grudgingly admits as her parents look on with sly smiles.

Sometimes, it can be overwhelming. “[When it is,] I talk to my friends … I go hang out with them, drop what I’m doing,” Amanda says. “Or I’ll listen to music or read my Bible …” “[You] do some calculus,” Mr. Pelletier finishes for her. The room rings with laughter as Amanda rolls her eyes at her dad.

There is some playful repartee as Amanda and her parents talk back and forth. They remember doctor visits as a unit and fill in the gaps in each other’s memories.

They reminisce over car rides and family vacations.

“That’s really been kind of a blessing, because we’ve gotten to talk a lot in the car,” says Mrs. Pelletier. “Wherever Amanda wants to go, I will take her.”

“With the [blurred] vision and nausea and dizziness, the car keys disappear,” Mr. Pelletier explains. “It’s probably one of the hardest things.”

Mrs. Pelletier shuttles Amanda to and

from school, hospitals, friends’ houses, and piano lessons. Music, the Pelletiers say, is not something they will do without.

“We listen to that – what’s that, Mumford?

Every day,” Mrs. Pelletier says with a goodnatured sigh.

“Mumford and Sons,” Amanda corrects her. It’s one of her favorite bands, along with Coldplay and Muse. For listening, that is.

On her piano, Amanda prefers classical.

Every Monday that she can, she meets with her piano teacher – a family friend whom the Pelletiers affectionately refer to as Ms. Jackie – for a lesson.

“Playing piano helps me a lot,” Amanda says.

“I think it’s a big relaxation tool right now,” Mrs. Pelletier says. “I called [Ms. Jackie, when they got the diagnosis]… she opened her schedule. She will adjust to whatever Amanda needs.”

Some days are better; some days are worse. Mrs. Pelletier says that Amanda’s sisters, Caitlin and Meagan, often send Amanda quick texts during the day to check in and cheer her up if she’s feeling down.

Amanda smiles, for the hundredth time that night.

“When it’s really hard, I just know that it will get better. So I just focus on that.”

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{ the middle of the ride }

By Sean Gundersen Multimedia Executive Editor

W

the songs they sing

o o s h .

There go those crazy kids.

Thumping bass, windows down — not a care in the world — dancing the night away. All one can make out is the ever-familiar chorus of the hit single of 2001, “The Middle,” rightfully belted out by the two girls inside.

“It just takes some time, little girl you’re in the middle of the ride. Everything (everything) will be just fine, everything (everything) will be all right (all right).”

If you found yourself at such an impasse, you would know nothing of the unfaltering friendship in that car, the eye-contact induced laughter, the unbridled dancing.

But it is there all the same — for all the world to see.

“It’s an art form,” said senior Danielle Lorenscheit of her and Amanda’s ‘confined choreography’ in her 2001 Buick Century. “This is where we’ve really gotten to know each other.”

The unlikely duo started off as unspoken

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h

enemies from 2007-2008 across their different club volleyball teams.

However, the two have been best friends ever since and grown as close as close can be. They started as teammates and have since become constant classmates, never looking back.

When the news broke of Amanda’s declining health and unclear future, Danielle made it her mission to stand by her and provide the backbone Amanda needed in her incertitude.

“I was pretty upset.

I didn’t really understand what it was, but when I found out it kind of hit me hard. I said that the only thing we could do was to live our lives the best we could and hope for good things,” said Danielle “There was nothing we could do, why change what was already going so well? So we didn’t.”

You can now see Danielle guiding Amanda after each of her few classes during the day, books in hand and a reassuring smile on her face. A smile that puts Amanda’s high strung life at ease whenever they’re together.

From the beginning, there was something

unique that brought the two together, a sort of bond that neither had previously shared, and it’s stayed strong to this day. ”We’re spontaneous. When we decide we want to do something, we do it,” said Danielle.

They both credit their shared sense of spontaneity and thrill seeking as the magnetism that cemented their friendship.

From rap battles, to planking on private property, to public antics in grocery markets, the girls seem to have done it all. ”We just got closer by troublemaking,” Amanda clarified. “She’s more family than a friend now — the best sister you could imagine.”

The support for the Pelletier family from the Lorenscheits doesn’t stop with Danielle. As Amanda and Danielle’s friendship grew, so did a parallel one between their mothers.

“After every call to the doctor, my mom calls her mom and they talk.They hang out and be sure to live lightheartedly, give each other advice, and gossip — there’s always lots of gossip,” added Amanda with a laugh.

“i won’t give up” JASON MRAZ

“sexy and i know it” LMFAO

“i knew you wereTAYLOR trouble” SWFT

“ittyNICKI bitty piggy”* MINAJ

“come through”* DMX FEAT. BUSTA RHYMES

“love drunk” BOYS LIKE GIRLS

“rememberingALLsunday” TIME LOW

“lollipop” * MIKA

“seven deadly sins”* FLOGGING MOLLY

“no sleep tonight” THE FADERS

The ‘lean on me’ type support they give to each other has been strong for years, but never quite like this.

“Danielle’s mom is a rock for me right now,” said Mrs. Pelletier.

Fellow seniors Anna Killpack and Danielle’s boyfriend, Jack Rodell have also stepped forward to help support Amanda and her family, through help with school work to just being there as friends, confidants and shoulders to lean on.

“Danielle and Amanda are really good friends. Anna and Amanda are also really close. Whenever she needs somebody to be there, she calls them and they’re there,” said Rodell.

Most importantly, Amanda and Danielle know that wherever life takes them both, they can always go for another one of their fabled drives and slip back into their haven of laughter and music. “[Driving] is the one thing we’ve always done,” said Danielle. “Whether it’s just getting away, going on an adventure, or aimlessly following the shiny things we think we see — it all comes down to how far we can go.”

As Sean rode along with Amanda and Danielle, he noticed some of the songs they were singing and dancing to were a window into not only what they’ve been going through these past few months, but also who they are as individuals, and friends.

“she’s gotTHEthe rhythm” SUMMER SET

“no hands” * WAKA FLOCKA FLAME

This indicates Danielle stomped on the brakes and refused to Drive until amanda changed the song

“hound dog” ELVIS PRESLEY

“25 tillEMINEM 11”*

This indicates Amanda rapped along to this song

in focus | december 7, 2012

* *

photo by kelci davis

Seniors Amanda Pelletier, Anna Killpack, Danielle Lorenscheit and Jack Rodell share a laugh during the school day.

“Anna and Jack and Danielle are always there [for Amanda],” said Amanda’s mother, Janet Pelletier.

the story goes on...

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24}

advertisements | december 7, 2012

{the scene}

By Jessica Mugler the scene editor

Gone in a snap Popular Snapchat app allows users to send photos in new way

Lately, more and more students, such as juniors Hayley Lechner and Kortney Sheahan, can be seen snapping photos of themselves or their friends. However, Lechner and Sheahan are not taking these to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, because the newest fad is here.

It’s called Snapchat. This app provides a different way to send a photo to friends. Unlike messaging, the photo can not be saved by the receiver and there is a time limit (set by the sender) as to how long the photo can be seen.

“I get to send embarrassing pictures of myself and my friends, then they send them to me and make me laugh,” Lechner said.

This is the draw to Snapchat: the ability to send multiple photos quickly, unafraid and carefree.

Snapchat is different than usual messaging, but the sender can still send a message along with the snap. There is a tool to draw on the photo or type a message.

“Every time you get a picture, you never know what you’re going to open,” Sheahan said.

Snapchat allows any photos to be sent without fear of embarrassment or blackmail, as the photo cannot be saved. Even “the duckface” pose is allowed. By experience, it is determined that the most popular Snapchat poses include the “stuckout tongue”, the “shock and awe”, and the classic wink. These snaps can relay emotions or messages themselves to the receiver.

“I like making myself have bug eyes and sticking my tongue out,” Sheahan said.

Although the lifespan of Snapchat is unknown, the app has been around for more than a year. Many users don’t realize this.

“I think the Snapchat fad will stick around for a few months maybe,” said Lechner.

Snapchat is a great way to send funny or embarrassing photos to friends; however, it is advised to send wisely! There is a possibility that your friend can snap a screenshot before the time is up if they’ve got speedy fingers. Use the app wisely and, please, no crude snaps.

fhctoday.com | the scene

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Winter wonderwear

{ } Summer in

As winter comes around, so does a change in fashion. See what students had to say about these different winter trends.

Winter?

“I look forward to wearing jeans as winter comes along. They go with so much - polos, casual clothes, and button ups.”

- sophomore Tyler Tran

“I always wear short sleeve shirts and tank tops. You’re only outside for a minute, so the fact that it’s cold outside doesn’t really matter.”

- senior Hannah Johnson

“I love my flops.

They’re allpurpose and comfortable.”

- senior Jak McCullen

“Scarves aren’t my thing. I prefer sweaters and cardigans. I wear jeans in the summer, so I bring them into winter too.”

-junior Zach Hayes

“I’m not a big fan of the t shirt, leggings, and UGGs outfit.

Something needs to cover your butt. I like Old Navy. Dress Barn is also a great place to go. They have a lot of cute, appropriate clothes.”

- senior Bri Brickson

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the scene | december 7, 2012

“I don’t change my makeup for winter, it’s more of a spontaneous thing - whatever I’m in the mood for that day.”

- sophomore Katie Crank

The classic

“Reindeer-Prance”

The

“Christmas-Explosion”

The

sweater.

sweater.

sweater.

For those who enjoy every part of Christmas...squished into one sweater.

For people who enjoy prancing.

“If-I-Believe-Then-It’s-True” For people in denial.

Bringing sweaters back

By Kellie Grezinger staff reporter

As fall and winter take their toll, it seems common to see students sporting sweaters that are just possibly from the closets of their grandparents. The halls of FHC are beginning to look like a massive embarrassing family Christmas photo, complete with the bulky reindeer sweaters that moms used to have to force their kids to wear.

However, these people do not receive even an eyebrow raise or any other form of negative judgment.

The reason why is simple: it’s now officially a cool trend to wear these types of sweaters.

The

Junior Roger Lewis is one of the many students on board with this questionable trend. He says he began wearing them either last year or the year before. So where does one find these sweaters?

Are people paying good money for them, stealing them from parents or grandparents, or simply going to local thrift stores and snagging the best of the worst?

“I get mine from Goodwill mostly.

I have a ton of them. I seriously have a separate closet just for my sweaters,” Lewis said.

As one looks around the halls, it’s easy to see that this trend has spread from very few to many. Which

“Let’s-Bake-a-House” sweater

.

For those who like their baking senses to be stimulated.

The

gets her sweaters from Goodwill.

She has similar reasons for wearing the sweaters. Comfortability plays the biggest role in Stephanie wearing them, and she says she isn’t doing it for the sake of the trend.

“I mean, I’d probably wear them anyway, but the fact that they’re a trend makes me a little less selfconscious about wearing them in public,” Rhea said.

It’s common to see trends spread due to that very reason: other people are doing it — so why not join? As for now, it seems as though this ironic Christmas/ugly sweater trend is here to stay. That is, until Goodwill runs out of them.

raises the obvious question of why this is happening.

“I think they’re a trend because they’re kind of nerdy. Nerdy is the new cool thing,” Lewis said.

That statement, though strange, is semi-accurate. When the whole “hipster” trend began, the majority of the staple items in the average “hipster’s” wardrobe were in fact, stereotypically nerdy. Think about it: big glasses, oversized cardigans, and of course — the ugly sweaters.

Basically, the things people used to scoff at and shun are now embraced and welcome.

Senior Stephanie Rhea also is involved in this trend and like Lewis,

“O-Christmas-Tree” sweater

.

For people who love holly, jolly, Christmas trees.

The

“Santa-And-Friends” sweater

.

For those who imagine multiple Santas and snowmen living happily together. fhctoday.com | the scene

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playlist A Merry Indie Christmas

by Kelci Davis

If you’re anything like me, hearing Christmas music before Thanksgiving makes your ears bleed. Before December has even arrived, the excessively cheery jingles and cutesy duets invoke your gag reflex. These indie-styled remakes, however, make my toes tap and my heart happy all season long.

“Lo! How A Rose E’er Blooming”

by Sufjan Stevens

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

This is a little known Christmas song done by an even lesser known artist - but the combination of the two creates a great song. Stevens has remade many great Christmas songs, but this one is definitely the best.

So I may get some trouble for putting this song here, because it’s really not indie and it’s not actually a remake, either. But I know my alternative girls will appreciate this little number by the adorable Christofer Drew.

Members of the drum and bugle corps at Christmas Traditions on Main Street St. Charles prepare to march in the parade held each weekend. Visitors to Main Street during December can learn about how Christmas is celebrated in countries around the world.

“We Three Kings” by Fuel I, and many of other rock fans out there, are big fans of Fuel. It’s nice to see a slightly softer version of the band, and this song has both that and their identifying, haunting sound.

“Winter Wonderland”

by Phantom Planet This song is somewhere between relaxed and upbeat, which is nice for a Christmas songs. Alex Greenwood’s soothing voice is perfectly balanced by the band’s indie rock sound.

“Happy Christmas (War Is Over)”

by The Fray

I’m a huge fan of The Fray, and this is one of the few Christmas songs I’ll listen to all year round. While I’m not a huge fan of children’s choirs, this song uses one without overdoing it.

“Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)”

by Death Cab for Cutie

This is another song that I could stand listening to before Thanksgiving turkey is passed around. I will even go as far as saying this version is much better than the original.

“Christmas Without You”

by OneRepublic No, this is not a remake of Dolly Parton’s song - lucky for us. This is actually an original that has the sound styling of a classic, with a lovely indie twist.

Holiday happenings Find out what you should do over the winter break!

1. During the holidays, are you a jolly person? a. Yes! b. Nope . c. I’m practically Santa! d. Not particularly.

2. Are you super busy over winter break? a. Not really. b. I’m too lazy to be busy. c. I’m sure I can make some time for something. d. Nope.

“Little Drummer Boy” by Bright Eyes

This is without a doubt the most unique interpretation of Little Drummer Boy. The vocals sound like they’re cast through an old radio, and the background gives reference to war, which gives this song a whole new context.

“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”

by The Spill Canvas

I’m sure some of you are surprised that I didn’t choose Sixpence None The Richer’s version of this song. But if you know me, you know I’m a huge fangirl of The Spill Canvas, and I’m shamelessly promoting them right now.

Best Christmas song ever.

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Coldplay

All right, I know we all love to make fun of Coldplay nearly as much as we make fun of Nickelback. But I won’t deny that this is a nice little piano version of this song.

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the scene | december 7, 2012

photo by madi wagner

“30 days” by Neveshoutnever

3. Are you looking for fun activities to take part in? a. Yes, I love being active. b. No.

c. I’m up for anything. d. Sure!

4. Do you like being out in the cold? a. Yes. b. No. c. Not at all! I love being warm. d. I don’t mind.

{RESULTS } If your answers were mostly A’s you should head down to Historic Main Street St. Charles to explore Christmas Traditions. There is a parade on weekend afternoons and trading cards to learn about holiday history.

If your answers were mostly B’s you should probably just stay home, because you obviously aren’t in the holiday spirit.

If your answers were mostly C’s you should try baking Christmas treats for your friends and family.

Check out page 30 for recipes to try.

If your answers were mostly D’s you should check out Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park or the St. Louis Zoo Wild Lights displays. Winter Wonderland is open from 5:30-9:30 p.m., Sunday through Friday and is $9 per vehicle.

St. Louis Zoo Wild Lights is open weekends, 5:30-8:30 p.m. and is $5 to the general public.

DIY gifts anyone can create We scoured Pinterest to find the best do-it-yourself-projects, then tried them ourselves to make sure they were doable. These ideas are perfect for anytime gifts that your friends will love. step one: paint a cardboard letter

can’t get enough?

photo collage letter

step two: cut out various photos

monogram mug step one: get a coffee mug step two: write your initials on the mug with permanent marker step three: bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minurtes

step three: glue photos

cards + reasons + rings

52 reasons I love you step one: purchase a deck of playing cards step two: think of 52 reasons you love someone step three: punch holes in the cards and use steel rings to bind them

fhctoday.com | the scene

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Blonde Brownies

Pecan Tarts JAMES PUGH

JESSICA MUGLER

2 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted 2 cups packed brown sugar 2 beaten eggs 2 tsp vanillla 1 12oz package chocolate chips Mix all ingredients together except the chocolate chips.

Pour into 9x13 greased pan and sprinkle chips on top. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until done.

White chocolate Peppermint chip-cranberry Cocoa cookies MADELYN NEWTON 1 cup butter flavored Crisco ½ cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 2 cups old fashioned oats 1 ½ cups flour 1 pkg. white chocolate chips 1 cup craisins Mix ingredients. Scoop onto cookie sheets using a small scoop or tablespoon Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes

Festive fare

Dough: 3 oz cream cheese, room temp 1 stick butter 1 cup flour Soften cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Cream together until light and fluffy. Blend in flour and mix well.

Filling: 1 egg well beaten 1 cup of brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla dash of salt 1 tsp of melted butter ¾ cups of pecans Mix filling together. Fill each muffin tin with dough on the bottom and sides. Scoop filling into each. Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes.

The Central Focus staff shares some of its favorite holiday recipes.

ABBEY SCHNEIDER

1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3 drops peppermint oil Sweetened whipped cream, Chocolate shavings In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar, and salt and heat over medium-low heat.

When the cream mixture begins to steam, add the chopped chocolate, and stir, until melted.

Stir in the peppermint oil.

Important yearbook dates to know

TODAY! Price of the yearbook increases to $65.

Buy your book today and save $10 Dec. 14: Senior remembrance ads MUST be submitted to Room 139.

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{be heard}

Enjoying the gift of Christmas Evan Pagano calls out the scrooges, encourages a childish enthusiam for holidays

It’s the holiday season, I can smell it. I smell the snowy winter air, I smell the wood burning in the fireplace, and I smell the drool-inducing scent of Christmas cookies. Can you feel it? I can. I feel the excitement of little children,

By Evan begging Santa at the mall Pagano for a new bike (or tablet, or staff reporter whatever the heck little kids are getting these days).

Throughout toy stores, radio stations, and open snowy fields alike, the feeling of the holidays is everywhere. This time of year is like no other season, and I love it.

But unfortunately, this year has the same drawback as each one of its predecessors: the scrooges.

These pessimistic little creatures exist for every holiday, but they typically come out from their dwellings the moment 102.5 begins their season-long loop of continuous Christmas carols. “It’s hardly past Halloween, why are

they playing Jingle Bells?!” they cry out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Wikipedia, and the street corner to anyone who will listen to their Grinchy attitude. Unfortunately, their non-stop negativity doesn’t end there.

If it was up to these people, the feeling of Christmas would start on Christmas morning and end by noon that day.

Radio towers worldwide would all cease to exist for the month of December, and the Hallmark Channel would be banned from playing movies that make you feel all warm and Rudolphy inside.

Christmas caroling, heck, Hanukkah caroling, would warrant at least the season of winter in the slammer.

This magical time of year doesn’t excite people like this, in fact they’d be happy (or as happy as their black hearts can get) if all of this just went away. I can’t help but look and shake my head in sheer amazement and ask, “Why?” Admittedly, I’m about as far to one side as the scrooges are to the other. People turn their heads in confusion as I whistle “Oh Christmas

Tree” in May, and I tend to start Christmas conversations at Halloween parties. And yes, seeing Yuletide decorations and lights are some of my purest and most awaited joys in life.

In my eyes, a time of happiness is always welcome, but for some people that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The time surrounding Christmas for me has always been a time full of joy: watching the snow fall on the bare street while anxiously anticipating a snow day, watching “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” with my family as the fire burning in the fireplace lights up the dark living room, sleeping in the same room as my siblings on Christmas Eve; all of these things make me yearn for the Holiday season the moment it’s over. I’m confused as to why this would be a negative time for others.

I understand the fact many people don’t celebrate a holiday during the winter months, don’t get me wrong. The thing that I don’t understand, however, is how widespread happiness could somehow tick people off.

These scrooges are relatable to that dramatic girl — we all know her. She thrives off of unrest, she thrives off of misery, and that is what gets her the attention she wants: her creation of unhappiness.

So when she’s put into a situation where everyone is jubilant, jovial, or jolly, hot steam shoots from her ears and singes anyone within a three-foot radius.

So come the holiday season, her complaints about the annoyance of the lights or the “awful” music are really just covering up the fact that, for some reason, widespread happiness just doesn’t sit well with her.

In the end, though, there isn’t anything us holiday lovers can do about it. It is quite possible that the only thing that can save these scrooges may be their realization of their own wrongdoings.

Maybe this article will be their Ghost of Christmas Past, and soon they will lighten up a bit. And one day, hopefully in the near future, we can all join together and make snow angels and look at Christmas lights. What’s happier than that?

fhctoday.com | be heard

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Passing judgment Stereotypes, assumptions, while seemingly harmless, make lasting impact

By Erin Rowland

staff reporter

J u d g e m e n t s .

Stereotypes. As much as we love to pretend that we don’t make them, it’s completely untrue. Without even trying, we make assumptions about people just from their outward appearance. These judgements are only increased when we begin to learn more about a person.

When we find out about their personality, favorite music, and religion, that’s when the judgements really begin. When religion and politics come into play, stereotypes reach a peak. Why do we think we know a person without all the facts? What causes us to make harsh assumptions about people we don’t even know?

And is there a way to look past our first impressions and live in peace despite our warring views?

When I met Julia Becker, we were in second grade. Our friendship began with a pointless fight, and has included many more since then. But she’s one of my best friends. She’s also an atheist and a Democrat, while I am a Christian and a Republican. I can’t say that our views haven’t caused arguments, but we’ve learned to look past them because we know that there is so much more to one another than religion or politics.

Becker, now a sophomore and still one of my closest friends, shares my love of music and is someone I can depend on, whether I need a friend or someone to have an intelligent discussion with. And she has an understanding of tolerance that surpasses most people.

“You have to accept that

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be heard | december 7, 2012

you’re different from other people and you don’t have absolute power over anyone,” said Becker. She, unlike many people, understands that tolerance doesn’t mean ignoring differences, it means accepting them, and agreeing to disagree.

In my life, I’ve been insulted and stereotyped more times than I can count. When I tell people that I’m a Christian, I’m labeled a homophobic, intolerant, judgemental, bigoted Jesus-Freak with a holier-than-thou attitude.

When I say that I’m a Republican, it is assumed that I’m rich, racist, greedy, selfish, and corrupt.

And that really hurts.

Just yesterday, I had a conversation with a close friend. We somehow ended up on the topic of politics, and she learned I was a Republican. The first words out of her mouth were, “So you’re antichoice, then? And don’t support equal marriage rights?”

While these assumptions are true of a small portion of any group, they never reflect the group as a whole. Negative stereotypes more often than not arise from a small (but very vocal) percentage that seems to be determined to give people a bad name. In my case, it’s the Westboro Baptist Church. Because of their active intolerance, the word “Christian” conjures up images of hateful signs being waved by hateful people.

Becker faces plenty of hate for her views as well.

Like many people, she has faced the assumption that she agrees with everything her political party says, which, for many people, is completely untrue.

She has also faced as much religious persecution as any Christian.

“I remember in eighth grade, a kid not only criticized my beliefs, he harassed me for them.

Every time he saw me, he’d say, ‘Hey atheist,’” said Becker. If that isn’t an example of stereotyping, I don’t know what is.

Being reduced to a word is one of the most painful things that can happen to a person. It feels like people refuse to see any of the great things about you. They only see your religion, or your politics, or your clothes, or your job. And that isn’t fair.

What society needs to understand is that not everything is black and white. There are shades of gray in almost every

situation.

People can be a part of a group without mindlessly agreeing to every single idea the group expresses.

The world is in no way simple enough to be reduced to labels and judgements.

Of course, I’m guilty of passing judgements, too. Everyone is. And as soon as I do, I regret it. But it’s an almost involuntary action. When someone tells me something about themselves, I instantly compare them to everyone else that I know shares that attribute, extremists included.

I’ll take one look at someone’s clothes and decide a million things about them, most of which are probably untrue. But this is normal, even scientific. Psychologists have shown that stereotyping is an automatic reaction that is hardwired into the brain. And it’s more than just a reaction, it’s a safety precaution.

“When you’re a social animal, you need to be able to distinguish who’s a friend and who’s a foe.

You need to understand who’s a member of your pack, who’s a member of a different pack,” said John Dovidio, a psychology professor at the University of Connecticut.

While our brains are the ones that make assumptions, we are the ones that choose to act on them. We can choose to get to know someone, even though we think we know enough about them already. We can choose to respect someone for their opinions, even if they differ from our own. And most of all, we can choose to become educated on views other than our own, because ignorance is at the root of all stereotypes.

Indie games make it big

Video games are everywhere these days. While gaining popularity every day, the usedto-be geek sanctuary is now a thriving mainstream hobby, and as good as that sounds for longtime gamers, some have noticed a trend in most “blockbuster video games” today.

By Alex As a kid I grew up slamming Layton the end of my virtual katana staff reporter into Heihachi Mishima’s face in “Tekken 3,” running from boulders in “Crash Bandicoot,” leveling up my Cyndaquil in “Pokemon Gold,” and conquering other adventures in the video game realm. Back then, “blockbuster video games” were innovative, they weren’t afraid to do something nobody else was doing. Games barely followed a common pattern; each game had its own unique way of telling me what I was doing and why I was doing it. The developer’s weren’t afraid of taking risks, the games were about whatever the developer wanted, not what was making money.

I’ve noticed in the past five years that modern mainstream games all feel too similar. Ever since the extreme success of “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” due to its multiplayer mode, First Person Shooters (FPS) have been trying to get some of the success for themselves. Notable examples like the “Battlefield” series, “Medal of Honor”, and games like “Crysis 2” all had a multiplayer aspect that was basically

{

“Call of Duty” with super suits. Sure, every game I’ve mentioned is a FPS, and sure that would mean they would be similar. But to me, those are the games that get attention nowadays, those games are the ones that get the most coverage. I’ll admit, those games have great, solid gameplay, and a good story to back it up also, but something is missing. Innovation. Innovation is missing. Run, shoot, duck, shoot, interact with a NPC, shoot, run, shoot, rinse, wash, repeat.

I grew up with a Playstation One and a Super Nintendo, then moving on to a Gamecube and a Playstation 2. I played games with a challenge that motivated gamers to keep going, to save the world they were spending gratuitous amounts of hours in; games that had a story, and made you part of the story; games that had something that other games didn’t have, that weren’t the same formula with a new coat of paint.

Who’s to blame though, for all of this similarity? The company behind the game? Us, the gamers? The economy? Who knows. Will anything ever change?

Will we ever get a breath of fresh air?

Yes. We will. In fact, we already have. This breath of fresh air is independently developed games built by teams of 2-10 or so people. Games like “Minecraft,” “Terraria,” “Wanderlust,” “Castle Crashers,” “Hotline MIami,” “To the Moon,” “Super Meat Boy,” were all made by less than 15 people, and they’ve proved to be extremely successful.

Each game is created by only a handful of people with no regulations being shoved down their throats, nobody telling them how they should make their

the box

games, nobody to tell them they should do what’s popular and what will make them money right now.

It’s just a small group of dedicated developers creating a game they envision together.

For instance, one of the most successful indie games of all time, “Super Meat Boy,” was made by two people alone, and it has sold more than one million copies.

No matter the genre, philosophy, or gameplay indie games go for, they all have a unique quality. Whether it’s the sense of freedom and block-world graphics in “Minecraft,” the ridiculously challenging campaign of “Super Meat Boy,” or the tear-jerking story of “To the Moon,” indie games seem to have more of a personality and ability to stand out from the crowd than their more popular mainstream brothers and sisters.

Take the brand new “Hotline Miami,” a super violent action/strategy game stylized as an old school arcade game. Hotline puts you in the place of a serial killer. Sound familiar? In most games that we experience today, death is just another number on the screen.

For instance, kill 40 enemy soldiers in “Call of Duty,” or 40 grunts in “Halo 4,” and it’s no big deal. In “Hotline Miami,” you actually feel a sense of remorse, as you frantically try to put the enemies down before they do you.

You are left to stare at the dead, bleeding corpses and wonder why you had to kill all of these people.

It makes you question why you didn’t feel this way in the heat of the moment. The game pushes you through the action packed fight sequences with the

urgent thought of “I can die just as fast as these enemies can” racing through your head, all you feel is pure adrenaline. But afterwards, you feel for the dead, and are left with a lingering feeling that this may not be right. This is a feeling I’ve never experienced in my long 12 year campaign of video games. No game has affected me like this.

Instead of “Hotline Miami” being a fast-paced, mission based shoot-to-kill game, it’s a realistic take on what has been portrayed so many times before. This is just one example of the innovation of independent games.

Another example would be the game “To the Moon” where you play the role of a doctor in the far off future where the technology to go back and change patients’ memories exists. This technology is only used on patients on their deathbed, due to it permanently erasing memories. You play as a doctor, doing just as I said, but for an old man who has always wanted to go to the moon. To do this, you have to relive all of the old man’s memories, making for a truly remarkable and emotionally embracing story. Most gamers are left in tears after the experience, but it is a hell of an experience to have.

That’s what is great about indie games, they’re different. To me, they just have something that most mainstream games don’t. This isn’t some hipster raging against the mainstream; it’s a gamer finding magic in modern games today. The market has changed, that’s for sure. But there is still hope, indie developers aren’t afraid to take chances, and that’s why I love them. That’s why I play indie games.

elite, again

fan fest fun

mock test

For the second year in a row, boys soccer advanced to the elite eight for the state of Missouri and played a shutout half against Chaminade before falling 2-0.

The inaugural winter sports Fan Fest went off with a bang as students and the community enjoyed a night of new dance routines, slam dunk contests, and high energy scrimmages from all levels.

Students are hounded with a multitude of tests this time of year, and mock AP tests and quizzes in AP and non-AP classes only add to the stress of preparing for finals.

$1,500 raised

boys next door

talentpalooza

{

LOVE LIKE LEAVE Once again Spartan nation came through for one of our own and raised more than $1,500 for Amanda Pelletier and her upcoming surgery.

The fall play, presented by the FHC Spotlight Players, was enjoyed by many at the school and praised for its riotous comedy and truthful moments.

The annual winter talent show was pushed back until the spring and will most likely take place in March.

fhctoday.com | be heard

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staffeditorial

More than just #FHCPride Pride is a word that has been tossed around a lot, especially this year. It gets hashtagged and then suddenly @FHCAD will retweet it, and then you feel pretty awesome inside. But what ties a school together is much deeper than a connection on Twitter and ridiculous spirit day photos.

The strongest pride comes through the deepest tragedies, and it is sad to say, but our school has experienced many.

Very few of us Spartans remember the solemn feeling of walking to class after Dr. Arnel came over the intercom to announce that Michelle Neukirch lost her battle with cystic fibrosis. But through the sadness, we remember a deep sense of pride as cardboard boxes were held by teachers at the pep assembly and countless students, most of whom had never spoken to Michelle, tossed a couple dollars in to help out her family with funeral expenses.

Some of us Spartans remember, and will never

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be heard | december 7, 2012

forget, the deafening silence as the hearse carrying alumnus Phillip Vinnedge passed in front of the entire student body which stood outside the school. But through the sadness, we remember a deep sense of pride as we witnessed students who didn’t even know each other hugging and doing their best to comfort any of their peers who were in pain, despite not even knowing their name.

Our school has a deep-rooted connection that is strongest through these heartbreaking times.

Seeing our Spartans rise up to help one another — whether through money, an embrace or a simple encouraging hashtag. This is what makes us proud to go to FHC, and proud to be Spartans.

Our latest obstacle has been no different. We were shocked when we first heard the news that Amanda Pelletier’s struggle to overcome her year-long battle with sickness would culminate with an invasive brain surgery. We were choked up when we counted up

the money going towards t-shirts for senior Amanda Pelletier and her family’s medical bills.

With the posters being hung for less than 24 hours, and sales not even officially starting, we had already collected $111. And then on Halloween, our jaws dropped when we found out a single student donated $150 to the cause, despite only buying one t-shirt.

In 480 BC, the original Spartans stood against imaginable odds at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Having seen our school face odds like these, and overcome them, multiple times, we know that our mascot is a spartan for a reason. It’s because deep down, it’s who we are — whether we want to admit it or not.

We have pride in who we are as a community, a school, and as an underdog army. We will stand together and stand strong any time one of our own is in need, and we will stand 1,800 Spartans strong.

Get Rowdy and Support a Spartan the staff of the central focus sold t-shirts during the month of november. staff, students and family alike bought shirts to show school spirit and support senior amanda pelletier.

more than 200 t-shirts were sold

we raised $550 from pure donation

altogether, we raised $1,540

special thanks to:

Taylor Stone, Donna Proctor, Nathan Gregg, Kathy Maupin, J. Bulva’s clases, Bill Myers, Mary Neuwirth, Karen Hessel, Kayla Schmidt, Sharon Spoede, Dot O’Hara-Pinkham, Bob Hornbuckle, David Gronefeld, Suzanne Channell, Chrissy Young, Danna Tedder, Sherry Baize, Adrienne Buhse, Donna Proctor, Barb Riti, Ashley Wurth, Jessica Bulva, Robyn Menne, Jerry Anderson, Vicki Pohlman, Brian Ricker, Grace Clifford

{ These people made pure contributions of money not going towards a shirt }

The money you contributed will help Amanda with medical bills

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remember

a show you won’t

Mr. Bohning begins talking to the volunteers to get them to relax enough to become hypnotized. In order to get them further away from consciousness, he had students imagine they were slowly walking down a set of stairs.

All the hypnotized students were told to pretend they were five-years-old and the audience members were all teddy bears.

When told to go choose one, senior Jenna Rekosh chose social studies teacher Ms. Lisa Niswonger because "she was the biggest, most cuddliest one!"

After about 20 minutes working with students, Mr. Bohning utters the command "sleep", causing any students who were able to be hypnotized to fall into a sleep. Often, students who have struggle focusing and relaxing cannot be hypnotized.

On Friday Nov. 9, 25 students walked up unto stage in front of all the psychology students. Two hours later, they awoke without remembering much of anything that had just happened. As a part of the altered states of consciousness unit, psychology teacher Mr. Steve Bohning hypnotized students and had them perform what would normally be considered embarrasing tasks: from pretending to be body builders to having the boys give birth to their shoe. Photos by Madi Wagner

Believing they are in a terrifying haunted house, senior Megan Gaglio and junior Alex Behlmann group together to try and make it through. Throughout the hypnotism, many students showed extreme emotions from crying and screaming to jumping with joy.

Thinking she is pop-star Brittney Spears, senior Brittany Hackmann dances in front ot the audience. "It all kind of felt like a dream. I wanted to stop myself, but it also kind of felt right at the time," said Hackmann.

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aperture | december 7, 2011

As he struggles to "give birth to his own shoe," junior Alexander Buhse grips the hands of Hackman and Rekosh. The girls thought they were emergency room nurses, and cradled the shoes in their arms as if they were newborns.