Panorama October 2025

LADUE HORTON WATKINS HIGH SCHOOL 1201 S. WARSON RD. ST. LOUIS, MO 63124

Editor’s Note

Stepping into the halls and classrooms, it is clear that something is missing. The regular buzzes and beeps of cellphones are nowhere to be found, leaving students and staff to navigate the new laws changing our everyday life at school.

For this issue’s In-Depth, we cover the Missouri Senate Bill 68 that has taken effect for the 2025-26 school year, banning the use of cell phones and other cellular devices during the school day. As students who have grown up in a technological world, it is hard to disconnect for seven hours a day. However, as we learn to adjust to the new laws, both the positive and negative implications begin to present themselves.

As learners, it is refreshing being able to focus solely on the material being taught in classes without the temptation of reaching for our phones. At lunch, we see students playing cards and talking with friends rather than scrolling on TikTok or sending Snapchats. However, banning phones in school does not account for the rest of the world relying on them for almost all communication. It is now, more than ever, a struggle to text a parent or guardian about a forgotten lunch or a ride home from school, leaving many students stuck in awkward positions.

Ultimately, it seems that the educational and social effects of this bill are working as the lawmakers intended. However, banning the usage of cell phones cannot be so black and white.

Ladue Media is an openforum for students at Ladue High School. In order to ensure the news we report is accurate, important and relevant to our students, we do not operate under prior review. All content decisions are made by student editors.

Ladue Media Staff

EXECUTIVE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Josh Devine

Celina Zhou

MANAGING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Madeline Awad

COPY EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Katie Jansen

Grace Kweon

Ira Rodrigues

ART EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Fiona Van Allen

PHOTO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Vincent Hsiao

NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Cindy Liu

SPORTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mason Eastman

NEWS EDITORS

Amelie Lock

Jane Scheffel

FEATURES EDITORS

Tiya Kaul

Josie Stout

INDEPTH EDITORS

Loukya Gillella

Isaac Zelinske

OPINIONS EDITOR

Frank Chen

HEALTH & SPORTS EDITORS

Victoria Derdoy

Meg Myckatyn

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

EDITORS

Medha Chode

Adela Gingrich

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Aaron Lin

DIGITAL MEDIA EDITORS-INCHIEF

Madeline Fong

Nathan King

NEWS STAFF

Reva Chadalavada

Adelaide Flintrop

Elsa Flores-Tamayo

Eliana Gebrehiwet

Emily Tinnin

FEATURES STAFF

Gabriella Beltranena

Cami Welsh

IN-DEPTH STAFF

Emery Mao

Angella Zhang

OPINIONS STAFF

Henry Madden

Sabrina Tagunkova

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT STAFF

Nora Brunnquell

Eva VonAllmen

HEALTH & SPORTS STAFF

Caroline Cobaugh

Sophie Cowlen

Sydney Gao

Irene Murphy

Ryan Nolan

COVERAGE EDITOR

Emily Pan

ARTISTS

Chloe Lang

Nina Ye

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alex Du

Sarmistha Pulagam

ID EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Marie Demkovitch

Maya Mathew

Annabelle Reagan

ID STAFF

Elisa Cormier

Claire Zhang

Ellie Lercher

Emily Pan

ADVISERS

Abigail Eisenberg

Sarah Kirksey

Mason Eastman

SPONSORS

Issue

The Demkovitch Family

Nicholas Reding

Ladue Blue

The Chode Family

The King Family

The Pisarkiewicz Family

Ed Tanyag

Theresa Tanyag

Gold

Anonymous

Arti Jain

Ms. A Jansen

Michael & Jamica Johnson

The Jansen Family

Ms. Elizabeth Welsh

The Witt Family

The Yeoh Family

The Zhou Family

Lillian Jansen

Silver

Amy & Kevin Fischer

Bremer Family

Mr. & Mrs. Brissette

Meera & Barry Bryant

The Cormier Family

Louise Flick & Bill True

Sara Serati

The Gandra Family

The Gillella Family

The Guyton Family

The Haines Family

The Larrew Family

Myles Leonard

The Mayer Family

Gary & Shana Singer

Will Kodner

The Zotos Drobak Family

Friendly

Anonymous

Berman Chiropractic & Wellness

Ella Bender

SPONSORS GALLERIES

The Arora Family

The Choe Family

The Ganni Family

The Hanes Family

The Hofer Family

Julie Walther Scheibel

Jingrong Wang

Laurie Family

The Lohse Family

Zia Mahmoud

Nancy Scheberle

The Pandian Family

The Rhodus Family

Salsbury Family

The Silver Family

The Swillinger Family

The Taylor Family

Tim Armstrong

Lindsay Turner

Walton Family

The Yang & Zhang Family

The Zhang Family

Zhenyi Liu

CHECK US OUT

Scan for galleries, daily stories and updates

VARSITY SOCCER DEFEATS

LADUE

Photo by Millie Birchfield

Photo by Ivana Todorova

Photo by Luke Ye

BY ADELAIDE FLINTROP staff

LLADUE HIGH SCHOOL added several new security measures in alignment with Senate Bill 68 for the 2025-26 school year. Measures have included the addition of OPENGATE weapons detectors at student entrances inside the Performing Arts Center and Door 40. Changes also include button locks on classroom doors, CENTEGIX CrisisAlert badges for each teacher, as well as the hiring of Safety and Security Coordinator Kris Engstrand, in addition to three other district security specialists.

Faculty members, including Assistant Principal Andrew Ross, got a head start on discussing security measures early last year.

“We started using [OPENGATE] last fall at football games,” Ross said. “It was the spring before that

LEFT: Grant Pellenberg (9) walks through OPENGATE weapons detectors. The first day of school created commotion and confusion for Pellenberg and other Ladue students. “It’s a lot to deal with in the morning,” Pellenberg said. “I get beeped like every day, but I get that they they’re there to keep us safe.”

UPGRADE

for students and faculty

New security protocol and personnel bolster safety buildingwide BANNED

when we started talking to the district about purchasing more.”

This was step one for the Ladue school district. SB 68, passed May 13, imposed several new requirements on schools. One part of school safety that didn’t come with the legislation is the school resource officer, Richard Ramirez.

“We do training [for staff] before school starts,” Ramirez said. “We also put communication out to students’ families.”

Another important change was the introduction of CENTEGIX CrisisAlert badges for teachers. These are used for schoolwide intruder alerts and can contact police. Their functions also include more staff-focused messages.

“[The badges] help us support a more immediate response,” Ross said. “Aside from big, building level [alerts], they are used to report [instances where] we have a student or a teacher in need of medical care, or if there’s just a [general] need for an immediate response to [a situation], admin gets buzzed.”

New security measures are spreading across the district. Ladue Middle School has implemented some of the same protocols as the high school.

Items not allowed at school per new regulation

SCANNED

Items that must be removed from bags to go through OPENGATE

“The middle school has a fulltime student resource officer now, Officer Eaton,” Ross said. “He supports us at our after-school activities and events, in addition to helping with OPENGATE in the mornings [at the high school].”

The expansion of safety protocols to the middle school likely won’t end with the addition of professionals like Officer Eaton. There are plans for new protocols in the future, similar to the ones already in place at the high school.

“The plan with OPENGATE and other protocols is that they will sooner or later affect the middle school,” Ramirez said. “I don’t know when that’s going to happen.”

No matter how these developments are taking shape, the goal remains the same: student safety. With rising concerns about safety within schools, implementing changes has grown increasingly imperative. The administration’s goal isn’t to create perfection in a day –- it’s to get progressively better.

“If we have the capability to improve that feeling of safety, have good systems in place and people to support those systems working as effectively as possible, then that’s a good thing,” Ross said.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCENT HSIAO photo editor-in-chief

NEWS TO KNOW CITY EVENTS

OLIVETTE EVENTS

Pumpkin Carving Contest

Date: Oct. 17

Location: Olivette City Hall

Date: Oct. 25

PARKING UPDATE

BY ELSA FLORES-TAMAYO staff

How changes to the parking lot and traffic patterns have affected drivers

IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEW

Location: Five Oaks on Warson

Star Party with St. Louis Astronomical Society

Date: Oct. 30

Location: Stacy Park Harvest Festival

CREVE COEUR EVENTS

Trunk-or-Treat

Date: Oct. 26

Location: Creve Coeur Government Center

STL EVENTS

St. Louis Renaissance Festival

Date: Sept. 13 - Oct. 26

Location: Rotary Park

Date: Oct. 11-12

Location: Touhill Performing Arts Center Apple Butter Festival

Date: Oct. 25-26

Location: Kimmswick Visitor Center

Fright at the Museum

Date: Oct. 1-26

Location: City Museum

school year, administration made the decision to completely reverse the flow of traffic in the south parking lot. This was done in large part to adjust to the new entrance systems and improve inconvenient congestion during drop off and pick up.

“The biggest change to the public is that the traffic pattern on the south lot is exactly the opposite of what it was last year,” activities coordinator Gregory Kendall said. “We are entering where they were exiting last year and exiting where we entered this year. And that was done in large part to assist with the OPENGATE logistics.”

The installation of OPENGATE weapon detectors forced a reorganization of traffic patterns. This was not just to make traffic flow smoother in accordance with the new entrances, but also for drop off and pick up to run smoother than in past years.

“We’ve gotten to the point where if you just come in and get in line at the end of the

day, you’ll sit about nine minutes before you get off,” Kendall said. “So it’s a pretty efficient pattern.”

It had been previously known that the conditions in the parking lot could get hazardous for student drivers and parents. With the new traffic patterns, it is easier for student drivers to stay safe in the parking lot before and after school hours.

“The only time that we really run into problems is when people try to find ways to shorten their weight and pull across the yellow lines and do a different pattern than what we have,” Kendall said. “If people will just come in and follow the line, there’s not any safety concern that I have.”

Reversing the flow of traffic initially caused confusion regarding how the new systems worked, but parent and student drivers alike have adjusted.

“It was a challenge the first day or two,” Kendall said. “But ultimately, it’s been a huge success.”

Chloe Al-Shathir (11)

Annie Levine (11)

“We

(photo by Eliana Gebrehiwet)

courtesy

Meg Kaupp.

Social studies teacher Riley Keltner receives Excellence in Education Award at Sept. 25 Board Meeting

“A lot of my department members, teachers and faculty members that I’m close with came to support me,” Keltner said. “My family came, and it was really nice.” (photo by Medha Chode)

Anatomy & Physiology

Anatomy & Physiology students conduct a lab learning about the different layers of the human body. (photo by Risa Fingerman)

Astronomy

Astronomy students do a lab looking through a spectrometer to observe different types of light. (photo by Lucy Dempsey)

CLASS COVERAGE

CLUB UPDATES

“

Teo Lee (11)

“This club is about more than just coding or graphic design or creativity. It’s an engaging way for [students] to cultivate those skills that lie between the lines.”

“

Information on clubs where you can explore interests in technology, games and English

Brady Earnhart (10)

“Hacky Sack Club is a fun place to be active and socialize after a stressful week of school or work.”

CLUB INFO

Game Makers

Game Makers is for students who want to learn about the programming of video games. At meetings, presidents Nico Dalton (11) and Teo Lee (11) share presentations about coding. The members then work on code and creating different games. (photo by Elsa Flores)

Hacky-Sack

Every Friday after school, students are welcome to come and play hacky-sack. For those who have never played, the goal is to keep a small bean filled bag in the air using your body. The club hopes to create a fun and relaxed environment.

(photo courtesy of Duncan Kitchen)

“Jonah Alper (11)

“It’s a really fun way to get help with English and enjoy English without feeling pressure. We’re trying to get more [people] interested in English, and revive the club.”

National English Honor Society

While the English National Honor Society has been a club for some time, this year the club is going in a new direction. The club meets every other Wednesday to discuss the monthly book club book and build community. (photo by Jane Scheffel)

BEYOND THE STORM

May 16, an EF3 tornado charged through areas of St. Louis city and county, leaving a path of devastation that still lingers for many residents

FFOUR MONTHS AFTER AN EF3 tornado swept through St. Louis May 16, leaving a path of devastation and impacting thousands of residents, much of the destruction is not only visible, but unavoidable. In light of this, some residents, including Ladue students and families, have come together in a widespread display of resilience, organizing community events and fundraising drives to aid victims most impacted by the disaster. While this community work has made an impact, many are still vacated from their homes, waiting on national and local government assistance to aid in rebuilding their homes and lives.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer took office one month before the tornado. She has spent much of her term in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), hoping to secure federal grants and the deployment of construction agencies to assist in cleanup efforts. The path of the tornado reached mainly areas north of Delmar, about a 15-20 minute drive from Ladue Horton Watkins High School.

“We couldn’t get down our street for weeks,” Rose Kulinsky (9), a resident

BY AMELIE LOCK news editor & BY JANE SCHEFFEL news editor

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

VINCENT HSIAO photo editor-in-chief

of the Central West End, said. “All the cleaning had to be done by us. Even further downtown, in North County there are still houses that are gone. It was just really weird to see that Clayton got a lot of help, and immediately fixed back up.”

In the wake of the tornado, many attempt to understand why the cleanup process has been slow in comparison to other midwestern 21st century natural disasters and the difference in aid between areas.

“I know there [was a] lack of coordination between some of the city departments that caused the sirens not to sound in many, if not all, parts of the city that were affected,” English teacher Jonathan Frank said. “Then there were delays in emergency funds coming from the federal government. I do think I heard that it was finally declared an emergency maybe a month after the tornado happened.”

LEFT: The aftermath of the tornado on a house in the Greater Ville neighborhood. Multiple houses and businesses were ruined from the tornado, causing anxiety throughout St. Louis. “We had to move in with our grandparents because it wasn’t safe for us to live in our house because of the [damage],” Kulinsky said.

LONG TERM DAMAGE

ESTIMATED 5,000 BUILDINGS LOST Piles of debris were cleared the months after the tornado

OVER $1B IN DAMAGES

A month after the tornado, MO. Governor Mike Kehoe granted $100 million in disaster relief

4 PEOPLE WERE KILLED

The first deadly tornado since 1959 in St. Louis

The lack of coordination between city and federal departments culminated in critical delays in emergency warnings and funds. The disjointed system led each government entity to operate in isolation, treating the crisis in St. Louis with varying levels of concern and understanding.

“I wish that FEMA had better data,” Jessica Burns, a St. Louis entrepreneur and catering business owner, said. “Because some of the issue with the funding was that they had the zip codes all screwed up, they didn’t include [every area]. FEMA had it at one point [so] they weren’t giving people assistance if they weren’t in a certain area or a certain zip code, which wasn’t fair to our community.”

Regardless of the reasoning, many St. Louisans made it a mission to help with disaster relief through various strategies.

“For the older community, it was very gut-wrenching, because this is their home,” Burns said. “They’ve been living in their home for 13 plus years and now are not able to live there and do not have windows [or a] roof. So, to make an attempt to help, I made 100 bag lunches to give out. It wasn’t a lot, but I gave what I could. I did the care packages, I gave out food, cut down trees, swept up the street. I wish there was more that I could do to help them out.”

Even with the substantial amount of community aid, many neighborhoods remain a shell of what they used to be, but most were unaffected. Some express frus-

tration with the lack of involvement from the unaffected community members.

“We were helped, but I feel like it could have been more,” Kulinsky said. “I know we have a lot to pay for this. Insurance is probably covering some of it, but there’s just so much that we have to put energy into now that we shouldn’t have [too], because everyone’s booked. I feel like we could have been helped more with the aftermath. My grandparents live in Clayton, and they got people taking up trees immediately after. [Clayton is] more of a private place, so they probably paid money for it. But in the city we had more trouble.”

The media has been a vital part of the attempt to bring awareness to the St. Louis tornado, but like any tragedy, coverage has died down in recent months. Many locals believe the contrary should be the case.

“There was a lot in the news recently, because it’s the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina,” Frank said. “But that story is still relevant, because there are things in New Orleans that still haven’t been rebuilt or cleaned up. So what’s six months later?”

As the city government continues to push for national attention, St. Louisans are hard at work rebuilding their communities.

“It’s still our city,” Burns said. “Everybody that’s in St Louis knows somebody that knows someone [affected]. That’s how small of a community we are. If you don’t say good morning to [your neighbors], you still know they’re there.”

STUDENT ACCOUNTS

“I perform at the Muny, which is in Forest Park, and there were a lot of trees [that] fell down [from the] tornado. So we had to postpone rehearsals and it was really hard to get around.”

Landon Page (11)

“Our power went out for eight hours. I was at school, but my parents were unable to work because they work from home.”

Krekeler (10)

“I was in the middle of Central West End and a bunch of [debris] started flying through the parking garage and cracked my windshield. It was scary seeing roofs getting torn off of buildings and cars getting destroyed.”

Lilly Doughty (12)

LEFT: Damaged homes and businesses sit in west and north St. Louis neighborhoods. The tornado occurred last spring and ripped through the city of St. Louis with winds up to 152 mph. “I could not believe the level of destruction,” Frank said. “These are paths [in Forest Park] that I’ve walked and run [through] hundreds of times.”

Linnea

JANE SCHEFFEL

SPREAD DESIGN BY & AMELIE LOCK

DISCIPLINE IN MOTION

Emi Kodner (11) practices, competes in the Japanese martial art of kendo

BY VINCENT HSIAO photo editor-in-chief

BY SARMISTHA PULAGAM photographer

Emi Kodner (11) stands with her めん (men) or head gear, どう (dō) or chest gear, こて (kote) or wrist gear, as well as her しない (shinai) or sword, for a portrait after kendo practice at the Overland Community Center Sept. 23. She has been involved in the Japanese martial art since her freshman year through the nonprofit group Saint Louis Kendo, established in 2010. Kodner continued to learn and improve her skill, competing in three tournaments and winning two medals. “I really enjoy how unique and different it is,” Kodner said. “I find that me being halfJapanese, this is close to my heritage.” (photo by Vincent Hsiao)

PHOTO

TOP LEFT: Kodner tightens the straps of her headgear before stepping onto the dojo floor for practice. The act was both preparation and meditation, a quiet moment of focus before the clash of bamboo swords. For Kodner, learning how to do this was challenging. “It was intimidating to start something new that’s not really connected to anything [I’ve known before],” Kodner said. (photo by Sarmistha Pulagam)

ABOVE: Sensei Mark Chao has been dedicated to instructing kendo for over 20 years. Chao expressed the difficulty of the sport. “It’s hard, and it’s [a sport where] you get beaten by anybody,” Chao said. “I go to the gym a lot. I do all this exercise. I used to do triathlon[s], but I get beat by people half my size, double my age and I’m in tears. It’s a great feeling.” (photo by Vincent Hsiao)

MIDDLE LEFT: Through the steel bars of her headgear, Kodner silently focuses before heading back to practice. Through her dojo, Kodner regularly volunteered in the kendo show at the annual Missouri Botanical Garden Japanese Festival. “The festivals are a really good way for people to learn about Japanese history and culture,” Kodner said. (photo by Vincent Hsiao)

LEFT: Another student charges towards Kodner, raising their bamboo sword for a strike to the head, a move known as “men”, during a practice sparring match. Learning the art of kendo wasn’t a solo effort for Kodner. “My motivation [for kendo] was actually my dad,” Kodner said. “He obviously stopped, but I think he really helped me to keep going.”

(photo by Vincent Hsiao)

VINCENT HSIAO

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF

BY JOSIE

VVIGILANCE, CONCENTRATION

and attentiveness are required of any pilot when flying thousands of feet in the air. The common denominator between all planes, whether it be commercial, private, military

the forefront of a pilot’s mind. If an engine were to blow, where would the plane land? Where are other planes in reference to this one? Where is the nearest airport? How is the weather impacting the flight?

Aspiring pilot Carson Crane (11) has taken up this daring hobby for himself. During his childhood, Carson was fascinated with vehicles of all sorts, but as he got older, he took a special interest in things relating to planes and aeronautcal transport.

“I think he’s really been interested in planes and not just travel, but vehicles and mechanics,” Jill Crane, Carson’s mother, said. “He got really involved in commercial airlines and understanding which planes were flying and which were new, and how things worked.”

classroom work covering things like the physics of flying, while the latter being reserved for flight simulators.

“I was always interested in flying planes,” Carson said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do [...] I talked to a bunch of people and went to a local flight school, and they talked me through the process.”

With this new bank of information and simulator practice, Carson was then able to step into the cockpit and learn to fly.

“I do flight lessons with an instructor,” Carson said. “They’re usually two hours. Then I do a lot of written studying at home.”

In addition to the lessons with the instructor in the actual aircraft, written study and practice is required to make sure that

“ Flying is one of the industries where you have really good days and really bad days and he handles the bad days better than most.”

Austin Gillespie, Carson’s Friend

or cargo is the precision it takes to fly one. The exact velocity an aircraft needs to be at before it tips its nose to the sky and takes off is the result of careful calculations. The amount of flexibility and bend to the wings of each plane is essential to each flight. Inside the cockpit, speed, altitude and wing level, among other things, are always at

An opportunity for Carson to pursue his interest presented itself through a youth aeronautical program that a friend referred him and his family to. The roughly eightweek program was designed to prepare flight students for officially flying a plane. The classes are about three to four hours each: half of that time being allocated to

Carson stays safe in the air, knows what to do in case of an emergency and is closely familiar with all aspects of his plane.

“There’s a lot of it that has to do with weather,” Carson said. “A lot of it’s [flying regulations]. It’s medical stuff, so making sure you’re safe to fly, [as well as] some physics stuff about how planes fly.”

Carson Crane (11) gains real-world skills by learning to fly a plane

STOUT features editor

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCENT HSIAO photo editor-in-chief

Carson flies a 25-year-old Cessna 172, a single-engine plane commonly used for flight training or personal flight.

“It’s a lot smaller than a commercial plane, obviously, and it does not fly very similarly,” Carson said. “This plane is really forgiving, so you can do a lot of stuff and mess up, while larger commercial planes you can’t mess up as much.”

Throughout his flight journey, Carson has been very intentional with his education and types of planes he learns to fly.

“Some of these new [aircraft] are pretty amazing, technology wise,” Jill said. “He was really adamant that he start with a very basic, very old-school airplane, so that he would understand if he needed to be able to fly it manually.”

However, flying is not without its challenges. Planes demand skill to effectively operate, and the technical maneuvering, flight awareness and navigational skills are incredibly difficult to learn and master.

“The hardest thing that I’ve struggled with while actually flying is turns around a point,” Carson said. “You have to think about which way the wind’s coming, and you have to maintain a certain distance from a point on the ground.”

Flying a plane requires a decent amount of prior planning and knowledge. This is where the classroom lessons on safety and emergency procedures come in handy.

“Especially when you’re lined up on the runway, you have to think, ‘if I lose my engine below a certain air speed, am I going to land back on the runway here, or am I going to abort the takeoff,’” Carson said.

Vertical Speed Indicator

Directional Gyro

“‘Or am I going to take it up into the air and try to figure it out there.’”

Carson maintains an impressively optimistic mindset despite the challenges.

“I’ve never seen Carson down,” Austin Gillespie, Carson’s friend, said. “Flying is one of the industries where you have really good days and really bad days, and he handles the bad days better than most.”

To Carson, this massive undertaking, while just a hobby right now, could potentially open doors to future careers.

“I think for me, this is really just for fun right now,” Carson said. “At one point I may want to make it into a professional flying career, but right now I just want to be a private pilot and a weekend warrior.”

Carson’s laid-back attitude towards life keeps a lot of potential stress at bay.

“I don’t really feel scared anymore,” Carson said. “At one point I was maybe a little nervous, but there’s always an instructor with you so you’re not the only one there.”

What’s been the most valuable for Carson, is his newfound freedom.

“I mean, the sense of independence is unbelievable,” Jill said. “The fact that he can just get on the plane and knows what to do is just crazy, but that’s who Carson is anyway. We always [said] that, even when he was eight years old, he could move into an apartment by himself [and] would be just fine.” P

LEFT: Carson Crane (11) tinkers with a Cessna 172 at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport Sept. 20. Inside the plane, there are six main instruments that help the pilot monitor the plane’s motion. He has begun lessons at Elite Aviation, a flight school at the airport. “There’s 10 or so planes that all look the same on the inside and are the exact same model that I fly,” Crane said.

SHE MEANS BUSINESS

Kyla Spiegelglass (11) discovers purpose within her involvement in DECA

BY GABRIELLA BELTRANENA staff

KYLA SPIEGELGLASS (11) didn’t start high school with a clear idea of what she wanted to do.

Spiegelglass saw herself becoming a teacher or a singer, but after hearing about DECA from her friend and taking an introductory business class, she decided to give the club a chance her sophomore year.

DECA is a national organization that prepares high school and college students for careers in marketing and finance. Students compete in various events that simulate real-world business scenarios, such as role plays or written marketing campaigns, that are judged by professionals in the field.

“DECA has forced me to network with and talk to people I wouldn’t have otherwise,” Spiegelglass said.

Spiegelglass currently serves as Ladue DECA’s Vice President of Business Partnerships, and she uses the connections she has learned to coordinate speaker events and community sponsorships. Last year, she placed third at districts, was a finalist at state and poured countless hours into a written marketing campaign for her father’s construction business.

“Kyla’s very involved,” business

teacher Jace Mortimer said. “She is someone you want in your program. A lot of our younger DECA members are going to see her as somebody that they can look up to and go to for help [and] advice.”

Some might see DECA as just another club to add to a college application, but Spiegelglass sees it as an experience that builds real-world readiness.

“DECA has natural consequences,” Spiegelglass said. “If you procrastinate, you’re not gonna do well.”

Still, the rewards of DECA go beyond medals, money or competitions. Spiegelglass has gained not only communication skills and leadership experience, but also meaningful friendships and mentorships that will carry on throughout her life.

“It doesn’t matter if you want to be involved in business [or not], you’re always going to have to [be], no matter what field you’re going into,” Spiegelglass said.

For now, Spiegelglass is focused on continuing her DECA journey throughout the rest of her junior year, and into her senior year. She encourages underclassmen to get involved in the organization.

“It’s definitely difficult, but it’s something I would recommend to everyone,” Spiegelglass said. P

MILESTONES

Breaking down Kotowski’s economic journey

2: SECOND JOB

To receive a more stable source of income, she switched to a job at Courtside Cafe at the Volleyball Facility.

4: PURCHASE

By her senior year, all of the installments will have been paid, and Kotowski will have fully purchased her car.

1: FIRST JOB

Kotowski first started coaching and refereeing for volleyball games as her first source of income.

3: THIRD JOB

Kotowski started working at Everbowl in Frontenac, Mo. to continue saving money for her car payments.

Kyla Spiegelglass (11) is the vice president of business partnerships. She sets up sponsorships and guest speakers for DECA. There are five sections to business within DECA: marketing, finance entrepreneurship hospitality and management. From there, DECA offers roleplay scenarios or written scenarios that are judged by professionals in the business field at competitions.

ABOVE: Sophia Kotowski (10) poses with her Jeep Grand Cherokee in front of the school Sept. 24. Kotowski began constructing her work schedule and managing her money to purchase her car at 13 years old. “I was so proud of myself,” Kotowski said.

KEY TO SUCCESS

Sophia Kotowski (10) manages her finances to buy a car at 14 years old

BY CAMI WELSH staff

PPOLISHED LEATHER SEATS, A roaring engine and a top-notch sound system, all packed into one iconic vehicle. The excitement of your first car is inde-

Grand Cherokee that she bought herself at 14 years old. Investments as large-scale as this are usually made in adulthood, but when it comes to personal finance, Kotowski is ahead of her time. The purchase of her car was a milestone that completely reshaped her scope of responsibilities.

“I knew in that moment, from here on out, I am responsible for so much more than I had been previously,” Kotowski said. “But it was almost a good thing for me. It made me understand the concept of money more than I already had understood it, and it was just a proud moment for myself.”

Buying your own car at such a young age isn’t an easy feat. Hours of work were poured into the investment, along with deliberate planning. Kotowski’s first source

my car paid off until December.”

For busy students, athletes and employees like Kotowski, juggling priorities is a task in and of itself. Instead of breaking down or letting tasks slip through her fingers, she shifted her mindset to power through the intense workload.

“It was hard to keep up with all of it,” Kotowski said. “But it forced me to really be disciplined. Once I started being more and more disciplined, the stress lessened and lessened every single day, and then eventually I was able to catch up.”

Like many other fields, mentors make a significant difference in the process of learning and growth. Kotowski’s mom, Regan Hobbs, plays this role. Kotowski takes inspiration from her mom, who also prac-

“ It made me understand the concept of money more than I had understood it, and it was just a proud moment for myself.”

Sophia Kotowski (10)

scribable, especially when it’s a black 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the perfect vehicle to drive with the windows rolled down and the radio blasting at full volume.

Sophia Kotowski (10) manages to stay at the helm of many typical responsibilities such as sports, academics and a healthy social life, but with another priority that sets her apart from her peers: her own Jeep

of income came from coaching and refereeing for volleyball games, before she started at Courtside Café, located at Legacy VTC.

“I finally started getting super consistent hours at Courtside Café, because we were in season, so we were open a lot more,” Kotowski said. “Once I started getting those hours, I ended up getting way ahead on my car payments, and now I have

ticed financial independence from a young age by paying for her own car.

“My mom was pretty much the only person, the biggest person, that helped along the way. She helped me understand what I was doing with all of it,” Kotowski said. “She helped me prepare for interviews, helped me write my resume and she helped me find places to get my car.” P

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCENT HSIAO photo editor-in-chief

BY ISAAC ZELINSKE in-depth editor & BY EMERY MAO staff

ILLUSTRATION BY FIONA VAN ALLEN art

editor-in-chief

AAUTHOR JONATHAN HAIDT

wrote a book in 2024 entitled “The Anxious Generation.” Within this book, Haidt draws a correlation between the rising rates of anxiety and depression, and the prevalence of smartphones in the hands of younger Generation Z. This book has gone on to be championed by parents who are swearing to do better. From this novel, movements have been jumpstarted, some with impacts far beyond the household. One movement is the Wait Until 8th pledge, an agreement made by par-

ents to not give their children cellphones until 8th grade. But no movement gained as much traction as the cellphone ban.

In the months following the release of this book, 26 states have decided to pass a law creating a ban on cellphones in schools, including Missouri. Over the summer, Senate Bill 68 was passed, which, among other things included a ban of all cellular devices, including smartwatches and AirPods. In the midst of a large, confusing and fast change in policy, Ladue has found itself in a psychological experiment. Given there are many involved in the equation, there’s bound to be opinions.

Q: Does the ban feel fair?

Amy Logan, English teacher: “I think the biggest con is probably the usefulness. There are activities that we would have had you scan a QR code to find a resource, it limits that kind of organic learning that kids are doing now.”

Andrew Ross, grade level principal: “Most of the time, the language of those bills and things are developed by people who are not [educators]. They do not come to schools every day and know what is actually happening.”

Q: Has the ban negatively affected your classroom experience?

Rediet Asgedom (10): “I have a pair of noise canceling headphones that I use. I think the bill has affected me most because I’m not able to use them. Whether it be seminars, independent work time in classes or places like the cafeteria, where I want to drown everything out.”

Logan: “I had reservations about taking down my phone pouches. The part of the law where students were going to be responsible for their device again gave me pause, because it seemed like we were giving devices back to students, and turning that self management to students more than teachers.”

Q: What do you think about OPENGATE?

Liam Shoghi (11): “I now have to get to school a lot earlier because there’s some little metal strand on my backpack. So I always get flagged every morning, it’s basically been making me wake up earlier and get ready faster.”

Logan: “When you’re walking into school every single day through a set of pylons that are meant to keep you safe, it’s a reminder that there is a chance you might not be.”

Q: What’s the biggest con you’ve noticed?

Addie Jeliazkova (9): “It has made it more difficult to contact parents because they don’t allow you to use the phones in the classroom. I’ve had to go down to the office if I wanted to contact [my parents].”

Shana Bobbitt, freshman counselor: “The parents that have reached out were worried about their students ability to self-regulate or calm themselves if they were really in an upsetting environment. In the past, they’ve been able to put headphones in and listen to music.”

Reggie Surinsky (10): “I feel as though the cell phone ban was enacted as a defense clause that is purposefully vague, requiring a written policy for electronic personal communication devices use and display during outlined school hours. The State of Missouri defended itself by claiming devices shall not be used unless during “emergency” but failed to state examples of said “emergency.” How will it be determined whether what I consider an “emergency,” is an appropriate use of this term? The school itself lies at risk of over-enforcement in times of need or risk being at the state’s mercy for under-enforcement and a failure to comply.”

Preston Jewell (12): ”We’ve already had policies in place for the school that were used to ban phones, right? That is what the entire thing was for. I’ve asked other teachers, and they said that it’s been the exact same. Because there hasn’t been any drastic difference or change.”

Jeffery Miller, social studies teacher: “My question always with educational policy is, do you know what you’re really doing when you pass that policy? Is this something where philosophically you understand the fight you’re about to get in, or is it something where it just annoys me?”

UNPACKING THE BILL

Background on Missouri’s landmark education law

BY EMERY MAO staff

AMIDST THE NATIONWIDE

panic that students are not focused enough nor are schools safe enough, Senate Bill 68 was introduced by Republican State Senator Mike Henderson in December of last year. Initially, SB 68 was just two parts: requiring local education agencies to report threats to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and some sort of phone policy. In the last half a year, it became a hodge-podge piece of legislation encompassing everything to do with elementary and secondary schools.

The first part of this bill was aimed at making schools safer from gun violence. As such, many states have turned to mandating security measures in school buildings. On each interior door of public schools in Missouri, anti-intruder locks have been added and bullet-resistant film applied onto exterior glass. In the last six months, other general safety concerns were also addressed.

First, all school districts must adopt a ‘comprehensive emergency operations plan’ to address school safety, crisis and emergency operations. They must also hire at least two safety coordinators to ensure a safe environment. For Ladue High School, there was a full safety team prior to this legislation.

Additionally, this bill adds the ‘Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act,’ mandating schools to test lead in drinking water. It was added to a 2022 Missouri law that required all schools to test for lead, where it was found that multiple school districts had contamination.

Finally, this bill creates the ‘Stop the Bleed Act,’ which requires DESE to implement school protocol in the case of serious injury. It also mandates schools to have bleeding control kits in high traffic areas.

The second part of the bill was some manner of phone control. As of September, over 25 states have banned phones in schools, with a growing consensus among lawmakers that phones have a negative effect on teens’ mental health and distract from learning. One of the biggest factors in the creation of the phone ban was a Saint Louis University and YouGov poll in February where over 70% of voters in Missouri supported students having no cell phone access in school leading legislators to completely ban it for all K-12 public school students.

However the wording in SB 68 isn’t ‘phone,’ it’s ‘electronic personal communications device.’ This makes it cover iPads, Apple Watches and more. This wording allows them to ban any non-school electronics, which does not align with what the SLU and YouGov poll asked.

One of the last main parts of the bill was the effect on teachers, specifically, making it easier to become one. This act repealed the requirement that a teacher needs a masters degree related to what they teach in order to qualify for the minimum salary granted to a teacher with a masters degree who has at least 10 years of teaching experience.

Ultimately, the comprehensive changes to SB 68 have added and reworked countless aspects of Missouri’s education and school system, encompassing school safety, technology control and teachers.

PUBLIC OPINIONS

Students, teachers and parents weigh in on the recent phone ban

STUDENTS

“

Elizabeth Fries (10)

I feel the cell phone ban is doing more harm than good... Especially since the shooter scare during the first week of school. I realized that if there is an emergency, I have no way of contacting anyone. I remember sitting in the corner of the classroom, scared, while my phone sat in the bottom of my backpack, purposely put where I couldn’t get to it. I think the ban and its strict consequences create safety issues as well as general conflict.”

“Lucy Budke (10)

I feel that the phone ban may be beneficial to some schools or students, but I don’t think that Ladue needs the ban. I think the policy we had before was just fine. I am more focused during the day without the option of being able to go on my phone. I do like that aspect. I just don’t think the consequences of the ban are reasonable but I do like and understand that they have a strict policy. I just don’t like having to turn in my phone and pick it up at the end of the day.”

STAFF

“

Rebecca RubinSchlansky

The cellphone ban has enhanced everything about our school and classroom environments. There are fewer distractions for students, and we are building a stronger, more relational community by talking to each other.”

“ Jeff Miller

The cell phone ban represents a movement in the direction of systematic industrialization, which when taken to extremes is dehumanizing. Therefore, we should always be very careful when laying down full bans with strict penalties.”

PARENTS

“ Lisa Erekson

The ban has promoted more face-to-face social interactions at school for these teenagers that need that practice and training. Current teens have a tendency to evade engaging and instead escape into the digital/ virtual world. They often become dependent on their devices in an unhealthy way. Schools should be a place of learning and growth both academically as well as socially. This ban will foster a better environment for that to happen.”

Q: Does the school feel more connected?

Jim Wipke, superintendent: “Walking through the cafeteria, I do think it’s a little bit more noticeable. One, the volume level is a little bit louder than what it was, which is a good thing. And then two, I think people are having just more conversations in general, because there are no cell phones.”

Ross: “I could sit here in my office during lunch on the first day, and you can hear the kids at lunch. I’ve seen kids playing card games, doing art and things like that.”

Q: Have you seen positive impacts in your classroom compared to phone pouches?

Stephanie Bellville, social studies teacher: “I personally have been pleasantly surprised. I’ve had zero incidents of a phone being out. I’ve had zero incidents of a kid challenging me with a phone issue. And so I would actually say I didn’t think it would be this way, but I actually think this policy is working out even better.”

Zachary Garrison, social studies teacher: “We were doing the phone pouches, and it helped quite a bit. Then this new law came along, and I gave it a standing ovation because I thought it was amazing. In the past, I would have to physically go over to look at my pouches and see who hadn’t put their phones in the pouch, which takes time, and you have to do it every day. And it required me to go out of my way to make reminders about [it] because people would inevitably not put their phones away, and I have to remind them.”

Q: Does the ban feel fair?

Jewell: “I would say that they have done a really good job at making sure you keep your phones in your bags. If you [take them out], we will take your phone away. And that makes sense. The good thing is, you don’t lose your phone like the entire day, right? You get it back at the end of school.”

Jeliazkova: “In my opinion, [the phone ban] is reasonable. I don’t know if fair is right, but it’s reasonable. Because we don’t really need our phones during the day. If they would allow it during lunch, I don’t know if that would be much of a problem, but I would say it’s reasonable.”

Q: What do you think about the OPENGATE metal detectors?

Asgedom: “I really do appreciate [the metal detectors]. While [it] may seem tedious to go through those and take all your stuff out in the morning, I think that what we’re getting out of it is definitely beneficial to our safety and to help students feel more safe. I’m so glad we have them implemented, because when we’re living in these times, in this country, when it comes to the safety concerns, I think they definitely can help us just feel a lot safer.”

Wipke: “The idea behind OPENGATE and the weapons detec-

tions is that when you walk into our building and you see the green light, you’re in. The idea is that we have clean space now that you guys can go about, and you guys can be educated and hopefully not [be scared].”

Q: What is the biggest pro you’ve noticed?

Brad Griffith, principal: “We wanted to make it easy [for teachers]. So that’s why we landed on the fact that [students] go turn [their] phone into the office, as opposed to giving [the teacher] their phone, or stopping instruction, or even potentially getting in an interaction back and forth [with that student].”

Bobbitt: “The ability to be able to detach. Especially if there’s drama happening and it’s so easy to let that follow you to every single class and [then] you’re not able to focus.”

Ruthie Grollman, elective teacher: “I’ve noticed our transitions are smoother. During passing period, it was so easy to do a quick scroll or check. Now I notice students enter the class ready to go. It doesn’t take them as long to log off of phone mode and get in the learning mode. It’s the little things in our school that I am noticing as well. I love walking around the hallways and seeing students engage with each other with quick hellos or nods. The phone ban has created space for those little moments of community that I think adds up to make our days better.”

Emma Friedman (10): “I think that in order to truly enjoy our time with friends we need to be able to have moments away from our phones. For example, at lunch we can now talk to our friends without the distractions of phones.”

Q: How do you feel about governments making policies for phones?

Miller: “We would mostly agree that nutrition guidelines are good, and having nutrition guidelines are good, we don’t want to have things that are really unhealthy for the body. If we take a view of the brain and mental health in the same way that we do physical health. And if we do then you could make an argument that cell phones and cell phone bans represent a protection to a potential harm to [students] mental health and to brain health in the same way.”

Bellville: “I think it’s important to listen to student voices, but at the end of the day, I’m not going to rely on a 13 year olds brain to make that decision. You know, the prefrontal cortex is not fully formed so I’m going to go with the experts and the adults and the scientists.”

BAN BY THE NUMBERS

Statistics reveal the divided nature of the Senate Bill

Where do you place yourself in terms of the cellphone ban? Against

Panorama surveyed 58 staff Sept. 25

Panorama surveyed 78 parents/guardians Sept. 25

PANORAMA PERSPECTIVE

New security systems address symptoms rather than the root of the problem of violence — systemic solutions are necessary

28 LADUE MEDIA EDITORS AGREE

0 LADUE MEDIA EDITORS DISAGREE

WWHEN ALARMS FOR LADUE

High School’s new security system went

off unannounced Aug. 21, the first thing many students did was grab their phone and text their parents — I love you. I’m scared. Those caught in the hallway hid in bathrooms or left campus to shelter in the woods. Teachers locked doors, turned off lights and huddled with students in the dark at the back of their rooms. The building went quiet, save for the drone of the warning bell. Eventually, the announcement came over the speakers: a false alarm.

The intruder wasn’t real. The fear was.

Within the past four years, Ladue has implemented a number of new security measures. Massive locks sit over the doorknobs of each classroom, ready to latch shut at a moment’s notice. Since 2022, staff carry CENTEGIX CrisisAlert badg-

es, which can alert school security or local law enforcement to an emergency. Students of all grades attend regular meetings on protocols in the case of an active shooter: the four E’s, rendezvous points and how to send anonymous tips. OPENGATE weapons detectors were implemented for all entries during the school day in August, requiring students to remove laptops, binders and other materials to pass through entrances.

TThese systems are practical, realistic and preventative measures Ladue has taken to make our students, school and staff more secure. They’re also a constant reminder of the threat that looms over us all — and a normalization of the violence that now pervades American culture.

“[These systems are] a constant reminder of the threat that looms over us all — and a normalization of the violence that now pervades American culture.”

According to the CDC, firearms were, for the sixth consecutive year, the leading cause of death for children and adolescents aged 1-17 in 2024. The Washington Post reports that 398,000 American students have experienced gun violence in schools since 1999. It’s been 26 years since the Columbine High School massacre, the

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 editorial board. Panorama welcomes the opinions of its readers and encourages letters to the editors. Panorama reserves the right to revise submissions for length so long as original intent remains unaltered.

mass shooting incident that’s become a flashpoint of our culture of violence — and our numbness to it. Law enforcement is more trained. More schools employ School Resource Officers rather than placing social workers and nurses as the first line of defense; security in schools has grown in size and capacity. But school shootings are still happening, and kids are still dying. Every morning, as students enter the school through OPENGATE, we’re reminded of this. Every meeting staff attend on emergency protocols, they’re reminded of this. For some students and staff, every time they enter a classroom, they’re thinking about where the nearest exit is, what furniture can be used to barricade the door and how they can engage an intruder if necessary.

Our security systems, no matter how practical, are reactive. They address the symptoms rather than the root of the problem, while lawmakers idle over the comparatively arbitrary issues of phone bans, sports betting and marijuana. If anything, local and federal governments are actively

SOMETHING TO ADD?

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

dismantling gun safety measures. The Missouri House of Representatives voted to reenact the Second Amendment Preservation Act in March, which fines state officials for enforcing federal gun laws. The Trump administration froze rules which would have prevented those with mental illnesses or deemed incompetent to serve in court from purchasing guns, took down memorials to gun violence victims from the ATF headquarters in the capital and removed the

Surgeon General’s advisory on gun violence from government websites.

The reality of gun violence is one that must be addressed with systemic solutions from lawmakers rather than surface-level mitigations. Our security and systems like it, no matter how practical, place a heavy share of the burden on students and staff to keep ourselves and each other safe: to send in anonymous tips, go through the ritual of OPENGATE each morning and attend

safety meetings and pay attention during them. To remember, constantly.

Aug. 21, teachers and students did exactly what they’d been taught to do — what had been engraved in their minds by drills, meetings, and the imminent knowledge that a shooting could happen anywhere, at any time, abruptly and unannounced. Aug. 21, everything went perfectly.

Some day soon, in some school, for some students and staff, it won’t. P

1338 CHILDREN KILLED 3811 CHILDREN INJURED IN 2024:

330 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

Sources: Gun Violence Archive, K-12 School Shooting Database

EACH DOT REPRESENTS ONE SCHOOL SHOOTING

WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?

CELINA ZHOU

SPREAD DESIGN BY

TO BREAK THAT WALL

The wall between church and state is a sacred American value that must be defended

TTHE FOUNDING FATHERS

believed that, in order for the nation to avoid repeating the devastating religious wars that had laid waste to Europe 150 years earlier, the government had to be free from religious conflict. As such, they enshrined religious freedom into the Constitution itself with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which reads, “Congress shall

BY HENRY MADDEN staff

ILLUSTRATION BY EMERY MAO staff

make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

Thomas Jefferson, a key believer in the Establishment Clause, proposed “Erecting a Wall of Separation between Church and State.” Though he and most of the other founding fathers were Christian, he believed religion was too personal for the government. In recent years, however, this hard-fought ideal has eroded, weaving religious coercion into the education system.

In 2022, the Supreme Court, in a mockery of precedent, history and the Republic’s enduring ideals, declared that a football coach was allowed to host prayer with all of his

A BREAK IN THE CHAIN

Recent Supreme Court rulings

shatter decades of precedent

2022 1948 1962 1971 2000 1992

players. This decision valued the free exercise of the coach’s personal beliefs over the discrimination and coercion he imposed on his players. How does the Muslim linebacker feel when the entire team, including the coach, all kneel in prayer at the center of the field? Obviously, he’d feel pressured into joining. That’s why, in 1962, the Supreme Court decided in Engel v. Vitale that school prayer — no matter the circumstances — was unconstitutional.

This September, Texas Attorney General and Republican Senatorial primary candidate Ken Paxton began the process to encourage and defend any public school districts engaging in school prayer, through Bible readings or recitations of the Lord’s Prayer. Paxton is imposing a specific sect and religion on the population of his entire state, 73% of whom aren’t Evangelical Christians.

Despite two Supreme Court rulings forbidding the Ten Commandments from public schools, Texas, at the beginning of this school year, required them to be posted in every public school classroom. This is a flagrant and disturbing violation of civil liberties and the Constitution. As a multicultural and secular society, America shouldn’t promote one religion above others. No one has the right to pick and choose which religions deserve to be supreme. In the event that the state sponsors a religion, it serves as an attack on all other faiths and denominations. For now, it has been struck down by a district court judge, but the case is expected to go to the Supreme Court, where some experts suspect the Texas law will be upheld.

In 2018, the Court dealt constitutionality a major blow. Fifteen states had voucher programs, a system to fund private schools with state funds. The Court decided that if the state funds private schools, it had to fund religious schools as well. For the first time ever, the state was funding private religious education with taxpayer dollars. This opposes the text, traditions and intent of the Constitution. It was a cannonball straight to Jefferson’s wall, rubble strewn across the dirt.

Court precedents are breaking down. After two long centuries, the Court had all but freed public classrooms from religion, which once dominated our education system. Hard-won court cases — the fruits of decades of courage and labor — paved the way for secular public education. Now, that precedent is being eliminated — one case at a time.

By allowing this to continue, we enable discrimination, coercion and attacks on faith. We must call on America’s religious leaders, who the Establishment Clause was designed to protect. We must call on school boards as well, because they are necessary to oppose state and nationwide educational orders. School board members and clergymen must come together and lead the fight to preserve religious freedom and maintain Jefferson’s Wall. P

THE TANK’S TAKE

Where does political polarization really come from?

BY FRANK CHEN opinions editor

ILLUSTRATION BY NINA YE artist

THE ASSASSINATION OF right-wing in uencer Charlie Kirk in Utah this September cast angry clouds across the political spectrum. Conservatives blamed liberals. Liberals blamed guns. Comedians were suspended for their comments, teachers red for their posts.

e chasms between the American people splinter ever further.

It’s no secret that American politics have grown dangerously bitter over the past few decades. Polls from the Pew Research Center, for instance, show that when asked to choose one word to describe American politics, 80% of Americans chose a negative word, with only 2% responding positively. e same poll also shows that only 8% of Republicans and 6% of Democrats held positive views of the opposing party’s candidate in 2024. Despite these divisions, however, Americans do tend to agree on a few things. Most Americans, for example, will agree that violence is bad. Most Americans will agree that whatever they may have thought of Charlie Kirk, his killing was deeply immoral and at best foreboding. Most Americans, regardless of their stripes, will agree that something here desperately needs to be xed.

trol, these questions have become an urgent priority among top political thinkers. Newspapers such as e Washington Post and e New York Times have published countless articles exploring the “gender gap” and ethnic tensions. Others blame social media, higher education and everything in between for the widening divides from street to street and state to state. While these are all great points, the root causes of America’s political issues run far deeper. ink about it this way: in a society where things are taken care of, the system is run truthfully and people have hope in the future, extremist ideologies would be powerless. ey wouldn’t need to exist.

In a society, however, where 54% of adults read below a sixth-grade level, where it is harder than ever for young adults to pay for college or buy a home, all while the government spends more money on funding the Israeli military than it does on our own 30,000 homeless veterans, ordinary people are forced to the extremes.

But how do you ‘ x’ polarization, and where does it even come from?

As partisan hatred in America has increasingly spiraled out of con-

When there is

no light, people will reach out in the darkness, and their ngers will close around whatever they can nd — or around whatever nds them.

Division in America has to be seen as an issue that ows from the top-down, not just le -to-right. Polarization — the fury, the mistrust, the desperation — has to be seen as a result of societal issues, not just a cause. Now more than ever, we need to break that cycle. Now, more than ever before, the American people need to realize that they have bigger enemies than each other.

Now, more than ever, we need to turn on the lights — together. P

SPREAD DESIGN BY FRANK CHEN

A PERFORMATIVE FRONT

Gender performativity causes a negative loop of inauthenticity

BY AARON LIN associate editor

MATCHA? CHECK. LABUBU? CHECK. WIRED headphones? Check. This phenomenon that you’re observing is a rare specimen known as the ‘performative male,’ a recent trend referring to men intentionally displaying femininity to appeal to women. While the term has been increasingly widespread in popular culture, its satirical nature highlights a much larger hypocrisy in our society.

First, tropes like the performative male cause men to be uncomfortable with embracing femininity. Imagine walking into school with the book “All About Love” by Bell Hooks. How would your friends react? Most likely, they would tease you, assuming that you’re reading the book just to attract female attention. But for individuals who are genuinely interested in stereotypically feminine hobbies, their once-inclusive havens are disappearing — and instead replaced by waves upon waves of facade-wearing performative males.

This stigma around men pursuing unconventional gender norms pushes them into more accepted hobbies, such as going to the gym or watching sports. A loud minority then takes advantage of this fear of embracing femininity, motivating themselves to be even more performative, as they will be the only ones who are engaging in feminine hobbies. The performative male stereotype is thus reinforced, further pressuring the quiet majority of men away from the activities ridiculed by their peers as too “feminine.”

The only way to solve this rising problem is to tackle the core of the issue: social pressure. By giving people the freedom to be unapologetically themselves, a performative individual won’t get the attention that they crave. On the other hand, those who truly embrace their own identity are able to have the much-needed space and comfort that is so often lacking in our increasingly judgmental world.

How have you seen gender norms in your life? P

Labubus were released as a collectible in 2019, and since then, over distinct types have been made

“I have short hair, so one time when I was at the women’s bathroom, this woman [was] like, ‘the men’s bathroom is that way.’”

Abbie Moon (11)

ILLUSTRATION BY FIONA VAN ALLEN art editor-in-chief

Women make up of artists on the Billboard 100, a 12year-high

35%

“A lot of boys hang out with boys, a lot of friend groups don’t have a mix of both genders.”

Kevin Liu (10)

The matcha market is valued at $4.3 billion

SOURCES: Grand View Research, Prestige, Smith et al. (2023)

D CASUAL DOESN’T MEAN OKAY

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.”

This is something a boy said to the leader of our group as we started working on a school project, taking a camera out of her hands and motioning for her to go. She’d volunteered to do the job and had experience with photography, but he brushed her o! as though she was incapable. Sadly, incidents like this are perceived as something so normal that she didn’t even try to defend herself.

When we talk about sexism, we tend to focus on major events — abortion bans, the gender pay gap, the absence of guaranteed paid maternity leave or political underrepresentation. While those undeniably need to be discussed, smaller things like humor, microaggressions and belittling can have a huge e!ect on gender equality in our everyday lives as well. In a Taylor & Francis survey, 60% of participants said that they’ve heard sexist jokes directed against women in the workplace — for example, telling a female coworker to “make some co!ee.”

“I have seen people say random things about gender and sometimes, it’s a joke, [but] sometimes it’s really not.”

Sid Panda (9)

How microaggressions and everyday sexism constantly set women back

BY SABRINA TAGUNKOVA staff

This is also where both explicit and implicit biases tend to come up. According to the Human Development Reports’ 2023 Gender Social Norms Index, over 50% of Americans still have gender biases. When people have a predetermined idea of someone in their mind before they even get to know them, it puts that person in an unfair position. Most clearly, this can be seen in professional environments. Lean In states that 49% of women who are the only ones of their sex in the workplace feel like their knowledge in their area of expertise gets doubted. Similarly, 31% of women, compared to 16% of men, think that they have to overly prove their competence. Women don’t always receive such negative messages about themselves directly; they can often be absorbed through movies, literature and other media.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LANG artist

common and deeply rooted in society that we actually begin to believe that we’re inferior. According to the International Journal of Behavioral Science, 58% of female professionals have struggled with impostor syndrome. In a survey conducted by The Standard, 35.77% of women think the reason behind the so-called “pick me girl” phenomena is internalized misogyny. Both of these statistics support the idea that constant exposure to the sexism that we’ve accepted as casual often leads to deep insecurity in women.

Experiencing a singular moment of one’s intelligence being questioned can be hurtful, yes. But as a woman, this is so

“People don’t like it when girls cover up, but then they also don’t like it when we show skin.”

Molo Christ (11)

Sexist humor’s e!ects are severely underestimated. It’s become normalized to laugh at unfunny jokes and allow our abilities to be brushed o!. The UN Chief Antonio Guterres estimates it will take 300 years to achieve true gender equality. We will never get anywhere close if we don’t reconsider what’s acceptable. Until, upon hearing “it’s a girl!” no disappointment will be seen on the father’s face in the hospital room. P

“Girls and guys are expected to wear certain types of clothes, regardless of what they actually like.”

Rhayn Fortner (11)

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

BY NORA BRUNNQUELL staff

The fall play challenges its actors to make everything fall apart perfectly

FALLING FAMILY CRESTS, an unreliable mantelpiece and various collapses are just a few examples of what can go awry during a murder mystery play. All of the mentioned examples, and more, can be seen in The Play That Goes Wrong. This play is not to be underestimated when it comes to production. Performances will take place Thursday Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday Oct. 25 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday Oct. 26 at 1:00 p.m. respectively. Tickets can be purchased on the Ladue box office website, prices range from $6 to $11 which includes fees in the purchase.

“There’s been a lot of planning and a lot of logistics, because I

wanted to make sure we do [the production] right,” theater teacher Justin Scheuer said. “Part of that is making sure that it’s funny and effective, but also making sure that it’s safe, because there’s a lot of things that go wrong with the set.”

This play was received incredibly well by the cast and crew as this year’s fall production due to its humor, creativity and how it speaks to a part of theater that the audience does not see very frequently.

“I think it’s kind of a love letter to theater, because you get to see all of the madcap chaos that happens behind the scenes, and you get to see actors who persist even when things are going wrong,” Scheuer said. P

SHAW ART FAIR

The Shaw Art Fair takes place Oct. 4-5 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Flora Place and Tower Grove. The goal of the festival is to celebrate 33 years of art and history by inviting a variety of artists to showcase their craft, ranging from painting, glass blowing, jewelry making, sculpture, photography and more.

WOLF FEST

Wolf Fest is Oct. 18, and offers an open house tour at the Endangered Wolf Center, with an entry fee of $45 to $50 per carload. The festival focuses on the center’s mission to protect endangered wolves and other wild canines. After the tour, guests can enjoy food trucks, live music and various other engaging activities.

FRIGHT FEST

Fright Fest is held at Six Flags from Sept. 13-Nov. 2. If you are looking to get jump scared this Halloween, then this festival is the right place. Fright Fest offers haunted mazes, spooky live shows and specialty foods and drinks. Tickets are priced as low as $20, though they can be higher on the weekends.

ILLUSTRATION BY NORA BRUNNQUELL artist

Source: Amazon Prime Video

HOW IS THE NEW SEASON?

ABIGAIL GOLDSTEIN (11)

I was kind of disappointed. It wasn’t all that interesting.”

RECAP

SEASON ONE

We’re introduced to Isabella Conklin, or Belly, and her two love interests, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. She grew up with them at her favorite place, the beach house.

CHLOE ZHANG (9)

I think that it’s pretty good, but I didn’t like Jeremiah.”

SEASON TWO

Through flashbacks we see Belly and Conrad’s breakup, their grief over Susannah Fisher, his mom and the tension between her and Jeremiah after she picked his brother.

ANDREW LOGAN (12)

I thought it was really fun. I definitely would recommend.”

SEASON THREE

Conrad is off in California and trying to hide his feelings about Belly. Belly and Jeremiah realized they belong together. What about Conrad and the love he and Belly share?

THE SUMMER IT GOT BETTER

BY EVA VONALLMEN staff

Starting off rocky, this Amazon Prime show redeemed itself

THE SUMMER I TURNED

Pretty is one of the best coming-of-age shows. The mix of romance, family, friends and the quintessential summer feeling elevates this show above any average high school drama.

There’s so much that season three does wrong initially. It starts with three years flashing by, way too long for Belly and Jeremiah to be together,

and I’m not just saying that because I’m team Conrad. Jeremiah and Belly have built this codependency around each other, shown when Jeremiah cheats and Belly is lost in a college she only attended to be close to him. Then, when emotions are running high, Jeremiah has the stupid idea to propose to Belly. For some reason, she says yes, even though there was no

SCAN FOR the full review on The Summer I Turned Pretty

ring and he didn’t even get down on one knee. Also, when we get to see the ring, we can’t actually see it because the diamond is minuscule. Honestly, the only appropriate reaction to this proposal is disapproval. Even without considering that they’re way too young to get married, they’re both broke and have to budget everything way down. Scan above to finish reading.

GOLDEN

BY MEDHA CHODE arts & entertainment editor

BY ADELA GINGRICH arts & entertainment editor

ILLUSTRATIONS BY FIONA VAN ALLEN art editor-in-chief

CINEMA

UP UP, GOING UP,

“Takedown” is undoubtedly the best song on the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. I was instantly hooked with its eerie introduction, which foreshadowed the banger ahead. After the intro, the beat drops and delivers a set of nasty disses meant to ‘take down’ the Saja Boys. Just listening to the song makes me feel like a baddie.

THE

CHARTS

“Takedown” by HUNTR/X versus “Your Idol” by The Saja Boys: which is better?

MEDHA CHODE

While all of the songs in this movie were absolutely out of this world, something about the Saja Boys’ “Your Idol” scratched an itch in my brain. The lyrics are amazing, especially in the context of the movie. With the haunting vocals at the beginning and Baby’s rap verse, this song is overall just incredible. I can’t help listening to it on repeat.

Korean drama meets supernatural in summer sensation movie KPop Demon Hunters

VOICES STRONG

“Rumi, because she’s the most fleshed out.”

Camilla Chen (11)

“Mira, because she seems chill.”

William Weltig (10)

“Jinu, because the aesthetic is peak.”

Maximilian Penn (9)

Math teacher Genie Hong reflects on being college friends with Arden Cho, Rumi’s voice actor

ADELA GINGRICH

DARKNESS AND HARMONY

KPop Demon Hunters has dominated the movie industry over the summer, quickly becoming the most-watched Netflix title in history and breaking box office records with only a two-day limited theatrical release — and for good reason. It has music that has charted on the Billboard Top 10 for weeks and an intriguing story. However, beneath the catchy songs and light premise, there is hidden meaning in the plot.

One of the clearer messages of the movie is the idea of accepting your inner demons and letting your friends in to help you. Throughout the movie, we see Rumi, the movies’ main protagonist and the leader of the fictional K-pop group HUNTR/X,

POP OR FLOP?

When KPop Demon Hunters accelerated up the Netflix rankings and it was all my friends could talk about, I was hesitant to watch it. But my curiosity overpowered my criticism, and I finally gave in — so I grabbed my movie snacks, pulled up Netflix and gave the film a chance. To my surprise, I was instantly captivated by the in-depth introduction of the demon world and its generations of hunters.

“Zoey, because I like how funny she is.”

Tessa Olchansky (12)

struggling with being part demon and also hiding this secret from her friends. However, it becomes clear her friends didn’t care about her secret; instead, they felt betrayed that Rumi had kept them in the dark. This idea of dealing with your internal struggles and not being ashamed to share them with your friends is such a powerful idea to promote to the children who are the movie’s target audience.

Some of the more complicated imagery in the movie has to do with the K-pop industry as a whole. Looking at the very beginning of the movie, when Huntr/x has a feast, feels ironic when considering the toxicity of the K-pop industry,

Following the hook, the soundtrack opener “How It’s Done” plays in an action-movie-inspired scene in a midair plane, which pulled my interest even further. The rest of the movie, filled with a combination of rather cliché characters and a roller coaster of a plot, kept me on the edge of my seat for the next hour and a half. By the end, I was glad I had given it a try, because it was definitely worth the watch.

“I like Jinu because he’s really cute.”

Olivia Shapiro (9)

which is notorious for forcing idols to starve themselves. Paired with their extremely sweet, supportive manager Bobby (something else the K-pop industry isn’t known for, as managers are often verbally abusive, neglectful and controlling), the movie seems like one big sign that the industry needs to change.

Overall, it’s clear why this movie was a hit for all age groups, not just for the soundtrack and plot line, but also its profound hidden messages. With multiple new things planned for the KPop Demon Hunters franchise, it will be interesting to see how SONY develops this story while maintaining the deeper connotations from the first.

Medha Chode dives into the intricate meaning behind KPop Demon Hunters P

Adela Gingrich reviews KPop Demon Hunters and rates characters, plot and songs P

Characters:

Plot:

Songs:

“The doctor, because he’s hilariously stupid.”

“Rumi, I like her name and her hairstyle.”

(10)

Oluwatamisin Falako (11)

Niyumi Rajapaksha

SPORTS IN REVIEW

FALL SPORTS OVERVIEW

GIRLS’ FIELD HOCKEY

The girls’ field hockey team holds a winning record of 8-3 as of Sept. 22. They placed first in their pool at the Gateway Classic Tournament. Their goal for this season is to become a team that can play competitively with any team in the St. Louis area and along the way, form lasting memories.

BOYS’ SWIM & DIVE

The boys’ swim and dive team recently competed in the Ladue Invitational Sept. 13, one of the biggest meets of the season, with 15 teams participating. They placed second, winning against every team except for Parkway Central, the reigning state champions. Later this month, the team will be attending the Parkway Central-DeSmet Tri and the Suburban Red Meet.

CROSS COUNTRY

The cross country team is nearly done with the 2025-26 season.

The team has a large number of freshmen this year, which is a significant change from the smaller numbers in previous years. They have one meet left, the PatriotStatesman Classic, with the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 tournament and state championships after.

GIRLS’ GOLF

The girls’ golf team has had a successful season. They won the Lindbergh Tournament and the Ladue Tri Meet. Their record as of Sept. 22 is 6-0. As they move forward, the team is focused on committing to every single shot while also balancing a positive team environment, as they want to perform at their best.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

VOLLEYBALL ON THE HUNT

BY SYDNEY GAO staff

Girls’ volleyball looks to improve upon last year and pursue a state title

LAST YEAR, THE GIRLS’ volleyball team celebrated a major milestone: securing their first district championship since 1999. This season, they’re aiming higher, setting their sights on a state title.

In their second year under the leadership of head coach Rebekah McCloud, their goals are clear: have a winning season and advance to the state competition in Cape Girardeau, Mo. To achieve this, they focus on key principles on and off the court.

“We have been working on having a positive mindset, individually and as a team,” McCloud said. “We also have been trying to be more explosive in our approaches, excel in serve receive, minimize serving errors and put the ball in smart spots. If we are able to do all these things and do them well, we have a very good chance of winning districts again.”

LeAnn Krechely (11), an outside hitter in her second year playing with the varsity team, has great expectations for their success in the upcoming school volleyball season.

“I am extremely excited to see how this season plays out, especially with the district and state competitions,” Krechely said. “I think we all have a lot of potential. Everybody just has to play together and work [cooperatively].”

The team holds a record of 7-11-1 as of Sept. 25. Each game, whether win or loss, the players embrace the results and make use of it as an opportunity to improve their gameplay.

“The games have been going well because each match teaches us something new that we can grow from,” McCloud said. “We have learned how to communicate better, play smarter and much more.”

Angela Chen (12) and Emma Jin (10) celebrate a point in an out-of-town doubles match. The girls’ varsity tennis team traveled to Columbia, Mo. Sept. 5 for the Mid Missouri Invitational Duals, and placed first. “This tournament and season has gone really well,” Jin said. “Our team is very close because we have done a lot of team bonding, like community service. [As of Sept. 18], we’re 10-0 and I plan on keeping it that way.”

(photo by Kayla Chan)

FOOTBALL Q&A

“

JULIEN TOLEDO (11)

The season started out rough. It wasn’t the ideal start, but we had some victories against Lindbergh and Ritenour. This really improved the team morale and boosted the confidence. So, I’ll say things are definitely on the up and up right now. [I’m] just excited for the games that are to come.”

Jose Sanchez (11) dribbles the ball around defenders in a match against Clayton High School Sept. 18, winning 1-0. Overall, the team has been performing extremely well with a no. 1 state ranking and a 11-1 record as of Sept. 26. “The varsity boys’ season is off to a tremendous start,” head coach David Aronberg said. “We have 16 seniors and eight players in their third year of varsity, so we have a lot of experience [that has been] showing on the field.”

(photo by Vincent Hsiao)

BOYS’ SOCCER

Varsity football players give insight to their season so far

“TREVOR WALKER (10)

The season is going pretty good. We’re projected to win districts, and I’m just very proud of our team for overcoming a lot of adversity. Last year, we had the skill, we just didn’t have the confidence to play our hardest. But now we know what we can do, and we’re going to show everyone that we’re capable.”

“JOSH BROWN (11)

We’ve had a couple injuries that caused some starters to be out, but hopefully we’re able to bounce back and continue a good season. In practice, we’ve been working on moving the ball on offense, different formations and on the defensive side, making sure we stay disciplined and limiting the penalties.”

(photo by Meagan Zimmerman)

(photo by Isabelle Bly)

IRENE MURPHY

RIGHT: Avery Warwick (11) high-fives teammates before their game against Lafayette High School. The team won 1-0 in overtime. “The most important quality is composure,” Warwick said. (photo by Emma Lackey)

FAR RIGHT: Warwick stands in goal against Westminster Christian Academy Sept. 3. Warwick split time in the cage, recording two saves and zero goals against. “My favorite part of field hockey is the team,” Warwick said. (photo by Ivana Todorova)

THE LAST LINE

BY VICTORIA DERDOY health and sports editor

HEALTH & SPORTS

SSLIPPING OFF HER HELMET and gear, Avery Warwick (11) picks up her soccer bag, trades her blockers for gloves and her turf shoes for cleats. It’s a quick turnaround, but Warwick shifts from one cage to the other with subtle ease.

Warwick has been playing soccer for nearly her entire life, beginning at just 4 years old. She plays club for St. Louis Scott Gallagher and travels across the country to compete. Whether it’s a soccer ball or a field hockey shot, she thrives in the cage. Since beginning field hockey her freshman year, she has come to learn a lot about maintaining balance and priorities.

“I try to compromise the best I can,” Warwick said. “[I’ll leave] a practice 10 or 15 minutes early to be 10 or 15 minutes late to the next thing. There’s nights I get home at 9 p.m. and still have to start homework,

shower and eat dinner. It’s my third year doing it, so I’ve gotten used to it.”

Despite having been a soccer goalie for much longer, stepping in the field hockey cage comes naturally to Warwick. She credits this to the training she has received and the footwork she has developed from playing soccer throughout the years.

“Playing soccer definitely helps for field hockey, because a lot of [being a] soccer goalie is about moving your feet and being on your toes,” Warwick said. “That definitely helps for field hockey goalie; it helps you be more athletic in the pads, because it’s a little hard to move in them. It helps with reading body language so that you can be able to make the save.”

Avery Warwick (11) plays goalie for both her soccer and field hockey teams

work. She has more natural instincts, and she can rely on that and her speed, so she’s harder to predict as a goalie.”

Even with her speed and natural instincts, Warwick admits the biggest challenge resides in the mental side of being a goalie. The team counts on her as the last line of defense in high pressure moments.

soccer save percentage

STL Post-Dispatch 2025 season

The crossover between the two sports gives Warwick a unique and significant edge in the goal. Field hockey assistant varsity coach Carrie Lampe met Warwick when she began coaching at Ladue in 2024 and was instantly impressed by her talent.

“She has this incredible speed,” Lampe said. “She is not hesitant at all, whether it’s a big shot or somebody coming in tight on her, she’s able to withstand the pressure. That soccer ability has made her pretty brave and very consistent with her foot-

“[The mental aspect as a goalie] is definitely hard,” Warwick said. “Even though everyone tells you ‘it’s not your fault,’ you do put that weight on your shoulders. Since I’m the last person, if a goal is scored, they’re not going to think about the forward who let the pass through. They’re going to think about the goalie who didn’t make the save. You feel the pressure of the whole team on your back, and you feel like everyone’s depending on you. But sometimes, it’s not expected from you. It’s expected to go in and you were able to stop that.”

As Warwick looks ahead to the rest of the field hockey season, she has one major goal in mind. She hopes to raise the energy and motivate her teammates.

“A goal of mine is to make it to playoffs for club and state for field hockey,” Warwick said. “[I’m focusing on] keeping it positive and encouraging everyone.” P

THE TEA ON MICROPLASTICS

Microplastics are a threat to our health — simple swaps can reduce exposure

BY SOPHIE COWLEN staff

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIE COWLEN staff

WHEN SOMEONE MENTIONS health, the first thing that comes to mind might be eating balanced meals, exercising or getting a good sleep schedule, but there is a rising issue that often goes unmentioned in the health space, and that is microplastics. Plastic is notorious for being non-biodegradable, meaning it cannot be broken down naturally. Instead of breaking down, plastic gets smaller and smaller into substances called microplastics, which are any plastics under five millimeters in size.

Scientists have a long way to go in studying these synthetic polymers, but the connections they’ve made so far show that plastic particles pose a threat to our health. According to the Stanford Report, studies show that exposure to microplastics could be linked to certain cancers, cell damage, heart attacks, reproductive issues and more. So that begs the question: how can people reduce their exposure to microscopic plastics and minimize these risks?

Microplastics are everywhere from the deepest ocean floors to the tallest mountains, and they are inside all of us. They’ve

even been found in people’s brains. Still, there are easy ways for people to limit their exposure. In the kitchen, glass food containers and wood cutting boards are much better than their plastic alternatives. Additionally, heat releases microplastics at a faster rate, so it is better to microwave food in glass or ceramic containers rather than plastic containers. Additionally, loose leaf tea is safer than tea bags. This is because most tea bags are made of plastic, so with a cup of tea there could be an abudance of tiny plastic particles. In other parts of a home, natural, nonsynthetic textiles can make a big difference. For example, linen curtains, cotton bedsheets and wool rugs are healthier than their cheaper, polyester alternatives. The same goes for clothing. This is because most clothing created today is made of synthetic materials. Simply put, even though there are microscopic plastics everywhere, all of these changes can make a big difference when done together. Tackling microplastics is one way people can take their health journey to the next level.

SOURCES:

Nature Medicine, Stanford Report, The New York Times, National Institute of Health

11.6 billion

microplastics were found to be released in a cup of tea brewed with a plastic tea bag

By 2060, plastic production

16,000

REIGNING CHAMPS

Boys soccer looks for a repeat state

title

BY RYAN NOLAN

AFTER THE VARSITY BOYS’ soccer team’s season last year ended with a state championship win, the demand for a repeat success is on. This push is welcomed for varsity soccer captain Jeha Hwang (12), who has been playing soccer for 12 years.

“There’s pressure, but I feel like that pressure is kind of what helps us in a sense,” Hwang said. “Without any pressure, then you don’t really want to win.”

The team’s goal is to win the state championship again. Their biggest road block is currently adjusting to higher-level play. They’ve been moved up to Class 4 from Class 3 and will now compete against more competitive teams.

“When we’re practicing, we make sure we’re improving every single day and are not wasting time,” Hwang said. Their hard work appears to be pay, since the team’s overall wins to losses record is 12-1 as of Sept. 29. If they can continue their hard earned favorable record, they’ll be that much closer to achieving their goal.

“I think we’re gonna do great,” Hwang said. “I think we’re really, really good this year. We definitely have potential, [and] we just need to make sure that we’re always locked in.” P

Jeha Hwang (12) defends Clayton High School player. The rivalry game took place Sept. 18 at the high school stadium, and Ladue won 1-0. “Our biggest strength is just how close we are as a team,” Hwang said. (photo by Vincent Hsiao)

LADUE IN FOCUS

Students share their thoughts and experiences with the OPENGATE Weapons Detection System

IS OPENGATE WORTH IT?

DO YOU FEEL SAFER NOW?

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET THROUGH ON YOUR FIRST TRY?

Johnny S. (12)

Abigail B. (11)

Chanuth B. (11)

Sahasra M. (12)

Johnny S.

Emma F.

Sahasra M.

Sahasra M.

Kole M.

Abigail B.

Hudson Z-B.

Chanuth B.

Scotland R.

Abigail B. Johnny S.