Central Focus March issue

central

focus

Volume 18, Issue 5 March 6, 2015 Francis Howell Central High School

GENERATION: DIGITAL Technology has evolved to become addictive, and invasive among teenagers and younger generations

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Discover 3-6

Move 7-10

inFocus 11-15

Spotlight 17-20

CONTENTS

MARCH 6, 2015

online

Gossett grabs state title, team wins third Check out our coverage of the wrestling team’s return to title contenion at FHCtoday.com

Voice/Interact 21-23

March

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aze out the window and see the world — that’s what I’ve always done.

Every long and exhausting car ride; my eyes are pivoted looking through the glass. Every bus ride or plane ride; I stare in amazement, listening to my music, and enjoying the view.

On A plane ride, I take a moment to change the song and look around at what others are doing. People are texting or scrolling through twitter; businessmen on their laptop checking their emails. Everyone is glued to their technology, their eyes never peer elsewhere. I go back to looking out the window, every second I’m away from my device is every second that I am taking in the beauty of life and the world.

I am thousands of feet up in the air, soaring above the clouds and watching the

MARCH 6, 2015

MUST READ

DISCOVER

$22 M deficit for FHSD 80

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Letter From the Editor

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Ads 24

Worldly travels Amazing experiences, better foreign language skills await students who travel to French and Spanish speaking countries.

High hopes

The girls soccer team brings high expectations into the spring season, hoping to replicate the success of the boys team in the fall.

Musical ‘Family’ Producing a musical for the stage is an entirely different beast for the cast and crew of “The Addams Family.”

sunset. I am taking back by how beautiful everything is, but no one else is looking.

Why is technology so important to my generation? What value does a phone have over enjoying nature and seeing the world?

Every plane ride, I ask myself these questions. And it’s not just the plane ride, it’s when I’m at the movie theater and the girl next to me is texting the whole movie, or I am out at dinner with a friend and they want to go on their phone the whole time.

Every day I sit there questioning why? What are they missing out on while they are glued to their device? These are some of the questions we wanted to delve into in this issue. How has technology negatively impacted our generation and what value does it have in our lives? Technology is a blessing, but is it also a curse?

staff positions to be eliminated

THREE things we

DISCOVERED

this month

Fine Arts Festival set for May 1

Due to to dangerous weather conditions, the highly anticipated festival had to be rescheduled.

It is now to take place on May 1.

Mr. FHC moved to end of March The pageant is now on March 27 instead of March 6, so be sure to mark your calandars with the change so you can support Central’s greatest guys.

Journalism students celebrate SJW

Scholastic Journalism week took place Feb. 23-27, and classes celebrated all types of publication. By reading this paper, you are too!

Budget cuts The Francis Howell School District faces a $22 million deficit, with the board approving reducing staffing by 80 positions as well as other cuts

n By Emily Herd

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ediitor in chief

he green piece of paper crumpled up in your pocket matters. The penny hidden underneath your couch cushions matters. The small piece of plastic filed in

your wallet matters. Money matters. The Francis Howell School District has experienced this firsthand, facing a $22 million deficit.

In 2011, the Francis Howell School District made $7.3 million in reductions, with a $10.3 million deficit. In addition to financial cuts, 95 staff positions were terminated. The financial situation made news and affected the FHSD greatly. n See BUDGET CUTS, on page 6 photo illustration by mia baker

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DISCOVER

DISCOVER

MARCH 6, 2015

MARCH 6, 2015

Most popular colleges for FHC students Of the flags on the wall of college acceptance, these schools were the most represented

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Hello!

So, where are you going to

college?

Seniors prepare to make new friends and live in a new environment when they go to some less common colleges n By Cadence Bippen discover editor

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4 5 Check out Tori Cooper’s story about the most popular college choices of FHC students.

It’s that time of year again. The time when friends, family, relatives, and neighbors are constantly asking seniors, “Where are you going to college?” Here, in the Cottleville and surrounding counties, many answers are the same: Mizzou, Missouri State, Mizzou, UMSL, Lindenwood, Mizzou, Missouri S&T, SCC. Oh, and Mizzou. While these schools are commendable, there exists a smaller population of students who have chosen to deviate from those common paths of their peers.

Senior Kaylee Sheridan based where she wanted to go mostly off of where she could continue to play softball. She will be attending a small community college, Jefferson College, in Hillsboro. It has only about 500 students on campus, according to Sheridan, since many choose to take online courses. Sheridan is looking forward to the educational opportunities she will be given, while continuing to do what she loves.

“They have better academics for a community college, so I’m still gonna keep up with academics while I’m still playing softball. It has honors classes [unlike SCC], so I can stay on that honors course and in that more competitive kinda feel,” Sheridan said.

Along with academics, Sheridan likes the housing and especially the fact that

she will play softball. Chances are, she will not know anyone else attending Jefferson College.

“I do [have some fear of not knowing anyone], but I’m gonna be on a softball team and I’ll see them everyday, so I’m bound to have friends,” Sheridan said.

While Sheridan will be staying fairly close to home, senior Caitlyn Sanders will be travelling eight hours away to the University of Alabama to double major in pre-med and general business. For her, distance wasn’t an issue. Sanders was nearly certain she wanted to go to school out-of-state.

“I don’t really like Missouri at all, and Alabama is far enough away to where I’m still close enough to drive home sometimes on weekends to see my parents and stuff, but I’m still far enough from Missouri,” Sanders said.

Along with a driveable distance and nice southern weather, the dorms at Alabama met Sanders criteria of what would be her home for the next four years.

“I’m a really big stickler for dorms, that was my big thing. Dorms at Ole Miss weren’t as nice as the ones at Alabama, where you can choose a suite style so you have your own room, but four roommates.”

The main fear for those going to school out of state would typically be the distance. In Sanders’ case, it shouldn’t be an issue.

“The one thing holding me back would be my family, but they’ve all been really accepting of me going out of state and none

of them have been against it. I’m gonna miss [my siblings] but [it] will be fine,” Sanders said.

Senior Tara Parnacott isn’t as quick to travel far. She also applied to Alabama, but isn’t going because of the distance. Of the six schools she applied to, one was extremely common, Mizzou, but the others were more unique. She applied to some highly-ranked schools such as Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Wash U. “[I applied to harder colleges] cause I wanted to see if I could get in, like test myself against everybody else,” Parnacott said.

Although Alabama may be too far for Parnacott, if she gets the opportunity to attend Vanderbilt, the five-hour distance would not hold her back. She isn’t ruling out state schools at all, but she is keeping an open mind to universities where she might not know anyone.

“You’re living with a bunch of people, so it wouldn’t be that hard to make friends,” Parnacott said.

Plenty of students will be staying in state for college, close to home, family, friends, and familiarity. And there are some students who will be going to a small, unknown college, or a university hours away. There’s always the possibility of being scared and alone, but that exists in any new step in life, no matter where you go. Sometimes venturing into new territory could be the best decision.

Bonjour!

Guten Morgen!

Buenos dias!

World language students are preparing to say hello to

Foreign adventures n By Kameryn Mellor staff reporter

When students choose to take advantage of the opportunity to go on one of the yearly foreign language trips, the benefits can be endless.

Select students who meet the criteria, such as being in their fourth or fifth year of learning a language are given the opportunity to visit a country that speaks that language, and take advantage of the many benefits. By embarking on this journey, students can gain connections for opportunities later in life, such as studying abroad and staying in the home of a friend in the country the student visits. It can also be a chance to experience culture that may have been next to impossible if it were not for the trip.

Mrs. Jane Wright, French teacher, is one of the teachers in charge of organizing the trips, specifically to France, along with Mrs. Lauren Breite. The two teachers require certain criteria to be met, as do the rest of the World Language teachers offering the trip.

“Normally, for French students, the trip takes place during spring break. Students must be in French 4 or French 5, because

the entire time we’re there we only speak french,” Mrs. Wright said.

All students going on the foreign language trip must meet the requirement of being able to speak and comprehend the language they’ve been learning in the classroom. This will be all the teacher will speak in for the duration of the trip. According to Spanish teacher Ms. Ashley Wager, students must have at least finished their junior year of high school to be able to go, and be enrolled in a foreign language class in order to go on the trip. If this criteria is not met, the student must have specific permission from the foreign language teacher chaperoning the trip.

Some of the foreign language trips take on the feel of a service project , according to Ms. Wager. The Costa Rica trip last year was more of an adventure with many outdoor sports and activities. The community service aspect of the whole thing actually was very important and amendments were made to the trip to Nicaragua to add a possible service aspect to it.

The foreign language trips, according to Ms. Wager, can also be very influential and life-changing for the students. It can show

students how other people around the world live, and even give them insight on how to help.

“I look forward to the look in a person’s eyes who has never seen how other people live, to the realization that there is life beyond everything they know, that technology and money aren’t everything,” Ms. Wager said.

“I also look forward to the adventure of seeing or experiencing something I’ve never experienced.”

Students, like sophomore Rachel Fortney, are excited to get the opportunity to experience and get insight on the culture of the country they are visiting, by not only seeing but interacting, according to Ms. Wager. Students on a trip for the Spanish class helped a small village in the Amazon build a structure to support their artisan work in Ecuador last summer. Students mixed concrete, collected stones, sanded wood, collected, bagged, and carried sand from the river, then unloaded it at the job site to be mixed with cement, talked with the locals, collected safe drinking water and walked it back to a local home to be used to water the livestock.

“Many students are looking forward to experiencing the culture they’ve been learning so much about and seeing if they can speak the language as well as they think they can,” Fortney said.

The trip can also be a good experience for the teachers hosting and chaperoning it.

Teachers like Mrs. Wright look forward to the joy on their student’s faces, along with experiencing the culture of the country and it’s people time and time again.

“I enjoy watching the kids when they go up in the Eiffel Tower, the excitement of being in the Eiffel Tower, and the excitement of standing next to the Mona Lisa and getting their picture taken, going up the steps of Notre Dame Cathedral,” Mrs. Wright said.

According to Fortney, the trip can be a significant change for the better. It can open up many opportunities later in life, and benefit every student in attendance.

“For students on the trip, it can probably be strange and surreal, being in a different country as opposed to the midwest, like I have been all my life,” Fortney said, “and I’m excited for a change like that, even if it’s brief.”

“I look forward to the look in a person’s eyes who has never seen how other people live, to the realization that there is life beyond everything they know, that technology and money aren’t everything.”

-Ms. Ashley Wager, Spanish teacher

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DISCOVER

MARCH 6, 2015

n From budget cuts,

page 3

Only four years later, the FHSD is faced with this issue again. Only this time, there is a $22 million deficit and about 80 employee terminations.The decision was voted unanimously by the Francis Howell School Board on Jan. 22. In June, the FY16 budget will be approved (refer to the graphic for more information).

Chief Financial Officer Kevin Supple, said the reason for the huge budget cut only four years later is due to our expenditures growing faster than the revenue. The district’s assessed valuation has not increased in the past six years, limiting the growth of over 50 percent of total revenue. Also the state’s failure to fund enough money has led to the budget cut and financial issues, according to Supple.

“The state has, for the past five years, failed to fully fund its basic state aid formula. The amount of reduction in funding has increased over this time,” Mr. Supple said. “If the state had fully funded the formula over this time period, FHSD would have received approximately $11 million more in state aid.”

The new budget will also reduce personnel, saving $4.2 million. The leftover $18 million of deficit can not be fully paid off, but there will also be a $4 million cut from non-personnel items.

Human Resource Director, Dr. Steve Griggs, specifies that staff terminations will most likely arise by attrition, but only if teachers choose to retire or switch jobs. Although the number of teachers who will undergo this is still up in the air, 80 total positions whether it is through attrition or not is still the magic number.

“My hope is that most of the job reductions will be taken care of through attrition, but we do not have an absolute guarantee of that,” Dr. Griggs said.

FHC’s Foods and Nutrition teacher Grace Clifford, is a Member at Large High School representative for the National Education Association and the State Affiliate. They work in conjunction with the Administration and the Board of Education for FHSD. She has been an active member since 1981, and makes sure that students and teachers are not negatively affected by the district’s issues.

“We want to assure that students

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MOVE

Move

MARCH 6, 2015

MUST READ

photo by morgan west

Mr. Bill Meyers teaches one of the many business classes offered at FHC. As the district seeks to trim more than $20 million from its budget, it has received board approval to cut 80 staff positions throughout the district. The district hopes most of these reductions will come via retirements.

at FHSD receive the best possible education and that the constituency is kept informed about the issues facing the district,” Mrs. Clifford said.

Due to the 80 staff positions being cut along with the new budget, Mrs. Clifford

is worried that it will hit the students too, not just the teachers.

“I am always concerned when teaching positions are cut — that directly affects students,” Mrs. Clifford said. “Budget cuts affect everyone.”

Silence in Spring

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THREE MOVING

stats from this month Home court advantage

Howell Central was selected to host both the boys and girls basketball district games.

“We’re more excited and more comfortable, we’re goint to come to play because it’s our own court,” junior basketbal player Emma Farley said. Visit FHCToday.com to read more about districts.

Spring sports see a lack of rowdiness from fans during season n By David Beecher

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staff reporter he sound from within: piercing. The atmosphere created by Spartan athletics: inspiring. The transfer of energy from fans to players: electrifying. The end result: victory. And that support from the rowdy section of students yelling and screaming their hearts out for their classmates is felt throughout the whole school year.

Well, until the spring that is.

While of course every win comes from hard work and talent from the participants, most athletes will tell you that the support of loud, screaming fans will always give them the edge over their competitors. So what happens when teams lose that support or for spring sports, teams that have never had that support?

Throughout the fall and winter at nearly every home event and a large amount of visiting athletic events, hundreds of Spartans can be seen yelling and losing their minds in efforts to support. Football, boys soccer, boys basketball, girls basketball, and hockey are five rowdy-worthy sports smashed into the first two seasons of athletics each year.

So when the spring season comes around, where does the energy go? Whose fault is it? The reality is, it comes down to a large number of different reasons all playing a role in the decrease of visible school spirit.

For one, senior Zach McKinley says the sports in the spring season do not entice the crowd of screaming teenagers that the previous five sports do. Frankly, they’re either not as popular sports, or they’re more calm, observant sports. The key to drawing in fans to games is making them feel connected to the team and the sport.

Spring into action

Spring sports start tryouts over spring break on Monday, Mar. 9.

Tryouts were pushed back due to central hosting district for basketball.

Hockey AllStars

Graham Nave, Andy Moats, and Shane Quinn were three Spartan hockey players voted to play in the high school all-star game. The game was played on Feb. 28.

n See SPRING, page 10

photo by ashley marlo

photo by francis lunatto

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MOVE

MARCH 6, 2015

A new hope

Girls soccer finds motivation to perform well from boys success in state cup n By Joseph Silver move editor

photo by ashleigh harding

ABOVE LEFT: Senior Lauren Nosal is about to resume play in a game by a throw in, last year. She will return to play again this year with the squad.

ABOVE: Junior goalkeeper Sydney Chalcraft catches a ball during a game played last season against sister school and rival Howell North.

LEFT: Last years squad sits patiently before its game started. The girls final record was 10-15 last season.

photo by ashley marlo

2013-2014 season vs. Hazelwood Central vs. Hazelwood West at Fort Zumwalt South vs. Timberland vs. Holt vs. Troy at Howell North vs. Fort Zumwalt West vs. Hazelwood West at Francis Howell at St. Charles West at Timberland vs. Francis Howell at Parkway West vs. Ursuline vs. Cor Jesu vs. Borgia at Fort Zumwalt West vs. Lafayette at Troy vs. Howell North vs. Fort Zumwalt South vs. Fort Zumwalt North vs. Fort Zumwalt South vs. Howell North

W 1-0 W 3-1 L 0-4 W 2-0 L 1-2 L 0-2 L 0-3 W 1-0 L 1-2 W 1-0 W 1-0 L 0-3 L 1-2 L 0-2 L 0-3 L 0-7 W 3-2 L 0-3 L 0-2 W 2-1 L 1-3 L 0-2 W 3-1 W 2-1 L 0-1

photo by ozzie goodrich

Early February is a tough time brewing for the girls soccer team. Facing the harsh weather, they take to the turf in preparation for the upcoming season. With the recent success of the boys soccer team taking third place in the class four state cup, the girls draw their motivation and inspiration from them.

Senior Caitlyn Eddy, is pumped for the season to begin, especially since she missed the majority of it last year due to injury. She has been on the varsity squad since her freshman year.

“We definitely have the motivation [to do well],” Eddy said. “We’re happy for them, but we just wish we had the same achievements. They have so many banners, and we don’t have as many so we want to get up there, but we know it’ll take some time.”

The hopes for a successful year is nothing new to the girls program, but the inspiration to push them through to achieve their goals is stronger than ever, according to varsity head Coach Derek Phillips.

“Anytime you have a team succeed at the school it only fuels the other teams to work towards achieving that same success for all sports across the board,” coach Phillips said.

The goals of the girls team include winning 15 games, winning the conference title, and advancing in the two tournaments they participate in. Goals for the postseason are winning the district title and advancing from there, according to Coach Phillips, who said the girls are more than capable of achieving these goals.

“Two years in a row we have been knocking on the door of a

district title with second place finishes,” Coach Phillips said.

“We’re looking forward to trying to break through this season.”

To achieve these goals, the girls must power through tough opponents such as our sister school and main rival, Francis Howell. The competition level is fierce, so the girls start training together as early as January, and even earlier than that on their own to help them prepare for the season. “[We have] workouts twice a week leading up to the season, improving strength and fitness as well as game play,” Coach Phillips said.

Junior soccer player, Emma Farley, thinks that the girls can take the boys success and use it as motivation to do well in their season. She recently opted out of playing for her club team, St. Louis Scott Gallagher Academy, to play soccer for the Spartans.

Farley has also committed to play at Saint Louis University after she graduates in 2016.

“I think it gives us the motivation to try to do as well as they did, even though we know we aren’t going to do exactly what the boys did.” Farley said.

The success of the girls should not be compared to the success of the boys program, according to Farley. She believes that people know that the competition level differs between the boys and girls team.

“Just like in every other sport, no one thinks of the girls just like the boys,” Farley said. “[Their success] does give us something to work for, but we know were not going to be exactly like the boys.”

The hopes of a great season keep climbing as the girl continue to work and prepare for the rocky road to success.

Student Council votes

NEW SPORT

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Student Council meets and discusses the club proposal. They discuss the pros of having such a club, what needs it may fulfill, and possible negatives. This process varies in time depending on whether or not there are questions about it overlapping with existing clubs or how it will fill the school’s needs.

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MARCH 6, 2015

FHSD gives high schools a new sport

Club is approved

After voting, Student Council reports their decision back to Mr. Harris.

Sports are given to the schools by the district, meaning the activities directors have no say in whether or not a sport should be added or taken away.

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Activities Directors

Details, such as how many kids would be interested, how many teams will be made, whether or not tryouts will be necessary, and how much the equipment and uniforms cost, are discussed

4 Making it a 3 reality 3 4 2 1 5

Application is sent to Student Council

If Mr. Harris has no objections to the application, he will hand it in to Ms. Pohlman and Ms. Dennigmann, the Student Council advisors.

meet and discuss Coaches are hired

Mr. Harris goes through the process of finding the right teacher coach for each team: freshman, junior varsity, and varsity.

Application goes to Mr. Harris

The application is handed in to Mr. Harris for reviewing. If he has objections, he will return it to the students for adjustments

Ms. Pohlman and Ms. Herdt describe the steps taken by our school to create new clubs and sports for students to participate in.

Awareness is raised

n By Morgan Brader staff reporter

Announcements are made to raise student awareness about the new sport and get the student body interested in attending games or trying out

Club application form is picked up at the Activities Office

the proposed group fills out their application, which requires a teacher sponsor and at least 10 members. The applicants must include the club’s name and what its purpose is.

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MOVE

Students create an idea for a club

The student body can propose any idea of a club, as long as it follows certain guidelines

NEW CLUB

Tryouts are held

The amount of teams that are made is dependent upon how many students show up to tryouts. If the amount of students interested is small, tryouts would not be held.

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MARCH 6, 2015

“

The support helps. The team can definitely feel the difference between soocer and sports like football and basketball ... the team is still motivated without them, but the fans give us the extra push when they come out.”

-Caitlyn Eddy, senior soccer player

MARCH 6, 2015

n See SPRING, page 7

photo by julia becker

ABOVE: The student section looks on as the boys varsity soccer team competes in their first final four match.

Over 90 students attended the game that was held in Kansas City, MO. RIGHT: Students celebrate the kickoff of the football homecoming game on Sept.

19, where the Spartans ended up falling to the Knights by a score of 51-34.

photo by francis lunatto

McKinley says this is partly the reason why sports like girls soccer and boys volleyball lack the fan attendance.

“The rowdy level depends on the sport, it depends on your friends in the sport and really your connection to the sport,” McKinley said. “That’s why the students like to take pride in the basketball games and hockey games.”

Second, the football and soccer games are new; the yelling, the screaming, it’s a release of energy and school spirit that has built up for over two months. Senior Chase Webert felt first-hand the excitement for the fall season and the decline of that energy as the year went on.

“At the beginning, it’s a new year, new school year, the school has new seniors leading chants and everyone else is excited to see what it will be like,” Webert said. “Then by the end it’s more boring, most people don’t get involved in the chants, just takes away from the fun.”

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McKinley says a big part of the quiet season is the seniors in the crowd and their growing complacency with the school. The underclassmen are still working out the quirks of the job, then as the experience grows into the junior year, those quirks are settled and comfort is being built. But once all of it comes together, in that senior mold, that, according to McKinley, is when the enticing idea of being loud fades away.

“As a sophomore you don’t really know what to do, and as a junior, you’re just starting to get the hang of it,” McKinley said expressing the dependence on seniors. “Then second semester as a senior, you don’t really care anymore.”

So the reasons (or excuses) can be made as to why the attendance is so low in the spring, but the question is, how do the athletes feel about the change? Do the fans truly affect the players or is that just a fuzzy feeling the student section gives itself? Well, that depends on the sport.

Senior Caitlin Eddy and the Girls soccer team are used to the

“The support helps,” Eddy said. “The team can definitely feel the difference between soccer and sports like football and basketball. The fans only come out for Districts and Sectionals and big games like Howell. And the team is still motivated without them but the fans give us the extra push when they come out.”

While girls soccer may fall victim to the spring blues, not every sport expects large, loud sections of students even if they’re sport fell within the different seasons.

Senior Jacob Muehlenbrock and the Varsity baseball team understand they simply do not play an ear-piercing sport when it comes to the fans.

Muehlenbrock says that baseball is not a sport for chants and craziness, but of more observance and admiration.

“Baseball doesn’t really have any expectations for yelling and screaming, we understand it’s a slow sport and we get that,” Muehlenbrock said. “There’s a lot more stopping of play, but it would still be nice to see the fans that football gets.”

TERMS AND CONDITIONS This is the legal document that you agree to everytime regardless of what it says. You don’t have time to read this super boring document. You could be agreeing to selling your soul, but you would never know. Privacy online is an issue that is faced and is something that slips through the cracks. Agreeing to a document without reading it is how Instagram can use your photos for advertisment without your acknowlegment.

It’s how Google collects data on every citizen and uses that information for advertisment. In this issue, we reveal the flaws of our online privacy, and we discuss technology as a whole on our school and community.

Technology is addictive---but also flawed. Do you agree with the way technology is today, or should it change?

Do you agree?

I agree

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IN FOCUS

MARCH 6, 2015

MARCH 6, 2015

TECHNOLOGY ADDICTION The increase in technology has teens, younger generations attached to their devices invariably n By Becca Abrams staff reporter

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echnology today is pervasive, especially seen through the newer generations. It has made many advances in a short period of time and has created lots of opportunities for jobs and education.

Technology ranged from the beginning of the ’90’s when phones could only make a phone call, to now having phones that basically give you the world of information at your fingertips. There have been many advances with technology and it has definitely grown fond with teenagers, especially in the school environment.

Look throughout a classroom and spot out all the students who are either openly on their phones or those who are trying to be nonchalant about texting, tweeting, or playing the newest game. The majority of the students are probably doing just that.

It’s no surprise that teachers aren’t happy with the constant use of cellphones in the classroom. According to The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project Online Survey of Teachers, 64 percent of teachers either agree or strongly agree that digital technologies do more to distract students from school work than to help them academically.

English teacher, Mrs. Teresa Odle definitely knows the struggle of having cell phones in the classroom.

“I think they’re [cellphones] a problem because students don’t know how to differentiate between appropriate use and inappropriate use,” Odle said. “I guess I don’t have any hard statistical data to prove that [students are addicted], but when students forget their phone in the classroom, there is

an absolute look of terror and panic in their eyes when they come back for it, so that kind of mirrors addiction to me.”

High schoolers have the advantage of being able to have their phones as a tool in the classroom, whereas in middle school, it was taught that phones could never be used, let alone seen. As far as working in the classroom goes, cellphone use isn’t that big of a deal according to senior Jared Hanisch.

“As a whole, I think the problem lies with the few who don’t know how to put their phones down and disrupt class and ruin the chance for others to use their phone in class,” Hanisch said.

Addiction, to describe the use of technology, is a heavy word to use because it carries a negative connotation. The term addiction was loosely applied when the technology, or for time being, the smartphone, was first introduced.

As people found out the capabilities of the smartphone, it became an everyday use, even an hourly use.

A study released by app maker Locket says, the average person unlocks his or her phone 110 times each day.

According to the study, that’s about 10 times an hour not including the hours that are spent sleeping; however, students don’t want to think they have a problem with their phones and junior Dulci Hedges agrees with that.

“No one really wants to say they are addicted to their phone, but I can’t say that I’m not on it a majority of the time. Something I don’t think teachers understand is that we [teenagers] multitask all the time and if I’m on my phone in class, I can still focus on what’s being taught in the lesson,” Hedges said.

Why is there a need for excessive use of phones or

computers in general? Why do students, rather teenagers, deem it necessary to be on it at all times? According to junior, Nadeen Ahmed, her cellphone is her sense of security.

“If I have it, I have my life and I can get ahold of anybody and anybody can get ahold of me so it’s that assurance that I have my form of communication,” Ahmed said.

Connection is key. Teenagers like to feel connected to their friends in every way possible. Whether it be through social media, gaming, or texting and Hedges agrees with that.

“I just like to be connected to people, check my twitter, play subway surfer, and watch Netflix. It’s just a habit now because I’m on it so often and I have really gotten attached to it. To be honest, I don’t think I would even be able to survive at school without it,” Hedges said.

Along with technology, communication is constantly evolving and with the use of cellphones and computers, the overall social aspect has increased but in person, social skills are lacking.

“I think it has made kids more awkward face-to-face interaction because they don’t have a phone to hide behind and they can’t think for five minutes about what they are going to say,” Hanisch said.

Confrontation, arguments, or just facing people in general has become an issue because there is no longer a screen to hide behind. Teens have become more concerned about posting what they are doing rather than actually enjoying the activity they are participating in, according to Hedges.

“It’s kind of sad to think that people would rather interact in that way with complete strangers than to hold a casual conversation in person. Technology has definitely created that mask for people.”

58%

of smart phone users don’t go one hour without checking their phone, according to the Huffington Post.

photo illustration by ashley marlo

14

Privacy issues on your smart phone

IN FOCUS

MARCH 6, 2015

PRIVACY: UNCOVERED Reflecting on the effects of data collection, if it has compromised our privacy n By Jake Roach voice editor

This truly is the age of the Internet. From simple tweets and Facebook posts, all the way to medical records and bank account information; the internet makes our world spin. However, despite the inherent need for the internet, is it really a stable crutch to have?

The core of this multi-layered issue of the internet is privacy, which is an issue talked about commonly, albeit not always in the correct way.

The privacy of an individual of the world wide web extends beyond what is put on social media. The days of the only information that’s on the internet is what we put up are gone, and even keystrokes can and sometimes are monitored and logged.

Tim Sparapani, a former Facebook lobbyist, is one of the most respected application developers in his field. He believes that it may be impossible to protect ourselves anymore while online.

“It’s not about what we are sharing, it’s about what we don’t know is being collected and sold about us.”

-Tim Sparapani said, in a 2014 interview with 60 minutes.

Sparapani isn’t the only one with this way of thinking, however, and there is evidence to back up his claims. According to Jillian D’onfro at Business Insider, our information is sold a lot more than we think. She believes Acxiom, a marketing company, is one of the largest marketing brokerages in the world.

“Acxiom...just released Aboutthedata.com, which allows you to view all the information it has stored about you in its marketing databases. Acxiom has information on 700 million consumers worldwide, with some 1,500 data points per person,” D’onfro said in her

article “Here Is How To See All the Personal Information Marketers Have Collected About You.” However, Mr. Ryan Kelly from the IT department at FHC think people can protect themselves from this data collection. He believes users are the ones responsible for their data being collected and distributed on the internet. According to Mr. Kelly, by agreeing to the terms and conditions, users are agreeing to their information being collected.

“To give consent a user has to click a checkbox or click an “Agree” button while creating an account claiming they read the terms and conditions. If those terms and conditions state that data will be collected, the user shouldn’t agree to the terms. Basically users give consent ‘unknowingly’ because they didn’t take the time to educate themselves,” Mr. Kelly said.

Junior Alex Topping doesn’t appear to agree with Kelly on this claim though and has begun looking into how his information is used on the internet. With his grounding in this complex issue, Topping has formed a negative view of data collection.

“I don’t think companies should collect data on people. People have the right to use the internet without being spied on,” Topping said.

Topping is a computer and technology enthusiast and has taken measures to protect his information on the internet by doing things like watching what he posts on social media and being mindful of what he is downloading.

However, he believes these precautions might not be apparent to the normal user due to the deceptive nature of data collection.

“Data collection is deceptive. They hide their ability to collect information inside things like the terms and conditions that no one actually reads,” Topping said.

The terms and conditions seems to be a topic of great discussion and debate on whether it is an ethical practice to sway people to agree to consent with data collection without reading

the terms and conditions fully. An April Fool’s gag inside of the terms and conditions of British retailer, GameStation, actually granted GameStation “...your immortal soul.” Over 24 hours, 7,500 people agreed to these terms which suggests the terms and conditions are not often read.

Jokes aside, does this issue really mean anything? Does agreeing to the terms and conditions without reading them, regardless of granting a company the ability to keep and sell personal information, pose any real threats? Mr. Kelly thinks that it doesn’t and everything dealing with privacy is dependant on the user and taking certain steps can protect people from potential threats online.

“If you are posting everything that is going on and everything you are thinking you have to assume that someone will not like it. In some cases that may be a threat to your security. I would recommend that users never make their passwords available to anyone else and not post about things like vacations until the return home,” Mr. Kelly said.

According to Kelly, these guidelines will protect users from having their safety on the web compromised, but Topping disagrees that our safety on the web is that simple anymore.

“Our safety on the internet has declined. When you have telecommunications monopolies like Comcast controlling the web, it isn’t totally secure,” Topping said.

With the internet becoming a daily part of life, the constant connection leaves room for error.

Everything from human augmentation(microchips inside of people basically) to a Barbie doll that has a microphone in it that is connected to wifi constantly exists and with it more discussion and debate of privacy has happened.

“Our privacy on the internet is a real threat.

These corporations make billions off of it and if we aren’t careful, it can really hurt us,” Topping said.

Today

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IN FOCUS

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MUST READ

SPOTLIGHT

18

THREE

T

The path to royalty

he second annual Mr. FHC pageant is going to be held on Friday, March 27. Last year, the money raised went to sophomore Bella Jones. This year, the money raised is going to be SPOTLIGHT donated to guidance counselor Kim Vest to take to Haiti. In order to help the new contestants and the this month returning ones, the winner of last year’s pageant and this year’s master of ceremonies, senior Andy Moats, has offered some steps and advice.

Tour to

CUSTOM SCREENPRINTING & EMBROIDERY

Atlanta

FHC Chamber and Advanced Treble choirs will travel to Atlanta March 18 to March 22 for large group competitions and clinics. They hope to bring home more awards.

onbe nervouasid. Havineg c e Hav ared, dono’tf,” Moatswsill showbtheing a

1

sc d in ce ’t be e scare onfiden rested o have a n o e b t “D c o in f et ing t ction o re truly veryon h t o e e n ou a elp proj the e that y t and h ht. ven fun nig enc audi of the e part

2 Be creative

Graduation speech tryouts

All seniors interested in speaking at graduation, sign up for tryouts in main office at Ms. Heidenreich’s desk. Tryouts before school on Wed. April 1 or Thurs. April 2.

Any questions, see Ms. Denny.

3 Have fun

“I audie f you’re h a nce [ and] ving fun have the judge up there, t hen t fun w s will As M h and e oats said ith you,” M respect t e h njoy , o a p a t and eo ts t fun a nd la he night. J ple are th said. u e take u you s gh with th st put on re to laug e aud h eriou a sho sly, n o one ience. Peo w, have ple is th [nega tively ere to jud won’t ]. ge yo u

“The song should definitely reflect how you walk,” Moats said. “If you want to walk out there kind of BA, you want something with a heavy bass. If you’re going to do something quirky or funny, reflect that. Maybe walk to the beat of a song.”

Moats said that if you’re afraid of not having a talent, learn one. Make it something fun and entertaining.

“I didn’t have a talent either. That’s why I kind of copied off of Napoleon Dynamite in the sense that I just learned the dance,” Moats said. “I put some time into it, honestly. Probably four hours of time into learning that dance. So if you don’t have a talent, you can definitely learn one, it’s not that difficult.”

Upcoming College Visits

SLU and Truman will be visiting March 24 during sixth hour. Other colleges will visit March 25, 26 and 27. Go to Guidance to sign up and to attend these college visits.

cee’s n e fid . Ther

“

“It’s something to entertain people. That’s all you’re trying to do, entertain them.”

-Andy Moats senior

Photo by: Ilene Holder

things in the

18

SPOTLIGHT

MARCH 6, 2015

My favorite

playlist

By Olivia Biondo staff reporter

A playlist of songs to jam out to in any situation.

1

“Is There Somewhere”

by Halsey

Sometimes artists that aren’t very popular are the best.

Halsey proves that point with this song, it may not be very upbeat, but it is still one that makes you want to sing along at the top of your lungs.

2

Singing to the sound of music

LEFT: Senior Jake Choate and junior Brooklyn Grimes work together to build a part for “The Adamms Family.”

n By Skylar Laird staff reporter

“Last Hope”

by Paramore

“Love Me Like You Do”

by Ellie Goulding

“Love Me Like You Do” is a song featured in the 50 Shades of Gray movie, which is lucky to have this song. Ellie Goulding has come out with yet another fantastic song. “Love Me Like You Do” is beyond catchy, it’s a song that you can listen to thousands of times on end and still not get tired of it.

4

“Avalanche”

by Walk the Moon

Walk the Moon has truly done it with this song. “Avalanche” is a crazy upbeat song that is impossible not to love. From the first note you hear, all you can do is dance along. Featured on their album “Talking is Hard,” Walk the Moon does a great job with this song.

5

“Earned It”

by The Weeknd

The Weeknd is also featured in the 50 Shades of Gray movie with this song, and they have really proved themselves. “Earned It” is such a wonderful song, it is truly a song that you can’t listen to just once. It’s a very catchy song, and it will get you addicted the first time you hear it.

MARCH 6, 2015

Becoming a part of the ‘Family’

It’s not exactly the newest song, but that doesn’t change anything. Paramore proved themselves with this song on their self titled album, which is great. ‘Last Hope” is a very inspirational song, and it can help to improve any mood.

3

19

SPOTLIGHT

photo by laura weiss

The process of making a musical is very challenging, and with the upcoming performances of “The Addams Family,” the time to shine is now. n By Olivia Biondo staff reporter

From the first auditions to the final performance, the process of making a musical compared to a play is very different.

People say that putting on a musical is much more difficult than putting on a play, but in the end it is very rewarding. Junior Samantha Taplin has the role of a 50’s girl ancestor in the upcoming production of “The Addams Family,” and she believes that musicals are very different than regular plays.

“Musicals are more difficult because you have to not only memorize lines, but learn dances and songs and do them all at the same time,” Taplin said. “I prefer musicals to plays because the music adds such a fun aspect to the show and I love the dancing that we do in musicals compared to plays where it’s just conversation.”

The theater department is putting on a production of “The Addams Family,” on April 2325. This production is a start for many new things: it’s the start of many weeks of hard work, and new tasks for Mrs. Cori Nelson, the new director.

In order to make a musical possible, there are countless long nights of work done in order to finish work. Unlike a play, a musical requires hours

of song and dance rehearsal, which is challenging, but lots of fun, especially for junior Emily Turner.

“This is my 19th show that I’ve been in, and every show is a new thing. Theater is a huge passion of mine and I couldn’t imagine what would happen if I was told I could never do it again,” Turner said.

“I really enjoy singing so it’s fun to combine two things that I love. I love plays and musicals but musicals are easier for me because I feel like music can help me get more into character.”

Senior Ilene Holder is the student director for this musical and junior Emily Eastman is student assistant stage manager along with senior Katelyn Liggett. Having students be so involved in the theater is what helps to make the process better.

It not only gives the students a chance to see what it is like to be so involved, but it gives them a chance to have a say and make productions turn out the way that they are envisioned.

“We have top-notch people working, plus this show we even have people from outside the theater department helping us,” Eastman said.

“Mrs. Henry, who is the Sensations coach, is choreographing our show. Mrs. Baird is helping with vocals and the pit, and all of the tech stuff is completely student run.”

This process is long, but the actors and crew

members are all working hard and making sure that the musical is done right, and to their liking.

There is a lot of work to be done, and it may be difficult but with many people helping out, they are sure to make it work.

The theater department truly shines with all of their performances, and that is due to the copious amounts of work and preparation that is taken to make it all possible. Pre-production week is the week before the performances begin, and that is when the true tests of time become evident. Pre-production week is usually very hectic, we stay till about 9 or 10 with a break for dinner. That’s the time they make sure everything is perfected and ready to go.

“We make sure all the transitions are fast, finish the little touch-ups and that is when the actors have to get comfortable wearing their costumes.

There is a full run through multiple times and it’s very stressful trying to get all that last minute stuff finished up,” Eastman said.

But once everything comes together and the final product is ready for viewing, all the work that was put in becomes evident and makes the whole process worthwhile.

“Getting to be on stage almost everyday is a reward in itself,” Turner said “I just love it so much.”

Auditions for the musical took place last week in the choir room, allowing students to sing, dance, and act for a spot onstage in the spring.

The musical this year will be “The Addams Family,” a dark, but comedic show. The cast has already begun rehearsing for its performance April 24-25. Auditions, consisting of a minute-long monologue and excerpt from a song, took place Feb. 2-5. The cast list was posted on Friday, Feb. 6.

For freshman Carlin Reed-Bippen, a member of the chorus of the female ancestors of the Addams, high school auditions are an entirely new experience, despite the many productions she has done with other organizations.

“I didn’t know anyone there except my sister,” Reed-Bippen said. “Most places I’ll know people, so it’s a different environment. It’s more nervewracking.”

Director Cori Nelson found narrowing down the many auditioners into a single cast was a very arduous process, especially since this is her first time casting a musical for a high school.

“There is too much talent and so few parts,” Nelson said. “It (casting) is just a puzzle and figuring out how it fits.”

Junior Tristan Ratterman, who will play Gomez, believes Nelson’s casting is a good mix of varying actors, which is influential in a great show.

“There were some surprises (in the casting), I will say that, but I think that’s the exciting thing about it,” Ratterman said. “You never know what talent’s ABOVE RIGHT: Esther Davis and Jack Roither, both juniors, go gonna come from where, what people are gonna over lines during an early rehearsal for “The Addams Family.” be able to do, and somehow we always manage ABOVE LEFT: Students in the tech booth work hard to get the to pull it all together by show night.” production just right.

Katrina Krieg, a junior who will play the role of MIDDLE LEFT: Junior Katrina Krieg and senior Danielle Deweese run going through butter braids sales for funding the Grandma Addams, said she was ecstatic to get a show. role in which she could portray a more ridiculous LEFT: Junior Tristan Ratterman and senior Sarah McDonnell character, especially after enjoying her comedic focus hard on instructions from Theatre Director Cori Nelson lead role in the fall play “Noises Off.” during rehearsal on.

“My grandma character is really weird, but I love it because I just can’t wait to hear people laugh,” Krieg said.

Mrs. Nelson believes this will be a great musical that will show the good sides of a more offbeat family.

“People better get their tickets early, because I know it’s gonna sell out,” Mrs. Nelson said.

18 ADS

MARCH 6, 2015

How will you be spending your spring break?

Monsters in the dark

n By Tori Cooper staff reporter

During Spring Break it can be hard to figure out something to do. Some of our students already have an idea of what they are doing over their break, or what they would like to do. Whether it is working or going on a vacation, they know what they want to do. Spring Break cannot come soon enough.

‘C

By Eden Gundersen spotlight editor

Nearly

ONE IN FOUR St. Charles County high school graduates chooses SCC.

Earning a degree from St. Charles Community College makes perfect sense. Compared to the universities where most of our students transfer, SCC’s tuition is typically ONE-THIRD the cost.

Megan Files SCC student Francis Howell Central alum

SCC accepts admissions applications year-round. Apply now for Summer or Fall 2015.

Registration for classes begins April 13. | stchas.edu/discoverSCC

Anxiety affects more than meets the eye among teenagers

alm down.”

How? This is a big deal to me.

“It’s not that big a deal.

It’s just a little attack, no problem. You can handle this.”

“How do you expect me to be all right if you won’t let me out in the hallway to calm myself down?”

“It’s just anxiety. You’re just having a bad day.”

Do you even know what anxiety is?

This is the typical conversation between myself and a teacher if I happen to have an anxiety attack at school. I’m almost immediately told that my dilemma is not an issue and I need to calm down.

But how does one calm down when they aren’t in the right state of mind? How can I be expected to handle myself if I can’t even think straight? What can I do?

I usually don’t have problems at school, but if things become too much at home or with my friends, I begin to feel overwhelmed and it all seems too much. But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Anxiety, as defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is “fear or nervousness about what might happen.” Anxiety, as defined by me, is an unknown problem affecting myself and roughly 25 percent of teens.

Okay, when I’m at school, as long as I’ve gotten a good night’s sleep and I’m not worried about turning in an incomplete assignment later on in the day, the day can’t possibly go wrong.

However, if something does happen, things go downhill pretty fast.

5:30 a.m. Wake up. You didn’t get much sleep

illustration by abbie kaplan

last night. Get a shower. Your dad is yelling at you to not miss the bus, better hurry up. Get ready and get out the door. Get to the bus on time.

You feel breathless.

6:30 a.m. You made the bus, but one guy who won’t leave you alone is trying to talk to you. He sits next to you and puts his hand on your leg.

You ignore it because you don’t want to cause a scene. Your hands start to shake.

7 a.m. You’re at school. Since you came home yesterday and just crashed, there’s some neglected homework you have to finish.

Everyone all around you is talking all at once and you can’t focus. Your foot begins to tap repeatedly.

7:20 a.m. School has officially started and you’re on your way to your first hour when a couple you can’t stand starts walking behind you.

You feel self-conscious and try to walk faster. Your lip starts to quiver as you tell that crying isn’t going to help anything.

7:30 a.m. You didn’t go to first hour. Instead, you went to the bathroom and cried it off. You begin to wonder how the day could have possibly gotten this bad so fast. It’s only little things, isn’t it? You stay in the bathroom the rest of the hour. An unexcused absence is better than going to class at this point.

8:15 a.m. You go to second hour because it’s your favorite class, but you cried your make-up off and your skin is blotchy. Someone asks what’s wrong and you lie and say you’re sick. You end up texting your step-mom because you know she’ll be more sympathetic than your dad.

The world is shaking and so are you.

9 a.m. Your step-mom pulls

through and picks you up from school. The entire way home you’re silent as she lectures you for leaving school yet again. You leave school too often. The tears are gone, but the endless lump in your throat isn’t. Your body won’t stop shaking.

1:20 a.m. You must’ve fallen asleep as soon as you got home. You can hear your parents talking about what they should do about you. “Why doesn’t she want to go to school?”

“What happened to the sweet little girl I raised? All she does is argue with us anymore.” The tears are back and violent sobs rack your body. How inadequate you must seem not only to them, but to everyone. This attack won’t end and all the little things are making it worse. You start to get bad thoughts again. You go back to sleep.

You never really woke up, though.

This is all just a bad dream, right?

Just a bad dream.

This is the hell I live through on a daily basis, just not always on that high a scale. Sometimes it’s worse, sometimes it’s not so bad, but what can anyone do right? Shouldn’t we all just ignore it until it goes away?

I’ve been told by some of my teachers I can’t go out into the hallway to calm myself down because I’m either faking it or I haven’t finished my work yet and I need to get focused.

I’m offended to first of all be called a liar, but also that I am not believed when I have a problem.

When it comes down to it, I am completely baffled I am ignored when I have an issue with my mental stability. Yes, I understand that there are, sadly, students who would use the opportunity to get out of school no matter what the reason or consequence. I would like to think that

I wouldn’t be perceived as one of the slacker students who makes excuses to leave school. It’s really a judgement call on the teacher’s part and for me, that call is being made wrong.

Anxiety isn’t something to be shaken off and ignored by the general public because anxiety is not, under any circumstances, a lone standing problem. Anxiety is a dark monster that many teens carry around on a metaphorical leash every single day.

Anxiety more often than not comes with depression, suicidal thoughts, and quite often suicidal actions.

Yes, people die over this. They kill themselves because they can’t handle all the pressure. And don’t you dare roll your eyes and call this miniscule. This is a real problem that is so often ignored by parents, teachers, and friends.

These people who have died aren’t just statistics, either. It got to a point where I had no clue my best friend who I talked to on a daily basis about her seemingly just fine life would die from her own actions. I lost one of my best friends to this. And the worst part? I had no idea she felt that way.

If I would’ve recognized the signs of depression, I probably could have prevented the worst from happening and so can you. If you would just bother to listen to the people around you once in a while, things could be prevented.

You can help. You are perfectly capable of making sure that your friends or loved ones are actually doing okay when you ask if they are. This is a judgement call on your part. Do you actually believe it when someone tells you that they’re “just fine?” Or do you you ignore it and hope for the best? That simple decision is all it takes.

22

23

VOICE

MARCH 6, 2015

MARCH 6, 2015

love.like.leave Our quick thoughts on issues around school. If you leave this box not knowing how we feel about the topic, we haven’t done our job.

Love

Art department

OUR VIEW: The rise of technology

The art department here is incredible. Not only do they encourage creativity and freedom of expression, but they also set up a system for students to pursue a career in art. Any student who is artistically inclined can find a place to fit in.

There has been a huge spike in the popularity and use of technology.

It has really benefited the way people communicate and work.

However, too much of it dehumanizes communication face to face and can cause our society to lack communication skills.

Snow

Before I have bricks thrown at me, I understand no one wants to be at school when it is snowing out. Regardless, the snow is undoubtedly gorgeous when it is fresh. From a surprising lack of snow during the Christmas season it’s nice to see a white wonderland outside.

LIKE

“Addams Family”

photo by Zach Grau

The new security officers here have been really friendly this year. It’s great to see them not try to shove their authority down someone’s throat and have them treat students with mutual respect. They’re nice and have been helping to keep school safe.

leave

No quarter parking pass Some students aren’t using a parking pass for an entire semester, and half way through the semester, they shouldn’t have to pay for all of it. If a student is just getting their license or getting a car they should be able to pay for the time they’re parking instead of forking $3 every day or paying for double the time they have it.

No food left!

By 5B lunch, students are incredibly hungry, and it’s not fun going to lunch starving to be greeted by a lack of food. By the end of the day for the lunch, the pickings are slim as most food is eaten or wasted by the lunch hours before it.

By Cadence Bippen discover editor

“That’s so gay,” says the student as his buddy tells a joke that is less than funny.

“You’re retarded,” she laughs when her friend asks a question that she obviously should have known the answer to.

These phrases are a common occurrence within high school walls, and they leave many mouths without fazing the speaker. But someone who doesn’t necessarily go unphased is the receiver. The bystander. The kid who overhears.

I don’t cringe when I hear ‘retarded’ being thrown out, but that is only due to the fact I hear it so often.

As a kid, if I heard someone call someone gay, I’d gasp and my eyes would get wide. That’s a bad word, isn’t it? Why would anybody say that?

Now, I know the word itself isn’t mean. It’s an adjective. The reason it makes little kids do a double-take is the derogatory connotation it’s been given, and the situations in which it is used.

I’ve heard all the arguments: “He’s my friend, he

knows I’m joking.” “I’m not saying it to a person who’s really retarded!” “It’s just like calling someone lame or dumb, you’d do that, right?” To these, I pause, take a breath, and wish you could realize how wrong you are.

The fact of the matter is, even if the person you say it to isn’t offended, there are plenty, plenty of times where someone else hears.

As far as you know, that someone is really hurt by what you said. There are a million reasons to be offended, whether he himself identifies as what you said, knows someone who does, or just realizes that you meant it meanly.

“But I didn’t mean it in a mean way!” Well then maybe you meant it ignorantly. Unless, of course, you purposefully decided to not acknowledge the stigma associated with your word choice.

Maybe it’s how I was raised, but I fail to see words like gay and retarded to be the same as any old insult. Calling someone stupid doesn’t attack any group of people. It doesn’t equate having a learning disability or a sexual orientation to dumb, or bad, or wrong.

I’m not saying calling people stupid is good.

Insults are meant to degrade, no matter which word is chosen. But like in anything, some things are worse than others. Due to society and culture

and just being alive today, some things are more socially acceptable than others. The population offended by the word stupid in all situations is significantly smaller than the one for the word retarded.

I always thought I felt this way because my mom is an elementary special education teacher, and she’s always frowned upon the word.

I think it just all comes down to respect though, no matter who your parents are or how they taught you to act.

Respect those who are different, because we are all different. What makes one type of different any worse than another? Respect the feelings of those around you, and respect yourself.

Have enough dignity to use real, intelligent vocabulary to say what you feel. Go ahead and think the words are synonymous to ‘bad’ if you want to (although I’d think you are wrong), but you have to agree to be respectful.

In your mind, there may not be many risks or consequences to using derogatory terms­­— I get it. Sometimes it’s a joke. But the only way to guarantee that you’re not offending anyone might be to stop saying it at all. Maybe even say something nice, next time.

In this space you can find ways to interact with FHC Publications via social media and FHCtoday.com. In future issues, watch this space for your tweets, Instagram photos and links to videos and playlists.

In addition, the Central Focus is always looking for students to contribute to our newspaper.

If you wish to write a letter to the editor, please bring it to Mr. Schott in Room 139 or visit FHCtoday.com/policies Also at that site, is a link to our editorial policy, which governs decisions we make about coverage.

Trampled by tech Trying to stay ahead of the pack

W

Word choice affects everyone, whether you know it or not

Officers

our voice e know how important technology is. We use it everyday, in fact here on staff, it’s a vital part of our work flow.

Technology is important and we do need it, however, in order to future-proof our tech consumption, we need to realize our inherent addiction to it.

Granted, right now, the Internet is our crutch, but the more we feed it; the more it grows. Taking a step back for a minute and enjoying life for what it is can never be a bad thing. The tech doesn’t need to burn with fire and brimstone, but keeping our sanity in tact is more important than getting on Twitter.

We think a lot of this dependence that comes with the habitual use of the Internet

our staff

We’re super excited to have such well known musical coming to FHC! I think this is definitely a departure from what the theatre department has done the past few years that I’m really excited for. I know it’s a passion project for many of the people involved and should be a great production.

INTERACT HERE

is largely attributed to a lack of education on the subject matter. If students could become more educated on the Internet as a whole, understand the benefits and drawbacks of all sorts of websites and services, and become informed users of technology, maybe the dependance will diminish.

Please don’t misunderstand us here on staff, we love technology and honestly do think it’s great, but there is nothing great without a few unforeseen drawbacks, and we think those drawbacks are starting to show.

We just need to make sure we hit the ground running with technology and try to move as fast as it does so it doesn’t trample us.

- The editorial board

Emily Herd - Editor in Chief Jared McClellan - Web Editor Eden Gundersen - Spotlight Editor Cadence Bippen - Discover Editor Jacob Roach - Voice Editor Joey Silver - Move Editor Ashley Marlo - Multimedia Executive Editor Abbie Kaplan - Photo Editor Frank Lunatto - Live Stream Editor Becca Abrams - Reporter Olivia Biondo - Reporter Morgan Brader - Reporter Tori Cooper - Reporter Anna Dillon - Reporter Ilene Holder - Reporter Kameryn Mellor - Reporter Jenna Adkins - Photographer Mia Baker - Photographer Darby Copeland - Photographer Danielle DeWeeese - Photographer

Zach Grau - Photographer Jerianne Harrison - Photographer Sara Lupescu - Photographer Lauren Nosal - Photographer Kayla Schoenig - Photographer Chloe Siebels - Photographer Taylor Tinnes - Photographer Tyler Tran - Photographer Quentin Webert - Photographer Morgan West - Photographer Dakota Wisdom - Photographer Mr. Matthew Schott - Adviser

Why do we do what we do?

The Central Focus, along with fhctoday.com, are student-run publications which look to serve the Francis Howell Central community through relevant, reliable journalism. The newsmagazine is meant to provide an analytical outlook on topics and stories which matter to our readers.

FHCtoday.com is intended to provide the FHC community with daily updates on all that is going on in with school sports, communities and news in the Francis Howell School District. iFocus serves as a video magazine, based on the four sections of the newspaper and website, providing coverage and investigation each Friday of the school year.

The Odyssey is the school yearbook, published in July of each school year, and creates a yearlong look at the school year. It is sold for $50 until the middle of December and for $65 thereafter. At the start of the subsequent school year, the cost is $75.

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MARCH 6, 2015

NEW STORIES, Photo galleries, and more Missed the senior night for boys varsity basketball. See photos on fhctoday. com using this QR code

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Winter Guard won first place at their competition at Eureka High School as well as moving up to the B class, a harder competing section. Read about their successes on fhctoday.com using this QR code.

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