November Issue 2019 by jcredblack

November 1, 2019 Volume 89, Issue 1

Table of Contents

4 8 12 14 18 21

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In the wake of the seven-hour day Head to Head: The Sandy Hook Promise PSA Homecoming: Where dreams come true! Majority rules? No! More like majority drools! Is a late start really needed? Trainer to teacher

N O V E M B E R

Red&Black Staff Print Editor:

Taylor Baker

Web Editor, In-Depth Editor:

Tristyn Smith

I really, really, really love cats.

Entertainment Editor:

Ash Stickann

I hate milk chocolate.

Illustrations:

Noah Holt

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m addicted to Arizona Green Tea.

Sports Editor:

Rylie Bohanan My biggest fear is heights.

Featured News Editor:

Blakelee Sutton

Your dad and I probably have the same music taste.

My pa is a ginger.

Opinion Editor:

Michelle Grant Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m afraid of shrimp.

Marketing Coordinator:

Alex Kitchell

My biggest accomplishment is completing the Ruby Pokemon Pokedex.

In-Depth

In the wake of the seven-hour day

Taylor Baker

he teachers here at JC seem to be split regarding their opinions of the new seven-hour schedule. Some say they are loving it, and some say they absolutely hate it. It seems imperative to mention the distinct correlation as to the deciding factor of their viewpoint, which is the subject they teach. Teachers who teach classes that are taken in sequence, such as math or foreign languages, are mostly in favor of the change. Ms. Sanders, an English teacher, says that the year-long classes have really helped her connect with her students. “I like the seven-block schedule. I think it helps students stay on task, they stay focused because there’s not a lot of time to screw around and just hang out… And I think that having classes for a whole year gives teachers opportunities to build relationships with those kids who have a little bit of a tougher time being in school,” Sanders states. The main benefit of the sevenperiod schedule is that the classes that used to only be one semester have gained time, but the AP classes that were three terms have lost crucial class time. The teachers who teach higher level courses, or even just courses that require a lot of effort, are the ones who have been hit the hardest during this schedule change. Mr. Snider, who teaches AP Lang, said that the cut to his time with students has severely reduced the quality of discussion time, as well as the amount of time he has to give feedback on his student’s writing. “The schedule is sheer destruction to an English teacher’s life. Here is the math: It takes, easily, 30-45 minutes to give quality feedback on a 5-8 page paper. A typical English class has maybe 20-25 students in it. That means one paper assigned to one class takes about 18 hours to score. In my most recent case, I had three classes with the same paper to score, so it took

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around 56 hours to give feedback FOR ONE ASSIGNMENT. That is MORE than a legal week’s work slammed into my weekends. That means that some of my students have to wait three weeks for quality feedback. This does not include the other TWO classes I teach; those classes ALSO have writing assignments in need of feedback. Where does leadership think the time comes from?... There are teachers who have resorted to taking paid sick time and personal days away from the classroom just to give feedback on student’s work,” Snider states. His, and many teacher’s frustration comes from the lack of communication between the people who decided to

change the schedule, and the ones who are being affected by said change. One negative aspect that every teacher mentioned, whether they are in favor of the new schedule or not, is the cut to their planning period. They have about half the time they used to have, and more students than before. “I’ve never been one to show up and leave right at contracted time, I’ve always either stayed late or came in early to get work done, even before the change in the schedule, but now I find myself getting here even earlier and staying later just to get copies made, assignments graded, and to do general planning. Or I’m taking more work home to do, where I wasn’t before. This

is unfortunate because it takes away from my time with my family and time to myself,” Ms. Thurman states. It is fair to say the teachers are being overworked and they are not getting paid enough to do so much extra work outside of their job. Mr. Snider offered a few solutions for this issue: First of all, cap English classes (or any class with writing-intensive scoring) at a lower rate than other classes. Doing this would mean the district acknowledges the extra work burden required to make writing and literacy a priority. It would also mean respecting the teachers dedicated to this mission. The district has made positive moves by hiring more English teachers at the middle-school level, so it is possible leadership will hear and accept this need. Secondly, grant English teachers an extra plan period. This removes some of the immense feedback burden on writing so teachers can give timely feedback of quality to help students grow. It also gives them a little time in their contract day to do the work the district wants as opposed to cutting into their personal time (ie. doing it for free). Both of the solutions above would probably require hiring MORE teachers. Do it. That is the cost of the job you want done. All in all, the teachers are very strongly in favor of, or against, the new schedule. It needs to be acknowledged that they are spending so much of their own personal time doing extra work. That being said, a lot of teachers feel they are connecting with students better than years past. Hopefully, in the coming years, there will be a solution which is determined by critically examining the effect of the change on the students and teachers so that students are receiving the best possible education, and the teachers who are struggling can return to feeling the passion for teaching that originally drove them to this career.

JCHS and CCHS: Alex Kitchell

A brand new rivalry

he 2018-2019 school year was the last year of a single Jefferson City High School. Construction of the two schools began in 2018. The new building became home to the Capital City Cavaliers, and the old school remained home to the Jefferson City Jays. This divide is split along the same boundary lines that the middle schools use. Lewis and Clark Middle School Students go to Jefferson City High School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School Students go to Capital City High School. This divide does not include juniors or seniors, leading to some families having kids in both schools, such as the cases of the Penserum Family and the Helming Family. Calliope Penserum, a senior at Jefferson City High School, is separated from her younger sister Dahlia Penserum, a sophomore at Capital City High School. “It would certainly make transportation easier and save gas money, but we’re comfortable at our

schools and embracing educational progression in Jefferson City,’’ says Penserum. Red: Jefferson City Blue: Capital City

The Penserum family’s morning routine is hectic and it took a while for them to adjust to their schedules. In contrast is the Helming Family. Mrs. Helming, secretary for Jefferson City High School, has two children. Christopher, a senior at Jefferson City, and Katelynn, a freshman at Capital

City. She says that she leaves early in the morning and her son drives her daughter and himself to school. Before the time shift, her husband would drive Katelynn to school, however, due to the time change he can no longer transport her. Helming mentioned that when basketball starts her son will no longer be able to drive his sister to school. The Helming family’s biggest concern is during sports games. Katelynn wears Capital City clothes, Christopher wears Jefferson City clothes and Mr. and Mrs. Helming wear a mix of both teams’ clothes. Meanwhile The Penserum family does not mind the separation in sports. While the two schools have become independent groups with their own identities, teams, student bodies and staff, we still share our families and our town.

Dogs of JC: Rhapsody Ms. Smith’s Class Q. Where does Rhapsody go for a walk

at? A. Rhapsody walks around the school in the hallways. She walks on the Blue floor and the Green Floor and the Orange Floor and the Ocean Floor (our joke for the bottom floor). Q. What breed is Rhapsody? A. She is a Standard Poodle. Q. What do you do when Rhapsody is tired and doesn’t want to walk anymore? A. We practice “Come,” “Sit,” “Stay,” and other commands. We also fill up her water & food bowls. Q. Is Rhapsody nice or mean? A. Rhapsody is a nice dog who loves to be petted. Q. Where does Rhapsody live?

A. Seven miles from school in a house with her family.

Q. What does Rhapsody do during the day?

A. Rhapsody sits there and looks cute. Q. Who does Rhapsody belong to? A. Rhapsody belongs to her mommy,

Mrs. DuBois. She also belongs to Mr. DuBois, the Head Coach of the Girls’ Soccer Team. She also belongs to JCHS students Ethan and Ada. She also belongs to an elementary student named K’Lee. Q. Where does Rhapsody sleep? A. Rhapsody sleeps on her comfy bed in the classroom. Q. What does Rhapsody eat? A. Rhapsody eats dog food.

Students depicted from left to right: Emily, Helen, Jalisa, Zoreiona, Ziere, Emma, Michelle, Charissa, Dwayne, Alex, RJ, Chris, Rhapsody and Khalil

What’s with the FASFA Noah Holt

igh school ending is always a worry for students, and whether or not someone knows what they’re going to do is a big concern. For a student wanting to go to college, then the amount of money involved is sure to be an issue for many. September 24th was a college fair for Jefferson City School District, and for those who may have missed the presentation, financial aid is a team effort. It involves affordability, investment, recognition and motivation. Simply put, it is not easy, but also not too difficult. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is completely free.

that someone can complete and submit a FAFSA is October 1st and the required forms are: You have to pay attention to a specific equation when it comes to looking for the cost of financial aid. Simply do attendance minus the expected family contribution. The number from that represents your need for financial assistance and influences the need-based financial aid you are eligible to receive. Though watch out, because when Required Documents: Student’s Driver’s license and Social Security filling out the FAFSA there are a lot of common errors. Card Finally, of course, the thing Parent’s Social Security Card W-2 and other records of money earned in the every student is wondering about, scholarships and grants. Luckily, year prior the main perk of the FAFSA is that 2018 federal income tax returns it basically tells you what grants Records of untaxed income and scholarships you are eligible Current bank statements for. The things that scholarships and grants take into account are Applying early is usually the best way GPA, ACT scores, and SAT scores. to go, as most funds are first come, first These factors will impact your eligibility served; meaning you have to be aware of for grants such as the Pell Grant and all deadlines and requirements that can the Federal Supplemental Educational vary from school to school. The earliest Opportunity Grant.

As a student, it is the responsibility of you and your parent/guardian to get this all filled out, but also be cautious as this free process is going to be a bit time-consuming. But all in all, this is a worthwhile investment in your future. Common Errors: Failure to add student and/or parent FSA ID Parent and student Social Security Numbers Divorced/remarried parental information Income earned by parents/stepparents Untaxed income U.S. income taxes paid Household size

Young Life attracts students Nina Totsikas

ou may have noticed a couple of guys walking around the cafeteria on Thursdays. Their names are Brycen and Caleb, two of the local young life leaders. Brycen is currently the Jefferson City area director and Caleb is one of the five college leaders. When asked what Young Life is, Brycen stated “Young Life is what we call an ecumenical ministry, we reach high school kids from all religious backgrounds and denominations of Christianity. Everybody is welcomed.” The goal of Young Life in the school is

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to build relationships with the students and help out in the lunchroom. For Caleb, it’s all about the friendships and getting to know the kids. He originally got involved in his freshman year when a young life leader approached him at a football game. He later became a leader when he got into college. CJ, a JCHS senior, states “Young Life for me is a place I can relax, hang out with all my friends and learn more about Jesus.”

Young Life leaders Brycen and Caleb

Featured Artist: Daniel Dias Mikayla Mahaney

Q: What is something you do not enjoy

Q: What is your role in band? A: I’m a Drum Major, I also play the

about band?

A: I’m being real, the people. They can

be really annoying and sometimes can get off focus and off task, and I just wish they were more on task.

tuba.

Q: What made you join band? A: Well, I kind of needed something to do in fifth grade, and I just joined band because I felt like it. . Q: How has being in band affected your schooling? A: It made me a whole lot smarter because it gives me a different perspective on different subjects.

Q: If you could change one thing about

Q: What do you enjoy most about band? A: The chord structures. Hearing chord

A: I’ve been practicing for three years,

band what would it be?

A: I would change the way they are

taught by their directors, more strict rules and enforce them more instead of lollygagging.

Q: How did you rise to the position of Drum Major?

in my room alone.

structures being played is probably one of the most rewarding things, in my opinion.

Featured Teacher: David Robuck Mikayla Mahaney

Q: What do you teach here at JCHS? A: I teach what is called embedded

math, what that means is that I teach math topics to classes that are not a math class like a welding class or building trades. We will come in and we will work on some of the math skills they will need in that profession. We get specific word problems and specific formulas that they are going to have to sit down and do at their job as they enter that field.

Q: How did you like teaching at

Simonson? A: I really liked Simonson. It was great. It kinda we had the resources of a big school district and the feeling of a small school. With only one grade there it was easier to get to know the staff quicker, and we would see all the students up on the third floor. It was nice to see everybody come through and get to know a lot of the students.

Q: How do you like teaching here? A: This is great too. The staff at Nichols

is wonderful everybody works together and is pulling in the same direction.

The students are motivated because the topics of teaching apply directly to what they want to do and the job they want to have in the future.

Q: How do you like the new seven-block schedule?

A: I am actually teaching differently.

Because our classes are three-hour classes my schedule is more like the traditional four-block. So I’m not on the seven-block, but I’ve taught several years on the seven-block. I think there are days where the seven-block works better and there are days where you would rather have the ninety minutes. But I did enjoy seven-block when I taught it.

Q: Why did you become a teacher? A: I originally was a music teacher and

music was a passion that I wanted to pursue and I didn’t think I could do it as a professional singer. So, I went into education, and I found that what I really liked was dealing with people and teaching people. And that morphed into a math position.

Q: Are there any disadvantages of being a teacher?

A: I don’t know how it compares to other

professions since this is what I’ve done for 25 years, but I know sometimes we feel like things are coming to us all at once, and I think probably many jobs feel that way. Sometimes the students don’t always act as mature as we would like them to.

Q: Are there any advantages? A: Yeah, you get to meet wonderful people

and you get to watch people grow up and find their path. You know they are going to do great things and them coming back later and telling you all about it.

Opinion T

hroughout his presidency, Donald Trump has been under a large amount of scrutiny. His presidency began with accusations of collaboration with Russia to influence the outcome of the election. Now, he is alleged to have pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. The allegations state that President Trump withheld $400 million in aid from Ukraine in order to encourage Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Bidens. If these allegations prove to be true, then they are certainly grounds for impeachment. It is a fact that President Trump moved information of personal significance that had no bearing on national security to be classified. This is clearly suspicious and implies that there is something more than meets the eye. While under this level of scrutiny, President Trump has done very little to refute these claims, instead choosing to call it “the single greatest witch hunt in American history, probably in history” and to continuously play the victim in this issue. The little information that President Trump has offered is flimsy and inconsistent at best, as his reasoning for withholding these funds has changed since the original press conference. First, he claimed that he withheld these funds due to corruption in Ukraine, but changed his reasoning later in a White House press conference where he said that he withheld the funds because other countries in Europe were not doing their part in helping Ukraine. This whole situation looks very bad for President Trump. He has responded by playing the victim of the situation and has been seemingly unable to consistently justify his reasoning for withholding funds from Ukraine.

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The Red&Black’s Editorial:

Trouble in the White House With more evidence for the accusations against President Trump coming out by the day, it seems that impeachment is not only likely, but warranted. Beyond just the situation with the Ukraine, the attitude and overall behavior that Trump has shown is absolutely inexcusable and continues to give America a negative reputation. The President has a very active

presence on Twitter and continues to post frequently. Not only will he engage in childish and immature rants, but he constantly insults and delegitimizes his fellow government workers and legislators. Three years after the 2016 election, Trump continues to insult Hillary Clinton on his Twitter page. “So now Crooked Hillary is at it

again! She is calling Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard “a Russian favorite,” and Jill Stein “a Russian asset.” As you may have heard, I was called a big Russia lover also (actually, I do like Russian people. I like all people!). Hillary’s gone Crazy,” he tweeted. He is so fixated on insulted his former competitors in government and gives no thought to how he’s representing our country. Beyond that, he has also publicly criticized Nancy Pelosi’s work within the House of Representatives. “Can’t believe that Nervous Nancy Pelosi isn’t moving faster on USMCA. Her people want it, they don’t know why she isn’t putting it up for a bipartisan vote. Taking too long,” Trump tweeted. The President is supposed to be an inspirational figure that brings the government together to work toward a common goal: ensuring the wellbeing of the American people. This cannot be done if our leader continues to behave like an aggressive playground bully that is incapable of teamwork. His almost daily insults to others is not a sign of strength or honesty. It is a demonstration of how uncompromising and idiotic our “fearless” leader truly is. If he truly wanted our country to succeed, he would seek to bring us together into a unit. He clearly has no interest in doing so and continues to demonstrate that. In the end, The President has not only shown that he cannot be trusted to follow the rules and regulations put on him by the United States government, but also cannot handle himself appropriately in the public eye. President Trump may be the current president, but he is also a major red flag for the future of American politics.

Head to Head: The Sandy Hook Promise PSA This is the PSA the U.S. needs

Michelle Grant

n December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary school where he shot and murdered 28 people. The victims were teachers and staff, along with children with ages ranging from kindergarten through fourth grade. After examination of the bodies, most victims were only 6 to 7 years old and each shot repeatedly. After this horrible tragedy, Sandy Hook Elementary School decided they had had enough. They created Back to School Essentials, a public service announcement video with the tagline, “survive the school year with these musthave back to school essentials”. At the beginning of the PSA, the video shows young children getting ready for the school year, showing the camera a new backpack their mom got for them and some folders. As the video progresses, it starts to take a turn. A boy says, “These sneakers are just what I need for the new year” as he sprints down the hall with a dark figure appearing to be a shooter in the background. A girl says, “this jacket is a real must have,” as she anxiously ties her jacket around gym doors to apparently shut out the intruder. The video goes on to show how ordinary things such as a skateboard, socks, scissors or colored pencils could be used as a form of defense against the school shooter. It even goes so far as to show a child with a bleeding bullet wound struggling as another student ties her sock around the child’s leg to stop the bleeding. At first glance, it appeared as though it was just a regular back to school commercial, nothing more than advertising new folders, notebooks or pencils. I think that is what made the PSA so alarming. The way they tried to normalize the video as a commercial is a direct parallel to the way people are becoming used to how many mass shootings, or specifically, school shootings occur every year. The United States is accustomed to preparing for “when it happens,” not “if it happens”. That, to me, is the most frightening part. Yes, the PSA is horrifying and disgusting and extremely scary, but I think it is ultimately necessary. Protests are no longer enough. News articles and broadcasts are no longer enough. The public needs to see this PSA in order to realize that there are children literally preparing for a school shooter. They need to see how horrible this new reality actually is. They need to be shocked. They need to be alarmed. They need to wake up! I think this PSA did exactly that. It wakes America up. That is exactly what we need in today’s America.

This PSA will scar our youth

Noah Holt

ecently the Sandy Hook Promise Organization released a public service announcement called Back to Essentials, in which students were seemingly enjoying a back to school venture. It showed students showing off binders and pencils before one student brings up his new shoes as he is running down a hall. This is where things really take a turn. There were kids breaking windows trying to escape the shooter and tying up bleeding gunshot wounds with socks. At the end, there is a girl in the bathroom stall talking about how her new phone lets her keep in touch with her mom. After a text to her mom, you hear the shooter walk into the bathroom as the girl silently cries and tenses up. The ending text says to look for the signs. The entire PSA rubbed me the wrong way. This PSA was a back-to-school ad basically saying all we can do now is prepare our kids for when a shooting happens and there is no way to prevent it. This does not help solve the problem. It showed no signs to help prevent a school shooter. In contrast, years ago we had a Sandy Hook PSA where the characters were writing messages on a desk to one another throughout its entirety, not knowing who is responding. Right at the end, they recognize each other’s handwriting during yearbook signing and seemingly ending happily. Before a random person bursts in and begins firing. It is shown that the shooter was a student who was in the background of the entire PSA. Pretending to shoot teachers, being bullied and being very abrasive toward his fellow students. Then, it as fully set into the viewer that the blurred background was the one you should have really been paying attention to. This behavior was examples of signs that people should look out for. Now though, we have this PSA, which doesn’t give any examples of signs to look for, and still gives the ending slogan of,”Shootings are preventable when you know the signs.” All it did was show kids trying to survive and fleeing from the shooter. This video is commendable for the showing the blunt reality of the situation around shootings, but then you think about how this can easily reach younger audiences. Students K-12 have the easiest access to almost all forms of media. When they see this PSA, a fearful reaction is to be expected. Kids become afraid to go to school, distressed in class or afraid of people. All in all, this PSA does help bring awareness to the fact that shootings are more frequent now than ever before. Despite this, it didn’t give any indication of what signs could be to help prevent shootings. This does more harm than good when exposed to the younger audience it’s focusing on.

ACT superscoring: why it’s ideal Michelle Grant

ave you ever sat down for the ACT, done exceedingly well in the reading and English sections, but horrible in the Math and Science sections? Have you ever taken the ACT again after this and gotten lower scores in the Reading and English sections but higher scores in the Math and Science sections? It isn’t every time that you feel your best when you sit down and take the ACT for 4 hours. Sometimes you can get a particularly challenging math or science section, or an unusually wordy reading section, and it can lower your score. Maybe you didn’t get a full 8 hours of sleep the night before. There are many different variables that can affect how well you do in one ACT test sitting. That is why ACT superscoring is ideal, and why more and more colleges are starting to adopt it. Superscoring takes your best scores from each section from every ACT test

you have ever taken and averages it out, creating a superscore. That means that even if you get a low score on the math section during an ACT in September, but score higher in the same section in December, superscoring will only take your score from the December test. Superscoring the ACT is basically giving students the benefit of the doubt. Colleges that take superscoring understand that every student is human and not at their A-game in every section during every ACT. All colleges should accept ACT superscoring. It allows for you to achieve the highest possible score from all the ACTs you have ever taken. It realizes your potential to achieve your highest score, even if it isn’t achieved during one singular test. It allows room for human error and unfortunate circumstances that can affect how well you do on one ACT test. So far, only around 100 colleges accept

ACT superscoring. A quick Google search can give you the complete list. To sum it up, a limited amount of schools accept ACT superscores right now. Hopefully, in the coming years, more and more colleges will realize the benefits from superscoring and change their admission policies to better accommodate applicants.

Smoke ain’t no joke Blakelee Sutton ver the past few years, the use

of e-cigarettes and JUULs has grown exponentially among America’s collective student body. According to the New York Times, over 3.6 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes last year. Whether it’s in the school bathroom or in public with their friends, teenagers use of e-cigarettes continues to rise. E-cigarettes run on batteries and nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals. The device turns these ingredients into a vapor that is inhaled. Many of the chemicals that cause cancer are in this vapor. That includes formaldehyde, heavy metals and particles that can get stuck in the deepest parts of your lungs. The levels of these toxins are usually lower in e-cigarettes than they are in regular cigarettes, but recent WebMD studies have shown that high-voltage e-cigarettes have more formaldehyde and other harmful toxins than regular cigarettes.

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A specific chemical in some e-cigarettes is a buttery-flavored one known as diacetyl. This chemical has links to an incredibly harmful lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterates, or popcorn lung. The chemical can also cause an extremely dry and long lasting cough. This can also lead to shortness of breath, wheezing, fevers and chronic headaches. As of right now, popcorn lung has no remedy or cure and is shown to be directly caused by a vaping habit. Since vaping is a relatively recent phenomenon, the long term effects are hard to determine. But with the already identified effects, there’s simply no telling how negatively it could affect a person who’s been addicted for decades. With the concerns and harm that this addiction brings, it’s so important to stop vaping early on before the longterm effects can take hold. Vaping does not make anyone a cooler person and it

isn’t a solution to any of your problems. All it’s going to do is cause more longterm health effects on those that do it. This can be prevented right now. All you have to do is quit.

New hate symbols I

Tristyn Smith

n late September of 2019, the Anti Defamation League (ADL) revised its extensive list of symbols shown in their Hate on Display™ database. There was a substantial amount of controversy around some of the added symbols like the “OK” hand gesture and the bowl cut because they were seemingly harmless. According to the ADL, the bowl cut now symbolizes support for Dylann Roof, a man who committed a racefueled mass shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, and the “OK” gesture is a symbol standing for “white power”. As a society, we are not careful enough with what we consider symbols of hate. We allow groups with hateful intent hijack symbols and gestures that we use every day and turn them into something

that represents their agenda. By letting hate groups do this, we give them power. By giving them power, we let hate infiltrate our society and become even more common than it already is. As these groups begin to use these symbols even more, the public will begin to associate them with hate and only hate. This is something that has already happened in the past. Originally, even the swastika wasn’t a symbol of hate, actually symbolizing peace, but when the Nazi regime began to use it as a symbol of their hateful agenda, it transformed into the disgusting symbol as we know it today. We can only hope that symbols like the “OK” gesture and the bowl cut don’t take the same path as the swastika, but only time will tell. If we fight back against these groups

and refuse to let everyday symbols to represent their agenda, then they have no influence. These groups require influence and notoriety to have any power. Without these two factors, the groups have no reason to exist, and fade into obscurity. Anti-Semitic and white supremacist groups are only as powerful as we let them be and in this day and age, we give them far too much power. If we blacklist the individuals who choose to participate in hateful activities, then the power that they have becomes minimal and maybe even nonexistent. In liberating power from hateful organizations, we can hopefully turn the world into a better place.

The Joker controversy Noah Holt

Art by Alex Kitchell

n September 21st, 2018, the first trailer for the critically acclaimed ‘Joker’ dropped. Receiving massive responses, varying from likes and skepticism, a surprising controversy sprouted from the film. Would this film cause more widespread panic or would it just be another comic book movie to be released? Joker follows the plot of a mentally ill Arthur Fleck, whose story is a downward spiral into insanity. From the relationships Fleck forms to the harsh treatment he receives from the world, the movie comes to tell how the world can break people so easily and how so many people slip through cracks and ultimately cannot be saved by any sort of help. The controversy originates from the arguments put forth that this will encourage people in similar situations to act out just like the Joker did in the movie. Arguments of people who view themselves as being wronged by society will go on killing sprees as they are influenced by the film. Though, similar to the controversy with video games, people who wish to

cause violent harm will strive to find a reason through any sort of medium. As well as with video games, not a single factor in the film will cause a nonviolent person to act out. So that thirty-twoyear-old in their mom’s basement is just as harmless. A fairly concerning point was made by victims of the Aurora, Colorado shooting that this could be a repeat of the Dark Knight screening in which a man walked into the theater, claiming to be the Joker with a clown get-up and opened fire on the viewers before being apprehended by the police. Well, that would be the case if it weren’t for the fact that the shooter just had red hair, made no claim to be the Joker, and was wearing tactical gear, not a clown suit. The shooter attacked the location simply because of the number of people there at the time. As October rolls around and the Joker is released with critical acclaim, and even more actions against the film appear. Armed police officers guard entrances to theaters, constant articles are released about the smallest issues related to the film, costumes related to

the film being banned, and all the way to a prank sign being hung up saying that ‘single males’ are banned from viewing the film, with all of this adding up to simply ridiculous behavior. At the end of it all, the Joker is just like any other piece of media. It is meant to be an experience and enjoyed, while any concern around should not be the forefront to keep it from being made.

Spotlight

Homecoming: Where dreams come true~

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Some people just never grow up

Kirsten Thurman&Nicole McMorris

Entertainment Majority rules? No! Rylie Bohanan More like majority drools! Unpopular opinions are exactly what they sound like, opinions that go against mainstream opinions. These are some of JCHS students unpopular opinions.

“Pop culture is more important than education.”

Lauren Christiansen

“I really do actually like the 7 block schedule.” Mackenzie Pendleton

“S’mores are overrated.”

Olivia Michaelson

“The new lunch tables are bad.” Sam Rackers

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Spooky color-by-number Siera Richardson

1-Orange 2-Yellow

3-Blue 4-Purple 5-Green

6-Brown 7-Red

People are dying to try this! Alex Kitchell

Necessary materials:

Art by Madiline Showers

• • • 1. Take Oreos and place them into a plastic bag, crush them into a powder. 2. Place the chocolate icing into a different plastic bag clipping one of the tips of the bottom corner. 3. Lay out the wafers and with the chocolate icing write out tombstone writings on one of the facings.

4. Allow wafers tomb stones to cool in the freezer for 5-10 minutes or until solid. 5. Pour chocolate pudding into a circle Tupperware around two inches deep, sprinkle the crushed Oreos over the pudding. 6. Place the ‘tombstones’ half in the pudding and different angles.

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•

One pack Oreos Chocolate pudding Pack of vanilla wafers or similar rectangular cookie Chocolate icing

Reviews: J

Blakelee Sutton

oker is the new film based on the infamous DC Comics villain of the same name. The film sets out to be a character-defining masterpiece that analyzes the character of The Joker. Not only does the movie succeed in doing so, but it also contains incredibly relevant commentary on society’s treatment of mental health and how it affects people. One of the best aspects of the film is Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck/The Joker. The complex and layered performance that he gives is most definitely Oscar-worthy and floored me with every scene. As much as I loved Heath Ledger as this

Noah Holt

he Addams Family was a very “meh” movie. It had a very bland, cookie-cutter plot that honestly wasn’t anything new, granted it was a decent story, it was just nothing new. The casting fit well, with solid voice acting throughout the film, as well as fairly decent animation. This was only the case when the characters were in movement and not idle. There are two huge problems that hold this movie back. The first problem with the movie was its lack of humor. A few jokes were alright, but most are just bad or just simply boring. The only joke I personally found funny was a New

Tristyn Smith

ombieland: Double Tap, while definitely not a cinematic masterpiece in any sense of the word, is a very fun experience. This movie is absolutely hilarious and is sure to have anyone watching practically falling out of their chair from laughter. Most of the jokes are written and executed perfectly. Some don’t land, but the ones that don’t are few and far between. The performances are all very fun and relaxed. While none of the actors disappear into their roles, Wichita (Emma Stone), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) stick out as extremely

character, I think this tops the others as the best. Another thing to note is the cinematography and overall atmosphere of the movie. Gotham City is portrayed as dark, gothic and disgusting which perfectly sets the tone for the movie. “Joker” is a movie that breaks barriers and has an actual message and theme at its heart. Not only is it an entertaining experience, but it makes its audience think about important topics as well as the implications our actions toward mental health care could have.

Jersey joke at the beginning of the film. After that, for me at least, the humor in the movie became incredibly hit or miss, usually miss. The second, more concerning issue, is the Addams Family themselves. They are supposed to be this weird family in a world of stand up people but in this, they are weird, sure, but they really didn’t stand out from the main antagonist and a lot of the extras. So, without that difference between Addams and the rest of the cast, it loses a lot of the charm that the old Addams Family brings to the table.

entertaining. One problem with the movie was the subplot involving Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and Berkeley (Avan Jogia). This subplot left a lot to be desired. It was far less entertaining than the main plot Zombieland: Double Tap was exactly the movie it was meant to be, not a masterpiece that pretentious film students will talk about until the end of time, but an hour and a half of consistently entertaining one-liners, witty dialogue and a surprisingly low number of dead zombies for a movie titled after them.

Featured News

Motor Bike Vests: New trend?

Or concerning sign? Noah Holt

t’s the start of the 2019-2020 school year at Jefferson City High School and there are new things everywhere. There’s a new lunchroom, a new gym on its way and even a new school to rival against. One thing that raises a few eyebrows is the newest fashion trend: motorbike vests. Attention toward the vests usually being indifferent, there was concern about the vests being bulletproof. When asked about his reaction to the vests, Principal Robert James states, “As an avid motorcycle rider, I recognized immediately as a riding vest; some of which provide protection should the rider have an accident while others simply act as a contoured backpack.”A biker vest-wearing student named Reco Lomax replied, “It’s just a fashion statement. I don’t gangbang or have any weapons. Along with everything else I wear, it’s all because I like the look.” Though it is a simple fashion

statement, there has been some confusion as some staff members and students have mistaken them for bulletproof vests. When this was brought up to Principal James, he responded with, “Individuals that are not familiar with motorcycles mistake them for body armor similar to what the military or police use. The issue with students wearing them stems from their potential to cause disruption.” After asking around about the vests and how teachers reacted, one teacher, Charlie Ledgerwood, brought up how about two weeks into the school year, he had asked a student about the vest he was wearing. It was stated that vest was just a fashion statement and that was easily an open-shut case. Another teacher, Shelby Kiesling, had a similar statement. “Early in the year, I did notice them and mistake them for being a bullet-proof vest. No, I did not feel they posed a distraction in my class,

but I only had one student that was wearing it.” With these vests seemingly having no real impact on the student body, it seems that worry around them died out as quickly as it appeared. The next trend may be weirder. There is no telling if it will cause the same amount of concern.

Reco Lomax shows support for vests.

Is a late start really needed? F

Blakelee Sutton

or the 2019-2020 school year, JCHS made the decision to change the schedule of the school day. The start time has changed from 7:50 to 8:40, and school now releases at 3:40. With this, various adjustments were made by the high school’s teachers and staff in order to adapt to the new schedule. The new changes have caused staff to jump over various hurdles. Charlie Ledgerwood, a teacher at JCHS, gave his viewpoint. “I see good and bad for both. Later start time is nice because students get to sleep in longer, but then I also see that students are involved in after-school activities: band, choir, sports and they’re gonna work later after school. Kids that work after school are just gonna stay up an

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hour later to make-up that hour they missed,” Ledgerwood stated. On a more positive note, he acknowledged the increased motivation he now has at the start of each day. “It makes my mornings less rushed, so I feel like I’m more ready to teach with this later start time,” he elaborated. While Ledgerwood has a mixed viewpoint on the new start time, other teachers have a more overall negative opinion on it. Another teacher at JCHS, Nicole McMorris, noted that she can no longer stay after school as long. Since the school is now starting later, it’s also ending later. “I still get here at the same time, but now I don’t stay after school. So now, I leave at four o’clock, which is

my contract time. Whereas last year I would stay after school and I would be here for a while. I live in Columbia, so, it’s already 30 minutes to drive there. So, I don’t stay after school anymore.” That being said, the new start time doesn’t seem to accommodate teachers who live out of town. Since they can’t stay after the school day as long, students are losing an extra amount of help. It remains to be seen how the start time will continue to affect the average school day. It’s given students more of a chance to sleep in each day, but also removed a lot of after school activity. With good and bad to the change, the long term effects will be interesting to see unfold.

Driving a fine line Taylor Baker

any Jefferson City High School students have been parking at the Linc due to construction. The Jay Village trailers occupy one parking lot, and the majority of Union Street is closed because of the construction on the new gym. Recently, students have been asked to no longer park in the main parking lot of the Linc, and only use the lower side lots. “I used to park right behind the Linc, but I guess were not allowed to park there anymore, so now I’ve been parking kinda to the right side of the Linc,” Ethan Phillips stated. The right-hand parking lots are where most students have been parking, but now that everyone has to park there,

it makes congestion even worse at the end of the school day. This is an issue for students who have to go straight to work after school. Students also feel pressured to arrive at school earlier now, which can be quite stressful. “I park at the first lot on the right after you exit the roundabout. I get here at 8 am and most of the spots are already taken. If I get here any later I won’t have a spot to park,” Sidney Davis stated. It is becoming increasingly clear that students are frustrated by the construction and lack of inexpensive parking. “All the trailers are blocking all the spots, and there’s construction on that

hill [Union Street] so we can’t park there. They just cut off more than half our other parking spots,” Davis said. All of this considered, it is obvious that the parking problem is a struggle for students and the community. There should be a solution that would benefit students and Linc members. Some Linc members are also affected because they go to the Linc and they do not have a spot to park close to the entrance. “I think people should get upset because they’re paying money for a membership, and then they ain’t got no where to park. I feel like students should have their own place to park.” stated Phillies Spencer.

Big trouble in little Hong Kong I

Tristyn Smith

n recent years, turmoil has consumed Hong Kong, China. There have been many protests since the Umbrella Movement in 2014 when demonstrators filled the streets to revolt against the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress’ (NPCSC) after it proposed changes to the electoral system of Hong Kong. Now, people have taken to the streets again to protest mainland China’s new Hong Kong extradition bill, which would allow China to extradite criminals from Hong Kong. This has left many citizens concerned because the Chinese government has been known for unfair trials and other miscarriages of justice. The protests started out as peaceful demonstrations in March of 2019 but began to escalate in June, becoming violent. Since June, demonstrators and police have clashed many times. This

has resulted in many protesters and officers being injured. During these clashes, police commonly used tear gas, mace and rubber bullets to stop protesters. One incident that has worked to escalate both sides occurred in early October, where a protester who was in the act of attacking an officer was shot point-blank in the shoulder with a live bullet while attacking an officer. This has only angered protesters, who have since escalated the situation with metal pipes and gasoline bombs. The outcry continues as the demands of the demonstrators steadily increase, now including amnesty for those arrested during the protests and direct election of all lawmakers. The people of Hong Kong likely won’t relent until the government makes policy changes. It will definitely be

something to keep an eye on in the coming months.

Umbrella Protests in Hong Kong

Francis Howell sues JUUL T

Blakelee Sutton

his past Monday, The Francis Howell School District has made the decision to sue e-cigarette maker, JUUL. They’re claiming JUUL’s use of deceptive marketing and misconduct has harmed its student body’s overall health. JUUL’s vaping products cause “significant and ongoing nicotine abuse and addiction by students at (Francis Howell) schools,” according to a statement on the lawsuit. Vaping at school “frustrates (the district’s) ability to achieve its educational goals.” According to the St. Louis Dispatch, there were 54-nicotine related infractions among Francis Howell’s

student body five years ago. This skyrocketed to 248 cases last year, three of which were in elementary schools. As a result, the district hired more employees to monitor hallways and bathrooms for any vaping activity. The district also draws a problem with the advertisements the JUUL brand uses. They’re citing the colorful ads featuring attractive young people as a harmful influence on their student body. Instead of showing the harmful effects of the products, they’re shown in a positive light. In response to the lawsuit, JUUL released an official statement clarifying their position.

“Our product has always only been intended to be a viable alternative for the one billion current adult smokers in the world. We have never marketed to youth and do not want any non-nicotine users to try our products. We have launched an aggressive action plan to combat underage use as it is antithetical to our mission.” When asked about the situation, Robert Gatter, a law professor at St. Louis University, said that the lawsuit says a lot about the school district’s role in the community. “They have an obligation to protect the welfare of their students,” Gatter said.

Dress to impress Taylor Baker

r. Hogan is a first-year teacher at the high school, and he is implementing what seems to be a very positive change for students in his classroom. On Mondays, students are encouraged to dress professionally. They have talked about what it means to dress professionally and came up with some general guidelines to follow. “When it started, I really didn’t want to see many tennis shoes, but I understand that a lot of kids wouldn’t own all-black shoes… so, alright, we can wear tennis shoes. But the rest of you has to be professional, even if it´s some jeans. No sagging, no ripped jeans, and no really baggy jeans… I told them that they have to act like, or at least look like they want to get a job,” Mr. Hogan stated.

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Many students seem to be enjoying this new agreement, because as long as they dress professionally, they are allowed to use their earbuds, headphones and cell phones during downtime in class, like when they are doing homework or taking notes. This set of dress code rules typically applies more toward young men than women, but there are also dress code rules for the girls in his class. Mr. Hogan said, for the most part, girls tend to dress appropriately and professionally unless they are just trying to be comfortable, so his policies focus mainly on the male students. Mr. Hogan would like to lift up the young men in his classes to set them up for successful futures. He believes it is a cultural issue, that many teenage boys are not taking themselves as seriously

as they maybe should, or they simply have never had a positive male role model in their life. ¨I’m still young enough to cope with the culture that’s going on right now, and they’re losing their way as men, so I’m trying to build them back up to be better men, and that’s really where it all comes from.¨ Students have even been emailing him pictures of their outfits, asking for fashion advice. It is clear that Mr. Hogan is having a truly positive impact on his students, and that is something all teachers strive for. Hopefully, all teachers can impact their students in a meaningful way like this.

Trainer to teacher T

Rylie Bohanan

he 2019-2020 school year is full of a lot of new additions and improvements. One of them being the new strength training class and teacher. The class is led by Garrett Buschjost. Buschjost got his undergraduate in Nutrition and Fitness, and his Master of Education in Athletic Administration at William Woods. He worked as an intern at Mizzou for three years, training their football, baseball, track and field, gymnastics, swimming, diving and softball teams. The next two years he started working with the men’s and women’s basketball team. Also at this time, he was training William Woods athletes in the morning and worked part-time at Columbia Speed Academy at night. After about a year and a half, he was promoted to Supervisor of Columbia Speed Academy and has been doing that ever since. His passion for training athletes, specifically high school athletes, brought him to Jefferson City High School. “I enjoy training the high school age

because that is an age where most begin to learn how to train. I saw a big difference it made for me when I was in high school,” Buschjost stated. His belief in the high-performance model (experts staying in their area of expertise) and the idea of having a high school going towards a similar setup to college-level athletics made him eager to start working at JC. Buschjost’s favorite part about working at JC so far is the large groups and varieties of athletes he works with every day. He also gets to watch his athletes playing in their sports, which is something that he didn’t get the privilege of doing in the past. His main goal for his athletes is to develop them as people before athletes. “I believe wholeheartedly that the weight room is a great breeding ground for that. What always stands to be true in the weight room is it doesn’t care who you are, if you come from money, if you are popular, if you are genetically superior, etc. the individuals who are

Sports

successful in the weight room are the individuals who work the hardest and the smartest.” His other goal is to create a system that the athletes can get a leveled individual workout that will optimize their performances. Buschjost’s biggest tip for athletes or anyone training is: “Training/Fitness is a process and just like anything in life that you wish to excel at, it takes time. You must trust and enjoy the process and the results will come...don’t rush it.”

Player Perspective: Softball

Jaiden Allabaugh

he past four years of being on the softball team has given me countless memories and lessons. The teammates have been the best part of it all; no matter what happens you’re always a team and always have to have each other’s back. If one person isn’t having a good day you have eight other girls behind you to pick you up, and knowing that they’re there for you really helps a lot. During the season we all are really close and it’s a little like having a second family, you see them every day and are always around each other, and getting to watch everyone grow throughout the season is so fun to be a part of. Being able to have fun and laugh around everyone has been one of the best parts. Like last year when Brooke ran into the fence and Abi laughed so hard that she couldn’t even pick up the ball. Although our season is pretty short,

we make so many memories throughout it, that it seems like it is way longer. This year on our way to a game, our undercarriage came open and we

didn’t realize for around 15 minutes, throughout that time Alexis lost two bats and almost her whole bag. While I have a lot of good memories from the past four years, softball has also taught me how to work hard. Missing school a lot for softball can make it hard to stay caught up in classes so you really have to make sure you pay attention

and communicate with your teachers to make sure you get everything done on time and done right. But that’s also where having teammates helps, a lot of us have classes together that we can work on and some of us take the same classes or have taken that class so you can always ask them for help with homework and assignments. You have to learn to be flexible and how to manage your time so that you can make sure to get everything done, and also how to be coachable. Being able to take advice and then apply it is something that you use in any part of your life, and softball has given me a lot of practice at this. My years of playing on the softball team has taught me how to be coachable, manage my time, how to work hard even when I don’t want to but most importantly how to be a good teammate, and an even better friend.

Breaking Barriers Michelle Grant C

hanges are all around us in the new school year. Construction, classes, people, sports; there are changes in every facet of life. Most significantly, sports have been radically changing and breaking gender stereotypes in the past couple of years. Junior Maxwell Ntalamu defied gender norms and became JC’s first male cheerleader. He joined the JC cheer team just last school year despite some apprehension about how the student body would react. “At first I was nervous, I didn’t know how people would react and what people would say. However, it ended up helping me discover my passion and who I am as a person” Maxwell states. Senior Andrew Dyer was another JC student to defy gender stereotypes and become JC’s first male dance team member last year. “I was scared to cross the boundaries at first, but then [I] overcame the fears of backlash and auditioned for the JC dance team,” Andrew mentions. Junior Celeste Cash was also the first female to join a completely male sport at JC when she joined the wrestling team last year. “I spent a lot of time debating on whether or not to do it, but the idea of it is definitely more intimidating than it actually is. I think that once I came to

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practice and got on the mats I enjoyed myself. Once I started, I feel like the fact that it was an all-boys team didn’t really matter much,” Celeste said. Celeste has even encouraged other girls around the school to follow in her footsteps. Starting this year, there will be the first-ever girls’ JC wrestling team. “I can’t wrestle this year because I tore my ACL last spring (not while wrestling), but it’s really exciting that the girls this year will be able to practice with other girls,” Celeste commented. Upperclassmen were not the only ones to break barriers at JC as freshman that negative feedback to propel further into my dancing. I dance ten times harder so that the next time they feel the need to put their input, they don’t.” Overall, more and more students are breaking the socially constructed beliefs of who can and cannot play certain sports. As time goes on, JC will hopefully continue to promote students to break out of their comfort zones and try new sports, whether they are meant for their gender or not.

Lowegyn Hearn became the first female football player at JC this school year. Lowegyn, a kicker, wide receiver and defensive back describes football as not being much different than any other sport. “Nothing really changes. It’s the exact same as playing other sports.” Lowegyn mentioned. Although most of the feedback these student-athletes received has been positive, there have been some people from the student body who had some negative things to say. “I get horrible comments from people at our school that are nasty and vulgar.” Andrew comments. Despite receiving hate, Andrew responds in an optimistic manner. “When I get negative comments, I use

Featured Athletes Girls Golf: Ryann Schenewerk Rylie Bohanan Q: Why do you golf?

A:”I golf because it’s a sport that I played as a kid, and it brings back the joy I had from when I was younger. I caught on quickly after not playing for a few years.” Q: Do you plan on playing golf in college? A: “Recently I have had an interest in playing in college, and I hope I can find a good place to play.”

Q: How long have you been golfing? A: “I have been golfing since my junior year, but before that, I did summer camps when I was 7 to 13.” Q: What is your favorite part about being on the golf team? A: “My favorite part about being on the team is my coaches and teammates. We get along very well, and they make what we do fun.”

Football: Tyler Johnston Jesse Averion Q: Why do you play football? A: “I played it as a child and just fell in love with it.” Q: What position do you play? A: “Defensive end.” Q: How has football changed your life? A: “It’s taught me discipline, toughness and hard work. It’s also made my high school experience a lot better.”

Q: How do you balance a hard football schedule with school? A: “Being a student-athlete definitely isn’t easy, but we have study halls and the coaches offer us help with our homework.” Q: Are there any negatives that comes with playing your position? A: “The only negatives are the same as every other position. You get hit; you get little dings. It all comes with playing the sport.”