October issuu

{central focus} francis howell central high school | volume seventeen | issue three | 10.25.2013

Counting the cost Do students work just for the money or do they receive something more than just a paycheck?

T h i s w eek on follow @FHCpublications

winning ways

Stay up-to-date on what the football team does this tonight against Jackson.

Read our football coverage on Monday.

teacher feature

Our new online feature profiles social studies teacher Barb Riti. Find out more about Ms. Riti in Delve today.

delve 3-8 | sweat 9-13 | in focus 14-19 | the scene 21-26 | be heard 27-30 | interact 31 | aperture 32

SEVEN {breaking koz} A unique and informative experience for the aspiring chemist, Mr. Koz offers the world of elements and reactions to his students. Now go ahead. Say his name.

ELEVEN {the war of twitterism} A look into the current conflict on the interwebs exploring the dangerous world of twitter smack talk.

TWENTY-THREE {scream}

kendall morris

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Check out some of the area's finest purveyors of horror and fear in anticipation of the upcoming season.

TWENTY-SEVEN {boo!} Erika Paar shares her opinions on the fine art of trick-ortreating and its relevance with high schoolers.

TWENTY-EIGHT {twin troubles} the world and u.s.

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opening shots | october 25, 2013

dress for success

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Sisters Madison and Katelyn Viola talk about the experience of having an identical twin.

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Opportunity of a lifetime

Lewis and Clark students are able to experience their future career through hands-on activities

By Emily Klohr

L

staff reporter

ewis and Clark tech school students have an opportunity like no other; they get hands on experience in a career field as opposed to sitting in a classroom all day.

Senior Katlyn Artz is involved in Lewis and Clark’s health occupation program for the first time this year and is the historian for the program. During the first semester of this program, students learn theory and observe demonstrations and health practices. The second semester consists of going to rotation sites such as nursing, physical therapy, and dental care facilities from Monday-Thursday

and classroom reinforcement on Friday.

“It’s a pretty awesome program. I wish I could stay there all day because I love learning more about what I want to be,” said Artz.

Artz is hoping to be a nurse or an anesthesiologist, so she can care for patients before and after surgery. She has had eight surgeries throughout her life and has always been fascinated by the field.

“I love the atmosphere of hospitals, and I want to be able to work with children. I feel like I could understand their stories and relate to them,” said Artz.

Another student involved in Lewis and Clark is senior Ian Scott, who is in his second year of the auto service technician program.

“I went to an assembly about the program my sophomore year and thought it’d be interesting to learn more about cars,” said Scott.

The auto service technician program gives students a general knowledge of cars and their entire engines and allows them to identify problems. Lectures about this information are followed by students being able to repair cars for customers under their instructor’s supervision.

“I want to join the military and work as a helicopter mechanic, so this is really important for my career,” said Scott.

Students have the option to actually work with cars and can further their knowledge by

photo by dohen gallagher

Senior Katlyn Artz studies health occupations at Lewis and Clark.

She gets hands-on practice with skills she will need in her chosen future profession of nursing.

reading textbooks outside of school. In order to gain more experience in shop management, students write work repair orders, order parts, and issue supplies and tools.

“This program has really helped me. I know a lot more about cars now, and I really love being able to help my friends with their car problems,” said Scott.

The Lewis and Clark program is only available to juniors and seniors, and there are only 12 spots for each a.m. class and p.m. class.

Students must pass a general knowledge test to be accepted into the program and take a math and reading test once they are in.

“It’s definitely a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” said Artz.

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In students’ viewpoints, the reasons for apathy among high schoolers are numerous. Here, four students from each grade take their position on what they believe and know about the issue of Syria and their opinion on the importance of current events on high schoolers’ lives.

Lauren Coleman, freshman “I know that we are going to bomb them or something.”

“I don’t think we should get involved because it is between them and another country. We don’t want another world war” “I don’t think current events are really that important to us.”

Blake Carter, sophomore “I don’t know anything about the issue of Syria.

My mom and my brother always talk about it. I think it is about bombs or chemical warfare.”

“Honestly, I don’t know the whole situation so I don’t know what we should do.”

“I think I should know more about current events.

Maybe not the situation in Syria, but definitely situations of guns and stuff.”

David Beecher, junior

“Obama’s trying to bomb them, Congress doesn’t want to, but Obama wants to go through anyways. Syria is in a civil war right now and one of the big issues is we don’t like either sides of the civil war. We have some naval bases nearby ready to strike at anytime.”

“I think we should go in. I know we have a deal, us and Syria, not to use chemical weapons and the fact that they did goes against the treaty we made. I think if we don’t go in and show authority for breaking the treaty, then, in the future, people will realize that we do not always back our words.”

“I think current events are extremely important because the more involved you are with current events, I feel the more you want to be involved in elections and involved in government itself. The more people involved in government, the more equally represented our government is.

This is basically what our country was founded upon.”

Jessica Reid, senior

“I understand there were threats made by Syria, and we chose not to retaliate forcefully.”

“I think we acted correctly to not do something because we have enough problems as there is. Unless the threats get more serious, I don’t think we should do something.”

“I think current events are really important to the lives of high schoolers, but not to high schoolers themselves. It is the world around us and what we are entering into; it is the world we live in.”

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The world By: Erica Swanson staff reporter

With the recent conflicts in Syria abroad, many people have been debating what the United States as a country should do.

However, the group that always shows the most apathy towards current events and government, in general, is the young. The trend continues-- as age increases, people become more and more concerned on the issues of government.

To try to get high schoolers engaged in current events, Government teacher Mr. Nicholas Beckmann uses a variety of means to spark interest, including the addition of a new method just this year.

“I start out with CNN’s five things to start your day, which I didn’t do last year,” Mr. Beckmann said. “I will take government related issues and try to tie it into the curriculum. For example, the Syrian thing, the powers of the president vs. powers of Congress. There is a lot of things out there with technology today and the media that you can use to tie it into government because government is everyday things.”

Government teacher Mr. Brian Cissell also strives to incorporate current events daily into his course material as a way of sparking up discussion.

“I use current events every day to connect the subject matter to the class because, like CNN and other news often will have what is going on in the world, and so we use it for a springboard for discussion and to make things relevant,” said Mr. Cissell.

For Mr. Beckmann, current events are a way to help engage student interests. They help him make the class more enjoyable and get students’ attention.

“Students always ask why are we learning this,” Mr. Beckmann said. “If you can tie in current events and make it the shock and awe thing, students start paying attention a little more and talking about it a little more, and some of them start caring.”

Mr. Cissell uses current events for many of the same reasons as Mr. Beckmann. Most importantly, he feels that current events create a sense of purpose for the class.

“When I was a student, the one thing that I always wanted to know was how is this going to affect my life,” Mr. Cissell said. “I think when you can see what you are talking and learning about and it is actually what is going on in the world, it creates relevance. And relevance is how, in my mind, you teach the best.”

The different levels in caring is due to how much the current event affects each student individually, according to Mr. Beckmann.

As a whole, students’ apathy is a result of the events seeming far-fetched and not important at the moment.

“It doesn’t affect them right now,” Mr. Beckmann said. “I found out that students will care if they have a family member that has been affected. Like things in the Middle East, if they had had family members that have been in the Middle East, then all of a sudden they start caring. But until it affects them or someone really close to them, they don’t care.”

In contrast, Mr. Cissell believes the lack of caring for current events is simply due to lack of exposure. Students, once given the right

ex int “ ca be life su co ov eve A an ma up

d and U.S.

New signs for an improved look StuCo, revenue from parking pass sales help fund Spartan Wall of Honor, new hallway signs

By Brayden Densmore staff reporter

This is a caption that is really sweet and has proper grammar. It was not very hard to write because I’ve been doing

xposure, start to care more, become more terested.

“In my experiences, students do start to are,” Mr. Cissell said. “They just haven’t een exposed to it and how it affects their e and school. I think this is what makes it uch a neat tool. Once they start seeing the onnections, I have had a lot of students ver the years that will start following current ents for the rest of their lives.”

As for Syria specifically, the events provide n opportunity for Mr. Beckmann to teach aterial in ways that not only keeps students p to date on what is going on, but also

Mr. Beckmann encourages debate on Obamacare.

Mr. Beckmann uses current events to engage students in the class.

photo by kortney sheahan

In

government material that is in the curriculum.

“We cover what is going on and the facts of it and what the media tells us the facts are,” said Mr. Beckmann. “I try to get both sides of the argument: should we attack or should we not attack? And then I talk about the powers of the president. A lot of people say the president can do whatever he wants, but that is not true. There are some exceptions. Congress declares war, but we haven’t declared war since World War II. We have had a lot of military interventions. I take what actually happens on that day and let that event guide everything.”

the past few weeks, many students may have noticed the new “Spartan Wall of Honor” that adorns the hallway wall outside the café near the DECA cookie stand. Although FHC walls are crowded with numerous memorials, monuments, and recognitory walls, the exemplary being the Spartan Wall of Fame, Principal Sonny Arnel, the man who first thought up the wall, believes it will be a great asset to FHC. “As opposed the Wall of Fame in the main entrance hallway, I want the Spartan Wall of Honor to serve as a much more fluid, variable way through which FHC can recognize our students who demonstrate exceptionality in academics, character, and spirit,”said Dr. Arnel.

Lucky for Dr. Arnel, FHC is full of organizations who are more than willing to help out with financial support. In this case, StuCo was happy to cash in.

“When the administration asked StuCo to help fund the Spartan Wall of Honor, the members and I decided that the wall would be a great addition to our school, so we provided the financial support the project needed,” said English teacher and StuCo sponsor Vicki Pohlman.

The wall will mostly be a separate entity from the other walls of recognition in the school. It will focus specifically on acknowledging admirable character and academic achievement and less on athletics, which has been primarily reserved for the hallway lining the large gym.

However, in exceptional instances, the wall will include sports-related achievement.

“I want to reserve the Spartan Wall of Honor mostly for achievement outside of athletics,” Dr. Arnel said. “However, if there’s a student or team who shows extraordinary achievement, then I would be happy to include them on the wall. For example, at our last football game,

the referees specifically remarked about the good behavior of our football team and fans.

This is an instance where we would recognize athletics.”

Another new embellishment is the new directional signs. The signs are significantly larger than their predecessors and feature a chic new design. The new signs were funded with the revenue gained from parking pass sales.

“Usually, money gained from parking pass sales funds educational, administration, faculty and maintenance needs. In this case, we are using the money to not only provide proper directions for newer students and parents but also revamping and enhancing FHC’s appearance. Along with the Spartan Wall of Honor, the signs will be a great addition to our school,” Dr. Arnel said.

Most students seem to be either apathetic to the idea of the Spartan Wall of Honor and new hallway directional signs or enthusiastic about the idea of a new way to recognize student accomplishment.

“I think that the new additions make our school look much more appealing to the eye; it brightens the place up. Plus, it adds a touch more of school spirit which has been lacking compared to Francis Howell and our other rivals,” said senior Kaitlyn Carbrey.

However, not all students believe that the Spartan Wall of Honor is such a great addition to the school. Some students say that revenue spent on yet another wall of recognition and new directional signs is waste that could be better spent elsewhere. ”I think spending money on the Spartan Wall of Honor and new directional signs was pointless. We could’ve used that money for something much more important, such as educational tools. I honestly don’t care what the school looks like. I’m here to learn, not be starstruck by the aesthetics of our school,” said senior Jocelyn Thro.

“I think that the new additions make our school look much more appealing to the eye; it brightens the place up. Plus, it adds a touch more of school spirit.” { Kaitlyn Carbrey} senior

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Stressed beyond belief hU Wa s

By: Simran Kooner staff reporter

There simply are not enough hours in the day.

Students often struggle to find time for themselves in the midst of completing school work, participating in various extracurricular activities, and working long hours.

Taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes typically adds to the already overwhelming workload of students.

The month of May is a time typically dreaded by most high school students. With April coming to an end and AP exams quickly approaching, stress level is usually at an all-time high.

Senior Evan Dwyer is currently enrolled in five AP classes and involved in a variety of clubs including Student Council, NHS, and Technology Students Association. Although homework consumes the majority of his afternoons during the school week, Dwyer believes AP classes are worth the additional workload.

“They present a unique opportunity to learn subjects more in-depth and earn college credit while doing so,” Dwyer said.

Hours upon hours are spent preparing for these AP exams. Students dedicate a significant amount of time to studying in hopes of passing and earning college credit for the course; however, not all students enroll in AP classes for the same reason. Some solely desire the honors credit to boost their GPA while many others are mainly concerned with saving money by getting such classes out of the way before college.

“I like to challenge myself,” said Dwyer. “Also, I’d rather get college credit while it’s cheap in high school.”

Junior Tara Parnacott is currently taking four AP classes and is also a member of Spartan Regiment, NHS and Chemistry Club. Marching band usually consumes two to three hours of her school night, and school work takes up most of the rest. Although Parnacott sometimes feels overwhelmed by the lack of sleep received and the immense amount of homework given, she agrees taking AP classes in high school is financially advantageous.

“You can take the AP test for a significantly cheaper price than you can take a college class for,” said

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delve | october 25, 2013

Parnacott. “It’s definitely worth it.”

The only payment associated with taking an AP course in high school is the $89 exam fee, while the average cost of taking a similar course in college may be five to ten times that amount. College tuition can be expensive, to say the least. Taking AP classes in high school allows students to save a large sum of money that can be put toward other uses in the future. Exam fee reductions are even available for students who may require financial assistance, primarily those who qualify for the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch Program.

Dr. Joyce Gang, the FHC counselor in charge of AP enrollment, strongly encourages students to take as many AP classes as they can during their high school career. Doing so will prepare students for intensive college courses and also provide as a way for students and their families to save money.

“AP classes provide students with a chance to get exposed to a wider breadth of information and a higher level way of thinking and analysis,” said Dr. Gang.

“Students who are capable of doing well on the exam and understanding the material potentially have the opportunity to get ahead.”

Although students enrolled in AP classes may be overwhelmed by the stress that accompanies an immense load of homework each night, taking AP classes also has its many advantages. Such classes provide students and their families with the chance to potentially save hundreds of dollars in college tuition. All colleges are impressed to see a rigorous schedule filled with AP classes when considering a student for admission. AP classes additionally give students the opportunity to earn college credit and place into upper-level college courses sooner in their academic careers.

Each college determines the minimum AP score required to place out of each corresponding college course. The table (right) displays the lowest AP score three popular Missouri universities are willing to accept for automatic placement into various courses:

Mi zz ou Tru ma n

Minimum AP score accepted by various Missouri universities

Higher expectations, more intense curriculum add to workload of students enrolled in AP classes

Biology

4

4

3

Calculus AB/BC

5

3

3/4

Chemistry

4

3

3

US Goverment

4

4

3

Language/ Literature

5

4

3

Micro/Macro Economics

5

4

3

Psychology

5

4

3

Statistics

5

3

3

US History

4

4

3

The return of

hem

lub

Chem Club returns once again, offering unique experiments, competitions to all chemistry lovers

By Emily Herd staff reporter

Fire up your bunsen burners, because the return of Chemistry Club has come back with a bang. More than 26 students have gotten involved in the new club, which allows students to apply chemistry in interesting and unique ways. When chemistry students realized the school previously offered an after school chemistry club, their request drove chemistry teacher Mr. John Kozlowski, to kick off Chem Club once again.

“This year, some students came to me in AP Chemistry and found out that we had a Chem Club in the past, and they wanted to know if we could get it started again,” said Mr. Kozlowski.

“When I found out that there was a lot of interest in it, I decided to bring it back.”

Although Chem Club was stopped in the past, Mr. Kozlowski expects to continue Chem Club for upcoming years.

“I think it will continue in the future and is something I intend to keep going as long as the student interest is present,” said Mr. Kozlowski.

The active interest in chemistry this year caused students to get involved and join the club to socialize and interact with each other, as they perform unique labs and projects in the club.

Sophomore Mariah Skelly, a club member, said this social club offers students enjoyable experiments, allowing students to do experiments not offered in chemistry class.

“It shows you more things that you wouldn’t learn in class, because the experiments are not a part of the curriculum; it’s just fun labs,” said Skelly.

10

Chemistry Jokes

Some of the unique experiments consist of making glass beads, which the students get to take home, and making ice cream.

Not only are these experiments fun and tasty, but they also make chemistry intriguing.

Junior Clayton Newburry, a student in Chem Club, especially admires the interesting experiments and how they apply to chemistry class.

“It’s cool to apply what we have learned in the past to something we can take home, like the glass beads,” Newburry said.

One of the big projects the students will be enduring is to synthesize biodiesel and test it with steam powered boats.

Experiments like these are not the only things that Chem Club offers students, but it also offers competitions where students get to show off their talent.

The American Chemical Society event in spring allows students to compete against other chemistry students and get recognition for their hard work.

“I had a few students compete last year so we’ll probably have quite a few students participate this year also,” said Mr. Kozlowski.

If you love chemistry and want to participate in the club, it is offered to all students, but it is recommended that students are currently in chemistry or have taken the class in the past. Meetings work around marching band schedules and usually are on Mondays and Fridays.

If you are interested in joining Chem Club, go to Mr. Kozlowski’s classroom in room 219.

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Did you hear oxygen and magnesium got together?

OMg!

2

A neutron walks into a bar and asks “how much for a drink?” the bartender says “For you, no charge.”

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Did you hear about the man who got cooled to absolute zero? He’s 0K now.

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What do you do with dead chemists? Barium You must be copper and tellurium, cause you sure are CuTe!

I think I just lost an electron!

Are you sure? “I’m positive!”

What did Fred say to Bob when he hid his gold? “Au, where’s my gold?”

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Oxygen and potassium went on a date. It went OK. I was gonna tell you a chemistry joke, but all the good ones argon!

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How often do you make chemistry jokes?

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Connecting to a better system New scantron program makes for quicker test grading with instant results for students, teachers

By Katelyn Viola staff reporter

This year, the Francis Howell School District decided to install a new grading system in hopes for quicker test grading. Introducing the Mastery Connect, this machine takes a picture of the test through a webcam and instantly grades it for the student right in front of his eyes. The results show up on the computer the webcam is used on.

The two other strategies of grading were the scantron machine and the Mastery Manager. There are benefits and disadvantages to all three methods of test grading.

“The scantron machine has an advantage because of the check marks it shows,” science teacher Mr. Scott Thorpe said. “For the

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Mastery Manager, you would turn the test in and wait for it to scan. It could be hours before results come back.”

Mastery Connect gives instant feedback and shows the students which questions they missed. There are some options the Mastery Connect offers that the others do not.

“They can scan it and it’s done,” Mr. Thorpe said. “This one shows which problems the students got wrong, and you can make [the machine] tell the right answer. It will also tell you if you forgot to bubble one in.”

English teacher Mrs. Tonishia LaMartina likes how she can see the data and range of scores for each class. This allows her to alter

her teaching plans based on the test scores of her students.

“The beneficial thing is you know right then and there how your students are doing. You can see what each class needs and adjust your teaching from hour to hour,” Mrs. LaMartina said.

The scantrons are on plain white printer paper and they are inserted into clear page protectors. The students use dry erase markers to bubble in their answers on the page protector, then they take a picture of their test. After their test has been instantly graded, they can erase the dry erase marks and use the same paper for next time.

English teacher Mrs. Sheri Baize appreciates how this program intends to save paper. Instead

of using multiple scantrons, the students can use one for the entire year. Mrs. Baize also likes the option that the test grades can go directly to Infinite Campus.

“The district is trying to go a little bit more green, as we all should,” Mrs. Baize said. “As long as points match up, there’s a way to transfer grades.”

There’s also a way to share the work with anyone who uses Mastery Connect.

“We haven’t gone in that direction yet, but I like how the assessments are aligned with the curriculum,” Mrs. Baize said.

Mrs. LaMartina especially looks forward to sharing with other teachers within the curriculum.

“We’re wanting a quick feedback

and a more collaborative process.

You can share with anyone who has Mastery Connect beyond classrooms, schools, and districts,” Mrs. LaMartina said.

While there are positives, there are some downsides.

“It’s cool we use the cameras, but they’re not the autofocus ones.

You have to wait for it to focus.

Sometimes it’s fast and sometimes it’s slow,” Mrs. Baize said.

Since this scoring program is something new for the district, it is definitely something for both teachers and students to adjust to.

“Students think it’s different. It hasn’t really sunk in for them yet.

I think they will really appreciate it when the final comes up,” Mr. Thorpe said.

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Juggling responsibilities

Walter Lembeck competes as a varsity athlete in soccer and cross country

Devin Chen staff reporter

I

t isn’t easy to be involved in a sport.

It takes hard work and dedication.

Hours of practice a day, precariously balanced with school, homework, clubs, and work usually leaves Jack pretty dull by the end of the week.

Junior Walter Lembeck manages to fit not one, but two sports--soccer and cross country--into the busy fall season with aplomb. One can consider him lucky; he loves both sports that he is involved in. This year is Lembeck’s second year on the cross country team and his third on the soccer team.

“I played soccer my freshman year,” said Lembeck. “I also ran track that year, and I was encouraged to join the cross country team the following year.”

From then on, the fall season for Lembeck became split between running and soccer.

Unfortunately, both sports have practice after school, which means Lembeck has to

pick one or the other to attend.

“Usually I go to soccer practice, and then I go home and get a run in,” explained Lembeck. “I attend the Sunday practices for cross country as well.”

According to Mr. Matt Van Horn, the cross country coach, all the multi-sport athletes join the team in post-race weekend long runs, which can range anywhere from 5-8 miles.

“This serves as [the multi-sport athletes’] long run for the week, while their weekdays are used to compete in their primary sport (soccer, football, dance, cheer),” explains Coach Van Horn. “Most of our competitions are on Saturdays, a day which many other sports do not compete.”

While strenuous, the time and hard work that Lembeck invests into his sports has definitely paid off. On the cross country side of things, Lembeck is a top-notch runner who, according to Coach Van Horn, is currently one of the pack leaders.

“Competing in two sports in one season is difficult; competing at the varsity level in both

sports is even more difficult. The rigors of tournaments, matches, races, games [are] enough to make a person second guess if they would like to spread themselves so thinly with their extracurricular activities,” said Coach Van Horn. “Walter is excelling, with his recent 16:58 finish for 3.1 miles (5K) he has placed himself in the top of our conference runners so far this year.”

In accordance with his performance as a runner, Walter also excels as a soccer player. According to the boys varsity soccer coach, Mr. Derek Phillips, Lembeck performs at a high level and is an asset to the team.

“Walter has been playing at a high level for our varsity soccer team this season both physically and technically,” said Coach Phillips. “It takes a special athlete and individual to compete in two sports and to compete at a high level like Walter does; we would love nothing more please read more: JUGGLING, PAGE 11

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Senior Scott Halbert pays a visit to the trainer's office and receives aid from trainer Anna Rozanski. As the trainer, Rozanski is charged with attending to student injuries and making sure athletes are cleared to play.

Down but not out

Athletes face debilitating injuries but work hard to return to the field

By Alex Buhse sweat editor

Being sick and missing school is distressing.

Whether it be a sore throat or a deadly virus, having to miss out on an opportunity to learn and becoming behind on school work can be disappointing. Athletes face a similar problem but with injuries instead of illnesses and practices and games instead of classes.

Athletes frequently experience injuries which force them from participating in their sports and are often left with having to take time off to recover.

Among those fallen and recovered athletes is senior goalie Scott Halbert. Halbert sustained a concussion Sept. 5 after receiving a kick to the head in a soccer match against the Timberland Wolves while trying to recover the ball from the field.

“I slid out to go get [the] ball, and [our] defender and their forward were running, and my defender’s knee hit me right in the side of the head,” said Halbert.

Receiving a concussion from the hit, Halbert did what all injured athletes do when faced with an injury and saw athletic trainer Anna Rozanski for help. “[Rozanski] was going to come out on the field, but I waved her off, and then I saw her at halftime which was 10 minutes away,” said Halbert. “I also saw her at the end of the game.”

After his visit with Rozanski after the game, Halbert started the process for recovering from his injury. He began following the district’s

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october 25, 2013

protocol for students who experienced a head injury of some sort by completing things such as the impact test.

The impact test is the main test used to determine whether or not the athlete has a concussion or not. The test itself is specific to each individual, being based on the athlete’s own standards, rather than a set district wide standard.

“Football, soccer, softball, and color guard all take the baseline. We record a baseline and keep it stored through an Internet program.

They take the baseline test, and when they’re injured they take it again and their results are compared back to their individual baseline,” said Rozanski. “So there’s no set standard, it’s the person who we compare their individual scores [to], so it just depends on what they score the first time around.”

The protocol called for more than a simple impact test, however, involving much more criteria to meet before beginning practicing and playing again.

“The school district’s policy is [that] they have to be cleared by a health care professional, they have to take the impact test, and their results have to turn back to the baseline for that, and then they have to complete a gradual return to play as well,” said Rozanski. “They also have to be 24 hours with no symptoms before they can begin any activity, and it takes about two to three weeks before they can get back into any game.”

The shock to Halbert’s head proved to be very inconvenient for Halbert at the time,

as the team had an away game scheduled against Howell High School the following week. Halbert was extremely disappointed from losing the opportunity to participate in one of the team’s biggest games of the season.

“It killed me, I missed the Howell game. I missed the Howell game by one day. There was a whole controversy over whether I was going to play or not, and it went through Scott Harris and a whole bunch of stuff,” said Halbert. “I had to go see my doctor to try to get it cleared that way, and they still helped me out. It just killed to sit there on that bench and watch that Howell game because I wanted to play so bad.”

Luckily for Halbert, he was able to recover much quicker than the average athlete with a concussion. Within five days, rather than the average two to three weeks, Halbert was allowed to participate in games once again and able to take up his position as goalie again.

“I sat and helped set up drills for one day, and then the next day I was able to come back and run, and I was able to start getting back to practice, a gradual return to play,” said Halbert.

Other athletes, such as senior runner Jake Plevnic, haven’t been as fortunate as Halbert in their healing process, and have had to deal with their injury for the remaining of their season. Developing a case of chronic tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon) and bursitis (inflammation of the bursa, a sac

between the bone and the tendon, causing them to rub against each other and cause more inflammation), Plevnic was left unable to participate in cross country due to the extreme agony it brought him.

“I can’t practice because it’s too painful for me to run,” said Plevnic. “It [also] affects my form, making me not run as fast.”

However, this hasn’t stopped Plevnic from attending practice every day with his teammates. After showing up at practice, Plevnic heads up to Rozanski’s office to do his daily stretches and does what he can to get well as soon as possible.

“I go to Anna everyday,” said Plevnic.

“I go to physical therapy a couple times a week now, and I have exercises and stretches that I have to do everyday.”

To come to practice again, Plevnic has to follow the protocol that every athlete with an injury (other than head trauma) must go through to get better before he can begin his sport again.

“Usually we rest for a little bit to try and get the inflammation down and then start some exercises to help them and then do a gradual return. So it’s kind of a tolerance thing; we start with the basic movements of their sport and build up from there. It helps control a lot of the pain while we get them back into activity,” said Rozanski. “It depends on what the physician says as well, but with that they also need to be at about 90% of their strength, [have] 90% of their motion back, [experience] no pain, and they need to be about 90% for sports activities, so they need to be able to do all of that before they can get back into a game.”

Even with all the protocols the district has in place for injured athletes and helping them return to their activities, the ability to have an injury while being able to play still remains. Though all injuries still require treatment and shouldn’t be disregarded, some injuries don’t require as much immediate attention as others.

“There’s always certain stipulations or recommendations for each injury in order to play on,” said Rozanski. “I mean an ankle sprain, or just a muscle strain or something an athlete can play a little bit more on, but definitely more of the fractures, and the head injuries, those need to be 100% healed before I can let them touch the field again.”

Though Plevnic can’t have the advantage of being able to participate while injured and has to deal with an inflamed tendon for the rest of the season, he remains strong as other past injured athletes have and remains motivated to run again.

“I really want to run,” said Plevnic. “It’s not fun not running.”

jump from page 9: JUGGLING

Angry birds Smack talk on Twitter can add tension between athletes on rival teams

By Tyler Tran staff reporter

Smack talk: it’s a key aspect of athletic competition, allowing teams and fans to taunt other teams with the ultimate goal of raising their own morale while destroying their opponents’. Recently, this smack talk has found a happy home on the popular social network Twitter through students and accounts, bragging about their school’s accomplishments and tweeting clever insults about rival schools.

“It increases the tension for the sporting events and makes the environment at the games more fun,” said senior Justin Hayden.

Trash talking between schools is nothing new says Principal Sonny Arnel, who notes it’s been around since his days in the Francis Howell

School District.

“We did the same antics as you guys do today, but as for trash talking, well there was no real way to broadcast it,” said Dr. Arnel.

But, through social networking, smack talk has thrived due to the incredible reach that social network gives students, allowing them to interact with students from different schools in a way they normally wouldn’t be able to and also helps to build up the games.

“It gets everyone more hyped and into the games,” said senior Jake Plevnic.

Smack talk has also gone hand-inhand with the recent spike in school spirit in the past several years, which owes itself a better organized student section and increased enthusiasm in the student body.

Both are said to have played a part in boosting competitiveness between schools, and this competitiveness helps motivate athletes to run faster, jump higher, and perform better out of pride for their school.

“Not only does it push each team to play better, it also creates school pride,” said junior David Beecher.

While smack talk can be a way to boost friendly competition, it can easily escalate into bad sportsmanship.

“As long as the competition is even, I like it a lot, but if one team is beating up a team on the field, then putting them down off the field is just unnecessary,” said Beecher.

Trash talking out of frustration and anger can also escalate smack talk into the realm of incivility, such as last year when an athlete from Howell used

a racial slur in a tweet directed towards Central’s basketball team after losing a tough game against the Spartans.

“He took it way too far,” said junior Myles Adams.

Thankfully, instances such as these are fairly uncommon, and most smack talk is in the spirit of good, friendly competition that both fans and athletes enjoy participating in and watching.

“I think it’s pretty entertaining, and it intensifies the rivalries between other schools. It can be a little excessive at times, but I love it,” said senior Corey Blase.

Although many students enjoy partaking in this, some choose to stay out of it, like senior quarterback Brody Allen.

“Talk is cheap; prove it on the field,” said Allen.

than to see him win districts/ sectionals in both sports this fall and make a run to state.”

While soccer emphasizes a more diverse skill set compared to cross country, Lembeck believes that his time spent at soccer practice helps with his conditioning for cross country, and vice versa.

Coach Phillips says that he thinks that Lembeck’s involvement with cross country provides a valuable outlet to otherwise monotonous soccer practices. Lembeck himself believes that his two sports are both important in their own ways.

“Cross country is a sport that gives more individual accomplishment,” explained Lembeck.

“Soccer focuses more on the team as a whole.”

According to Lembeck, his academics are more important to him than his athletics, despite talent as an athlete.

“Sports are fun,” said Lembeck.

“However, my grades mean more to me because it’ll help me get into the [college] that I want to go to.”

A busy schedule, comprised of honors classes as well as daily practices and weekly games and meets, means that Lembeck has precious little time for wiggle room.

“Yeah, it’s kinda difficult to find free time during the week, but then again, it’s fun to be able to play two sports and hang with the members of both teams,” said Lembeck.

“Sometimes having so much to do sometimes means late nights”, said Lembeck. “But it’s worth it.”

“

It’s kinda difficult to find free time during the week, but then again, it’s fun to be able to play two sports and hang with the members of both teams.”

Walter Lembeck {junior

fhctoday.com | sweat

} 11

photo by Chloe Siebels

Members of the varsity softball team high five one another after their names are announced before their game. Games continued for all sports teams over fall break.

Not really a break for sports teams

By Tori Cooper

season; taking off for a week could potentially cause them to ruin what they have worked up. There is not a coach that wants to see that happen to their team. Some of the sports will be in districts around the same time that the break takes place, varsity softball being one of those sports.

“If we win districts then we will go into sectionals, which will all be during fall break,” said Mr. Brian Cissell, the head varsity softball coach.

There are plenty of games that the teams need to be prepared for. Coming to the end of the seasons, there is no reason for them not to leave it without a bang. FHC has plenty of sports that are beginning their final efforts for their district competitions. All of the teams want nothing more than to become state champions this year. For some students, this is their last season of their high school career.

staff reporter

Francis Howell School District is one of the only districts that gives their students a fall break. This creates a problem for its athletes, as they are still obligated to show up to school for their practices and games. They have to make sure that they are still ready for their competitions throughout that week. This is because other schools have no break. Their teams are still in season when we get out for our week long break.

“We have to have practice, I mean our sport is running and you can’t just stop running; you have to stay in shape, and the only time they get a break is at the end of the season,” said head cross country coach Mrs. Michelle Breuer.

The week off could become a problem for our athletes. They must keep their skills up that they have developed throughout the

The practice and play time during the break only become treasured to them.

“I’m kinda sad about it because I really enjoy the sport, but I’m excited because basketball is coming up, and it’s my favorite sport,” said varsity player senior Mary Kate Berck.

Not only are the fall sports still practicing and playing, there are winter sports that are preparing for their season through the break.

Girls basketball and wrestling being two of the sports doing workouts and open gym during the break. They are not required to be in practice since they are not in season. The coaches and teams are showing not only dedication but a look into what this season is going to be like. Both sports have their reasons for preparing before the tryouts even begin.

“We demand a lot of mat time and training from our guys, which isn’t an issue this year because our team is really motivated,

dedicated and committed to doing everything possible to get better,” said Mr. Rocky Vercher, the assistant wrestling coach.

This break gives the winter sports teams a chance to get their bodies ready for the intense season coming up. The dedication that the teams give the school is making a great athletics program. Even though the down season is relaxing, the school has players coming out and working hard to get themselves better before the winter season begins. No athlete wants their skills to weaken after the fall season is over. They want to show their coaches that they are dedicated to not only their sport, but also their team.

“We are having our open gym and workouts, there has been a good amount of people showing up; I feel our dedication will make this season a good one,” said sophomore basketball player Emilie Weinrich.

Number of students participating in fall sports

19.8% 377 students involved fall sports

Softball 11.7% ts 4 studen

4

Soccer 15.1% 57 students

Football 30.5% 115 students

80.2% 1,530 students not involved in fall sports

Cross Country 15.7% Golf 59 students 2.1%

8 students

12}

sweat | october 25, 2013

Swimming 4.8% 18 students

Volleyball 9.5% 36 students Tennis 5.3% 20 students

SPORT Softball Swimming Soccer

Volleyball Cross Country

Golf

Football

Tennis

Varsity

17

18

22

12

18

8

43

6

J.V

13

-

17

13

16

-

32

14

14

-

18

11

25

-

40

-

Freshman TOTAL

44 (11.7%)

18

(4.8%)

57

36

59

8

115

(15.1%)

(9.5%)

(15.7%)

(2.1%)

(30.5%)

20 (5.3%)

As of last Friday’s game against Francis Howell, senior Kendall Morris remains a rushing yard leader not only on the Spartan football team, but also a leader within the entire St. Louis area.

Morris rushes to the top Morris’ other stats

20 84 9.4 198

Rushing yards per game

touchdowns scored

vs. FZE, 165 yards on 15 carries 1 TD

points scored

vs. FZS, 197 yards on 17 carries, 3 TD

yards per attempt

vs. Parkway S., 243 yards on 26 carries, 1 TD

on average

vs. Troy, 201 yards on 18 carries, 4 TD

kickoff return

vs. FHN, 304 yards on 19 carries, 3 TD

yards on

vs. Timberland, 82 yards on 15 carries, 2 TD

5 attempts

vs. FZW, 175 yards on 21 carries, 4 TD vs. FH, 92 yards on 25 carries, 2 TD

1,459 Total Yards

Morris’ current STL standings

Morris’ 1,459 Yards Allen’s 183 Yards Hill’s 100 Yards

3rd in rushing yards

Davis’ 84 Yards

Tied for 9th in touchdowns scored

Cooper’s 67 Yards

Tied for 12th in points scored 9.4 yards per rush attempt 18th in kickoff return average

Universities recruiting Morris

University of Illinois

University of Iowa

Kansas State University

University of Tulsa

University of Oklahoma

Oregon State University

fhctoday.com | sweat

}13

STAKING CLAIM

FUTURE

ON YOUR

Employed students must decide whether to focus more on school or their job

By Jessica Mugler

“My grades have severly suffered because I’m so exhausted from work.

I’ve realized just how expensive everything can be and how important work is.”

{ Hailey Stephens } senior

14 }

copy editor

While many adults work eight hour work days, go home, and live the rest of their lives, many students have very different schedules. Some students, such as seniors Hailey Stephens and Shane Gee, decide to attend school for seven class periods a day and then, after school, work 30 hours a week, finding time for homework and sleep somewhere in between. Others, like seniors Michael Wehmer and Austin Besancenez, choose to enroll in the business or marketing work program that FHC offers to balance school and work. These students either come to school late or leave early and earn credits in return for their work hours.

These hectic schedules take up a large portion of time and can weigh on students’ schoolwork. Stephens, who works at Dairy Queen, has seen the consequences of working 25- to 30-hour work weeks.

“My grades have severely suffered because I’m so exhausted from work,” Stephens said.

Stephens chose not to participate in the work program, because she wanted to take specific classes, such as culinary arts, and therefore already had a full schedule. Although she admits to making many sacrifices to hold a job, she also sees the benefits in doing this.

“I’ve realized just how expensive life can be and how important working is,” Stephens said.

A fellow 30-hour-week worker is Gee, a St. Louis Bread Company employee,

in focus | october 25, 2013

who takes a different outlook on his job.

His schoolwork has not suffered because of his learned habits already established before taking on a job.

“I do homework throughout my classes if I have it,” Gee said. “Often, I feel like I don’t need to do my homework because I already understand the curriculum.”

Gee places school as the bigger priority in his life over his work. He is looking ahead, thinking about his future, which is his main reason for not enrolling in the work program.

“I want to go to a nice school, like [Washington University], so I feel like I have no room in my schedule to do the work program,” Gee said.

Though students such as Stephens and Gee do not sacrifice less class periods for their job, many students choose to participate in the work program and earn credits through working. Wehmer and Besancenez chose to enroll in the program to benefit from the hours they were already working.

“I already worked the hours,” Wehmer said. “I figured I should get credit for it.”

Wehmer, who clocks in 24 hours every week, canvases for Cardinal Home Improvements. He feels he gains valuable sales experience through the job.

“Everybody should have sales experience; it’s an important part of marketing,” Wehmer said.

While this student plans on going to college at Linn State Technical College and working this many hours makes an

impact on the time he has to study and do homework, he is forced to place a large emphasis on his job. Wehmer’s living situation is different than many high school students’, as he doesn’t live with his parents and has bills to pay.

“I look at it as, ‘Do I have a place to go home to or do I do my homework?’”

Wehmer said.

Besancenez also feels his job will help him in his future, as he plans on going into engineering. He works at Lloyd Industries Inc. assembling the products that the company makes. At the job, he works with the engineering department and follows their instructions.

“It’s what I will be doing in the future,” Besancenez said. “It’s very hands-on.”

Every weekday, Besancenez goes to school for five class periods and then leaves to work for four hours. While he is still forced to stay up late some nights doing homework, being a part of the work program helps with his homework load.

“I have less homework than if I had taken seven classes,” Besancenez said.

“School is definitely still the priority in my life.”

Whether students choose to keep a job or not, enroll in the work program or not, or finish all their homework or not, they must make choices about their lives and priorities. These choices and their time commitments can influence futures and careers, as well as current years of high school.

“I want to go to a nice school, like [Washington University], so I feel like I have no room in my schedule to do the work program.”

{ Shane Gee} senior

Hailey Stephens Dairy Queen 25-30 hours a week not in work program

Shane Gee St. Louis Bread Company 30 hours a week not in work program

Michael Wehmer

Cardinal Home Improvements 24 hours weekly work program enrolled

Austin Besancenez Lloyd Industries Inc. 20 hours weekly work program enrolled fhctoday.com | in focus

}15

a product of

NECES

By Hannah Beckmann staff reporter

Flipping on a news station, sitting down with the family for dinner, or walking into a classroom, students are becoming increasingly aware of the struggling economy. An issue that had once seemed far away is now relevant to students who are just now figuring out what it really means to grow up.

For many, college is looming over their future.

Over the past several years, tuition has skyrocketed.

What could once be payed for with the earnings from a summer job now requires students to work increasingly long hours. Senior Krista Klaesner works 24 hours a week at American Cleaners and doesn’t touch a single cent.

“I put my money in savings,” Klaesner said. “I knew I needed to get a head start in saving for college.”

Other students are looking farther ahead into the future. Senior who works around 20 hours each week, decided to use the money from her job at

16 }

in focus | october 25, 2013

Kokomo Joe’s Family Fun Center to save f apartment, putting the majority of her money savings account.

“I spend around 25 percent and save the oth percent,” Edwards said. “I need money for the f and the only way to earn money is working.”

The cost of being a teenager is only getting h Students are now expected to pay for gas payments, car insurance, and cell phone bills. S Rachel Colter uses the money she earns wo 25 to 30 hours a week at McDonalds to pay these expenses, only putting around 30 perce the money she earns into savings. Despite the hours, Colter feels that her job is worth the hard “It’s prepared me for a lot and put me in situ that I will come across in life,” said Colter.

Preparation for the future and a financially s savings account do not come without a cou sacrifices. Working students are often expect

SSITY

for an into a

her 75 future,

higher. s, car Senior orking for all ent of e long work. uations

secure uple of ted to

give up activities that other students get to enjoy without a second thought. Saving for college, an apartment, or to simply pay the bills means that these students must put work first.

“I miss out on going to football games and homecoming,” Klaesner said. “I don’t get home until 8 p.m. and when I get home I’m exhausted so it’s hard for me to concentrate on my school work and get it done before midnight.”

Busy schedules and late nights are a common occurrence for working students, but for some the job makes it all worth it and teaches employees invaluable life skills.

“My job has taught me a lot of things,” Edwards said. “I’ve learned computer skills, customer service skills, how to run a kitchen. That’s what’s great about my work. You learn so many new skills that can help with future jobs. I got really lucky.”

fhctoday.com | in focus

}17

NOT JUST EARNING

A PAYCHECK

Jobs that go beyond fast food, retail provide students with real-world skills for future

By Claire Richardson “My job teaches me time management, communication and planning, especially in our gym, since we’re really busy all the time. I have to think quick on my feet.” { Madison Jilek} senior

staff reporter

L

ike most teens in need of money, senior Madison Jilek spends her time after school and on weekends working at a job. Instead of spending her extra hours laboring at a fast food restaurant or local retail shop, for minimum wage and little else, Jilek works as a gymnastics coach for both competitive and progressive gymnasts at Flip Side Gymnastics. In the process, Jilek gains real world experience working with kids and parents.

“I work every day; I go straight from school to work, then I do my homework, work and do more homework,” Jilek said.

With a majority of her spare time out of school spent coaching at the gym, Jilek is earning more than just money and helping kids with the sport she loves; Jilek is earning experience that will translate into her future career. Jilek would like to become a pediatrician one day and get to work with kids, which she enjoys.

“I think [my job] helps me learn how to deal with people, especially parents

who are sensitive about their kids. [It translates to my career] because it deals with the fact that parents are particular with how you word things with their kids,” Jilek said.

Jilek has been coaching at Flip Side for two years now and says that it can be stressful at times. In a typical week, Jilek could be working for as many as 20 hours; however, this can change during weeks in which competitive meets are held; in these weeks, Jilek can be at the gym for 40 or more hours.

All this time at the gym is worth it for Jilek, as she gets to see improvement in the children she coaches from week to week. Part of her duties includes making sure that the kids have all of their skills, and she is responsible for scheduling extra private lessons if a girl is not ready for a competition.

“I’m not going to lie, I have cried before when a [competitive] girl improved so much after she had been working really hard,” Jilek said.

If a student fails to get their skills in time for competition, the blame is placed on the coach, Jilek. This can

By Taylor Stone staff reporter

Helping out

family For some, family members take on dual roles of parent, employer 1 8}

in focus | october 25, 2013

Y

our parents. When you were young, they reserved a special place above all else.

They were god-like. All knowing.

Your purpose on Earth was to please them, and you loved them almost more than Sesame Street.

Today, they stand as facilitators. A contract has been drawn between the two partieschildren and parents. You stay out all night; you’re grounded.

You’re old enough to drive; you start paying for car insurance.

You live in the house; you do

add a lot of pressure, but Jilek feels her job is still worth it. “[My job] teaches me time management, communication and planning, especially in our gym since we’re really busy all the time,” Jilek said.

“I have to think quick on my feet.”

Senior Brittany Schenk works at St. Peter’s City Hall as a secretary and agrees that a teen job can have more impact than just earning money.

“I think it will help me with leadership experience, and it will give me a resume different from fast food. I also get to see what goes on behind the scenes in city hall,” Schenk said.

While at work, Schenk alphabetizes various court cases, and on Tuesdays she attends court. Schenk got the job after the normal application and interview process and says it was not what she was originally looking for when searching for a job.

“My friend told me there were openings at city hall. It was originally supposed to be a summer job, but they didn’t get back to me until September,” Schenk said.

The skills Schenk is learning while

chores.

At some time in everyone’s lives, the conversation between kids and their parents transition from arts and crafts to laundry and vacuuming. It can feel like they’re no longer your parents, but instead, your manager.

For some students, that statement is a complete reality. Students that work for family businesses are rare, but nonetheless present.

The idea of laboring amongst parentals is foreign to most and can sound a little strange. Some might even say they’d refuse to

working at city hall will be helpful in her future, as she would like to pursue psychology or something else in the medical field.

For senior Brooklynn Barber, his volunteer position with the Cottleville Police Department has been a long time coming.

“My mom and dad used to be in law enforcement. I just wanted to help people, and I think it’s cool what they do. I’ve always wanted to do it since I was five years old,” Barber said.

Even though the position is unpaid, Barber receives on-the-job training, and his experience will help him with his future in law enforcement.

“I know what I’m doing; I’m getting training on the job now, so I will fly through the police academy,” Barber said.

Teens like Jilek and Barber can have the added bonus of following their passions when it comes to choosing an after-school job.

“I’ve been a gymnast for a long time, and I have always been one to help others with gymnastics,” Jilek said. “It’s a passion of mine.”

engage in such activity.

But for senior Heather Mackay, there really is no question of whether or not she should help. Mackay, who works the register along with making jewelry pieces at her mother’s small boutique shop on Main Street in Cottleville, says the experience overall is enjoyable.

“I do it for my mom. I usually help whenever she needs me the most,” Mackay said.

Family members can feel obligated to do their part in the family business. Running a small business can be quite

a task and any help, especially from family, goes a long way.

Senior Madison Viola also assists in her family’s business, KC Nails- a nail salon in the 79 Crossing strip mall. Viola assures her mother keeps her busy.

“I work as a receptionist, so I answer phone calls and make appointments, but I also restock supplies and do the laundry and clean the pedicure tubs,” Viola said.

Viola busts any myths of unequal treatment, either good or bad, that many students may assume kids experience while

photos by zach grau

working for their parents.

“It’s equal. She’ll get on me if I’m doing something wrong. She even threatened to fire me a few times, because I was doing stuff wrong,” Viola said.

Now that would make for awkward dinner table conversation.

Quite different than nail salons and boutiques, junior Elizabeth Gettemeyer works with her father on her family’s farm.

Not shy to dirty her hands, Gettemeyer goes above and beyond on the farm. She does anything she can to help the family make a profit, whether it

be working with animals on the farm or doing yard and garden work.

“I help feed the chickens and cows, bail hay, cut grass, garden and help the family whenever I have free time,” Gettemeyer said.

Not an official employee, she doesn’t get paid for her hard work. For most students, that fact alone would steer them away. Gettemeyer says she doesn’t mind putting in hours at the farm, though.

“I love it. I love being outside with nature, and my friends love coming over and seeing

everything at the farm,” Gettemeyer said.

To some, the idea of working with the same personalities that they live with every day doesn’t sound incredibly appealing. They might think they’ll be parent trapped.

But for a few select students, declining the opportunity to work for their parents’ business is out of the question. After all, they are directly affected by their parents’ revenue.

And so, my fellow Spartans: ask not what your parents can do for you — ask what you can do for your parents.

Spraying disenfectant on a foot bath, senior Madison Viola tackles one of the tasks of her job as a receptionist at KC Nails, a nail salon owned by her parents.

fhctoday.com | in focus

photo by kortney sheahan

ABOVE: As a coach at Flip Side Gymnastics, senior Madison Jilek works with young girls to help them improve their skills as gymnasts. Jilek, above, demonstrates to one of her students the angle she should be at when she balances on the bar.

LEFT: Jilek watches a student as she attaches her wrists to harnesses an apparatus. In addition to the skills she gets as a gymnast, Jilek said she gains skills working with parents, managing her time and thinking on her feet when things don’t go as planned.

FAR LEFT: While one of her students swings from the high bar of the uneven bars, Jilek spots her young athlete so she doesn’t fall and so she keeps proper form.

}19

Seniors Senior photos must be shot by Nov. 15 through Prestige Portraits. Call 636.428.0829 to set up your appointment today! If you don’t have Prestige shoot your photo, it will not be in the yearbook!

Tune in TODAY for a day-by-day look back at Spirit Week, the parade, the pep assembly and dance!

20}

advertisements | october 25, 2013

{the scene} Tricks of a novel trade 1.) Write. It may sound obvious, but the only way to reach your word count is to sit down and put pen to page.

2.) Find good novelling music. Listening to a favorite band is one of the best ways to get the creative writing juices flowing.

3.) Kill the inner editor.

Chances are the novels written during NaNoWriMo are going to be bad, and that’s okay. But the only thing editing in November will do is put a writer behind. Editing is for December.

4.) Find friends to write with you. Other NaNoWriMo writers keep you motivated and accountable for reaching word count.

5.) Track your progress and meet with other “Wrimos” on nanowrimo.org.

Come write in

NaNoWriMo challenges students to write a 50,000 word novel during November

Hannah Beckmann staff reporter

N

ovember is a month filled with autumn leaves, leftover Halloween candy, delicious Thanksgiving feasts, and, apparently, novel writing. For a select group of dedicated writers, November has been named National Novel Writing Month, but it is more commonly referred to as NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo has become popular over the past couple years, boasting about half a million participants each November. Those participating are called to write 50,000 words in the span of 30 days, producing a 175-page novel. This number splits up into roughly 1667 words a day. Though the number may seem hard to reach, the goal is not completely undoable. Senior Melissa

Albers participated and completed her novel for NaNoWriMo in 2012. She believes that the event will help her in her future as a writer.

“I want to be a writer,” Albers said.

“NaNoWriMo is a good way to get myself to write a novel, because other people are doing it at the same time. You’re not alone.”

According to Albers, part of what makes NaNoWriMo so successful is the freedom to not have to write well, but simply to write, leading to the NaNoWriMo slogan: “Thirty days and nights of literary abandon.” Writers are not called to write the next great novel, but merely to write a novel.

“There’s a kind of freedom in knowing you don’t have to turn your novel in when you’re done,” Albers said.

The Office of Letters and Light, the people behind NaNoWriMo, encourages its

participants to leave editing for a later date, leaving the month free for writers to do what they do best: write. They value perseverance and determination over perfect writing. This attitude helps alleviate some of the fear and apprehension that comes with writing a 50,000 word novel, which is, after all, no small task.

Regardless of the freeing sensation of literary abandon, NaNoWriMo is still one of the most chaotic and stressful months for its participants. For Albers, there were times when she questioned whether or not the whole experience was even worth it. She wondered if leaving her novel lost in the depths of her mind, never to be seen again, would be the best course of action.

“There were times I didn’t even know what I was writing, but it was words so it counts,”

Albers said.

For Albers, free time during November was spent writing. She wrote whether she was inspired or struggling through the dreaded writer’s block. She wrote whether she had homework or just wanted to hang out with her friends. Day or night, thick or thin, she wrote.

On Nov. 30, when Albers finally passed the 50,000 word mark, she felt a sense of relief and accomplishment. She was able to share her excitement with her family.

“My dad was really encouraging me,” Albers said. “When I finished, he bought me a card and a rose.”

Despite the stress and anxiety that always comes with NaNoWriMo, Albers plans to participate in the event again this November.

fhctoday.com | the scene

}21

playlist

“Chill tunes for chill weather” Start fall off right with music perfect for frolicking through the newly fallen leaves.

by Kennedy Meyer

“Sweater Weather”

by The Neighbourhood

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Sweater Weather is the song of the season. A good time to listen to this tune would be when you go on a walk, let the crisp wind hit your face, and feel the autumn leaves crunch beneath your feet while you listen to The Neighbourhood.

“oOoO”

by Oberhofer

As unique as this song is, it’s catchy and incredibly joyous. It’s an anthem. Listen to this song after a winning football game, and I guarantee you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world.

“Everyone Knows”

by Vacationer

Once you learn the words to this song, all you’ll ever want to do is bust out and start singing it wherever you are. This song is a good kind of catchy. It’s upbeat and uplifting.

“Carried Away”

by Passion Pit

This band is underestimated in my opinion. They’ve got amazing songs, and this song happens to be one of my favorites by them. It’s such a joyous tune.

“Let It Go”

by Fossil Collective

This song mellows you out. It would be a good one to listen to whenever you’ve got no homework after school, and you haven’t got any plans. Lay in bed and listen to this song, and you’ll feel as though a ton of weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

“We Are In Love”

by Cider Sky

Whether you’re in a relationship or not, this song is electrifying and so powerful. It’s absolutely rejuvenating. If you listen to the lyrics, then you’ll really learn how to appreciate the people in your life.

“Gimme Twice”

by The Concept

I’ve laid in bed all day with this song on repeat. I’m in love with this song, it’s incredibly good. Gimme Twice is a pretty laid back song. The Concept is a great band overall.

“Shake Me Down”

by Cage the Elephant

Shake Me Down is one of my favorite songs of all time. I’ve heard this song live, and I believe it made me develop an even greater infatuation with the song and the band.

“Marilyn”

by G-Eazy

I love, love, love G-Eazy. I have nothing but good things to say about his music. Marilyn is one of his more serious and compelling songs. If you enjoy this song, then I’d go check out the rest of his music.

“Round and Round”

by Imagine Dragons The first time I listened to this, I fell head over heels.

The song has such a deep meaning, as do all of Imagine Dragons’ songs, but this song is one of my favorites.

22}

the scene | october 25, 2013

BOO!

By Morgan Brader staff reporter

Halloween is just around the corner, and haunted houses and scream parks are popping up all over the area in preparation for the holiday.The main two scream parks visited by the students at FHC are the Cobb Factory and Creepyworld, considered to be two of the best in Missouri.

Creepyworld is an attraction that lasts from about 70-90 minutes. It consists of dark rooms to explore with plenty of “monsters” who follow the visitors around to give them a scare.This scream park is topped off with mazes, gory scenes, and a haunted hay ride.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Strauser likes a place that is “truly terrifying.” Being a person who would rather go to a scream park in small groups, Creepyworld is Strauser’s first choice in scream parks because of the limited amount of people allowed in at a time.

“It’s so much better if you go with only a

Here’s where you need to go to be scared by the best haunted houses in the St. Louis area

couple of people instead of a big group. It’s so much more scary, because big groups just give you that many more people to hide behind when a monster jumps out,” said Strauser.

The Cobb Factory is an ideal place for anyone who likes a haunted house following the theme of a true story: numerous murders in the home of Eli Cobb. Visitors walk through a building to fit in the “murder” theme, with dismembered body parts hanging from the ceilings, an occasional zombie in the haunted corn maze, and are even lucky enough to cross paths with Eli Cobb.

Fright Fest, held at Six Flags, is for those who prefer to go to something on the notso-scary side. Even though the rides add to a guest’s overall enjoyment of the park, sophomore Elizabeth Beecher doesn’t expect Fright Fest to have what a haunted house needs.

“I think Fright Fest would be filled with just a bunch of young kids and families who are

only there because they like Six Flags. I don’t think it’s scary at all,” said Beecher.

But Fright Fest would be the ideal scream park for junior Jake Baumgartner and sophomore Alyssa Hake, who both prefer a scream park featuring other attractions than just monsters and dead people.

“I hate zombies. Can’t stand them. I would want to go somewhere that has no zombies whatsoever,” said Baumgartner. “I don’t enjoy scary places.”

Hake is completely against the idea of jump-scares and corn mazes. She would rather visit a scream park and know exactly what she’s getting into.

“No dead people, corn, or meat,” Hake said, after discovering what to expect when visiting a scream park. “I don’t really like the unknown. I’d like it if they gave me a warning when people are planning on scaring me.”

All scream parks and haunted houses are different. The “best” one completely depends on who’s visiting and what kind of attractions they’d like to see.

Tedford cashes in on scaring

By Olivia Biondo staff reporter

Halloween: a time for ghosts, goblins, witches and haunted houses. These houses take you to a different world, opening the doors to people’s biggest fears.

Emily Tedford, a senior, is very skilled when it comes to knowing these fears. Emily has experience; she has worked in haunted houses for four years.

“Some people get so scared, they just run off,” said Tedford.

When it comes to the Halloween scene, many students go to the best haunted houses in the area, hoping for a good scare.

“I was scared when I went to Creepyworld. I’d talk to the

characters, but if they jumped out at me, I’d scream,” said sophomore Dulci Hedges.

In the houses, you will find your biggest fears, whether it’s ghosts, zombies or clowns.

Tedford has been working at haunted houses for quite some time now. She has mastered the art of scaring, and enjoys her job of getting to dress up as terrifying as possible.

“There’s so many possibilities, you can be anything or anyone you want,” said Tedford. “I love getting all dressed up and putting scary makeup on and scaring people.”

With a world of possibilities open, creativity takes flight for Tedford as she creates a

character for herself. Making costumes and doing makeup are Tedford’s favorite part of Halloween.

“I really like dressing up as a zombie, it’s way easier than a lot of costumes,” said Tedford.

“You just take fake blood and put it everywhere and rip your clothes.”

Haunted houses are very popular around Halloween time, they are the answer for peoples’ horror obsessions. Some may be terrified, scared of everything they see, while others act like they are impossible to scare.

“A lot of people just scream and keep walking. Some people cry, but we tend to go easy on them afterwards. We

will have a bunch of teenagers who walk through and they say stuff to their friends like ‘I’m not scared’ and then we end up scaring them anyways,” Tedford laughs.

Working in this house has allowed Tedford to express herself. She has the chance to become anything she wants; the world is open for possibilities.

Haunted houses and Halloween are exactly that: a time to be anything you want.

“If you want to be something crazy, but you’re afraid to be different, it doesn’t matter. What was hard for me to get over is just to not care what people think of your costume,” Tedford said.

Pendleton family lives for Halloween

By Erika Paar staff reporter

It is Saturday morning two weeks before Halloween, so sophomore Samantha Pendleton wakes up early to start decorating the house.

First, she decorates the porch, then she moves on to the side yard display. Six hours and a lot of hard work later, the house is ready for the big night.

Halloween at Pendleton house has always been a big deal. For a long as the sophomore can remember, her entire family has loved Halloween. Pendleton says that Halloween is her favorite time of the year.

“It’s a day that you don’t have to be yourself; you can become a different person, something you’re not,” said Pendleton.

She doesn’t stop with the decorations; her family goes all out. The costumes are more elaborate and take around two months to plan.

“Last year, I was Little Red Riding Hood, but there was a twist: I had scratches all over my chest. My sister was The Joker and had her eyes done in diamonds and a scratch on her face,” said Pendleton.

On the actual night of Halloween, they usually put the finishing touches on the house, one being a smoke machine.

After that, they put chairs out front and make a fire, and they are ready for Halloween.

Samantha usually dresses up and walks around the neighborhood with some friends and her sister.

Halloween is a night for costumes, candy and just plain old fun, and many people love this holiday. Especially Samantha Pendleton.

All dressed up

Can’t think of any ideas for Halloween costumes? Here are a few suggestions for your taste.

By Madison Viola staff reporter

Are yo u a fan of Disney?

Dress up as the famous Pocahontas! She’s fierce, she’s fun, and she can paint with all the colors of the wind.

If you like sweet treats …

You should dress up as Katy Perry. This pop singer has been known for coming out on stage covered in cupcakes, candy canes, ice cream cones, and candy buttons. You’ll be covered in delicious goodies going as Katy.

Want to dress up in accordance with a friend’s costume?

Both of you should go as conjoined twins. They are literally combined. Not only is this costume hilarious, but it’s something you don’t see every Halloween.

Want something simple, but showy?

Want the Greek life?

Go as a single object. It could be anything- a crayon, a toilet, or a banana are some examples.

Sometimes, the simplest costumes are the most hilarious ones.

Wear a toga. It’s a cheap and easy solution to someone who may not be able to afford a cool costume.

But if you’re into more mystical creatures…

Go as Tinker Bell, the fairy from “Peter Pan.” She’s cute, she’s dainty, and she’s feisty.

Plus, who doesn’t love a costume with wings?

If you like science fiction “The theme for the ‘Teenage Dream’ album was ‘candy-fornia’ and I like how that idea is different from other people. I think her stage costumes are eye-catching, and I think it’s cool if someone is going as her for Halloween.”

-Madison Door, junior

“Beth Weirich and I had a huge purple tutu, and we cut a big hole in the neck of a XXL shirt. We both wore purple shirts underneath the big shirt, and we both wore dark capris. We were completely matching. It was a lot of fun!”

-Caitlynn Hamby, sophomore

Are you crafty and creative?

Make your own costume! Not only would no one else have your costume, but you might just have a lot of fun making it. You can find the supplies you need at craft stores like Michael’s. You can also look around your house to see if you have anything laying around you can turn into a costume.

“I play a lot of video games, and if I like a design, I’ll make my own costume for it. I tried to make a science fiction-type armour out of foam from yoga mats. I also sewed this giant roll of nylon to make a jumpsuit. I found the nylon at JoAnn Fabric and Craft store, and a few sheets of foam weren’t being put to use at my house, so I just started cutting away at them.”

-Spencer Foust, senior

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the scene | october 25, 2013

“I have been a banana for Halloween the past three years. I love being a banana, and I honestly think the banana is the happiest fruit there is. To be dressed up as one is an honor.”

-Troy Newell, senior

You should dress up as Dr. Who. This time-traveling doctor is an icon that has lasted since the 60’s. People still know who he is even if they don’t watch the show.

Taking in scenes of fall

By Rachel Large staff reporter

Fall is a time for students to relax and to take a much needed break from the sweltering heat of summer and to have an excuse to scare the wits out of their friends.

Many students go on vacation at this time or just take in the beautiful sights.

Here are some ideas to have an awesome fall break:

We’re lovin’ it Each month, members of the Spartan community will share what they are loving this month. From happenings at school to cool new tech to the best concerts, we’ll find the best things going on now.

Eckert’s Apple Farm and Orchard Located in Belleville, IL, Eckert’s Farm has always been a very popular local destination for apple picking.

Eckert’s offers a wide variety of apples including Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Green Delicious and Red Delicious, as well as others later in the season.

Eckert’s also has plenty of kids’ activities including pony and camel rides as well as mechanical rides and bounce houses. Plus, Eckert’s has a country store and restaurant, an

old-fashioned

custard

shop and a beautiful garden center. Visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.

Creepyworld

Sullivan Farms

Creepyworld in Fenton is the largest haunted attraction in the entire Midwest, featuring seven haunted houses including SiloX, The Dark Zone, The Tool Shed, one 3D haunted house, the Famous Faces Pumpkin Display, the Ghoul Band and much more. New this year is the Zombie City Paintball Hayride, where riders board a hayride and shoot zombies. Creepyworld is open from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 1112, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 13- 20, and from 6:15 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 18-19.

At Sullivan Farms in Florissant, you can choose from thousands of pumpkins, with sizes ranging from extra large to very small. Sullivan Farms also has a variety of gourds, squash and baked goods. Plus, you can enjoy a trip through the straw castle maze. Sullivan Farms is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Alex Buhse

Kennedy Meyer

Thing 1: Among the resourceful things I’ve come across in the past few weeks, I can’t express the usefulness of the website WolframAlpha.com. It’s a search engine that covers virtually all areas of study and lets you type in a problem, then solves it for you, and then gives you the option to learn step-by-step how to solve it.

Thing 2: “Parks and Recreation” documents the shenanigans of a group of public officials working for a parks and recreations department in Indiana, lead by Deputy Parks Director Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler from SNL).

Its funny, quirky, iconic characters that always bring a smile to my face.

Thing 1: Since I’ve updated my phone to iOS 7, I have fallen in love with iTunes radio. The fact that I can chose a station and listen to my favorite songs and artists without having to download an app like Pandora makes me pretty happy. I love that with every song iTunes radio plays you also have the option to purchase the song.

Thing 2: The “Classes” app is perfect. You can schedule all of your quizzes, tests, and homework into this app. Until you’ve completed everything there will be a little red number on the app reminding you to literally cross the items off of your to-do list. It’s very helpful.

Erin Rowland Thing 1: I’ve recently gotten addicted to the app “Say the Same Thing.”

You can either play with friends or strangers, and the point of the game is to start out with two completely unrelated words and then say a word that you think combines the original two. If you both say the same word, you win!

Thing 2: It’s sweater season! There’s nothing I love more than being able to get dressed in the morning with a nice skirt and a comfy sweater. This time of year, I’m always trolling Goodwill for cheap new sweaters. They’re just so cozy while still looking classy and put together.

fhctoday.com | the scene

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Last shot at making memories

Finding a photographer can be easy if you know what you want

By Kennedy Meyer staff reporter

Picking a senior photographer can be hard. What is it that someone should be looking for in a photographer? The circumstances may be different for each person. Senior Sydney Wilson has already had her senior photos taken, but she knows exactly what her perfect photographer would be.

“The perfect photographer is someone who’s flexible to work with, someone that’s not focused on just getting pretty photos, but someone who brings out my personality,” said Wilson.

Finding someone that brings out the silly side of you will make this experience all the more

Janet Chipperfield, D.V.M Christine L. Donnelly, D.V.M. 11986 Dorsett Road (314) 770-2800 Maryland Heights, MO 63043 www.familyanimalhospitalstl.com (in the Metro-Dorsett Center, directly across the street from White Castle) Wellness examinations Surgery Dentistry Radiology In-house lab Pain management And of course… House calls! Please call for an appointment!

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the scene | october 25, 2013

fun. It makes a huge difference in the photo shoot. Having an enthusiastic person to take pictures is something that may make or break the experience.

Picking a people person is key in the process of finding a photographer that will make you smile. For students like senior Allison Chaplin, it may take a little effort to bring out a genuine smile when getting their picture taken.

“They have to make me laugh,” said Chaplin. “I don’t like smiling in my pictures, so if they get me to smile then they’ve done their job well.”

Being able to capture her in action is required to see Chaplin’s true smile. So, finding a person that can bring that out

is something that matters to her.

Allison believes that a genuine smile is what makes the photo.

What do senior pictures mean to you? For some students who are involved in sports or activities, it may mean being able to take a stroll down memory lane in ten years and remember everything from their senior year.

Senior Kelly Klein believes that for involved students, it is great that they are able to make the pictures more memorable by bringing props such as soccer balls or golf clubs.

She thinks her experience will be memorable and exciting.

“Senior pictures show how much you’ve grown since grade school and how much you’ve matured,” said Klein.

{be heard}

photo by kortney sheahan

We want candy Erika Paar discusses whether it is okay for high schoolers to go trick-or-treating

By Erika Paar staff reporter

So you are walking around with some friends on halloween minding your own business, not bothering anyone, and the lady at the house you just went to gives you a dirty look and says,” do you really think you should be trick or treating?” really sarcastically. Do you really know what to reply to that? I mean she is an adult so you don’t want to be disrespectful, but it still doesn’t feel good to have someone say that to you. You are in high school, you have the right to make your own decisions, and go trick or treating if you what to.

Once you are in high school, many people think it is unacceptable to go trick or treating. Yes most people I know don’t

want to go trick or treating, they would rather go to a party or hang out with their friends. Although there are some people who do go and I am sure they don’t like adults getting mad at them for doing something they have every right to do.

Many people think it is wrong for high schoolers to go trick or treating because they say it will “take candy away from the little kids”. My thoughts are that if someone runs out of candy, they run out of candy, having a few teenagers come and get one piece of candy is not going to make that much of an effect. Also many of the younger kids go out trick or treating earlier, because they have to go to bed earlier than a high schooler does, so

when teenagers do go get candy most of the little ones have already gotten candy, so they get whatever is left.

It is very irritating when people say that they don’t want teenagers going around, terrorizing the little ones, when in reality that is a small percentage of us that actually do that. The obnoxious people that go around with a scary costume trying to scare people, a lot of the time aren’t even getting candy, they just want to scare people. If people want that to stop don’t blame those of us who dress up as Tinkerbell and let all the little kids go in front of them when at a house.

Now I am not stupid, I realize that some teenagers will put on a t-shirt that

says costume, and try to get candy.

Some of us on the other hand put work into our costumes, and actually dress up as something. If a teenager walked up to my house while I was handing out candy, and had a good costume that you can tell they previously planned, I would have no problem giving them candy. But if someone walked up with poorly made costume, that you can tell they threw together in five minutes, I wouldn’t want to give them candy.

Personally I think if a teenager wants to walk around and get candy on halloween they can if they want to, as long as they are respectful, and put work into their costume I say knock yourself out.

fhctoday.com | be heard

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Identical twin probs

The Violas give their perspective on how people view twins

By Katelyn Viola & Madison Viola staff reporters

We have the same brain. We can read each other’s minds. When one of us is hurt, the other feels the pain.

We’re basically the exact same person. We are twins.

Katelyn: Actually, no. We are twins; that’s true. But the rest is a myth. I don’t know why people think we’re basically the same just because we look the same. Fellow twins will understand this pain and annoyance.

Madison: For example, when people ask if Katelyn and I have twin telepathy, which is where we would be able to read each other’s minds, sometimes I’ll respond with a “yes.” Of course it isn’t true, but that question has been asked so many times that I might as well have fun with it.

Hey Katelyn, what am I thinking of?

K: Penguins hula-hooping in Africa while wearing tiaras.

M: Yep, nailed it.

K: Also, another point is how people think they’re so clever when they tell us that we should switch classes.

M: Oh my goodness! What a revolutionary idea! I’ve never heard that one before! (Insert annoyed emoticon here.)

K: When people tell us this, I just let them have their genius moment. I let their light bulb burn bright for a second. But really, if I had a nickel for everytime I heard that before, I probably wouldn’t have to work a day in my life.

M: Another question we get asked many times is “how can your parents tell you guys apart?”

K: Well they knew how to tell us apart before we could, considering they knew our names before we did.

M: I remember being asked the question “how can you tell yourself apart from your twin?” Umm, I mean, was this a serious question? Honestly? To this day, I’m not totally sure if this person was joking or not.

K: Not only are we twins, but we are identical. So it’s understandable if people can’t tell us apart.

M:But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “you two should get your names tattooed on your forehead,” or “you guys should wear name tags,” or “you should wear clothes or accessories with your names on them everyday.”

K: This may be convenient for people who can’t tell us apart, but I’d rather just keep responding to both “Madison” or “Katelyn.” After all, we’ve both done this for practically our whole lives. It’s just easier that way.

M: Unless it’s important information for a certain one of us to know, we will be too lazy and careless to correct you when you think you’re talking to the other twin because, again, it’s easier that way.

Shout out to those of you who can easily tell us apart.

We appreciate you.

K:But our favorite game is the guessing game.

M: We just love standing there while a person who has no idea which twin is which just throws out a name with a face.

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be heard | october 25, 2013

K: Having a 50/50 chance, it’s almost as good as flipping a coin. When people happen to guess right, their faces and body language suggest they’ve just won the lottery or something.

M: At least us twins can bring some peace of mind to those people who guess correctly.

K: On that note, I would like to add that 99 percent of the time we can tell when someone tries to hide the fact that they don’t know whether it’s me or Madison.

M: Somebody might know one twin more than the other.

So, when they’re unsure of which one they’re talking to, they’ll act more general than personal. They’ll also just say “oh, hey” as they drag the “hey” on for a few seconds or they’ll have a longer than average pause after the greeting.

K: We know when you can’t tell and we’re fine with it.

Feel free to just ask who we are because we’re totally cool with it.

M: Katelyn, you’re stupid.

K: Madison, you’re ugly.

M: This is sometimes how we act towards each other when we’re arguing. We obviously don’t think the other one is actually ugly or stupid, but, like any other siblings, we feud.

K: Nothing too serious. Petty stuff.

M: You may be wondering what it’s like to be twins. It’s pretty cool from what I know of.

K: The thing is, that’s all we know. We don’t know what it’s like not to be a twin so we don’t have anything to compare to. Overall, it’s nice to have someone who is always there. Madison happens to be the person in my life that I am closest to. We’re best friends.

M: Out of the dozens of twins I have met, Katelyn and I seem to be the closest, and I am grateful for that.

It may be a little annoying to go through these questions and comments everyday, but we understand where they are coming from. We just want people to understand what our point of view is as well. It’s okay to be confused about which twin is which; that’s not the annoying part. The annoying part is all the questions and comments that are said on a daily basis. It gets old. It would be better if more people realized how often we get asked and told the same things over and over again. That is just something to keep in mind.

Focus on the show, not your phone

By Erin Schroeder print executive editor

{

On Sept. 25, Vampire Weekend graced St. Louisians with a performance to remember. I could enjoy the band standing a mere ten feet away from the stage, they were just as excellent live as they were on the album, and the group and audience alike were pumped with enthusiasm. However, a single, ugly blot polluted what ended up being a virtually perfect night: the insistence of audience members to use their phones throughout the entire show.

All concert archetypes were wellrepresented: the chronic texter, the “this expenditure won’t be worth it unless we get some good selfies” girls, and those that will undoubtedly be flooding YouTube with poor quality phone recordings of the show.

the box

In some ways, it makes sense that people would want to document the ecstasy they felt in hearing “Diane Young” live after months of jamming out to it in their cars, and it is understandable that the idea of preserving Ezra Koenig’s vocal gymnastics in “White Sky” would be appealing. However, smartphone usage tarnishes the concert experience for both the user and those unfortunate enough to be around them.

As someone who had been looking forward to seeing Vampire Weekend for months, I thought it would be safe to assume that everyone felt the same way, yet more than a few people spent a significant amount of time either texting or on Twitter. This comes across as not wanting to be there, which leads me to

wonder why they spent the money to be there in the first place. Being more engrossed in banal conversation than the live performance is rude to both the artist and those who really want to be there.

Another beef I have with concertgoers that are unable to detach themselves from their phones is the excessive picture-taking. This is particularly bothersome when you’re forced by the pressing crowd to unintentionally photobomb every picture taken by the couple in front of you. And no matter how much you want to ignore them, you’ll end up spending the remainder of the night trying to choose between pretending that you’re unaware of your presence

in the picture being taken or making a ridiculous face.

The third, final, and most prevalent of the cardinal smartphone sins is the shooting of parts of a concert (or, God forbid, the entire show). Not only do these offenders insist on holding their phone right in your line of vision, but will most certainly adding it to the heap of low-quality clips already clogging up the interwebs.

Smartphones are almost a staple in today’s culture, and it’s highly unlikely that audiences will be able to go the few hours of a concert without using them at all. But until the world learns basic etiquette concerning phone usage at public events, concert-goers will never be able to fully enjoy the potential for epicness that live music offers.

{

nick of time

full honors

government shutdown

With only two seconds left, the football team won the Homecoming game after being tied the entire fourth quarter, making it one of the most suspenseful Homecoming games in years.

Across the hall from the cafeteria now sits a newly decorated wall, meant to honor those who have made accomplishments, but may be overlooked and left out of normal announcements

We understand your tactic; it’s much like the one we would have used when we were seven and couldn’t win monopoly, so we knocked the pieces off the board and went to pout in our room.

high and mighty

vb chocolate bar

disappointing DJ

In a fantastic end to the regular season, the Cardinals finished as champions of the National League, leading to their advancement into the playoffs.

Now there’s a place that can satisfy your coffee and chocolate needs while offering a great place to do homework. Bonus? It’s only about half a mile away from school.

Finding a balance between songs that are popular and ones that are easy to dance to is a difficult one, to say the least. However, ending the night with “Cruise” is possibly the worst choice that could have been made.

LOVE LIKE LEAVE

fhctoday.com | be heard

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staffeditorial It’s not all about the money

A

s students approach adulthood, independence and responsibility become more prevalent. High school is a crucial time for maturity and separation from authority. Because of this important time, many students look to find jobs to prepare them for their future.

Many influences stress the importance of having a job in high school, including teachers, parents and friends. These influences are a positive thing, because they prompt students to become independent of their parents and begin to support themselves.

As we grow older, many of our peers will be unprepared for the future because of either their lack of ambition or from simply taking a job that does not challenge them, allowing them to just show up and get paid. Having experience in the workplace will prepare students for their upcoming careers, and it will allow them opportunities to deal with a variety of personalities, ranging from sweet, flexible individuals to rude, demanding ones.

Not only will students be competent in their profession, but they will also begin to assume responsibility. Having a job in high school requires one to show up on time, budget time spent with friends and family and find time to focus on education. This difficult task enforces time management and its importance.

The influx of money from a job also teaches financial responsibilities. They are now able to pay for things like car insurance, gas, phone bills, activities with friends and many other luxuries.

This teaches students to rely less on their parents to supply them with extravagance and feed their every want and begin to pay for their own expenses. Jobs allow students to become self-sufficient, and they prepare them for their life removed from their parents.

When students are searching for a job, they need to not only be concerned with money, but how a job will benefit them down the road.

30}

be heard | october 25, 2013

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Looking upfield, senior running back Kendall Morris looks to evade Timberland’s Jamel Johnson (2) and Tyler Wibbenmeyer (11) during a second quarter run. Morris would score two touchdowns but injured his shoulder in the fourth quarter.

Homecoming

heroes

Senior Brody Allen reaches for the goal line to increase the Spartans' lead to 24-6 over Timberland.

The Spartans’ game against Timberland started well with the Spartans jumping to a 21-point lead, but as the Wolves fought back to tie the game, victory came down to Ben Burns’ 44-yard field goal as time expired. Photos by Darby Copeland

LEFT: Members of the football team mob senior placekicker Ben Burns (13) after Burns converted a 44-yard field goal to give the Spartans the win. TOP: Burns and senior linebacker Corey McCoy watch as Burns’ kick sails toward the uprights. ABOVE: Head Coach Todd Berck congratulates Burns, whose kick improved the Spartans to 4-2.

Coach Todd Berck addresses his team, along with fans from the stands and sidelines, after the team shook hands with the Wolves.

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aperture | october 25, 2013

Senior quarterback Brody Allen celebrates with alumnus Josh Wade.

Allen drove the offense into field goal range, setting up the winning field goal.

Junior Brandon Murray and seniors Jonah Greco and Shaun Murphy celebrate the team's win. Greco completed a 55-yard punt contributing to the win.