October 11, 2023

NORTH

STAR

SUPPLY UPGRADE The FHN robotics team prepares for the year with new equipment and technology.

Page 11 SUPERHERO MOVIES OF THE SUMMER Page 4 NEW POLICY REGARDING RESOLUTIONS Page 44-45 FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 02 10.11.2023

NORTH STAR

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Editors-in-Chief of News: McKenna Hudson Chase Pray News Editors Ray Hathcock Violet Newton Michaela Manfull Drew Johnson Miranda Fabian Izzy Lash Kaylee Priest News General Staff: John Butler Cheyenne Steed Cherry Clark Nylah Smith Patricia Fechter Gavin Swart Ben Henry Peyton Thies Riley Jensen Noah Tucker Grant Kilen Naomi Vandyne Sadie Ortmeyer Alex Wheadon

Editor-in-Chief of Photography Payton Johnston Photo Editors: Mady Brewer Bri Dunham Ankita Pandurangi Grace Pinson Faith Smith Kylie Taliaferro Photo General Staff: Jazmin Acevedo Demi Johnson Mallory Barker Kyra Landers Madalyn Bridgwater Torie Montomery Alayna Clement Thomas Jones Bella Collins Angelee Orozco Andrew Goffinet Jordan Ousley Austin Griffin Eashaan Patel Maddie Huckabay Kylie Ramirez Heidi Huff Alexis Rowland Jupiter Stephens

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Video Editors-in-Chief: Madelyn Clark Rhea Patel Video Editors: Max Ramirez Laney Quandt General Staff: Riley Aldenderfer Melissa Guerrero Nigel Bailey Wilson Lam Ben Bartels Reagan Moellering Jacob Bass Eric Morrow Camden Blair Vanessa Ng Sean Brand Jayda Reece Emily Clausner Taylor Saale Sassy Garcia Harper Schneider Nate Smith

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Sports Editor-in-Chief: Parker Smith Sports Editors: Jackson Calhoun Jackson Fifer Owen Gonzalez Braeden Kettinger Kevin McGuire Om Nair

(Cover Design by Michaela Manfull, Photo by Jordan Ousley)

PUMPKIN CARVING FOR BEGINNERS

SENIOR BACKPACK TREND AT NORTH

FALL SPORTS PHOTO GALLERY

DISTRICT REACTION TO COVID STRAIN

KEEPING UP WITH THE KNIGHTS

YADI’S YUMMIES IN ST. PETERS

HOW HYPE SONGS INFLUENCE ATHLETES

EDITORIAL: NEW BOARD POLICY CREATES OPPORTUNITY

Entertainment, Page 1

News, Page 10-11

Features, Page 18-19

Features, Page 24-25

Features, Page 26-27

Sports, Page 38

Sports, Page 36-37

Opinions, Page 44-45

Sports General Staff: Luis Escobar Mason Mitchell Maahin Fatima Kenneth Nunn Liv Graeser Avee Patel Elise Grimshaw Sam Reimer Katie Head Ryan Simerda Mo Huff Jaden Slusser Addy Jones Morgan Smith James Kowalczyk Carter Stover Alayna Lohaus Austin Vollmer Advisers: Aaron Manfull Jordyn Kiel

PUMPKIN CARVING FOR BEGINNERS

Here are some basic steps on how to make your own jack-o-lantern (Content by John Butler and Izzy Lash) As the leaves fall and the air becomes more crisp, many people get into the Halloween spirit. A common tradition most families have is carving a pumpkin and forming it into a personal jack-o-lantern. Since some may have never done it, here are the basics for carving.

(Illustration by Izzy Lash)

STUDY YOUR WAY

by Izzy Lash

ilash623@g.fhsdschools.org

Step 2- Getting tools You can use common household objects like a knife and a spoon in a pinch but we recommend that you get a pumpkin tool kit that, at most, only costs under $25 and will be more effective when carving.

Step 3- Finding the right design Most beginners will stick with the traditional design of two triangles for eyes and a simple mouth, but for the more artistically inclined they can do more creative designs.

Step 4- Start carving The only way to learn is by doing. Start by cutting the top of the pumpkin and then scoop the insides out. Then, flip the pumpkin on the side you intend on cutting and mark your design with a sharpie. When cutting, make sure you are being careful and are using a sharp knife when possible. When done, you can put a candle in and now you have made your own jack-o-lantern.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by McKenna Hudson & Michaela Manfull (Contents) Izzy Lash (1) • Entertainment

Step 1- Setting up a clean area Set up a clean area to work with to leave little to no mess. We recommend that you take newspapers and cover the designated area or use a plastic garbage bag if newspapers are not available.

When your schedule is loaded with difficult course work, it’s important to create good study habits. Luckily a lot of teachers and classes have built-in material to work off of. Thanks to the internet, there’s a variety of resources you can use to study and create the perfect study plan for you.

AP Classroom is often a required source for AP classes, either to take tests or to read through lessons, but it can also be used as a resource. It’s especially helpful if you are in an AP class and you’re worried about the big test, because it formats all of its questions the same way the test will.

The videos and questions also run through things in the AP style, so if you learn better like that, this study resource is for you.

Heimler’s History Youtube channel is a favorite in history classes, mainly because history is his thing. He gives thorough information in an easily understandable way, though it’s a little fast paced. This resource is good for those who learn at a faster pace, and like to have lectures as background noise.

Heimler’s is especially helpful for anyone taking the AP history classes and tests because he focuses on that curriculum in his videos.

Quizlet is a fan-favorite for all kinds of students. It’s really good for memorization and self-quizzing, and you can find almost anything on there. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, Quizlet lets you create your own, unlike the other resources listed here. All you need to do is create a free account. It’s very useful for people who like flashcards, but if you find it hard to read and memorize things on a screen, it might not be the one for you.

With a variety of resources to choose from, it all really depends on your way of learning and retaining information. With technology today, there’s no shortage of online programs, both free and subscription, with videos and articles. And sometimes it’s even just best to stay traditional with a pen, paper and some notecards.

Whatever works best for you.

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A BRAND NEW ERA

by Izzy Lash

ilash623@g.fhsdschools.org

The Taylor Swift Eras Tour has practically taken over the nation, from record-breaking ticket sales, to earthquakes from the excitement at the show and surprise songs that only happened in a few venues. Fans of Taylor who got to go to the concerts loved the atmosphere, how everyone was having fun, dancing, singing and trading bracelets. Everyone at the concerts was ready to have a good night. Now, fans hope that the movie will keep that atmosphere, while adding a professional touch with closeup videos of their favorite moments.

Both fans that went and didn’t go to the concerts are looking forward to seeing some behind the scenes content and seeing all the songs Taylor only did in a few locations. “The Eras Tour” movie will be an affordable way for all fans to see or re-watch Taylor Swift’s latest, and greatest, tour in theaters on Oct. 13.

(Photo Submitted)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FALL FOOD?

“I really like the pumpkin blondies at 7 Brew,” Leesha Kamotho, 11

“I like cheesy scallop potatoes,” Alex Prudhomme, 11

(Photo by Heidi Huff)

(Illustration by Alex Wheadon)

(Photo by Drew Johnson)

by Nylah Smith

by Alex Wheadon

by Nylah Smith

FAVORITE FALL FOODS RETURN nsmith474@g.fhsdschools.org

Fall is the season to start unhanging your sweaters and getting ready for some cold weather. Here are some suggestions to satisfy your taste buds.

For all pumpkin lovers, you should have the classic Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. However, if you are not a big fan of pumpkin and love soups and meat, try some hearty beef stew to warm your body and get something delicious in return. But, if you’re not a big fan of beef, try some warm chicken noodle soup to keep your body warm from colds and illness or just to enjoy. There are many warm and delicious foods to eat during fall, so get ready for your taste buds to be blown away.

Learn More “Pumpkin pie,” Yazan Rawashdeh, 9

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Scan the QR code to find a recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup.

NEWEST MARIO GAME RELEASE awheadon315@g.fhsdschools.org

Super Mario Bros Wonder is the next step in the 2D Mario games, boasting a new art style and a whole new story releasing on Oct. 20. This game takes place in the Flower Kingdom where Bowser steals the Wonder Seed, merging him with the Flower Prince’s castle. With his new found power, Bowser has taken over the Flower Kingdom.

There are many things to do in the Flower Kingdom like setting out to save the Flower Kingdom as Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Nabbit, Toad and Toadette. Use the Elephant Fruit to turn Mario and friends into an elephant or use the Bubble Flower to put enemies in bubbles or the Drill Hat to burrow into the ground. Wonder Flowers can be found in levels and when touched, will cause a Wonder Effect to happen.

There is much more to encounter in the Flower Kingdom so embark on a wonderful adventure with Mario through the Flower Kingdom.

WAYS AI CAN BE HELPFUL nsmith474@g.fhsdschools.org

Usually, when someone brings up the thought of AI, it brings this unfamiliar almost taboo feeling that it should not be used. However, there are some AIpowered tools that can be beneficial to students and for teachers.

One of the most popular is Speechify.

It is software that can read text out loud and it can help students with reading comprehension and save time on reading material.

Trinka is another AI-powered software program that can help with writing. It helps with grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary. It can also be used to detect plagiarism, citation and publications.

Otter.ai is an AI that can help take notes for you in class. It can transcribe words and create summaries of the content said in class. It can help students with saving time on notetaking and review material.

AI can help with a multitude of things, if used correctly and safely, it can make learning easier.

FIVE NIGHT AT FREDDY’S MOVIE EXPECTATIONS

by John Butler

jbutler035@g.fhsdschools.org

(Photo from Markus Wissman / Shutterstock)

With the Five Nights At Freddy’s (FNAF) movie releasing on Oct. 27, many fans are excited to see their favorite game come to the big screen.

Based on the trailer and already established lore, FNAF fans already have high expectations for the movie.

With the information that has been released based on the first trailer, fans know that the new movie will be located in the building of the first game. Most

THE BENEFITS OF CODING

by Cherry Clark

cclark599@g.fhsdschools.org

APPS TO CHECK OUT

Proficiency in coding languages like JavaScript, C++ and Python can lead to high-paying jobs and provide financial independence. Most high schools offer a variety of coding courses, allowing students to get a head start on learning before graduation. Learning coding also grows analytical and critical thinking skills, enhancing one’s ability to problem solve.

The best part is that anyone can learn how to code. While coding may seem complicated initially, the first steps towards learning it are easier than you might think. Although some knowledge of math can be beneficial, it’s not necessary to enter the world of coding.

by Cherry Clark

cclark599@g.fhsdschools.org

QUIZLET (Illustration by Alex Wheadon)

NEW MARIO SWITCH RELEASES

by Alex Wheadon

awheadon315@g.fhsdschools.org

Coinciding with the release of Super Mario Wonder releasing later in October in a Mario Wonder Direct, Nintendo announced a Mario Red version of the OLED Switch released on Oct. 6.

This Switch comes with red Joy-Con controllers, a red Nintendo Switch and a dock with a little Mario on the back of the dock and some coins hidden on the dock as well.

The OLED version of the Nintendo Switch was released in 2021 and it was an upgraded version of the original Nintendo Switch. The 2021 version had better speakers, an OLED screen, a bigger kickstand for handheld, a bigger screen and many other features.

Quizlet is an educational app that can be used to study for various quizzes and tests. The app is free, but subscribing to Quizlet Plus unlocks a variety of studying options, from flashcards to practice tests.

GOOGLE DRIVE Google Drive is an app that allows for storage of files, videos, photos, etc.

It can be useful for school as you can organize files and content in folders, as well as accessing other’s content.

It allows for easier collaboration for assignments as well.

SATURN

Saturn is an app that allows students to keep track of the time left in their classes. Students can sync their class schedules for an accurate countdown.

You can also add your friends on the app and view their schedules.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Cherry Clark & Drew Johnson • Entertainment

(Photo from Shutterstock)

Knowing how to code is an underrated skill that has many benefits.

Despite our daily interactions with our devices, the complex coding process that enables many common apps and programs to function, often goes unnoticed. Learning how to code comes with many advantages for long-term success.

One of the significant benefits is the career opportunities it provides.

fans also know that the story will drift away from known lore and will instead go more in depth on some of the behind the scenes that is mostly not featured in the games. Also, as viewers saw in the trailer, “Mike” will be the main character in the movie instead of the animatronics but not to worry, the animatronics will also get some screen time. What fans want most though is for it to add to already established lore and for it to end up as a good addition to the series overall.

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HEROES OF THE SUMMER

Many superhero movies released this summer, some receiving more love from fans than others (Content by Michaela Manfull)

A SPIDER-FILLED MULTIVERSE

ONE OF THESE IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER

Sony’s latest installment in the SpiderVerse trilogy, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” was released on June 2 of this year. In theaters, fans noticed a few minor differences when watching the movie for a second or third time. Some scenes had changed dialogue while others were completely reanimated or cut to fit a different tone.

There are many reasons why these scenes could be different, and not just because the movie was about alternate dimensions. While making post-production alterations to movies is not uncommon, the extent to which these edits were made goes a little further than what is usually shown in film. The producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller revealed that their main purposes were logistics, specifically changing the movie for translation and censoring in certain countries. Along with that, they also mentioned that their creative team had offered alternatives to a few of the scenes, and they were allowed to run with their ideas as part of one of the two final movies.

The first two installments of the Spider-Verse trilogy have been cinematic masterpieces, breaking the mold and setting new expectations for the comic book animation industry, but a final film has yet to be released. The third installment, currently titled “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” was set to release in March of 2024. Likely due to the writer, actor and animator strike during the summer of 2023 and some behind-the-scenes drama during the production of Across the Spider-Verse, the film is postponed until late 2024 or even 2025.

(Illustration by Naomi VanDyne)

There are a lot of mixed reviews on the newest DC movie, “Blue Beetle,” which premiered in theaters Aug. 18, 2023. Some people claim it’s a good family movie with great latinx representation while others think it was a waste of time due to its mid-level action sequences and extreme predictability. Nevertheless, it was still a superhero movie based on years of comics, meaning there will be some differences between Blue Beetle in the comics and the movie that casual viewers may not notice.

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Victoria Kord didn’t show up in the comics until the movie was about to be released.

To preface, there have been three different publishers who have taken on the mantle of the “Blue Beetle.” Passing from Fox Comics to Holyoke Publishing to Charlton Comics before finally being bought out by DC Comics, Blue Beetle has seen a lot of different publications and animated forms.

While there were three different Blue Beetle characters in the comics, the movie focused on Jaime Reyes, the third Blue Beetle. As in most theatrical adaptations of comics or books, there are discrepancies between the movie and the source material.

(Illustration by Naomi VanDyne)

hometown was 2 Jaime’s switched.

In the comics, Jaime fights crime as Blue Beetle in El Paso, but in the movie, it was switched to a fictional Palmera City. The only representation of his hometown in the movie was in the name of his street. Palmera City is now Jaime’s home in the comics as well.

Her first appearance in DC Comics was in issue 2 of Blue Beetle: Graduation Day in February 2023. Many fans speculate that she is a reinterpretation of Jarvis Kord from the older comics.

Kord and 3 Jenny uncle Rudy didn’t

scarab is not 4 The kept as a secret from

exist until the movie, period.

Jaime’s family.

While her father, Ted Kord, was the previous Blue Beetle in many of the comics, Jenny Kord herself didn’t make an appearance in the comics. On the other hand, uncle Rudy was completely original to the movie, having no tie-in to the comics.

In the movie, Jaime’s family is present when the scarab attaches itself to his back and gives him his powers, allowing them to show their support the whole way through.

In the comics, however, he has more of a Spider-Man act to keep up because he keeps his powers secret.

movie is not entirely 5 The based off of the comics.

To watch a preview of this release

Scan the QR code to watch the official trailer from DC for Blue Beetle, which is likely to release on the streaming service Max within a few months.

While some of the content was from the comics of ‘Infinite Crisis’ and ‘Blue Beetle: Graduation Day,’ most of the inspiration for the movie came from the video game ‘Injustice 2.’

THE FLASH VS SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS In July of 2023, two DC movies were released, those being “The Flash” and “Shazam: Fury of the Gods.” Even with all of the promotional work done to hype up the two superhero action movies, the best way to describe them would be “box office flops.” While IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, two online film critiquing resources, harshly criticize them, not everyone who watched the movies had the same opinions. (Illustration by Cherry Clark)

SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS

THE FLASH

IMDb:

IMDb:

6.0/10

Rotten Tomatoes Audience: 86%

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 49%

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“The Shazam movie was really funny and I liked how they transform.”

Jocelyn Kuker, 9

6.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes Audience: 83%

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 63%

“Watching the Flash movie encouraged me to start track because he’s my favorite superhero.

He just makes me feel really fast.”

Joey Ingracia, 10

SUDOKU

A Sudoku puzzle to challenge your brain and some Tic-Tac-Toe with friends (Content by Alex Wheadon)

A quiz to test your knowledge on the different Nintendo franchises 1. How many Pokémon are in the first generation?

A. 151 B. 200 C. 160 D. 184

2. What is the first game Mario appears in?

A. Super Mario Bros B. Mario Bros C. Donkey Kong D. Mario Tennis

3. What is the name of the famous sword wielded by Link?

A. Wind Waker B. Ocarina C. Biggoron’s Sword D. Master Sword

4. Who is one of the main idols in Splatoon 3?

A. Pearl B. Callie C. Big Man D. Marina

5. Who is Kirby’s main villain in Kirby Return to Dreamland?

A. Meta Knight B. Magolor C. Marx D. King Dedede

6. Which of these Pikmin aren’t real?

A. Yellow Pikmin B. Green Pikmin C. Winged Pikmin D. Purple Pikmin

7. How many tracks are in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

A. 32 B. 48 C. 80 D. 96

8. Which power-up isn’t in Super Mario Bros Wonder?

A. Drill Cap B. Bee Mushroom C. Elephant Mushroom D. Bubble Flower

9. What is the name of the male protagonist in Pokémon Red? A. Red B. Green C. Ash D. Gary

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023• Pages Designed by Michaela Manfull (4) Alex Wheadon (5) • Entertainment

NINTENDO QUIZ

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Answers 1:A 2:C 3:D 4:C 5:B 6:B 7:D 8:B 9:A

COMICS

CAT MEETS WORLD

Scan the QR code to the right to view more comics on FHNtoday.com

SPIRIT WEEK ANXIETY

JOME’S ADVENTURES

06

Max Ramirez

Alex Wheadon

Demi Johnson

BOOM

Lennon Sharp

FOOTBALL LOSER Izzy Lash

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by John Butler • Entertainment

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‘

SOCIALS SOME THINGS ON OUR TIKTOK

GAMEDAY BRINGS HYPE

Now being produced by the sports staff, the FHNgameday TikTok account is the home of hype videos for all of your favorite teams at North.

SOCIAL UPDATES

by Madelyn Clark

mclark392@g.fhsdschools.org

FOLLOWING TRENDS If you’re interested in seeing your classmates, teachers and principals keeping up with the hot new trends, follow us on Tiktok @FHNtoday.

Hey FHN, make sure you are following and staying up to date with our socials @FHNtoday and @FHNgameday so you can keep up with the FHN community and our journalism program. We showcase a variety of content and promo lots of our staffers work via our social media pages.

We work to keep the community updated on all the happenings of FHN. Check out the TikTok to see all kinds of content like spirit day fit checks, important dates, community events, hype videos, sideline interviews and much more. We also post promos so you can keep up

to date on all our upcoming videos, live streams and podcasts.

Check out our Instagram to see Humans of FHN, photo gallery previews, stop motions, informational posts, promos, hype videos, game updates, content from the tiktoks and much more.

Check out X to keep up with all the live streams and important school updates Make sure to check out all of our other social medias such as Snapchat, Facebook, Spotify, and more so can stay updated on all things FHN.

DID YOU KNOW WE ALSO HAVE...

INFORMING FHN

On top of our fun content, FHNtoday also brings you relevant and informative content about things/ events happening at FHN.

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SPOTIFY

FACEBOOK

X

FHNtoday has its own Spotify account where you can listen to weekly podcasts that our Video Staff releases.

Our Facebook account keeps the FHN community up to date with all of the upcoming school events.

Starting this year, you’ll be able to find us on X at FHNtoday and FHNgameday for all of your breaking news.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Drew Johnson & Chase Pray (8) Michaela Manfull (9) • Entertainment

Photo by Payton Johnston

Designed by Michaela Manfull

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ALTERNATE COVER

BOARD RESPONDS TO COVID STRAIN

Board members discuss potential response to the new COVID strain

by Grant Kilen

gkilen380@g.fhsdschools.org

Many have come to believe that COVID is a thing of the past, but that assumption is now being challenged.

According to the New York Times, COVID hospitalizations have increased by roughly 30 percent in the past month and multiple students at FHN have contracted the virus since returning to school.

The World Health Organization has reported that the cause of this new surge of COVID is the emergence of two new “sub-variants” of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: the BA.2.86 sub-variant, nicknamed “Pirola”, and the EG.5 sub-variant, nicknamed “Eris.” As both are sub-variants of Omicron, both spread faster than most strains of the virus, but are less likely to cause severe symptoms. Nonetheless, new COVID cases are being met with a similar degrees of alarm as they were in 2021 and 2022.

Many vividly remember the effects of COVID in 2021 and 2022 in the Francis Howell School District. Sporting events were closed to the general public if not canceled altogether, indoor mask mandates were enforced with suspensions, a myriad of restrictions with the justificatiwon of “stopping the spread” were put in place, and students who declined to receive the COVID vaccine were disallowed from coming to school for over a week if they came within the presence of one who later tested positive for COVID. While it would seem as though those practices were a thing of the past, many schools across the country have reintroduced similar measures in response to the recent growth of COVID cases.

These COVID mitigation measures did not come the first time without controversy. In Francis Howell, parents packed board meetings to protest COVID mandates which they saw as unsupported by empirical evidence.

These concerns, combined with certain other actions which the same parents took issue with, led these parents to form a political action committee which aimed to elect school board members who are more skeptical of COVID mitigation measures.

This is relevant because this same political action committee, Francis Howell Families, has seen huge success.

In the two elections held since the COVID pandemic, Francis Howell Families-backed candidates have won every seat, now forming a supermajority of the school board. As COVID mitigation strategies are handled almost entirely at the district level in Francis Howell, this new board majority will

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likely impact what measures are put in place in the name of limiting the spread of the virus.

Two board members briefly laid out their philosophy on how the district ought to handle COVID if it comes back. One of them was Janet Stiglich who also served as a school nurse and the district’s school nurse coordinator from 1992 to 2016. Elected in 2021, she is part of the last class of board members elected before COVID measures became a mainstream issue.

The other is Jane Puszkar, a former neuroscience nurse and the founder of the Association of Stroke Coordinators.

Elected in 2023, COVID measures were fresh on the minds of voters. While the directors expressed conflicting views, both cited their medical experience as influential on their determinations.

Stiglich stated that her decision would rely heavily on the recommendation of the superintendent, Dr. Kenneth Roumpos, and the district nurse coordinator, Barbara Morse.

“I would have to look at what the recommendation would be coming from our superintendent and his team,” Stiglich said. “They have a new nurse coordinator now, Barbara Morse. I’d have to see what her thoughts were and then I would make my decision based on that. One of the things I learned the very first year I was in this role is that I have to make my decisions based on the knowledge that I have and I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror every morning and say I made what I felt was the best decision at the time with information I was given.”

Stiglich went on to express her confidence in the ability of masks to limit viral spread generally.

“Not only did we prevent COVID in our district—you know, most of the COVID transmission was outside of school, not in school—but our strep numbers were down, our cold numbers were down, our seasonal flu numbers were down,” Stiglich said. “We weren’t seeing those kinds of sicknesses either.

And people say, well, that was because of the masks. Absolutely.”

She also clarified that her considerations were not always going to be the same, given the benefit of hindsight of the pandemic.

“You know, look, in three years, what’s changed? There’s vaccines available now for those who choose to get them,” Stiglich said.

All in all, Stiglich made clear that the welfare of the students was her primary objective.

“I think what we have to do is just look

(Illustration by Michaela Manfull)

MORE COVID INFO

Scan the QR code to see recent statistics on COVID.

Scan the QR code to see local COVID news.

at what’s best for our kids and at that time and make decisions based on that,” Stiglich said.

On the other hand, Puszkar expressed a general skepticism of COVID mandates of any sort.

“If you want to wear a mask, you’re free to wear a mask,” Puszkar said. “If you want to get vaccinated, you’re free to get vaccinated. That all should be a personal decision. I do not agree with the fact that one size fits all and then everybody should wear a mask and then everybody should get vaccinated.”

She went on to state an outright lack of faith in masks and COVID vaccines.

“As a nurse, a graduate from SLU, the program that I went through was very heavily focused on research, and that’s been something that I have carried throughout all other aspects of my life and what I’ve come to find is that masks don’t work,” Puszkar said. “If masks did, we wouldn’t have the spread of COVID. And I’m not quite convinced, in fact, I’m not at all convinced that the vaccines work, because if they did work, we wouldn’t have the spread of COVID.” Puszkar also reflected on the relatively-minor effects of COVID on children, and how that balances with the potential harm of masks.

“For healthy kids, adolescents, and

Senior Carter Hood builds the frame of the robot. (Photo by Ben Henry)

NEW TOYS FOR ROBOTICS

by Ben Henry

bhenry501@g.fhsdschools.org

based on, in fact, heavily researched, proven. And it would not be an offthe-cuff type of decision. Show me the data.”

Both board members agreed that COVID was likely to be an ongoing issue for many years to come, and both compared it to seasonal viruses such as the flu. While there was not a consensus on how the virus ought to be handled, the board members both expressed that the health, safety, and education of the students were the supreme interests which they were pursuing and would continue to pursue.

(Illustration by Alex Wheadon)

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young adults, the mortality rate is very small and very minor,” Puszkar said.

“Not to say that their life isn’t worth saving, but at the same time, there’s just no reason for us all to mask up for such a small amount of return, because actually the masks that we wear are more detrimental and more toxic to our breathing and our basic immune systems than it would be to not wear one.”

Puszkar also shared her thoughts on mandating COVID vaccines for students, as other districts across the country have.

“I will reserve the fact that like I said before, polio, tetanus, those vaccines that have been tested and improved over the years really work and do prevent those diseases, I’m not going to be one that would ever support a vaccine that number one, is unproven; number two, the adverse events exceed the efficacy; and three, has not been studied,” Puszkar said.

Puszkar also said she would favor an individualized approach to COVID in FHSD rather than looking to other districts and mirroring their response.

“Well, I do think that all these districts are different,” Puszkar said. “I don’t think all districts are the same. So, would I support an individualized decision?

Absolutely. I would support a decision

The FHN robotics team is starting the season off strong with new equipment and technologies to tackle the latest season of First Tech Challenge, a national-level robotics competition that brings new challenges each year. Engineering teacher Mike Green sponsors the robotics team.

“It’s all about skill and programming, how well you can control the robot,” Green said.

The robotics team has acquired some new robot parts to get the edge over the competition. While skill and programming are an important part of the competition, having more advanced parts can give the team more options for their strategy.

“You learn from previous years and find new parts to use. We upgraded our linear actuators and moved to a belt-drive system that is more efficient,” Green said.

The members of the robotics club are excited for the new parts to experiment with and develop a strategy.

“We’re going to have a great year,” Senior and robotics club member Logan Huffaker said.

Sponsored by Raytheon and Qualcomm, the First Tech Challenge sees two teams of two robots battle to score points for their team on a 12 foot by 12 foot playing field. A new addition for this season involves teams building paper airplanes and launching mechanisms to score bonus points for their team.

“We’ve been cooking up some designs for our airplane, we have to make one that goes a certain distance without going over or we lose the whole bonus,” Huffaker said.

Last year, both the girls and co-ed teams did very well and the team is aiming to go all the way to state this year.

“Robotics is all about gracious professionalism, we want to win, but we also want everyone to have fun,” Green said.

11

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON NEW BUILDING

by Ray Hathcock

rhathcock942@g.fhsdschools.org

The new scoreboard, the track, the main gymnasium and parking system are all the current primary focus for the construction team.

“It’s going really well, the construction is on track,” FHN Head Principal Jeffery Fletcher said. “I feel like we will be in a good place [by summer break].”

Outside, main entrances for easier access are being built. In the building, there will be larger hallways that are going to allow for more walk room, a designated robotics room and each educational department is going to be near each other.

“I’m just really excited for our students to get a new building,” Assistant Principal Shelly Parks said. “I think it’s going to be nice that we don’t, hopefully, have some of the HVAC issues that we had the first week of school. I just think it’s going to be a place where we can all feel pride.”

The new FHN building comes to a close on outdoor construction. The building is set to finish by the fall of 2024.

(Photo by Chris Brandt)

Riverwalk Market

Scan this QR Code to learn more information about the Riverwalk Market at The Foundry

Cultural Night

(Photo by Maddie Huckabay)

(Photo by Mallory Barker)

(Photo by Salem Cotton)

MARKET HELD AT THE FOUNDRY

FHSD HOLDS CULTURAL NIGHT

BAND TO GO TO ORLANDO

mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org

ntucker088@g.fhsdschools.org

rhathcock942@g.fhsdschools.org

by Miranda Fabian

Scan this QR Code to sign up for the FHSD Cultural Night at Becky David on Oct. 12.

12

The St. Charles Riverwalk Market is a fundraiser held at the Foundry Art Centre that runs from April 15 to Nov. 25 from 7:30 a.m to 1 p.m every Saturday, with special events along the way like the Fall Festival on Oct. 21 and the Christmas Market ending the season on Nov. 25.

The fundraiser is all volunteer work through the St. Charles Lions Club, managed by co-managers Lisa Davis and Stacey Enders. The volunteer work allows them to raise money for different organizations such as scholarships for Lewis and Clark, Shop with a Cop and Reach St. Charles.

To be a vendor one must make, bake or grow items sold. It’s $20 per 12 by 12 spot each Saturday. This has attracted many vendors like students and staff members at FHN. “We feel our vendors are our family, our extended family,” Enders said.

by Noah Tucker

On Oct. 12 at Becky-David there will be an event called Cultural Night. The event will be at 6 p.m and everyone in the district is welcome to attend.

Students and parents are encouraged to bring food from their nation and give lessons about their culture such as information about their religion, hairstyles, clothing, etc. ESOL teacher Jennifer Smith is one of the teachers organizing and managing the event. She has been teaching for 18 years.

“As a teacher of students who speak other languages, it’s important for them to feel represented,” Smith said. “They’re a minority and they’d like to showcase their culture.”

The cultural night event has only been done once before last year and was a great success. Students and parents who wish to participate this year will be able to set up a table with anything relating to their culture.

by Ray Hathcock

The FHN Band is going to travel to Orlando, Florida, over fall break to perform in the theme park marching performance.

“Since [the Kansas City trip in March] went so well, I imagined the Orlando trip is going to be good as well,” junior trumpet player Jaden Christensen said.

“We’re gonna have bigger buses. We have to bring all of our equipment and everything. I am looking forward to it.”

This is the second large trip since COVID forced the members to stop playing in farther distanced locations.

“I’m actually really excited, because it’s my last year in band and we didn’t really get to do any overnight competitions like we usually would any of my four years here,” senior flute player Amelia Cosper said.

BUILDING TIMELINE This timeline is taken from the projected schedules that have been created. These projections are liable to change. (Photos by Chris Brandt)

August 2024 Building opens

(Photo by Gavin Swart)

(Photo by Angelee Orozco)

(Illustration by Demi Johnson)

On Oct. 27 and 28, FHN will host a Speech and Debate Tournament. The first day will have debaters come to North for speech events, and then on Saturday, debate events will be held at Francis Howell High.

This debate tournament is going to have schools from across the area come to North in order to compete. This tournament is a combined effort between North, Francis Howell High and Francis Howell Central in order to help create more cohesion between the schools so that way more combined efforts can happen in the future. (Brief by Gavin Swart)

FHN Masque Players will be putting on the play “Clue,” with performances on Oct. 11, 12 and 13.

Senior Antonio Oestereich is the Stage Manager and Set Head for the play.

“We have been moving really quickly and it’s all coming together,” Oesterich said.

The play is a murder mystery based on the popular board game of the same name. The cast and crew have been working hard to memorize lines and build sets for the event.

“Come and see it, it’s going to be great,” Oesterich said. (Brief by Ben Henry)

To acknowledge people who have previously served in the U.S military, the U.S. celebrates Veterans Day on Nov. 11 each year.

North works to make sure the veterans in the community are seen and respected with a Veterans Day assembly, in which the school takes time to come together and listen to local veterans tell their own stories and lessons attendees can learn from.

The assembly will take place during the school day in the big gym.

“We should respect them for what they’ve done,” junior Thomas Brown said.

“They’re good people.”

(Brief by Noah Tucker)

TOURNAMENT AT NORTH

DRAMA CLUB HAS FALL PLAY

ASSEMBLY TO BE HELD AT FHN

January 2025 Practice fields complete

April 2025

Parking lot complete

June 2025

Structures for track and field events completed

August 2025 Project completion

by Gavin Swart

gswart370@g.fhsdschools.org

Juniors Akili Griffin, Melissa Guerrero-Bernal and Samantha Felty practice for the upcoming choir concerts. (Photo by Demi Johnson)

The FHN Choir is hosting a plethora of concerts this year. They will be holding their annual winter concert on Nov. 21 at North. Anyone is welcome to attend and witness months of work and dedication up on the stage.

“I think everyone is having a great time with it and most of the nerves are gone because we’re all there together and we’re all doing it together,” senior Adam Prinkey said.

Concerts are an exciting time for the choir as they work hard all year building up to these concerts so that their skill can be appreciated by everyone. This year’s concert is going to be held in the auditorium at North.

“Their hard work and their effort starts to come to fruition and it pays off,” choir director Jennifer Oncken said. “They get to recap the rewards of their hard work and dedication.”

FHN HOSTS HOCO ALUMNI EVENT

by Miranda Fabian

mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org

Junior Alexandria Lee smiles at the 2022 Homecoming at FHN (Photo by Salem Cotton)

The Alumni Homecoming event on Oct. 7 was FHN’s first alumni event held to commemorate the last year in the building. They celebrated with former and current students, staff and families.

Various clubs came together to put the event together such as NHS, Mentors, MAC Scholars and more.

The event was also put together by different staff members such as Shelly Parks and Kimberly Coil, and former students, now staff members, Sean Fowler, Jordyn Kiel, Jenelle Louis, Rachel

Pirrone and Rowan Pugh.

The event had guest speakers from Superintendent Kenneth Roumpos and Head Principal Jeffrey Fletcher to junior Gavin Swart. They served breakfast, held a photo booth and had a blast from the past with photos from the past 30 years on the walls and a slideshow.

“The premise is to give people a last opportunity to walk through the old school,” Parks said. “This is a place that has memories for so many people.”

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Ben Henry & Gavin Swart • News

CHOIR PREPARES FOR UPCOMING CONCERT IN NOVEMBER

13

Senior Deniz Devecigil gives kids temporary tattoos at a ‘Back to School Bash’ hosted by Henderson Elementary on the evening of Sept. 8 to welcome the students back to the new school year. Many members from FHN’s NHS program volunteered to help run the program and fulfill their community service requirement.

NHS VOLUNTEER PHOTO GALLERY

The National Honor Society at FHN participates in many volunteer opportunities in the community throughout the year. (Photos by Eashaan Patel) Junior Izzy Lash serves hot dogs to kids and families at Henderson elementary’s ‘Back to School Bash.’

A child has fun racing through the inflatable obstacle course at Henderson Elementary.

Henderson Elementary hosts ‘Back to School Bash’ with hot dog booth, Kona Ice and an inflatable obstacle course.

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Kid enjoys bubble machine bus, music and dancing.

Junior Michaela Manful works an inflatable obstacle course.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Michaela Manfull • News

Designed by Michaela Manfull

Photo Submitted

15

ALTERNATE COVER

SCAN HERE

To find five fun things to do on Halloween. (Photo by Ankita Pandurangi)

FHNTODAY

STORIES TO LOOK FOR

(Photo from Shutterstock)

by Sadie Ortmeyer

HOMECOMING PHOTO GALLERY

by Drew Johnson

djohnson440@g.fhsdschools.org

The FHN media team covered Homecoming from every angle. Each gallery was featured on FHNtoday.com.

Photographers were swarming the halls capturing the looks and spirit of FHN students from the pink to the Hawaiian themes. These photos were put into a gallery at the end of the week showcasing the school spirit.

At the pep assembly, images were captured of Knight Sound performing the National Anthem, student leaders exciting the crowd and school-wide games. FHN Media staff were also able to capture the announcements of the 2023 Homecoming courts.

For the third year in a row, the Homecoming football game was held at Lindenwood University. Photographers and videographers were at the game against Troy High School. The FHN section was overflowing with excited fans and school spirit. In addition to the Homecoming court announcements, alumni who were on the Homecoming court in past years were invited to walk as well. FHN Media captured the pre-game and halftime performances.

Over 3,000 alumni signed up to attend a commemorative Homecoming in honor of the new school. Content from the event was added to FHNtoday.com.

On Oct. 7, students gathered in the FHN gym for a Hollywood-themed Homecoming.

FHNTODAY APP Since the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, the FHN Media staffs have developed and maintained the FHNtoday App. Find the Home tab to see the @FHNtoday social media links and stories recently posted to FHNtoday.com.

Check out the Sections tab to find a variety of helpful links, learning tools, activities information, a map of the school, and the bell schedules for normal, Knight Time, and early release Wednesdays.

You can download the FHNtoday app in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

(Photo from Shutterstock)

TOP TEN HALLOWEEN MOVIES

by Jake Price

(Photo from Shutterstock)

HALLOWEEN NAIL ART TUTORIAL

by Taylor Perry

Have an Idea?

Scan the QR code to submit an idea to the FHN media staffs.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Michaela Manfull (16) Cheyenne Steed & Drew Johnson (17) • News

HAUNTED FABULOUS FOX THEATER

17

Yadi’s Yummies is a pet store in St. Peters, but they also offer many more products for cats and dogs. They have many different and unique items they offer. They make customized birthday cakes, and their treats are custom made by the employees. (Photos by Jazmin Acevedo)

TREATS TO CONNECT A COMMUNITY Yadi’s Yummies helps more than just pets, it offers employment and community

by McKenna Hudson

mhudson365@g.fhsdschools.org

T

he excitement felt by Jessica Eisenbeis when opening her business and being featured by CNN was one that few can relate too, let alone an individual who was deemed ‘unemployable’. Jessica’s struggle is one many individuals with mental disabilities and handicaps struggle with, as they are often deemed ‘unemployable’ by the state. However, Jessica took matters into her own hands and turned a passion of making dog and cat treats into Yadi’s Yummies.

“I love it,” Jessica said.

From her teenage years, Jessica

18

MORE INFO

Scan the QR code below to visit the Yadi’s Yummies website and learn more about their employees and mission.

struggled to find employment. She was born with a rare genetic syndrome called Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome which affects learning capabilities. She dealt with numerous employers who were unable or unwilling to adapt to her needs.

“She was having trouble finding a place where she felt that she was valued and respected,” Jessica’s mom Cindy Eisenbeis said. “She ended up starting to make dog treats with one of her old high school teachers and when they started going to craft fairs and stuff like that, we had adopted a dog from a local rescue. That got us involved with the rescue community. She wanted to have a place where she could work and where

she could have other people work who also were having trouble finding a place.

Some of the people that volunteer here are people that [Jessica] had gone to school with and some people that she didn’t know, but just seeing how Jessica and they have blossomed since they’ve been here is amazing.”

Jessica, with the help of Cindy, secured the storefront location at 1251 Jungermann Road. They decided to name their business Yadi’s Yummies after their own rescue dog Yadi, a nod to the famous Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

The store sells a plethora of unique pet treats for dogs and cats including ice cream, dog beer and ‘pupcakes.’

They also sell toys, gifts and other pet memorabilia.

“Some of the people that volunteer here are people that [Jessica] had gone to school with and some people that she didn’t know, but just seeing how Jessica and they have blossomed since they’ve been here is amazing,” Cindy said.

Soon after the business opened, they received lots of media attention from many news outlets highlighting the store’s equality and individuality. It’s not only helped the store grow, but helped

Yadi’s Yummies offers many different events such as birthday celebrations.

Patrons can visit the store or schedule a party online for their pets. Parties can allow for many furry-friend guests and gift bags are provided.

Gotcha day celebrations are also an avaliable celebration that Yadi’s Yummies offers.

Yadi’s Yummies customizes their store to fit the seasons.

Displayed are various fall items such as a pumpkin pie toy and a stuffed cupcake.

Also featured are the stores dog beer, a non-alcholic beveage offered to the stores furry patrons.

persuades them with her sales pitch.

“Hello, my name is Danni. I work at Yadi’s Yummies. I ask ‘Do you have a pet and if it’s a dog or cat?’ And then I offer them a treat from the bag,” Danni said.

Danni, Jessica and the numerous other volunteers at Yadi’s Yummies enjoy the sense of community that the store offers.

“All of the young people who work there advocate for each other,” Elecia said. “I think Jessica is excited to have a friend. They’ve opened up to lots of other young people with disabilities and it helps [more people get] employed here.”

Besides baking treats for pets, Yadi’s Yummies also partners with local animal shelters to promote adoptions in the area. In addition, they hold adoption events and donate to provide medical care for pets in need.

“We had another dog, a Newfoundland, and she went through a period of time where she had to have three major surgeries within a 10-month period, which cost close to $10,000,” Cindy said. “That showed us how expensive it can be. So, we started Annie’s fund, and we donate a portion

of our proceeds to a medical fund to help dogs and shelters be able to afford surgeries and stuff like that that they might not have otherwise.”

Yadi’s Yummies participates in many local events including the Summer Sunset Market in Wentzville on Oct. 12 from 5-8 p.m. They will also be participating at the Lake St. Louis Farmers and Artist’s Market at the Meadows on Oct. 15 from 8 a.m to noon. They even have a party room at their store to hold pet birthday parties as well as Gotcha Day celebrations.

“It’s opened [Danni’s] world,” Elecia said. “She loves the animals. She has friends. She gets out in the community.

She loves to go ask for donations. She gets to go meet people, it’s just opened her world.”

Jessica and her dream have been able to open the world up to her volunteers who have struggled to feel accepted in the American workplace. Yadi’s Yummies offers a refuge for not just pets and patrons, but for its volunteers who can feel a sense of belonging.

“Well, I am very happy,” Jessica said.

“Everyone is very, very nice to me.”

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by McKenna Hudson • Features

the workers grow as well.

“We just had Show Me St. Louis in here,” Cindy said, “And one of the individuals who used to go and hide when there was anything like that was going on, he was actually interviewed on TV. So, I would say it gives people confidence and they feel valued.”

Part of Jessica’s mission was to offer other people with similar disabilities a chance to work in a respectful and encouraging environment. Danni Fine is an original member of the team at Yadi’s Yummies as well as an FHN alumna.

Danni was born with Down syndrome and, like Jessica, struggled to find employment that suited her needs.

“Everybody here is so supportive and she learns skills that she never would have learned anywhere else,” Danni’s mom Elecia Fine said. “She can bake, she can decorate, she can do all kinds of new skills so I was on board from the very beginning.”

Danni’s day consists of baking treats, decorating them, and her favorite job; labeling. Danni also gets to participate in the many events that Yadi’s Yummies attends. She often helps to encourage local businesses to donate and

19

FASHION DEEP DIVE Senior Mira Wunder expresses herself through her personal style

by Violet Newton

FIT CHECK

violetannenewton@gmail.com

Look at some of Mira’s favorite pieces and where they are from

While many describe their style as minimalistic, preppy, or goth, senior Mira Wunder describes hers a little differently, calling it ‘Yassified Cowgirl’ that shops at Urban Outfitters.

Mira is often seen sporting a pair of cowboy boots and unique denim pieces.

And if you hear someone walking through the hallways wearing heels, if it’s not a teacher, it’s probably Wunder.

“I feel like fashion has always been a part of my life, even when I was younger, if my mom didn’t let me wear what I wanted I would sob on the floor,” Wunder said. “I really started learning about fashion and experimenting more last year.”

While most teens think about fashion to a certain extent, Wunder takes it to the next level. Whether it’s the preparation and thought it takes to plan such beautifully curated outfits, or the strategy it takes to play with different silhouettes, patterns and textures.

“I think fashion is such a cool thing because no matter who it is, everyone has a sense of fashion or style,” Wunder said. “It’s such a subjective art and I love it for that.”

Top: Zara, TRF Asymmetric Denim Top Bottom: Zara, ZW Cut Out Denim Skirt

Top: Urban Outfitters, Lace-Up Corset Top in Lilac Bottom: Urban Outfitters, Glamorous Ruched & Tiered Mini Skirt

(Photos by Payton Johnston)

Boots: Chucks Boots, Womens Wester Boots

Bottom: Urban Outfitters, BDG Anna Printed Ruched Mini Skirt

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AN EYE FOR THE EYES

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Violet Newton (20) Michaela Manfull (21) • Features

Junior Eve Oliver has been doing makeup for six years. When asked why they took an interest in makeup, they said “The creation process has always been interesting to me but childhood movies like ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ kind of inspired me to bring that creativity to life.” After graduating from FHN, Oliver plans to go into the field of cosmology for theater.

(Photos by Kylie Taliaferro)

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TOP FIVE TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUMS, RANKED These are my top five Taylor Swift albums ranked from best to worst (Content by Peyton Thies)

1- FOLKLORE

The eighth album to be released is in the indie folk genre. Some of the songs in this album follow a short storyline between the made up characters, Betty and James. The lyrics in this album are full of metaphors that bring deeper meaning to the songs if you really think about them, and they do it more in this album than any of the other ones.

(Photo by Michaela Manfull)

SCARE ACTORS UNMASKED

Scan Here

Scan to listen to Taylor Swift’s Folklore album on Spotify.

by Peyton Thies

pthies629@g.fhsdschools.org

The scariest season of the year is also one of the most fun at Six Flags. Fright Fest is an opportunity to have all the perks of a normal visit plus a number of haunted attractions. Scare actor and senior Kylie Taliaferro is portraying a character in the Slaughterhouse haunted house.

“It’s a reverse slaughterhouse basically,” Taliaferro said. “The pigs are the butchers and the humans are the slaughtered.”

The characters aren’t allowed to physically touch a guest, but they can do anything in their acting ability to scare them.

“We do this thing called the Zombie Stomp,” Taliaferro said.

“Some person starts stomping, and then we all start stomping, and it just gets faster and faster.”

Scare zones are a way to get the thrill of a haunted house or a maze without waiting in line. Located around the park, there are different groups of characters, from clowns to trolls to zombies. However, the haunted houses provide a way to be guaranteed a jump-scare.

“Honestly, all the houses are so cool, I got to experience all of them,” Taliaferro said. “I think they’re each unique in their own way, and the people are amazing. It’s just a really fun experience.”

22

2- 1989 (SOON TO BE TAYLOR’S VERSION)

3- FEARLESS (TAYLOR’S VERSION)

Her fifth studio album, and one of her most popular, is in the synth-pop genre. These are the songs you’ve probably heard walking around in a store, or in a fast food restaurant.

This iconic album was her second to be released, also in the country-pop genre. These are songs that are still played today.

Even if you aren’t a Swiftie, you still know these songs.

4- SPEAK NOW (TAYLOR’S VERSION) This album is her third to be released, also in the country genre, but moving more towards pop. These songs are the ones that most of her fans in this generation grew up on as the original album was released in 2010.

5- LOVER

The seventh album to be released is in the pop genre, and is almost completely opposite to “Reputation.”

It has a more upbeat feel and almost all the songs are about positive things.

Scan Here

Scan to visit Taylor Swift’s website, where you can find her music, tours, merch and more.

LEGENDS AND LANTERNS

by Sadie Ortmeyer

sortmeyer483@g.fhsdschools.org

(Illustration by Izzy Lash)

Positive and negative effects of kids being on social media

by Owen Gonzalez

ogonzalez578@g.fhsdschools.org

Social media plays a big part in many teens’ lives. A study by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry shows that over 90 percent of teenagers ages 13-17 have used social media, and 51 percent reported that they visit a social media site at least once a day. Social media can have serious impacts on a teen’s mental health. When it comes to social media use and screen time, it can be beneficial to set boundaries, especially for younger users.

“I would say if we can limit it to even just an hour or so a day, that would really help,” Educational Support Counselor Barry Morrison said.

Social media allows teens to share their personal lives, talk with their friends, and express themselves online.

But if not used wisely, it can distract them from their homework, deprive them of sleep, and expose them to cyber bullying.

“I do think kids should have a limit, I even think adults should have a limit,” Counselor Lisa Woodrum said.

“I worry that teenagers and adults are spending so much time on social media that they’re not actually talking to real people.”

It has been proven that kids who spend more than three hours a day on social media are more likely to develop mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Kids can also be deprived of key social skills due to the lack of inperson conversations they have, caused by spending too much time on a screen.

“I think there is a developmental piece

with it where kids miss out on how to interact with people and how to have face-to-face conversations because they are so used to looking at a screen,” Morrison said.

Despite this, there are some positive impacts that social media can have, such as communication with friends and family, entertainment and motivation.

“There have been a couple of times where I posted something kind of sad and one of my friends replied with a quote that has helped them in the past,” junior Ellie Barnum said.

Social media can also be a great tool when it comes to getting into colleges and universities. It is a great way for high schoolers trying to get into colleges to get their name out there.

“As a baseball coach and working with athletes, I think it has become a platform to put out your name, your position, your stats, and your videos and universities around the country can go pull it up and look at them and I think that really has some value,” Morrison said.

Venturing into the social media world can be a scary thing for new users, so it is important to make sure that teens are staying safe and being smart with what they post and who they add on social media.

“Add people that are your real friends in real life,” Woodrum said.

Users can have trouble limiting the time that they spend on these apps due to how addictive they can be. So it is crucial that people are able to control their usage on social media.

“Don’t get obsessed or addicted,” Barnum said. “Don’t make it a priority.”

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Peyton Thies, Micahela Manfull & Chase Pray • Features

SOCIAL MEDIA’S AFFECT ON TEENS

Main Street St. Charles is known throughout the county for the unique and special events it hosts down in its historic district, and coming up in October is its eighth annual Halloween festival, Legends and Lanterns. It is held on the last three weekends of October on Saturdays from 11 a.m - 6 p.m with the exception of the last Saturday being from 11 a.m - 8 p.m, and Sundays being from noon - 5 p.m.

“We like to think of ourselves as an old-world Halloween Renaissance Fair,” Special Events Producer for the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau Ryan Cooper said. “Where people come in, they visit Main Street, and then they are immersed in this world where the most famous villains, witches and spirits all come to life.”

Legends and Lanterns is much like their Christmas Traditions event that is held in November and December except with a spooky twist. Classic Halloween characters can be found all over Main Street for people to interact with. The festival also has activities for all ages including museum exhibits, haunted trails, scavenger hunts, and much more that are all completely free.

“There truly is something for everyone. Whether you like history, whether you like music, whether you like activities, whether you like seeing people in fanciful costumes, we’ve got it,” Cooper said.

With all of Main Street’s events, they specialize in edutainment, (meaning education plus entertainment), and Legends and Lanterns is no different with it bringing in tens of thousands of visitors every year. Along with the amount of visitors this festival already brings in, it has continued to grow in popularity due to its fun, educational and familyfriendly atmosphere.

“There’s nothing like Legends and Lanterns, because it isn’t super childish, but it’s not scary,” Cooper said. “It truly is a Halloween event that whether you’re 4 years old, or 104 years old, you can really enjoy.”

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Students show off their different croc styles. (Image by Kyra Landers)

CROCS ALL THE RAGE

by Cheyenne Steed

csteed056@g.fhsdschools.org

Many fashion trends come and go: flared pants, crop tops, baggy band shirts and Crocs. Crocs have been around since 2002 and are the rage once again.

The company has sold more than 850 million pairs of shoes since 2002 and ever since the pandemic started, Crocs sales have increased over 200 percent and were considered the “perfect” house shoes.

“I wear Crocs pretty much every day because they are really comfortable,” sophomore Camron Miller said. “I started wearing Crocs because I saw a lot of other people wearing them and talking about how comfortable they were so I decided to get my own.”

“Croslite” is the material Crocs are made out of, it is a substance that’s not quite plastic and not quite rubber. Crocs are made in all shapes and sizes, there are also over 300 types and styles of Crocs.

Most of Gen Z grew up wearing the peculiar shoes as kids and it has dragged on ever since. The SCAN HERE brightly colored shoes express Scan the QR personality and code below to can be decorated purchase your with Jibbitz charms.

“I own over eight pairs and I put charms on them, they are SpongeBob themed,” junior Raychael Holloway said.

According to the Crocs website, over 850 million pairs of Crocs have been sold since 2002. Over 85 countries worldwide have bought the shoes but the majority of Croc sales are in both South and North America, although there was a small portion sold in Asia and the Pacific.

“They are more comfortable than any other shoes I have,” Miller said.

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Seniors show off their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Cars, Paw Patrol and Minions backpacks. (Photo by Torie Montgomery)

SENIOR BACKPACKS

Scan the QR code to see Target’s options.

Seniors at FHN take part in the todder backpack trend on social media

by Patricia Fechter

pfechter698@g.fhsdschools.org

T

his year, some seniors at FHN decided to all come together and get little kid backpacks. This brings everyone a good laugh along with a wide variety of backpacks to be seen in the hallways. The backpacks vary from Ninja Turtles to Disney Princesses and everything in between.

“I don’t regret not getting a normal backpack at all,” senior Lauren Becker said. “I think this is a fun thing to do for our last year in high school.”

Many people joined this trend because they heard about it from friends and

peers. The goal of creating this trend was to bring the senior class together, and to do something funny to bond over.

“I think this brings the senior class together, it is only something that the seniors do, I feel like we are all more connected,” Becker said.

Seniors mostly got their backpacks to reminisce on the shows and movies they used to watch as kids or the toys they would play with.

“I have a green dinosaur backpack,” senior Kimi Henry said. “I loved dinosaurs as a kid so I got one to relive my elementary school days.”

Scan the QR code to see Walmart’s options.

Spider-Man Calvin Von-Arb, 12

Batman Riley Lane, 12

Walter Hammond, 12

Dinosaur

Alayna Lohaus, 12

Super Mario Alex Hernandes, 12

(Photos by Alayna

Clemente)

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Naomi VanDyne & Michaela Manfull • Features

Dinosaurs

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KEEPING UP WITH THE KNIGHTS

A PIECE OF HOME

by Drew Johnson

djohnson440@g.fhsdschools.org

Ayah Ramadon is a current junior at FHN who moved from Jordan in the 2021-2022 school year. She still has ties to her culture at home such as, food and language. Before moving to Jordan she lived briefly in the US. (Photo by Faith Smith)

HAILEY ZHANG LEADS CLUBS

by Naomi VanDyne

nvandyne312@g.fhsdschools.org

Senior Hailey Zhang leads many of the clubs at North, including Sun Club, Speech and Debate and FCCLA. While the amount of clubs and activities Zhang is in might be too much for some to handle, she says it’s good for her to be so involved.

“If I’m not busy, I feel anxious, so I end up over-committing myself,” Zhang said. “At the same time, I think you gain so much from clubs.”

Zhang believes students can find many things throughout high school in many of the amazing club opportunities.

“I hope they gain friendships,” Zhang said. “I hope they have lots and lots of fun. I hope they learn a lot from clubs because there’s truly a lot to learn from different clubs, and I think something about clubs is that you meet a lot of people who

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The 15 hours and 6,435 miles from Amman, Jordan, to St. Louis, Missouri was more than just a simple flight. It was a cultural transition. Two years ago, Junior Ayah Ramadan and her family moved from the Middle Eastern country, leaving behind their family and lifestyle.

“I used to live in Chicago,” Ayah said. “I lived there for about four or five years and then went to Jordan. I recently came back here to the U.S. the summer before my freshman year, so about two years ago.”

Even after living in the United States prior to moving to Jordan, Ayah still faced many challenges when returning.

“School was a big culture shock because the school culture over there and school culture over here is very different,” Ayah said. “Over there, it’s just memorizing everything. Over here, you actually get to do stuff with your hands. Here, I got to dissect a heart and a brain and an eye. I would have never had the opportunity over there for that [type of] education.”

Moving wasn’t just an adjustment for Ayah. Her cousin, Senior Yazan Ramadan especially felt the effects of the different languages.

“The toughest part was definitely the language barrier and getting used to it.” Yazan said.

Despite leaving the country, Ayah’s family continues to bring ties from Jordan to the United States. With the help of local Arab shops, her family is able to enjoy various dishes and cultural items that are normally found in Jordan.

“Everyone should definitely go see the culture and visit downtown [in Jordan], it’s going to definitely be a huge shock,” Ayah said. “It also has one of the Seven Wonders of the World.”

you normally wouldn’t talk to.”

Zhang is all about connecting people, and she mostly does that through extracurriculars. Since she is in a leadership position in so many of them, Zhang has many goals on how to help people make connections even better.

“I do hope to make it a comfortable space for people,” Zhang said. “A place where people can find friends and do the things that they enjoy doing, but also at the same time, make change.

Whether that is volunteering or helping out the community or trying to make our own school sustainable.”

All of the effort Zhang puts into involvement in clubs is hopefully going to pay off in college, where Zhang hopes to go into international relations.

“I want to be able to make change on a bigger scale,” Zhang said. “I feel like that connects back to all the clubs, because I think a part of international relations is being able to talk to people and being a part of a larger community.”

(Photos by Jordan Ousley)

MR. KAI GUSTAFSON

by Kaylee Priest

kpriest027@g.fhsdschools.org

PASSION FOR ART Since sixth grade, senior Martha Sacay has loved both drawing and dinosaurs, and is combining her interests in order to create her AP art portfolio. She uses an extremely detail oriented approach using graphite and mechanical pencils in order to create her pieces.

“Right now I’m working on a piece that portrays a bird that is 20 feet taller than a person,” Sacay said.

“So far, I really like AP art, it’s a fun class but it can be kind of stressful sometimes.”

Her love of art stemmed from sixth grade when she got bored and decided to start drawing, she ended up falling in love with art and continuing through high school.

“Martha is amazingly detail oriented, her pieces are always extremely detailed and thought through, she focuses on every feather, and scale in her pieces and it’s just really impressive,” AP Art teacher Courtney Flamm said. (Story

by Violet Newton)

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Senior Jad Khdeer, moved to America from Qatar six years ago to better his education.

“The reason for my move was education,” Khdeer said. “Qatar had a great education, however, our family felt there were more opportunities in America.”

Moving from the city of Doha to St. Peters was quite a change for the Khdeer family.

“Adjusting to a new school and a new environment with different traditions was not the easiest,” Khdeer said.

Khdeer will never forget the time he spent in Qatar. He reminisces on old memories, but is still excited for the opportunities America holds for him.

“What I miss the most about Qatar is the culture and my childhood friends,” Khdeer said.

After High school, Khdeer plans to go to college to study computer sciences.

Khdeer is hopefully awaiting traveling and starting new adventures.

“In my future I plan to travel a lot,” Khdeer said. “I love traveling because I like to explore.” (Story by Kaylee Priest)

LOGAN SCOTTS KNIFE COLLECTION

Junior Logan Scott has a knife collection consisting of 28 different and unique blades, and he has grown this number over time since the beginning of the collection.

“I started maybe five or six years ago, and I really started getting into it about three years ago,” Scott said.

Since starting the collection, Scott has gotten knives as presents from his family and friends, and especially from his grandfather.

“My grandfather actually had a knife collection of his own,” Scott said. “I’m kind of just going off of that.”

Scott has also made quite a few of his own knives in the collection, and he makes a new one nearly every winter, learning new skills as he does so. He’s learned a lot since starting this collection just a few years ago.

“My sharpening skills have definitely increased tenfold,” Scott said. “I used to sharpen the knife and it somehow would get duller. Now they’re almost all razors.”

Scott’s favorite knives are switchblades and springassisted knives, but he likes how each one is different.

He keeps them in a glass case to safely display them and enjoy their unique qualities.

“Not a lot of people collect knives and I think I’m one of the rare people, in high school especially, to do it,” Scott said. (Story by Naomi VanDyne)

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Patricia Fechter & Kaylee Priest• Features

Kai Gustafson is a junior at FHN during the week, but spends Saturdays from 8 a.m to 1:30 p.m teaching 5-yearolds Japanese.

“It gives a whole new idea to school for me,” Gustafson said. “I have been going since I was 5 and I never got the teacher’s experience of it, and now I get to see the whole other side of schooling.

So, I really like it.”

Gstafson teaches Japanese to kids whose families are here on work programs and send their kids to a Saturday school at Webster University so they do not lose their skills in (Photos by Eashaan Patel) Japanese. For him, it’s been a great experience. school as an elementary schooler.

“You get to see these kids that you “I have been going there since I was have helped teach and see what you young, my mom is also a teacher there have done to help them grow right in too,” Gustafson said. “It’s pretty common front of you,” Gustafson said. for a couple of high schoolers to stay Kai also attended the same Saturday after and volunteer and I really enjoy it.”

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ANIME CROSSWORD

Use the clues to fill in the words below (Content by Nylah Smith) ACROSS 2. Wants to be the world’s greatest hero.

4. Always train to get stronger.

5. Defeated Friza with one slice.

7. Want to be hokage.

DOWN 1. Wants to be the best striker in soccer.

3. Substitute soul reaper.

6. Fights demons and sister is a demon

Answers: 2. Izuku Midoriya 4. Goku 5. Future Trunks 7. Naruto 1. Isagi 3. Ichigo Kurosaki 6. Tanjiro

DISNEY PRINCESS QUIZ 1. What is your favorite Disney movie?

A. The Hunchback of Notre Dame B. Robin Hood C. Aristocrats D. Bambi

3. Your favorite weekend activity is: A. Curling up with a book B. Anything outside C. Walking D. Sitting by a tree

5. What is the most important quality you’d want in a prince?

A. Charm B. I don’t need a prince C. Humor D. Kindness

2. Your enemies are probably envious of your…

A. Looks B. Hardworking personality C. Independence D. Don’t have any enemies

4. Which is your spirit animal?

A. A horse B. A tiger C. A dog D. A raccoon

6. What do you want to be?

A. A writer B. Anything as long as it’s my choice C. A queen D. A chief

Tally up your scores below: A’s

B’s

C’s

D’s

Mostly A: Belle

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Mostly B: Jasmine

Mostly C: Ariel

Mostly D: Pocahontas

VIDEO

WHAT YOU’LL SEE IN THE SHOW

LEARN FUN THINGS

The Knightly Show is full of informative videos like the DIY you see above. If you’d like to learn how to bake certain foods, or how to make interesting things like origami then check out the Knightly Show.

by Rhea Patel and Madelyn Clark

Hey FHN, come watch our Knightly Show that has recently started dropping.

It drops weekly, every Tuesday at 10 a.m on FHNtoday.com and the FHNtoday YouTube channel (see the QR code below).

It covers the school, community, sports and all things FHN. You’d be interested in the Knightly Show if you like keeping up with the FHN sports, DIYs, video games, cooking videos or stories about the FHN school and community. We also include school announcements about things like the homecoming spirit days, ticket Information, community events and spirit

days.

The Knightly Show is the uniting work of not only the video staffers, but the entire FHN community as well. Everyone in video staff gets their work featured in the show and many people in the community get featured in the show.

Make sure to keep up to see if you make it into the Knightly Show.

The Knightly show is coordinated by the video staff at FHN with a total of 18 staffers and four editors producing the show.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND US YouTube

The Knightly show, tutorials and other longer videos can be found on FHNtoday’s YouTube channel.

Podcasts

TikTok

There are multiple podcasts available for a variety of interest that can be found on FHNtoday.com and Spotify.

FHNtoday’s TikTok is home to short videos such as “Are you smarter then a freshman?” or “Man on the Street”

From mainstream video games from companies like Nintendo and PlayStation, to lesser known Indie games like “Untitled Goose Game,” the Knightly Show’s video game review section keeps you up to date of the gaming world.

INFO ABOUT FHN

In videos like the one above where Emily Clausner and Sean Brand took a look into Coffee Friday, the Knightly Show gives the FHN community updates about things happening around the building.

OTHER INFORMATION

In videos like the one above by Camden Blair about the dangers of AI, the Knightly Show gives you information about things in the outside world that might affect the FHN community.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2022 • Pages Designed by Nylah Smith (28) Grant Kilen (29) • Features

KNIGHTLY SHOW

VIDEO GAME REVIEWS

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ALTERNATE COVER

Photo by Kylie Taliaferro Designed by Michaela Manfull

We’re social, are you?

INSTAGRAM: @FHNtoday and @FHNgameday

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/FHNtoday

SNAPCHAT: @FHNtoday & @FHNgameday

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/FHNtodayFan & @FHNgameday TWITTER: @FHNtoday & @FHNgameday

TIKTOK: @FHNtoday & @FHNgameday

As always, we have lots of updates week as well on FHNtoday.com.

SAVE THE DATE 2024

JULY

8-11

FOR SUMMER’S FAVORITE JOURNALISM CAMP

MEDIANOW.PRESS @medianowbuzz

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SWIM RELAY QUALIFIES FOR STATE FHN boys swim relay qualifies for state with new school record at the FZW invitational (Photos by Kylie Taliaferro)

by Katie Head

khead286@g.fhsdschools.org

E

very new season is a fresh start. And while it comes with feelings of hope and excitement, for returners, there is also the lingering doubt; the wonder of if they are still good enough. However, four returners on FHN’s varsity swim team crushed these fears with an outstanding performance in their first meet this year.

At the Fort Zumwalt North Invitational on Aug. 26, the Boys 200 Medley team showed up and took third place, as well as swimming a state qualifying time. The team is composed of senior Andrew Lee, junior Edward Lee, senior Elias Avila, and junior Huntington Everhart, all returners on the boys varsity swim team. So far, they have not only set a PR at the FZN Invitational, they then beat that record again at a meet against Liberty High SWIM School on Sept. 7.

STATS “Relays are more fun than solo Scan the QR code events,” Everhart said. “Having my team below to see the rely on me pushes me to work harder in FHN boys swim practice and during the race.” stats roster and The team is proud of being able to upcoming schedule accomplish this to start their season. for the 2023 The Boys 200 Medley consists of four swimmers swimming 50 meters, each doing a different stroke, including the butterfly stroke, the breast stroke, freestyle and backstroke. The school record for the 200 medley is 1:45.21, which is only 3.52 seconds away from the current team’s record of 1:48.73.

In recent years, the winning state times for the 200 medley have been around 1:35, so if they do set a school record, that leaves them just 10 seconds away from potentially medaling at state. This season has been culminating for a while now, as the four boys have been swimming this relay together since the 2022 season, and are so close to achieving their goal.

“I think that this year is our peak,” junior Edward Lee said.

“We have many senior years, so I think this year is our best chance to set the school record with the relays. We continue to encourage each other, and our coaches are helping us succeed.”

A big difference with boys swim compared to other sports, is that unlike other sports that culminates in a district match, game, or meet that determines if the athletes compete at state, swimmers can qualify at any time throughout the season, by getting one of the top 32 times for each event. However, throughout the season as the other swimmers improve, they can get bumped down and out of the rankings. This makes it crucial to compete in every meet, because someone else might be trying harder and swimming faster, so a victory can turn quickly into defeat in the blink of an eye. The FHN swimmers have practiced harder than ever before to make sure that their placement and trip to state doesn’t fall apart.

“We’ve done a lot of sprint based training and distance based training to get them better prepared to race, and it has been really effective,” FHN head swim coach Shawn Farrar said.

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EVERHART AVILA A. LEE

Maahin Fatima

CARDINALS WITH DAD

Like many girls who have been an only child for more than five years, my dad was my favorite parent.

Anything I spoke of, I got. Whatever I wanted to do, he was my biggest supporter. He was even willing to play dress up 24/7.

As I grew older I realized that I couldn’t always make my dad do what I wanted, even though he seemed like he had no problem. I realized that I had to do something he liked too, even if the idea didn’t seem the most fun to me. I told my dad and he suggested we go to a Cardinals game, because he really enjoyed them. A few days later, we got all ready and headed out for the game.

On the way, we ran through a bunch of gameday traffic and the parking situation was a nightmare.

Luckily, my dad had a parking pass for downtown. We walked in and there were so many people. We were trying to meet up with my dad’s friends and their kids, but that was impossible.

So we carried on and went to our suite. We made our way there and saw everyone who arrived before we did. We started off with sitting inside and enjoying the dessert cart and everything that was included in the suite. Later on, we made our way outside about 30 minutes after the game had started. My dad explained to me what was going on in the game and the goods and bads of what was happening.

At first, I was a bit confused, but as the game went on, it started getting easier. My dad and I watched the whole game in enjoyment and for the first time, we had actually done something he enjoyed. On the way home, my dad was really happy and all he talked about was the game. I was really happy that I got to enjoy that moment with him.

My dad still is my biggest supporter, along with shopping and Starbucks, we still frequently watch games together as a way for us to do something he enjoys.

NORTH STAR • FHNgameday.com • @FHNgameday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Jackson Fifer & Kenneth Nunn • Sports

E. LEE

COLUMN

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COLUMN Parker Smith

VARSITY SPOTS FLUCTUATE ON TEAM

by Kenneth Nunn

knunn718@g.fhsdschools.org

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your teammates,” senior runner Drake Morris said.

“The support from your teammates can make you feel like you can do better, and they push you so that you can improve more than you would alone.”

Blues

Chiefs

Jackson Fifer

Eagles

Blues

Chiefs

Mo Huff

Dolphins

Stars

Chiefs

Austin Vollmer

Dolphins

Blues

Chiefs

Sports Design Editor

Sports Reporter

Sports Reporter

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OF THE WEEK

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ST A BL RS U @ NH ES

PICKS

On Sept. 15, the FHN cross country team took to Sioux Passage Park to compete at a meet along with over 20 schools in the area. All of the varsity girls medaled, while sophomore Natalie Gill went on to win first place in the JV girls race. (Photo by Eashaan Patel)

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I’ve always believed the saying “It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”

Growing up playing sports, I realized early on I drew the short stick on my height - no pun intended. Ever since elementary school, kids were more than five inches taller than me, running circles around me at recess because I couldn’t keep up.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve begun to use my height to my advantage in any way I can.

Due to my short stature, I am much more agile than many of the taller players I go against, but that only takes me so far. In soccer, once a player catches up to me and starts playing physical, I may as well lay down on the field and “Take it.” Even in volleyball, a noncontact sport, there are some hits I can’t defend because the ball goes over my head and there is nothing I can do about it besides stop and stare.

My height doesn’t stop at physical disadvantages either.

If I could place a bet on how many times I would get made fun of, insulted, or laughed at in a given week because of my height, I’d take the over every chance I could.

You would think after going through all of this for more than 10 years, I would’ve stopped playing sports a while ago. Yet, here I am, finishing my senior year starting for two high school varsity teams. So, maybe the size of the dog in the fight wins some battles here and there, but the size of the fight in the dog is what wins wars. For all of my smaller dogs out in the world trying to keep up, from one chihuahua to another, don’t ever let someone else tell you to sit, no matter how many treats they offer.

EA G DO LE S NF LP VS H L, 10 7:3 IN /2 0 S

THE SIZE OF THE DOG

Varsity cross country operates by a system in which players’ spots aren’t guaranteed; instead, players compete and work hard during every run in order to earn a spot to compete at the next meet.

One runner who has consistently earned their spot during the season is senior Andrew Head.

“The original way to get on varsity when you don’t have a full team is to reach a time,” Head said. “For guys, it’s 20 minutes. For girls, it’s 24. As the season goes on, more people will make varsity and the competition will get greater for the varsity spots.”

Players compete with each other but they still motivate and push one another to improve throughout the process. Even in the midst of tough competition, players will work and grow together.

“In terms of competing for spots, it’s more so we’re all pushing ourselves to be better than each other instead of feeling like you’re going against

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POLSGROVE COMMITS TO CC

by Jackson Calhoun

jcalhoun751@g.fhsdschools.org

Only 5.9 percent of high school volleyball players will go on to play volleyball in college. Senior Addison Polsgrove is part of that 5.9 percent. This past May, Polsgrove committed to play Division 1 NAIA Volleyball at Columbia College next fall.

Polsgrove has played many sports throughout her life, but decided that volleyball would be her priority.

“I like to be up and moving constantly and I just really connected with my first [volleyball] coach,” Polsgrove said. “She brought me to where I am now.”

Polsgrove has been playing volleyball for nine years, but didn’t have hopes of playing at the next level until her freshman year of high school. She quickly learned what it would take to continue her volleyball career.

“It’s very time consuming,” Polsgrove said. “I don’t

On Sept.17, varsity girls volleyball lost against Howell in an away game. The last two sets ended with a score of 14-25 and 9-25. (Photo by Faith Smith) get to spend a lot of quality time with my friends, and I don’t get to work very much.”

Although it takes a lot of sacrifice to play at such a high level, Polsgrove is more than happy to continue competing.

“As a senior, I’m not ready to give it up yet,” Polsgrove said. “I’m glad I can continue playing at a higher level, just for a little bit longer.”

SISTERS PLAY ON VARSITY TEAM

by Jaden Slusser

jslusser235@g.fhsdschools.org

(Photo by Kylie Taliaferro)

(Photo by Eashaan Patel)

(Photo by Mady Brewer)

by Morgan Huff

by Morgan Huff

by Maahin Fatima

12 SENIORS FILL VARSITY SPOTS mhuff195@g.fhsdschools.org

The varsity soccer team has gotten off to a hot start with a record of 6-2 (stat updated as of 9/25). With the team starting out so well, they have set a new school record. One contributing factor is the 12 seniors on this year’s team.

“It makes it so much easier on the field and just playing in general,” senior Aiden Manthey said.

This start to the season doesn’t seem to be much of a surprise, as all the seniors have been playing with one another for multiple years.

“When we have all been playing with each other for two or more years, plus we know how each other plays and it gives us an advantage on the field,” senior striker JT Garbowski said.

FHN still has a good amount of games left but with the 12 seniors leading the way, we could see a season for the books.

SENIOR PLAYS 10 YEARS OF GOLF

TRAVEL CAUSES LATE START

mhuff195@g.fhsdschools.org

mfatima007@g.fhsdschools.org

Senior Liza Burgos has made a commitment to golf and she has been playing for a decade now. She is currently the number one on the girls golf team and she’s off to a hot start.

“I set a personal best, which was one over par two matches in a row,” Burgos said.

Her success starts outside of high school. Burgos plays in the junior PGA league, where she faces a lot of tough competition. “[Junior PGA] preps me for the competition that I will face in the school season by playing some of the girls I will face in the high school season,” Burgos said.

Every player wants to achieve great feats, so they set goals. Burgos’ goals deal with herself and her tight knit team.

“I want to make it to state, I enjoy playing with the varsity number two [Alyssa Perkins] and hope to make it with her,” Burgos said.

Returning from overseas less than three days before school started, both Jayati Karre and Hailey Zhang had missed many practices and the initial tryouts tennis. This caused both players to miss the beginning of the season based on the 14 practices rule.

“I was just on the sidelines looking through the fence,” Karre said.

Zhang was 4,395 miles away exploring the Andes, while Karre was 8,492 miles away in India examining Falaknuma Palace.

“My favorite part of the whole summer was going to the Andes and really seeing how rural communities live,” Zhang said.

Karre’s highlight was a little different.

“I really enjoyed trying different foods and going to the restaurants in Hyderabad,” Karre said.

After missing a week of the season, both top six players returned to play.

“It was all worth it in the end when we got back on the courts,” Zhang said.

NORTH STAR • FHNgameday.com • @FHNgameday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Alayna Lohaus and Maahin Fatima • Sports

Freshman Lexi Lohnes and senior Kaylee Lohnes pose for a picture in their FHN softball gear. They are both on the FHN varsity softball team this year as Lexi stars as a pitcher and right fielder and Kaylee stars as a center fielder and right fielder. They also have played in another team out of school called the Missouri Bombers, and have both played softball since a very young age. (Photo by Andrew Goffinet)

Sisters Kaylee and Lexi Lohnes are both playing on the varsity softball team together. They both started playing softball when they were 5-years-old and started playing, because their mom played softball and their dad played baseball growing up.

“I think it’s awesome,” Kaylee said.

“We’ve never got to play together so it’s cool that we finally do.”

While Kaylee is a senior and is getting ready to go off to college next year, Lexi is a freshman, that’s part of what makes playing together so special for them.

“We’ll have more time to spend with each other before I go off to college,” Kaylee said.

They are best friends and even like to hangout outside of school, going shopping or even just spending quality time together. Even though they only get one year to play together, the Lohnes sisters look out for each other on and off the field.

“She’s a leader this year and I hope to do that whenever I’m a senior or an upperclassman,” Lexi said.

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BEST OF FALL SPORTS PHOTOS The best photos from the fall sports season so far this year (Photos selected by Mady Brewer and Grace Pinson)

VOLLEYBALL

Photo by Faith Smith

Sophomore Alissa Simon blocks the ball during a game against Francis Howell High on Sept. 17. Howell won with a score of 3-0.

BOYS SWIM

Photo by Kylie Taliaferro

Junior Edward Lee does a butterfly stroke during a swim meet at Blanchette Park on Aug. 29 against Francis Howell Central and Francis Howell High.

FOOTBALL

CROSS COUNTRY

Junior Collin Conley begins to tackle a North Point player during the first game of the season on Aug. 26. The game originally was set to start at 11:00 am, but was pushed to a 2:00 pm kick off. North Point pushed ahead during the second half, with FHN losing 7-21.

During a meet on Sept. 15, junior Madeline Dustin runs in a race against 20 other schools at Sioux Passage. All of the varsity girls medaled.

Photo by Bri Dunham

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Photo by Eshaan Patel

CHEER

Photo by Ankita Pandurangi

Junior Madi Donelly cheers during a varsity football game against Francis Howell High on Sept. 16.

Photo by Mady Brewer Sophomore Kailyn Curtis prepares to receive the ball during a singles tennis match against Timberland on Sept. 14. Timberland won overall with a score of 3-6.

SOFTBALL

Photo by Mallory Barker

Sophomore Elise Grimshaw slides into home base during a JV softball game against Fort Zumwalt North on Sept. 15. Due to a mercy rule, the game ended early with the Knights winning 15-0.

BOY’S SOCCER

GIRL’S GOLF

On Aug. 29, senior Connor Neu throws the ball into play during the home opener game against Timberland. FHN scored three goals during the first half pushing them to win 3-2.

Sophomore Addyson Brenner putts her ball in during a match against Timberland on Sept. 9 The match was close, but North won with a final score of 221-212.

Photo by Kylie Taliaferro

Photo by Eshaan Patel

NORTH STAR • FHNgameday.com • @FHNgameday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Michaela Manfull • Sports

GIRL’S TENNIS

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On Sept. 8 the Franics Howell North Knights played the Saint Charles High School Pirates. The Knights won 28-0, this was the Knights second win of the season. (Photo by Alayna Clement)

THE BENEFITS OF MUSIC TO ATHLETES Music provides a constant and safe space for high schoolers, especially those out on the field

by Austin Vollmer

avollmer808@g.fhsdschools.org

Thump...thump...thump... the sound of senior and FHN football cornerback Calvin Von Arb’s heart beats heavily at 6 p.m every Friday night, just an hour before kickoff. Opening up his AirPod case, he puts both AirPods in to drown out all the noise that takes away his focus on the game. He opens up his phone, goes straight to his pregame playlist and drifts away. Suddenly nothing else in this world exists except him and the music. His mind is clear, his hands aren’t shaking, he feels confident in his ability to conquer what’s ahead.

“The right music selection before a game is very important, it can make or break a game,” Von Arb said.

The music choice for a certain individual usually sets the mood of the person for a short or even long period of time, and one’s mood has some type of impact on one’s performance. From the athlete’s perspective, music plays a huge role on the outcome of a game.

If the player listens to a slower paced

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song, they will have a calmer state of mind along with a slower heart rate. If someone listens to a fast upbeat song before the game, they will most likely have a lot more adrenaline and less sad emotions compared to the other player that listened to the slower song.

“The impact of music on humans is well documented through history,” counselor and assistant basketball coach at FHN Konrad Laughman said.

“Mesopotamia, the first civilization had music, it’s been a part of us since the very beginning and the reason it lasted is because it does have positive impact that you can feel, you know it increases your mood, stress goes down, anxiety and depression when you’re listening to music will be down, obviously if you like the music.”

Benefits on top of benefits when it comes to music. Sports bring along plenty of stress and anxiety, especially when it comes to gameday. So listening to music before that big game can often be a good escape for athletes. According to a Healthline article on the Benefits

of Music on Body, Mind, Relationships and more “Even people facing critical illness feel less anxiety after music therapy.” Take the benefits from music to overpower all the stress and anxiety.

It has been psychologically proven to lower your blood pressure and reduce heart rate and again reduce stress levels.

“It’s been a part of us since the very beginning,” Laughman said. “The reason it lasted is because it does have a positive impact that you can feel.”

He pointed out the fact that music itself has always been around and there has never been a time when it all disappeared or we all felt like we didn’t need it anymore. If athletes use music in the right way and in the right scenario, it can really give them a great advantage over their opponent.

“Music is my therapy, it keeps me on all 10, I feel like I could go to war,” senior running back Derrick Warren said.

GAMEDAY

UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS (Content by Avee Patel)

SOFTBALL

FHN softball has Districts on Oct.12-16 and state on Oct. 21-27. (Photo by Mallory

Barker)

(Photo by Parker Smith)

SPORTS JERSEYS

by Ray Hathcock

rhathcock942@g.fhsdschools.org

Fansidea, where the shirts can also The brand new sports staff had brought be modified and bought. The more their excitement to fruition by creating modifications, the more a baseball style jersey for expensive the jerseys are.

Order Now FHNgameday. They are $40 “I think it means we’re official,” in room 105 until supplies Scan the QR Editor in Chief of Sports staff, last. code to order an Parker Smith said. “And we FHNgameday “I think, just having us with sports jersey. finally made it its own class this our jersey kind of symbolizes year. And I think the Game day that we can do everything,” jerseys kind of solidifies [that] Design Editor for Sports we’re here to make content staff, Jackson Fifer said. “We and do great things. For the fall have video people, writers, season, we’re gonna get stuff designers; we have all groups out, but it’s more of that sort of of people in our class. And test runs, and then next season, at the same time, like when everybody’s going to have some we go to events and stuff, experience under their belt and we have something that we I’m super pumped.” share it with.”

The jerseys were made through

VOLLEYBALL

FHN girls volleyball has state on Oct. 28Nov. 3. (Photo by Faith Smith)

SWIM

FHN swim has districts on Nov. 3-4 and state on Nov. 9-10. (Photo by Kylie

Taliaferro)

COVERAGE YOU MAY HAVE MISSED LIVESTREAMS For any livestream, from assemblies to volleyball or football games, go to FHNtoday.com/live.

HYPE VIDEOS

Exclusively from Sports staff, check out Hype videos at FHNtoday.com or FHNtoday or on YouTube and TikTok.

GALLERIES

To see your favorite sports action shots via galleries, go to FHNtoday.com or FHNtoday on Instagram.

CROSS COUNTRY

FHN cross country has districts on Oct. 28 and state on Nov. 4. (Photo by Eashaan

Patel)

NORTH STAR • FHNgameday.com• @FHNgameday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Elise Grimshaw and Jaden Slusser (38) Ray Hathcock and Avee Patel (39) • Sports

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IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE YOUR 2024 GRADS! PURCHASE A YEARBOOK STUDENT RECOGNITION AD TODAY PARENTS AND FAMILY: Don’t miss this opportunity to applaud your child’s achievements and send them your love in a special way.

Celebrate with photos and words of congratulations, praise and encouragement.

STUDENTS: Recognize and celebrate the relationships you’ve formed on teams, in classes, in clubs and in the hallways.

PRICES AND DETAILS: The ads will be produced in full color and designed by the trained FHN Yearbook advertising staff via your submitted material to Jostens Publishing. You will be provided with a proof of your ad before printing. All you have to do is provide the photo(s) and message electronically. FHN Media reserves the right to edit ads per our guidelines and to remove explicit text, graphic photos or copyrighted images.

FULL PAGE: $360 1/2 PAGE: $250 1/4 PAGE: $200 1/8 PAGE: $100 *Payment plans available

PURCHASE DEADLINE: OCT. 13, 2023 START CREATING NOW WITH THE LINK BELOW QUESTIONS?

Contact Yearbook Adviser Jordyn Kiel: 636-851-5048 or jckiel@g.fhsdschools.org

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MORE INFO

Scan the QR code below for more information about how to care for locs.

COLUMN Nylah Smith

ME, MYSELF, AND MY HAIR

Straight Hair (Illustration by Violet Newton)

TALES OF A CHILD DELINQUENT

This type of hair is completely straight It dries without any sort of curl or bend.

It is also known for a glossy shine.

Violet Newton

I,

Violet Newton, may have been just about the most manipulative child in the Midwest.

It all started when I realized the power I held in my Pre-K classroom. One day I told a group of my closest friends that I would be having a party that night and they could all be invited if, and only if, they followed two simple rules: 1. They were to no longer like horses (this was particularly devastating for the girl whose entire stationary set was horse themed).

2. They absolutely could not use the word cute.

They fell for my devious scheme and adhered to my rules. Unfortunately, for them there was in fact no party, just an oddly petty 4-year-old.

In another instance, the following week I was playing with the toy dinosaurs with my very best friend.

Unfortunately for her, there was one wooden dinosaur mixed into the other plastic dinosaurs. So, as anyone would do, I ordered her to take the wooden one and take it home because there was simply no other option as it didn’t fit in with the rest.

Poor Mackenna shoved the dinosaur into her backpack, everything was perfect. The dinosaurs were sorted correctly, and everyone was bending to my will – until her mom went through her backpack that night and found the

Wavy Hair dinosaur. She grilled Mackenna about where it was from. But Mackenna knew better than blame me and ended up taking the blame and writing the teacher an apology note.

I had learned how to get anything I wanted. I had acquired the trust of my poor teacher and unsuspecting parents.

I had learned how to control my entire peer group. The one thing I was missing was power over my 2-year-old brother.

I plotted and schemed for days, and eventually perfected my most devious tactic yet. I had thought through my plan perfectly. So when he spilled my juice on the carpet, I finally put it into motion. I bit my arm until you could see a mark, ran up to my mom in fake tears and tattled on him. She asked him if he had done it and he said “Yes” as he didn’t exactly understand the concept of yes and no yet.

It worked. From beginning to end.

I did this over and over and over, getting him in trouble as soon as he upset me. However all good things must come to an end. I got too cocky, too caught up in my magnificent manipulative glory. I enacted my plan for the 30th time accept unlike the first 29 times, mom saw me biting my arm. It all ended with me stuck behind the jail cell bars that were my door.

Just like that my rise to power was over.

Just like that I returned to being just

This hair type sits right in between the hiar types of straight and curly.

It can be defined by having gentle “S” waves and loose loops. It can also be identified by having lots of frizz.

Curly Hair

This hair type can be very different from straight or wavy hair. It will typically have a different texture and usually has either waves, curls or tight, spiral coils throughout.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 10.11.2023 • Pages Designed by Grant Kilen (40) Sadie Ortmeyer (41) • Opinions

COLUMN

Growth.

This word is how I would describe myself during my hair journey.

I really started to hate my hair in elementary school because seeing my peers with long, straight hair, I felt that my hair wasn’t pretty like theirs. That’s when the constant need for extensions was all I cared about. If my hair wasn’t done with extensions I would be upset and wouldn’t go anywhere. But I couldn’t skip school if my natural hair was out, so I would put on a hood or a hat, but it wasn’t allowed in school. I would constantly be told by staff to take my hood off and I did, but once they turned away, I would instantly put it back up because I was scared of my peers seeing my hair. I was so disappointed with myself because my mother would do my natural hair in a cute style, but I would just put a hood over it because I didn’t want others to see it.

This hatred of my natural hair would continue until COVID started.

I was in the seventh grade and they had shut down my school and I started doing online schooling. My hair was constantly out and I started to like it. All the negative things I thought about it, I didn’t think about anymore. I started to want my natural hair out, but even though I liked it, I was still self-conscious about it. The constant thought that it wasn’t long enough or perfect enough always crept back in my mind.

The greatest challenge I had to face was starting my loc journey. Loc is commonly known as dreadlock, which is a hairstyle where you twist the hair together and never brush or comb it. I wanted to start my locs because I wanted to finally love my hair. I started them freshman year of high school. My hair was short and the locs looked like little worms, so I covered them with a hood the first couple of weeks. I stopped wearing the hood because I was tired of being self-conscious about them, I also realized no one really cared, so I stopped caring what it looked like.

Today, the trial and tribulation I had with myself about how I felt about my natural hair seems silly now, always wanting the extension and long hair seems pointless. I feel like locs saved my relationship with my hair and has made me feel confident enough to embrace it.

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WHAT MAKES A GOOD HOMECOMING DJ? FHN voices their opinions on what they think makes a good Homecoming DJ.

Shalini Sharma, 11 “Literally, all they need to do is just play Drake, that’s it.”

Nina Schindler, 11 “I think it’s really about playing the good music and not just always playing stupid stuff.”

Ayushi Singh, 9 “I think a good DJ mixes the music really well, that way it’s like seamless. Really clean transitions between songs I think shows a lot of skill.”

WANT TO LEARN?

There are so many languages and ways to learn. Scan the QR codes below to check out a few resources to start your journey.

Duolingo

This app is great for people wanting to start a new language. It has a free version, however this app can only get you to a beginner or intermediate level.

(Illustration by Violet Newton)

PURA AMERICANA The world of learning a new language while forgetting your first

COLUMN

Miranda Fabian

Rosetta Stone

This app is unfortunately not available for free at all. However it is higher tech than many other language learning apps and can get you to a fluent level of speaking.

Babbel

Babbel is comparable to Rosetta Stone but it is cheaper and more accessible.

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T

he language around us and how we learn it influences a great deal of who we become.

Those who grew up knowing the language that surrounded them might not have been aware that the school had programs in place for those learning English as their second language.

As a kid a part of the programs, I got lucky. I was lucky enough to have an older brother who learned the language first and, in turn, was able to teach it to me. I was lucky to have been born in an age where my parents just had to turn on the TV and I would be filled with the information needed. I got lucky that growing up speaking Spanish at home didn’t become a stop sign in my academic future in America, rather a speed bump that I would eventually get over. And most importantly, because I excelled in English so fast, I lucked out on not giving my peers more of a reason to discriminate against me.

I now struggle with the opposite, forgetting my native language. Not knowing the ins and outs of my culture. Not being able to pronounce every

accent perfectly. Not knowing every single word in the spanish dictionary. And, although I had traveled to Mexico by myself, my monolinguistic aunt was able to comment on how I didn’t know the language very well. The second I started school was the second where my family noticed the deterioration of my knowledge in our native language.

This has been a common thread among many Hispanic-Americans or any immigrants in America, from which birthed the term Chicanos. It has also created ‘No Sabo kids,’ which I strongly believe my Spanish is good enough to not be associated with.

I’m glad that I can say I never had to struggle with English for long, nor that it had strained the relationship that I have with my culture, but I do wish it never had to be one or the other.

I’ve never had a point in my life where I am perfectly fluent in both. I ultimately am left with who I am, whether some say I’m only Mexican or some think I lost my roots and have become “pura Americana.” I know the beginning of my story and the struggles that have made me who I am today will not interfere with me using the excuse that English is my second language.

So, for me and the work I’ve done up to this point, I’m not going to stress over little things like using the correct form of “its” or “there” because it doesn’t measure how much I’ve accomplished.

Peter Swoboda, 10

Caleb Thompson, 11

Maggie Cuccio, 12

“Being a good DJ depends on how good they are at getting the timing down of when to play certain things, and having good music that students actually like.”

“A good DJ needs to know what the vibe is and what the students want to hear.

They need to put the effort in to make their own playlist, I think a lot of them probably just look up generic Homecoming playlists for music.”

“The biggest thing I think is having loud speakers because if you don’t have that then no one will even hear the music, it’s also important that they take the student requests.”

RUSH HOUR COLUMN Naomi VanDyne

(Illustration by Violet Newton)

How growing up surrounded by addiction has made me grow as a person

COLUMN Chase Pray

I

’ve spent my entire life sitting through presentation after presentation about why I should never use drugs and how drinking alcohol and smoking will end up leading to nothing but harm to my body and will eventually kill me. The whole time I wondered to myself if these presentations were available to the older members of my family when they were my age if it could have saved their lives.

I feel as if I’ve been exposed to the concept of addiction long before most children were. For as long as I can remember, members of my family who I would see on a near-weekly basis would chainsmoke nearly every single time I saw them. To make things worse, I had really bad asthma as a child so being exposed to the smoke would make it to where I almost couldn’t breathe if I was around them.

As I grew older I started to move away from people anytime they would smoke near me. I always thought to myself that

ADDICTION RESOURCES

Immediate Assistance

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or mental health issues, scan the QR code below to reach the SAMSHA helpline.

At School

Scan this to request a counselor for support or guidance.

it wasn’t fair that I had to be punished for something that, in my mind, they could easily do without. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve now realized they weren’t trying to hurt me but it was an illness they couldn’t control.

My first grandfather passed away in 2011 from a heart attack and it was my first major experience dealing with death. In 2018, my second grandpa passed away from a heart attack just a mere day before I was supposed to spend the night at his house. Both experiences made me resent smoking more and more, but as time has passed I’ve realized that the best thing I can do is understand that they truly didn’t enjoy smoking, it was just a habit they never could break.

I have made a personal pact since the day my second grandfather passed away to never smoke a day in my life and I’ve honored it ever since. Addiction isn’t an easy thing to see constantly affecting those you love, but the one thing you can do is help those in your lives who may be suffering from an addiction of any kind instead of berating them constantly, as you never know what the mental struggles those going through addiction are feeling.

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ADDICTION KILLS

If you’ve ever played the game Rush Hour, you’ll know that it’s a traffic jam game that gets progressively harder, and while I didn’t originally think this game would be a reflection of my life…I was wrong.

I’ve been involved in many different things since I was younger, and just like in Rush Hour, it was sometimes tricky to get the red car (me) out of the parking lot of interests and activities.

This situation of mine has only gotten progressively harder to manage as I entered high school.

Just like the levels in the game, many of the clubs sounded fun, and I ended up being in over 10 activities both in and out of school, including color guard as my fall sport.

While this all started out fun, it soon became another stressful game of Rush Hour in which I was just trying to make it out of the parking lot alive.

Color guard proceeded to block all of my time like the largest cars in the parking lot. Other clubs tried to fit in the leftover spaces, and I quickly got stuck in a daily traffic jam of school, clubs, and other activities.

While it was usually a stressful struggle to find free time throughout the year, the red car and I managed to survive the levels and make it out of the freshman year parking lot.

I love being involved because it allows me to do things I love with people who have the same interests, as well as meeting new people and experiencing new things. However, it can be hard to have such a variety of interests, because it means I have to split my time between all of them.

I’ve realized I can’t do everything and I’ve started trying to have more specific interests looking forward.

Overall, while I love being involved, this coming year I am trying to stick to the easier levels of Rush Hour in sophomore year so I can get the red car out with plenty of space.

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OPINION Izzy Lash

FISH TANK FIASCO

They say all life is born good. It’s an interesting philosophy by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, but it is also wrong. My new philosophy, created purely to disapprove Rousseau, is that fish named Penelope are the devil.

Picture this: you, a child, go to PetsMart. You are walking past the fish section when your parents mention that you, the child, can pick out some fish for a tank.

Overjoyed. That was the word to describe me, fresh out of school for the day, in the place I loved most, buying three yellow fish. In all of my kindergarten glory, I, 5 years old, stand in front of these three yellow fish, and reach deep down to my soul to dub them Penelope, Penelope, and Penelope. Perhaps this was the catalyst for their bloodshed, being reduced to a yellow cliche, rid of all individuality.

The Penelopes were not the only fish in their tank. Multiple species of fish, most irrelevant to my little, peasized brain, but not exempt from the horrors of this particular tank. The most memorable were the two catfish, in love and thriving. This would not last.

Two weeks in. The tank seems a little emptier than it was, though not overtly so. The Penelopes, coincidentally, seem fatter. We have new citizens in the tank, a delivery of baby catfish, courtesy of the lovers. This too would not last.

The turning point. Penelope, now known as Penelope 1, was found dead under a fake piece of kelp. Suicide, or something darker? The fish tank is now noticeably emptier.

Another sad instance of fish death, one of our angelfish takes “Highway to Heaven” far too seriously and jumps ship. The blame is given to the water quality. The Penelopes, sans the obvious, seem unbothered.

The baby catfish have been reduced in numbers from around 30 to 1, single, lonely child. The remaining fish are restless. It seems we have a murderer in the tank.

It all started when I was around 5 years old. It all ended barely a month later. Penelope’s 2 and 3, now confirmed killers of 29 baby catfish, one of the older catfish, and even their own blood, Penelope 1, along with countless others.

Penelope 3, perhaps seized by guilt at her actions, is found belly up and unharmed a day later. Penelope 2, as the only fish left in the tank and the only culprit left, receives punishment via toilet bowl.

We get rid of the fish tank. Maybe fish just aren’t for us.

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NEW POLICY CREATES OPPORTUNITY

Anti-racism resolution outrage creates an ultimatum for the board On behalf of Editorial Board yourfhn@fhntoday.com

Making everyone, regardless of their background, feel safe and seen at every building in the Francis Howell School District should be a top priority.

Although, at times some members of the community feel as if it’s just a second thought. Over the summer, the school board passed a new policy that allows for resolutions to be automatically nulled after 75 days when the majority of the current board wasn’t part of their creation process.

The Board should be reviewing each of these resolutions and explaining in well thought-out reasoning to the Francis Howell community on why they’re removing or editing old resolutions. Lack of communication with the Francis Howell community leads to major outrage and negative media attention, like we’ve seen with

the Anti-Racism Resolution. The Board needs to seriously reconsider how they address these resolution changes and removals, or our entire district will face backlash for the actions of few. It seems as if the board has the best of intentions but they need to remember that they will always be under a microscope from the community and even a little bit of miscommunication will end up in people being upset with them.

The lack of insight given to the community from the Board of Education about the removal of the anti-racism resolution has led to many members of the community feeling scared about their safety and how they will be protected against racism during school hours. To combat these feelings, there are a few things the board and the community need to help each other with to better understand one another so everyone can come together and

HOW TO TELL IF A NEWS SOURCE IS CREDIBLE Time

Make sure that the story is up to date and recent so that you can ensure it has accurate information to today.

Sources

(Illustrations by Michaela Manfull) improve the district as a whole.

For starters, the Francis Howell community needs to better understand what the difference between a resolution and a policy is. A resolution is just a statement by the board that goes into greater detail about their stance on a policy. Even if this resolution were to get removed, it doesn’t mean that it automatically becomes okay to openly discriminate against other members of the community without punishment.

The board however, needs to realize that silence in a situation like this and removing this resolution causes them to receive unnecessary backlash.

While the resolution might not affect the seven white board members directly, it affects a part of the Francis Howell community. And if it made that group feel safer coming to school/work and didn’t attack other students or faculty, then there is no real justification in removing it. Instead of removing it the board should consider adding two major tweaks.

The first is that the Board should go more in-depth on the zero tolerance stand and the consequences for those who commit these acts of bigotry. The resolution should not only make those who are affected by it feel safer, but it should also deter those who might

commit those acts from doing them.

The second change should be for the resolution to expand its reach and not only mention how racism isn’t tolerated, but how other acts of discrimination based on sexuality, wealth, disabilities, etc have zero tolerance within the district.

While there have been some people saying that the district is okay with racism, it’s important to remember as a community that in the year of 2023, schools by in large have become more progressive than ever before and that our school board would never pass a policy allowing for racism or other forms of hatred to be tolerated. That being said, the board has an amazing opportunity at their disposal to prove skeptics wrong by not only keeping this resolution, but by adding onto it so even more members of the community feel seen.

The Board can prove these individuals correct and make members of our community feel hurt and unseen, or they can prove them wrong and show skeptics they had the wrong idea about this new policy by further uniting our community and showing that everyone is welcome and seen in the Francis Howell community.

Bias

Investigate the source and see if they have any bias going into the story that may affect the accuracy of the story.

Confirmation

Check out other sources to see if they are also confirming the same facts.

Reputation

Read other stories by the same organization to see if they have a history of being accurate in the past.

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Look at who they asked for information, are they people who are qualified to be talking about this.

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