November 2018

LADUE PANORAMA NEWSPAPER

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR WARMING OF THE CLIMATE SYSTEM IS UNEQUIVOCAL. — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

READ MORE ON PAGES 12-13

10.31.2018 11.27.2018 VOLUME 67, ISSUE 3 ISSUE 4 LADUEVOLUME HORTON67, WATKINS HIGHWATKINS SCHOOL LADUE HORTON

HIGH SCHOOL 1201 S. WARSON ROAD ST.S.LOUIS, MOROAD 63124 1201 WARSON ST. LOUIS, MO 63124

“What is your biggest fear?”

Meet the

Panorama staff

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editors-in-Chief: Anya Tullman and Hannah Suffian Managing Editor: Katie Shaw

Writers: Daniel Chayet, Davina Lettau, Aman

Head Copy Editor: Adam Rush

and Cindy Wang Photographers: Lindsey Byer, Faith Deddens,

Design Editor: Felix Hu

“Being left behind.”

Photographer-in-Chief: Zach Weller

In-Depth Editors: Anna Liner and Ande Siegel News Editors: Connie Chen and Sydney Crump Features Editors: Katie Holland and Bradford Siwak “Snakes.”

Sports Editors: Jackson Bry and Jacob Korn Opinions Editors: Cassie Beisheim and Alex Fu A&E Editors: Hugh Chan and Malavika Kumaran Art Editors: Egret Jin and Jackie Zeng Panorama Photo Editor: Carolina Alisio “Spiders or Sports Photo Editor: Abbie Hoefer being abandoned.”

Digital Photo Editor: Rose Hauser

Our

policy

Panorama is a monthly newspaper that strives to inform and entertain students, staff and community members and to uphold professional standards of accuracy and fairness. The publication hopes to engage the student body by eliciting dialogue among our readers. It aims to reflect the diversity of the population it serves and observe the journalistic principle of doing no harm. All surveys are completely anonymous. Panorama welcomes letters to the editors. Please bring signed letters to room 1311. Panorama reserves the right to revise submissions as long as original intent remains unaltered. Bylines display staff members’ Twitter handles.

Panorama is produced 10 times per school year by the journalism class of Ladue Horton Watkins High School at 1201 S. Warson Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63124. The publication lab is located in Room 1311, (314)-993-6447 ext.

5844. Read more stories online at laduelead.com. Follow @laduepublications on Instagram and @laduepanorama on Twitter. Cover design by Zach Weller.

Corrections: In the October issue, Lili Sheley’s last name was misspelled. Simo Valentino is not a soccer captain.

contents

11.27.2018

2

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Rahman, Autumn Ryan, Hope Shimony

Samantha Fischer, Jordan Ganzer, Grace Hensley, “Probably AP Chemistry.”

Nicole Kalishman, Rahul Khanna, Maggie Lochmoeller, Caroline Powell and Lou Ritter

“I really hate clowns, and dolls Louisia Yang and Michelle Zhou freak me out a lot.”

Web Editors-in-Chief: Anik Jain and Will Minifie Artists: Anna Cui, Jill Goldwasser, Nathan Lu,

Business Manager: Stephen Bowen Social Media Editor: Sunny Lu

“Heights.”

Online Photo Editor: Burke Howe Adviser: Sarah Kirksey

Behind the

cover

Photo editors Carolina Alisio, Zach Weller and Abbie Hoefer

For this month’s cover, we wanted to capture a picture that depicts the global issue of climate change. In order to take this photo, we brainstormed ideas on how to represent the climate crisis that is taking over our world. In the end, we decided to use an image of a forest. We placed a darkened form of the image behind the original to compare what the world looks like now to what it could become if we don’t make a change soon. The ripped paper symbolizes how humans are destroying the environment.

Spread design by Anya Tullman

Table of contents

Thank you to our generous

FEATURES

Panorama’s success would not be possible without your support.

NEWS

IN-DEPTH

A long way from home ......................................... 4 Foreign exchange student adapts to a new culture.

Shocking creation ................................................ 5 Upperclassmen built a stun gun in engineering class.

Sewing the seams of success ........................ 6 & 7 Senior designs clothing to pursue fashion passion.

New retirement package .............................. 8 & 9 15 faculty members will retire with incentives.

Parking update ................................................... 10 Learn more about Ladue’s new parking lot project.

Anti-bullying ....................................................... 11 Two DECA seniors fundraise to decrease bullying.

Ashes to ashes, Earth to dust ...................... 12 & 13 The United Nations recently released a report urging the international community to take action or the earth’s climate will deteriorate at a rapid pace.

Panorama takes an in-depth look at climate change.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Binge-watch season ........................................... 14 Here are three shows to binge-watch before finals.

Crazy for poke .................................................... 15 Pano reviews “Poke Munch,” a new restaurant in Creve Coeur that adds to St. Louis’s Hawaiian flavor.

SPORTS

Sophomore sensation ......................................... 16 Dylan Stern, hockey star, starts the season injured.

Fall recap ............................................................. 17 Check out highlights from the fall sports season.

Division I decisions ............................................. 18 Two senior athletes commit to play D1 sports.

OPINIONS

Staff editorial .................................................... 20 How can Ladue fix its problem with staff diversity?

No cornucopia this time ..................................... 21 Celebration should not be designated to one day.

A not so free press ............................................. 22 Jamal Khashoggi’s death represents a bigger issue.

Stop glorifying our past ..................................... 23 Society needs to change its historical perspectives.

sponsors.

Ladue Blue sponsors ($100+)

Judy Bowman The Hoefer Family The Holland Family The Howe Family Immerse + Atlas Supply Company The Jain Family Les Kaufman The Korn Family Ladue Education Foundation & Alumni Association Frank and Esther Lu Chen Liu & Danielle Zhang The Shimony Family Amy and Stanley Small The Suffian Family Bob & Carolyn Suffian The Tullman Family

Gold sponsors ($75) Hensley Construction The Katzman Family

Silver sponsors ($50)

The Arun Family Walter & Leonssia Beisheim The Bry Family Christy Crump Bianca Daniels Terri Halsey Susie Harris Alan Korn Jeffery and Elaine Korn The Kumaran Family The Levy-Thomeczek Family Lochmoeller/Schulte Grandkids The Page Family - Luke & Jake Patney Family Southern/Lochmoeller Team Vie Terry and Phyllis Weiss The Wolf Family

Friendly sponsors ($25)

Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More Aaron Bry Marcia Crump Harry Diwakaran The Fruend Family Lily Hauptman Mimi Hensley The Huber Family The Kalishman Family The Moore Family Marty Newman

Melanie Rush Nancy Rush Robert Rush Dede Sherman Gary Siegel Grandma Judy Stecher Emma Weller The Yeldham Family

3contents laduelead.com

A long way from home

Jordan foreign exchange student adjusts to new lifestyle ADAM RUSH head copy editor | @adamrush01

W

R OLDWASSE art by JILL G

ith his mind racing and heart pounding, 15-yearold Basel Heyari arrives at the building that could change his life forever. When he walks in, he has a series of important choices to make. His first?

Elevator or stairs. Knowing that he is too energetic to stand still for even a second, Heyari goes up the stairs to allow himself time to calm down. It doesn’t work. A few minutes later, he sits down for the biggest interview of his life.

Soon after, he learns that out of 2,000 applicants, he was one of only 34 accepted as foreign exchange students to the United States through the Youth Exchange and Study Program.

Heyari, now 16 and a junior, had lived in Jordan all his life until winning a competitive scholarship that would eventually lead him to Ladue High School.

When he first left Jordan, Heyari’s understanding of American culture had only come from television and movies. So when he accepted the scholarship, he had only one word to describe what he believed American schools were like: “hell.”

“Every high school movie showed me that there was going to be bullying and putting people in lockers,” Heyari said. “I was actually pretty nervous, but [everyone at Ladue] is really nice and really friendly.”

Missouri is about two times the size of the entire nation of Jordan. Heyari is overjoyed to be somewhere so different from where he has lived all his life.

“I got a chance to know new and different cultures,” Heyari said. “One of the mantras the exchange students had was that something new isn’t necessarily good or bad, just different. I [got to] take the initiative and take each and every single opportunity I had.”

Similarly to Heyari, senior Anna Apolinarski, an exchange student from Germany, also had to take her time before she fully acclimated to life in America. When she and Heyari

met at the beginning of the school year, they quickly bonded. However, this did not cause them to remain isolated from the other students in the school. Despite coming from cultures that are wildly different from life in the United States, Apolinarski believes the unique experiences exchange students have do not create a barrier between them and other students.

“I feel like [Basil] could get along with everyone, as he is really friendly and open-minded,” Apolinarski said. “I think it doesn’t really matter where you’re from. Each country gives you a different perspective because culture differs a lot, even if countries are direct neighbors.”

While English teacher Kimberly Durbin has taught many foreign exchange students during her 18 years at Ladue, Heyari is the first to come from Jordan. She feels that his experiences allow him to draw intriguing parallels in his work and bring a distinct perspective to the classroom on a daily basis.

“I always love when exchange students or ESL students are open and willing to share experiences,” Durbin said. “[I think] it makes Basel feel more comfortable in the classroom to share some of his experiences.”

The day before his 13-hour flight to America, Heyari felt a strange sense of guilt for leaving Jordan. As his mother said goodbye and began to tear up, he was overwhelmed with sadness. Now, while Heyari does stay in close contact with his family, he is glad he made the choice to come stateside.

“Jordan has always been in my heart, [and] I’ll always miss it,” Heyari said. “But it’s not like I feel homesick because I’m enjoying myself here.”

(Photos courtesy of Basel Heyari)

features

11.27.2018

4

Page design by Rose Hauser & Bradford Siwak

cutou t

by BRAD FORD SIWAK

Shock ing C r eat i o n

Students design small stun gun in engineering

Bradford Siwak features editor | @bradfordsiwak

different.”

Harrison signs off on his students’ projects before they begin construction. But due to safety concerns, Harrison hree upperclassmen stand in the high school cafeneeded permission from Principal Brad Griffith for his stuteria to present the current model of their year-long dents to build a stun gun. Harrison was supportive of the capstone engineering project: a stun gun that will project, but he was skeptical that Griffith would approve. connect to the back of a smartphone. This is the first time “[One] condition was that at no time [the students] they have been allowed to take their creation out of the would have it outside of class,” Harrison said. “So that’s why classroom. One presenter, junior Sebastian McGregor, holds if they need it, I bring it to class; if they don’t, it stays in my the device, thinking its battery is dead. With an unexpectstorage room.” ed zap, he shocks himself. The blast to his arm sends a jolt During the display in the cafeteria, Harrison watched of energy through his entire body. He looks down at his to ensure the students did not shock others. The group is burning skin, where the crimson hue of blood is instantly currently considering a bolt-lock-like safety mechanism to recognizable. It works. prevent accidental shocks.

At the start of the year, teacher The students initially assembled Charles Harrison asked his fifth hour the device with determination and class to brainstorm a real-world probInternet research. They used old lem and spend the year creating a flip phone batteries for power and solution. McGregor, junior Fayzan Ali inexpensive voltage boosters to and senior Scott Myers decided to generate the contraption’s high-enbuild a device that would both ward ergy zap. off and injure perpetrators. When For Ali, the most frustrating activated, “The Pocket Shock It!” will part of the building process was look threatening with a substantial attempting to minimize the deelectrical arc. vice’s bulkiness. Fortunately for STUNNING WORK During teacher Charles Harri“Imagine you’re the attacker and the group, they found a smaller son’s fifth hour capstone engineering class, junior Sebastian McGregor measures the current model of you see someone with a stun gun in voltage booster and are now work“The Pocket Shock It!” Students started by searchtheir hand, and you hear that arcing to decrease the stun gun’s size. ing how to build a stun gun on YouTube. “We’re ing and it’s loud — that zap is loud,” “We would have [had] to create basically focused on shrinking it down,” McGregor McGregor said. “You wouldn’t want the voltage booster component said. (Photo by Bradford Siwak) to attack anyone.” from scratch,” Ali said. “[Its size] is To clarify, a back-of-the-phone stun gun already exists. important for our design because it is supposed to be porHowever, the models currently available are costly, difficult table and be a convenient phone attachment.” to remove and incompatible with most smartphones.

Seeing the stun gun in action reminds Harrison why he Alternatively, the students’ model should work with any enjoys the nature of his capstone engineering class: it is smartphone and be easily removable with a velcro-like real. Students learn through their own experiences, not material. This way, the owner does not need to carry the merely observing the experiences of others. stun gun at all times.

“I thought [it was] pretty amazing that they could take “[The students] go to Google Patents and see if their parts and pieces and combine it into something,” Harrison idea is infringing on somebody else’s or if there’s just flat said. “But that’s really the fun thing about the class: stuout that idea out there, period,” Harrison said. “If they run dents come up with the idea, they problem solve, they ‘trial into that, they can’t [continue] unless they and error,’ use the scientific method and they’re actually art by can try to modify it in a certain way to doing something with their hands versus just sitting at a LO UIS where yes, it’s similar, but it’s a little bit computer.”

I

T

A

NG YA

Page design by Bradford Siwak

5 features laduelead.com

SEW SERIOUS Sewing clothes for her line, senior Hannah Gold hopes to work in the fashion industry. Gold started selling her work this school year. “Once you overcome that worry of what people will think of you, you have the whole world in front of you.”

(Photo by Sunny Lu)

Sewing the seams of success

Senior pursues fashion career and designs clothing KATIE HOLLAND features editor | @katiieholland

S

features

11.27.2018

6

Spread design by Katie Holland & Bradford Siwak

art by MICHELLE ZHOU

enior Hannah Gold is determined to leave her mark on the fashion world. By designing, creating and selling her own clothes and blogging about current fashion trends, Gold has proven she has the skills to be successful in the industry.

Working with fashion has always been easy and enjoyable for Gold. Most importantly, fashion was something with which Gold felt she could truly do something inspirational with.

“When I was in middle school, everyone did sports,” Gold said. “I wasn’t sure what my outlet was because I just wasn’t an athlete. I noticed when I tried a new sport or did a new activity, what I wore would give me a little boost of confidence.”

This discovery sparked Gold’s interest in a fashion career. Through her passion, Gold feels she is able to express herself outside of what everyone else does.

“I realized it wasn’t so much about the actual clothes, but how they made me feel on the inside,” Gold said. “I believe that fashion lets you exude a certain confidence that reflects how you’re feeling on the inside. It makes me, me.”

Next year, Gold hopes to study at Indiana University so

she can combine a business education with design, while still getting the full college experience. She can see herself working in the industry for her future. ”I just liked how natural [fashion] felt for me and how I didn’t have to force myself to like it,” Gold said. “It made me feel unique that I had something special to express myself with.”

Fashion has taken over Gold’s life little by little for as long as she can remember. Daydreaming about creating her own designs soon became a reality.

“Since I did [an] independent study at school and was sewing a lot, I would come up with different ideas,” Gold said. “I [loved] to shop and needed a job, so [I] thought why not make something to sell. That’s really how it started.”

During the process of building her own brand, Gold turned to her parents for encouragement and assistance. Her parents were the ones who originally inspired her to pursue her enthusiasm for fashion due to their backgrounds in business.

“My parents are two of the hardest working people I know,” Gold said. “They have both supported me and my dreams since day

one. They both are entrepreneurs and inspire me every day to pursue my dreams.”

Being surrounded by creativity and business in her own home has helped Hannah along the way. The similarities she shares with her mother, Debby Gold, have brought them closer together and led to more success for Hannah.

“People always say Hannah is a mini-me,” Debby said.

“I started my own creative business that Hannah sometimes helps me with. She got that entrepreneurial bug, I guess, from watching me.”

Gold’s parents supported Hannah through her process of designing her own brand. Her recent success with fashion leaves her family feeling proud.

“It’s been so fun to watch her grow over the years,” Debby said. “What started as just a creative outlet has really developed into a true passion. When she started designing things and seeing her creations come to life, she got a big boost in confidence.”

Due to the support of her parents, Hannah finally decided to launch a brand for others to wear, too.

“I had made a shirt that I wore to the first day of school, and all of a sudden people started stopping me in the hallways and direct messaging me to make them one,” Hannah said. “It was really exciting!”

Hannah feels her accomplishments would have been much more difficult to achieve without and her relationship with Kimberly Boyles, the fashion teacher at Ladue.

Aside from her close relationship with Boyles, Hannah has had some trouble prospering in Ladue’s fashion program. These struggles resulted from the lack of electives for students interested in fashion as a career.

“Ladue does not offer many options in fashion, which has been very difficult for me,” Gold said. “I have found ways to still follow my dreams even though my school doesn’t offer many choices. I am in an independent studies fashion class here.”

Currently, Gold takes what would be called fashion seven, if the course extended that far. Fashion has also started to be somewhat therapeutic for Gold. With the creation of her style blog @anythinggold_ on Instagram, Gold has found fashion to be a great joy in her life.

“I had been wanting to start one for years but have always been worried about what others would think of it,” Gold said. “I decided to go for it, and it’s honestly been therapy for me. I use it to express feelings through quotes and then show current styles. It has helped so much. Once you overcome that worry of what people will think of you, you have the whole world in front of you.”

Hannah’’s lookbook

“The Ladue zip tees are part of a clothing brand I’m in the making of, and I make a bunch of different styles.

I take recycled shirts [and] sweatshirts from college and high school sports teams, and I make them into trendy clothing.” “[This] is made out of sweatshirt material, and I added a bell sleeve to make a unique but simple turn on sweatshirts.”

“The black jumpsuit was my first ever design that I made my freshman year, and it is inspired off of my mom’s homecoming dress. I wanted to make a classic, sleek jumpsuit, and I added the straps to add a more elegant but simple touch.”

7 features laduelead.com

SAYING GOODBYE: Ladue retirement package shakes up school staff CONNIE CHEN news editor | @iamconniechen SYDNEY CRUMP news editor | @sydneycrump4

news

11.27.2018

8

I

n her 28th year of teaching, English teacher Lisa Crawford decided to retire. Like many other teachers and staff members, Crawford will retire through the retirement incentive program. The noticeable increase in faculty members retiring this year is due to this year being the third and final year of the district’s Early Separation Incentive Program, commonly known as ESIP. INSIDE THE RETIREMENT PROCESS The ESIP has two options that are available to district staff. The first option is the single payment plan, which allowed eligible staff members to retire by the end of the 2016-17 school year, while the other is the multiple payment plan, which includes three payments — one for each consecutive year. This year’s retirement packages consist of the three-year buyout. At Ladue, one of the requirements of the ESIP is completing at least seven years of service within the district, including the final year of teaching. Additionally, Missouri’s requirements for retirement include the teacher’s total years of service and age.

“I qualified under what’s called the rule of 80,” retiring social studies teacher Bob Westerholt said.

“If your age plus the number of years you worked add up to 80, [that] is when you can first draw up retirement.”

Throughout the past two years of the program, a total of 22 staff members have retired. This year, there are 15 staff members retiring from the high school and a total of 29 teachers, counselors, librarians, custodians and specialists retiring throughout the district. Once a teacher qualifies for the Missouri retirement system, they can teach at any other school not part of the ESIP. However, the retirement incentive programs are not typically offered every year at Ladue.

“There is no guarantee that they are going to [offer the three-year package] again in one or two years,” retiring social studies teacher Candice Spector said. “Maybe I could have made it another year or two, but if they are not offering a big incentive, that would be really stupid of me to not jump on the retirement incentive plan.”

In addition to meeting the requirements, faculty members eligible for the ESIP must declare their withdrawal in a letter to the district and retirement system. The district must then approve the letter, and the information inside must be confirmed by the retirement system.

“The process to retire is straightforward,” Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Ken Rossics said. “The employee submits a letter of retirement with the separation date noted.”

Spread design by Felix Hu, Connie Chen & Sydney Crump

CONFERENCES Junior Madalyn Abady listens to English teacher Lisa Crawford’s suggestions for her research paper on education in AP English Language. After about three decades of teaching, she decided to retire. “[The retirement package] definitely made me excited about doing something different, Crawford said. “Even though I love teaching, the hours are exhausting.” (Photo

by Nicole Kalishman)

REASONS FOR CHANGE The purpose of the ESIP is to provide a financial incentive for staff who want to retire early from the Ladue School District while also saving money for the district. According to the Board of Education, there will not be another ESIP before the 2021-22 school year if there are no drastic changes in financial, staffing or other pressing circumstances. However, the board said that there is no certainty for another ESIP in the future. For faculty, the package provides a rare opportunity to receive a financial bonus with retiring.

“I am ready to do something that doesn’t require as much time as this job entails, and I am excited to travel more, spend time with my daughter, get a dog and relax,” Crawford said. “I still plan on working, just not full time.”

Even though the incentive program helps the teachers, it also benefits the district. Since most retirees are higher-paid teachers, next year the school can pay for more staff members at a lower cost.

“The district had a two-prong approach to lower the salary or the amount of money that was being paid out to all of the teachers,” Westerholt said.

“What they did was they incentivized us to leave by giving us a buy-out, but they also de-incentivized us to stay by lowering the raises of the top end of the pay scale.”

FUTURE HIRING PLANS With a high number of staff members retiring, the administration started the large-scale hiring process

for new staff Oct. 1. The school district publicized its job openings through events like the career fair Oct. 27 and by reaching out to local universities. In previous years, the hiring process started in late January and usually ended in March.

Although the district is starting the hiring process earlier than usual, Crawford feels that there could be certain disadvantages for the school when it comes to the hiring process.

“I think there may be stress in hiring such a large number of people at the same time,” Crawford said.

“I don’t think it is a disadvantage for the people who are leaving, because the people who are leaving want to.”

Ladue begins the hiring process when a position is open. The district then reviews applications and then finally interviews the prospective candidates. Rossics believes that this system is employed in order to ensure that all candidates are treated fairly and consistently throughout the hiring process.

“The processes in place are used all the time,” Rossics said. “The difference this year is the increased numbers of staff to hire.”

Ladue will continue looking for new staff members throughout the spring. The retirement package will bring change to retiring staff members’ lives and students alike. Junior Faith Connally believes that the high school will change greatly because of the large number of staff retiring.

“The past few years a lot of teachers have retired, and I think it’s going to be interesting because the school is going to have to completely turn around,” Connally said.

news

9 laduelead.com

BRANCHING OUT Ladue recently decided to expand the parking lot by purchasing a home close to the school.

District buys property for parking lot expansion

Ladue School Board purchases house near student lot for additional parking

Despite this, some students are still ambivalent about the planned expansion. They believe that an expansion of the lot could exacerbate some of the problems that already he Ladue School District purchased a private propexist within the current system. erty on the edge of the north lot of the high school “I don’t really like that idea,” junior Lilly Tung said. “I think Aug. 17, which the district plans to use as an expanit would get way too crowded, and spots could get further sion of the current student lot. The expansion would add and further from the building.” approximately 60-80 parking spaces to a parking lot that However, the district still does not have a clear timeis consistently in high demand from table for when the expansion will take students. Once the new stadium is place. Currently, the city is renovating an complete, there could be an even antiquated sewer line that stretches from Now, knowing that higher demand for parking.

Tilles Park into St. Louis City. They have The opportunity to expand the parking lot is being completed a majority of the project on the school’s parking lot first came expanded, I feel like I’ll have both sides and are now heading toward when the property located on 1039 the high school for the final phases of the a better opportunity of Warson Road, directly to the right of construction project. the school’s already existing north lot, receiving a parking spot.

“The [Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer opened for sale earlier this year.

District] has to work through whether the “Opportunities like this don’t come [sewer] line itself is going to be bored, [so] up often, where you have somebody that is right next to they’re essentially going to drill underneath the ground, or a school that wants to sell,” Principal Brad Griffith said. “I’m if it will be open-trenched,” Griffith said. glad that the school board made this decision, which is a According to Griffith, if the Metropolitan Sewer District very good long-term decision for the school.” needs to tear apart the north lot to rebuild the sewer, the Along with increasing the number of available parking district would prefer not to invest in expanding the parking spaces, the district also plans to improve the landscaping lot only to rip it up for the sewer project and reconstruct around the campus. For freshman Karina Dravina, an init afterward. Due to this uncertainty, the timeline for the crease in student parking is necessary because she feels the expansion still remains unclear. current lot is inadequate.

“We have to work with MSD, work with the city [and] “I feel that a parking lot expansion is needed in order work with all the various entities to ensure that our stufor things to run smoothly,” Dravina said. “Now, knowing dents remain safe during this phase of the project and that that the parking lot is being expanded, I feel like I’ll have a it’s completed in the least disruptive manner for the operabetter opportunity of receiving a parking spot.” tions of the school and our students,” Griffith said.

CINDY WANG staff writer | @cindy_wang_123

T

“

news

10

11.27.2018

Page design by Connie Chen & Sydney Crump; photo by Zach Weller

DECA members campaign against bullying Rehgan Harris and Maddy Witzofsky choose anti-bullying focus for their DECA event HOPE SHIMONY staff writer | @hope_shimony

E

ach school year, DECA members choose which event they want to compete in for the district competition. Usually, students pick the events that they have the best chance at winning, but this year, two seniors had a different goal in mind.

At the start of September, seniors Rehgan Harris and Maddy Witzofsky chose to start an anti-bullying campaign for their DECA event — titled “Community Service Project” — in order to change the perceptions and image surrounding bullying. The project will raise money for KIND, an anti-bullying organization that uses donations to travel to schools and inform students on the harmful effects of bullying. “[Rehgan and I] both loved [the KIND campaign’s] message,” Witzofsky said. “We wanted to make our community service project about helping kids that are bullied because it has become such a problem.”

Harris and Witzofsky will showcase their project at the DECA district competition in February. Although the seniors hope to perform well in the competition, their main goal is to shed light on and prevent the extensive bullying that can take place in high school.

“This campaign is meant to spread awareness of bullying, because even if it is not

Page design by Connie Chen & Sydney Crump

happening to you, it is happening in Ladue and needs to be stopped,” Harris said.

Harris and Witzofsky plan to raise money through penny war competitions, banner signings, fundraising at parent-teacher conferences and girls basketball games.

These activities’ dates have not yet been determined. They hope that their fundraisers will get every student involved in the campaign to help raise money for their project as well as give students an opportunity to talk about any experiences they may have had with bullying.

“Many students may be too afraid to speak up if they’re getting bullied,” Witzofsky said. “While the high school does a good job of having adults students can talk to, at times it may be easier for students to talk to their peers about what is going on.”

Every year, Ladue requires students to complete an anonymous survey during seminar that asks whether or not they have been bullied or have ever committed an act of bullying. The survey is meant to provide the administration with more information on the prevalence of bullying among students in the high school, which is something that senior and survey participant Josh Horowitz appreciates.

“Bullying unfortunately happens most places in life, including in high school,” Horowitz said. “While I do think Ladue does a pretty good job fighting against it, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.”

news

11 laduelead.com

this path to reduce your carbon foot pr e k a T

1

Unplug devices that are not in use

Source: Natural Resource Defense Council

2

3

Wash clothes only when you have a full load

Bring reusable grocery bags

4

5

Avoid eating meat and dairy products

Ashes to ashes,

Check the air filter of your furnace every month

6 ANNA LINER in-depth editor | @annaliner

to E

xcessive electricity use. High defew as 12 years the world climate could mand for transportation. Indusbe drastically dangerous. trial production polluting the air “One of the concerns that we’ve and waters. Human activity like this is had in this state is flooding, not just slowly decaying the planet. because of environmental concerns, According to NASA, Earth has expebut loss of property and human life are rienced 16 of the concerns,” Ed Smith, 17 warmest years policy director for the recorded since Missouri Coalition for Folks are concerned that 2001. Without the the Environment, said. we have a large amount of emissions from Despite the burning coal and politicians who don’t even increasing hazards oil, there is little acknowledge that climate of climate change, likelihood that the Trump adminischange is real and occur13 out of the tration continues to warmest years ring due to human activity. attempt to roll back on record would Obama-era environhave happened. mental policies. From And yet, the President continues shrinking the Environmental Protection to deny climate change. He has even Agency to abandoning the Paris Climate tweeted that “the concept of global Accord, the Trump administration warming was created by and for the proceeds limited the country’s efforts Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacto combat climate change on a global turing non-competitive.” scale.

Many world leaders have also gone “Our current President has withon record to deny its existence. Despite drawn the United States from the Paris this, the United Nations released a Accord,” Smith said. “Folks are conreport Oct. 6 stating unequivocally that cerned, especially in this country, that if the international community does not we have a large amount of politicians take immediate and drastic action, in as who don’t even acknowledge that

“

12

in-depth

11.27.2018

climate change is real and occurring due to human activity. That’s certainly alarming and we’re seeing the effects of it more and more.”

Scientists have proved that human activities are largely responsible for the increased presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the last 150 years. This is due to the everyday use of electricity, heat, transportation and household appliances.

While most of the world accepts that climate change is occurring and can cost the global economy billions of dollars in less than 15 years, many average citizens — both in the world and the United States — find it difficult to change their daily lifestyles.

“Even if [most people] believe in it, they don’t want to say they do, because that would mean that they have to do something about it,” senior and Elements Co-President Megan Ross said.

“It’s such a daunting problem that some people just push it off and act like it’s not the big problem that it is.”

AP Environmental Science teacher Lisa Chacon emphasizes the need for students to stay informed and recognize the facts behind climate change.

Spread design by Anna Liner & Ande Siegel

Wh tion the env the acr can hel “ is a out dire em con and ting R Ele inte tha rec car of t hav “ hel con to t my don

ot print

6

y of

he s0

d

lt

use o

me

gel

7

on Rely more hting natural lig

Turn r car off you en wh engine idle

ANDE SIEGEL in-depth editor | @andesiegel

The progession of climate change

1850-1900 The Pre-Industrial Era was the time period before the Earth saw the effects of climate change and rapid industry.

Source: BBC

2018

While she believes that the international community has taken a step in the right direction in its effort to tackle environmental issues, she notes that there is still room for improvement across the globe. Chacon said students can easily make lifestyle changes to help reduce their carbon footprint.

“Helping [to] recycle in our building is a major way that students can help out,” Chacon said. “When it comes directly to climate change, if carbon emissions are the main way that people contribute, just try to watch what you and your family are doing that’s emitting carbon.”

Ross helps the environment through Elements and continues to pursue her interests in renewable energy. She feels that small, everyday changes — such as recycling properly, turning off lights and carpooling — can help slow down much of the environmental damage humans have caused on Earth. “[I’m] doing everything I can to help the environment,” Ross said. “ I’m conscious of what I’m doing to add to the problem, so I also feel like it’s my responsibility to negate what I’ve done.”

Wildfires have been frequently increasing since the mid-1980s as climate change increases world temperatures. These long, dry periods have led to 50,546 wildfires from Jan. 1 to Oct. 26.

art

Source: National Interagency Fire Center

by

AN

NA

LIN

ER

2080

Deaths from heat waves could increase by up to 2,000 percent in certain parts of the world.

Source: PLOS Medicine

2100

Sea levels will have risen 1-4 feet, displacing 470 to 760 million coastal residents.

Source: NASA, Climate Central

13in-depth laduelead.com

artANNA

by ANNA art by CUICUI

These shows are a must-see before your time is used up studying for exams ADAM RUSH head copy editor | @adamrush01 Don’t judge a show by its title. “iZombie” is a great option if you’re looking to have fun and relax. The show focuses on human-turned-zombie Liv Moore (get the pun?) and her job as a medical examiner in a Seattle police department. Every time Liv eats a brain, she adopts that victim’s personality, allowing for great comedic performances from lead actress Rose McIver. However, while it may seem like just a comedy, iZombie can also hit emotionally when it needs to. All around, it’s a solid show and a great distraction from the oppressive system meant to eternally punish us for our failures:

“Killing Eve” is one of the best shows on TV right now. It stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Cromer, with Oh as an MI6 agent bored with her life and Cromer as an assassin who loves absolutely everything about her job. A cat and mouse spy thriller starring two women, “Killing Eve” redefines what it means to watch a crime drama. Simultaneously violent, hilarious, dark, heartfelt and weird in every moment, the show displays amazing writing in a variety of different tones. With standout performances from Oh and Cromer, the first season has eight episodes that are perfect to binge before taking your tests.

If you’re looking for a humorous, easy to watch show, “The Good Place” should be your go-to choice. Created by Mike Schur, “The Good Place” is a network comedy centered around four people who find themselves in the afterlife. Despite being wildly funny, each episode sets out to answer the fundamental question of what it means to be a good person. The characters are played to perfection by Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, D’arcy Carden and more. “The Good Place” is innovative, whimsical and genuine, making it one of the best comedies airing on TV right now.

14

A&E

11.27.2018

Page design by Hugh Chan & Malavika Kumaran; photos courtesy of Wikimedia

A taste of Hawaii at Poke Munch HUGH CHAN A&E editor | @hugheychan

GO FISH Poke bowl with spicy minced tuna, assorted green vegetables and cubes of sweet pineapple piled atop a white rice base.

(Photo by Katie Holland)

S

tanding in the corner of an unassuming plaza within Creve Coeur, Poke Munch is the newest establishment to serve the increasingly popular Hawaiian dish of poke.

The interior of the restaurant maintains a polished fast-casual look that is

noticeably cleaner and more architecturally pleasing than most fast food restaurants, but fails to distinguish itself from other fast-casual restaurants of the same price range. The only negative aspect of the interior design is the various fluorescent geometrical fish chiseled into the ordering bar, which bring a cheap, childish ambiance to the restaurant rather than one that is uniquely Hawaiian.

The line system functions similarly to other restaurants such as Chipotle, making ordering relatively straightforward. Two gargantuan screens display all menu options and a chef at the bar prepares the dish immediately upon ordering. An order of spicy tuna, cucumbers, edamame beans and pineapples served over rice and doused with “aloha sauce” takes less than five minutes to serve. Disappointingly, the tuna comes minced into a near pastelike consistency instead of whole cubes. Although it’s savory and delicious, the seasoning ends up slightly overpowering the delicate tuna flavor.

The crisp cucumbers snap after every

bite, releasing a cool, refreshing zest that pairs beautifully with the softness of the edamame. However, the pineapple is noticeably frozen beforehand and is thrown into the dish with no real care. Flakes of brittle ice cling to each bite of pineapple, causing the fruit to have an unappetizing mushy consistency. Despite its unpleasant texture, the pineapple still brings a much welcomed aspect of acidity and sweetness to the dish. The “aloha sauce” bears no discernible differences to soy sauce and further seasons the toppings and an otherwise bland base of rice.

Each bowl of poke at Poke Munch costs a base $10.50 and is sized generously enough to provide a full meal for nearly any customer. For a more than reasonable price, one can experience a dish with fresh and enjoyable flavors that’s closely reminiscent of authentic Hawaiian cuisine.

Price: $$ ($10-$15) Rating:

Is it MINT to be? A review of well-known gum brands MALAVIKA KUMARAN A&E editor | @mkum00

Trident

Extra

Chewing time: 15 min.

Price: $1.79 Sticks per package: 14

Chewing time: 14 min.

Price: $1.49 Sticks per package: 15

Rating:

Rating:

5

Orbit

Chewing time: 12 min.

Price: $1.49 Sticks per package: 15

Chewing time: 19 min.

Price: $1.15 Sticks per package: 14

Rating:

Rating:

Page design by Malavika Kumaran & Hugh Chan

15 A&E laduelead.com

Fall sports recap

Catch up on the highlights from some of Ladue’s fall sports FIELD HOCKEY The varsity field hockey team high-fives Kirkwood after losing 2-0 Sept. 20. The Rams ended up making the sweet 16 of state championship, where they lost to MICDS. The team attributes their recent success to the new coaching staff. (Photo by Rose Hauser)

GIRLS TENNIS Junior Jenna Gold prepares for a backhand return in a match against MICDS Sept. 17. (Photo by Jordan Ganzer)

12-10 record 36 total goals 27 total goals allowed

10-6 record

BOYS SOCCER Senior captain Grant Powell attempts a bicycle kick in the district championship game against Clayton Oct. 31. Ladue was losing to Clayton 1-0 for most of the game until senior CJ Taylor rocketed a ball into the top right corner of the goal with seven minutes left. The game went to overtime and then double overtime when Ladue came through for the win off a goal from freshman Grayson Francis. (Photo by Zach Weller)

15-11 record Seven consecutive district championships VOLLEYBALL Freshman Joelle Alexander sets the ball for senior Kaili Smith in a match against Parkway South Sept.

20. The volleyball team finished the season strong and made it into the postseason. They lost to Nerinx Hall Oct. 22 in the first round of the district tournament. (Photo

by Jordan Ganzer)

14-15-1 record District quarterfinalists Page design by Jackson Bry

BOYS CROSS-COUNTRY Junior Nick Fiacco and freshman Ryan Nichols run together at the Eureka invitational Sept.

19. Ladue placed second overall in the meet, their highest team place all season. (Photo by Lou Ritter)

Junior Collin Clark - 34th at state sports

17 laduelead.com

Division I decisions

After receiving multiple offers, two student athletes make verbal commitments

defensive tackle MOSES OKPALA

University of Missouri

notable offers:

University of Louisville

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

committed to:

committed to:

University of Alabama

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

“I chose Alabama because I just knew it was for me the minute I stepped on campus. I didn’t want to go on any of my other official visits because I instantly fell in love with the school and the team.”

“During my final decision time, I was thinking about a lot of schools. It could have been [any] of them, but I think Illinois is the best fit [for me] because of so many reasons.”

of the month:

sophomore wrestler

JAKE MANN *stats from last year

18

sports

11.27.2018

Oregon State University

Washington State University

Vanderbilt University

ATHLETE

coxswain EMMA EWELL

How much work did it take for you to be so good at such a young age?

It was just putting in work every day, going hard in practice every day and just having fun with it.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of your high school career?

Probably winning the state title.

I want to be the best wrestler I can be.

52-5 record

2ND in the state

(Photo by Zach Weller) Page design by Jackson Bry

Custom Jewelry (510) 333-5440

Any traditional design Pet jewelry Portraits Fingerprint pendants & rings

Custom jewelry can be a unique gift or become a beautiful piece in your own jewelry collection.

Create your own custom rings, necklaces, personalized fingerprint charms or pet jewelry.

6623 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130

KarinaLiner.com KarinaLiner@gmail.com

RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms, Pc RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms, Pc RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms, Pc Thirty-One The Boulevard | saint Louis, Missou Thirty-One The Boulevard | saint Louis, Missou Phone (314)The 727-6162 | Fax (314)Louis, 727-7259 Thirty-One Boulevard | saint Missou Phone (314) 727-6162 | Fax (314) 727-7259 info @orthostlouis.com Phone (314) 727-6162 | | www.orthostlouis.com Fax (314) 727-7259 info @orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms, Pc info@orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms, Pc RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms, Pc RichaRd NisseN, Ms,Louis, Pc Missouri 63117-1118 RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms,dds, Pc Thirty-One TheJ.Boulevard | saint Thirty-One The Boulevard | saint Louis, Missouri 63117-1118 Phone (314) 727-6162 | Fax (314) 727-7259 Thirty-One The Boulevard | saint Louis, Missouri 63117-1118 Thirty-One The Boulevard | saint Louis, Missouri 63117-1118 The Boulevard | saint Louis, Missouri 63117-1118 Phone (314) 727-6162 | @Thirty-One Fax (314) 727-7259 info orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com Phone 727-6162 | Fax (314) 727-7259 Phone (314)(314) 727-6162 | Fax (314) 727-7259 OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1 Phone (314) 727-6162 | Fax (314) 727-7259 info@orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com info@ orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com info @orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1 info@orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1

RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms, Pc RichaRd J. NisseN, dds, Ms, Pc

OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1

Thirty-One The Boulevard | saint Louis, Missouri 63117-1118 OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1

OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1

OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1

12/17/2015 11:00:18 AM

12/17/2015 11:00:18 AM

12/17/2015 11:00:18 AM

Thirty-One The Boulevard | saint Louis, Missouri 63117-1118

john david

Phone (314) 727-6162 OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1 | Fax (314) 727-7259

Phone (314) 727-6162 | Fax (314) 727-7259

12/17/2015 11:00:18 A

12/17/2015 11:00:18

info@orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com

info@orthostlouis.com | www.orthostlouis.com OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1

Feature is optional and subject to terms and conditions. Safe Driving Bonus® won’t apply after an accident.

Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. Northbrook, IL © 2010 Allstate Insurance Co.

259920

OCSL-Ad-8x10.5.indd 1

Jewelers 12/17/2015 11:00:18 AM

314-997-4560

12/17/2015 11:00:18 AM

johndjewelers@yahoo.com

19 ads laduelead.com

P

ANO ERSPECTIVE

A diverse student body necessitates an equally diverse faculty and staff

41%

of the student body is of a minority group

Whereas approximately of the faculty are minority staff members

15%

minority staff white staff editorial

11.27.2018

20

L

adue is a school that prides itself on the diversity of its students, but there is much left unsaid about the diversity of the school’s staff. While the high school’s student body is comprised of 59 percent white students, the staff itself is a staggering 85 percent white.

While Panorama originally assumed that the staff diversity issues rested solely with members of the school administration, we soon realized that the blame cannot be placed entirely on their shoulders.

According to Associate Principal Beth Rapoff, the administration is fully aware of the problem embedded within Ladue’s staff and is currently trying to fix it.

This led us to the question: If they’re conscious of the issue, why has it not been fixed already?

We found two main factors that contribute to the staff’s lack of diversity. The first is the number of minorities who go into the teaching profession, and the second is the outsider’s perception of Ladue.

According to an article from the Washington Post published last year, fewer than 20 percent of the people going into the teaching field are minorities. Although that is a valid explanation for Ladue’s lack of staff diversity, it does not make up the entire story.

Everyone knows the stereotype of the typical Ladue student: white, rich and unwelcoming toward people of other races. This factor, along with the media’s portrayal of Ladue and the student racial protests in 2016, seems to create hesitation for

minority teachers who may otherwise be interested in jobs at Ladue.

They may feel that if they were to teach in our schools, they might not be as widely accepted in the district as white teachers. However, it is simply unfair to judge the mass of Ladue based on the past actions of a few students.

While fixing an outsider’s view of Ladue will not be simple, there are steps we can take in order to acquire more positive representation. To start, we must do a better job celebrating the diversity in our school. Although we do have one of the more diverse student bodies in the greater St. Louis area, people outside the school are not aware of this. The middle school has entire days dedicated strictly to diversity, and while giving up entire periods in high school may not be ideal or even plausible, events along these lines would appeal to a broader amount of teachers who are considering a job at Ladue.

Once we start to hire a more diverse staff, the negative connotations of our school and its students will slowly start to fade away, which will draw more diverse teachers to our school. Although it might take a long time, any step forward is a step in the right direction, which will lead us to a more diverse and well-rounded staff. The students at Ladue deserve a staff that is representative of the student body.

Page design by Alexander Fu & Cassie Beisheim

Every day, a celebration Except Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays and everything else ALEXANDER FU opinions editor | @alexlfu

M

y dad once told me at the dinner table that the reason why we eat together is so the last person is forced to finish all the food. It’s not because we are a family, nor is it to give thanks to that hippie in heaven. “You’re a real family man, Dad,” I wanted to say. With Thanksgiving behind us, I don’t really have stories to telI anyone, as we do not celebrate holidays or birthdays in my home. At most, my celebrations amount to a dinner out at some restaurant. This also applies to Christmas, to New Year’s — even Chinese New Year’s — and birthdays. My family and I stopped celebrating these holidays a long time ago, and, for the most part, nothing changes. However, I do not think I miss out compared to the livelier families in the world.

When people first hear this odd omission from my life, they have an expression on their faces that screams, “What is your life?” It’s an amusing question, but it stimulates my thoughts on this “issue” with my whole family. Why is it that I would rather spend the day surfing the web and watching anime than buying someone a present or participating in a gathering with those close to me? Why is it that my family treats these days as little more than an excuse to eat out at the same few restaurants? My response would usually be something like: why do you have to save these celebratory activities for a single day?

If someone in my house wants something, we either buy it ourselves or ask our mom and dad. At this point, my sister

and I have both amassed money from our jobs and relatives’ gifts, so everything we would make wishlists for as kids could arrive at our doorstep today — well, as fast as Amazon Prime shipping will allow.

If someone spontaneously wants to celebrate the most ordinary day in the most uneventful week, we either order Bread Co. or drive to a Chinese restaurant. These activities may not qualify as alternatives to typical holiday festivities, but upon reflection, I believe one of the reasons big celebrations don’t really take place in my home is because my family has no need to celebrate them.

When my mom comes home from work, her next hour consists of time in the kitchen. She is a great cook, and she values variety every day, so each dinner consists of different dishes. She calls me when dinner is ready, and I rush downstairs where my parents, a steaming bowl of white rice, a pair of chopsticks and at least two dishes await me every day, without fail. Many households, regardless of their circumstances, may not share this daily occurrence. I know that some might consider a dinner involving at least two parents and their kids rare except for important occasions. If that is the case, am I not celebrating the mundane with my family every night?

I think of my celebrations as being unrestricted by any one day. My family is by no means perfect. Besides dinner, we typically shut ourselves away in our own worlds, but ultimately, we always save time to eat together, which is something I can say I am rather thankful for.

Page design by Cassie Beisheim & Alexander Fu; photo illustration by Zach Weller

opinions

21laduelead.com

#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fak enews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#fakenews #fakenews#fakenews#fakenews#-

Journalists

A not so free press: how the world dehumanizes journalists ADAM RUSH head copy editor | @adamrush01

F

ake news. Opposition party.

Enemy of the people. These terms are frequently used by figures of immense power to vilify the free press. Yet what we fail to realize — or, more accurately, choose to ignore — is that these words can have terrible consequences. These exact words have allowed the country to dehumanize journalists and disregard their suffering by referring to them as “the enemy.”

The recent murder of Jamal Khashoggi, planned by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, exemplifies how journalists across the globe are being treated. Khashoggi, a journalist, advocate for the free press and a resident of the United States, heavily criticized the new regime and crown prince in Saudi Arabia. After entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, he was brutally tortured and killed by a 15-man hit squad. The details of his murder are gruesome and horrifying, yet America has refused to respond in any forceful manner.

opinions

11.27.2018

22

It is important to note that America has a long and complicated relationship with Saudi Arabia. Beginning in the 1990s and continuing to this day, we have chosen to overlook their human rights violations because of the oil they sell, the weapons they purchase and their strategic value to the U.S. So how have the Trump administration and the people of this nation responded to Khashoggi’s murder at the hands of a longstanding ally? With smears and apathy.

With no evidence, congressmen have publicly stated that Khashoggi had terrorist connections. Even the President’s son has said Khashoggi was working with Osama bin Laden, while others have said his murder is irrelevant because no one knew of him before his death. We have chosen to smear him rather than celebrate and honor the life of Jamal Khashoggi. We forget that he left behind a fiancée and a son. Yet, these attacks persist, and thousands in this country will still believe them.

The citizens of our nation have not reacted much better. Many are indifferent about Khashoggi’s murder, ei-

ther because he was a member of the press, or they just don’t care. Others don’t even know his name. According to a school-wide representative poll of 314 students, approximately 63 percent of Ladue students are unaware of who Khashoggi was. Ignorance of a problem does not justify standing by and watching as journalists — real, actual human beings — are being attacked by the institutions meant to protect them.

That is not to say the President or people of this nation led Saudi Arabia to commit this crime. Clearly, they did not. However, the nation must recognize that it has fostered an atmosphere where this kind of act is tolerated. This country is so divided that bombs are sent to newsrooms, and the President strips reporters of their First Amendment rights because he feels they are disrespectful. When the American people have virtually no response to these crises, it is time to take a step back. Everyone in this nation must realize the truth about the men and women behind the bylines they read. We must realize they are one of us.

Page design by Cassie Beisheim & Alexander Fu

fame and glory

His REAL story

-

-

art by EGRET JIN

The misconceptions that damage our historical perspective CASSIE BEISHEIM opinions editor | @cassiebeisheim

O

ne of the most famous lines in the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, reads, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This is high talk about liberty coming from a slave owner.

However, these words can also be used to embody the beginning of the stereotypical American value of freedom. While our country has made many mistakes in both our past and present regarding freedom, the idea itself comes from the work of those who set our government into motion: our Founding Fathers.

Seven random, wealthy white men from the 1700s hold some of the highest praises of anyone from our nation’s past.

While it is important to recognize their importance to the country, their flaws cannot be overlooked. They represent a larger issue within our society — the glorification of historical figures.

Page design by Cassie Beisheim

Concerning the Founding Fathers, there is much to say about the amount of praise they deserve. Many political speeches given today reflect on the words of these men almost in the way one would regard a holy text, as if they represent authority and absolute reason. When we praise George Washington or Thomas Jefferson as the greatest idols our country has to offer, we remain ignorant to their flaws. These men exhibited racist, sexist and elitist tendencies, and it is imperative that we change our narrative surrounding their lives.

However, the Founding Fathers are not the only problem with our perception of history, as there are plenty of other historical figures that are wrongly glorified as well. For example, take Christopher Columbus.

While he has been exposed for the atrocities he committed, much of our country still fails to recognize the issues behind the celebration of his “findings.”

While it is okay to realize that Columbus lived in a time where the social environment differed from today’s, that does not justify immoral actions.

As explained by American Heritage, Columbus and his men raped and murdered thousands of innocent people.

America is a country that was founded when white people came in and stole land from those unable to defend themselves. While this may not be our

generation’s fault, we must not continue to look highly upon those who committed such inexcusable actions.

As a society, we all too often overlook the problems that lie within our history. History classes teach that Abraham Lincoln was a hero who freed the slaves, but fail to mention his initial support of slavery. The Constitution Center has shown that the original version of the 13th Amendment intended to make slavery not only legal, but essentially permanent. Lincoln supported this amendment long before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Children scanning the pages of history books are going to truly believe that our past generations worked solely to achieve peace and fairness.

So, let us reflect upon this Thanksgiving season with a more enlightened point of view. Let us remember the ridiculously high number of Native Americans killed to form our “more perfect union.” Let us hold responsible those throughout history who were racist and bigoted, even if they gave us our Constitution and our country. History is anything but black and white, and it does no one well to be ignorant of reality.

23 opinions laduelead.com