The Ledger - Issue 1 - Fall 2023 by The Ledger Magazine

LEDGER STAFF

ISSUE I

lhstoday.org • Design by Abbiegail Luker

Editor-In-Chief

Photo Editor

Clubs Editor

Reporter

NOV. 2023

FEATURE lhstoday.org • Design by Becca Fike

Welcoming Liberty’s Newest Staff Members Facts about our new staff you may not have known

Stephanie Seidel

By Becca Fike, Reporter

New Liberty Teachers 2023: Counselor (L-R): Mary Ellen Riley Counselor (ESC): Collin Miller Math: Stephanie Seidel Science: Tyler Roe PE: Kevin Haynes Business: Kortney Holman Social Studies: Kirsten Hunchberger Art: Ashley Bradley Nurse: Melissa Simms Library: Nikki Playle Library: Kim Taylor World Language: AJ Gwin World Language: Becky Jennings SLP: Janice Hughes SPED: Mike Kaiser SPED: Kenny Nowling SPED: Patricia Colyer SPED: Tracy Sokolowski ELA: Jen Bryan Gifted: DeEtte Brower Building: Jacob Myers

Kortney Holman

Photo by A. Rey

Mrs. Seidel is a math teacher, who teaches Algebra 1 and Formal Geometry. Before Liberty, she taught/coached at Parkway Central Middle School. Mrs. Seidel has been teaching for 15 years total and in those years she has taught Math 7, Math 8, Algebra, and Geometry. She is still currently the head coach of Girls Swim/Dive Coach for Parkway Central High.

Mrs. Holman is a business teacher, and she teaches Business Technology, Personal Finance, Creative Design, and Broadcast Media. Before Liberty, Mrs. Holman was in Early Childhood, as a preschool teacher, a fourth grade teacher at Discovery Ridge Elementary, and a School Director of Candace Academy. This is her 18th year in education.

Becky Jennings

Photo by A. Rey

Mrs. Jennings is a world language teacher, and she teaches French and ACT Prep. Before Liberty, Mrs. Jennings spent a few years rotating between Liberty and Timberland. After that she moved between middle schools. She has been working in the Wentzville School District for 19 years, and has been teaching 28 years in total.

Jen Bryan

Photo by A. Rey

Mrs. Bryan is a new English teacher this year, and she teaches English I and II, teaching mostly freshman and sophomores. Before Liberty, Mrs. Bryan taught at Palmyra High School, which is a lot smaller, and taught there for 15 years. Now that she’s at Liberty, this is her 17th year in teaching overall.

Melissa Simms

Photo by A. Rey

Mrs. Simms is the new nurse at Liberty. Before coming to Liberty, she was actually a float nurse for the Wentzville School District last year. While this is her first year at Liberty, Mrs. Simms has been a nurse now for 10 years, with most of those years being spent working in pediatrics, where she still worked with children. Photo by A. Rey

FEATURE

lhstoday.org • Design by Loukya Vaka

ISSUE I

FRESHMEN WALK IN TO A NEW MILESTONE OF LIFE By Loukya Vaka, Reporter

The annual Freshmen Bridgewalk welcomes in a new generation of Liberty Eagles From generation to generation of Liberty Eagles, students have entered their high school experience with the annual Freshman Bridgewalk at the beginning of the school year. It is here at the bridgewalk where many new students join the school community, while the older students welcome them with open arms. This year, Liberty gained an whole new class of students, all with different interests, fresh ideas, and futures that will take more shape throughout their high school years.

Freshman Geo Reji walks with Liberty’s incoming class of 2027 during the Bridgewalk on Aug. 21. Photo by S. Davis

For freshman Madelyn Tierney, high school is a “fresh start,” a place where new people from all different grades meet and interact with each other. Tierney plays trombone in band. “We started band before the year started, so I was already prepared for it. I enjoy playing in the band.”

Freshman Jackson Adams explained how he found that the student body is “pretty connective.” Adams then went on to say that he is “excited to get involved in activities.” Adams has been taking the Yearbook class, which is usually only taken after taking the Intro. to Journalism class. Adams said, “I like being a student at Liberty, and I like how there is so much to do.” Overall, Adams appreciates all of the events that Liberty has since it allows for every moment to be interesting. Photo by Mr. Hall

Entering high school on the first day made Peyton Strittmatter, a freshman, who participated in the bridgewalk, feel that, “It’s only going to get better.” For freshmen, sophomore, juniors, seniors and staff alike, the season marks a new beginning and chapter of life. As our student body grows at the beginning of every year, new, wonderful moments are yet to come with the students of Liberty. After entering LHS, freshman Peyton Strittmatter works in Ms. Rosner’s Biology class. “High school is very different from what I thought. Then again, I do love 90s sitcoms, so I probably should have seen this coming.” Photo by A. Rey

NOV. 2023

FEATURE

lhstoday.org • Design by Anumitha Vaka

By Anumitha Vaka, Clubs Editor

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all” - Hellen Keller. Graphic by A. Blankley

We’ve all heard that traveling to a new place is an adventure, and they say that in your lifetime you should at least travel to one different country. This is because of the precious new experiences, knowledge, and friendships that result from your travels. This year we have five new exchange students from across the globe who are living their own new adventures here at Liberty High School.

Charlize Rossow (11) - Germany

“I still have to get comfortable with everything because it is new. However, I really like that you can choose between so many different subjects, classes and activities.”

Melania Palmiero (11) - Italy

Jaime Lacort Grandas (10) - Spain

“It’s been a very good experience and I have new friends who are very nice. I would recommend being an exchange student because you learn about other cultures and languages.”

It has been great. Everything is new and exciting. Personally, I’m getting used to the different environment quite fast.”

Caroline Sinner (10) - Germany “It is a good school. On the first day I didn’t know where to go because there were so many people and so many rooms. The people are really nice, the classes are fun, and the teachers are great. I really like it here.”

Anne Fukushima (11) - Japan

“It’s been so great so many people here are so nice and friendly.”

Photos by A. Rey

OPINION

lhstoday.org • Design by Ella Quinney

PHONE POLICIES

ISSUE I

Change

By Taylor Koehnemann and Meghan Lynch, Reporters For the first time in Liberty history, the school has placed new restrictions on cellphones. Whether this new policy is for better or for worse remains to be seen. Cell phones lately have been labeled more of a distraction than a real tool. In most high schools, cell phones are not allowed in class. At Liberty, phones have been available at all times during the school day in the past. This idea was originally in hopes of responsible use. That plan has backfired and put a huge burden on our teachers here. Last year was one of the worst years for cell phone use. So far there has almost only been negative feedback from students about the new policy. This policy can and most likely will help the school and its students. This will mostly be helpful for grades but also with distractions and benefit people’s attention spans too. The policy has its cons as well as its pros. With the policy, students are not allowed to have their cellphones out for any reason during class time. For a lot of students, this can be hard for when a notification buzzes their phone while it’s in their pockets. This makes students distracted about the notification for a while, especially when they are not allowed to pick up their phone or take a quick peek. Another inconvenience for students is communication with parents/friends about transportation, quick questions, reminders for events. With that being said, a way that we could possibly improve the policy for students is allowing the students to use their cell phones during Nest Time, when one might want to listen to music or watch a show. Most people can get their work done fairly quickly and want to do something other than sit there and stare at the wall. And, yes, we’ve all heard the suggestion to “just bring a book,” which for some people could be a great use of that time, but others don’t have the attention span to read for an hour and a half straight or just don’t like to read. I truly don’t think students having their phones out for an hour and a half every week is going to do much harm at all. Drawing in from it all, the phone policy is here to stay for as far as Liberty can tell. All we can do is wait. No phones in class may be a burden on us right now, but our only choice is to let us grow on it. But in the long run, will this continue to affect students in our school in a negative way or could this turn out to be one of Liberty’s best choices?

Why Did Students U “I use it to check my grades and keep track of my schedule on Saturn.” – Kate Broussard (10) “I use it for my Canvas assignments.” – Anna Gleckler (12) “I need to use it to keep in contact with my family, especially since my brother has special needs and I might have to be aware of something.” – Maddie Mitchell (10)

NOV. 2023

OPINION lhstoday.org • Design by Taylor Koehnemann

After Change

OTHER SCHOOL POLICIES By: Ella Quinney, Reporter

Change after Change. Last year students could roam the halls, listen to music while they worked, and didn’t need a pass to use the bathroom. Well, SOAR Time was brand new last year, and we were warned of possible changes to it, earbuds and passes were not included in that warning. This year has held several new rules, the first of which I’d like to mention is the headphone ban. Reporter Anna Greminger wrote, “It’s obvious to anyone… that listening along to your favorite music while your teacher discusses… your work for the day is a distraction during active teaching time, but what is the incentive to ban them entirely? Is the best interest of students in mind?” Greminger goes on to discuss the different reasons why the headphones may have been banned, some including “focus, memory, socialization, and distraction(s).” These are all very good reasons to have headphones banned in class. However, Greminger also makes a great counter argument on why students may need music in class, discussing how easily one may be overwhelmed in a loud class, and how in art classes it “would be painfully boring” without music. Music isn’t something that should be taken away from students, without the consideration of what music does. The adults who decided to put this in effect didn’t grow up with music the way teens do now, and they may seem to believe that listening to music while working is distracting. However, music can help one to focus and can increase the flow of creativity. The second new rule I’d like to mention is the hallway passes. Hallway passes are not a new concept to schools. Schools in the U.S. use them as a simple way to know if students are allowed to be in the hall or if they’re skipping class. This is definitely not the biggest change at Liberty, but it has had its effects. Reporter Kaya Egeler wrote, “Even though we now have these passes, that doesn’t completely stop the skipping problem we face. If a student is going to skip, they’re going to skip class. School is stressful for students no matter what. With these new passes, that just adds another level of stress to students even if teachers/staff don’t think so.” The final rule I’m going to cover is the closing of the hallways during lunch. This year hallways have been closed off in order to make the custodians’ jobs easier. Principal Nelson claimed, “students were leaving areas destroyed with trash.” In order to help the small janitorial staff, they decided that all hallways and stairwells, aside from the 500 and sports halls, have been shut down. Going along with this, office hour policies also changed. Now students who wish to attend office hours during lunch, must stay for the entire half making it difficult for students who have quick questions or need simple help, to stop by, and go off to eat their lunch. Change after change, high school students always seem to adapt to whatever the world may throw our way. So, no matter what other adjustments are possibly made to school policies, with new phone rules, SOAR Time changes and bathroom passes, the students here at Liberty are ready to handle whatever is thrown at them next this year, and the years to come.

s Use Their Phones? “I’m in Liberty publications, so I use it a lot to record footage and take notes on current events.” – Braden Altrup (11) “I need to use my phone for art class to take pictures of my pieces. We have to take before and after photos and it’s really inconvenient to not have my phone.” – Sophia Spakowski (10) “I use my phone to figure out my ride after school so I’m not stranded.” – Walker Blackburn (10)

SPORTS

ISSUE I

lhstoday.org • Design by Ella Quinney

By Grady McGinnis, Reporter The football team here at Liberty is a way to show off our schools’ spirit, excited student body, and talented players. The football season commenced with a bang, and it continued on with the team successfully winning many games. Here’s a look into four of the players who helped the team achieve these victories.

CODY MCMULLEN, a junior, is the starting quarterback for the Eagles football team. McMullen’s dad was his first huge inspiration to play football, as he got older and more into the sport, McMullen began looking up to Cam Newton, who at the time was the quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. When talking about team chemistry, McMullen said, “We can’t win games, we can’t practice on the same page. Team chemistry is the biggest deal in football.” Photo by A. Simms

CAIDEN GALATI, a sophomore, plays wide receiver. Galati is on the varsity team in his second year of high school, and is very proud of this accomplishment. In regards to team chemistry, Galati said, “Team chemistry means everything because it’s how you win games.” Photo by S. Davis

AIDEN KING, a senior-better known as “AK”, plays defensive end. King believes team chemistry is being on the same page, so that the entire team has the same objective and doesn’t go off and do their own thing. Photo by S. Davis

Wins and losses from the regular season.

ANDREW SMITH, a senior-better known by his peers as Drew Smith, plays center and linebacker. Smith did not originally want to play center, and he said, “When I got into high school, I sort of adapted to the position and fell in love with the physicality of the position.” Photo by S. Davis

NOV. 2023

SPORTS lhstoday.org • Design by Ella Quinney and Anumitha Vaka

By Anumitha Vaka, Clubs Editor Sports are a special part of high school life, and here at Liberty we have many different sports teams. This year’s season has been great for many fall sports, one of which is the girls tennis team. The seniors on the varsity team have to say goodbye to the tennis courts as the season came to an end in early October. Seniors Bella Gamm and Lilly Fister talked about the past season and their experiences. Over the entirety of the season, they served 11 wins and had four losses. Fister talked about the team’s performance this past season with enthusiasm. “We did really good. We went pretty much undefeated, and it’s really fun as you get to celebrate with your teammates,” Fister said. Gamm talked about how happy she was with the outcome of this past season despite the team not making districts. “We won almost all of our games and we were undefeated. We didn’t make it in districts, but we fought really well,” Gamm said. Both Fister and Gamm reminisced on why they originally joined the girls tennis team. “I played tennis my whole life. It has always been my sport. So in high school I was obviously excited to join the tennis team,” Gamm said. On the other hand, Fister didn’t have much previous experience with tennis. “I did cheer for a lot of my life, and then I joined tennis as something extra to do. My grandparents played tennis for their whole lives. I just wanted something extracurricular to do, so I joined tennis,” Fister explained. “I like that tennis is a competitive “It is really nice being a part of a team, Although it is very enjoyable, tennis like any other sport sport,” Gamm said. “You can also play it gets you connected with a lot of takes a lot of effort and practice. solo or as a team, so you can be indepennew people. You get to talk with new “During the season and off the season I put in all my effort. dent but also have the moral support of people and make new friends, which I practice five days a week with my personal coach, and in your teammates.” - Bella Gamm (12) I really like. I just really like being season we practice as a team everyday,” Gamm said. involved.” - Lilly Fister (12) Fister also talked about how much effort she puts into Photo by S. Davis tennis. “We have practice pretty much every day. So even though Photo by C. McDonnell I play for fun it is still a very big commitment. We played outside in the heat, but it was fun so it never was a problem,” she said. As seniors are leaving the tennis team and new people join, Fister highly recommends joining tennis and encourages people to give it a try. “I would definitely recommend tennis. It is no-cut so you don’t have to be good, you just have to want to play. There are a lot of people in tennis so you get to meet a lot of new people and be involved. It’s super fun as well,” Fister stated.

Kaylie Brockmann

Makayla Mackey

Alexandra Chavez

Layla Olsen

Lilly Fister

Emma Thomas

Isabella Gamm

Laney Torbit

Addison Grawer

Meredith Washburn

Layla Greenhalgh Madelynn Kuhn

The girls varsity tennis senior night recognized the commitment of 14 seniors. Photo by C. McDonnell

Claire White Ellen Ziegler

IN-DEPTH

lhstoday.org • Design by Faith Vaught

A deep dive into the science behind your deep fears and phobias By Faith Vaught, Reporter T

ISSUE I

The Fear of

hroughout human existence there has always been something bigger, stronger, better. So why is it that even though we are smarter and at the best time in history we still fear small irrational things, is this beneficial in any way?

A way our bodies react to the stress induced reaction is fight, flight, or freeze. Whenever your reaction to fear is fight you will tense up and become aggravated, ready to defend yourself. Flight tends to be running away or becoming jumpy, easily startled from small movements. There is unfortunately little to no known reason as to why people may react to the same situation differently. “There’s actually complex responses generally from all over your brain, but if you want to pick one area. Your fight or flight response originates in a part of the brain called the amygdala,” Mr Barker, AP Psych teacher said. The amygdala is a small part in the middle of your brain that tells your nervous system to go into the fear response. This releases adrenaline and cortisol into the blood, right above the kidneys.

Specific phobia examples consist of specific things that may induce stress to the person but be very distinct. It can range from anything from cotton balls to planes.

There are three main categories of phobias, specific, social, and agoraphobia. Social phobias are situational; speaking in front of large groups, giving a work presentation, giving a speech or meeting new people can trigger symptoms for the first time. Agoraphobia is the phobia of leaving to go to somewhere unknown or dangerous. This can become crippling for the individual causing it to become difficult to experience new things. In severe cases, a person’s only safe place could be their home. This would become detrimental to living their everyday life. Different phobias such as social phobias and agoraphobia can affect an individual daily life. Being scared of new places or people can be an issue when you live in society. Common tasks such as going to the grocery store, bank and work can become a hassle and overly stressful; this causes the person to slowly stop taking care of themselves. Tasks we may consider easy can be long extraneous trials. The fear response could also prove to be beneficial in threatening situations or with approaching danger. What can determine if what you are feeling is rational or irrational depends on if it can negatively affect your life or put yourself in danger. If you have someone aiming a gun at you that would be a rational fear due to the risk of losing your life. But an irrational fear would be if you saw a doll and thought it would come to life. If your irrational fear doesn’t affect you or other people’s lives, then it’s not an imminent issue. This begs the question, why is it that certain people avoid trying to get over their fears? “Sometimes people don’t want to get over phobias is because of they get comfortable with it,” Barker said. Adding on to this, many individuals may have been given poor treatment style and they become more frightened over this, potentially causing PTSD.

Have you ever eaten something in the past that you now cannot eat as often or at all? Well, this is because you associate the food with the bad experience. This can be used to change one’s views of the topic causing the individual to no longer lack a reaction. For the people who are wanting to weaken the impact their phobia affects them, Mr. Barker says there are different therapies. “Exposure therapy, we’re going to start with a picture of a bug because some people start crying and freak out over it. I would show you a picture of different bugs and find a freak out moment; we would get to the point where you can deal with the picture,” Barker said. Slowly the bug would come closer to you, eventually you would get to a point where the bug being there does not affect you. This causes the patient or individual to realize that it cannot hurt you. Additionally, while doing this technique, you must ask the patient if they are comfortable doing this. If you were to immediately shove whatever they fear or put them in that situation, this could worsen their phobia, thus causing them to lose any progress they had made or making their predicament worse. Barker describes, “Aversion therapy, where we want someone to become afraid of something that they’re not.” Overall, the ideas of phobias and fears are a topic that physicists are still trying to study, understand, and better treat.

NOV. 2023

IN-DEPTH lhstoday.org • Design by Bryleigh Conley

Being Pretty M

The effects of makeup on self confidence

By Bryleigh Conley, Editor-in-Chief

aybe it’s your hair, or the way you decide to dress today, but most people tend to use makeup as a form of self-expression and confidence. Whether it be light and natural, or heavy and bold, makeup is something that can hold value to a person and give people the opportunity to express themselves, showing personality through what they wear. Girl or boy, everyone has a chance to show who they really are. On the other hand, makeup is also one of the main reasons why our standards of beauty are so high today, and can have the complete opposite effect of what it was made for. Leading to the question of: is makeup really a bad or good thing? Makeup was made to help us feel pretty and comfortable in our own skin. Feeling like ourselves, having that extra confidence boost, and being able to show who we are. Having makeup on can almost feel like a shield. Something used to protect yourself and allow you to make it through tough days. It allows us to gain that confidence to put ourselves out there and open up to new opportunities. “I, over the years, used makeup as a disguise or as something to hide behind,” describes Ariana Grande on Vogue’s Beauty Secrets via Youtube. “As I get older, I don’t, I don’t love that being the attention behind it anymore.” On a positive note, not only can we use makeup to express ourselves, but also as a form of artistic expression that shows a person’s creative side, such as experimenting with new looks and designs. Even just the process of putting on makeup can be therapeutic. Getting ready in the morning can turn into a session of just you, yourself, and sorting your thoughts. “As most of us know well, practicing art (particularly anything hands-on) has both a therapeutic value, and allows for self-expression. Makeup is nothing short of an art form, yet it can be more accessible and less intimidating than fine art such as painting or sculpture,” describes journalist Beth Ashley in a story in “The Breakdown.”

Photo by A. Rey

As a student in high school, I wear makeup to class everyday, but during the summer I learned to let go of the need to wear it, and begin to prefer myself without it. Yet, as soon as the school year starts back up, I’m stuck in the habit of feeling like I need to wear it again. If you don’t wear it, people start asking questions and assuming something is wrong. “Did you wake up late today?” “You look different today.” All these questions start to arise, which can bring down a person’s self esteem and continue to convince someone into thinking that they don’t look like themselves without it.

As for the negatives, if you often use makeup on a day-to-day basis, it’s hard to get out of the habit of wearing it, almost to the point where you won’t feel comfortable without it. Soon you will be wearing it everywhere you go. Need to run to the store for a quick errand? Suddenly you’re spending an hour getting ready. Not to mention, makeup products can be pricey, spending about $100 on three name branded products. “It’s no secret that our society places a high value on physical appearance. Advertising, celebrities and social media all contribute to the message that we need to look a certain way to be considered beautiful,” describes Chris Foy on Florida Health Experience’s (FHE) website. FHE is a mental health and substance abuse treatment center. To me, there is really no right or wrong answer to whether makeup can be a good or bad thing, and no matter what you do there’s always going to be a mixed opinion that surrounds it. It’s really all in the mindset of how you decide to perceive it yourself. And maybe next time, when you’re stuck spending an hour getting ready, this will pop in your head and remind yourself that there really is no perfect standard to live up to. You are beautiful on your own. With or without makeup.

NEWS

lhstoday.org • Design by Anna Greminger

ISSUE I

Diets of Teens Written by Anna Greminger, Reporter On average, a person living in America will consume around 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day. That’s around 270 additional “empty” calories lacking in any nutritional value whatsoever. Were you aware? Food labels tend to do their best to ensure their packaging appears as innocent as possible, urging the consumer to not glance at the label- which conceals their questionable ingredients. Skittles, for example, have recently been under fire in the state of California which is aiming to ban them for one of the ingredients used to give Skittles their opaque, eye-catching color. This chemical, titanium dioxide, is used in many things such as icing, coffee creamer, gum, cosmetics, toothpaste, paper, plastic, sunscreen, and paint due to its naturally bright white color and durability Photographed by A. Rey against ultraviolet light. Around 70-80% of Buffalo poppers option for lunch in the titanium dioxide made in the world is used for paint cafeteria. pigmentation. The FDA allows this ingredient to be used in food products as long as its amount is no more than 1 percent by weight of the said food. For some, the eye-catching packaging and bold Skittle-brand colors are enough to overlook the fact you’re consuming an additive that is banned in Europe. While Skittles do their best to appear colorful and fun, other brands which aim to please a healthy target audience simplify their packaging in order to make themselves more appealing and less processed looking. But why does this trick work? Research suggests that different brand logo looks will make consumers automatically make a connection with said brand and a quality they must have- such as a sleek looking package with a depiction of a plant on it certainly must be healthy… right? Deceiving packaging can make it easy to form assumptions and not glance over the back of food packages to their nutrition facts and overlook ingredients thrown into their products to make them more addictive. Around 47% of consumed added sugars are sourced from drinks, mainly sugary soft drinks- sugars which most consumers are unaware they are even consuming. On average, one 12-ounce can of soda contains approximately 9 teaspoons of added sugars, which is the maximum amount recommended by the American Heart Association to be consumed in an entire day. However, this does not mean one must cut out sweet-tasting foods entirely; there’s a difference between these sugars which you’ll find giving candies a more compelling taste and the natural sugar which sweetens fruits. Ever noticed how different you feel after downing a candy bar versus eating an apple? This is the difference between the affect which added sugars have on your body versus natural sugars. Natural sugar is digested slowly, resulting in your blood glucose level staying raised for a longer period of time, preventing the sugar crash experienced after consuming added sugars. Added sugar, following the blood glucose levels dropping, will leave the consumer craving more to experience the feeling of their previous energy rush result of the added sugar consumed. For this reason added sugars can be addicting, since they will never result in the perfect slow-released energy outcome which the natural sugars provide. The never-enoughfeeling will leave consumers craving more and more amounts of added sugars to induce the glucose level rise and the dopamine release. While these startling statistics highlight the amount of sugar hiding in our food, the revelation that Skittles and paint share a common ingredient urges the question of what else could be hiding in the food we eat? What other ingredients does the FDA allow to be put into our food that have been banned in other countries? Could the addicting additives put into our food products be contributing to our climbing numbers of health issues and food intolerances? Healthy food options in the cafe including apples, fruit cups, and juice.

Photographed by A. Rey

NOV. 2023

FEATURE lhstoday.org • Design by Anna Greminger

By Loukya Vaka, Reporter, Ella Quinney, Reporter, and Anumitha Vaka, Clubs Editor The LHS theater brings to the community the fall production of “Our Town,” a classic play that leads the audience through the average, yet significant, days of the lives of Emily Webb (portrayed by Anna Fleetwood) and George Gibbs (portrayed by Tyler Bugg). Throughout the performance, the audience is given glimpses of the thoughts and feelings of the characters, giving viewers a strange and interesting perspective of the events going on in Grover’s Corner. While Emily and George struggle with reaching their true dreams in a town where they are encouraged to settle, the audience is taught about how important and significant every day we’re alive is. The story shows how essential it is to live life the way you want to along with how big of an impact the people around us can truly have. Junior Anna Fleetwood said that she auditioned for the play this year because, “I love the program. Gehrke, the director, is amazing, and I’ve had a great experience with the plays and musicals in the past. And, the story of ‘Our Town’ is super cool, so how could I not audition?” Fleetwood explains that “Our Town” is an exciting production because “it’s such a classic play, but not a lot of people know about it, which is interesting. A lot of people have put it on, but it’s not very well known, especially in our generation. So, I’m very excited to be able to share it with everyone again.”

Graphic by A. Greminger

Mrs. Gehrke, the theater teacher and director of all plays and musicals, believes that “Our Town” is a classic story with a gorgeous message. This is her second time directing “Our Town” the last time being roughly 10 years ago at a previous school that she taught at. However, this production is especially special to Gehrke.

Graphic of the “Our Town” cast rehearsing for the upcoming performance Nov. 9-11.

“I had a student named Dymon Tyson, and she played the lead role of Emily. The final scene does take place at a cemetery,” Gehrke said. “I mean the whole show is about living life and common experiences, so the last scene does focus on death. Dymon did a gorgeous job with the role, and sadly about a year or so after she passed away from cancer. The show has always touched me, I’ve seen it once since I directed it and it was beautiful and hard to get through. So, directing it this time there is a whole other depth and layer to it that I didn’t quite understand the first time I directed the show. So there is an extra layer of emotion attached to it this time.” In regards to the cast and crew of this production Gehrke said, “Our cast and crew are phenomenal. We have so many people that are so passionate, and we’re growing each year. We have so many leaders and some new faces that are coming in, too. I’m genuinely so excited about this cast and crew.” Gehrke also explained how the technical side of this production is going to be different this year. “It’s a simple production from a tech perspective, but it has to be done beautifully and well,” she said. “So, I’m excited for that challenge because our tech teams have had more spectacle that they’ve done recently, and this play is one that will make them really work on creating beautiful and clean scenery on stage.” Truly, this production is one special story that Liberty has never been able to see before from the theater program. From the special, detailed characters that the audience will be able to connect with, to the interesting technological aspects that will bring this play to life, there is much to look forward to in regards to the theater’s “Our Town” production. “Our Town” will be showing at Liberty’s auditorium from Nov. 9 to Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., and it is most certainly a theatrical performance to look forward to.

OPINION

lhstoday.org • Design by Meghan Lynch

ISSUE I

1. The sunrises and sunsets. Zach Bryan said it best, there’s just something in the orange. The Midwest is known for its brilliant sunrises and sunsets that light up the sky with hues of coral, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and blue. 2. St. Louis City SC. St. Louis is now one of the biggest soccer cities in the U.S., and growing. On average, each game is met with a completely sold out stadium. 3. Free activities. If you’ve been in Missouri for a while, you know that there is a lot to do, and for free, too. The St. Louis Zoo, Science Center, Art Museum, Grant’s Farm, and the list goes on. If you’re ever bored and broke, there’s a solution somewhere in Missouri. 4. Great food. Everyone in Missouri probably knows about and loves our food (i.e. toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake). Toasted ravioli is a fan-favorite not only in Missouri, but all over the country. You’re welcome, U.S. 5. Land-locked. Missouri is completely surrounded by land, so if you ever feel like you need an adventure, just cross over to one of the 8 bordering states, like Tennessee or Illinois. 6. Straight-forward. The people of Missouri have no problem telling you their opinion. For better or for worse, they’ll tell you exactly what they mean. 7. Six Flags. This amusement park is known and enjoyed by many, especially teenagers. Whether you go to Fright Fest every chance you get or only go to the park every few years, there’s no doubt you’ll have fun at Six Flags.

1. Humidity. If there is one thing in Missouri that everyone

complains about, it’s the humidity. Summer is not a fun season if you like being outdoors, unless sweating through your clothes after five seconds of being outside sounds enjoyable. 2. Danger. St. Louis is notorious for its high crime and drug levels. Just walking out of Busch Stadium and to your car can be a nerve-wracking experience. If you’re lucky, you might even see a drive-by from time to time. 3. Lack of culture. I’ve heard quite a few complaints about how bland and boring the people of our state can be. However, I feel like they make up for it with their classic Midwestern politeness. 4. The political climate. Many Missourians, especially young people, have expressed they feel “uneased” by our state’s stance on social and educational issues. 5. Unpredictable weather. One day it’s 90 degrees and sunny, the next it’s 50 and cloudy, and the next it’s 70 and raining. Ask anyone in Missouri, and they’ll tell you it’s practically like living in hell. 6. Traffic. Missouri’s roads can be a nightmare at times, and who wants to deal with that? 7. Invasive species. Missouri’s native wildlife is in serious danger from invasive species. These alien plants and animals threaten to eradicate Missouri’s indigenous species.

Graphics by A. Blankley

NOV. 2023

A&E

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They Aren’t Eagles, But They’re Pretty Cute Students and staff share stories about their pets By Patrick Emery, Reporter

Sophomore Kayleigh Tierney shares with us her pet tortoise, Armor. Tierney and Armor love watching movies together. They’d both go as far to say that it’s their favorite thing to do together. Believe it or not, there is an interesting story as to how this movie loving duo met. “We found him on the side of the road, so we had to take him in,” Tierney said. This honorable deed soon paid off, as she fell in love with him immediately.

Photo by Mr. Eversole

Photo by K. Tierney

Photo by W. Gambell

Photo by Mr. Schaper

Senior student William Gambell has an interesting pet, a pet Pineapple Conure he named Tiki. Tiki is a playful and social bird, whose favorite thing to do is complain. Tiki is an incredible bird, “She’s smart, She can understand most English words and will even bother people if I ask her to,” Gambell said. “She knows tons of tricks, her favorite of them is ‘dead bird’, she (Tiki) just flops over and, well, plays dead. She can even hang upside down, like a bat.”

The highly-idolized teacher Mr. Schaper brought his two cats to the table. His cats, Wendy (right) and Lemon (left) are fun loving and quite adorable. “They like to take naps and climb on me,” Schaper said. “They will dig their claws into me and then scale up me, like a mountain.” When they aren’t taking naps or conquering Mount Schaper, Lemon and Wendy enjoy playing hide and seek or, on occasion, they enjoy a good tussle with each other. Schaper’s favorite thing about his two cats was their dynamic. ”Wendy is very social, which is weird because she’s a Maine Coon, while Lemon is your more typical isolated cat.”

Unfortunately, not all news is good. When it comes to Mr. Eversole’s dog, Basmati, the worst could have happened. Over this past summer, Mr. Eversole and his wife adopted a new dog. This dog quickly became accustomed to Mr. Eversole. “She was the first dog ever to really be mine,” Eversole said. “I have one other dog, but my fiance has owned that dog longer than she’s known me, so it’s definitely her dog.” After a while, Eversole started to notice a lump on the back of Basmati. Anxious, he took her to the vet, where the vet told him that the lump could be cancerous, but they needed more information. Eversole quickly forked over the money and got another test as well as treatment for Basmati. Luckily for Eversole and his wife, Basmati’s tumor was non-cancerous and was completely removed. With just a few weeks in a cone, Basmati was back to her old self and ready for formal training.

A&E

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ISSUE I

By Taylor Koehnemann, Reporter

By Taylor Koehnemann and Meghan Lynch, Reporters Taylor Swift is a household name when it comes to pop music, even just music all together, known worldwide for her style of music as well as her very enthusiastic fans. Earlier this year, she embarked on her latest tour: The Eras Tour. As her next move, Swift decided to release a three hour concert film set to premiere in theaters on Friday, Oct. 13. For fans who couldn’t travel or pay the extremely high price for concert tickets, this movie is an excellent solution and substitution. The movie consists of the entire setlist of the Eras Tour, which goes through songs from nine of Swift’s 10 albums. Just to name a few: Lover, Reputation, Folklore, Fearless, etc. Fans are stoked to attend Taylor Swift’s first ever in-theaters concert film, most of them have already decided to wear their full costumes to the movie, glitter and all. “The most exciting part of the movie for me is when Folklore came on, it’s my favorite album,” movie-goer and sophomore Kai Doyle said. “To me, dressing up made it more of a concertlike experience.” Not only is it inclusive for certain groups of people, like those overseas where Swift isn’t touring, it’s also an incredibly smart business move. The movie’s runtime is around three hours. Each ticket costs about $20 for adults and around $13 for kids. Considering a lot of the people Photo by K. Doyle attending the movie are adults, that Alivia Jennings (10) and Kai Doyle (10), in their Eras means a lot of revenue for Taylor Swift, costumes at the movie theater. almost $85 million in profit. According to CNBC, “AMC said Thursday that global advance ticket sales have surpassed $100 million for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film.” The theaters will surely be filled on the day of its release, filled with Swift’s fans and other movie-goers waiting to see the film. One last question, will the film be as exciting and immersive as the actual concert or could this be a big letdown for fans who couldn’t go to the real deal? So far, Rotten Tomatoes has a 100% score for the movie. Now for the audience’s reaction, that is something that will have yet to be seen.

Recently, Netflix has released a brand new show that has taken the world by storm. This series is the brand new live-action “One Piece,” based on the best selling manga, and world’s longest running anime series. “One Piece” has always been a big icon considering its original story and impact on Japanese culture as well as all pop culture. The live action series brings the creative world of pirates to life for original fans as well as brand new fans. The series is about an ambitious pirate named Luffy who has wanted to do nothing more than become king of the prates. The previous king of the pirates; Gol D. Roger, he let the world know he left his treasure for any pirate to find, and this treasure is the One Piece. Luffy in the series ventures out to find not only the “One Piece” but also a strong and loyal crew. Now that the Live-Action “One Piece” has been released, it has had a global impact on Neflix and has become No. 1 on Netflix in 84 countries across the world. Bringing in old fans and creating new fans to enjoy the live-action series.

NOV. 2023

A&E lhstoday.org • Design by Becca Fike

TikTok’s Top Trends

Everything you need to know about the latest trends of 2023

By Becca Fike, Reporter

Social media is always changing, with people talking about new things everyday. There have been many new trends circulating social media lately, some bigger than others. One of the most influential social media platforms of our time is TikTok. The arrival of TikTok caused videos in short-form to become increasingly popular throughout the years its been around, and slowly people are becoming more and more involved in what goes on with this app. Because of TikTok’s growing popularity, it has caused many different trends to circulate the internet. Here are some of the most popular TikTok trends lately:

1. Dropshipping Dropshipping is a business model where you sell products without having to keep them in stock. Instead, when you receive an order from a customer, you forward it to the supplier who then ships the product directly to the customer. This helps sellers put minimal investments and effort into selling their products, which can make things easier for them. TikTok dropshippers tend not to make much money on their shops, and make videos showing off their products compared to a similar product of a different brand. They try to make their own product look much better than the other, despite them practically being the same thing. Dropshipping seems to be frowned upon, and people take pride in exposing these dropshippers on TikTok, showing their low sales and the fact that they usually use the regular product wrong, while they use theirs right. 2. BookTok BookTok is a community on TikTok that primarily focuses on books and reading in general. People involved in BookTok normally make videos about book reviews, book discussions, book recommendations, or just anything related to any book. While any book is eligible to talk about on BookTok, there are plenty of books that have become very popular solely because of this TikTok community. Some books that have become increasingly popular because of BookTok include “They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera, “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry, “The Atlas Six” by Olivie Blake, and a lot of books written by Colleen Hoover. BookTok has even caused bookstores to start setting up stands in their stores just for BookTok books for people to find easier, since they know these books are very popular. 3. Red and Green Flags One very popular trend on TikTok is red and green flags. These are used mostly for relationships and defining which habits of your partner are wrong or right. A red flag is a warning sign or indication that someone might be wrong or problematic. Red flags are associated with traits or behaviors that may indicate potential problems or warning signs in a person. These traits can vary depending on the context, but some common examples include dishonesty, manipulation, controlling behavior, lack of respect or boundaries, inconsistency, and frequent anger or aggression. A green flag is a positive indicator or sign in a relationship. It signifies something that is favorable, healthy, or encourages a positive outcome. Green flags are associated with positive traits or behaviors that indicate a healthy and positive person. Some examples of green flags include good communication, mutual respect, trustworthiness, kindness, supportiveness, and shared values. 4. Y2K Fashion Fashion trends have been around forever, and people are always trying new things and looking for new clothes to buy. TikTok has become very influential the past few years when it comes to fashion, and everyone wants to buy what they see on TikTok. Arguably one of the most popular TikTok originated fashion trends would be Y2K fashion. Y2K fashion refers to the fashion trends that emerged around the late 1990s and early 2000s. It’s characterized by futuristic and bold styles, including low-rise jeans, crop tops, mini skirts, metallic fabrics, and neon colors. Many people find this style nostalgic and fun, while others refer to this style as the new “basic” girl fashion. People are defensive when it comes to this style, getting upset when someone claims to dress in Y2K but isn’t doing it right.

5. Scrub Daddy Scrub Daddy is a popular brand of cleaning products, with their most popular product being a smiley-face sponge. Scrub Daddy is not your typical sponge. It’s made of a material called FlexTexture that changes its texture based on the water temperature. In warm water, it becomes soft for more gentle cleaning, and in cold water, it becomes firm for tough scrubbing. The world loves Scrub Daddy. There are many different cleaning videos on TikTok including this sponge, and people everywhere are adding Scrub Daddy to their everyday cleaning routine. This sponge might change the entirety of cleaning for years to come.

FALL FASHION

ISSUE I

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Gifts

Brands

Children

What do you like about fall

“I like how cozy it is; how soft and “I think it can be very versatile in what you wear and how you wear it.” warm it is.”

-Louis Stoyanov (10)

-Meghan Lynch (10)

NOV. 2023

FALL FASHION

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Womens

fashion?

Mens

Back In Sweaters

Photos by A. Rey

Jeans Cardigans Cargo Pants

Looking for more? Follow us! @lhs.publications

@LHSJourn “I like the shift from bright summer colors to muted fall colors.”

-Abbie Luker (12)

@Libertylhspublications

INTERACTIVE QUIZ

lhstoday.org • Design by Loukya Vaka & Meghan Lynch

1. If you’re in a fight with a friend, how would you react?

2. In a group activity, do you:

4. What kind of animal would you be?

5. When you want to relax and have fun, do you…

A. Analyze the situation and figure out how to best approach the problem. B. Try to understand their perspective and how they feel. C. Prepare for an argument and then confront them directly. D. Immediately try to solve the issue based on how you feel. E. Don’t get too worried about the issue, feeling that it is solvable, and try to reconcile the problem in an easy-going way.

A. A clever, calculated dolphin, swimming through the ocean. B. An elephant, going about your days peacefully. C. A lion, the top of the food chain. D. A majestic peacock, strutting elegantly. E. A sociable otter, happily splashing in the water.

Mostly C’s: You’re red. You are a passionate and strong leader, recognized for your ambition. You have a rational mind and are able to keep a level head when under pressure.

3. What’s your dream way to vacation?

A. Settle all the fine details until perfection is met. B. Do their part well, while making sure that the group is balanced. C. Take charge, making sure that the best ideas are heard and taken into account. D. Think about all possibilities and plan according to what needs to be done. E. Enthusiastically collaborate with your peers, making sure everyone has contributed and is happy with the finished result.

A. Make a detailed itinerary, making sure that every day is planned out exactly right. B. Find a quiet mountain retreat, with a good place to read and look at the world around you. C. Make the most of your time away by filling every day with your favorite activities. D. A spontaneous trip to an exotic location, where you are able to relax in luxury. E. Bring your best friends or family with you, vacation is always more fun with everyone having a good time with you!

6. What spirit day is your favorite?

A. Pick up a book and find a good place to escape from reality. B. Sit down and write about the world around you. C. Go on a hike to center yourself. D. Treat yourself to going out to eat at a fine dining restaurant. E. Make plans with a friend to go to an exciting amusement park.

Mostly A’s: You’re green. You are a perfectionist, known to be analytical and logical. You are calm and incredibly calculated.

ISSUE I

A. Camo Day B. Pajama Day C. Red Out D. Dress Like You’re Rich E. Disco Day

Mostly B’s: You’re blue. You are a very emotionally Intelligent person. You pride yourself on your balance and dependability.

Mostly D’s: You’re purple. You can be quite contradictory. You are wise, but also intuitive and spontaneous. You do what feels best in the moment. You’re also known to be very dignified.

Mostly E’s: You’re yellow. You are the sunny one, optimistic and extroverted. You’re very sociable and get along pretty well with most people.