THE CAFFEINE ISSUE
Photo by Vicent Hsaio
NEWS TO KNOW
Local events
Placesto visit in the months of April and May
!e Botanical Gardens will be hosting the Chinese Culture Day festival from May 4 to May 5. !e festival features a variety of Chinese cultural performances, art, music and history all while enjoying traditional Chinese cuisine. You can purchase tickets for the event on Botanical Gardens website. Ticket prices range from $8-16.
!e Kaleidoscope Festival is hosted at Ladue Horton Watkins High School every year.
!is year’s Kaleidoscope Festival was on April 26. Kaleidoscope festival is a time for orchestra students to showcase what they’ve been working on. Students get to choose what pieces they play and whom they play it with. Everyone is free to come listen. Concerts happen from 11-2 in the a ernoon.
However, the festival not only showcases music but also shows o$ artwork. !e artwork of many talented seniors will be displayed along the walls of the room where all the Kaleidoscope performances will be occurring. !e Kaleidoscope Festival is de nitely worth visiting to see the variety of performance arts and visuals showcased by the students at Ladue
Key events in the months of April and May
DECA INTERNATIONALS
Buisness students go to Orlando, Florida for DECA
By Joyce Li News editor
By Aston Liang News sta
On April 25, freshman Talia Poremba will be traveling to Florida to attend DECA internationals. She will be in Florida for 5-6 days, competing in various business-related events against other schools across the nation. “I’m also looking forward to meeting so many new people from all over the world,” said freshman Talia Poremba.
Poremba’s event, Community Giving, requires project management skills to raise money for a community. “For our project this year, my partner, Regina, and I planned and executed a dental drive for Hispanic children in need,” said Poremba. “While also working to educate and create awareness of the challenges they face.”
DECA is a very rewarding experience for participants and more Porembras events even allowed them to give back to
their communities. “ !e most rewarding aspect for me this year was knowing that we made a tangible positive impact in the Saint Louis community,” Poremba said. “ !anks to all the dental supplies Regina and I collected, over 700 Hispanic children will receive clean, new oral care items.”
However, DECA can be challenging and time-consuming for the many students who participate. “Community Giving required us to not only plan and execute a real event but also to evaluate it and write about the entire process,” said Poremba.
Community Giving isn’t the only di cult event in DECA. “Some events require participants to both write a paper and give a presentation, in addition to taking a test,” Poremba said.
DECA helps students develop life skills and pursue their interests in business, allowing them to see what a career in business may be like. “I would not only gain valuable insight and knowledge for a potential career in business, but also develop important life skills in general,” Poremba said.
Photo courtesy of Seph Zhu
LEFT: DECA members pose for a photo. They competed in an international competition in Florida. “I am super excited to attend Internationals,” said Talia Poremba (9).
(Photo by Norah
SPEECH AND DEBATE STATES
By Aston Liang
Senior Eric Fan has been competing in Speech and Debate for all of high school.
He started debate as a freshman, and has been improving every year. “I won one my novice/freshman year, three my sophomore year, four my junior year, and ve this year so far,” Fan said.
He attends many tournaments each year. “We usually compete in 8-10 tournaments a year, which includes local/regular season tournaments and a state and national tournament,” Fan said.
His parents encouraged him to pursue Debate. “My parents really thought it matched my energy for arguing and recommended I try it out,” Fan said.
Fan has competed in a variety of events, but one of them caught his attention. “My main love is Public Forum Debate, though I’ve dabbled in policy debate, and do Congress and Duo Interpretation for my speech events,” Fan said.
Fan has attended the State Speech and Debate competition 3 times. “It’s a very festive event across the Missouri State University campus! Competition takes place across many buildings, as there are many debate and speech events, and there are plenty of people milling about,” Fan said.
!e State competition isn’t just fun and games however, it is a challenging battle against people from all across the region. “ !ese are the state’s best, all of whom quali ed through their district tournament as well,” Fan said.
LEFT: Winners at the MO Debate competition pose in a photo. They were in Springfeld to compete. “I gained experience,” said Emery Mao (9).
Although the state level is challenging, Fan’s hard work and talent have powered through. “My sophomore year (the 1st time going) my partner and I won the state championship in Public Forum Debate,” Fan said.
Speech and Debate is a social event as well, where you can make friends. “On a social level, I think the number of tournaments we go to and the inherent interaction we get means you meet so many people and make so many more friends than many other activities,” Fan said. “All of which has been really ful lling knowing I’m a part of a community that I feel welcome in.”
Despite the overwhelming amount of activities to choose from, Fan settled on Speech and Debate because of its challenge and impact. “I felt that speech and debate also provided me a great space to challenge myself competitively and learn about our world and have that meaningful discourse with others across my city, state, and nation,” Fan said.
!e Speech and Debate community feels like home to Fan. “[!e reason I compete is] de nitely the friends and community I’ve [built],” Fan said. He also gave advice on how to join the club. “At Ladue at least, we have great student instructors who’ve competed in their specialized events who can teach you,” Fan said.
Speech and Debate also develops important life skills according to Fan. “On a skill level, I love that I’ve been able to develop great public speaking, research, writing, and critical thinking skills from this activity as well,” Fan said.
Club Coverage
Club events in the months of April and May
From June 18 to 21, Junior Anthony Zhao will be traveling to Tennessee to compete in HOSA internationals. He will compete in events designed for aspiring health professionals against other schools, while also making friends.
“Connecting with the competitors and just being like, oh, everyone here loves medicine, and everyone here is just so smart and so talented,” Zhao said. Zhao competes in an event called Respiratory !erapy, which is designed to simulate a real medical environment.
“My event is called respiratory therapy. It is a career event,” Zhao said. “Basically, I do an eight minute presentation about the career, its future, its required education, its daily life and its impact on the hospital, which is a very crucial role,” Zhao said.
Freshman Rishi Suri competed in the Science Bowl competition in Washington D.C. from April 24 to 28. Science Bowl is a di cult competition that requires a lot of studying. “ !e hardest part of Science Bowl is probably how much studying you have to do and how hard the competition is at state and especially at nationals,” Suri said. !e di culty pays o$, and the reward is worth it. “ !e hardest part of Science Bowl is probably how much studying you have to do and how hard the competition is at state and especially at nationals,” Suri said.
News sta
Photo courtesy of Rishi Suri
ALL EARS FOR APUSH
AP U.S. History teachers
By Irene Murphy & Elsa Flores feature sta!
Microphones are on, scripts are prepped and ready, president impressions are lined up, and teachers Zach Garrison, Riley Keltner and Mike Hill begin their pre-recording vocal warm ups to ensure a smooth recording of this week’s episode of their podcast.
Garrison, Keltner and Hill are all AP U.S. History teachers at Ladue High School. is year, both Garrison and Kelner had the idea of starting a podcast for their students to use for an extra resource. But, the podcast is not only for students. It is also for anyone who wants to learn more about U.S. history and are willing to listen, hence the name APUSH For All.
“We’ve seen that students will listen with their parents,” Garrison said. “We’ve had parents reach out and say, ‘it’s really fun to listen and to know what you guys are talking about, and talk about it with my son or daughter.’ And that’s a cool thing. at’s APUSH for all.”
Garrison was the one who initially came up with the idea of
Zach Garrison, Riley Keltner and Mike Hill start a podcast
Where can you find the podcast?
Use this QR code to access their Instagram!
You can find them on Youtube using this link: youtube. com/@APUSHforAll
If you use Apple Podcasts, you can find them by searching APUSH For All To access them on spotify, type APUSH For All Podcast into the search bar!
having a podcast. He then introduced it to Keltner, who was totally on board with the idea.
“I thought that it would be a fun way to give our students a little more content, because we have to go so fast in class that we sometimes don’t get to tell deeper stories or provide more interesting side notes,” Garrison said.
For Keltner, she was more inspired by people who weren’t students. She wanted to reach audiences beyond the school, like adults who wanted to get back into history.
“I constantly hear from whether it’s parents at conferences or people who I meet, who when I tell them I’m a history teacher they always say, ‘I wish I could have taken your class, because now I feel like I know nothing about history, and I just don’t really know where to start,’” Keltner said.
To actually make the podcast, the three teachers have divided up roles to reach their deadlines on time, especially while balancing their jobs. For example, Keltner is in charge of all of the technology and editing aspects of it using the app, Garage Band. She also uploads the podcast to Spotify, Apple
Music and Youtube, so everyone can listen to it.
“Dr. Garrison is in charge of creating the bones of our script, but we try not to read directly from if. It’s really just something to keep us on track, but then we can free ow and talk about the topics we’re supposed to talk about,” Keltner said. “We all take a look at the script throughout the week, and then I obviously have to do my editing over the weekend, and I also do our social media.”
By now, they have nailed down a schedule that works for them every week prior to recording. is schedule helps everything go smoother on the days that they sit down in the recording studio.
“Dr. Garrison puts it together initially, and then he’ll send it out to us midweek, and Mr. Hill and myself look through it and see if there’s any gaps or things we want to include,” Keltner said. “Sometimes Mr. Hill goes and looks for quotes, because he’s very famous for all of his impressions. And so we might make some additions, or just make some notes, like, ‘Hey, we should talk about this here or this here,’ and then that’s it.”
Hill’s extremely accurate impres-
What is your favorite thing about APUSH For All?
“The music that goes with it and supporting my teachers.”
Tatum Curran (11)
“It’s a really good way to learn, while being fun and entertaining.”
Ivana Todorova (11)
“I can listen to it to help me study because the podcast released episodes to help us reveiw for the AP exam.”
Norah Murphy (11)
sions of famous historical gures on this podcast are very popular.
ey add a comedic e ect that everyone who listens enjoys.
“ e parts when we do voices they usually leave to me, and so I will try my best to do a di erent presidential voice or some other historical gure,” Hill said. “I’ll have in my head what they sound like, and then maybe listen to some audio and try to mimic that.”
Not only has this podcast been an enjoyable experience for those who listen, the teachers have also had fun while creating it. ey love to add personal touches or experiences to the podcast whenever they can.
“We’ll all tell our own little stories,” Hill said. “Like the other day, we were talking about Geraldine
Ferraro, who was the vice presidential candidate during the 1984 election, and that was when I was a senior in high school. And she came to our school and as part of a campaign stop to talk to us and answer questions and stu . So there’s just little personal vignettes that you can add.”
Keltner thought of the name for the podcast, APUSH for All, because she hopes to get as many people invested in history and make it very accessible for them.
“I came up with the name APUSH for All because I really did think that there was a way to hit both of our students and also other people, whether they’re adults or non adults, who want to learn more about American history,”
Keltner said. “So we really just
“It’s very educational and it applies well based on what we’re doing in the class.”
Lila Meyers (11)
“
We’ve had parents reach out and say, ‘it’s really fun to listen and to know what you guys are talking about, and talk about it with my son or daughter.’
And that’s a cool thing. That’s APUSH for all.
“
- Zach Garrison
“They drop study episodes so that’s helpful.” Brendan Balint (11)
LEFT: Mike Hill, Riley Keltner and Zach Garrison prepare to record the latest episode. The teachers have met in the recording studio every Friday during W8 to record. “What we’re doing in APUSH is each podcast episode that we do per week,” Hill said. “We’re trying to keep it in line with wherever we are in class.” (photo by e.fores)
hope that it’s a resource for all.”
While the podcast was initially made for the purpose of educating and providing another resource for their students, it has become much more than that to the three history teachers.
“Our mission is making sure people know that stu that happened a long time ago is still relevant today. It’s the old adage of, people who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it,” Hill said. “You have to be aware of all of this stu that happened back then, because it impacts what we’re doing today or how we’re feeling.”
“How they make the podcast fun yet still educational, and it also follows along with the units in class.”
Lillian Plumb (11)
MEET THE MASTERMINDS
Mason Fong and Ritwik Ashok run Ladue’s 2025 Senior Assassin
By Sydney Gao features editor
By Cami Welsh features sta!
The atmosphere is tense at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. e seniors, who were once careless and plagued by “senioritis,” have been shocked into more vigilance than we’ve ever seen them in. You may spot them rushing to the safety of their cars, or peeking through the blinds of their homes. Meanwhile, others may be stalking driveways and scanning each location, gripping their waterguns. It seems as though this sudden shi happened overnight, but in reality, it happened over a single post: an announcement for the start of Ladue’s 2025 Senior Assassin. anks to two student council o cers, Ritwik Ashok and Mason Fong, the annual tradition of senior assassin was launched yet again. Over 100 seniors rushed to ll the application forms while Ashok and Fong curated sets of rules and sent out important updates for all to see.
“I made some announcements on GroupMe and collected all the funds,” Ashok said. “Mason and I
A collage of actual eliminations is featured on the ladueseniorassassin25 Instagram account. These were some of the many kills that took place this year, more of which can be found on the offcial account. “[I] didn’t care much after I eliminated myself,” Braylon Brown said. (photos submitted)
worked together, and we respond to DMS for eliminations, take photos, and [Mason] puts it all together on his template so we can send out the posts.”
e foundational rules for the game are listed as: no eliminations can take place on Ladue school property, players cannot take illegal measures and, of course, be sure to have fun. But as the seniors appear to have unrelenting determination, going as far as to stalk front yards and chase each other through parking lots, it’s inevitable for disputes to break out. It’s an essential part of Ashok and Fong’s job to settle these disagreements, typically through a voting system.
“People didn’t want anyone to be able to get anyone in where they worked. at was kind of a controversy,” Ashok said. “And there’s always people who want to put things up for voting.”
Despite the occasional disagreements, senior assassin is an event that many Ladue seniors look forward to. Even the underclassmen are kept on the edge of their seats, watching elimination videos and keeping up with each advancing round. Everyone has something they love about the game.
The Player Survival Code
“[My favorite part is] seeing all the videos of people getting out,” Fong said. “It’s pretty fun to watch.”
Meanwhile, for Ashok, the true appeal of Ladue’s Senior Assassin lies not only in the strategic planning, but the enjoyment of the process.
“I think my favorite part is how much time you get to spend with your friends. You get to plan your eliminations, or kind of evading and targeting,” Ashok said. “I think it just makes it a fun experience where you can spend a lot more time with your friends than you typically would.”
Senior assassin has been moving fast, with players getting eliminated back-to-back. While some of the participants are staying on the down-low, cautious and calculative, others seem to strive for immediacy rather than safety.
e players who have the most success in clearing their targets usually share a distinct characteristic that sets them apart from their opponents.
“A lot of people will focus on the element of surprise,” Ashok said. “So if you can get multiple eliminations back to back, that normally helps you move forward.”
RIGHT:
No activity or eliminations on Ladue property
Players cannot take illegal measures to win
When playing, be sure to have fun!
STYLED BY SIXTEEN
Xoe Thomas pursues her passion for the arts of fashion
By Gabriella Beltranena features sta
Before she could even spell the word ‘fashion,’ Xoë Thomas was living it. With an instinct for style and a fearless sense of self, she’s been curating her world one outft at a time since day one.
“I always used to be really commanding about how I wanted my hair to look and what I was wearing,” Thomas said.
But this little diva didn’t stop playing dress-upshe turned her passion into her path, transforming her childhood fair into a full fedged creative career. Thomas’ journey began in elementary school, a playground for experimentation with vibrant hues of makeup palettes. By seventh grade, this curiosity blossomed into a serious exploration of color and form on her own face. Now, at 16, Thomas’ artistry extends beyond herself, as she skillfully crafts makeup looks for a diverse clientele.
“A lot of my clients are Black, and a lot of them come to me saying they’re scared because they’ve had bad experiences getting their makeup done,” Thomas said.
Her approach to makeup—espe-
RIGHT: Xoe Thomas applies mascara onto the eyelashes of Rhayn Fortner. Thomas proceeded to help Fortner in fnding what kind of makeup suits her. “If I make my own makeup it’s mainly out of necessity,” Thomas said. “There’s not a whole lot of different brands that carry things that work for black people.” (photo by g.beltranena)
cially for Black clients—comes from both necessity and care. With many beauty brands still lacking in shade range and representation, Thomas has stepped in to fll the gap with custom looks that leave her clients feeling seen. While makeup artistry is a signifcant part of her creative endeavors, Thomas’ vision encompasses the broader world of fashion. Though she enjoys clothing design, her true passion lies in styling.
“When I think about clothes, I feel like I’m more of a stylist than a designer,” Thomas said. “I could point out plenty of people who I’ve styled for.”
Her keen eye for putting together impactful looks hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thomas is currently working with Images Model Management and recently had a shoot for Forever 21. While the agency often dictates the styling for the professional engagements, there are times when that aspect is left to Thomas.
“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” Thomas said. Thomas doesn’t just get dressed–she makes a statement. Her art isn’t confned to the mirror; it’s a message about culture, confdence
How to style
and identity. Thomas’ sense of presence is part of what sets her apart in the industry, even at such a young age. While many teens are still fnding their footing, Thomas is making hers known.
Carina Tshiteng, a close friend of Thomas since the seventh grade, witnessed her evolution frsthand.
“I feel like [her style] evolves with the kind of stage she’s [in] within her life.” Tshiteng said.
Still, Thomas is quick to acknowledge that her journey hasn’t always been seamless. Modeling in particular has brought challenges–from balancing school to dealing with industry beauty standards.
“It’s very diffcult trying to change my hair for a shoot I might not even get booked for,” Thomas said. “Especially just starting out..there’s a lot of people watching to see if you grow.”
Still, the pressure doesn’t slow her down. For Thomas, every challenge is an opportunity to create something meaningful–not just for herself, but for others too.
Even at 16, Thomas is thinking about what kind of legacy she’ll leave behind. Her dream isn’t limited to beauty campaigns or fashion runways–it’s about impact.
“I just want to make change,” Thomas said. “Even if I don’t go into fashion or music, I want to make people happy. And I’ll still fnd a way to bring creativity into it.”
Xoe
A Pink Dress
Black Heeled Sneakers
Pink Heart Purse
CUT THE
CAFFE NE
The problem with students drinking ca einated beverages
By Emery Mao
In-Depth editor
By Angella Zhang & Eric Tang
In-Depth sta
Ladue students love drugs. No, not those kinds of drugs — it’s one we drink without even thinking about: ca eine. Adolescent ca eine consumption has been increasing at a startling rate, with studies from Medical News Today nding that over 82 percent of kids from age 13 to 17 drink ca einated beverages regularly. Unfortunately, many of these unsuspecting teenagers don’t realize the impact that ca eine — from Starbucks to energy shots — has on their bodies.
EFFECTS ON YOUR BODY
Studies have shown that drinking ca eine “in moderate doses” can help with intellectual performance. But real trouble starts when it’s more than a little. Nicole Harrison, the school nurse, states that over the last few years, ca eine intake seems to be surging in students.
“I de nitely do [see more students drinking ca eine], and I don’t know if it’s just [that] people aren’t getting enough sleep because of all the , preparing for tests and all of the things that students are juggling, that they rely on the ca eine to keep them up at school,” Harrison said. “ en
they’re creating this cycle of not sleeping enough and then supplementing by drinking ca eine to keep them up.”
Ca eine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It’s a drug that increases alertness, attention, energy and physical activity. ings like co ee, energy drinks and tea wake you up, a perfect combination for students struggling with little sleep and too much homework.
“[Ca eine] keeps me awake and makes my brain stronger,” freshman Aidan Zu said. “I’m sleepy without ca eine. I’m awake with ca eine.”
Zu follows a popular habit with students, with multiple bene ts of ca eine enticing kids to drink it. A study from the National Library of Medicine found that college students at the University of Arizona had improved memory performance a er drinking ca eine. But how much is too much? e American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids 12 to 18 should drink under 100 mg. at’s only half a Celsius and one trenta pink drink.
Drinking more than this can be detrimental for students. Michigan Medicine states that kids can be more sensitive to the undesirable side e ects of ca eine, such as anxiety, diarrhea and dehydration.
SPILL THE BEANS
68.5%
66.3% of students drink ca einated beverages of these students drink co ee
65.0% of these students drink tea
it bothers their stomach,” Harrison said. “People are replacing meals, they’re having that instead of breakfast: and then they’re loaded with ca eine.”
CAFFEINE IN LADUE
Ca einated drinks are found everywhere throughout the high school. Whether you’re walking around the hallways during passing periods, settling down in the cafeteria or getting ready for class; you’ll nd starbucks cups clutched in students’ hands, energy drinks tossed in trash cans and teachers taking sips from cups of co ee. Zu takes notice of the ca eine usage of his peers.
“[I see] a decent amount of people,” Zu said. “I have probably a couple [of] kids each class drinking either a Kickstart or or a Celsius as well.”
Students aren’t the only people who have daily encounters with ca eine. With kids, energy drinks are becoming more and more popular — drinks like Prime, Bubbl’r and Monsters. Yet with Social Studies teacher Je Miller, co ee is seen as the most common drink.
“I notice students who drink ca eine–speci cally co ee–[having] stomach issues, because they have it on an empty stomach and
83% in the United States of teens consume ca eine regulary
“I see others drink co ee so many times daily,” Miller said in an email interview. “I see other teachers, students in the hallways, kids in my classes. Essentially everywhere.”
e lunch line, where hundreds of students pass through each day, is where you can nd a plethora of sodas and energy drinks. e
vending machines, which are open before and a er school hours, aren’t much di erent. Zu himself has a strong opinion on the school selling these beverages.
“[I think] it’s great, it’s great. It really helps me. It’s where I get most of my ca eine each day,” Zu said. “Usually [I drink] co ee in the morning, and occasionally a Celsius a er school, maybe a Kickstart during lunch.”
For Zu and many others, caffeine isn’t just a casual habit, it’s part of their daily routine. With energy drinks and sodas readily available during school hours, students have easy access to a quick boost whenever they need it. For some, ca eine is the di erence between dragging through the a ernoon and staying alert enough to nish out the school day. Zoran Pan (9) o en nds himself resorting to energy drinks on many days due to his busy schedule.
“In my opinion, I think it’s very important for students to be consuming enough ca eine for them to do their normal activities at maximum performance, versus being very sleepy and not partici-
HOW TO BE HEALTHY WITH CAFFEINE
It may seem that ca eine and a clean lifestyle exist on opposite ends of the spectrum. However,
this doesn’t have to be the case. By being careful with your consumption habits, you can achieve a healthy equilibrium. A er three decades of drinking ca eine, Miller has a good understanding of how to use ca eine bene cially.
“Always look up the latest wisdom/science on when to use ca eine and what the limits would be,” Miller said. “ ey will know a lot more about ca eine than you will, so it’s important to always listen to the experts. Not only that, you have to listen to your own body. If you are noticing bad habits that are coming out of drinking it, you should probably think twice.”
With the growing intake of ca eine among today’s students, their approach to drinking needs to be more careful. ey’ll be more accustomed to its e ects on their sleep patterns, energy levels, and overall health, allowing them to make better decisions.
“[It] kind of always falls back on eating healthy, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep [and] managing stress.” Harrison said. Although it sounds obvious, being able to get seven to nine hours of sleep is crucial for energy and focus. According to the University of Colorado Boulder, ca eine can create a cycle of over and under sleeping. Although the target hour of seven is a reach for some, trying
BUBBL’R VS CELSIUS
HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS
100 mg is the maxiumum amount of ca eine a teen should drink per day 95 mg of ca eine in a cup of co ee of ca eine in a cup of tea 26 mg 54 mg of ca eine in a 12 oz can of Mountain Dew
to maintain a consistent sleep schedule while going to bed by 11 p.m. is a good start.
Another big concern with caffeine is how easily it can lead to dependence. Once ca eine becomes a necessity to get you through each day instead of an occasional push, it can reel in negative e ects along with it. ese can include heightened stress levels and also an overall decrease in your well-being. Stephanie O’Neal, a physical education and health teacher at the high school, shared their perspective on just how harmful reliance on ca eine can become.
“I think that with high amounts of ca eine can come high blood pressure, and that can lead to all sorts of di erent problems with your heart,” O’Neal said. “Too much of it can cause you to be dependent on it, and then you can’t function without it. You get to the point where you’re craving more and more…Your sleep patterns get thrown o , and getting through the day kind of becomes a challenge without it.”
Comparing two of the most popular energy drinks at Ladue
Ca ene: 69 milligrams
Sugar: 0 grams because it is sweetened with sugar alchohol and stevia leaf extract
Calories: 5 Cal
Target Audience: General population, as a daily drink
Potential benefits: antioxidant protection, natural ca eine, Vitamin A & B
Potential risks: Erythritol, a sweetener can’t be digested in the body, which can cause digestive issues
Ca ene: 200 milligrams
Sugar: 0 grams because it uses artificial sweeteners
Calories: 10 Cal
Target Audience: Exercise and weight loss
Potential benefits: increased metabolism and fat burned, better endurance
Potential risks: increased heart and blood pressure, ingredients such as Taurine and Guarana amplify stimulant a ects and increase ca eine content
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AMAZON FINDS
ese lemon-themed glass cups are the ultimate summer accessory for your kitchen or outdoor entertaining. Whether you’re sipping on lemonade, iced co$ee, or a fun summer smoothie, these cups make any drink feel extra special. e adorable lemon design adds a fresh, playful vibe, and the included reusable glass straws take things up a notch. is comes with little brushes to clean the straws. ey’re perfect for hosting brunches, backyard BBQs, or just adding a bit of joy to your daily hydration routine. At $19.99 for a set of two, they also make a sweet little gi% that your friends will actually use and love.
If you’ve ever struggled to see your phone screen in the sun, this quirky little gadget is about to change your life. e Mini Phone Umbrella might look a little silly at rst, but it’s surprisingly e$ective. Just clip it onto the top of your phone and instantly block glare from the sun, whether you’re lounging by the pool, relaxing at the beach, or out for a walk. It’s lightweight, compact, and folds up easily to stash in your bag. is is perfect for texting, watching shows, or scrolling through insta all while tanning. For just $7.99, it’s a clever, budget-friendly x to one of summer’s most annoying problems. Once you try it, you’ll never want to be without it.
Vanilla Crumb Cake Cookie
ft. GOLDEN OREO®
I love all Oreos, even the golden ones, however this was not it. e cookie was supposed to be cake like, and it de nitely mirrored my dislike of frosted cake. e frosting was honestly sickly sweet, with it tasting more of cream cheese than actual frosting. I really didn’t get any vanilla avor at all, and the whole thing just tasted rather like sugar. Besides the frosting, the cookie itself was pretty decent, reminding me of a chewy sugar cookie.
Chocolate Cookies & Cream Cookie
Cookies and cream. One of the essential avors of any American dessert, and arguably the best ice cream avor. In cookies, it doesn’t disappoint. In my humble opinion, this was the best balanced out of all the cookies, with a creamy nish rather than pure sugar. I of course loved this avor, especially with the crunchy cookie bits on top.
Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie
e chocolate chip cookie, one of the staples of the dessert world, is known for its comforting and addicting avor. Crumbl executes this perfectly. It’s slightly crunchy on the outside, but still has the recognizable so ness in the middle with little pockets of smooth milk chocolate sprinkled throughout. Although it’s arguably the most basic cookie, it’s just warm gooey goodness that melts in your mouth. If nostalgia had a avor, this would be it.
LET’S TALK ABOUT LSN
Ladue Sports Net is giving high school sports a new light
By Caroline Cobaugh & Avery Murray sports sta
Forget the sidelines. A team of ambitious students at Ladue Horton Watkins High School are taking center court, not as players, but as the voices and the eyes behind Ladue Sports Net (LSN), a sports network, broadcasting the school’s athletic triumphs.
done to launch LSN. But for him, managing the network isn’t always a walk in the park.
e biggest challenge is keeping a manageable pace, not getting too ahead of ourselves, and building to what we want to become, instead of trying to do everything all at once,” Green said.
Meet the Team
What’s
your favorite part about working on LSN?
“Reading o the script and the bloopers are really funny.”
Dylan Scissors (11)
Sports Media and Broadcast Teacher Ross Green has been working at Ladue for the past year. Although his time at Ladue has been short, his impact has been anything but.
“I don’t think you’ll ever nd any other teacher that dedicated,” sophomore Austin Blake said. “He’s very supportive of whatever you say you want to do. He’s right there behind you, 10 toes down.” Green has been overlooking the hard work the students have
there was a lot of hype around us launching. So we’re here now.
I just don’t think anyone realizes that we’re here to stay.”
Austin Blake (10)
But the adaptiveness and creativity of students has taken him by surprise.
“Everyone has a di erent idea of what creative looks like, and so they all bring their di erent ideas,” Green said. “I think what surprised me is just how skilled our kids are and how ready they are to take on some new roles in sports media.”
One of those students being Blake, who is inspired by the excitement built around LSN.
“I think there was a lot of hype around us launching,” Blake said. “So we’re here now. I just don’t think anyone realizes that we’re here to stay.”
“Filming our episodes and finding the stats.”
Ari Litt (11)
“We have a little bit of a family here. Everyone helps everyone out.”
Austin Blake (10)
“I like how much creative freedom we have and how we strive to recognize all sports.”
Sweeya Gandra (10)
UPPER LEFT: Sweeya Gandra (10) flms a segment for LSN.
UPPER RIGHT: Austin Blake (10) edits photos for the Instagram. BOTTOM LEFT: Sweeya Gandra edits clips for promotional videos. BOTTOM RIGHT: Broadcast teacher Ross Green talks to students about upcoming plans. (photo by c.cobaugh)
LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD
Ladue school sports should be funded based o performance and participation, not popularity.
By Elsa Flores Editorial sta
23 out of 23 LaVIEW editors agree
Football players and cheerleaders, the center of hundreds of movies showing a glori ed version of the “all American” high school experience. Here at Ladue High School on fall game days you will always see the football players in their provided gear also holding their football bags, just so they make sure we know what the’re doing on their Friday night. You will also see the Laduette dancers wearing their self bought sweatshirts and tanks, looking excited to dance and entertain the spectators.
Because fall football games attract so many di ernt people, getting to watch the Laduette dancers is a huge plus of attending a home football game. ey generate exitement throught the crowd and overall build school spirit.
e reality behind this is that the Laduette’s have to completely selffund themselves. Even though they are required to dance at football games, basketball games and greet people at fundraisers. e Laduette dancers are a unique team sport at
Nick Buckvar Track & Feild head coach. “ ”
Things like pole vault poles are around $400-$600 a pole, Javelins are in the range of $100$200 per implement, so those major pieces of equiptment usualy come out of fundraising money.
our school, because they get the opportunity to perform and compete at national level events, while most of our sports only compete state wide. Entertaining students, and putting our school on the national stage are accomplishments that you would think would grant them special privileges as a team, but they receive nothing.
e Laduette dancers are an example of why we should change the sports funding system that we currently have. Here at LHS in the past years we have seen a decline in our football team’s success, and an increase in the success of our sports that are ying more under the radar, like track and eld.
is past fall our football team ended their season with four wins and seven losses, including our homecoming game. Last season, our girls and boys track and eld team won the state championship. Yet this year the track and eld team still had to do their own fundraising to run the teams, and the football teams were handed more than su cient funding.
If we are clearly seeing an improvement in our sports like track, then why are we not funding our
sucessful track teams the same, or more than our football team. It goes without saying that fall football games bring a lot of peple and money to our campus, so it makes sense that we would want our football to look good in front of students, sta , and alumni. But if this season has shown us anything, it’s that people are going to show up no matter how our team is actually scoring, because in reality, people come to football games for fun, food, and friends, as well as an entertaining performance by the laduettes, all of which you can get without a high number on the scoreboard.
jjjGiving more funding to the football team despite their performance on the eld, underplays the amount of time and e ort that all of the other school athletes are putting into their sports. If all the athletes have to play, swim, run, dance, and compete almost everyday of the week, the school should reciprocate their e ort and give them su cient funding. If that is not possible, give all sports equal funding and make all of the teams do their own fundraising, not just the least idealized teams.
YOUR BODY, EVERYBODY’S CHOICE
How common silence incites sexual violence
By Sabrina Tagunkova opinions sta
I’ve had many female friends throughout my life. Every one of them was unique in her own way, with special interests, strengths and weaknesses. Still, there is one thing they can all relate to. Each can tell a personal story of being sexually harassed, and some even survived sexual assault. Most don’t ever talk about it, but once the topic is brought up, no one struggles to remember their own experiences. And then we just sit there, shocked by how something that a ects such a huge amount of people is rarely ever discussed.
Statistics are sickening. As unbelievable as it sounds, one in ve women experience attempted or completed rape in their lifetime, according to National Sexual Violence Resource Center. It’s scary to look around knowing how many of our female friends and relatives And when we talk about victims, we don’t just mean adults. 20%
of women experience their rst sexual harassment or assault before they’re even 13. It's not rare for them to fully block out that event from their minds, but still experience somatic memories and have triggers. Later on in their lives, these things can help uncover the truth of what happened.
If anyone is thinking that this is easy to prevent by staying inside instead of going out alone at night, rape rarely happens in a quiet dark alley. 51.1% of female victims reported being raped by their intimate partner, and 40.8% more were acquainted with their perpetrators. Horrifyingly, 34% of child victims are assaulted by family members. In no way is it strange for so many women to constantly be on high alert. It’s impossible to identify someone as a potential threat, because those we trust the most have the greatest chance of committing a sexual crime against us.
But why are these numbers so high? What makes people commit these crimes so o en? Perhaps the main reason is the fact that rape is the most underreported crime. Many victims and survivors never come forward due to fear of judgment and shame. Others don’t even realize that what was done to them is rape or repress memories, and years later, there is no physical
1 in 5 victims & offenders
51.1% female victims were raped by their partners women experience completed or attempted rape in their lifetime
1 in 3 female victims of attempted or completed rape experienced it between 11 and
40.8% of female victims reported being raped by an acquitance
Sources: National Sexual Violence Resource Center
evidence to prove that the crime ever happened. erefore, we should let go of the “no body, no crime” mindset, because it further silences abuse. Trust alone means a great deal. e problem is, this issue is so stigmatized that many survivors make a conscious choice not to report. When only 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators are sent to jail, as RAINN states, those who su er from PTSD a er being raped don’t want to relive their trauma for a mild chance of so-called justice. It’s clear that how society approaches sexual violence desperately needs improvement. Unfortunately, many choose to judge instead of showing empathy. Even if someone is willing to be patient and kind to survivors, it's not enough to heal their traumas, and it's unrealistic to expect the opposite. However, there is something all of us can do to bring this change closer: simply have an open mind and let these conversations take place. When a victim or survivor opens up, listen without judgement, and when you think someone is in danger, speak up. And never make any assumptions, even if they seem correct. Because victims shouldn’t be the ones ashamed for what was done to them against their will.
illustration by s. tagunkova
Over 69 million women are at risk of losing their right to vote if the SAVE act passes
IN TOTAL 11 STATES HAD ENACTED A POLL TAX PRIOR TO THE 1961 VOTING RIGHTS ACT
DON’T SAVE THE SAVE ACT
Voting rights are under attack all over the world
By Henry Madden Opinions sta
In the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln called America a nation “for the people by the people,” yet that couldn’t be further from the truth. At the time the “people” he mentioned were exclusively white men. To be fair, as time has gone on there have been countless reforms, in 1870 the 15th amendment made it legal for black men to vote. Later, in 1920 when the 19th amendment was ratifed women gained the right to vote. Of course like most things this angered conservatives who relied on low turnout numbers to win. Across the south poll taxes began to appear -- effectively banning most black Americans from voting.
Through ridiculous literacy tests and unfair practices millions of Americans were still practically banned from voting. This continued until the historic 1965 Voting Rights Act was passed. Despite all of this the modern Republican party continues fghting to increase voter suppression under the guise of “election integrity.”
Recently the SAVE act passed through the House of Representatives, which would stop millions of married women from voting. The reasoning? To stop “illegal immigrants” from voting despite the fact that they legally can’t vote already as well as the fact that according to NPR, even the data from the Heritage Foundation (the right-wing think tank that practically powers the Trump Administration) suggests there have only been 85 cases of non-citizens voting in the last 20 years.
In 2016 the electoral base didn’t appear at the polls, turnout was declining and that set the grounds for the election of a fascist and the erosion of modern America as we know it. In the country’s failure to encourage voting fascism fnally arrived at the gate of the free world. If the US survives the next four years, something must change.
That’s why countless reforms have been attempted by congress to make Election Day a federal holiday. According to Representative Dan Goldman, 25% of non-voters cite school or work as their reason for not going to the polls. That leaves a huge skew in the general electorate, according to Statista, the highest propensity voters are usually those above the age of 65. The retired and unemployed are a massively over-represented minority in politics because of the advantage of Election Day not being a day off from work for the employed.
Obviously, making Election Day a
Timeline of Voting Rights
federal holiday wouldn’t fx all of our electoral problems but there’s other advantages to it as well. According to USA Today many schools function as polling places and close on Election Day, leaving plenty of students home alone without their parents to watch them. For many parents the election is deeply uncertain as their kids are sitting home alone at ages as young as 5.
One common critique of making Election Day a federal holiday is that Election Day has become more than just Super Tuesday. While it is true that most states do have advanced voting there are multiple problems with that argument. Despite advanced voting becoming increasingly popular 49% of people still voted in-person on Election Day in 2022 — it’s important to mention that data on voter turnout by method hasn’t yet been released for the 2024 election but if it follows current trends it’s likely around 45% — More concerning data from the Brennan Center also supports that mail in ballots are often rejected. Even more worrying, the ballots rejected affect people of color, undecided voters and young voters the most.
Overall, between the immensely fawed electoral college, the SAVE act and intense gerrymandering efforts the process of voting isn’t very fair.
Photo Illustration by H. Madden
Illustrations by H. Madden
POLICE
THE AMERICAN POLICING CRISIS
Addressing How The American Policing System Negatively E ects Communities
By James Smith
Opinion Sta
The Uvalde school shooting in 2022 shocked the world. Not only because of the tragic loss of life, but because of how law enforcement responded. Offcers waited over an hour after arriving to confront the shooter. Because even among trained offcers, there was confusion, fear, lack of coordination and hesitation. This isn’t just about these cops’ inability to secure the school, it’s about the system’s failure. Offcers are often not properly trained for these high risk, high stress scenarios. Active shooter training is not always mandatory or consistent across departments. And when it is offered, it’s often rushed, a few hours with little follow up or practical simulation.
We live in a time of worry. Facing many situations where split-second decisions determine life and death, proper training is essential. Police need to be trained.
A large amount of this is from the insanely low required hours to become a cop. For example, let’s look at Missouri. According to Missouri’s Peace Offcers and Standard Training the required training hours to become a cop is only 600 hours, equivalent to one semester of high school. Compare this to a job like barber, to become a licensed barber Missouri requires you at least one thousand hours of training. One job involves clippers and scissors, the other a gun and legal authority. If a barber messes up someone may walk out with a bad haircut or at worst a minor infection. If a police offcer makes a mistake the consequences can be devastating, wrongful imprisonment, serious injury, or death.
Offcers are also required to complete 24 hours of Continuing Law Enforcement Education each year. Two hours in legal studies, two in frearms, two in communication, and a few hours in things like racial
profling, implicit bias, and de-escalation. The rest? Electives. In total, it’s about two hours a month, most of which can be done online. It takes more time to binge-watch a Netfix series than to maintain a police license.
We should be raising the bar. More hours. More education. Better training. Because when we treat policing like a short course with minimal follow-up, we’re not protecting the public, we’re endangering it.
Other countries get this. In Norway, becoming a police offcer requires 3 years of training and education. In Germany, it’s two and a half. Those offcers don’t just know how to shoot. They know how to speak, listen, think critically and respond with discipline and critical thinking.
Raising the standard for police training doesn’t just protect the public. It protects offcers too. Better training means better decision making. It means fewer mistakes and more lives saved.