Panorama March Issue

LADUE HORTON WATKINS HIGH SCHOOL 1201 S. WARSON RD. ST. LOUIS, MO 63124 MARCH 2025 VOL. 74, ISSUE 6

On the Table PG. 19 - 23 As a result of incoming political leadership, bills impacting education emerge on state and federal levels

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Contents 12-13 Photo

The Prom: The Musical Photo by Vincent Hsiao

SCAN FOR Ladue Publications’ website

28

8

14

HOSA Hustle

Art Unleashed

FEATURES

NEWS

HOSA travels to Rolla Sr. High School for State Leadership Conference March 24-25

Jane Carrico devolps her skills as an artist

OPINIONS

Teenagers must be aware of the experimentation process behind cosmetic purchases

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PANORAMA

On the Cover

Think Before You Buy

LADUE HORTON WATKINS HIGH SCHOOL 1201 S. WARSON RD. ST. LOUIS, MO 63124 MARCH 2025 VOL. 79, ISSUE 6

Sponsors Advertisements

4 5

NEWS News to Know HOSA Hustle Beyond Creation

6 8 9

INFOGRAPHIC Game, Set, Pickle

10

FEATURES The Prom: The Musical Art Unleashed A New Angle Across the Globe Mastering Time

12 14 15 16 18

IN-DEPTH On the Table

19

OPINIONS Panorama Perspective Little Lies Existence is Resistance Think Before You Buy Get Punched The Tank’s Take

24 26 27 28 29 29

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT In the Spotlight Expression in Ink Fly or Die Tasting Spring

30 31 32 33

HEALTH & SPORTS Head in the Game Flying Low Back on Track Health Boost

34 36 38 39

“

It’s just fun to go out there and throw the discs with friends.”

On the Table PG. 19 - 23 As a result of incoming leadership, bills impacting education emerge on state and federal levels

IN-DEPTH

On the Table On the Dime On the Floor On the Move

Michael Wise (12) Flying Low, p. 36-37

On the Ground

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editors’ Note

Panorama Staff EXECUTIVE EDITOR IN CHIEF Arti Jain

NEWS STAFF Madeline Fong

MANAGING EDITOR IN CHIEF Lathan Levy

FEATURES STAFF Jane Scheffel Kaichen Chou

DESIGN EDITOR IN CHIEF Emily Liu COPY EDITORS IN CHIEF Katie Myckatyn Will Kodner

Will Kodner

Emily Liu

Arti Jain

Katie Myckatyn Lathan Levy

Whether or not you’ve heard about the reignited push to dismantle the United States Department of Education, there is no argument that the issue has been called into question more frequently and with more support than in times past. That is why for this issue’s in-depth, we’ve decided to talk about everyone’s favorite thing: school! More specifically, our in-depth dissects the impact of numerous recent political attempts to delegitimize and defund public schools, both in Missouri and nationally.

Read on for a staffer’s critique on political misinformation, a self-proclaimed nerd’s reaction to a popular “romantasy” and a preview of spring sports. For more on athletics, find a profile on the ultimate frisbee captain and explore the rise of pickleball in a dill-ightful infographic. Elsewhere in the issue, we introduce a new student teacher and catch up on community and club events in March and April. Feeling parched? Turn to page 33 for a step-by-step recipe to refreshing spring drinks.

As the end of the school year approaches, we wish you all the best and hope that you enjoy our March issue!

ART EDITOR IN CHIEF Kelly Zhang PHOTO EDITOR IN CHIEF Vincent Hsiao NEWS EDITORS Marie Demkovitch Cindy Liu FEATURES EDITORS Grace Huewe Ira Rodrigues IN-DEPTH EDITORS Alzhraa Mahmoud Celina Zhou OPINIONS EDITORS Ella Bender Grace Kweon ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Sara Rohatgi Aaron Lin HEALTH & SPORTS EDITORS Mason Eastman Ryan Snyder STAFF MANAGER Nyla Weathersby COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LIAISON Ishaan Pandey

Katie Myckatyn CREDITS: Editor’s photo by Vincent Hsiao. Front cover design by Celina Zhou. Front cover photo by Vincent Hsiao. Back cover design by Nina Ye.

Scan to view Ladue Publications’ Editorial Policy

SPREAD DESIGN BY LATHAN LEVY

IN-DEPTH STAFF Amelie Lock Meg Myckatyn OPINIONS STAFF Adela Gingrich ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT STAFF Medha Chode HEALTH & SPORTS STAFF Isaac Zelinske Tiya Kaul Vicky Derdoy PHOTOGRAPHERS Elena Bollman Isak Taylor Lilly Jacks ARTISTS Aalaa Mahmoud Nina Ye Nora Brunnquell Stephen Song WEB EDITORS IN CHIEF Josh Devine Madeline Awad WEB STAFF Emily Pan Fiona Van Allen Josie Stout Katie Jansen Loukya Gillella Nathan King ID EDITORS IN CHIEF Sylvia Hanes Maya Mathew Ella Braig

COLUMNIST Frank Chen

ID STAFF Max Karsh Annabelle Reagan

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Michael Zegel Jay Heintz

ADVISERS Sarah Kirksey Abigail Eisenberg

MARCH 2025

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SPONSORS

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Sponsors Issue

Anonymous Ariel Premium Supply, Inc Lilly’s Catania LLC. PPAF Management

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NEWS

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News to Know

Board Update

Events Community events in March and April

Board of Education adjusts teacher insurance and parent-teacher conference policies

Prom Prom will take place April 5 from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the Khorassan Ballroom venue at the Chase Park Plaza. This year’s theme will be ‘A Night in Paris,’ featuring black, gold and navy as the theme colors.

Tickets will be on sale March 12, 13 and 28 and will be $95. The Parent Association will be hosting a Post Prom Party at Amp Up Action Park from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. This is included in the price of the ticket.

Menu Salad: Baby arugula salad with kale.

Main Course: Crispy chicken breast with potato au gratin, asparagus and port wine reduction.

Vegan Option: Roasted poblano and black bean galette.

Dessert: Cheesecake and s’mores chocolate cake

Rams Around the World The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Association will be holding the annual Rams Around the World cultural sharing event in the multipurpose room April 23. Any student or faculty member can sign up to represent their country or attend the event. Cultural food, attire and music will be featured.

International Food Sampler Students cook international food samples Feb. 25 RIGHT: Students cook foods from different cultures around the world. This was the second day of international week where students were able to attend a food sampler. “It’s always a fun experience getting to make food and serve it to the Ladue community,” French Honor Society President Garon Agrawal (12) said. (Photos by Bella Plumb)

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PANORAMA

Key events in the months of February, March and April

By Arti Jain Executive Editor in Chief

T

he Board of Education met Feb. 26 to discuss Meet and Confer Proposals with the Ladue Education Association. They approved policies increasing the employee and retiree premium by 8%, despite maintaining costs for current employees. The board also clarified parent-teacher conference requirements, standardizing the exclusion of dinner breaks from the allotted time. The meeting was attended by employees from all eight schools.

“I want to really appreciate the members of our teaching staff who are here

New Members

tonight,” LEA director Jennifer Hartigan said. “I think their presence here shows the commitments that we have to one another, our students and the new school district.”

The board also recognized February’s Excellence in Education recipient, Ladue Early Childhood Center teacher Kristin Hoeflinger. She recently had a Ladue Education Foundation grant approved, funding playground equipment.

“She is highly requested each year,” Ladue Early Childhood Center director Stacy Carlock said. “We have parents that come in saying, ‘We want Kristin, we want our kiddo to be in the Bear Room.’ She’s been amazing.” P

Open seats will be filled April 9

CURIOUS?

CURIOUS?

Scan here for a Q&A with Amy Kuo Hammerman

Photo courtesy of Amy Kuo Hammerman

Scan here for a Q&A with Robert Snidman

Photo courtesy of Robert Snidman

NEWS

Kaleidoscope Practice Orchestra students prepare for the Kaleidoscope Concert April 26 LEFT: Ashvik Chilakala (10) practices for the Kaleidoscope Concert April 26. Students started practicing in January. “My favorite part about Kaleidoscope is it allows me to play the piece that I want to play,” Chilakala said. (Photo by Nyla Weathersby)

Courthouse Visit AP Government students visit the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse Feb. 24 and 25

By Marie Demkovitch News Editor

A

P Government and Politics students taught by Conner Katsev and Tim Bambenek took a field trip to the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse Feb. 24 and 25 to see how the judicial system works.

The Eagleton Courthouse is the first in the United States to have a judicial learning center. Students got to experience the learning center and attended an arraignment.

“We [got to] see the judicial system at work, and it’s important to know that it’s a public space,” Katsev said. “We shouldn’t do that kind of process behind closed doors.”

The field trip focused on the judicial branch of the government, showing students how a courthouse works.

“We started with the three different branches of government, and this one is judicial,” Selene Gao (12) said. “We’ve already learned the general idea of the branches, and now we’re going more in depth.”

Students were also able to see a Court of Appeals, which is the second highest order of the court. Overall, the field tripgave the opportunity to see the process within a courthouse in real time.

“Sometimes a judge will finish the ruling, and he’ll stay after and answer questions,” Katsev said. “[It] is awesome to hear the thought process, but [also] just see that they’re real humans too, asking those questions, seeing the process, and again, just being in a federal building, where the judicial process works through itself every single day.”

Dressing up was encouraged and students who did it were rewarded with extra credit. Students received the opportunity to present themselves professionally and see the application of what they have learned in the world.

“Being able to walk away knowing what the inside of a courtroom looks like and how proceedings work [is] really cool because right now everything that we learn is just facts,” Gao said. “It’s nothing we can actually go experience — I feel like this lets us actually experience what we are learning.” P

SPREAD DESIGN BY MARIE DEMKOVITCH & MADELINE FONG

Club Events Past and upcoming club activities Speech and Debate The Talking Rams competed in Speech and Debate MSHSAA districts March 7-8. Eric Fan (12), Bohan Pan (12), Urmil Patel (11), Felix Zhang (10), Zoe Mei (9), Elliot Broadbent (10), Addie Flintrop (10), Liam Shoghi (10), Sahil Chatwal (12), Sophie Hughes (10), Nina Ye (10), Franklyn Yang (12), Shang Jiang (12) and Emery Mao (9) advanced. They will compete at MSHSAA State April 25-26 at Missouri State University in Springfield. There are three types of debate and 12 types of speech events that they are able to compete in. “[We prepare] by practicing every single day,” Mei said. “We’re putting a lot of time into writing cases and just really working on collaboration with the team. You have to put in a lot of time to get good and it’s really just the more time you put into it the better you do things.”

Photo by Madeline Fong

Amnesty International Amnesty International Club, a human rights organization, will be holding the annual Write for Rights campaign in April. They will write letters to international leaders about specific cases where a person’s human rights were violated and ask them to instill change to take action. “I’m looking forward to writing more letters and also spreading awareness about cases about human rights that [have] probably never [been] heard before,” Co-President of Amnesty International Club Lily Plumb (11) said.

MARCH 2025

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NEWS

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

LEFT: State Leadership Conference qualifying members of the Health Occupation Students of America club attend a preparation meeting March 5. A recordbreaking number of Missouri SLC qualifiers, 2,304 competitors, will attend this year.“[The purpose of the meeting] was to touch base with everyone before spring break and to give information,” Alexandra Tsygankov (12) said. “[We wanted] to get everyone on the same page.” (Photos by Cindy Liu)

HOSA Hustle

HOSA travels to Rolla Sr. High School for State Leadership Conference March 24-25

By Cindy Liu News Editor

H

ealth Occupation Students of America, a club that encourages students aiming to become healthcare professionals, will attend the State Leadership Convention March 24-25 in Rolla, Mo. This year marks a record-breaking number of Ladue High School qualifiers, with 41 members advancing to SLC. They will compete in solo or partner events against competitors throughout 104 Missouri HOSA chapters.

SLC consists of 81 competitive events. Competitors qualify by placing in the top 10 of their event.

Club Events Nine clubs participate in a fundraiser to help Los Angeles and St. Louis communities March 5-6 8

PANORAMA

Jenna Song (11) and Sahasra Mandalapu (11) will compete as a team in a digital upload event. They will create a social media campaign to promote mental health awareness and anxiety management.

“Every competitor for digital upload sends their portfolio,” Song said. “Judges take around two-three weeks [to] score you.

[I’m excited] to show all our hard work because we know the effort we put into this and how our campaign can create an impact.”

Competitors placing in the top three at SLC move on to the International Leadership Conference in Houston in June. HOSA advisor Allen Weltig said that ILC is a great opportunity for networking.

“

Even though you’re competing against each other, you still have a connection with people with the same interests as you.”

Jenna Song (11)

“Getting to see [members] interacting with other like-minded students, networking, learning, just getting fired up about healthcare careers, whether or not they place, it’s always really exciting because they get a lot out of it,” Weltig said.

Eleven members attended ILC last year. HOSA President Anthony Zhao (11) was one of two who placed first in their event. Zhao said that winning was his most rewarding memory in HOSA. “I was overwhelmed with happiness and my club members’ support,” Zhao said. “After the ceremony my sister and I laid on the grass outside and [talked] about how great the HOSA trip was.” P LEFT: Clubs held a raffle fundraiser March 5-6 to raise money for Los Angeles and St. Louis communities. Tickets were sold at lunches to win prize baskets. “The clubs haven’t decided where the money will go,” President of St. Louis Teens Aid Refugees Today club Emaan Waheed (12) said. “The goal is to support organizations [that help] people in St. Louis and those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles,” (Photos by Elena Bollman)

NEWS

Beyond Creation Heroes: Biblical & Mythological explores myth archetypes through a video project

By Nyla Weathersby Staff Manager

H

eroes: Biblical & Mythological class produced video projects Feb. 3-26 that depicted students’ interpretations of various myth archetypes across cultures. “[HBM] used to be about classical heroes from typically Greek mythology as well as biblical mythology,” HBM teacher Nicholas Buckvar said. “Now the course has become a multicultural class; and beyond heroes, we also look at myths from multiple cultures regarding different aspects of life, like creation. We start to see [the things the civilizations values] within the heroes that they create myths and stories about.”

For the latest project, students dove into creation myths from around the world. Eric Fan (12) attempted to go beyond creation, examining archetypal patterns within different myths.

“I think this project really made me understand this concept called the ‘collective unconscious,’ and that’s something we’ve been learning in class,” Fan said. “This idea that these different civilizations separated by centuries in time and miles in geographical location, they all have very similar archetypes to all of their stories.”

Students chose an archetype such as flood myths, apocalypse

myths or twin and sibling myths and found three examples from different cultures, then analyzed the common themes and patterns across them.

“I think it’s a super interesting class,” Fan said. “You always hear about myths throughout your time in school, but [this is] the first class where I’ve really dove deep into understanding its every intricacy, its background and its history.”

Students were allowed to customize their journey by choosing what medium they wanted their project to be in.

“This project has evolved from just being a stop-motion project to [one] where now there’s so many different possibilities they can do in terms of animating it, or using technology and using different different platforms to create it,” Buckvar said.

This shift in approach allowed students the opportunity to learn in new and diverse ways.

“I think [that when] collaborating with others you get different perspectives,” Fan said.

“When you’re learning just by yourself, you only get your own perspective. But when you collaborate with even one individual or multiple people, you get their perspectives. So in a way, you get double the learning.” P

SPREAD DESIGN BY CINDY LIU NYLA WEATHERSBY

“

[The project] analyzes how humans, regardless of what part of the world or what time period they’re from, used myths to explain very similar things and concepts.”

Nicholas Buckvar Teacher

CURIOUS? Scan here for examples of the ‘Beyond Creation’ projects

ABOVE: Heroes: Biblical & Mythological analyzes clips from the movie “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Thief” and the TV show “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” to compare the representation of Medusa after completing their ‘Beyond Creation’ video projects March 3. “My favorite thing about HBM is the teacher, Mr. Buckvar, but I also enjoy learning about different myths and how they relate to each other,” Madeline Summers (11) said. (Photos by Nyla Weathersby)

MARCH 2025

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INFOGRAPHIC

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Growth Game Game, Set, Pickle

Exploring the past and future growth of pickleball and its market Predicted market increase of pickleball products in billions of dollars

Percent increase in pickleball’s popularity

100%

Examining aspects of pickleball’s recent rise to fame

Equipment

2033

60%

7.9

2019

How to Move

2032

20%

6.8

0% 2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Less than 3 months

2021 11.9%

5.1

2 years

2029

Over 2 years 4.5

Baseline Marks the end of the court

Score Card

2028

4.8%

3.9

How to score doubles Start: The first player serves from the right. The starting team gets one serve, seen as 0-0-2.

Sideline 44 foot sideline meeting the 22 foot baseline

Underhand Serve

Game: A team can only score a point when they serve. If a point is lost while serving, only the serve is lost and no points are added to either team’s score.

3.4

2.9

2.5

Score: The first two numbers represent the points on each side.

The third number is the amount of people who have served, one or two.

Dink

Forehand Shot

Mastering the Hits Breaking down the three most common pickleball moves A strong hit from the baseline to the opposite side of the court 10

PANORAMA

A weak hit to the kitchen to draw up the opponent

A powerful way to return a hit from the opposing side

2027

26.2%

2026

1 year

2030

6 months

14.3%

49.2%

5.9

2025

The Kitchen No volley zone

2031

How long have students played pickleball?

Parts of the pickleball court

Serving Side Right side starts when the side changes

Apparel

40%

Illustrations by Madeline Awad, Josh Devine & Kelly Zhang

Net 22 foot x 4 foot mesh net

Footwear

80%

INFOGRAPHIC

Then and Now A look into pickleball’s history 1965

1976

2020

2021

2023

Pickleball is created by Joel Pritchard.

The first pickleball tournament is held in Tukwila, Washington.

The Professional Pickleball Association is founded.

The Sports and Fitness Association calls pickleball the fastest-growing sport.

The PPA goes on its first tour in the United States.

Player Profile

“I play pickleball with my family and friends. I’m also a part of pickleball club.”

“I like pickleball because you can play and have a conversation at once.”

“Pickleball is fun for me because it’s similar to tennis, which I also like.”

Elle Kerner (11)

Brockden Miller (10)

Balkis Prothro (12)

Where to Go

FLORISSANT ST. CHARLES

LADUE

Panoram a su

MARYLAND HEIGHTS

UNIVERSITY CITY

Student pickleball playing choices

What is your preferred paddle material?

31%

CLAYTON

MAPLEWOOD

37%

32%

Francis Park Free Four outdoor courts

Shaw Park Free Four outdoor courts Missouri Pickleball Club $5 per person per hour Over 18 indoor courts

SPREAD DESIGN BY JOSH DEVINE & MADELINE AWAD

Wood

Carbon Fiber

Plastic

Do you prefer singles or doubles?

Doubles

KIRKWOOD

LINDBERGH

Pickle Preferences

ST. LOUIS CITY

BRENTWOOD WEBSTER GROVES

Tower Grove Park $5 entry Eight outdoor courts

9

. 27 ts Feb den u t 9s

Singles

41%

Where do you play pickleball?

80 Number of Students

Frontenac Racquet Club $40 per hour Four indoor courts

Arch Pickle $2 entry 50+ indoor courts

d

Sources: Market US, PlayPickleball.com, USA Pickleball

59%

Photo illustration by Josh Devine & Vincent Hsiao

Chicken N Pickle $20 per hour 11 indoor courts

rve ye

Places to play pickleball around St. Louis

Student opinions on pickleball and how they got involved

60 40 20 Athletic or Country Club

Home

Public Park

Rec. Center

Location

MARCH 2025

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FEATURES

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

The Prom: The Musical Ladue Theatre performs “The Prom: School Edition” spring musical Feb. 20-22

By Vincent Hsiao Photo Editor in Chief Ladue Theatre performed “The Prom: School Edition” for the spring musical in the Performing Arts Center Feb. 20-22. The musical’s plot follows four Broadway stars who travel to a small Indiana town to advocate for lesbian student Emma Nolan after her school cancels prom when she plans to bring her girlfriend. Nolan, played

by Amelie Lock (10), challenged the school PTA’s rules that restricted her from attending the prom with her girlfriend, Alyssa Greene, who was not out. Greene was played by Adaeze Loynd (11). Initially focused solely on boosting their public image, the struggling Broadway actors, including Dee Dee Allen, portrayed by Kate Sheley (12), eventually champion for a genuine cause by financing a new, inclusive prom. Nolan received widespread support from the local and online community, marking a shift from the once-prejudiced classmates who had bullied her. Greene’s conservative mother, played by Lily Crabtree (10), served as the head of the PTA and was reluctant to accept Alyssa coming out. “The Prom” draws real-life inspiration from a 2010 controversy at a Mississippi high school, where a student planned to wear a tuxedo and bring her girlfriend but was subsequently banned by the school board, leading to an ACLU lawsuit. Rehearsing since late November, Ladue’s production featured about 75 members, including 15 pit orchestra musicians. Loynd, who has been involved in theater for the past 13 years, including performances at the Muny, made her Ladue debut in this production. “During the Alyssa Greene song it ends in tears,” Loynd said. “It was hard getting to that place acting-wise and being able to get the tears flowing, but yeah, it was fun to play with that.”

CURIOUS? Scan here for the Ladue Theatre website

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FEATURES

SPREAD DESIGN BY VINCENT HSIAO

MARCH 2025

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FEATURES

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Art Unleashed Jane Carrico develops her skills as an artist

By Jane Scheffel Staff

R

adiant white light streams through glass, landing on top of a large tarp holding a white canvas. Shades of blue sit nearby, joined by a clear glass of water that will soon become a muddy brown despite the beautiful colors dipped in it. Preoccupied with school work, community service and other responsibilities, Jane Carrico (10) finally has time to paint.

Many different artists help and inspire Carrico to paint. Among these influences is her dad, David Carrico, an architectural illustrator who draws models for companies. “[My dad is] always coming in and showing me how to do different shading techniques,” Carrico said. “It’s a big inspiration.”

Most of Carrico’s paintings depict different scenes in nature. She has worked on portraits, but finds that painting the enviroment is more fun.

Jane Carrico (10) 14

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“I really like landscapes,” Carrico said. “I love trees and houses, and I’ve been getting into beaches and mountainscapes.”

The painting “Sesuit Harbor” was her first commissioned painting, requested by instructional coach Rebecca Rubin-Schlansky.

Prior to that, Carrico had only made paintings for fun. “[Rubin-Schlansky] reached out to me in search for a specific type of painting based on something I had done previously,” Carrico said.

Carrico’s paintings have also been selected by painting teacher Daniel Raedeke, who taught her

multiple times as a freshman, to be featured in the Spiritas Art Gallery.

“Different shows that we have will put out announcements for work that we’ll look at,” Raedeke said. “We’ll choose the work that goes in.”

Carrico has been painting her entire life.Her determination guides her to continue to grow and become even better in the future.

“My personal drive [is] to see myself do better in art because I feel like there’s more I have to improve on,” Carrico said. “It’s something for myself, just to see where I’m at.” P

FEATURES

A New Angle

Benny Shepherd pursues his love for education as a math teaching assistant

By Grace Huewe Features Editor

T

he teaching industry: rewarding, yet, the salary isn’t high enough to pursue it as a career. Teachers are in high demand, but it’s simply not worth the risk of being underpaid.

Even with complaints and a universal belief that teachers deserve better, action has yet to be taken.

Despite these common objections, there is a strong sense of passion that exists among teachers today. For student teacher Benny Shepherd, the fulfillment he gets from teaching is an incentive to persevere.

“I’ve always been passionate about education,” Shepherd said.

“I coached soccer growing up, I tutored kids in high school and I really enjoyed that. I always said, ‘I want to be a teacher if they made more money,’ but, as I’ve grown up, I’ve learned there are things that matter more than money.”

As a student at Washington University in St. Louis, Shepherd held these values when faced with difficult decisions for his future.

“I came to WashU thinking I wanted to be a doctor, but it wasn’t the right path,” Shepherd said. “I was only in it for the money. At the end of freshman year, I was feeling a little burnt out and I asked myself if this was worth it, and the answer was no.”

Shepherd came to Ladue High School at the start of the 2024-25 school year and has since transitioned into his role as a student teacher, leading Algebra II and helping out in AP Statistics with math teacher Ryan Rzeszutko.

“I love being here,” Shepherd said. “Students are respectful and Dr. R and I have comparable personalities. I was placed here, but if I had the opportunity to choose, I would have chosen [Ladue] because of the intent you can feel here.”

Do the Math

Benny Shepherd’s path to Ladue High School As a teen, Shepherd Student teacher Benny Shepherd teaches Algebra II March 6. As an instructor, he bonded with his students. "It's about relationships," Shepherd said.

"Some students won't try unless they trust you."

(Photo by Lilly Jacks)

coaches soccer and tutors, realizing his love of teaching.

2015-18 2020-21 Shepherd attends Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in medicine.

SPREAD DESIGN BY JANE SCHEFFEL IRA RODRIGUES

“

Mr. Shepherd is really motivated to learn and improve and is always [thinking of] ways to get even better.”

Ryan Rzeszutko Math teacher

After spending the school year with Shepherd, Rzeszutko reflects on their time together and his growth as an educator.

“It’s obvious that he cares about our students’ success,” Rzeszutko said. “He has a strong math background and is incredibly receptive to feedback on how to make the material more accessible to high school students.”

Shepherd has always loved math, ultimately majoring in it.

He hopes that his students will walk away with more than just a concrete understanding of math.

“I’m focused on more than developing just procedural understanding, but developing problem solving,” Shepherd said. “The age old question about math is, ‘When am I ever going to use this?’ The answer is probably never, but one of the things I love about math is how it gives me the opportunity to develop problem solving abilities that [apply] to everything you do in life.” P Illustration by Ira Rodrigues

Shepherd switches his major to math and becomes a TA for math teacher Ryan Rzeszutko.

2024-25

2025 Today, Shepherd teaches Algebra II independently and coteaches AP Statistics.

MARCH 2025

15

FEATURES

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Across the Globe Luis Fontes De Castro moves to the United States after living in Europe and Brazil all his life

Staff

F

rom waking up to the sight of Porto’s vintage cobblestone terraces to Paris’s gothic Haussmen structures, or from the placid streets of Montreux to the bustling metrop-

Mapping

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“

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“

Switzerland was the best country.”

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Portuguese people are pretty welcoming.”

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I really liked the activities I did in [France].”

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Montreux, Switzerland where he would reside for two years prior to settling in Sao Paulo, Brazil for The another five. In January of this person year, he moved to St. Louis.

I am is “I move a lot because of my based mother’s work,” Fontes De Cason the tro said.

“She works at Nestle Pucountries rina [as] a factory manager, and that I’ve we came because she changed polived in. sitions to the [United States].”

I try to Moving from place to place — adapt.” let alone country to country — is difficult enough. At age 4, Fontes Luis Fontes De Castro De Castro was subject to a new loLui (10) cation, a completely foreign lansF on guage and a fresh set of customs tes to learn after making the transiDe Ca tion from Portugal to France. str “My most challenging move or ef was when I moved to France ec since I didn’t speak another ts language, and nobody on really spoke Portuhi s guese,” Fontes De w Castro said. “It was hard to learn, but other ux, Switz e times, r e t for

olis of Sao Paulo, it’s clear that Luis Fontes De Castro (10) has experienced numerous walks of life.

However, his day-to-day extends beyond the trivial juxtaposition of window-views, broadened to a lifetime of relocation and most pointedly, adjustment.

Fontes De Castro was born and raised in Porto, Portugal, before moving to Paris, France, where he lived for five years. He then moved to

By Kaichen Chou

I met a lot of great friends [in Brazil].”

Photo by Lathan Levy

16

PANORAMA

FEATURES

LEFT: Luis Fontes De Castro (10) go-karts, skis, swims, wakeboards and more in places ranging from Portugal to Brazil.

Fontes De Castro picked up many of these activities from the various countries he’s lived in, which helped him grow comfortable with the new environments he was faced with.

When Fontes De Castro had to move again, these activities he’d learned helped him say goodbye.

“I spent a few days with all my friends [before my move], and we did everything that we like doing together, like boating [and] soccer,” Fontes De Castro said.

(Photos courtesy of Luis Fontes De Castro)

PORTUGAL

TRAVEL PATH

SWITZERLAND

ages 4 to 9

UNITED STATES

ages 11 to 16

birth to age 4

ages 9 to 11

BRAZIL

SPREAD DESIGN BY IRA RODRIGUES

Becoming familiar with several languages, especially at a young age, certainly has its perks.

“It’s definitely beneficial in terms of traveling,” Fontes De Castro said. “It’s good to meet new people, communicate and it’s good for your career.”

Besides the initial language barriers that came with each move, there was culture shock for him to overcome.

“The most shocking [transition] I had was from Switzerland to Brazil because they’re polar opposites,” Fontes De Castro said. “Switzerland was very much a quiet place, meanwhile Brazil was a mega city [with] way more traffic, and people are more outgoing.”

Despite never living in the U.S., Fontes De Castro has been successful in familiarizing himself with his new environment. He always puts his best foot forward with a strong work ethic and motivated approach to learning.

FRANCE

example, in Brazil, which is the same language as in Portugal, it was less problematic.”

After his move from France to Switzerland, Fontes De Castro prepared to start this process a second time and get acquainted with a third language — English.

“When I was 9 years old I moved to a British school, and they had a program for non-English speakers, [which is how] I learned,” Fontes De Castro said.

In total, Fontes De Castro is fluent in four languages: English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. French teacher Elise Dale, who has worked with numerous exchange students and native speakers in the past, finds his situation particularly special.

“He’s very modest about [his skills],” Dale said. “Most other native speakers I have are highly proficient in two, maybe three [languages], but he’s lived in so many places which makes his situation rather unique.”

ages 16 to now

“When I ask questions, I notice that he takes his time and he gives really thoughtful answers to things,” Dale said. “He’s thinking about it, applying what he knows and what he’s trying to learn.”

When it comes to building relationships, Fontes De Castro finds common interests that have led him to bond with new peers.

“Since I always need to build new friendships, that’s another way [moving has] impacted me,” Fontes De Castro said. “I’ve just been talking to people [and] trying to do stuff outside of school with people I’ve met, [like] playing soccer.”

Amidst the adjustments and challenges, Fontes De Castro looks forward to what life in the U.S. has to offer him.

“It was a bit sad [moving again] because I had to leave behind a lot of great friends,” Fontes De Castro said. “But overall, I was excited to come here, and I’ve been enjoying it.” P

MARCH 2025

17

FEATURES

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Mastering Time Sanjay Adireddi develops the website ‘Ramwatch’ to monitor class time

By Ishaan Pandey Community Engagement Liaison

O

ver the course of the school day, some students fixate on the clocks, watching seconds drag by and calculating the time left in class.

Others stay unaware of the minutes slipping by and are startled by the sound of the bell signifying the end of class. Sanjay Adireddi (11) combined the concept of time with technology to create Ramwatch — a simple, but powerful website that displays live class countdowns, daily schedules and serves as an all-in-one hub for students’ school-related needs.

“Ramwatch is just a simple website that I made during my free time,” Adireddi said. “[It’s] basically a onestop shop for people to find out how much time is [left] and check the schedules for upcoming dates. [You can] find your closest bathroom; and for teachers, they can select random groups of students and have timers and stopwatches to set tasks for students for work.”

However, Adireddi didn’t foresee the technical issues he would run into when

it came to coding and working on developing his Ramwatch project.

“It took me a couple hundred hours or so,” Adireddi said. “It started off simple, and I thought it wouldn’t be that hard, but in reality, there were all sorts of bugs I had to face, especially when trying to modify the schedules and integrate new features.”

As Ramwatch grew in popularity, its impact became clear, amassing over 90,000 uses to date.

“I made this website to make the workflow easier for teachers, and I believe it’s made both students’ and teachers’ lives a lot easier to manage.”

Sanjay Adireddi (11)

First-year-Ladue-student and friend of Adireddi’s, Peter Pruett (10), was uncertain of the schedule, and inspired

7.4% Other 27.8% Safari

Adireddi to begin the Ramwatch project with just a simple statement.

“I was in Latin class on my first white day of the year, and I didn’t know when the bell rang,” Pruett said. “I was thinking back to when I used to go to [John] Burroughs [High School], and they had a site that a former student created called JBS Dash. It was really convenient because it would tell the student when the next bell would ring, so you wouldn’t have to memorize all the schedules for each special day. I spoke out loud saying that I wish someone would create this for Ladue, and Sanjay was like, ‘I can do that.’”

Adireddi didn’t embark on this mission alone, though. Aiden Qian (11) — a friend and mentor of Sanjay — assisted him throughout the different aspects of his Ramwatch journey.

“At the beginning of the year, he was excited to show me his new idea,” Qian said. “He asked me to look at his code and suggest improvements. When I helped with his code, he was curious and asked a lot of questions. It was fun to see his passion for learning.” P

Sept. 2, 2024 64.8%

of users use Chrome to view Ramwatch.

was the official release day of Ramwatch.

Desktop is the device most often used for Ramwatch over mobile.

macOS

is the operating system used the most for Ramwatch.

90,000+ uses have been

amassed since Ramwatch’s release.

18

PANORAMA

IN-DEPTH

On the Table Due to new political leadership, bills impacting education emerge on state and federal levels

By Alzhraa Mahmoud In-Depth Editor

“

W

e are in danger of producing an educated proletariat … That’s dynamite!” These were the words of Roger A. Freeman, a key educational adviser to Ronald Reagan, defending the decision to shut down several public universities in California following student protests in 1970. His statement reflects a historical fear — and at times, hope — among the powerful: that education, when accessible to the masses, becomes a tool for reshaping society. Throughout history, efforts to control education have emerged in various forms — from defunding public schools to censoring curricula — all in an attempt to dictate who gets to learn and who gets to lead.

By Amelie Lock Staff

As new leadership enters office, bills that can determine the fate of the modern education system are on constant watch for public districts nationwide. Many states have implemented voucher programs, diverting funding to private and religious schools, and some have shown support for the dissolution of the Department of Education as a whole.

Today, new legislation and the expanding school choice movement present a double-edged sword. Certain components could potentially expand educational opportunities, while others could divert resources and limit access.

Ultimately, the battle over education remains as much about money as it is about learning.

Photo by Vincent Hsiao

SPREAD DESIGN BY ISHAAN PANDEY CELINA ZHOU

MARCH 2025

19

IN-DEPTH

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Report Card

Does Ladue have enough funding for essentials?

Panorama surveyed 123 students Feb. 27

No

Breaking down the district’s budget

6.5%

Yes

The allocation of Ladue School District’s funds

93.5%

1.1% 4.4%

Elementary

94.5%

Middle

Local

Ladue’s sources of revenue

State

What areas of Ladue need more funding?

2.5% None

6.7%

18.1%

Tech & Resources

Mental health

26.1%

Federal

Extracurriculars

High

0

5

10

15

Millions of Dollars

On the Dime During the infancy of the United States, children were educated through a mix of haphazard, disjointed methods. It wasn’t until the 1830s that Massachusetts legislator Horace Mann advocated for state-funded schools, believing education would create moral and productive citizens, that public schooling became the norm.

“An educated public serves two functions,” instructional coach Rebecca Rubin-Schlanksy said.

“First, [it] is vital for a healthy democracy — if we are to disagree, we cannot do that from a place of ignorance. Second, [it] is an embodiment of our government’s responsibility to its citizenry to protect inalienable rights.”

Before the Civil War, public school funding came from taxes on liquor, theatre and lotteries.

As the need for an educated workforce grew, lawmakers sought more stable funding. Today, public schools are funded by federal, state and local sources, with local property taxes providing the most stable revenue. In Missouri, which ranks 49th in state funding, this instability worsens dispari-

20

PANORAMA

20

State average sources of revenue

MORE TO KNOW

55.9%

of students believe the main goal of their education is career preparation and

18.6%

believe it’s exploring interests and passions, while

25.4%

of students’ main goal is developing critical thinking skills.

CURIOUS? Scan to read and listen to the full story

47.9%

37.7%

14.4%

35.8%

8.8%

Teacher salaries

Facilities

ties between wealthy and low-income communities. “[Some] districts that don’t have a robust tax base rely on the state, and the expenditure per pupil is then much lower,” social studies teacher Meg Kaupp said.

Per pupil expenditure is calculated by dividing a district’s total spending by its student population. However, funding allocation is more complex. Missouri’s school funding formula centers on the state adequacy target, set at $6,375 in 2006 as the minimum cost for quality education. Two decades later, education costs have nearly doubled, but the SAT remains unchanged.

“The governor said ‘[The formula is] broken,’ [and] I agree,” assistant superintendent for business & finance Geoff Macy said. “But unless they put more money into [it], it’s always going to be the same amount, just redistributed.”

On the Floor Panorama surveyed 123 students Feb. 27

2.1% Athletics

Recently, various levels of government are reassessing how funding is spent and distributed.

Public school funding is often on the chopping block in order to free

up cash for the individual’s benefit. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe introduced an updated budget that falls $300 million short of funding the formula after claiming that he is not seeing “acceptable” results.

At Ladue, students would be impacted by such policies.

“Income [tax reductions] would impact our transportation,” Geoff Macy said. “Right now we receive approximately a million dollars to support transportation. The first line item the governor cuts is transportation.

So if income tax is reduced, the most immediate impact to us would be a reduction in [those] revenues.”

Residential property taxes make up a large percent of the district’s revenue, and the assessment value rate lies at 19%.

Proposed Senate Bill 87 would decrease this assessment value to 17%, resulting in a 10.5% decrease in property tax, ultimately prompting a 9.86% drop in revenue for the district.

“There is a desire to cut property taxes or cap them,” Phillys Pasley, director of the Missouri Arts Alliance for Education, said.

“The people who are bringing this

IN-DEPTH

about are operating under the belief that by putting more dollars into each individual’s pocket, the benefits are going to outweigh the programs that will be cut.”

In just the first few months of 2025, Missouri lawmakers have filed over 100 bills impacting education. While current bills like Senate Bill 87 raise a broad concern due to their direct impact, all bills that could affect education are on watch for the school board and administration.

“It’s that old fable of ‘The boy who cried wolf’ [with a new bill]. Our families get panicked, then it never even gets out of [committee]. We don’t want to overwhelm our community, but want to let them know.”

Jim Wipke Superintendent

A recent headliner has been House Bill 711, which addresses open enrollment. It would allow students to travel outside of their designated district, expanding educational opportunities. The counterargument is that this could create an entirely new point of financial contention for low income public schools.

“So, the kids that can leave, leave, and then what does it leave behind in terms of finances? Their money is leaving that district as well,” Wipke said. “You’re essentially causing a situation where districts that are already struggling will probably collapse.”

On the Move

As legislation increasingly focuses on the possibility of ex-

panding school choice, many see What Do You Think the charter schools as alternatives amid concerns over an allegedSchool District Spends ly ineffective public education the Most Money On? system. Charter schools are free, publicly funded institutions that operate independently, allowing for greater experimentation.

“I think it’s They can receive funding from electricity.” private entities, leading to the belief that they will be able to level Delaney Brinker the playing field for kids in less (12) affluent areas.

“School choice being a matter of fairness is an oxymoron,” Calvino Hammerman (10) said. “Also, everyone already has a choice. In current proposals, school choice “I think paper legislation would be applicable and other for people who could have already resources.” afforded private school. The possible mixing of state funds in pri- Betina Hirsch (10) vate religious schools is not fair.”

Despite critiques, Jesse Dixon, a partner at the Opportunity Trust, a St. Louis nonprofit supporting charter schools, believes this model isn’t as harmful as “[It’s] probably some claim it to be. infrastructure.”

“Charter [schools] are generRoger Tang (9) ally no better or worse than district schools,” Dixon said. “We end up spending quite a bit of money on charter schools in my organization, because the district isn’t getting better in St. Louis City. If we want better education“I’d have to say al outcomes for our kids, we can’t it’s electricity.” influence the elected board of the district. With charters, we can deMarcos Moran cide tomorrow if we want to do Echevarria (11) something new.”

The growth of charters, with enrollment increasing by nearly 400,000 students in the last five years, often comes at a cost to local public schools. With limited “Probably the budgets and declining enrollment chunky signs that partly as a result of charters, pubare everywhere lic schools risk losing resources, above the doors.” funding and teachers.

Mimi Tabscott (10) “The single loudest anti-charter voice is the teacher unions,” Dixon said. “For them, every char-

SPREAD DESIGN BY MEG MYCKATYN & CELINA ZHOU

MARCH 2025

21

IN-DEPTH

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Public school funds allocation formula, broken down Weighted Average Daily Attendance: The higher the average attendance, the more funding a school district is capable of receiving.

X State Adequacy Target: The averaged target amount of funding that the state will try to provide the schools with.

X Dollar Value Modifier: This adjusts the funding based on the cost of living in an area. The higher, the more funding, and the lower, the less funding.

-

Local Effort:

= State Funding

PANORAMA

“In my opinion, most, not all, but most charter schools don’t have a solid plan for longevity. And in my opinion, I would consider it a little bit of a money grab.”

Jim Wipke Superintendent

The contribution to the district from local taxes. This can be dependent on property value changes and district fines.

22

-ter school that opens and fills 300 seats means fewer seats in district schools. They argue that charter schools hurt districts, but they also create competition that compels districts to improve.”

The argument that competition from charter schools translates to improved public districts is a common one. The most recent study to reinforce these claims comes from Brown University in 2024 which sampled charters in 12 districts in Florida as well as their public schools, ultimately finding that charter school presence improved reading scores and absenteeism in their respective public districts. However, limited research and the lack of safety guards for students remaining in districts still leave uncertainty.

The latest national study on charters from Stanford University has found that the typical charter student had reading gains that outpaced their peers in the public schools they would have attended. However, the fact remains that a quarter of charter schools close within their first five years.

“If the argument is we can turn charter schools faster, why do you need to turn a school that you just started?” Wipke said. “I don’t understand why we need to change something when we just

Students weigh in on budgets and funding

ON THE BOOKS

Funding Formula

More to Know

33.9%

of students believe public school teacher salaries in Missouri are far too low and

38.8%

believe public school teacher salaries are slightly too low.

1 in 4

students believe Ladue does not prioritize spending in ways that most benefit students while

1 in 5

report that budget constraints have directly affected their experience at school.

Panorama surveyed 123 students Feb. 27

got started. If we are constantly innovating, then what are we getting done?”

On the Ground

While many adults devote their career to advocating for equitable access to education, student voices provide a personalized perspective when having conversations with state and federal legislators.

“I walk into a state representative’s office and I say my part and give my information, and the response is ‘Uh huh,’” Pasley said.

“If a student walks into that same office, with the same message, they hear it completely differently. Student voices are incredibly powerful, especially when that student is sharing information from their lived experience.”

While it may be easy to become despondent and remain ignorant to issues relating to the subsistence of the education system, nothing will change if student’s stories go untold.

“I got involved in advocacy because I care about the world around me and I have a lot of opinions on what’s happening in the world,” Hammerman said. “I learned at a young age that change happens when you talk to people in power, and that’s exactly what advocacy is.”

The accessibility of education is ultimately a determinant of humanity’s future and of each student’s future. Advocating for education allows young people to take control of their lives.

“Not every [student] feels comfortable going up to an adult and saying ‘Here’s what you need to do, here’s why,’” Pasley said.

“When students become more aware of the structures in place and the role they can play, everybody wins. They develop the skills to ask for what they want, and be able to defend it.” P

IN-DEPTH

Regional Budgeting The Missouri Board of Education requested $500 million to meet adequacy targets in 2026.

Only $200 million is provided in Gov. Mike Kehoe’s proposed budget.

Inflation rates rose

65% since 2020 while state target spending per student only rose

17%.

$23,299 per student Ladue spends well above the median of $14,000 for spending per student in the St. Louis area. $19,275 per student Saint Louis Public Schools

$12,068 per student Riverview Gardens

Paper Trail

Examining regional education funding

Missouri education budget allocation 2015-24, percent of general revenue 2022 34% of GR

2015 Illustration by Celina Zhou Photo by Vincent Hsiao

36% of GR

2019 37% of GR

Sources: Still Unequal, Forward through Ferguson, Missouri Budget, Missouri Independent

2024 26% of GR

SPREAD DESIGN BY CELINA ZHOU

MARCH 2025

23

EDITORIAL

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Panorama Perspective The Gilded Age has never been history — it should be 25 OUT OF 25 LADUE PUBLICATIONS EDITORS AGREE

R

obber barons, monopolies, muckrakers — remember these terms from history class? Missouri’s own Mark Twain coined the name of this late-19th century era with his book, “The Gilded Age,” noting the period’s “every man for themselves” mindset, obscene wealth gaps and homogenization of corporations and political entities.

History textbooks have not yet coined the modern versions of these terms, though “social media dictator” or “tech overseer” may look nice bolded in a glossary. The idea of a modern Gilded Age is not new. However, some believe we are living in a “Second Gilded Age,” implying that the first one ended. The truth is, it never did.

Historically, magnates like John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan largely benefited from the corruption that was built on the backs of lower-class citizens and immigrants resulting in their respective oil, steel and banking tycoons. These companies would set the precedent for the United States' ultimate division between the rich and poor, the exploiters and the exploited. The Gilded Age consisted of three simple motifs: economic disparity, political/ business monopolization and suffering of the lower class.

While current circumstances are starkly dissimilar, the contingency still stands. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, in 2024 the top earning 10% of the U.S. population held 67% of the total wealth. Similarly, during the implementation of the Homestead Act in the 1860-70s, according to the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis, the top earning 1% owned 29.5% of total wealth.

Aside from the fiscal injustice, the line dividing corporations and the government is becoming less clear. Just as Rockefeller rewrote and hijacked factory regulation and antitrust laws, Elon Musk’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency has been slashing government budgets and cutting federal staff, proving once again that those who have money make the decisions. Cutting the National Institute of Health’s “indirect funds” has already proven costly and DOGE’s actions are threatening the livelihood of those in every public sector.

Lastly, the lower class in this country has been continuously under-served and under-acknowledged by the upper-class's not-in-my-backyard mentality. Whether through oil refinery or tech startup, corporation leaders have shown minimal interest in the well-being of the lower-class employees their fortunes are built on. Why study these eras in hindsight if we fail to learn from their blunders? P

Editorial Note: Each editorial, Panorama selects an issue that the staff thinks is important to address and expresses a view that belongs to the majority of the staff. Panorama welcomes the opinions of its readers and encourages letters to the editors. Panorama reserves the right to revise submissions for length as long as original intent remains unaltered.

SOMETHING TO ADD? Scan here for more on letters to the editor, guest essays, submitting correction and the full editorial policy.

'Due for a Change HIL CHATWA SA L (12)

"Administrations have banned the imports of Chinese EV's, although they are cheaper and better for the environment. This shows that these corporations are working in the government to make sure their industry is upheld."

24

PANORAMA

KAY

LA CHAN

(11)

"Donald Trump with his scandal with the pornstar, and how he was still elected by a vast majority of people, is pretty 'gilded.'"

Students and staff discuss the modern Gilded Age

EY KELTNE R RIL STUDIES TEA L IA CH C ER SO

"I think the most prevalent example is the image of tech and industrial titans sitting behind the podium at the most recent presidential inauguration. This visual quite literally mirrors the political influence of the 19th-century industrial titans."

AD

DIE FLINTRO P (10)

"There's this graph that compares the wealth disparity of pre-French Revolution and now, and the one now in America is worse. I think that's a glaring example that a lot of people don't think about."

EDITORIAL

If the United States was made up of

100 people, the richest person would have the same amount of wealth as all of these states (2024 GDP contribution)

Map designed with freevectormaps.com

Illustration by Aalaa Mahmoud and Will Kodner

REDLINING (1940s) Post Great Depression times left house buyers in shambles with not enough money to buy houses. To combat this, the Home Owners Loan Corporation began determining loans. Loans were based on the appraisal of the buyer's region, usually basing it off of race, lowering the home value, while it appeared economic progress was made.

2008 MARKET CRASH (2008) Amidst the notorious market crash of 2008, U.S. banks were bailed out with the "too big to fail" mentality, leaving millions to struggle and forge a path under hyperinflation.

SPREAD DESIGN BY WILL KODNER

Somewhat separate

Not separate

8.5%

34.0% 53.8%

How Separate do you Think Businesses and Government Entities Are? Panorama surveyed 137 students Feb. 27

83.7%

How the United States has been "Gilded" since the Gilded Age

Very separate

3.8%

of students believe we live in a modern Gilded Age, and

Stay Gilded

Fully separate

56.2% believe we've never left it.

Sources: Bill of Rights Institute, History.com, MSNBC News, NYC.gov, "The History of Tammany Hall" by Gustavus Myers, United States Department of Commerce, United States Federal Reserve

ROARING 20s (1920s) The Roaring 20s served as era to contribute to a new, post-World War I United States. While this came with the increased influx of urban movement, it left farmers in the dust of the econmic uproar. Jazz, created by Black musicians, took center stage of American art, yet racial discrimination was blantant while the art was ignorantly enjoyed.

TAMMANY HALL (1870s) Originally a political society headed by Aaron Burr, Tammany Hall became a spearheading, corrupt force in politics. Most famously, William "Boss" Tweed essentially took over the political scene in New York City by counting his own votes, and nominating his business counterparts for political positions.

GOLD CARD (2025) DOGE's idea for a new way of immigration would allow non-citizens to pay $5 million to obtain a "Gold Card," ultimately securing them guaranteed U.S. citizenship.

SHIBA INU

MARCH 2025

25

OPINIONS

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Little Lies Blatant, intentional misinformation from political officials shouldn’t be tolerated

By Grace Kweon Opinions Editor

“

T

hey’re eating the dogs, [...] they’re eating the cats.” This phrase echoed throughout social media compilations after President Donald Trump repeated an unfounded claim about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, escalating threats and violence against the Haitian community. Yet Trump wasn’t held responsible for this false and discriminatory statement, regardless of its consequences. But in order to better protect minority groups like the Haitians from targeted misinformation, greater political accountability must be enforced.

Trump’s lie about Haitian migrants eating pets wasn’t just a slip of the tongue. It was amongst the numerous false statements made during the 2024 presiden-

tial debate, from outright lies about his opponent’s policies to exaggerated embellishments about his own accomplishments.

After all, he’s been making thousands of these claims since his first presidential term, so much so that his falsehoods have become ingrained into his political brand.

But it’s not just Trump who used misinformation to back his own agenda. Throughout history, dictators like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin have spread outright falsifications to justify discrimination, oppression and genocide on certain marginalized groups. Atrocities like the Holocaust, Libyan genocide and Holodomor, respectively, were all justified with the manipulation of public perception.

Further, former U.S. President George Bush declared war on Iraq in part due to the false claim that its President, Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction. The nation ended up at war for nine grueling years, leading to hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and little longterm stability for the country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, false claims made by political officials led to the mistrust and misinformation of health advisory. For example, former President Joe Biden incorrectly stated that vaccinated individuals were unable to spread COVID-19, contradicting recommendations from health officials. On the oth-

MORE TO KNOW

100%

of students believe misinformation is a prevalent issue in society.

94%

of students believe politicians should be penalized for misinformation.

9%

of students would support a politician with a reputation of giving false claims.

CURIOUS? Scan here for sources

Panorama surveyed 136 students Feb. 27.

er hand, Trump promoted the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 cure without any scientific backing, essentially encouraging individuals to seek potentially dangerous treatments.

Trump also played a significant role in spurring over a thousand rioters to storm the Capitol by perpetuating the baseless claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent. As a result, five people died, over 140 more were injured, and Trump was impeached. Yet the Senate still acquitted him, making him eligible to run again for president. When he was re-elected, he was able to pardon all the rioters of their criminal charges, effectively eliminating any consequences for him and his supporters who acted violently on behalf of an unsupported rumor.

In a recent meeting with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump accused him of being a “dictator without elections” and that his country started the war against Russia. Those watching might not have even known that those statements were false, because no jurisdictional force had held him accountable.

When misinformation has historically inspired unfounded hate, violence and mistrust towards certain groups of people, the government must step up to hold politicians and other influential people responsible for what they say. It’s time to stop tolerating these little lies. P

Illustration by Aalaa Mahmoud

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OPINIONS

Existence is Resistance Attempts to legislate transgender people out of existence are unacceptable and will fail

By Ella Bender Opinions Editor

O

n his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring that “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female,” and that sex is “not changeable.” This legally erases the existence of transgender people.

Trump claims that the presence of transgender people “fundamentally [attacks] women by depriving them of their dignity, safety and well-being.” In reality, the welfare of cisgender women is not diminished by transgender people. According to the Williams Institute, there is no evidence that allowing transgender people to use public facilities, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, that align with their gender increases safety risks. Trump’s blatant lies perpetuate misconceptions that result in, rather than eliminate, harm. In 2021, the Williams Institute found that transgender people are over four times as likely to be subject to violent victimization, such as rape and abuse, than cisgender people.

This executive order is already affecting transgender Americans. According to AP News, the State Department no longer offers “X” as a gender-marker option on passports and will not approve requests to change gender-markers. Many transgender people suffer from gender dysphoria, distress from a disconnect between their sex and gender. For those who experience dys-

TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

phoria, having documents that don’t match their gender can further this pain.

In addition to his executive orders, Trump has taken down countless mentions of transgender people from the White House website. Many references to “gender” have been changed to “sex.” A travel tip page now addresses “LGB travelers” instead of “LGBTQIA+ travelers.”

Mental health resources for queer people have been removed. Instead of protecting Americans, Trump is hurting those who are the most vulnerable. Following the 2024 election, the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for queer youth, saw a 700% increase in volume of calls and messages to their crisis helplines.

“Each time the Trump administration attacks a small vulnerable community, the ripple effects of hate echo across our society.”

Sarah McBride Delaware Representative, first openly transgender person elected to U.S. Congress

All hope is not lost. Transgender people have survived and thrived through thousands of years of discrimination.

They won’t disappear just because the U.S. doesn’t recognize them. If people work together, change can be made. Offer support to those impacted by these policies. Uplift queer voices. Educate others. Do not give up. It will be a long, uphill battle, but no one is fighting it alone. P

PROTECT TRANS LIVES

SPREAD DESIGN BY GRACE KWEON ELLA BENDER

TRANS PEOPLE AREN’T DANGEROUS, YOU ARE

Zooming Out Highlights from President Donald Trump’s transphobic executive orders Jan. 20: “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female.

These sexes are not changeable.”

Jan. 27: “Adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle.”

Jan. 28: “It is the policy of the [U.S.] that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.”

Jan. 29: “[The U.S. will eliminate] Federal funding or support for illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools, including based on gender ideology.”

Feb. 5: “[The U.S. will] rescind support for and participation in people-to-people sports exchanges or other sports programs within which the relevant female sports category is based on identity and not sex.”

Source: The White House

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OPINIONS

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Illustration by Nora Brunnquell

Think Before You Buy Teenagers must be aware of the experimentation process behind cosmetic purchases

By Adela Gingrich Staff

E

very night before bed, I take a seat at my vanity amongst a large array of products, from makeup to skin creams. I begin my nightly routine of product usage, a practice most teenagers are accustomed to, unaware of the brutal experimentation process that lingers beneath. The reality is, the physical and emotional health of animals are sacrificed for the sake of capitalism, consumerism and beauty trends. Although several brands today have been adapting to cruelty free procedures, many still continue testing their products on animals. This process is immoral, corrupt and support for it must decline to allow for the possibility of change.

The process of animal testing began in the United States with the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938 which required corporations to take stronger measures in ensuring the safety of their ex-

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PANORAMA

ports. As a way to experiment on the effects of products, multiple corporations started taking advantage of animals. 87 years later, an estimated 190 million animals are forced into painful experimentation within the cosmetic, chemical and drug industries according to the Humane Society.

While scientific progression is crucial, it is not worth the physical torment, psychological stress and even death of tons of animals.

In this consumer-driven world, people are constantly purchasing product after product, whether due to necessity or impulsivity. At the expense of this excessive human consumption is the harmful exploitation of another race. Being the dominant species, humans tend to forget that they share this planet with millions of other creatures, and repeatedly take advantage of their inability to vocalize and make their own choices.

However, just because certain industries choose to infringe on the rights of animals doesn’t mean that people have to support them.

By boycotting the brands that test on animals and supporting the

MORE TO KNOW An estimated

14

million animals per year are used for testing and experiments in the United States.

In 2021, there was a

6%

increase in the number of animals used in experiments in the U.S. Source: Cruelty Free International

CURIOUS? Scan here for certified cruelty free brands

ones that don’t, change is inevitable; industries will have no choice but to respond.

The tricky thing about brands is that they can easily manipulate the way the public perceives their manufacturing process. For a brand to officially be considered cruelty free, they must be certified by Leaping Bunny, PETA and Cruelty Free International. A trendy new foundation bottle or facial moisturizer may slap on a cruelty free logo, but if it isn’t verified by these three organizations, the brand is likely faking it. Since a simple logo can’t completely deem a brand as cruelty free, it is imperative to do quick online background checks of a brand before purchasing a product.

While putting animal testing to a complete halt would be quite difficult for a single high school journalist to do, together, teenagers can continue to support vegan, cruelty-free brands while advocating against animal cruelty. After centuries of torment and abuse, a step as seemingly small as this is essential for giving animals the rights they deserve. P

OPINIONS

Get Punched People should embrace failure to progress further in life

By Michael Zegel Associate Editor

E

veryone should get punched in the face. No, I don’t mean that literally.

Well, kind of. Without a doubt, most everyone’s goal is to be successful in whatever it is they want to do — me included. But the question we’re trying to answer is: how do we get there? I’ve got one word: failure. In the path to success, one has to view failure as a nonnegotiable. It’s not just success that stems from hardship; the experience of failure provides the tools needed to be a good person.

Get off the high horse and go do something that scares you. There is a treasure trove of humility at the top of the mountain of adver-

tration by Stephe Illus nS

g on

sity. Getting caught in an endless cycle of comfort leads to loss a of fulfillment. If people have never been faced with lows, how could they ever appreciate the highs? For all individuals, knowing they were so close but hadn’t accomplished their goals makes their eventual victory that much sweeter.

Getting “punched” not only helps people introspectively, but helps their interaction with others, too. Struggle creates empathy.

Especially for those who are just starting their adult lives, struggle is necessary to face the world with modesty. Humanity is born ignorant. Through faults and failures, people gain empathy, the cure for ignorance. The more failures one experiences brings them closer to the rest of the population whether or not they notice it or not. One becomes appreciative of their own experiences and will begin to understand the way the world really works. If everyone had their own punch in the face, society would be more empathetic as a whole, as everyone would know what it’s like to be down for the count.

One of the most influential people of our time is Anthony Bourdain. He was a renowned chef and free thinker. He lost his life to suicide in 2018. His death left behind an abundance of wisdom.

One of my favorite quotes from him is, “The journey is part of the experience — an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A Train to Mecca.”

Intent is the utmost requirement; the drive, the want to continue. Joy doesn’t always show face when on the path to success. Intent in wanting to achieve something great will get you further than ever.

All in all, success does not happen overnight. True success isn’t linear and will never be found unless purpose is consistently exerted into one’s life. Struggle is necessary for growth, and when people grow, they succeed. P

SPREAD DESIGN BY ADELA GINGRICH MICHAEL ZEGEL & FRANK CHEN

The

Tank’s Take The Edward Snowden scandal exposes government hypocrisy

By Frank Chen Columnist

J

an. 30, Tulsi Gabbard, the current Director of National Intelligence, faced a confirmation hearing before the United States Senate. Among Gabbard’s many controversies, one seemed to infuriate senators from both parties more than any other: her refusal to condemn Edward Snowden, a whistleblower from the National Security Administration, as a “traitor.”

The NSA, one of the U.S.’s 18 different spy agencies, specializes in internet surveillance. In 2013, Snowden, then a contractor for the agency, leaked up to 10,000 classified documents to the Guardian and the Washington Post exposing unconstitutional spying programs that for years had amassed the web histories, emails and phone calls of millions of, if not all, American citizens into vast government databases.

The things Snowden revealed are likely only the tip of the iceberg, but even so, he was forced to flee the country. Twelve years later, the country he risked his life to defend still hunts him as a “traitor,” while many of the illegal spying programs he exposed continue to operate with impunity. For all the senators’ rage that Snowden betrayed the government, they forget that he did so to expose an even greater betrayal.

As Snowden himself put it, “when exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, you are being ruled by criminals.” P

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

In the Spotlight

LEFT: Mobile sculptures are displayed in art teacher Patricia Chavez’s room.

Students were required to create their own theme and designs for the individual pieces in their mobiles.“My favorite part is how peaceful they are once they’re hanging,” Chavez said.

“They’re moved only by air and the environment.They’re just very soothing to look at.” (Photos by Lilly Jacks)

Check it Out Engage in the arts this spring at Ladue High School

Spiritas Gallery The Spiritas Gallery was opened in 2017 after renovations to the high school. It hosts exhibitions open to the public about six times a school year. The current nature photography pieces displayed in the gallery had a exhibiton March 6, which will change to the Senior Art Show in April. “It’s a showcase for our graduating seniors to share their artwork they’ve created throughout their whole entire career,” art teacher Daniel Raedeke said.

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41 .1 59

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Pi Day Pi Day falls March 14 every year. It celebrates pi, an infinite, mathematical constant that has many uses, such as calculating the area of a circle. Ladue High School math teacher Laura Kaufman throws an annual party for Pi Day. Students can bring in round-shaped foods. “I love how creative students get with the round treats they bring in,” Kaufman said.

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Upcoming arts & entertainment events

Art of Sculpting Sculpture classes foster creativity through three-dimesional art and skill building

By Medha Chode Staff

T

he door swings open and the chatter of students drifts into the hall.

Students laugh as they work on projects and find themselves surrounded by materials and sculptures.

At Ladue High School, there are two sculpture classes both taught by art teacher Emily Hogan this semester.

“One of the nice things about Sculpture is that you can tailor it to what you feel comfortable [with],” Hogan said.

Sculpture I is a visual arts class that focuses on three-dimensional design. The class has just finished creating mobiles, a type of sculpture with multiple parts that are suspended and moving in the air. “[The mobiles are] based on the Alexander Calder work,” Hogan said. “[They worked] on balance and creating mobiles that are interesting to look at and also interesting in three dimensions.”

Sculpture II is a more advanced class meant to help students develop more sophisticated skills and explore sculpting techniques. It is independently oriented and challenges students to set personal goals in both art and research.

“Especially in Sculpture II, I like the freedom,” Arianna Stephens (10) said. “I love art in general, and I feel it’s a good class because you get to work with a lot of different materials.”

In sculpture classes a variety of materials are used. This brings challenges.

“Spray foam was really frustrating to work with, but it was something I’d never tried,” Stephens said. “[It was something] I didn’t even think about trying.”

The inconsistency in materials and themes in sculpture classes have helped Stephens grow as an artist. “[Sculpture] forces you to keep an open mind when things go wrong,” Stephens said. “[It] helped me look on the bright side when things aren’t going your way.” P

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Expression in Ink Students and staff showcase their family-centered tattoos

By Jay Heintz Associate Editor

Emma Bangert (12)

While some recent adults pick their first tattoos off of Pinterest, Emma Bangert saw her 18th birthday as an opportunity for something much deeper. After the passing of her older sister Mycaila Bangert in 2022, Emma struggled to find ways to feel close to her again. However, a tattoo in her sister’s honor seemed like the perfect solution. “It was a way for me to stay connected to my sister,” Emma said. Feb. 9, Emma walked into the tattoo shop knowing exactly what she wanted. “I went by myself [to get the tattoo] and it was a very intimate experience because I felt her being there, giving me a gift [on my birthday],” Emma said.

Photo & Illustration by Jay Heintz

Sydney Proper (12) Sydney Proper reaches down to fix her jeans, brushing the small patch of ink on the side of her ankle. Proper and her mother have always loved lavender, their house constantly filled with competing lavender aromas, and the tattoo is a constant reminder of their similarity.

When Proper turned 18, it gave them an exciting new opportunity to bond. The process of picking out, designing and getting the tattoo together was a nostalgic experience for both her and her mom that strengthened their relationship. “I’m happy that I’ll have this tattoo with me because it’ll be a symbol of my connection with my mom forever,” Proper said.

Justin Espinosa Supervisory Assistant Though Justin Espinosa was not as close with his father during his childhood, his journey navigating adulthood gave him a new appreciation for his father’s toughness. “Sometimes you don’t realize until you get to college how much your parents mean to you,” Espinosa said. After spending his high school years working for his father’s landscaping company, he gained a new understanding of his father. “I grew to admire how he provided for our family,” Espinosa said.

He saw how hard his father worked for his family, and that lesson has stuck with him throughout his life. Espinosa’s tattoo reads 9-29-68, his fathers birthday, to honor him, his morals and everything he did for their family.

SPREAD DESIGN BY MEDHA CHODE JAY HEINTZ

MARCH 2025

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Fly or Die Certified nerd reads and reviews the popular book “Fourth Wing”

By Aaron Lin A&E Editor

W

ith some peer pressure from my fellow Panorama staffers, I decided to conduct an experiment: read the fabled romance and fantasy book, “Fourth Wing”

by Rebecca Yarros. My hypothesis: as someone who spends all day solving math equations and physics problems, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it. I mean, why would I read a romance-filled book with law-defying dragons? Turns out, the dragons were very worth it.

The book follows the story of wannabe-scribe Violet Sorrengail who is forced by her mother to attend a dragon-riding school. Said school is not exactly known for its safety record; students are occasionally murdered by their classmates (and dragons), and lethal

training exercises don’t exactly help Violet’s case. Along with the help of Xaden Riorson, a powerful upperclassman, Violet gradually proves herself. As she trains, she manages to bond with not just one, but two dragons, a feat that has never occurred before.

Further, she discovers her signet, a power that manifests off of a rider’s bond with their dragon. I do recommend the book, I won’t spoil the rest of the story.

What this book does really well is keep you hooked. It’s a chaotic hybrid of “The Hunger Games”

by Suzanne Collins and “How to Train Your Dragon.” Something is always happening, from a deadly challenge to romantic subplots.

Speaking of romance, the tension between Violet and Xaden

“

I would rather lose this entire war than live without you, and if that means I have to prove myself over and over, then I’ll do it.

You gave me your heart, and I’m keeping it.”

Xaden Riorson Smoldering Starer

is great, but nothing impecabble.

Xaden loathes Violet’s mother, who killed his father. However, Xaden isn’t cruel to Violet, and as Violet demonstrates her intelligence, Xaden slowly starts to respect her and eventually grows to love her. Overall, the “enemies-to-lovers” plot is fine, but one comment I have is that the book can’t go for two pages without Xaden giving Violet a “smoldering stare.” What even is that?

The book also personifies dragons, which really interested me. In addition to breathing fire, they also held grudges and had great dramatic timing. On the other hand, as much as I enjoyed the chaos, the plot was often too convenient. Violet almost dies an uncountable number of times, yet every time she manages to survive in ways such as developing her signet and immediately wielding it.

I came into this book expecting it to be out of my comfort zone.

However, while being something I wouldn’t usually read, the book is decent and a good break from my usual textbooks. It’s not the most innovative story, but it is a fun read. If fantasy isn’t for you, give this one a shot. At least you can say you conducted a literary experiment if you didn’t like it. P

By the Stars Aaron Lin’s “Fourth Wing” ratings Romance

Worldbuilding

Dragons

Overall

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Illustration by Nina Ye & Medha Chode

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tasting Spring

Ingredients

Recipe

Ingredients

One cup sugar

One teaspoon lime juice

Half a cup water

One tablespoon sugar

Half a quart fresh strawberries

Step 1: In a saucepan, bring sugar, water and mint to boil.

Lower to medium and let simmer for ten minutes.

Try three refreshing drink recipes this season

RASPBERRY LEMON PUNCH Ingredients One cup raspberries Two tablespoons honey One tablespoon lemon juice

Fresh mint sprigs

One cup coconutflavored sparkling water, chilled

By Sara Rohatgi A&E Editor

FRUIT FIZZ

COCONUT LIMEADE

Half a cup fresh cubed cantaloupe

One lime wedge

Sparkling white grape juice

Recipe Step 1: Squeeze lime juice in a container and filter out the pulp,

Step 2: Fill a pitcher with strawberries and melon. Drizzle the syrup made in the first step, pour in sparkling white grape juice and garnish with mint.

Step 2: Add the lime juice, water, and sugar to a pitcher.

Step 3: Fill a glass with ice and pour in the juice mixture.

Step 4: Top it off with coconut sparkling water, stir to combine and garnish with mint leaves.

One cup cold sparkling water Half a cup coconut water Fresh mint leaves

Recipe Step 1: In a bowl, mash raspberries with honey and lemon juice until well combined.

Step 2: Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.

Step 3: Pour the raspberry mixture into a glass and add coconut water, stirring gently.

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SPREAD DESIGN BY AARON LIN SARA ROHATGI

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Step 4: Top with sparkling water and garnish with raspberries and mint leaves.

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HEALTH & SPORTS

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Head in the Game

Overview of spring sports

Boys Lacrosse Boys lacrosse looks to improve upon last year’s 7-10 record

By Ryan Snyder Health & Sports Editor

Q&A with Head Baseball Coach Rob Garrett Q: What are you expecting out of this year’s baseball team?

A: I always expect our team to come out and play with great passion and energy. This team is no exception. I feel that they will play very strong and effective defense and will be fun and exciting on offense. Our pitchers should do well at pitching to contact and allowing our defense to shine. We look to capture a conference title.

O

fficial team practices for boys lacrosse started the week of Feb. 17, but students who weren’t aware or are concluding winter sports are welcome to come practice later in the season. The team does not have tryouts and is open to players of all skill levels, but the varsity team will typically include the older and more experienced players with the others playing on the junior varsity team.

The Rams are coming off a 7-10 record and are looking to improve upon that record this year. The team is led by captains Max

Weinstock (12), Lathan Levy (12) and Alonzo Williams (12). The team’s most significant rivalry game takes place against Clayton High School May 3, where the winning team receives the Challenge Cup. “If we get our chemistry down it should be a pretty successful season,” varsity midfielder Johnny Alvarado (12) said. “Last year we were fine, but we all have higher expectations this year.” P BELOW: Andy Schulte (11) and Alonzo Williams (12) play in a game versus O’Fallon High School in the first round of the Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association Class 1 playoffs. The Rams went on to win the game by a score of 15-6. “We have a team that works well together and plays as one unit,” Schulte said. “I’m confident that we will do well this year and exceed a lot of the expectations people have for us” (Photos by Vincent Hsiao)

Q: What are the keys to building a positive culture for the team?

A: We work hard to maintain a very positive team atmosphere.

We all play for each other and support each other. We spend time off the field at lunches or dinners after practice and have fun together while we work hard.

We believe that we are a family.

Q: How does the Ladue Baseball program help players grown on the field and off the field?

A: The lessons that are learned on the field carry over into life. We learn how to work hard to achieve goals. We learn to work together as a team and to understand that while roles can be different, they are all important. These players learn how to be pushed to achieve more than they thought they were capable of. Great memories are made in big moments, we work to have those big moments and do not fear them.

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Girls Water Polo Girls water polo strives for success Why they play: Water polo players take immense pride in the sport they play. This is for good reason, as the sport demands both great physical and mental strength. Players are forced to exert force and energy to their play while simultaneously paddling to stay afloat. Overcoming the difficulty of the sport rewards players with great physical conditioning and a sense of accomplishment that comes from completing a hard game or practice.

Team Bonding: Given how team-oriented the sport is, the team puts a large emphasis on team building. The team has plans for team scavenger hunts, lunches and dinners. Skill is important in water polo, but being able to work well with your teammates is even more important. This makes the team-bonding acitivies worthwhile for the team, as they directly lead to winning.

HEALTH & SPORTS

LEFT: Brooke Kolker (11) and Balkis Prothro (12) dribble the ball in a game vs.

John Borroughs High School. The Rams went on to finish their season 18-7. “I think this is the best team we’ve had in a while,” Kolker said. (Photos by Vincent Hsiao)

Girls Soccer Girls soccer looks to build on last year’s momentum

By Tiya Kaul Staff

T

he girls soccer season begins in late March and ending in mid May. “It’s supposed to be a successful year, and I think we’ll be the most talented,” varsity midfielder Balkis Prothro (12) said.

The team will face tough competition throughout the year, and will need to rely on improvements they’ve made.

“We have huge talent and therefore high expectations,” coach David Aronberg said.

The team is participating in the inaugural Champions League,which top 16 St. Louis teams against one another.

“It’s an honor for us to be included,” Aronberg said.

The team has also planned events to strengthen the teams sense of community.

“We will do an out of town trip to [Kansas City] and will do lots of different team bonding like going out to eat, team trivia night [and] scavenger hunts,” Aronberg said.

Overall, Aronberg’s primary goal is for the team to have a great and successful season this spring.

“I hope we have a great drama free season full of fun competition.” Aronberg said.

“I hope the girls leave knowing they did their best and loved the experience.” P

Q&A with Head Lacrosse Coach Carrie Lampe Q: What are you most excited for regarding the girls lacrosse season?

A: I am beyond excited. Excited feels like an understatement. I’m most excited to see the progress we can make from last season to this season with a much more competitive schedule. I feel like we can actually validate how good we are, playing top ten teams. I’m definitely very excited about the freshmen girls we have coming in.

Q: What is your favorite part of coaching girls lacrosse?

A: My favorite part of coaching is drawing up plays and designing defenses to break it, so the chess part of coaching is so fun for me, and it’s different than every other sport that I coach.

Track & Field

Pho

Track & field looks to repeat state titles Defending the title: The bar is set high for track & fIeld as they are coming off overall girls and boys state titles. Only

three high schools have won boys and girls state the same year. The team will look to repeat this feat again this season.

Not just running: While track is about who runs the fastest, there’s more to the sport than that. Runners do weight training and plyometrics to build strength that translates to speed. They also practice running different distances than what they run for events, as various distances run produce various benefits.

SPREAD DESIGN BY RYAN SNYDER & TIYA KAUL

MARCH 2025

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HEALTH & SPORTS

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Flying Low

Ultimate frisbee player Michael Wise displays his skills on and off the field

By Isaac Zelinske Staff

A

n article written by geeksforgeeks.org lists soccer as the most popular sport in the world, clocking in at a rough 3.5 billion fans.

This is closely followed by cricket at 2.5 billion, field hockey at 2 billion and tennis at 1 billion. Football doesn’t even show up until number 10, capping off with 400 million fans. But what about the sports that are lower on the list — those that have tens of millions of fans? Ultimate frisbee exists in that space. Despite clocking in at around 10 million fans, its player’s and fans are just as passionate as any other sport.

Michael Wise’s (12) first experience with ultimate frisbee was at a summer camp when he was 11.

After a successful first try at the sport, Wise searched far and wide for more opportunities to play — eventually ending up as the captain of the ultimate frisbee team at Ladue High School. His youth had been filled with sports like baseball, soccer and volleyball.

However, none of them clicked for him like ultimate did.

“I’d never heard of [ultimate], but a bunch of my friends wanted to try it, so I was like, ‘Okay, why not?’” Wise said.

After a few more years of casual play, Wise sought a more organized team, finding Ladue High School’s Ultimate Frisbee team.

What is Ultimate?

Ultimate is a self-officated team disk sport, in which your team’s goal is to get the disk to the other end of the field by throwing it to one another.

EXCITED?

Scan here for the ultimate frisbee team’s GroupMe

“One of the seniors who was on the team at the time told me, ‘You should come out to an [ultimate] practice,’” Wise said. “ I went there, had a blast and they told me, ‘You should try out, see what happens.’ I ended up trying out my freshman year and I’ve played ever since.”

Since freshman year, ultimate has helped define Wise’s high school experience. His position as captain has pushed him to promote the sport within the school.

“Ultimate frisbee is late to the game,” Wise said. “It has this kind of prevailing notion of being a middle school physical education sport, which if you go watch some of the 70 professional players out there, you’ll realize it really isn’t .”

Photo by Vincent Hsiao Illustration by Isaac Zelinske

The Basics

Moves to know before getting on the field

36

Backhand throw

Forehand throw

First take the rim of the disk and place it in your palm, then place your thumb on top and wrap four fingers around the edge. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and point your shoulder towards your target. Finally, while keeping the disk flat, launch the disk towards your target and snap your wrist to release it.

First stick your middle finger against the inside rim of the disk. Next spread your index finger to form a V shape with your middle finger. Now place your thumb on the top of the disk, extend your arm out to the side. Finally, step out on the same side as your throwing hand, snap your wrist and launch.

PANORAMA

HEALTH & SPORTS

Wise has gotten far more from ultimate than just enjoyment.

Wise’s coaches have worked to assure he isn’t only a good player on the field, but a good human being.

“Ultimate is not just about learning to become a good player, but learning to become a good and truthful person.”

Michael Wise (12)

Wise’s coaches have given him a set of tools he can approach each game with. They have not only given him the skills to win, but the mindset needed to keep a level head.

“When you’re in that moment, the game is everything,” Wise said. “But it’s having the patience and having the self awareness to realize, ‘I may be angry, but this is a game, right?’ And then going right back to it, anger is dissipated, but you’re still in the game.”

Wise’s coaches have been with him since he first started on the team freshman year. They’ve seen his entire development as both a player and as a student. “[Wise has] gone from a quiet freshman learning the game to a towering athlete that exudes leadership at all times,” ultimate frisbee coach Joe Barzilai said. “He not only understands the game at a high level now, but he’s pushing himself athletically even when he may already be one of the best [players] in the city.”

SPREAD DESIGN BY ISAAC ZELINSKE

Now that Wise is one of the older players, he has taken a leadership role within the team. He is no longer worried about developing only himself — his focus has turned to his teammates.

“Mikey is a true leader for our team,” Barzilai said. “I don’t even need to name him as a captain for others to know he helps me run the team. He helps lead both on the field during play and off the field either helping at practice or organizing players in between events.”

Wise’s experience with ultimate hardly stops at Ladue High School. Ultimate, being only a spring sport, leaves many opportunities for Wise to play during the rest of the year.

“St. Louis Ultimate Association hosts summer leagues,” Wise said. “In the spring, I play here at Ladue, and then club during the summer.”

Wise played for the Solar Flares, a team within St. Louis Ultimate Association. His experience with this club team taught him a new way to interact with the sport in a more professional way. “[Ladue] does maintain a core of people who have a lot of mechanical skills, but a lot of times we just bring in people who just have great athletic ability,” Wise said. “We find success that way.

The difference with the club is a lot of people have both the athleticism and the disc skill.”

Wise’s desire to continue playing is a large factor in how he is making his decision both for college, deciding to play for Dartmouth College next fall, as well as how he wants to live his life.

“I definitely plan on playing my four years,” Wise said. “Beyond that, there are active club scenes throughout the entire United States. No matter what I feel confident that I will be able to find a group of people to play with.” P

MARCH 2025

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HEALTH & SPORTS

LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Back on Track Addie Salvatori is ready to prove her strength on the track despite injury and setbacks

By Victoria Derdoy Staff

B

Addie Salvatori (10) runs at a track meet at Ladue High School. She has been running track since eighth grade. “I’m looking forward to meets because it’s a chance to see my hard work pay off,” Addie said. (Photo

by Vincent Hsiao)

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PANORAMA

efore a race, Addie Salvatori (10) eats peanut butter and honey toast, slips on her lucky socks and heads towards the track. As tension builds up in the air, she stands at the starting line, tying her spikes with precision and looping the laces exactly as she always does.

With the track season underway, Addie is gearing up for what she hopes will be a “redemption season.” After a particularly challenging cross-country season where she ran through a stress fracture, Addie is determined to prove herself in the mile and two-mile events.

Last season, she ran a sub-six mile, highlighting her speed and potential and ultimately setting the stage for an even stronger sophomore season.

“I didn’t make it to state in cross country, and that made me really upset,” Addie said. “But then I realized there’s still track season, [and] I still have a lot [of] years to go.”

Addie’s sister, Molly Salvatori (11), has witnessed Addie’s growth and resilience firsthand. Cheering her on over the years has allowed her to watch her sister develop not only as an athlete, but also as a person.

“I’ve seen her get a lot more confident in her abilities and really trusting herself,” Molly said. “I’ve really seen her go outside of her comfort zone to push herself to the next level.”

Aside from Addie’s physical strength, it’s her mental toughness that truly sets her apart. For Addie, staying mentally tough means embracing challenges and seeing setbacks as an opportunity to come back stronger. Addie attributes her success to this relentless mindset.

“I tell myself it’s better to be suffering now than be really upset with a time or race in the future,” Addie said.

Addie’s determination to be a top competitor has continued to grow over the years, and her focus and dedication has been evident to everyone around her. Whether at a practice or meet, she pushes herself to be better, driven by the desire to outwork her competition.

“Addie’s work ethic is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

She pushes herself to new limits that I haven’t seen [in years]. No matter how she’s feeling, she’s always at the track ready to put in work.”

Harper Buxner Teammate, (12)

Although training for the season looks a little different with a foot injury, Addie has found cross training and biking to be effective alternatives, helping her maintain her fitness despite being unable to stick to her usual routine of running and weightlifting throughout the week.

“I think she finds other outlets to put that work in,” Molly said. “[Her injury has] been hard for her, but I think she’s found ways to keep going, even if she can’t do it in her typical way.”

As Addie looks ahead to future meets, she’s more focused than ever. With her determination driving her, she’s ready to show what she’s capable of.

“I want to be able to prove myself,” Addie said. “Even with a stress fracture, I can still compete.” P

HEALTH & SPORTS

Health Boost

MythBusters

Addressing common myths associated with supplements

1.

Creatine

Myth

Myth

Creatine is a steroid.

Fact

Kydn Xeu (9)

Sources: Cleveland ClinicMayo Clinic, TopNurtrionCoaching

The most researched supplement in the world, creatine is often used by weightlifters to help them gain strength and muscle mass.

There are many forms of the supplement, with the most popular being creatine monohydrate. Many athletes take the supplement to supply extra energy to their muscles, promoting strength and brain health. However, creatine is also naturally occurring, most commonly taken in through the consumption of red meat and seafood, as well as being naturally produced in the body’s liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Deep dive into the truths of everyday supplements

“I take vitamin pills because it gives me more vitamins during the day.”

Illustration by Mason Eastman

Creatine is a natural compound that does not alter hormone levels in any way.

Myth

Creatine causes dehydration.

Creatine is only for athletic performance.

Fact

Fact

Creatine can reduce dehydration, cramping and injury with the proper water intake.

Many non-athletic individuals take creatine to improve their brain

2.

Bloom Nutrition “Supplements are part of my routine and make me feel great.”

Charan Sakshi (11)

Bloom Nutrition is a brand trending all over the internet selling its superfood powder supplement. The powder is a blend of over 30 superfoods that can then be combined with water to produce a highly nutritious drink. The goal of the supplement is to bridge the gap between users’ fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, it is said to promote healthy digestion and limit bloating.

Bloom can lead to weight loss.

Myth

Bloom greens can replace fruits and vegetables.

Myth

Myth

Fact

Fact

Bloom can support digestion through probiotics and fiber, but does not “detox.”

The drink is low calorie, but it does not explicitly cause weight loss.

“I take daily vitamins and melatonin because I don’t sleep well at night.”

The drink does not include the same nutrition values that eating full vegetables and fruits would.

Bloom detoxes the body.

Fact

3.

Tori Fox (10)

Hydration Drinks Hydration drinks have been around since the 1960s and aid in the replenishment of fluids, electrolytes and energy lost through sweat, dehydration or illness. Electrolytes are simply positively or negatively charged substances that help our bodies function.

Gatorade was developed by a doctor for the University of Florida Gators football team as a solution to the teams dehydration. Since then, a wide variety of hydration drinks have been created to serve the same purpose as Gatorade.

“I take protein powder when I am working out to get big.”

Dawit Muluye (12)

Daily Dose Student discuss their daily supplements

Myth

Myth

Fact

Fact

Hydration drinks are better than water.

Hydration drinks are only needed to compensate the excessive loss of electrolytes and fluids.

SPREAD DESIGN BY VICKY DERDOY MASON EASTMAN

You can’t over hydrate with hydration drinks.

Over hydrating can lead to hyperemia, a sodium water imbalance in blood, and hyperemia.

Myth

Hydration drinks are only used by athletes.

Fact Fact

Hydration drinks can Anyone dealing with any be used by of anybody form of loss fluids can suffering from loss of drink hydration drinks. fluids and electrolytes.

FEBRUARY 2025

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