February 2023

LeJOURNAL NOTRE DAME DE SION HIGH SCHOOL | VOLUME 41 | FEBRUARY 2023

FEATURE: PAGE 8

ON THE COVER: PAGE 14

A&E: PAGE 18

KORI FRANKLIN: MISS DEBUTANTE

THE SCIENCE OF LOVE & HEARTBREAK

SEPARATING THE ART FROM THE ARTIST

what’s inside features

news and sports

a&e

08-09

04-05

18-19

20-21

06-07

26-27

Kori Franklin: Miss Debutante

News in Brief

Caroline Weber and DeeDee Cohen: Figure Skating

“Little Women” Seeking Sisterhood

24-25

10-11 Gearing Up for Robotics

Maggie Killian: Backstage Baddie

cover story

Galentine’s Guide

opinions

22-23

New Year’s Resolutions

The Fame is in the Name

editorials

12-13

14-17

The Science of Love and Heartbreak

The True Cost of True Crime

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FEATURES EDITOR

Arleth Guevara

02 | LeJournal

Out of the Spotlight

A&E EDITOR

Photo of the issue ONE LAST SPLASH Seniors Anna Golian, Emily Dierks and Amelia Maguire pose together for a selfie on swim and dive senior night, which was also a meet against St. Teresa’s Academy, Tuesday, Jan. 24 at the Goppert Rock Plex. “It meant a lot that my friends and family came to my senior night, and it was a bittersweet moment for our last meet at our home pool,” Dierks said.

editors’ink H

i everyone! Happy New Year and welcome back from the holiday break! We are so excited to bring you our very first issue of 2023!

In our fourth issue of the school year, you’ll get upto-date on important news here at Sion, and within the United States.

Turn to pages 4-5 for a brief update on the winter sports teams and new Spanish teachers, as well as information on the classified documents found in the possession of President Joe Biden.

Then, learn about this year’s musical, “Little Women,” and meet the March sisters (pg.

6-7)! Read about senior Kori Franklin’s Debutante Ball win and her preparation process (pg.

8-9).

As we near Valentine’s Day, learn about the science behind love and heartbreak, and the

role that school, social media and other environmental factors have on relationships (pg. 14-17).

Read about the true effectiveness of New Year’s resolutions and alternative methods of goal-planning (pg.

22), and then get the scoop on nepotism babies within the entertainment industry (pg.

23). Finally, plan your perfect Galentine’s evening with various romcoms and a delicious dessert recipe (pg. 26-27)!

We have worked so hard on this issue, and we’re so excited to share it with you all! We hope that you love it as much as we do, and we wish you a wonderful 2023!

student space KARLEIGH MILLER

“My business is called Disco Daisies. I started when I did the Sion Marketplace during the Deep Dives and I sold sweatshirts, and then I had a lot of leftover designs and images that I had made.

My favorite part about it is that it’s a really easy way to earn money, and I think that designing the little artwork is so fun, and it’s cool to see people actually want to buy it because they like your artwork. At first, I didn’t get anyone buying it at all, but then it started to finally pick up, but that was probably the hardest part. On RedBubble, you can upload the artwork and sell it, so I’m really excited.”

Cheers, Sophie & Zahra

keep up with us: @lejournalsion

Use camera to visit lejournallive.com!

February 2023 | 03

news..

news in brief

Here’s a recap of the latest news at Sion and in the United States.

BY ELLE SIMON WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

dive right in

shooting hoops

The swim and dive team’s season has been going swimmingly.

The basketball team is ranked 19th in the city following a challenge at the start of the season.

The swim and dive team started the season with a splash after winning their first meet against Belton and Grain Valley High Schools Nov. 30, 2022. They also defeated St. Teresa's Academy in a dual meet Dec. 7, 2022. The team has continually placed in the top 10 at their invitationals, most recently placing 10th at the Kansas City Classic Jan. 13 and 14 with a score of 108 points.

“I am very pleased with the season thus far,” head coach Kelly Timson said. “The girls are working very hard in practice each day and their hard work is showing in meets.”

The biggest challenge for the team this season has been the practice schedule. The team alternates practice times with STA at the Goppert Rock Plex, one week practicing 5:30 to 7:15 AM and the following week practicing from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. The changing practice times have made it difficult for the athletes to get into a solid routine.

“The biggest challenge for flipping practices would be the sleep schedule,” junior Ava Townsend said. “It’s mentally challenging to get ourselves up but that’s what makes us stronger.”

As the season comes to a close, the team is looking ahead to Interleague Championships Feb. 6 and 7, and hoping to win after losing to STA in the meet last year due to the disqualification of a relay. Multiple swimmers, freshmen Burke Sutton and Ella Meraz and Townsend, have already earned state consideration, and the team is set to travel to St. Peters, Missouri. for the state championship Feb. 17 and 18.

“I have loved getting to be a part of a team where everyone supports each other,” cocaptain senior Paige Castillo said. “No matter if you do really well in a race or maybe you didn’t get the time you wanted, we are all there to lift each other up.”

The basketball team is currently 10-5 and is ranked 19th overall in Kansas City by 810 Sports. They won the first two games of the season against Ruskin and St. Michael The Archangel high schools. However, challenges arose early when starting point guard sophomore Terryn Ford tore her ACL playing in the second game.

“It caused us to go into a bit of scramble mode,” head coach Chad Lynn said. “The girls came together and we had some kids step up to help fill that role.”

Beyond their team camaraderie, the Storm’s strength is in their ability to pass the ball and get to the basket to score. This skill is vital when facing the difficult opposition that the team is scheduled to play this season.

“This program is built to play tough competition and have high expectations,” Lynn said. “Because of the expectations we have, we scheduled really stiff competition.”

The biggest competition on the schedule is St. Teresa’s Academy.

The team faced St. Teresa’s at home earlier this season, and fell to the Stars 38-50. They play them again at STA on Feb. 16, where they will compete to win what would be their fifth consecutive Irish Cup championship.

“We still haven’t played a complete game,” Lynn said.

“Once the girls play four quarters of high level offense and defense, we will be a very hard team to beat.”

PHOTO | LAUREN SMITH

04 | LeJournal

PHOTO | GENESIS MARTINEZ PORRAS

news

new to the school

national news

Sion welcomed two new Spanish teachers over the break.

Over winter break, two new Spanish teachers, Moira McAnany and Martha McClung, joined Sion’s faculty.

McAnany is a graduate of Sion’s 2014 class and currently teaches AP Spanish and Spanish II Honors. Before coming to Sion, she served as the World Language Department chair at St. Pius X High School. She views taking a foreign language class as a fun way to learn about experiences across the globe.

“I hope my students will see that learning a language is like joining an exclusive club with a secret code,” McAnany said. “Only those members of the bilingual/multilingual club can communicate.”

In her own words, McAnany feels she peaked in high school, so it’s no surprise that she’s ecstatic to be roaming the halls again. She loves seeing her old teachers in the halls, though she finds it tricky to call them by their first names. Her favorite part about being back is getting to visit all the spaces she couldn’t as a student.

“The weirdest part is definitely that none of the students know my Sion experiences,” McAnany said.

“I have so many stories and fun times at Sion and none of my students know them yet” Originally from Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, McClung moved to Kansas City in 2009. Before teaching at Sion, she taught at Park University, UMKC, William Jewell College and Rockhurst University. McClung currently teaches Spanish II and Spanish III ACCP. She hopes her students will gain a wider perspective of different cultures from learning Spanish and hearing her experiences.

“I hope that they feel confident when they travel to a Spanish speaking country and they are able to communicate with people and they learn about how people live,” McClung said. “There are different ways MOIRA MCANANY of thinking that they have.”

Since starting this semester, McClung anticipates learning more about her students and the Sion culture.

“Since I arrived here, I feel welcomed,” McClung said. “It’s nice to share different things with people.”

it’s classified

Multiple classified documents have been discovered in the private spaces of government officials.

Monday, Jan. 9, President Joe Biden’s personal attorneys revealed that classified documents from his time as vice president were found in his private office last fall, according to CNN. The documents were found in the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement by the president’s lawyers when preparing to vacate the office space in Washington D.C. “On the day of this discovery, Nov. 2, 2022, the White House Counsel’s Office notified the National Archives,” Biden’s special counsel Richard Sauber said in a statement. “The Archives took possession of the materials the following morning.”

Since the discovery, the White House and Biden’s personal attorneys have been cooperating with the National Archives. Additionally, more classified documents were found in the president’s Wilmington, Delaware home following a 13-hour search by the Justice Department Friday Jan. 20, according to The New York Times. These documents were also immediately turned over to the National Archives.

It was also reported Jan. 24 that former Vice President Mike Pence had classified documents in his Indiana home. Pence has since turned the documents over to the FBI, according to CNN. PHOTO | PRACHATAI ON FLICKR

PHOTOS | ELLE SIMON

MARTHA MCCLUNG

February 2023 | 05

NEWS.

SEEKING

SISTERHOOD

BY ZAHRA PARSONS PRINT CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

This year’s musical, “Little Women,” is a coming-of-age story based on Louisa May Alcott’s original novel. It featured various female lead roles and highlighted the intricacy and complexity of womanhood.

PHOTOS | ZAHRA PARSONS

06 | LeJournal

T

his year’s musical, “Little Women,” took place Fri, Jan. 20 through Sunday, Jan. 22 in the Goppert Theatre at Avila University. The cast consisted of 28 students, including six seniors. The story features various female lead roles and depicts primarily women’s stories, a determining factor in its selection.

“The hardest thing for me about choosing a musical is finding a show with strong female characters, and predominantly female leads,” director Elizabeth Mulkey said. “That’s the hardest thing, but it’s also the very first thing I look for, so that was the biggest draw. I also want female characters that have a growth, roles that are good for us to see and understand.”

“Little Women” is a coming-of-age story following the lives of the four March sisters, Beth, Jo, Meg and Amy, who live in Concord, Massachusetts. during and after the civil war. The sisters are heavily based on the family of author Louisa May Alcott, who published the novel in 1868.

The story has been adapted into film numerous times, most notably in 1994 starring Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst and Christian Bale, and in 2019 with Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson and Timothée Chalamet.

The tale depicts their transition from childhood to adulthood as they encounter various adversities, strengthen their bond with each other and both challenge and embrace the roles of women in the 19th century.

In the early stages of rehearsal, the cast came together to gain a better understanding of the show’s context and main messages, and collectively chose several themes, including pursuing dreams, work/life balance, accepting change, self-improvement and prioritizing family, to emphasize in production.

“We always take time to learn about the time period of the show, the roles of women in the show and in that time,” Mulkey said. “With this one, we were learning about different women that broke barriers, like the first female barber, the first female that ran a lighthouse. Then, they chose the themes that they felt this show represents.”

The versatility among the characters’ personalities and identities was also a key factor in the selection of the show, as they exhibit distinct aspects of womanhood.

“The lead character, Jo, is like a tomboy, and pretty bold and rash, but then her older sister is elegant and wants to do elegant things, or play what you would consider a more traditional female role, but they’re both strong characters,” Mulkey said. “Then we’ve got the caring, loving, mothering character, and then we’ve got the actual mother but she’s pretty strong too. We’ve got this obnoxious older aunt, who’s kind of awesome. But they’re all very unique characters and represent multiple sides of women.”

This range is not limited to the characters’ dispositions; it extends to their future objectives and paths. The story works to push the notion that each woman’s role, whether it breaks the boundaries of traditional female pursuits, embraces them, or falls anywhere in between, is just as suitable, important and noteworthy as any other.

“The show empowers women because each individual sister has their own talents. Meg is an actress, Amy’s a painter, Jo’s a writer and Beth is a piano player,” senior Carolina O’Byrne said. “Jo starts off as a teenager writing stories in her attic, and then moves to New York to be a writer. Meg ends up getting married and playing that more traditional role, which was what she wanted.”

The lessons portrayed in the story and in the realm of theater itself are ones Mulkey wishes to impress upon the show’s cast to enact in their daily lives, even beyond high school.

“It’s a team. You have to perform, and put yourself out there.

Those aspects give you so much personal growth, and to learn how to control yourself, how to handle yourself when you make mistakes, how to handle yourself in front of large crowds, and [to be] in the shoes of a different person,” Mulkey said. “They are learning to be themselves, and learning to be true to themselves, but still be part of a greater picture, and understand societal roles and know when to challenge them.”

MEET THE

NEWS

March

SISTERS

“Jo is always herself, and she’s super outspoken. I see a lot of myself in her because she says what’s on her mind and she constantly makes jokes about her current predicament.

She’s a person who strives for independence and making her own way in the world.”

ADDIE HIESTAND ‘23 JO MARCH “I think that Meg March is very aware of what she wants, and she gets it. She falls in love, which is her main story plot point. She’s also kind of a goof.”

NOELLE BERTRAND ‘24 MEG MARCH “Beth is a very kindhearted person, which is such a joy to play. She has a really good character arc with building relationships because she starts off very shy and reserved, but then she is able to form connections with different people.”

CAROLINA O’BYRNE ‘23 BETH MARCH “I think that Amy March can inspire people because she is very determined, and she has a lot of talents. She has a lot of things that she wants to achieve in her life and she has a plan to do it.”

ARLE MCCALLON ‘26 YOUNG AMY MARCH “I like Amy as a character because she shows a lot of growth and development, and she’s not static at all. She learns from all of her mistakes and she tries to improve over time. She is full of energy and ambition, and she isn’t afraid to try to achieve her deams.”

CLAIRE BOMA ‘24 OLDER AMY MARCH February 2023 | 077

feature..

now pr Senior Kori Franklin was crowned Miss Debutante 2022 of the 69th AKA Debutante Ball Nov. 25.

BY SOPHIE GROMOWSKY PRINT CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

G

azing at her reflection in the hotel bathroom mirror, senior Kori Franklin carefully applies the final touches to her aquacolored eyeshadow. That evening, she, along with her 11 fellow contestants, would make her official debut into society at the AKA Debutante Ball.

Over the course of the past eight months, Franklin dedicated most of her weekends to preparing for the night’s presentation and the outcome of the competition – from formal dance training, to etiquette classes, to community service – but as she got ready in her hotel room, the furthest thing from her mind was who would be named the winner in just a few short hours.

“I was thinking about when I was going to see my family, kind of counting through my head how many of them were going to be there. And I was thinking about the other girls since this was the last time I was probably going to be hanging out with some of them,” Franklin said. “What wasn’t on my mind was who was going to win. That was the last thing I was thinking about.”

It turned out that the winner would be her – Franklin was crowned Miss Debutante 2022 of the 69th AKA Debutante Ball Nov. 25. The ball, hosted biennially by the Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Incorporated and the Ivy Community Service and Education Foundation Inc., serves to introduce deserving and outstanding young ladies as Debutantes to Kansas City society and award them with college scholarships.

“The ball is our presentation into society,” Franklin said.

“We’re trained to dance, we go through an etiquette class and then it’s a formal presentation that our families can enjoy and see us get ready to basically become a woman.”

Franklin was inspired to participate in the Debutante Ball after attending the presentations of her cousins, Kendall and Kamryn Rogers, in the organization’s 2018 and 2019 ceremonies, respectively. Her aunt, Doris Rogers, also took part in the Debutante as a teenager.

“My aunt did it a long, long time ago, and it was always her dream that the oldest, Kendall, would do it,” Franklin said. “Then after Kendall did it, Kamryn decided she wanted to do it, and then after Kamryn won, I was like, ‘Oh I want to do it now, I want to oneup Kamryn.’”

Despite her ambitions to win, Franklin initially had reservations about participating in the competition due to rules in place that prohibited contestants from wearing their hair naturally. After being made aware of her concerns, the AKA committee agreed to reevaluate the rule, and ultimately made the decision to remove all guidelines regarding how contestants could wear their hair in an effort to continue to uplift black women through their annual ball.

“I could tell that a lot of the girls this year thought that that was really nice,” Franklin said. “Even the fact that there were a lot

08 | LeJournal

resenting of escorts that had their hair braided, you’d never seen that before so I thought that was really cool.”

Though the ball itself took place in November, the competition and preparation process began all the way back in the spring of 2022. After completing the application and interview stages in March, Franklin spent the next several months fundraising and performing service in the community. The Debutantes also attended an exposition where they listened to women from the community speak about their careers in order to begin thinking about their own futures.

“One of the ladies was a principal, and she had studied in Canada and was just kind of talking about how education can bring you to different places,” Franklin said. “I really liked her part because it was very enlightening for me, as someone who wants to be a teacher. Knowing that just because you’re a teacher, you can also do other things from that career.”

Throughout the entire process, the girls were awarded points based on their adherence to a specified set of criteria, which included attendance and promptness to events, scholarship, attitude and character, personal appearance, community service, talent participation, fundraising and ticket sales.

“A lot of it was by showing up, which puts on a little bit of pressure because you can’t be late. You have to be on time, which is something that’s hard for me,” Franklin said. “You also had to

feature

have a great personality and be pretty outgoing because they wanted to see how you interacted with not only the other Debs, but also the community members that are part of AKA sorority.”

On the night of the ball, all 12 girls dressed in identical white gowns and elbow-length gloves. Before an audience of their families and friends, they performed two waltzes, one with their fathers and one with their escorts, as well as a praise dance, which served as a thank you tribute to their parents for allowing them to take part in the ball. The night concluded with the award ceremony, where Franklin took home the top prize.

“When they called her name it took everything in me to not break down and cry. Kori has worked so hard at being great.

She is so modest and downplays all of the great things that she has accomplished and she gets mad if I boast about her accomplishments,” mother Micole Franklin said. “For everyone to hear how hard she has worked at everything that she does and for her to receive such an amazing honor along with a sizable scholarship felt amazing.”

Along with the title of Miss Debutante 2022, Franklin was awarded a $7,000 scholarship to put towards her college tuition.

“It felt very rewarding to win because I had put so much time and effort and energy into this for so many months,” Franklin said.

“I really wanted to end it on a good note.”

you should see me in a crown

dancing queen

runs in the family

At the end of the Debutante Ball, the Miss Debutante crown is placed on senior Kori Franklin’s head by last year’s winner, Emily Ervin. The title was accompanied by a $7,000 scholarship to put towards her college tuition. “It took them like three minutes to put it on my head. The crown itself was kind of fragile, it’s not super sturdy,” Franklin said. “It was heavy too, so I had to walk kind of lopsided to keep it up, and it kept falling off anytime I moved around.”

Spinning in time with the music, senior Kori Franklin and her father perform a waltz at the Debutante Ball. Franklin said that one of the best parts of her experience was getting to spend time with her dad every weekend. “My favorite part of the preparation process was our conversations after practice. We had to critique each other’s dancing,” father Ronnell Franklin said. “Kori thought she could dance better than me, however I had to show her I had the moves.”

After receiving her title, senior Kori Franklin smiles for photos with her cousins Kamryn and Kendall Rogers. Watching her cousins’ Debutante presentations inspired Franklin to take part in the ball herself. “I hope that this helped Kori to step out of her comfort zone a bit,” Kendall said. “There is no experience like this, and no matter how many times she was able to see a family member go through it, every experience is completely different.”

PHOTO SUBMISSION | KORI FRANKLIN

PHOTO SUBMISSION | KORI FRANKLIN

PHOTO SUBMISSION | KORI FRANKLIN

February 2023 | 09

NEWS.

Gearing Up Sion’s robotics team gained traction this year as they move past the restrictions that came with COVID and prepare to compete in the qualifier competitions.

BY ELLA ALEXANDER COPY EDITOR

S

MIGHTY MACHINE As the robot places the cone onto the pole, the robotics team celebrates the success at an early morning Wednesday practice. “It’s really cool to see the stuff we’re building actually work,” senior Lauren Millard said. “Getting to compete against other teams and their robots.”

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

10 | LeJournal

ion’s robotics team has progressed over the years and ranks seventh in their league. Their season began in early August, when their competition league, ‘FIRST Robotics,’ released a video detailing the challenges each robot must complete in order to earn points. Each year, there is a different game; this year, the game board, which is 45” by 95”, is filled with tall rods of various heights. In order to score points, the robot must place a cone on top of each rod.

First the team watches the video and builds the game board in their own space. Next, they plan what they want their robot to look like, strategize on how to earn the most points and then start building.

“Building is definitely continuous; things fall apart, you put it back together, you decide to change something so you have to rebuild it,” sophomore Ella Satterwhite said. “Ideally it would all happen in the beginning of the season, however that’s not reality.”

Once the robot is put together, the next step is to start programming. The robot is programmed for the autonomous period, a 30 second period during a match in which the team is not allowed to touch or control the robot.

“Sometimes autonomous periods can go bad, I mean we’ve had robots flip over, robots stop working, or sometimes they will stop in a really awkward place,” Satterwhite said. “If the other robots run into them, there’s all kinds of things that can happen. It’s very exciting.”

For the remaining two minutes of the match, the robot is hand-controlled by an Xbox controller. The controller is connected to a “driver’s station,” which is similar to an iPad. The station is connected to a receiving box on the robot allowing the Xbox controller to drive it.

“We never quite feel ready to drive the robot at competition, so it’s just kind of like we’ll do our best once we’re in it,” senior Lauren Millard said. “Driving is usually a little bit stressful but you’ve got your team. You can have up to two drivers at a competition. So far we’ve only had one, but hopefully we will have two at the next competition, one to work the wheels and the other to work the arm.”

In addition to the driver, each team is allowed a coach at the competition. The coach guides the drivers, gives them strategies during the game, makes sure that the driver is going to the right spot and helps them adjust when needed.

“The coach is basically the eyes and the strategist,” sophomore Becca Houlehan said. “Coaching at meets is so much fun. Although it may be stressful at times, it’s worth it.”

NEWS

Teams can also earn points off the gameboard in their journals. The journal is a daily log that keeps track of what each team does, and they earn points for it by keeping it consistent and organized. The journal logs what the teams do each practice, keeps track of successes and failures and records the schedule for meets and competitions.

“I always had an interest in coding, and I wanted to expand on that,” freshman Salem Smith said. “But once I realized there was a notebook, I wanted to do that so I could help design it and keep track of events.”

The team has attended a total of three competitions and plans to attend the qualifier for state Feb. 11. Each competition consists of several matches. The rules for a match are as follows: each team gets paired up with another team and then together, they compete against another duo of teams. Each match lasts two and a half minutes, and all teams in a match operate on the same game board.

“You never know who you’re going to be paired up with,” Houlehan said. “We try to program for every scenario but it’s hard because you might be paired up with a team that can do everything or you might be paired up with a team that is struggling because they don’t know what they’re doing or their robot breaks.”

In their most recent competition, the team was paired up with the Cobalt Colts, a large team that is known for being successful in competition. However, during the match, the Colts’ robot broke, and Sion’s team won the match for both themselves and the Colts.

“There’s a fair amount of unknown that you’re going into,” said Houlehan. “The goal is to progam your robot the best you can and make the best use of the time you have cause you never know whats going to happen.”

Competitions are a great way to gain experience before a qualifier. They are used for networking and meeting new people. A benefit of meeting other teams is getting to see their strategies and implementing them into what your team already has.

“Actually our arm is one we saw another team using, “ Satterwhite said. “They were super friendly and sent us the link to buy it.”

The team was originally founded by former STEM teacher Marilyn Stewart in 2012. Stewart and Ron Cosner, a student’s father who worked as an engineer, ran the robotics club until 2015, when current coach Kathleen Teel took over. With only four returning members from the previous season, the team is in a rebuilding year.

“Our inexperience is something that we’ve struggled with, definitely just having to build our knowledge from the ground up,” Satterwhite said. “There’s been a lot of YouTube watching and a lot of putting something together realizing it doesn’t work and then you take the whole thing apart.”

Millard and Houlehan are the team’s captains, and are both returning members.

“The summer before last year, I did an intro to engineering camp at Missouri S&T,” Millard said. “We got to experience different engineering disciplines, and I really liked computer science. I joined robotics to try it out.”

Each year brings new obstacles, but with each new challenge comes the opportunity to overcome and grow stronger in the end.

“I enjoy seeing the girls figure out stuff on their own,” Teel said. “And this last year was all brand new people due to COVID. These guys have learned from scratch how to do everything, nobody to teach them, so it’s been exciting.”

BUILDING BESTIES Gathering around the table, the robotics team pieces together their robot at the start of their season. “We all try very hard to make sure everyone feels included and has a role on the team so we try to communicate with each other so we know what everyone’s interests are,” sophomore Ella Satterwhite said.

PHOTO SUBMISSION | BECCA HOULEHAN

FIXER UPPER Reaching into the mechanisms, senior Lauren Millard fixes the robot “Robotics is both really fun and stressful,” Millard said. “Every year there’s a new game and I really like solving problems and it’s a puzzle.”

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

February 2023 | 11

editorial..

The True Cost As the true crime genre has become increasingly popular, its impact on victims and their families, and its tendency to desensitize large audiences to the severity of crime, has proven extremely harmful.

BY SOPHIE GROMOWSKY PRINT CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

C

lick open any streaming platform today, and you’ll find yourself faced with an assortment of grisly posters bearing macabre titles, advertising TV shows, documentaries, movies and podcasts based on real-life accounts of murder kidnapping and assault.

In today’s pop culture, true crime is all the rage, captivating the public through its in-depth examinations and detailed retellings of actual crimes and the accounts of real people involved in the cases. 55% of Sion students report that they are consumers of true crime media, according to a poll of 100.

However, true crime is not just another form of trivial entertainment – it’s the real stories of real people who are victims of real tragedies. As the genre has become increasingly popular, its impact on victims, their families and society’s perception of crime has proven to be extremely damaging.

In its basic premise, true crime is exploitative. The entire genre is based upon creators capitalizing off of the lives, or more often the deaths, of actual people in order to gain fame and generate profit. Currently the business is lucrative.

In 2019, the true crime podcast “My Favorite Murder” was the second-highest earning podcast of the year according to Forbes, with its hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark pocketing $7.5 million each. But even the show’s name highlights the gross

12 | LeJournal

insensitivity of the genre’s nature – does its 35 million monthly listeners really think that it’s appropriate to have a “favorite murder”? And if they do, what does that say about society?

Shows like “My Favorite Murder” have altered the way that audiences perceive and respond to crime. As the genre has gained wider acceptance an entertainment form, regard for the sensitivity of the subject matter has significantly decreased, resulting in a fanbase that views actual crimes as little more than content for the newest episodes of their favorite podcasts or docuseries.

Social media platforms are the perfect forums for observing the continuously blurring line between true crime content that is produced for entertainment purposes and actual real-time coverage of crimes.

Since last November, as Idaho police have been actively investigating the stabbing murders of four University of Idaho students, a separate examination of the case has been unfolding within the online true crime community.

Users who fancy themselves amateur sleuths have spent the past two months circulating their own theories about the murders on TikTok, their allegations based mostly on internet hearsay and dissection of the limited evidence made public by the police.

While the findings of these online detectives often lack any veritable truth and are little more than conspiracy theories, they have had considerable impacts on the lives of those they accuse.

In December, University of Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield filed a defamation lawsuit against a TikTok creator who made over 40 videos accusing her of orchestrating the quadruple murder, according to NBC. In her statement, Scofield claimed that the accusations had significantly damaged her reputation and created safety issues for herself and her family.

In addition to desensitizing grave subject matter, the types

DESIGN | SOPHIE GROMOWSKY

editorial

of True Crime of cases that true crime producers most commonly focus their coverage on present a narrative to consumers that is not truly representative of crime demographics in America.

The majority of true crime content is created by white women, consumed by white women and focuses on white, female victims, according to NPR. This contributes to the phenomena known as “missing white woman syndrome,” which refers to mainstream media’s fascination with covering missing or endangered white women and seeming disinterest in cases involving people of color.

Focusing primarily on white women makes it seem as if they are the group that is most likely to become victims of crime. The reality, however, is that most victims of violent crimes in America are people of color, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The overwhelming whiteness of the true crime genre reinforces the idea that white women’s lives are somehow more valuable than the lives of minority individuals, further ingraining racial bias into media and society as a whole.

Another primary criticism of true crime media is that through its proliferation, crime victims and their families are constantly forced to relive the most traumatizing experiences of their lives.

Because the facts and events of cases are part of public record, and their identities do not qualify for protection under the right of publicity, victims and their families find themselves powerless to stop their personal tragedies from being turned into chart-topping content.

This was the case for the family of Errol Lindsey, one of the 17 men killed by serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, whose murder was dramatized in the recent Netflix series, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”

In an essay for Insider, Lindsey’s sister condemned the show, alleging that it was produced without her family’s consultation or

consent, and expressed that watching the reenactment of her own victim impact statement given at Dahmer’s 1992 sentencing was “like reliving it all over again.”

Additionally, an unfortunate trend recurring throughout the true crime genre is the content’s focus on the perpetrators rather than the victims. They often paint the perpetrators in a sympathetic light of providing them 15 minutes of fame, all the while glossing over or altogether erasing the victims of their crimes. Significant details are also often excluded for the sake of intrigue and dramatic storytelling.

The 2019 film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” a dramatization of the life and murders of serial killer Ted Bundy, where Bundy was played by Zac Efron, drew particular criticism in this regard.

“A handsome movie star plays Bundy. The camera constantly pulls in close to Efron’s face, lingering on his portrayal of Bundy when he’s most sympathetic and funny and kind, rather than dwelling on his truly brutal moments. You know he’s evil, but the camera sure doesn’t,” film critic Alissa Wilkinson wrote for Vox. Here’s the bottom line: while true crime is in equal parts fascinating and terrifying, it is impossible to separate its entertainment value from its exploitative nature and harmful effects on victims, families and society’s response to crime.

Next time you need your true crime fix, consider checking out any one of the abundant shows, movies and podcasts that cover fictional murders and mysteries, rather than picking a program that is cashing in on real people’s tragedies.

February 2023 | 13

COVER STORY..

BY MANAGING EDITOR LAUREN SMITH & FEATURES EDITOR ARLETH GUEVARA

Relationships are hard, especially in high school, but what makes love and heartbreak so complex and desirable?

love HYPOTHESIS H

eart pounding, brow furrowed with confusion, shaky breath, tears in eyes and fists clenched to restrain yourself from reaching out and seeing if this isn’t a nightmare. You’ve been dumped.

The six best months of your life crumple away in a six minute conversation. Emotions fluctuate between anger, sadness, grief, confusion and love. Your mom comforts you in a warm embrace, but whispers in your ear, “He was just a stupid boy, and you were too young to be dating anyway, so let’s go find some ice cream.” Your friends respond with similar messages of: ‘boys suck,’ ‘you’ll get over this soon’ and other tones suggesting this wasn’t a real relationship.

No one understands, which makes the heartbreak worse.

Now you can’t help but wonder - what is love?

“Love is a drug.” This famous aphorism, often used to metaphorically explain what love feels like, may contain some truth. When you’re in love, your brain will release dopamine, the exact same happiness hormone that is released in excess when using drugs, meaning that love is truly a drug.

“Dopamine is powerful and that’s what we feel when in love,” psychotherapist Dr. Kelly Jameson, who spoke at last year’s fall Deep Dive, said.

So, what is love? According to Rutgers University professor Helen Fisher, romantic love can be broken down into three categories: lust, attraction and attachment. All these pieces together create love, and all of the drug-like feelings involved with it.

Harvard University science and health reporter Katherine Wu defines romantic love as having

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COVER STORY

three categories. Each can be characterized by its own set of hormones, which stem from the brain. Lust is controlled by hormones of estrogen and testosterone. Attraction is affected by dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Attachment is caused by oxytocin and vasopressin.

Lust and attraction do not go hand in hand in humans.

We are capable of lusting after someone without being necessarily attracted to them or feeling the need to start a relationship. This is because estrogen and testosterone are released in different areas of the body than other hormones.

Lust itself is simple; it is the natural instinct that all living species feel to find companionship and reproduce, according to Wu. Attraction is formed based on brain pathways that control ‘reward’ behavior, which is why the first few weeks of a relationship can feel so exhilarating and consuming.

Dopamine and a similar hormone, norepinephrine, are released during attraction. High levels of these hormones can cause us to feel giddy, energetic and euphoric, and even lead to a decreased appetite and insomnia.

Serotonin levels have been shown to decrease during attraction, and low levels of serotonin are associated with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, explaining the infatuation and obsession that comes with being in love.

The predominant factor that separates a casual romantic relationship from a long-term relationship is attachment. Wu states that oxytocin, also known as the cuddle hormone, has a stronger effect on women than men, and is the same hormone released during childbirth. Vasopressin, on the other hand, is more effective in men. This hormone creates the sense of being a protector and guarding one’s partner or territory.

With so many hormones in play when it comes to love, it is no wonder that when this bond is broken, the effects

can feel catastrophic. Dopamine is in charge of the reward pathways in our brain, meaning both the good and bad.

According to Frontiers ​​ in Psychology, the ‘high’ you feel when you’re in love is the same sensation that addicts feel.

This causes us to become emotionally dependent on our partners, and when we lose that connection, our bodies go through a withdrawal effect.

Symptoms of a drug withdrawal include: insomnia, irritability, changing moods, depression, anxiety, aches and pains, cravings and tiredness. Sound familiar? Healthline states that these symptoms are the same that people feel when experiencing heartbreak. The cause for both of these withdrawal symptoms stem from the termination of dopamine in our brain.

“The pain sensors in one’s brain light up when in heartbreak,” Jameson said. “Exactly the same as when the body experiences an injury. Emotional pain is real pain to the human body.”

HIGH SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS

High school relationships are when many teenagers start exploring attraction, crushes, sexuality, heartbreak and relationship expectations.

Out of 100 Sion students polled, 54 answered ‘yes’ to having been in a romantic relationship.

High school relationships often differ from real world relationships due to the fact that teenagers are still maturing and adapting to increased independence.

“The stakes are higher. No one expects to marry their high school sweetheart,” Jameson said. “But once people are in later years of college, there is a small but distinct

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COVER STORY..

“I think heartbreak is hard because it’s not something that we’re designed to prepare for. Unless you live your life guarded completely, you’re going to be hurt if someone betrays your trust or does something to hurt you.”

Senior Caroline Dold

“I think we often share a piece of ourselves with those we love, and when they leave, they take that piece of us with them. Then we’re left feeling empty and incomplete, hoping that next time things will turn out differently.”

Junior Lilly Sutherlin

“I think heartbreak is hard because you essentially lose someone you love. You still love that person but the person that once had a special, significant place in your heart, and the person you turned to with any emotion, is no longer there for you. So when you break up, the place in your heart where they once were is empty and aching.”

Sophomore Ava Lynn

expectation or hope that they might be ‘the one.’ This causes pressure to overthink the relationship.”

Out of 100 students polled, 88 view dating in high school to be different from dating in the “real world” or after high school.

Teenagers have little to no relationship experience when they start high school. Most use high school as an opportunity to explore what they might want in a partner and in a relationship.

It’s difficult to include and manage the complex thoughts and feelings of another person, especially if it’s their first relationship.

According to information from the book “Romantic Relationships in Adolescence,” steady romantic relationships in high school typically last six months for 16-year-olds and about one year for 17 and 18-year-olds. This is because relationships outside of high school that lead to marriage often involve complex issues and conversations of more adult topics, such as life plans or finances, conversations that many in high school aren’t considering or worried about.

“Most people don’t end up in a permanent relationship with the people they date in high school, so nobody really goes into their first high school relationship looking for something serious.

It’s more like an experiment and a test to find out the kind of person you are and the kind of people you mix well with,” junior Gracie Orf said. “My mom told me that dating is like ice cream.

You have to try a couple flavors before you find your favorite.”

High school relationships provide good experiences and valuable lessons through building interpersonal relationships to help young adults transition into college and beyond.

“Think of high school dating as training wheels on a bike,” Jameson said. “Necessary to learn how but eventually you’re going to ditch the training wheels.”

Research from The Journal of Research on Adolescence lists that some benefits of dating in high school include increased self-esteem, emotional support, companionship, learning to communicate with your partner, development of sexuality, increased social status and better understanding of what to look for in a partner in the future.

High school dating looks different attending an all-girls school like Sion, which can have an impact on students wanting a relationship. There is no stereotypical high school dating experience that co-ed schools have.

“I think it is a lot harder to meet new guys since we are an all girls school. We only really get to know guys from work, social media or maybe guys from our middle school,” junior Grace Lockett said.

A single-sex education requires a lot more effort from students who strongly desire a romantic relationship, or even a date to Winter Formal.

“I’m straight and I’m never around the male species, so therefore I have to try harder in order to socialize, which is a lot of work that I don’t have time for and therefore, I likely won’t start dating until college,” senior Kori Franklin said.

MEDIA AND DATING

Movies and TV shows have been successfully planting the seed of a desire of entering into a romantic relationship in high school for decades, but has since been replaced by social media.

Our cell phones and all forms of social media and messaging play an important role in developing relationships.

Out of 100 students polled, 85 think social media plays a role in how they form a relationship.

Whether it’s “talking” on Snapchat or Instagram DMs, there are multitude of ways to communicate with people.

“Since we are not around others face-to-face everyday, I think most of us have to look for relationships through social media, which can be a lot different than finding a relationship in person,” senior Alea Fowler said.

Yet social media has its disadvantages. Having constant

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COVER STORY access to someone’s profile on social media and seeing what they post can lead to a false perception of a person,.

“It’s so much harder to meet guys, and it’s hard to be able to judge people based on social media,” sophomore Aubrey Nichols said.

Social media makes communicating simpler. You can be in communication with your significant other 24/7. It definitely can help long distance relationships, but it warps the process of falling in love.

The biggest component of love is the third category, ‘attachment.’ This is formed simply by spending time with another person.

Yet, with cell phones, you can now spend whole days, weeks and even months ‘talking’ to someone without dating them or clarifying the relationship.

By doing this, you have unintentionally formed an attachment to a person because they have now become part of your everyday routine. So when said person abruptly ends all forms of communication, your brain doesn’t have time to process the change in its routine, causing emotions of heartbreak.

“I have heard girls say, ‘I was talking to so and so and then I saw on their Instagram story that they were hanging out with somebody else and then did all of that stuff,’” school counselor Karen Phillips said. “You can now see stuff you couldn’t see when I was growing up, and I think that’s hard.”

MENTAL HEALTH AND HEARTBREAK

Heartbreak is a normal emotion, and all the physical and emotional pain one can feel is 100% real. Heartbreak could lead to or worsen depression, anxiety and the well-being of one’s mental health in general.

Acceptance is key to moving on and recovering from a break-up. Not just acceptance of what has happened, but understanding that heartbreak is as much of a physical process as an emotional one. Take the time to process your emotions, and everything you may feel is valid.

“When you are in love, and you get hurt, it’s like a cut. It will heal, but there will always be a scar,” freshman Maira EdwardsGonzalez said.

But if things get tough, and you can’t recover on your own, know you have people on your side cheering you on.

“Heartbreak is heartbreak because it hurts, and some of it you just have to feel and go through and know that you’ll come out on the other side,” Phillips said. “Leaning on your friends, leaning on your support systems, you gotta feel it and move forward.”

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A&E..

Out Of The Spotlight Controversy and cancellation wreak havoc throughout the music industry, making it difficult to ethically separate the music from the musician, no matter their popularity.

BY LILY WILKIN COPY EDITOR

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A&E

M

uch thought goes into compiling the perfect playlist. What vibe are you going for? Do you want pop, rap, hip-hop or rock? All female musicians, male musicians or some combination of the two? Here’s one more thing that you should take into consideration: the actions of the musicians.

In the past several years, we’ve witnessed popular musicians such as R. Kelly, Kanye West and Chris Brown commit inexcusable actions: sex trafficking, promotion of anti-semitism and domestic violence, just to name a few.

In such extreme instances, it can be easy to conclude that continuing to support these people is not morally right. In a poll of 41 Sion students who have listened to the music of Kanye West, 61% stated that West’s recent actions have led them to listen less.

While it’s generally easy to remove a human trafficker or a racist from your playlist, what about musicians such as Sia, Drake or Tyler the Creator, whose actions, though controversial, are not so blatantly appalling? Is it morally correct to continue to listen to these artists, knowing that their actions have harmed people, but weren’t “as bad” as beating your wife or making anti semitic tweets? Should we take into consideration smaller acts? Or in these cases, is it morally acceptable to separate the musician from their music?

In 2022, Drake appeared to reference rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s 2020 shooting incident involving Tory Lanez in his song “Circo Loco,” in which he seemed to imply that Stallion was lying about the event. Stallion clapped back, accusing Drake of “attaching weak conspiracy theories in bars to my name,” according to CBS News.

Evidence proves that Stallion was telling the truth about the 2020 incident. To accuse someone of lying about a gun attack is victim blaming, which could serve as a valid reason to consider cutting Drake out of your listening habits. It appears that many don’t consider this a “bad enough” offense, however, because Drake remains a chart-topping musician, and many people continue to add him to their playlists.

Tyler the Creator has been scrutinized by the public for including homophobic and misogynistic lyrics in his songs. He has never apologized for his behavior, and continues to state that he is ‘only joking’ when making these comments.

Showing your continued support for someone who has an obligation to apologize to a group of people and refuses to do so shows that you value that music more than the dignity of the group of people that is being discriminated against.

Another group that is frequently ridiculed within the music industry is those with disabilities. In 2021, musician Sia wrote and produced a movie titled “Music,” which gained much attention for being ableist and mocking people with autism. The film portrayed harmful stereotypes and used language that is no longer used by the autistic community.

The cases of Drake, Tyler the Creator and Sia have much more nuance than the rest, which is true for many musicians in the industry. Celebrities are humans too, and no person is perfect. Your favorite musician has likely made a mistake at some point in their career, and it is your responsibility to determine whether or not you feel comfortable continuing your support.

Everytime you stream an artist’s music, they get a portion of that money generated from the streaming service. Therefore, continuing to listen to these artists shows that you not only support their actions, but support them enough that you are willing to give them money. The only way to continue listening to an artist’s music without them making a profit from it is if you already own their record or CD. What happens if that artist is no longer alive to profit off of their music, or can no longer harm people? Michael Jackson, for example, allegedly abused children for years and yet many people continue to stream “Thriller” every Halloween.

According to the National Public Radio (NPR), Sony now owns the rights to Jackson’s music. If this potential child molester is no longer profiting off of his music sales, does that make it okay to support him and listen to his music?

While we should be conscious of the musicians we listen to, some of the responsibility is also on the major streaming services. Other big corporations, including Nike, have dropped artists for making offensive comments. So why isn’t Spotify doing more to ensure these artist’s are held accountable for their actions?

The morality of creating a simple playlist continues to become an increasingly daunting task as musicians’ bad behaviors come to light. People are allowed to make some mistakes, but how they handle those mistakes matters.

If a musician does something that can be forgiven, but never demonstrates remorse for their actions, continuing to support them means you are enabling that behavior, increasing the chances that they aren’t going to fix or change it.

Many of these musicians think that just because they’re popular, they can get away with anything. It is the listener’s responsibility to show them that actions have consequences. When people change their listening habits, it shows the artists that there are repercussions for their actions and can bring them down to earth.

Making the choice of whether or not to show your continued support for an artist is a difficult but necessary decision to make. At the end of the day, you have to acknowledge that if you continue to support artists that have encouraged discrimination or caused harm to people, then you are contributing to that problem.

All people make mistakes, including your favorite musician. But with power and influence so great, a minor mistake can harm many people. So next time you’re making a playlist, consider: are you willing to sacrifice your morals just to stream a song?

February 2023 | 19

feature..

GOFIGURE

BY ZAHRA PARSONS PRINT CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sophomore Caroline Weber and junior DeeDee Cohen figure skate for Carriage Club, and find that the sport increases their communication and athletic skills, as well as helps them form new relationships.

“T

he ice…is yours,” a deep voice echoes through the loudspeakers in the stands as sophomore Caroline Weber glides to the center circle of the ice rink. The multicolored LED lights that line the rails reflect off of her gold sequin leotard, and music begins to fill the arena. Her number spans around two minutes, and she signals the end with a bow as cheers erupt in the audience, most notably from her parents.

Weber began skating in second grade, and participated in various different high-level events, such as state and regional competitions. She now practices and performs at her country club, Carriage Club, which offers both private and group lessons under professional instructors.

“I did it very intensely for a very long time. I would go before school, after school, on weekends. I would travel for competitions,” Weber said.

“And then once I got to high school I stopped competing, but at Carriage Club I’m at the highest level with a few other girls.”

Junior Deedee Cohen also skates at Carriage Club, and started the sport at 10 years old after joining the club and being inspired by her brother’s hockey career.

“We joined Carriage Club, and my brother played hockey so I grew up around that, and I thought it would be fun to try since my friends were doing it,” Cohen said.

Both girls train twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and sessions span for various amounts of time depending on the specific numbers they practice.

Their season starts in late November, and closes with a professionally-choreographed Ice Show in February, where skaters perform various numbers that they have learned in training.

This year’s show is cinema-themed, meaning the numbers are inspired by various films. The main performance, Theatre, combines acting with dance and skating, and will be based on the movie “Elvis.”

“Theatre is like the big performance with

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everybody in it. It’s huge, and it’s really, really cool to be in,” Weber said. “It ranges anywhere between 24 and 30 [people] and it’s more of a synchronized number. It’s usually around 10 or 11 minutes. It can be terrifying because you do a big pinwheel and everyone’s pulling. You link arms and spin, and then at the end there’s people that lift their heels up.”

Combined with difficult skills and routines, harsh weather conditions and lack of protective clothing can make practices and performances considerably grueling.

“For costumes, you have tights and a leotard and that’s it, so it gets to be freezing. Last year especially was really cold outside, too,” Cohen said. “Also, what’s really stressful sometimes is when you have a quick change in between numbers.”

In addition to the large group routine, they also have smaller duets and solo numbers at the show, increasing the amount of changes necessary.

“One year, I had five numbers in a 20 number show,” Weber said. “There’s a quick-change tent, and they try to put heaters out there but it’s really cold and you’re just changing as fast as you can. It definitely builds character.”

The lessons learned from the challenges and complexities of figure skating have translated to several aspects of their lives.

The fluctuating nature of their practice schedule has helped them learn to manage their time efficiently and balance multiple timeconsuming activities.

“I’ll try to get all of my homework and things done before Wednesday if I have things that are due so then I have to do them Wednesday night, because that’s when we have later practice. It kind of sucks, but you can get it all done,” Cohen said.

Figure skating requires various physical strengths and abilities, including balance, coordination, joint and muscle health, flexibility and endurance.

“It’s definitely helped me in other sports. In tennis, I have more balance and better footwork, and I’m able to keep my posture better,” Weber said. “I’m definitely going to use it for the rest of my life.”

The sport’s benefits are multifaceted; it teaches interpersonal skills and the ability to be confident in front of others.

“I love to perform. It helps me with being able to present without being nervous and to communicate,” Weber said. “It helps me in real life because I use those skills every day. I use my presentation and people skills, because you have to be out there and have a personality when you perform.”

The most important element among the various skills and lessons they take away from the sport is the ability to grow their personal confidence and strengthen relationships with others through their shared passion.

“Every time you do it, you get a little bit more confident and a little bit less nervous,” Weber said. “You go out there and you know everybody, it’s everyone you’ve grown up with. They’re celebrating and hyping you up, and you just feel really good.”

feature

February 2023 | 21

opinion.

NEW YEAR NEW WHO? T

hree….Two…One…Happy new year! Congratulations, you have completed a rotation around the sun! Now make a list of goals for the year, and make sure you stick to them!

That’s normally how the new year goes.

But is there a point in actually doing that? I don’t see a point in making a list of things to do just because it’s a new year. Why is it so hyped up to make bigger goals for yourself around the new year?

Often new year’s resolutions don’t last. They give people a false sense of motivation, promote toxic shortterm productivity and are overall ineffective.

There are constantly moments when people need change in their life. It can be that you need to drink more water or take mental health days in order to relax. Those changes are beneficial all year round, so why wait until the new year to start? Why can’t you apply these changes as soon as possible to make life better? Though change may be scary, it can still be good.

Nobody wants to end up in the same repeating cycle of toxic or unhealthy behavior.

Many people set resolutions to improve their physical

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health, such as losing weight and eating healthily. According to Forbes Health 39% of people’s New Year’s resolutions had to do with improving fitness, and 37% were about losing weight. A big motivator for these resolutions is holiday weight gain, which seems to often be because people make hasty decisions, and have poor planning skills. The resolution ends up being something that was rushed like, “lose 25 pounds by the end of the year” with no clear way of achieving the goal.

Businesses take advantage of new year’s resolutions to promote their products or services. Beauty salons announce discounts on procedures such as eyebrow threading and lip fillers.

A new year means lots of people rush to make their new year’s resolutions, but are these resolutions really benefiting them or are the effects only in their head?

BY GENESIS MARTINEZ PORRAS A&E AND NEWS & SPORTS EDITOR

Coolsculpting studios give new discounts for new customers who want to make multiple appointments for procedures to lose weight. Gyms make new year’s membership offers.

For example, planet fitness offered a $1 down payment and then $10 a month. They are only supporting the first month of new year’s resolutions for people who say they are changing their lifestyle for the new year. They aren’t really helping set a long term goal.

The expectation to be the perfect person for the new year is an unrealistic expectation that is not sustainable. According to CNN, 80% of people admittingly quit their new year’s resolution by the end of February. This is due to people’s failure to plan. Most people’s new year’s resolutions are not “smart goals,” meaning they are not measurable, achievable, relevant or specific, and can’t be achieved in a timely manner.

A healthier alternative to the typical new year’s resolutions is to set a “smart goal,” and not just around the new year, but at any point throughout the year when you feel you need to make a change in your life and habits.

the fame is in the name

opinion

Nepotism has given many Hollywood stars an easier path to fame.

BY ELLE SIMON WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

T

he world is obsessed with the lives of celebrities and their families. The infatuation ranges from practically worshipping the ground they walk on to destroying the careers of others who make one miniscule mistake. Now, the rage of the general public is directed towards celebrities with no control over what they’re being harassed for: nepotism.

Nepotism is an advantage or favor given to relatives, friends or associates of those in power in a certain field of practice. Commonly associated with nepotism is the term “nepo babies.” Nepo babies are people whose relatives are well known and have achieved great success in their field.

When talking about nepotism in Hollywood, the biggest discussion is ‘does nepotism outweigh talent?’

Many nepo babies choose to pursue a career in the same field that their parents have, and New York Magazine’s Dec. 19, 2022 cover story discussed the idea of the “it” factor being hereditary as reasoning for why so many children of celebrities follow in their parents’ footsteps.

Similar to being born with natural athleticism, some nepo babies are born with an inherent talent for doing what their parents do or take after the traits their parents have. Take actress Kate Hudson for example: she’s the daughter of musician Bill Hudson and actress Goldie Hawn, and is a phenomenal actress herself.

Many times, nepo babies will make their debut in projects or industries that their parents have had some part in.

In a 1997 issue of Vanity Fair, author Fran Lebowitz wrote, “Getting in the door is pretty much the entire game, especially in movie acting.”

Nepo babies are born with their foot already in the door. Their last names provide them opportunities that aspiring actors, singers and models from typical backgrounds might never see.

Besides connections, the unlimited financial support their mega-rich parents can provide benefits nepo babies first starting their career. Living in the big cities where rising stars tend to find their big breaks is expensive. Without a significant source of income, it’s difficult to start in the entertainment business.

As beneficial as nepotism is for children of Hollywood insiders, the privilege that results from it can also be the reason their career doesn’t take off.

The sense of entitlement that some nepo babies carry around is detrimental to how they are perceived by the

walk of fame Here are some “nepo babies” deserving of your attention.

public and the people who are hiring them.

In an interview with New York Magazine, an anonymous casting director said, in reference to an actress with famous parents, “There was something else that walked in the room with her. Like, ‘My parents are famous, and I’m here because somebody told me to meet you.’”

Since New York Magazine released their story, many of Hollywood’s nepo babies have released snarky comments or become defensive in response to their privilege being called out. Bono’s daughter, Eve Hewson, commented “jealous” on New York Magazine’s Instagram post announcing the story.

Model Hailey Bieber was paparazzied wearing a t-shirt printed with the words “nepo baby.”

“The nepotism thing… I mean I don’t really care,” Hudson said in an interview with The Independent. “I don’t care where you come from or what your relationship to the business is—if you work hard and you kill it, it doesn’t matter.”

Hudson has a good point.

Many of the nepo babies who have found success in the industry deserve what they have accomplished. Most of them had to work hard and continuously succeed to get where they are. The issue with nepo babies is their lack of acknowledgement that their path to fame was made easier by the families they came from and the pre-existing relationships they had.

Nepotism is hard to avoid and it’s always going to play a role in Hollywood, but that doesn’t mean that nepo babies haven’t worked hard to achieve what they have accomplished. All that is needed is the simple acknowledgment from those who benefit from nepotism that their path to fame was made easier by their last name.

jennifer aniston

lily collins

maya hawke

Father: John Aniston Mother: Nancy Dow

Father: Phil Collins Mother: Jill Tavelman

Father: Ethan Hawke Mother: Uma Thurman

PHOTO | PBS COMMUNICATIONS ON FLICKR

PHOTO | 1000GIRLS ON FLICKR

PHOTO | WHO’S DATED WHO ON FLICKR

February 2023 | 23

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backstage baddie Drama teacher Maggie Killian has many more amazing careers than your average teacher.

BY CLAIRE BOMA EDITORIALS EDITOR

T

TEN POINTS TO KILLIAN Drama teacher Maggie Killian dresses as Professor McGonagall from the novel series and film franchise “Harry Potter” for an event. She also wore the costume on senior night at this year’s musical “Little Women.”

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here are plenty of perks to working a traditional nine to five, but for Theater Tech teacher Maggie Killian, an office job is not the way to go. Instead, she pursues a plethora of careers in the world of performance and theater.

“I have always known I’ve wanted to teach theater, but when I got to college, I realized having a degree in theater education is a bit limiting,” Killian said. “A lot of theater teachers end up teaching a theater class as well as another class like English, which I knew wasn’t something I wanted to do.”

Her life was forever changed when she took her first technical theater class, where she realized her passion was not just performing, but working with her hands behind the scenes.

“Initially after college, I used my degree to work for private theater companies both in performance and in tech,” she said. “My degree is in technical theater, but I was trained as a performer in my childhood so I floated back and forth between the two.”

She continues to balance a variety of jobs in both performance and technical theater. Her jobs include puppeteering, character acting, mascoting, scenic painting, modeling and teaching at Sion. She also has a website where she sells her art and promotes her work.

“The benefit of such a diverse lifestyle is that I’m never bored,” Killian said. “I thrive on being able to do all the different gigs.”

A life in the arts is not always fun and games. Jobs often don’t last very long, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, most theaters and performance groups shut down, putting many, like Killian, out of work.

“The biggest disadvantage in creative fields is that you will always be hustling and you might be poor,” Killian said.

Despite the challenges that come with working in the arts, Killian is constantly looking towards the future with a positive attitude.

“Mrs. Killian is so passionate about what she does, it really rubs off on you and makes you happy,” junior Hannah Lange said.

In the six years Killian has worked for Sion, her creative influence has significantly bolstered the fine arts department. Killian’s outside experience brings many new and innovative ideas to Sion Theater. Her creative set and costume designs, as well as her invaluable acting advice, truly pull Sion’s productions together.

“Creativity breeds creativity. If I’m doing a performance gig, it might inspire me for something else,” she said. “If I see something that someone else has designed or that I worked on on a set, I might think that it would be advantageous to use it here at Sion.”

Her dedication to teaching and Sion’s productions makes her a favorite among students, and inspires many young women to follow their dreams.

“The Sion theater community, and Sion in general, would be at a loss without her,” senior Lauren Millard said.

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stage painter puppet character master actress In addition to her many other fun jobs, Killian also works as mascots or interactive characters for parties and other special events.

“I had the opportunity to take some non-traditional acting classes,” Killian said. “And I realized that I really loved playing roaming characters and interacting with the audience.”

From the Kansas City Mavericks mascot, Cheese, and “Paw Patrol” characters to Wonder Woman and Professor McGonagall, Killian has performed as a variety of interactive characters for many diverse events.

She enjoys performing without the limitation of the fourth wall.

“I would rather do something where I can roam around in character than be on a proscenium stage,” Killian said.

This character work can be very difficult because nothing is scripted.

All of Killian’s actions have to be spontaneous and authentic to the character.

“Sometimes I embarrass myself while performing,” Killian said. “But that’s part of my job. I love that I can just go out there and be a goofball.”

When thinking of a job in performance, most don’t immediately think of puppetry, and neither did Killian. “[Puppetry] is a more recent career development,” she said. “I came to it a few years ago. I was scene painting for Stone Lion Theater, and they found out I had done mascots, so they told me I could also do backpack puppets.”

Backpack puppets are large contraptions that are worn above the body and are attached to the performer via a backpack. The backpack has straps that attach the arms and legs of the puppet to the performers’ arms and legs.

Puppetry requires a lot of training and complex stage directions. Not only does Killian have to memorize how the puppet is supposed to move and speak, but what she needs to do to make the puppets portray those actions, which is about as complicated as one would imagine.

“A lot of it is experimenting. I ask myself, can I make this puppet wave?” Killian said.

“How does this puppet look when they’re hungry? You do a lot of learning and experimenting to put on a puppet show and develop your character”

Killian’s longest standing, and most loved, career is scenic painting.

A scenic painter’s job is to take a design from a small scale or reference image and make it life sized.

The job involves a lot of creativity when it comes to designing painting techniques or assembling certain pieces to create a uniform set that matches the designer’s vision.

“I started scenic painting in college,” she said. “I went to college to get a degree in performance but I was required to take some tech classes. After taking a couple, I realized that working with my hands was what I wanted to be doing.”

Killian has painted and designed many sets throughout her career for productions at Sion, the Kansas City Lyric Opera, Blue Lion Theater and many more.

“Some [designers] are very specific and tell you the exact details, and others show you an image and just say ‘I want it to look something like this,’” Killian said.

“You work with a lot of different designers and collaborate to bring someone else’s vision to life.”

PHOTO SUBMISSION | Maggie Killian

February 2023 | 25

A&E..

The Galentine’s Guide Are you wondering how to best spend your Valentine’s Day? Here is a guide to a sweet treat to bake and romantic movies to watch.

BY COPY EDITORS ELLA ALEXANDER AND LILY WILKIN

ILLUSTRATION | ELLA ALEXANDER

This modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew” is centered around a highschool romance coming of age story. It is a satirization of the classic highschool experience with a completely unhelpful guidance counselor, the dumb popular girls, and the misogynistic jocks. Pair that with an overprotective father of opposite daughters and a bad boy with a heart of gold,

and you get the most cliche yet most entertaining movie on this list. This movie has about every cliche you can think of.

However, don’t mistake cliche for boring. Each twist and turn, while somewhat expected, leaves the viewer entranced by the story and dying of laughter. I adored this movie, and if someone doesn’t serenade me to the song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” like Patrick Verona (Heath

This film was adorable and comedic. Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) is a journalist for a magazine, and her latest assignment is to write an article informing readers about how to lose a guy in 10 days. Her goal is to do exactly that: start dating a guy and then scare him off in 10 days time. Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey)

is an advertising executive and accepts a bet requiring him to make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days in order to secure a valuable campaign for a diamond company. Benjamin’s rivals tell him to get Andie to fall for him, and, not knowing about her article, he agrees. This movie is the funniest one I’ve watched on this list. Andie pulls one

Ledger) serenading Kat Stratford (Julie Stiles) on the soccer field, then I don’t want it.

Critic’s review Sion’s review OUT OF 56 POLL RESPONDERS

ridiculous thing after another in an attempt to make Ben dump her and yet, out of determination to win his bet, he still refuses to break up with her.

Critic’s review Sion’s review OUT OF 41 POLL RESPONDERS

ILLUSTRATION | ELLA ALEXANDER

ILLUSTRATION | ELLA ALEXANDER

ILLUSTRATION | ELLA ALEXANDER

26 | LeJournal

In ‘The Kissing Booth,’ Elle Evans (Joey King) is incredibly naive and “not like other girls,” and it made me cringe throughout the entire film. The whole plot of this movie is centered around Elle and her best friend Lee Flynn (Joel Courtney) making a kissing booth to raise money for the school. Along the way, Elle has a huge crush on Lee’s brother Noah (Jacob Elordi), which is apparently “forbidden” in their friendship rules. This is really strange because you

definitely shouldn’t be required to follow strict rules in any kind of relationship, at least not stupid ones like these. My main problem with this film is the relationship between Elle and Noah. This is supposed to be the cliche bad boy, forbidden romance relationship, but it just fell short because of the way that Noah acted. In most bad boy movies, the so-called “bad boy” has a soft spot for the female protagonist, but Noah always acted like a horrible person to Elle except for at the end.

How many rom-coms can Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star in together? From the storytelling to the acting, everything about this film was incredible. Joe Fox (Hanks) and Kathleen Kelly (Ryan) are at odds. Fox is opening his big-name book store next to Kelly’s locally owned “shop around the corner.” The story starts with Kelly receiving an email in her inbox from her online friend. They chat online until the workday begins. Both carry on with their day, unaware

of who the other person is and oftentimes passing each other on the street. However, after Fox opens his giant bookstore, it puts Kelly out of business.

Kelly despises Joe Fox yet seeks comfort in her online friend who is, ironically, Joe Fox. This is my favorite movie on this list. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did, but the complexity of the storytelling and the irony and misunderstandings throughout the whole plot left me on the edge of my seat. The point of the

Another extremely cringe worthy part of this movie is the big kiss scene. Why is their height difference so bad? Noah literally looks like a dinosaur compared to Elle. If you’ve never seen this movie, don’t. Please just save yourself from the pain.

Critic’s review Sion’s review OUT OF 76 POLL RESPONDERS

film is that the viewer knows the secret but the characters don’t, and watching it play out was hilarious. The only issue with it was how both Fox and Kelly were in committed relationships at the time, and the film romanticized cheating.

Critic’s review Sion’s review OUT OF 24 POLL RESPONDERS

A&E

Making Macarons Here is an easy recipe to bake a sweet treat for Valentine’s Day. 1. Weigh out all ingredients with a food scale. It’s important that you use a scale because if measurements are off it could mess the macarons up.

2. Make a double boiler with a saucepan and a heat safe bowl. Put a small amount of water in the pan and bring it to a low simmer.

3. Place the sugar and egg whites in the bowl and whisk until white and frothy.

Try to whisk constantly so you don’t cook the egg white.

4. Take the mixture off the heat when you can stick your finger in and don’t feel the individual sugar grains.

5. Place the mixture in a stand mixer, and whisk until you reach stiff peaks (should take around five minutes).

6. Once you reach stiff peaks, carefully fold in the powdered sugar and almond flour. This is also where you can add any food coloring, if desired.

7. Using a spatula, fold everything together until you can pick the spatula up out of the mixture and it flows off the spatula at a consistent rate (do not overmix).

8. Get a piping bag, or you can use a Ziploc bag and cut a hole on one of the corners, and fill it with your mixture (make sure you wait until after you put the mixture in to cut the hole).

9. On a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, pipe circles that are about the size of a dollar coin. It is okay if they aren’t all the exact same size (gives them some character).

10. Let them dry out until you can touch the tops of the shells without anything sticking to your finger. While the macaron shells are drying, preheat your oven to 310 degrees.

11. Bake for 10-15 minutes, making sure to rotate the baking sheet every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.

You will know that they are done when they have deepened in color and have formed “feet” (meaning the bottoms have risen).

12. Let shells cool until completely cool.

While they are cooling, use your mixer to cream the butter for the frosting.

13. Once the butter has lightened in color and become creamy, add in your powdered sugar and almond flour and mix until it has reached your desired consistency. This is also when you would add milk, if too thick. You can also add any food coloring or extracts.

14. Add frosting to another piping bag (or Ziploc). Pipe frosting onto the flat part of a macaron shell and place another shell on top. Repeat until you have all of your macarons!

Enjoy!

Ingredients: 100 grams egg whites 100 grams granulated white sugar 105 grams almond flour 105 grams powdered sugar Food coloring of your choice (I used red gel) Almond Buttercream Frosting: 2 cups powdered sugar 1/4 cup almond flour 6 tbsp softened butter 1 tsp almond extract (or any other extract) 1-2 tbsp milk (only if necessary) Difficulty: Enjoyment: End result:

Awkward Romance Sion students sent in some of their most embarrasing romance stories.

They tried to kiss me, but I went in for a hug!

When I was in middle school I liked a guy. We were just friends and continued to talk until sophomore year. I stopped liking him after 8th grade. But I asked him to winter formal (because I didn’t want to go alone). A week later I found out he had a girlfriend. It was really awkward because one of my friends told me and he didn’t want me to know.

A guy took me on a date to Andy’s and I can’t even have ice cream so I had to get root beer. Root beer. At Andy’s.

I didn’t get crushes very often, so whenever people asked at sleepovers or something I would always make someone up or name a random classmate.

I was dating this guy and we were on our Valentine’s Day date and he said, “I forgot to get you a valentine’s gift and my breath kinda smells, but how about a kiss instead?” AND I FREAKING DID. It was terrible. Side note, I broke up with him two weeks later.

I lip synced a song to someone I wanted to ask out.

PHOTO | LILY WILKIN

February 2023 | 27

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A TikTok-inspired bingo card of 2023 predictions.

BY CLAIRE BOMA EDITORIAL EDITOR

n g o

b

i

Pop punk fashion revival

Schreiber adopts a dog

Debbie Ryan launches makeup brand

Shane Dawson goes missing

French tip pedicures become trendy

New “Twilight” movie announced

Tom Holland & Zendaya engagement

US government bans TikTok

Sion soccer wins state

Beyoncé announces pregnancy

Harry Styles is canceled

Sion lacrosse wins more than one game

FREE SPACE

Elon Musk buys the moon

A dog breed gets canceled

Kram joins a motorcycle gang

“Grey’s Anatomy” ends

New Hawaiian island emerges

Mid meets a member of the Rolling Stones

Kanye West is arrested

Taylor Swift adopts another cat

Pete Davidson gets married

Le Flambeau finishes yearbook on time

Justin Bieber gets a bowl cut

Canada invades Maine