The
LEDGER Issue 1
October 9, 2018
W t Do Y o ha u
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Vol. 6
LIBERTY LEDGER
Content
4 News
Volume 6 Issue 1
The Hate U Give More than 30 teachers read “The Hate U Give” for the new Teacher Book Club.
6 Feature
Editors Olivia Holler* Chasteanne Salvosa* Alyssa Bailey*
Living the Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience A look on what life is like for an exchange student here at Liberty.
8 In-Depth
Conspiracy Theories Read about students’ obsessions with conspiracy theories and find out what they’re about.
10 Feature
Roger the Rooster’s Journey to Liberty Learn all about Roger the Rooster and what it’s doing at Liberty.
12 Homecoming
The Greatest Homecoming on Earth Take a glance at what homecoming was like.
Design Editor Jessica Gibson*
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Opinion
Intentions
Content | lhstoday.org design by: m.bartels
Credentials
The Liberty Ledger is a publication that releases 4 issues (one per quarter) throughout the year, distributing 1,000 free copies to the student body, faculty and administration of Liberty High School as well as the surrounding Wentzville and Lake St. Louis communities.
20 Sports
Sports Update An update on how the sports teams are doing so far this fall.
LHS Today: LHSToday.org
18 Sports 2
Letters to all editors can be submitted in room 239, emailed or mailed to Liberty. All letters must be signed. Limit letters you wish to be published to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space requirements and libelous material to the discretion of the editors. If you have a news story idea or comment, please contact us in room 239.
*Each editor also serves as a reporter
Saved by the Bell Co Editor-in-Chief Chasteanne Salvosa gives her take on the tardy policy.
Inside the Nest An insight on how the Eagles Nest is run.
Reacting
Reporters McKenzie Bartels, Shae Bowsher, Emma Hankins, Olivia Holler, Nicholas Howard, Brooke Huffman, Lauren Polydys, Melana Quarles, Caleb Woods
14 Entertainment
Exploring Beauty Products From pallets to skin care, we look at some new favorites.
The Ledger magazine is a part of the district’s curriculum and is designed to provide a practical journalistic experience for written expression on a variety of topics. It is a student-led publication class that reports on stories relatable to the school community. Students write, take photos and design the publication and the adviser will supervise the student journalists. The opinions expressed in this magazine may not be those of Liberty, nor the Wentzville R-IV School District, faculty, staff or administration. The main editorial, when included, expresses the opinion of the Liberty editorial staff.
Twitter: @LHSJourn
The Liberty Ledger is a member of the Sponsors of Student Publications of Greater St. Louis.
Advertising
To further facilitate the space available for student writing, advertising will not be offered in the Liberty Ledger.
Upcoming Events OCTOBER 10: PSAT Testing 10: Seniors Cap & Gown Information Day 12: Early Release 12: Varsity Football Game @ FZE 7 p.m. 13: Band Competition 13: Future Belles Dance Clinic 15: No School, PD Day 16: Choir concert @ 7 p.m. 17: CAPS and Lewis & Clark Presentation 19: Pink Night 23: Festival of the Choirs- 6:30-8:30 p.m. 25: No School 26: No School 27: Band of America Super Regional Finals 31: Halloween NOVEMBER 1: Club pictures 5: Late Start 10: Holiday Bazaar - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 15-17: Footloose Musical @ 7 p.m. 21-23: No School - Thanksgiving Break
Coming Together
New Liberty club hopes to show kindness towards everyone by Olivia Holler Co-Editor-in-Chief
and Ms. Borders is the sponsor. They started the club because they wanted to recognize students desire to feel welcome and valued. “There is a combined effort from LHS Admin, faculty and staff to recognize students’ desire to feel safe, welcome, and valued and we wanted student input from all grade levels who are willing to learn, listen, and led to promote our motto ‘diversity + unity= Liberty’,” Ms. Borders said. photo by o. holler They meet after school every second Diversity club meets every second Thursday of each month and is a Thursday of each month in Ms. Borders’ great way to make friendships with all different kinds of people. room. There are approximately 76 students involved in the club. Diversity Club is new to Liberty and is Ms. Borders and the students involved an opportunity to create friendships and gain learning, teaching and most importantly a knowledge about other students ethnicities, embracing the differences in each other. gender identities and abilities. “I am most looking forward to being able “We help spread culture and raise to meet new people and show people that skin awareness all around the school, every different color does not define who you are,” senior Zoee month we celebrate something different to Harrington said. make everyone feel welcome,” junior Tai Students work on activities, talk and learn Williams said. about each other in meetings and outside of Williams is the president of Diversity Club school.
Sept. 15-Oct. 15 Diversity Club is Spanish Heritage meeting dates if you are interested in Month and 25 getting involved: students have the opportunity to Oct. 18 participate in the “Dia Nov. 8 De Muertos” (Day of Dec. 13 Jan 24 the Dead) at the Art Feb. 14 Museum. March 21 “Focused Nominations for officers committees of for 2020 must occur at this meeting. students will partner with local resources to plan activities, lessons and meaningful New Clubs experiences to Tower Garden Club educate and bring Sponsor: Ms. Pizzo everyone together Art Club while celebrating Sponsor: Mr. Weis differences,” Ms. Come Together Borders said. Sponsor: Ms. Diversity club Rustemeyer is not only a good way to make friendships but to dig deeper into what makes each of us unique.
Everybody Cut Footloose Liberty’s next musical is taking the stage Nov. 15-17 by Brooke Huffman Reporter
Liberty’s thespians are buzzing with energy after the posting of the cast list for Liberty’s newest musical, “Footloose”. Filled with familiar faces from the cast of Liberty’s production of “Little Women” and those new to the theater program, the cast is bursting with talent. The leads consist of Ren McCormack played by junior Wesley Nichols, Ariel Moore played by junior Emily Gann and Reverend Shaw Moore played by senior Cameron Jones. “I love the responsibility of having all of lines to memorize, and the songs to memorize because it’s for something I’m so passionate about,” Jones said. “Little Women was really somber and sad, but Footloose seems to be really upbeat, energetic, and exciting.” Behind the scenes are stage managers senior Cat Frank, junior Drew Goodman and sophomore Evan Mantz. All were behind the curtain during “Little Women,” Goodman assisting with props and Mantz and Frank working deck crew.
“I was very excited and I know it’s a huge musical, so I’m a little bit nervous too. Footloose is going to be very fun though, I can’t wait for everyone to see it,” Mantz said. Rehersals have already begun and the show is moving at lightning speed. With more than 90 students in the show on and off stage, it’s set to be Liberty’s biggest production yet. “I’m nervous and excited to do such a big show, but I think this is going to be fantastic for our program,” director and theater teacher Ms. Gehrke said. This is Gehrke’s first production as a theatre teacher here at Liberty, though she has helped with past shows. “There’s a lot of moving pieces but we have a lot of help with our crew, and we have this amazing team of people that I think are gonna pull it off,” Gehrke said. Footloose’s opening night is set for Nov. 15th and will run until the 17th. News | lhstoday.org design by: m.bartels
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They Don’t Only Assign Reading, They Do It Too More than 30 teachers read “The Hate U Give” for a new Teacher Book Club by Melana Quarles Reporter
“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.” - Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give News | lhstoday.org
4 design by: a.bailey
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artwork by k. graville
“I think it’s genius in that it expands my perspective on life challenges, people and cultures. There is no better way to understand someone’s situation than through a narrative or story.” -Ms. Hall
ave you noticed the signs in the hallway that say “This teacher is reading:”? If you have, you probably have also noticed that they all are reading “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. Ms. Oliva, who is Liberty’s library media specialist, created the school’s first ever staff book club. The staff members who sign up will receive the book (to keep) and are invited to attend the meetings where there will be food. Besides the fact that it is a great book, “The Hate U Give” was chosen for other reasons as well. “We are focused on trying to examine the lives of characters that have trauma because a big part of our professional development is trying to become more trauma informed as a staff, so I thought, let’s actually explore what that looks like, so we can better understand young people who have experienced trauma,” Oliva said. “The Hate U Give” is about Starr Carter who is constantly switching between two worlds - the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is soon shattered when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer. Facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and decide to stand up for what’s right. “The Hate U Give” is also a movie set to be released in theatres Oct. 5. Out of the many teachers that are reading the book, Spanish teacher Ms. Tock is one of them. “This book is highly recommended by Ms. Oliva,” Ms. Tock said. “We are becoming trauma informed at our school, and I know this story talks about a really traumatic event that happened in a students life so hopefully I can read it and start to relate to my students who are having similar issues.” “The Hate U Give” is described as a “life changing book” by Ms. Oliva and Ms. Dotson. “It’s one of those books where I feel like if someone said what’s a book you wish every person would read that one is on the top of my list,” Oliva said. This book is also being read by many students. For many participants the club gives them not only professional gain but personal gain as well. “Reading helps me to relax. I have a hard time sitting and settling down but when I have a book, I can escape and be in the moment,” Ms. Hall said. Ms. Hall has finished the book and loved the story. “I think it’s genius in that it expands my perspective on life challenges, people and cultures. There is no better way to understand someone’s situation than through a narrative or story,” Hall said. The turnout for the club has been so good that soon students might be able to do it as well. “There’s like 40 teachers in our book club which is huge,” Oliva said. “We were expecting that sort of reaction, and we have such positive feedback from teachers reading the book, and we may end up using that as a option for a student book club after the teachers are done with it.” The club’s first meeting will be held in the middle of October.
Showcasing Liberty
The latest addition to the trophy case represents more than just athletes
photo by j. gibson The display is part of a larger project, the rebranding of Liberty High School. As our school grows, the amount of clubs and activities grow as well, which are just as much a part of Liberty as any sport.
by Brooke Huffman Reporter Walking into school, students may have noticed a new addition to the trophy case. Courtesy of Mr. Weis, Ms. Wilke, Mr. Eldredge and Dr. Kiely, a recent photo display has been put together to showcase Liberty students. Pictures were selected from student photographers such as sophomore Julia Fallert and junior Eric Mason that displayed a wide variety of activities here at Liberty. “It’s really cool to finally have something I’m passionate about published to where everybody can see,” Fallert said. The trophy case was primarily focused on athletic students, but since the addition of the photo display many more students are represented. Showcasing activities such as band, choir, even everyday classes gives students an opportunity to be seen. “So when it came time to choosing from hundreds of photographs Dr. Kiely and I, along with Ms. Wilke and Mr. Eldredge, made sure that the display represented a very wide swath of Liberty students, and it was not just supposed to be athletes,” Weis said. “ Yes, the trophy case for the last six years has represented the athletic achievements, but we wanted to make sure we took into consideration the different parts of the school like clubs and activities and try not to necessarily concentrate the display
on athletic achievements, but just overall achievements throughout the building.” The display is part of a larger project, the rebranding of Liberty High School. As our school grows, the amount of clubs and activities grow as well, which are just as much a part of Liberty as any sport. “As we began to rebrand ourselves, which is really what we’re doing right now, the display is just one indication of what we’re trying to do, which is to serve all of the students in this building.” Weis said. “One of the reasons I’m very proud of that display is because of the variety of students shown. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and the athletes, kids in classrooms, these photos tell the whole story of who we are.” Sophomore Abby Shields, whose photo appears in the display, was happily surprised when her friend pointed her out. “I made so many amazing memories in band last year, and seeing that picture every day reminds me of all the fun that we had,” Shields said. The display, located in the trophy case at the front of the school, is really just the beginning in this new era of Liberty, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.
On Display “I was like, ‘Wow I made such an impact at my school,’ to see my photo up in the middle. I was just surprised, and just grateful, because not everybody can have that, you know? And I had a lot of people come up to me and say, ‘What made you get up there?’ and ‘How’d you get up there?’ and ‘What did you do to get that?’ I was just surprised.” - junior Damonya Jones
“My first impression...I saw it whenever I was leaving, and I saw it and I was like, ‘Wow, I am on like, the front part of the school.’ I was so surprised and really proud of myself.” - sophomore Joe Simon News | lhstoday.org design by: a.bailey
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Living the Once In A Lifetime Experience Lucia Cancian comes all the way from Italy to spend a year at Liberty
photo provided by Lucia Cancian
by Lauren Polydys Reporter
Most people can’t say they spent one year of high school in a country they have never been to before. But at the end of this year, senior Lucia Cancian can say she has. Cancian is a foreign exchange student from Italy who is spending her fourth year of high school at Liberty. You might be thinking why don’t we just say she is a senior. Well, in Italy students spend five years in high school instead of four. “Schools are very different in Italy than they are here,” Cancian said. In Italian schools, students do not get to choose their subjects. They go to a school that majors in whatever subject they would most like to pursue. Cancian went to a high school that focused on foreign languages. She can now fluently speak four languages: English, Italian, French and German. Some of her classes at Liberty include AP German, AP French, and AP Literature and Composition. AP Literature teacher, Ms. T-O, talks about Cancian’s knowledge of English and her experience with teaching that to a foreign exchange student. “Her command of English is really strong. She hasn’t needed a lot of interventions yet,” Ms. T-O said. Although Italian schools focus on one subject, they still teach the basic subjects such as math and science as well. She also says that instead of students moving in between each class, the teachers move. This way students end up staying with the same class for five years. “In Italy, your life as a student is focused on school. We study a lot,” Cancian said. Italians also separate sports and school. In Cancian’s school, if she wanted to do a sport, she would have to do it outside of school. While she is here at Liberty, she is on the varsity volleyball team and loves it. “I like the feeling of belonging to something,” Cancian said. Cancian had to adjust to the differences in the terms of the game between here and Italy, but she caught on fast. She bonded with the team right away and fell right into the groove of the game. “She brings in a new face and personality to the program,” teammate Cassidy Widlowski said. Schools are not the only things that she says are different. In Turin,
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Feature | lhstoday.org design by: o.holler
there are mountains surrounding the city and it makes it feel more protected. They also do not separate housing and shopping like they do here. Citizens can walk right outside their house and go to a store if they needed to. Cancian decided to become a foreign exchange student because her mom came to America when she was her age, which is why Cancian chose to come here to Liberty. Her current host family is friends of her mom’s former host family and they live in this area. She says her mom was very supportive in her decision to come here. Having been an exchange student herself, her mom knew how much she would learn from this experience. Cancian also traveled here because she wanted to see other parts of the world since she has never been outside of Europe before. To become a foreign exchange student, she used the program AYA (Academic Year in America). AYA is a non-profit organization that supports foster global citizenship to break barriers in international understanding. Through the program she got her visa, found her host family and went through all the required steps to go to school here. When she goes back to Italy after graduation, she will still have one more year of high school and then she will graduate with three diplomas: one for America, one for Italy and then one for France as well because her class gets a double diploma. She will also hopefully be going home with many new friends and amazing experiences to look back on.
photo provided by Lucia Cancian Lucia Cancian visited Italian Association with her mom and sister before she left for the U.S. She was excited for the opportunities ahead of her.
Go Big, Dream Big Senior Albert Edney is elected State Governor for Missouri Boys State by Olivia Holler Co-Editor-in-Chief Perseverance runs in senior Albert Edney’s core, never giving up on anything he does. Over the summer, he attended Missouri Boys State at University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg and was intending to run for governor. He didn’t get elected by his party but he did not let that defeat him. He ran as an independent and won the election. He said he was the third write-in candidate to become governor in Missouri Boys State history. Missouri Boys State is where thousands of boys from all over the state come to not only create a mock government but to gain in understanding of how a real government works. “My first impression of Albert really came out when we just found out the party’s nomination he was really excited as were we all,” Lt. Governor for Boys State, Saketh Dendi said. “Then suddenly the counselor told us that there was actually a tie and Albert would have to be in a run off for our party’s nomination. What really struck me was how composed and calm he was when he heard the news. I was really impressed by the composure he showed in the situation.” Dendi was impressed with how he was able to keep it together even though he didn’t get elected the first time around but that didn’t stop him. “It was a blessing because I actually didn’t get nominated for my party, they chose someone else and I was disappointed. At the same time my friends in my city were encouraging me to run for independent (neither party),” Edney said. His friends were in full support and from that moment on he decided he would run as an independent and try again for state governor. Missouri Boys State is only open to juniors and one can only go one year, so nobody knows what to expect but Edney quickly got into the swing of things and started getting involved early on. “I started by doing stuff in my city and being chairman of certain things like being a part of the state committee and vice chairman of my city party committee from there I started campaigning; I made posters and hung them up the same night,” Edney said.
Edney was hardworking and dedicated to what he was involved in from the start of the election to end of it. “Honestly, I wanted to try something new. I wanted to make the most out of my experience there,” Edney said. “It is a once and a lifetime thing and you only get to go once. I gave it a shot and it paid off.” There was a state rally the same night; Edney worked in a time crunch to write a speech and be prepared to campaign as an independent. “I spoke before the other two and that speech was a banger, I killed it. God spoke through me. It was incredible,” Edney said. Edney’s speech made everyone ecstatic. “Seeing Albert win governor was pretty exciting for me,” senior Carson Brown said. “On the night of the candidates speeches, the Supreme Court was on stage for our confirmation speeches. So I decided to walk over and endorse Albert in front of everybody because I really just wanted to see some support from him. And seeing all the crazy amounts of support people had for him that night was just so fun for everyone there.” Polls were then set up to vote and Edney’s city made a poster as well as made buttons out of Gatorade bottle caps. After all the hard work and bumps along the road, he won state governor. Edney will do participate in various activities throughout the year. He will go to next year’s session, give a State of the State address, he will preside over the next session, do room checks, pass bills etc. Even though Edney went through bumps along the way, his work ethic and persistence paid off.
photos provided by Missouri Boys State The boys at Missouri Boys State were supportive of Albert Edney winning Governor. Throughout the whole entire process of the election, his friends were encouraging.
photo provided by Missouri Boys State Senior Albert Edney ran for Missouri Boys State Governor. He gave a speech to promote why he should be in the Governor position.
“I spoke before the other two and that speech was a banger, I killed it. God spoke through me. It was incredible.” - senior Albert Edney
Feature | lhstoday.org design by: o.holler
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Conspiracy Theories Are they just stories? Or do you believe the hype? Real or not real? What is all the hype about behind them? by Jessica Gibson & Brooke Huffman Reporters
On July 6, 2016, one game in the app store blew up and was played by everyone you came across. Pokemon GO, created by Nianitc, was downloaded by more than 800 million people. For those who grew up collecting Pokemon cards, this was a dream come true, but the real meaning of the app may not be what everyone had expected. The only way to play the game is to turn on your locations, which is how you were able to find Pokemon. You also had to let the app have access to your camera. As the game became more popular, people started to realize how much information they were actually giving away. While playing, the app knows your exact location and maps your surroundings. Users have started to believe the app was actually used and tracked by the government and local police departments. Officers and investigators could easily use the app to track people of threat or to catch someone breaking the law. People had started to realize their phone plans had spiked in data usages. People believe that even when not using the app, the government can still track your location and have access to your camera. People find it strange just how much the app required to know about you.
P o k e m o n
“I think the government could totally be tracking us. That’s a crazy thought, but I think it’s possible.” -freshman Ella Evans
G O
MKUltra was the name for a series of illegal experiments conducted by the CIA from 1953-1973. The goal of these experiments was to discover a way for the CIA to force confessions via mind control. Some think that the CIA succeeded, but is hiding it from the public. We may never know due to the fact that the majority of documents recording the experiment were destroyed, or never found. This means that the several deaths that MK Ultra caused, including the death of Army researcher Frank Olson, cannot be directly linked. According to History.com, this project cost $10 million, roughly about $88 million today. This theory may not be a common one, but it does have several links to pop culture today. Eleven’s mom from the show Stranger Things was an MKUltra test subject, and Netflix has released a mini-series titled Wormwood that depicts the experiments through the eyes of Frank Olson’s son Eric.
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In Depth | lhstoday.org design by: j.gibson
“Woah that’s crazy! There’s no way that could be true!” -junior Nash Gilbo
M K U l t r a
What Is A Conspiracy? Conspiracy theories are in depth and over thought suspicions an individual can have on a topic. A conspiracy theory is a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event. Anyone can believe or create their own theory over a topic. Many times they are lacking in facts.
Why Do Believe Them?
artwork by m. foster
Why Are They So Popular?
Who Creates Them? Society often produces theories that contradict the prevailing understanding of history or simple facts. People look to understand things and create conspiracy theories to have an explanation for something that may not understand. On April 14, 1912, the Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean. The sinking of the ship caused 1,503 deaths, about 68 percent of the people on board. Nearly everybody knows the story, the ship hit an iceberg and sank, but what if the Titanic didn’t sink? What if instead the ship we’ve seen at the bottom of the ocean was the Olympic, the Titanic’s nearly identical sister ship? Here’s how the theory goes. In 1911, the Olympic crashed into the HMS, a royal navy warship, in Southampton waters. The Olympic was blamed for the collision, and was unable to receive insurance money. A plan was devised to swap the two ships before the Titanic’s maiden voyage, and sink the ship in order to gain back the money they’d lost. White Star Line, the maker of the two ships, had never meant for anyone to be harmed. Instead, they’d position rescue ships around the boat to save passengers. Unfortunately, the “Titanic” (actually the Olympic) had hit an iceberg before they had planned to, causing the boat to go down. While this theory may sound crazy, eyebrows are raised when comparing pictures of the Olympic and Titanic. The Olympic had 16 unevenly spaced portholes, identical to the portholes spotted when the “Titanic” left port. However, when the Titanic was being built it showed 14 evenly spaced portholes. According to Robin Gardiner’s book “Titanic: The Ship That Never Sank?” surviving crew members even had to sign a document promising to keep the switch a secret.
“That’s very interesting. I don’t know why people would believe that” -sophomore Matthew Long
As humans, we like to find meaningful patterns in the world around us and make inferences. However, sometimes we see patterns and make connections between things that aren’t always there, especially when it comes to events that are out of our control.
T i t a n i c
They are taking up greater prominence in media and political discourse seemingly like never before, and not just in the United States. A lot of this is because of the advances in technology, and how much media has changed throughout the years. Media plays a role in spreading these theories faster. Growing up, most people have seen the Disney Pixar movie, Finding Nemo. Finding Nemo is about a clown fish, Nemo, who gets separated from his father, Marlin, in the ocean. Marlin tries to find Nemo, hence the title, Finding Nemo. But what most people don’t know is that the name Nemo, in Latin, translates to ‘No One’. Therefore, the title of the movie is actually Finding ‘No One’. The movie is actually a story of a clownfish that is psychologically damaged. Marlin takes a personal journey to overcome his fear of the ocean and pain from the loss of his family, shown in the beginning of the movie. In the movie, Marlin finds one last egg in his nest, however in the conspiracy, the one egg was actually all his imagination. While Nemo was growing up, Marlin was extremely overprotective of him and hid him from any danger in the world. So when Nemo went missing, Marlin breaks down and goes on a search for his “son”. At the end of the movie, you see Nemo going off with his teacher, Mr. Ray. When Nemo slowly disappeared with the class, Marlin said, “Goodbye Nemo.” Which is, according to the conspiracy, when Marlin realized that Nemo was never actually there and got over his fear of the ocean. Was Nemo’s name chosen intentionally? Did Pixar truly conspire to create a movie about a father’s search for his son or is Finding Nemo really about a permanently scarred clownfish?
N e m o
“I think that might be reading into the story a little too much.” -senior Emma Riley In Depth | lhstoday.org design by: j.gibson
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Roger the Rooster’s Journey to Liberty Speech and debate teacher Ms. Franke’s interesting experience with Roger by Alyssa Bailey Assistant Editor
photo by l.polydys Ms. Franke’s Instagram for Roger is @Roger_T_Rooster which currently has over 200 followers.
How did the oversized rooster cross the road? Actually, it crossed over to Liberty High. What’s an oversized rooster doing at our school? One day, right in front of her classroom, Roger had appeared and raised eyebrows from every student and teacher at Liberty. As fast as it raised questions, it quickly brought attraction and popularity. “The speech and debate students just took Roger as their own and decided he was going to be our mascot. He was originally given to me by students and the fact that kids saw him and thought of me – when I left my other school [Warrenton] – it was really important to me that he comes with me,” Franke said. “He really just symbolizes relationships with students and making people feel welcome, and knowing that there’s always a safe place to go. It’s just a good conversation piece and it brings people in. Sometimes, people just need something to smile about and that’s what Roger does.” Roger’s journey of how he got to Liberty and more importantly, ended up on Ms. Franke’s doorstep is both amusing and spontaneous. “My students thought my whole background story with the chicken was hilarious and one kid was at a flea market in Columbia, Missouri and he just happened to see it,” Franke said. “He texted a bunch of kids that were in my classes and decided that they should get this for me. They all chipped in $3-4 for the chicken and paid $150 for it. There were 20 kids that chipped in and they brought it home in a Honda SUV and left it in my classroom on my desk.” Junior Julia Deters, one of the members of speech and debate here at Liberty, recalls the story behind Ms. Franke’s interest in
Q: How many years have you been a teacher? A: I’ve been teaching for 13 years.
Do You KNOW Ms. Franke? 10
Features | lhstoday.org design by: b.huffman
Q: Why did you come to Liberty? A: This has always been the place I wanted to be when the building opened. This was the dream, but it was hard to get in because there’s only so many positions open. So when the position opened it was perfect. Q: What clubs do you sponsor here? A: Speech and debate. Q: Have you been involved in speech and
chickens. “It started with her neighbor – they had one ceramic rooster in their kitchen and it had a stage light shine over it, and [Franke’s] stepmother thought it was really funny so she started hiding chickens around the house to see if Ms. Franke would notice and then it became a thing between the two of them,” Deters said. “Eventually, she told her students about it and her students loved it so they ended up finding Roger. It’s also our mascot for speech and debate. We just felt like it was right, especially since he’s right outside the door. It was perfect.” Freshman Maddie Abernathy remembers the day when she first saw Roger the rooster and how unusual it was for her. “I noticed it right off the bat. I saw it on the first day of school with my friends and thought it’s kind of weird. I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a chicken there… okay. It was funny,’” Abernathy said. Franke’s students at Warrenton had given her the most comical yet random gift but little did she know how much of an impact it would have on future students. “Next Monday, we’re going to start moving him around the building. There’s going to be a selfie contest so whenever you find him, there’s going to be a piece of paper from the speech and debate team – it’s just PR to get people to know what it is,” Franke said. “There’s an Instagram contest too – one for the cutest picture, the most spirited picture, and the craziest picture. Then, whoever wins, will get something silly.” Ever since Roger’s first day of school, he’s gotten very popular either from strange stares or funny moments from all students. Bringing Roger to Liberty has united the students together to participate more in spirit days and make the school, in general, more lively.
debate outside of Liberty? A: Yes. So I did it in high school and then I coached for five years after high school with my old team. I then coached my first six years in my teaching career, and then I judged after that. Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? A: I like to craft, spend time with my family, and read. Q: What is a fun fact about you? A: I like to plan parties.
photo by a.bailey
Taking Home a Home Run
photo by j.gibson Mr. Wheeler stands proudly with the game winning walk-off ball which, as a gift, was signed by Marcell Ozuna.
Wheeler’s triumphant moment at the Cardinals game by Alyssa Bailey Assistant Editor Imagining one of the greatest moments of your life is not only a goal, but a dream come true and for Mr. Wheeler. That very dream became his reality and was also captured on TV. Wheeler managed to snag a game-winning winning walk-off home run ball at a Cardinals game on July 30. The Cardinals defeated the Colorado Rockies in a dramatic 5-4 victory in 10 innings on Marcell Ozuna’s home run. Wheeler was in the first row in the centerfield bleachers when he got the ball. The Rockies had a 4-0 lead in the game and a lot of fans left before the Cardinals rallied late. Wheeler decided to stay and it was the 10th inning when Ozuna came up to bat. He hit a fastball that went straight into Wheeler’s direction towards the centerfield bleachers. Wheeler knew the ball was coming straight ahead for him and from that amazing hit, he got the ball after briefly bobbling it from his seat in the first row in the bleachers. Ever since that night, he’s been spotted and shown catching the ball on TV and on different sports channels describing the triumphant event. “I was on SportsCenter for like the whole day because it was Marcell Ozuna’s first ever walk-off home run,” Wheeler said. “After the game, Dakota Hudson wrote on Twitter, ‘Whoever caught that home run ball, I wanna give all my money too.’ I didn’t get the money but I do have the ball.” The game was also the rookie pitcher Hudson’s first career victory. From then on, Wheeler’s phone had been blowing up from texts and tweets. “I saw it first on Twitter and then once I got to school, I pulled it up on my office computer,” assistant principal Mr. Pryor said. “I was excited to see that he actually still had the ball and to hear his version of the story.” Wheeler, along with his daughter and her boyfriend who
accompanied him, were not only surprised but ecstatic from that moment. “On the drive home, I was just smiling and just thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that happened.’ My phone was blowing up too because people saw me on TV and were wondering if that was really me. It was amazing,” Wheeler said. Not to mention that this was also his daughter’s last baseball game before she went to college. Going to this baseball game wasn’t just special because of his winning catch, it was also special to him because this had been a tradition of Mr. Wheeler and his daughter ever since she was in the 3rd grade. Along with that, her boyfriend had never been to a Cardinals game before so he joined the Wheelers and got to not only see the Cardinals winning, but the victorious hit and catch. Senior Kate Benes and her family helped Wheeler out by getting his ball signed by Ozuna. The Benes’ have connections with the Cardinals team, which enabled Wheeler to get an autograph. “The guy that helps with the Cardinals clubhouse actually lives right down the street from us so my dad and him are really good friends, and my uncle has played for the Cardinals so we have a lot of connections there,” Benes said. All things considered, that game actually kick-started a winning streak from the Cardinals and they have been doing amazingly since then, which Wheeler believes is partially to his catch. On the drive home from the game, the Wheelers were all smiles with what happened at the game and the fact that they got to spend time together before her departure. This game will not only be memorable in sports history, but more so in Mr. Wheeler’s book because of the company he had at the game.
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The Liberty Eagles defeated the Washington Bluejays on Friday, Sept. 21. Be sure to check out reporter Donny Robinson’s full coverage of the game on lhstoday.org.
The Ringmasters of the Circus
by Chasteanne Salvosa Co-Editor-in-Chief
In an unprecedented take, two students were named Spirit Queen due to the lack of participation from male students for Spirit King. Senior Autumn Jones and sophomore Abby Jordan were crowned at Friday’s Homecoming assembly for demonstrating outstanding spirit for each themed day of the week. However, two potential Spirit Kings were also crowned at the assembly, senior Cameron Jones and junior Ben Ptasienski. On the other hand, most spirited teacher went to Ms. T-O, followed up by Ms. Braswell and Ms. Genenbacher. To participate in the spirit contest, students must post a picture every day of spirit week of their outrageous outfits on Twitter with the hashtag #spiritLHS, Student Council then decides the winning students.
Est. 2018
The Greatest
Homecoming on Earth
by Chasteanne Salvosa Co-Editor-in-Chief
photos by e. mason, b. mcmakin, k. hill, a. jordan
Congratulations to the Homecoming King and Queen: Nick Lovell and Peyton Carroll
Student Council (StuCo) delivered on its promise to create the greatest homecoming on turf, with fun-filled theme days for spirit week, an amazing assembly and a memorable dance to follow on Saturday. This year’s spirit week themes, which coordinated with this year’s circus theme, included; A Million Dreams Monday (PJ Day), Stunt Double Day (Twin Day), Family Circus Day, where freshman dressed as babies, sophomores dressed as toddlers, juniors dressed as parents, seniors dressed as grandparents and teachers dressed as teenagers, Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My (Animal Print Day) and finally, students donned white for Friday night’s game. At the annual pep rally on Friday, traditions such as the Belles and Bros dance, cheer and dance performances, fall sports and court announcements, were continued. This year, teachers participated in a game of musical chairs where Mr. Barnes won by sneaking past Ms. Kleiber to steal the seat and win the game. Don’t forget to check out our full-length Homecoming coverage at lhstoday.org!
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Trick or Treat It is never to old to trick or treat, even if you are teenager by Kelci Graville
If you are interested in drawing for the Ledger, contact Mr. Hall in room 239.
Scavenger Hunt
All the answers are found in this issue of the Ledger by Caleb Woods Reporter 1. What was the game that Mr. Wheeler attended to catch Marcell Ozuna’s home run ball? 2. What are the languages Lucia Cancian can speak?
Guess the teacher
Teacher #1
1. This teacher teaches social studies. 2. This teacher’s favorite food is pizza. 3. This teacher coaches basketball. 4. This teacher favorite part about Liberty is the community feeling. 5. This teacher favorite color is blue.
3. What position was Albert Edney elected for the Missouri Boys State?
Who is this teacher?
4. What is this year’s musical?
Teacher #2
5. How many years since Liberty last played Timberland on home field? 6. Mr. Creen has been a pilot for how many years? (Go to LHSToday.org to find this answer)
1. This teacher teaches English. 2. This teacher favorite color is blue. 3. This teacher favorite thing about Liberty is the school spirit. 4. This teacher favorite celebrity chef is Gordon Ramsay. 5. This teacher’s favorite food is all of them.
7. When was Roger the rooster gifted to Ms. Franke?
Who is this teacher?
8. What is the book most teachers are reading around Liberty? 9. What was this year’s Homecoming theme? 10. What does journalism do for storytellers? 11. What is on page 8 in this issue? 12. Where is Popeye’s going to be located in Lake St. Louis? (Go to LHSToday.org to find this answer)
Teacher #3 1. This teacher teaches science. 2. This teacher’s favorite food is pasta. 3. This teacher’s favorite thing about Liberty is the students. 4. This teacher’s favorite Cardinals player of all-time is Albert Pujols. 5. This teacher favorite colors are black and blue. Who is this teacher?
13. Name one new club around Liberty.
The first student to bring the completed page to Room 239 wins a QT gift card!
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All Things Beauty by Emma Hankins & Melana Quarles Reporters Throughout the generations makeup and skin care has changed significantly. The styles and the trends are changing daily and it’s pretty hard to keep up. With the Youtube era booming, people can learn to do new looks and learn skills fast and easy. We compiled our favorite products from pallets to skin care products for some people out there who are always looking to explore new products. We also asked students who are known for being passionate about makeup to show us their favorite looks.
BH cosmetics aurora lights palette ($18) 18 shimmery, glittery, pigmented shades, these eyeshadow palettes are high quality, with little fallout, for a low price.
Mario Badescu drying lotion ($17) Simply dip a q-tip into this drying lotion and apply it to blemishes, they will be gone in 1-2 days. Worth every penny and an essential in your skin care routine.
Makeup Revolution Luxury Baking Powder ($8) After applying concealer, pack baking powder over to brighten or smooth with a dry beauty blender. After 5-10 minutes take a powder brush and wipe away excess.
“I absolutely love makeup, it’s one of my biggest passions. Once you start playing with makeup, it’s hard to stop. I do people’s makeup for homecoming and love glamming people up in my free time. I’m also working on starting up my own brand.” - junior Ally Linck
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Entertainment | lhstoday.org design by: m.quarles & e.hankins
Just For Men Beard Dye ($9) Want filled in eyebrows without having to fill them in everyday? Simply follow dye mixing instructions and apply on eyebrows, wait five minutes and wipe off excess dye. You will have done looking eyebrows for weeks with no extra effort.
“I’m not that into super crazy looks. I like to keep it natural. My friends ask me to do their makeup for homecoming and I did my friend’s pride makeup along with my own.” - junior Julia Bailey
“Makeup lets me express my creativity and personality. I started in 6th grade when my mom let me play in her makeup drawer and I’ve been learning with Youtube since.” - junior Megan Chambers
Colorful Chromebooks
Liberty students share their favorite Chromebook stickers by Shae Bowsher Reporter “Finding my stickers are like shopping at a thrift store. Every piece is unique and different. My friends and I, on the weekends, try to see what new stickers I can add.” - junior Nicole Krohn
“My stickers help make my Chromebook more unique and personalized. The bravo burrito is my favorite sticker.” - sophomore Kailey Cain
artwork by t. galvez
Chromebook stickers have become a popular trend over the last few years due to each student getting their own computers. From avocados to college stickers, students set their creativity free by choosing which stickers they want and where they go. Each sticker helps showcase each individual personality and identity through colorful designs. Down below are just a few you may see around school or in the classroom.
senior Alivia Girard’s Chromebook
sophomore Emily Goodwins’s Chromebook
sophomore Abby Jordan’s Chromebook.
senior Emily McPherron’s Chromebook
senior Aaleeyah Larkin’s Chromebook
sophomore Allison Stabile’s Chromebook
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Journalism Enables Democracy The New York Times op-ed leads to debate about the idea of journalism’s morality by The Ledger Editorial Board
T
he White House’s recent effort to diminish the power of journalism was visible when the recent anonymously written The New York Times Op-Ed, ‘I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,’ published Sept. 5. The shocking essay was written by a White House senior official and the article has then led to White House staff rolling out denials and accusations as a formal investigation develops. The source reveals the “president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic.” The issue that has come to light due to this recent piece is if journalism or the press is the enemy. Journalism gives storytellers the ability to share the voices and of those who feel unheard. By stating the facts and utilizing others’ voices to create a publication that is informative and beneficial to the public, the press gives a platform for the truth. Journalists should use the power of speech to its fullest capability. The First Amendment given to us by our Founding Fathers states that we have the freedom of speech and press. We as reporters and most importantly as citizens of the United States have the responsibility and duty to share citizens’ stories, opinions and their voices. Without freedom of the press, people would be constricted of their opinions—journalists would not be journalists. At a time in where our country is divided by party lines and the
press is named the enemy is when our country needs journalism more than ever. In order to preserve our democracy, journalism comes into play by doing what it was intended for; sharing the truth and keeping our leaders in check. By definition, democracy is fueled by the opinions of its population similar to a car without gas, cannot progress forward without said viewpoints. And the press, whose job is to inform citizens, enables them to form the opinions upon which democracy is founded. Therefore, without the press, democracy becomes meaningless; the cornerstones of our founding beliefs collapse with the unsuspecting population scrambling to pick up the pieces. It is essential that the media and the President should work collectively with one another for when the President has a strong connection with the media, it allows for a liaison between government and the people of the United States. The president relies on news conferences to answer questions from the media, using journalists to conduct the information and stand as a representative for the people. We, at The Ledger, uphold the highest standard of student journalism in that we only present to you, our readers, the truth in its purest form. That is, after all, what journalism is intended to do. So despite the recent bombshell coming out of Washington D.C., we as a staff promise to continue to protect and preserve the truth.
artwork by a.bailey
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Opinion | lhstoday.org design by: o.holler
This year administration has been cracking down on tardies. The new policy, according to the student handbook, states that students will be allowed two tardies per class per quarter, before receiving a detention.
Saved by the Bell? Liberty’s tardy policy cracks down on hallway wanderers photo by j.gibson
by Chasteanne Salvosa Co-Editor-in-Chief
All of my freshman year classes were conveniently all in one hallway, the 100. However as the school was under construction and began to expand, it came as a shock to me as my sophomore year schedule had me running from the end of the 300 to the end of the 200. I was lucky enough to have teachers who understood my situation; as short legs and a spaced schedule was definitely disadvantageous. And I was certainly lucky enough to escape the jowls of Liberty’s new tardy policy, according to which, my discipline report would have been slathered with ISS sessions. The policy, according to the student handbook, states that students will be allowed two tardies per class per quarter, before receiving an after school detention. The assistant principals, in junction with the attendance secretaries, pull tardy reports every week and work with parents and students to review student reports. The policy, though simple and easy to follow, is slightly problematic as most teachers instate different tardy policies of their own that they expect their students to follow. While some may be lax and not count tardies as tardies in the attendance, others want students inside their classroom before the fateful final bell rings. And while some students have an easy schedule to trek, others may have to book it across the school just to make it to class on time. And that doesn’t even account for hallway traffic and other obstacles rushing students have to face. Often times walking from classroom to classroom, to pull students for interviews, I would run into the odd herd of stairwell dwellers. They
would be crouched over in a corner, engaged in hushed conversations, until they notice I approach and suddenly all whispers stop. They stare me down as I hasten down the stairs and I finally escape their glare. However, Wentzville’s tardy policy is not only cracking down on those who are running late to class, but hits hard on hallway dwellers as well, reducing the amount of those awkward run-ins. In addition to the tardy policy, students now must be able to account for their hallway travel as well. Students must have a clear direction of where they are headed, paired with a good reason why. For this reason, more and more teachers have come up with their own hall pass solutions. Similar to the tardy policy, some teachers will require students to carry a hall pass from point A to point B, while others just send students on their way as long as they know the students’ destination. But while tardies and wandering the halls are frowned upon by the entire district, some may follow their own tardy policy, which can be quite confusing to students. How do students know which ones to follow? All-in-all, between the different policies to follow and very little communicated to students about the differences in the guidelines, students seem to left to their own devices to zoom across the school to make it to class on time. Students, teachers and administrators alike must all get on the same page in order to end the confusion about tardies and minimize the number of hallway wanderers.
Opinion | lhstoday.org design by: o.holler
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photos by l.spakowski & l.miget
Inside The Nest
A look at the leaders running the Eagles Nest student section by Nick Howard Reporter
M
ost high schools have a student section that roots on their sports team wherever they play at, but at Liberty a group known as the Eagles Nest leads the craziness of the student sections for the school’s big games. The Eagles Nest is led by three seniors this season: Nolan Bone, Hunter Perkins and Carson Brown. They direct the student section for every big game and are thrilled to do whatever it takes to get students to the games. The leaders have been wanting to do this for a while as Brown was coming up with ideas since last year. “Being in Eagles Nest is a lot of fun and we like to do whatever gets the students going to the games such as coming up with ways to make the student section fun and so on,” Brown said. The three leaders came together and planned on becoming part of the Eagles Nest for the 2018-2019 school year. “I was brainstorming in StuCo last year and the idea of joining the Eagles Nest was brought up to me and I came together with Nolan and Hunter and said ‘let’s do this,’” Brown said. Being a leader in the Eagles Nest has been a fun experience for the three guys so far. They enjoy finding a way to get the fans involved
during the game in the student section. Whatever gets the students involved and ways that they can support the team in creative ways are two things that are important to the leaders. “It means a lot to get people from Liberty involved throughout the game and finding ways how they can support the team,” Bone said. As a leader, there is a lot of planning for what to do during a big game. These guys like to keep tradition of the school as well as mixing a little more of new stuff to bring more emotion to the students. Having new chants, such as “the party’s over here” or “I believe that we can win,” and themes, such as a frat theme or a white out night, to get the crowd more involved and active is the big goal to reach. “We like to come up with new chants and plan themes for the future games in the upcoming season along with communicating with the students to get them to go out,” Perkins said. There are a lot of ways to get involved into a game. To have leaders of a student section on game day and a group of people reach out and get students to go to games, makes for an even better support system for the Liberty sport teams.
(Left to right) Seniors Evan Sacks, Rishi Kondapaneni, Josh Geisler and Carson Brown lead The Nest in cheering on the Eagles at the first home game of the season against the Warrenton Warriors on Aug. 24. The Eagles won the game.
photo by l.spakowski
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Sports | lhstoday.org design by: c.salvosa
Liberty vs. Timberland: The Story Behind the Football Rivalry The neighboring rivals faced off for the third time in their brief history by Nick Howard Reporter A rivalry game is a huge element to the season, but a rivalry between two schools that are less than five miles apart is a game that puts pride to the test. This year was the third football rivalry game between the two schools. As Liberty continues to improve each season, they are still looking for their first victory against Timberland. Although the games were not very close, the students at each school take the game seriously. Senior Jarrin McKeithen knows that this game has always been talked about between the two schools. “Out of school I always tell my friends from Timberland that we’re gonna win and it always turns into an argument over the game coming up,” McKeithen said. The loss dropped Liberty’s record to 3-3. And with three games left, they hope to improve on last year’s four win season. The theme was blackout so the usual sea of red, white and blue was covered in the shade of black. The Eagles Nest was loud and proud against the visiting crowd from Timberland, who was in all white. To prepare for the Timberland game, the football team still likes to take it as any other game. Liberty’s Coach McMillen wants the team to stay off social media so no drama stirs up before the game. “I want the guys to stay off social media and not talk to any of the Timberland players during the game week. Other than that, we like to go into the game taking it just as any other game,” McMillen said. Although the two schools are very close, having the game at Liberty this year created some extra excitement. Home-field advantage for the team was in Liberty’s favor as senior Grant Baker said that most of the school being there should energize the team. “Having the game at our school this year is going to be a good thing with most of the school being there and the crowd getting behind the team and give us motivation,” Baker said. This season was the first time that Liberty and Timberland faced off against each other in the second half of the season in the rivalry. This helps the team as they have more time to fill all the gaps before the big game. The game was also a week after the 20-7 homecoming victory against Washington, which helped to create more buzz. “More games before Timberland helps us out this year because it helps fix any problems the team has before the game. Having the game a week after the homecoming game will help us be motivated and prepared to go into the game,” McKeithen said. With a 3-3 record, Liberty has a tough road ahead with games at Fort Zumwalt South and at Fort Zumwalt East. The season finale is a home game against Holt.
First
Impressions
We asked Liberty students how they felt about Timberland. Here’s what they said. How do you feel about the rivalry between the two schools?
What is the general opinion of Timberland here at Liberty?
“Since we’re all in the same district, I do feel like there’s a rivalry between the schools, but honestly, I feel like there’s just more of a rivalry between people who do sports. I feel like if it’s just students that don’t really participate in sports, I know that the theatre kids are friendlier. They are more cooperative with each other rather than be rivals. It’s just a matter of what section of the school you’re talking about.” -senior Braden McMakin
“I think they’re a good school and they have good sports. I wish our schools would be closer, since we’re already so close in distance, rather than be so rivalry-ish. Both our schools have great school spirit.” -junior Maggie Walsh
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photo by m. foster
photo by e. mason
photo by e. mason
photo by b. morris
photo by k. hill
Falling Into the New Season
Liberty fall sports starts off a new school year by Nick Howard Reporter
Football
Record: 3-3 Highlights: Started 2-0 for the first time in school history with victories against Warrenton and Westminster. Donavan Arrington leads the team with 488 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. Ben Adelsberger leads the team with 48 tackles.
Boys Soccer
Record: 9-5 Highlights: Had a 5 game winning streak with victories against Pattonville, Francis Howell North, Windsor (Imperial), Pacific, Washington, Fort Zumwalt North and Timberland. Jack Kavanaugh leads the team with 13 goals, 5 game winning. Evan Witte has five shutouts as goalkeeper. photo by m. coyle
Girls Tennis
Record: 8-1 Highlights: Won the GAC Conference championship and finished second place at the Troy Tournament. Nawal Cheema and Emily Brockmann took third in the Francis Howell Central Tournament. Amy Sutton and Emma Benesek placed third at the FHC Tournament.
Girls Golf
Highlights: Won the GAC Conference championship. Defeated Timberland 197-218 and had a big win against Fort Zumwalt South. Zoee Harrington won the Troy Buchanan Golf Tournament with a 73. Kelly Karre placed second with an 80.
Volleyball
Record: 7-10-2 Highlights: Won three of first four games to open the season against Troy Buchanan, Whitfield and Fort Zumwalt East. Jenna Parmentier has 78 kills and Rylee Miller 281 assists.
Softball
Record: 12-11 Highlights: Back-to-back wins against Fort Zumwalt South and Fort Zumwalt North. Katelyn Reichle leads the team with hits and a .507 batting average and 27 RBIs. Emily Albers and Abby Behlmann both have two home runs apiece.
Cross Country
Highlights: The girls team took first place at the first meet of the season at Jefferson City. Ally Kruger (first place individual), Hannah Rossman, Lanni Guffey, Olivia Guffey, Molly Morris and Abby Woods also led the way to the team’s first place victory. Girls team was second at Paul Enke Invitational. Tyler Hudson became first varsity boy to medal at Jim Marshall Invitational in two years.
Boys Swimming
Highlights: At McCluer North Relays, took first in the 400 fly and the 400 freestyle relay. All three relays (200 free, 400 free and 200 medley have all made state qualification times. Out of 11 events, the team has state qualification times for 7. photo by b. morris
photo by k. hill
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