Liberty Ledger
Volume 3
ISSUE 2
NOVEMBER 30, 2015 Daryn Adler - all conference
Colette Linden - Named second team all state. Andrew Stuhlman - all conf.
Gabe Rompel - First Liberty runner to win a medal at a state meet.
Bennett Williams - all conf.
Lexi Kayser - Helped to lead the first Liberty team to state.
Fall of Firsts
Madeline Larouere and Maya Schnable - First Liberty golfers to qualify for state. Lauren Jones - all conference
31 Liberty athletes make all-conference teams.
see a complete list of all conference athletes page 16
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Liberty Ledger
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The Ledger’s philosophy:
The Liberty Ledger encourages comments and suggestions. This newspaper’s objective is to inform its readers about the events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population. The Ledger encourages letters to the editor. Bylined commentaries represent the opinions of their writers; they do not necessarily express the views of the administration, faculty or student body. This newspaper is apart of the district’s curriculum and serves as a training ground for future journalists and designed to provide practical journalistic experience for written expression on a variety of topics.
Madelyn Baker McKenzie Bartels Emma Bobbitt Moira Charnot Tanner Davies Zoe Fleschman Maranda Flod Angel Flores Jessica Gibson Olivia Holler Sarah Martin Emma Rudolph Chasteanne Salvosa Tayte Sanders Laura Sanders Jenna Schwander
Mr. Hall - adviser
Liberty High School 2275 Sommers Road Lake St. Louis, Mo. 63367 636.561.0075 www.wentzville.k12.mo.us
Liberty Ledger november 30, 2015 A Work In Progress
News
New construction brings about excitement. OLIVIA HOLLER The teachers and staff at Liberty are excited about the learning experiences that the new additions will bring to the school. The new additions that will be added to the school are 20 additional classroom including some science and Project Lead the Way rooms, auditorium and a gym. Work began in mid October on the academic wing and the gymnasium. “I’m looking forward to having the academic wing and the second gym to be completed,” principal Mr. Nelson said. The theatre will be a great addition to the school as well. “I’m most excited about having all that comes with the theatre including a stage, scene shop, costume shop, backstage area and more,” explained theatre teacher Ms. Shelton. There will be new opportunities as the schools expands.
photo by Olivia Holler The new additions that will be added to the school are 20 additional classroom including some science and Project Lead the Way rooms, auditorium and a gym.
“The new construction/additions will allow my students to work on scenic construction, costume construction and scenic painting in the theatre curriculum,” Ms. Shelton said. “It will also give us a theatre to use for the after school program; we will be able to hold more performances
New policy, New numbers Parking numbers are assigned to students. OLIVIA HOLLER There is a new policy that started this year on where students are able to park. Last year, students could park wherever and now this year there is an assigned spot the sophomores and juniors can park. “We wanted to make sure students had a spot to know that everybody is safe,” Ms. Reininger said. The school had assigned everyone parking numbers because it was to make sure everyone was held accountable and to know who is in what spot. There are 376 parking spots and 180 are currently sold. “I like the spots better. There is no confusion and it is easier to know that I will always park in the same spot everyday,” James Dotson says. Some of the students liked it better when you could park wherever you wanted because they don’t like their spot this year. “I liked when we could park wherever because my parking spot is terrible, I’m in the back of the lot and not the front but it is easier knowing that I have a spot and it’s more organized,” Kortney Collier said. Collier also suggested that maybe when we have a senior class they could have the front spots instead of having the spots randomized.
as well as improv shows and talent shows to our performances.” The auditorium will hopefully be completed at the end of 2017. While the auditorium is important, a new gymnasium is very much needed as well.
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“The new gym will help us because we will have more space and more locker space,” P.E. teacher and coach Mr. Sodemann said. The academic wing and gym will be completed by next year. The new additional classrooms will help with the growth of students and their learning. “Having more classrooms saves us from having to house new students or shared classrooms,” science teacher Ms. Rosner said. Project Lead the Way (PTLW) will use a science classroom for part of the day. They are too big for one single classroom next year. “I’m excited about having another biomed teacher in the hall,” Ms. Aydelott said. With the addition of new classrooms, new teachers will be coming into Liberty expanding new learning opportunities throughout the district.
Staying After School? Why aren’t we allowed to stay after school? laura sanders
photo by Olivia Holler There are 376 parking spots and 180 are currently sold.
In order to have a parking spot, you have to have a few things: pay the $25 parking fee each year, a tag, proof of insurance, good grades, a permit, be on time to school every day and park in your spot. Your parking tag must be visible on the rearview mirror. There is no deadline for the fees, but the fee reduces to half price in December because the school year is halfway over. Parking is a privilege and could be taken away. Students who do not park in their spots would get a detention and if it keeps happening, your parking spot will be taken away. The parking numbers have made parking much easier and more organized knowing that each student is safe and has their own spot.
I’m sure you have realized by now that the teachers and principal are getting very strict about whether you can stay after school or not and here is why. “We just want to keep the building nice and new looking,” said principal Mr. Nelson. Many students were curious about why announcements were made at photo by Laura Sanders the end of the day urging them There have been reports of unsafe behavior and horseplay around the to go home and not stay after school. unless they were in a supervised school-sponsored activity. There were problems with vandalism in our school. But that’s not all. There has also been reports of unsafe behavior and horseplay around the school. So for the safety of the students and the school, students were asked to go home unless they had a specific activity to stay after for. “I felt disappointed,” Mr. Nelson explains. But he won’t be disappointed for long because since the announcements, the problems have started to go away. “It’s pretty much disappeared,” Nelson said. Now we just have to keep it that way. Or even better, let’s just make it completely go away.
4 NEWS
NOVEMBER 30, 2015
A Night of One-AcT PerFOrmances
Liberty Ledger
Liberty’s theater program displays their first plays of the year. Wonderland story, following a girl’s hallucinations caused by the cafeteria’s scantily-made mystery meat she ate for lunch. “I’m really looking forward to the performance, and I’m really proud of all the other cast members and how far we’ve come,” Abby Falgout said, who plays Alice. Their second play, written by Jonathan Rand, is called How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying, and is a comical performance about student agents who intervene with their school’s assembly and exhibit how to survive throughout your four years of high school, using ridiculous measures such as getting your name legally changed just to avoid roll call
MOIRA CHARNOT
Our theater program’s Night of OneActs, in which they put on not one, not two, but three different one-act plays, took place on November 6th and 7th. Each and every spectacle was directed by their theatre teacher, Ms. Shelton, and stage-managed by Abigail Ebenstein and Kennedy Hennessy. This production was not formed with as much ease as one would at first think, even with our current theater students’ creativity and overall superb talent in acting. Continuous tasks done in rehearsals, script changes, finding the right costumes and makeup to fit the play - and to top it all off, dealing with the inevitable stage fright everyone has felt on opening night. photo by Moira Charnot Nonetheless, these students established Alyssa Fay lets us know why we “shouldn’t” that they would not disappoint the audibe in a play. ence, and were able to pull through and do a spectacular job on opening night after over a and the like. month’s work on the plays. The third and final play, titled Fifteen Reasons Not “These plays are one of those things that we were to be in a Play and written by Alan Haehnel, is a play constantly working on, never got a break from, and it’s telling us exactly why we should not want to be in a really cool to see how all of these people can improve play, one of priceless dialogues and is filled with ironic how they perform together,” said Abigail Ebenstein, humor, with countless unpredictable scenarios occurone of the co-stage managers of these plays. ring throughout the story. The first that was performed was Alice’s Adventures “I’m glad to see that everyone’s hard work has with Poorly Cooked Cafeteria Seafood by Don Zolidis, come to fruition,” Ms. Shelton says. “That’s what I’ve which is a parody-like version of the original Alice & been most excited for.”
Cinderella for an Evening... Insight on the Cinderella’s closet charity. LAURA SANDERS Come donate your lightly used dresses to room 122 for the charity of Cinderella’s closet. Cinderella’s closet is an organization that salvages used dresses and lends them to girls to use for themselves. So far they have gathered 40 dresses and will be dropping them off Kathleen Bearry Haley Sante sometime in December, but the donation will be going on all year. “It’s kind of like a community group,” said STUCO sponsor Ms. Sutherlin said. However, the idea was not hers. The idea was thought up juniors Kathleen Bearry and Haley Sante. “I think that every girl should have a chance to go to a formal dance and nt have to worry about spending a bunch of money for a nice dress,” Bearry said. Bearry shouldn’t have to worry because with the help of the school, they should all have that chance. “It’s a great way to give back to the community,” explains Haley Sante. Both of the girls say that it is a success, so let’s keep up the good work.
“It’s a great way to give back to the community.” - Haley Sante
Lights, Camera, Action!
Join the Gateway Award Nominee Challenge for a chance to win a $50 gift card to QuikTrip MoirA Charnot Young adult books these days are being adapted into movies left and right, such as The Hunger Games, Divergent, and even The Maze Runner, and they’re still not stopping there. Wouldn’t you like to see one of your favorite books become a movie too? If so, you can make that happen for yourself with the Gateway Award Nominee Challenge. “It was really fun, pretending to be a director for a trailer, and I got to work with a lot of new elements I never thought of using before,” said Madison May, a participant in this contest. In this challenge, you will get to select a book to read that has been nominated for the Gateway Award, and after you finish, you create your own book trailer out of it and submit the trailer to Ms. Oliva, and a week after the deadline, we’ll find out who’s going home with the prize - a $50 gift card to Quiktrip. “If I could, I’d do this challenge because I like to read, and the challenges Ms. Oliva makes are always fun, and usually have cool prizes,” said Ms. Borders, an AP English
teacher who is encouraging more students to try the challenge. You can use any video editing software you want, such as Animoto or Powtoon, but also, the Trio App is being promoted in this challenge. It’s a free, video-making app where you can find images, gifs, and audio that you can mash together to create a trailer. “The chosen books are fantastic reads, they’ve all been selected by a committee of students and teachers in the district; they’re the best of the best,” Ms. Oliva, our librarian and the organizer of this contest. If you tend to be slower at reading than others are, there is still no need to turn up your nose to this challenge, because the deadline isn’t until March 31st, which is plenty of time for you to complete your trailer before it’s due. Teachers are encouraging their students to participate in this contest, and some of these books are soon-to-be movies, so there’s no reason you can’t contribute and show us what you want one of these books to look like on the big screen.
List of Books Nominated for Gateway Awards This Year Book Title
Author
All The Truth That’s in Me All Our Yesterdays Eleanor and Park Escape from Eden I am the Weapon In the Shadow of Blackbirds Naturals Out of the Easy Program Proxy Rules for Disappearing Steelheart Thousand Words Winger 5th Wave
Julie Berry Cristin Terrill Rainbow Rowell Elisa Nader Allen Zadoff Cat Winters Jennifer Barnes Ruta Sepetys Suzanne Young Alex London Ashley Elston Brandon Sanderson Jennifer Brown Andrew Smith Rick Yancey
Liberty Ledger
november 30, 2015
News
Red & Blue Day
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Liberty’s second annual Red and Blue Day is a hit with the community.
Chasteanne Salvosa
Photos by Emma Rudolph
Red and Blue Day was a wonderful opportunity for all of Liberty’s sports and clubs to raise money and offered the community a day of fun on Oct. 17. Some of the activities included various kids games, a kickball tournament, hayrides, a magic show, by our Liberty magician, Cameron Jones, and a bonfire and movie at the end of the day. Other activities included a Taste of Liberty Food Festival, which included food from Sugarfire Winghaven, The Meltdown, Totally Toasted, St. LouisanaQ, and etc., a pumpkin sale (as well as the opportunity to paint them), parade of athletes, and face painting.
But the sole purpose of Red and Blue isn’t to be overlooked. Not only is it to have plain fun and entertain, but to raise money for our sports and clubs here at Liberty. “I think it was really successful,” junior Caylin Fuller said. “We had a lot of people turn out and all the kids’ games went really well and they had a lot of fun.” The turnout of the number of people have students and staff anticipating next year’s Red and Blue day, hoping it will be as successful as this year’s.
Photos by Alysan Amann
A Fantastic Fundraiser
Key Club’s Color Run raised $1,500 for future service projects. Chasteanne Salvosa
photos by Olivia Holler
The Color Run, sponsored by Key Club, looks like a simple, fun event for the population of runners in our school, but in reality, the Color Run is a fundraiser that supports LHS and our community. “The Color Run is a fantastic fundraiser, you can have people of all ages involved,” junior Una Selmanovic said, who is president of Key Club. According to Selmanovic and Emily Gharabegi, vice president of Key Club, a community service organization, about 110 runners registered and attended, not including family members and volunteers. The required $25-$35 in registration fees and costs for these 110 runners all go to a good cause as well.
photo by Cassie Cauwels Students throw color into the sky after a successful run.
“Our funds will partly go to the Color Run organization themselves, and part of it will go to us (Liberty). The funds that Key Club will use that we have gathered from the Color Run itself will be going into our service projects and back into the community,” says Selmanovic. The 5K run was on Nov. 1 and the course itself was around the school. After the run, an after party was scheduled with entertainment and food provided. And overall, $1,500 was raised for future service projects. “The Color Run was very successful, especially with it being our first Color Run. All of the time and effort put into the Color Run certainly paid off,” said Selmanovic.
photos by Cassie Cauwels
6 NEWS
NOVEMBER 30, 2015
Leaders at Liberty
Liberty Ledger
Kocsis and Dees represent DECA at Fall Leadership Conference. EMMA RUDOLPH There is a first for everything here at Liberty High School, including DECA club which just started this year. The president of DECA, Gabrielle Kocsis, and vice president Hannah Dees went to the Fall Leadership Conference at the Lake of the Ozarks from Oct. 18-19. At the Fall Leadership Conference, students from all around meet, go to workshops, listen to guest speakers and elect state officers. Students network with other students from different schools. While at the conference, students had to role play scenarios that related to marketing and business and got judged,” Ms. Oliva said, who is co-sponsor of DECA. Kocsis and Dees both attended a workshop that gave them tips on what they should discuss and say during interviews and how to dress for success. “Being at this conference taught me so much about leadership, and just strengthened my desire to compete in the future. We were able to go and watch speeches from many different people and it was a very cool experience,” Dees said. Mr. Barnes, who is also co-sponsor of DECA, has been involved with DECA and FBLA at his other previous school. Being involved with DECA allows Barnes to be able to interact with other students not just the usual student
photo submitted by Mr. Barnes Gabrielle Kocsis and Hannah Dees attend the Fall Leadership Conference.
athletes. He enjoys being the sponsor for DECA because he gets to know students better. “When I interviewed both of them about becoming Liberty’s first president and vice president, they both had several ideas about what they wanted to do with DECA and
Comfy Niches
Perfect places to study for exams. zOE FLESCHMAN St. Louis Bread Co. (Panera Bread) 1300 State Hwy K, O’Fallon, MO 63366 (636) 327-0662 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Panera Bread is a great, relaxing place to get energized with healthy food and study. Great for dinner and a textbook. Very remote and can easily connect to the wifi. Corporate Parkway Library 1200 Corporate Pkwy, Wentzville, MO 63385 (636) 327-4010 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. MondayThursday, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. FridaySunday Corporate Parkway is welcomed to anyone and everyone in our community; It’s nearby and a great resting stop to pound out all that hard work of studying.
where they wanted to go with it,” Barnes said. “They are both great leaders and get make those around them better. Both Kocsis and Dees are great ladies who will someday do great things in the business world.” Coach Barnes said. Kocsis was influenced by her sister to join DECA. She knew her sister was in DECA over at Timberland, so she gave it a shot. Dees joined because she is interested in having a career in marketing near the future. Being involved in DECA teaches you new leadership skills as well as teamwork. Since the girls are president and vice president, it allows them to grow as a leader and student, and get to voice their thoughts and ideas. “With any first year group, there are going to be struggles,” Barnes said. “Right now we are just trying to get everything set up so that in the future, we can continue to have success. For example, I have about 5-6 students right now trying to get the DECA store up and running. We hope to have that open by middle of January, a couple days a week. It’s going to take some time for us to get to the level that some other schools are around us, but with this group of kids, we are off to a great start,” Barnes stated. Barnes thinks very highly of all of the students participating in DECA and of what is to come for the organization this year and the following years.
Liberty’s Veterans
Starbucks Coffee 1877 Wentzville Pkwy, Wentzville, MO 63385 (636) 327-4158 5:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Starbucks offers a quiet environment and great pastries and obviously coffee! Tables can be used to work at and there are comfortable couches to read on. Plus, free wifi is a beautiful thing. Barnes and Noble 113 W County Center, Des Peres, MO 63131 (314) 835-9980 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Again, the free wifi! And why not study your books around more books? Plus the additional Starbucks within the store allows for locations at once.
YOUR OWN HOME Why? More like, why not! Climb into your own cozy bed or in front of a screen and turn on some Supernatural reruns. As long as you continue to study, just be comfortable and have a good time while you’re at it.
photos by Danielle Corgan and Faith Flannagan
Liberty hosted a Veteran’s Day assembly on Wednesday, Nov. 11 to recognize veteran’s who have served our country. Liberty invited any family member of a student at Liberty, who is a veteran. “Our goal is to honor veterans who are connected to our Liberty family,” Mr. Nelson said.
Liberty Ledger
november 30, 2015
in-depth
A Look Back at Spirit Week!
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in-depth
Homecoming by the numbers moira charnot
300 Homecoming T-Shirts Sold
600 Homecoming Tickets Sold
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Stone Krogman’s jersey number. He scored the final touchdown
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Channel that aired our school’s prep rally on KSDK News
11 Teachers wore onesies on Pajama Day
32 The score of our Homecoming Game
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Free donuts given out after KSDK prep rally
4-2 Is what the team’s record became after the win
November 30, 2015
LiBerty Ledger
LiBerty Ledger NOVEMBER 30, 2015 Greasers Vs. Socialites
in-depth
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Society may be quick to judge, but we have the support of our peers at Liberty High School.
Zoe FLESCHMAN Back in the 1950s, the labels of “greaser” and “socialite” were real people, yet the way the are defined is so harsh. How and why were they so quick to judge? Monday September 28, the students of Liberty dressed for 50’s day, the theme of homecoming. Both the young men and women, as well as teachers, came in costumes as these “greasers” or “socialites.” Webster dictionary defines a socialite as “someone who is well-known in fashionable society and is often seen at parties and other social events for wealthy people.” It’s a stereotypical definition. The urban dictionary calls a socialite, “someone who has money and doesn’t work, instead spends their time being ‘socially active.’” Greasers are even quicker to the judgment of others. Webster dictionary defines greasers as “an aggressive swaggering young white male usually of working-class background.” It’s, again, stereotyping at its finest, and it only gets worse. The urban
dictionary defines a greaser as simply “white trash with long greasy hair.” The general public gives these terms degrading and cliche definitions. It’s unfair. Society labels a socialite as a very social, but a very rude and rich person and then labels a greaser as worthless, calling them trash. The definitions from peers within our high school are way more encouraging. Caylin Fuller, junior, and Kennedy Hennessy, sophomore, both said that socialites are sociable, preppy, and very spirited, less negative than the perspective of the definition.
“I have a very free spirited attitude and independent mindset,” says Katie Coyle, junior, about how she relates to a greaser in everyday life. “I like to put a lot of gel in my hair; I like to think I’m a thug, but I’m not; I like fast cars,” says Bailey Cheatham, sophomore, about why he likes being a greaser. 50’s day showed us that Liberty tries their hardest to ignore those stereotypes; we’re optimistic against the harsh definitions. We make our own decisions and we like who we are.
Above: The socialites of student council proudly pose in their pink. Front; Abby Falgout, Eva Herling, Kennedy Hennessy. Back; Amy Paulus, Taylor Stewart, Haley Sante Hunt, Morgan Metcalf, Caylin Fuller. Below: The tough female greasers of Student Council strike fear in peoples eyes. Front; Katie Coyle, Addison Haynes, Kortney Collier. Back; Bailee Hunt, Maddy Pettig, Bennett Outman, Savannah Kruse, Tori Harris, Catie Barrett.
“I have a very free spirited attitude and independent mindset.” - Katie Coyle
Light’s Out
Liberty High School Students take on Black Out Day. Madelyn Baker
Black Streamer Headband
Black Headband
Black Football Eye Black
Black Football Eye Black Black Dancin’ in the Diner Shirt
Black Dancin’ in the Diner Shirt
Black Jeans
Black Leggings
Black Vans Shoes Sophomore Abby Hankins dresses up in all black for Black Out Day. “I dressed up for Black Out Day because, why not? I have a group of crazy friends who will go all out with me and it’s super fun!”
Black High Top Shoes Austyn Kloth, 10, poses for the camera showing off his school spirit. “I dressed up because... SCHOOL SPIRIT!”
10 IN-DEPTH
november 30, 2015
We got spirit, How about you?
Liberty Ledger
KSDK was very impressed with the amount of school spirit. Olivia holler & emma rudolph Students were up at 5:30 a.m. for the prep assembly with KSDK on October 20th. The spirit and the amount of excitement was breathtaking. Student council got the event prepared, organized and was very astonished by the turnout and the school spirit. They wanted to encourage the student body to set an example for the upcoming classes. The turnout was incredible, we had about 500+ kids. “I was beyond impressed,” says Morgan Metcalf. Everyone came together to bring the best school spirit. “I absolutely loved seeing as many people as I did for the morning pep rally. Although I was tired that morning it totally was worth it,” Makayla Braille said. Students had shown during the assembly that they are proud to be an Eagle “I loved how excited and proud they were,” Catie Barrett says.
Ryan Dean of KSDK Channel 5 aired the prep rally live on the morning newscast.
The student council had everyone get pumped up by doing some the chants, one of them being the party chant. The noise was powerful and exhilarating to see what our school could do and showed the community who we were. As KSDK put it, we were the best school spirited. “We wanted to prove to ourselves and to other schools that we aren’t so different,” says Morgan Metcalf. “I wasn’t shocked, I knew our school could pull it off,” sophomore Mackenzie Fiore said. We may be a school with only three classes but there was definitely tons of school spirit in the air.
Dancin’ into Homecoming
Photos by: Ms. Kleiber & Emma Rudolph
Jenna SCHWANDNER
Lillian Broz, Sophomore
Luke Paulus, Freshman
Q: Feelings about homecoming? A: “It was fun and exciting.” Q: Did you like the theme this year? A: “Yes, I thought the theme was very cute.” Q: What was your favorite part of the dance? A: “Seeing my friends in their dresses.”
Q: What was your favorite part of the dance? A: “Hanging out with my friends.” Q: What was the worst part of the dance? A: “I didn’t like the D.J.” Q: Where did you go to eat? A: “I didn’t go anywhere.”
Tori Tyarks, Junior
Q: Were you asked to homecoming? If so how and by who? A: “I just went with some friends.” Q: What would you change about homecoming? A: “I wouldn’t change anything, I thought the night went great!” Q: Is going with a date better or worse? why? A: “I think going with a date is fun and all, but I would rather go with friends. It’s more fun and you’re not stuck with your date all night. You can have more fun with friends.”
Lily Lankford Freshman , Fref
Q: Did you like the theme? A: “Yes, it was original and unique.” Q: What was your favorite part of the dance? A: “I liked hanging with my friends and dancing.” Q: What was the worst part of the dance? A: “It was hot because there was a lot of people.”
Liberty Ledger NOVEMBER 30, 2015 Moments of a Student Teacher
PEOPLE
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Ms. Ballmann has wanted to become a teacher since she was a freshman in high school. tanner davies Student teaching is the final step college students have to take before becoming completing their teacher education program. Ms. Ballmann has been student teaching here for 12 weeks and working with Ms. Pizzo in the (Family and Consumer Science) FACS room learning how to run her own classroom one day. “Being a student teacher was an interesting and exciting experience,” she said. “Being able to get a small taste of how my own classroom is going to run some day was exciting to see. It was amazing to finally implement the many ideas I had from my years of schooling into an actual class. My students, and the other teachers and staff, were fantastic this year, so I think I got lucky with the experience I received.”
She became a teacher because she has a passion to help people. Since freshman year of high school, she has wanted to become a teacher, but by the end of high school she knew she wanted to be a (Family and Consumer Science) FACS teacher.
open volleyball.
She lives in O’Fallon and goes to Fontbonne University in St. Louis.
“It would be an absolute honor to work at Liberty, or even in the Wentzville School District,” Ms. Ballmann said. “I do not think anyone could go wrong with getting a job in this district. The teachers and staff here at Liberty have been so tremendously helpful to me throughout my student teaching, that I would love to work with them for the rest of my career. But, teaching anywhere in St. Charles County has always been a goal of mine. It’s home, it’s where I want to stay.”
“I love Liberty! The culture and state of mind that everyone has created in just three years is awesome to see,” Ballmann said. “The pride in the school I see from all the students, teachers and staff makes me want to stay here forever. You can tell the everyone truly takes pride in being an Eagle, and I think that element is so important in schools.” She has learned that to get kids to actu-
She believes there are times to be strict and times to be loose. She wants to thank 6th hour for making her look good to her advisor from Fontbonne.
photo by Angel Flores Ms. Ballmann has been working with Ms. Pizzo this fall in the FACS department.
ally learn you have to have a bond with the student. Her most embarrassing moment was tripping over nothing before school at
What a Magical Season! Students share their Christmas and Thanksgiving favorites. MARANDA flod
Austin Cleppe, Junior
Q - What are some movies you watch during the holidays? A - “Nightmare before Christmas, any of the old claymation movies, Polar Express.” Q - Do you have any movie traditions? (watch the same movie every year or?) A - “Yes, watching the Polar Express normally on Christmas eve.” Q - What are three things you’re most thankful for? A - “My good health, family, friends.” Q - What movies do you remember watching as a kid around the holidays? A - “Nightmare Before Christmas, The Polar Express.” Q - What are some good/funny memories you have from around the holidays? A - “Waking up early in the morning to go into the living room to find a bunch of presents beneath the tree.” Q - Do you think most people are thankful for what they have? A - “Yes I do, but a lot of people are not too.” Q - Who would you have the most thanks for and why? A - “My mom. Growing up I lived with my single mom and she worked really hard and did everything in her power to do what’s best for me and make me happy.”
Gabriel Rompel, Junior
Q - What are some movies you watch during the holidays? A - “Elf, Polar Express and Home Alone.” Q- Do you have any movie traditions? (watch the same movie every year or?) A - “No I do not.” Q - What are three things you’re most thankful for? A- “Friends, family, and my coaches.” Q - What movies do you remember watching as a kid around the holidays? A - “Frosty the Snowman.” Q - What are some good/funny memories you have from around the holidays? A -”Accidentally knocking the wind out of my sister while sledding.” Q-Do you think most people are thankful for what they have?
A - “Yes, but also some people don’t realize how good life is.” Q - Who would you have the most thanks for and why? A - “All the people in my life.”
Ethan Jones, Sophomore
Q - What are some movies you watch during the holidays? A - “There are all kinds of movies I watch during the holidays, many of which aren’t actually holiday movies. Although some of my favorites include the Home Alone series, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, and Elf. (Probably the greatest movie of all time.)” Q - Do you have any movie traditions? (watch the same movie every year or?) A - “Not necessarily, I honestly don’t even know if I have any traditions at all.” Q - What are three things you’re most thankful for? A - “Three things? I’m thankful for everything! But if I had to think of the top three, I would have to be in this order. First, my family. I say my family because without them I wouldn’t be who I am today. Second, my friends. My friends are probably even more influential and important in my life. Third and last, probably my soon to be girlfriend Brooke.” Q - What movies do you remember watching as a kid around the holidays? A - “Home Alone for sure. I can remember building forts around the TV with my cousin and watching that movie. Also, for some reason I used to watch all of them over and over.” Q - What are some good/funny memories you have from around the holidays? A - “Every Christmas pretty much, even the bad memories are funny.” Q - Do you think most people are thankful for what they have? A - “Probably not. Most people take almost everything they have for granted and they act as if it’s always going to be there for them.” Q - Who would you have the most thanks for and why? A - “My mom because she brought me into this world and she has helped me so much growing up. I can remember her helping me nights on end throughout the week with my math, or anything really.”
12
PEOPLE
NOVEMBER 30, 2015
A Galaxy Near You... Paxton Linnemeyer, Freshman
Q: Favorite Star Wars character? A: “Chewbacca”
sarah martin
The Force Awakens debuts in theaters on Dec. 18
Q: Favorite quote? A: “May the force be with you.” Q: Jedi or Sith Lord? A: “Sith Lord for sure.” be?
A Mural To Remember
Student creates mural in Mr. Hendricks’ room.
EMMA BOBBITT
Q: Favorite Star Wars movie? A: “The first in the series, ‘Star Wars’”
Liberty Ledger
Q: If you could have a lightsaber, what color would it A: “Blue”
Q: What are you looking forward to for the new movie? A: “I’m really looking forward to the graphics. They haven’t made a Star Wars movie in a long time, and technology has really improved since the last movie, so the graphics should be amazing.”
Justin Yore, Junior Q: Favorite Star Wars movie? A: “Return of the Jedi” Q: Favorite character from Star Wars? A: “R2-D2” Q: Favorite quote? A: “*Chewbacca growl*” Q: Jedi or Sith Lord? A: “Sith Lord. They’re so much cooler.” Q: If you could have a lightsaber, what color would your lightsaber be? A: “Black and sparkly.” Q: What are you looking forward to for The Force Awakens? A: “The cast.”
Ms.Tarrant-Oliphant, Teacher Q: Favorite Star Wars movie? A: “Empire Strikes Back.” Q: Favorite character? A: “Han Solo.” Q: Favorite quote? A: “Do, or do not. There is no try.” -Yoda Q: If you could have a lightsaber, what color would your lightsaber be? A: “Green.” Q: What are you looking forward to for The Force Awakens? A: “To see my kid’s reactions.”
Spanish teacher Mr. Hendricks decided to make his room belong to the students, as well has him. So he gave the students a wall to put anything school appropriate that they wanted to have in the room. When sophomore Hannah Noles heard about this, she jumped at the opportunity to create a mural in his room. “Everyone was marking on the wall… so I thought it’d be nice to do something, since it was just blank,” Noles said. Hendricks was very excited at the idea of having a mural in his room. “This is a way of making the room seem more comfortable, and show the students that they’re appreciated,” stated Hendricks. Since Noles thought of the idea, she has worked on the mural during every Academic Intervention. Noles got the idea from messing around in her sketchbook, and creating a sun with a waning crescent in it. So far she has created the picture in pencil on Hendricks’ wall, however, it is not finished yet. “I think it’s going to look awesome when it’s completed,” said Hendricks photo by Angel Flores about the mural. Hopefully the mural will Hannah Noles begins sketching her mural in Mr. Hendricks’ inspire students to add more to the wall classroom. and make it theirs.
Top Songs of 2015 TAYTE SANDERS
1. Uptown Funk- Bruno Mars 2. Cheerleader- OMI 3. Take Me To Church- Hozier 4. Love Me Like You Do-Ellie Goulding 5. See you again- Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth 6. Lean On- Major Lazer 7. Hold Back the River- James Bay 8. King- Yeards & Years 9. Sugar- Maroon 5 10. Thinking out Loud- Ed Sheeran (source: officialcharts.com)
Liberty Ledger November 30, 2015 INTERACTIVE
Liberty Winter Poll
Zoe FLESCHMAN
After asking 100 people the following, here’s how the students of Liberty responded...
13
How Big of a Halloween Fan Are You?
Mark each of the following is true for you:
McKenzie Bartels
You plan your Halloween costume in advance. You have won a costume contest. You have won multiple costume contests. You keep all your Halloween costumes from the past years. You spend over $50 on your costume. You spend over $100 on your costume. You go trick or treating. You believe you’re never too old to go trick or treating. You get upset when people don’t work on their costume as much as you do. You have attended a haunted house. You have attended multiple haunted houses. You watch Halloween-themed movies before Halloween. You watch Halloween-themed movies year-round. Your pumpkin carving skills are on point. Your house is enthusiastically decorated for Halloween.
Photo by McKenzie Bartels Hallie Tyarks poses in her Olaf onesie on PJ Day during
You would eat candy every day if you could.
spirit week.
You get sick because you have had too much candy Halloween night.
Would You Rather?
Tweet your answer to #LHSWouldYouRather WOULD YOU RATHER...
WOULD YOU RATHER...
only eat pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving
have a $100 to spend on yourself on Christmas
only eat turkey on Thanksgiving
FINALS
Moira Charnot
have $1,000 to spend on others on Christmas
You eat more candy on Halloween than food on Thanksgiving. You have seen every Halloween-themed movie ever made. You wish everyday was Halloween. If you have done: 0-7 of these things then…You do nothing for Halloween. Boo you... 8-15 of these things then…You are just fine; Not the most candy in the candy drawer... 16-21 of these things then… You are the biggest Halloween fan known to man! Trust me, you are a real witch!
14 OP-ED
november 30, 2015
10,000 Hour Rule
Liberty Ledger
It takes time and effort to achieve mastery. In the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery or become an expert in a field. As the building principal at Liberty High School, I feel that it is my responsibility to provide the learning environment for students to begin logging these hours to become experts or find their passion. Sometimes it appears that I am a disciplinarian. My method and approach is based upon my life experience. The world outside of high school has high expectations for behavior and work ethic. If we begin at the high school level to teach these expectations, we provide an opportunity for students to begin practicing the skills that will help them be highly successful. Effort, perseverance, and logging 10,000 hours of practice are just one part of the equation in achieving success. Developing soft skills or the personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively with others is just as important. At Liberty High School, we will insist that students treat each other and their teachers with a high level of
respect. Any student who steps outside of appropriate boundaries will be challenged to reflect on their behavior and encouraged to practice soft skills that will help them achieve at the highest level. Liberty High School is the #1 school in St. Charles County. We are number one because we are committed to serving our students with the Outlier mentality. The way to achieve all we hope is to be consistent and repetitive in our educational approach. The best of the best in all areas of professional endeavors continue to practice with a purpose. We don’t have 10,000 hours to reach our students, but we will strive to make every hour meaningful! Thank you for being an Outlier with us. MR. NELSON
“The world outside of high school has high expectations for behavior and worth ethic.”
A shoutout to the broken
We are stronger than those devastating words.
ZOE FLESCHMAN
A message from the principal
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me - a saying heard over and over again, and continues to ring in my head on repeat. The anonymous man who said this is a liar, or he at least had never experienced life itself around actual society. That statement could also be seen as a cruel way to teach you to cope. Although you are lying to yourself, you try not to let those harsh words of the world dig deep into your skin. Except it’s not that simple. “Fat.” “Not good enough.” “Worthless.” And many more rigid words I’ve been called on several occasions. And oh, did it hurt. I let the people penetrate my wounds even more than before and on repeat, people that shouldn’t even matter. After being found broken one day, a close friend
taught me a little something. He asked me if the people mattered. I shrugged. He then pulled out a receipt and wrote my name; he gave me an amazing, life changing way of coping. He drew three circles around my name and said, “The first circle is what represents the opinions that matter. There are only a few of those people, so think long and hard about this.” I listed off who I actually, truly cared for and then he continued, “After realizing those people, it gets easy. That second circle is just the people that are there. The people that are still apart of your life, but not as strongly as the people in that first circle.” This caused me to ponder because there were some people in that circle that I hadn’t expected to be there. I almost doubted myself, until he continued talking. He saw me thinking and smiled, “The third circle is the people who sincerely don’t matter, whose opinions are irrelevant. So what anyone in this circle has to say about you is worthless.” When I first heard his philosophy, I thought he was a wee bit crazy, for it couldn’t be that straightforward, but after spending only a few days attempting the circles, I feel more empowered. I feel more loved, especially by myself. For anyone who has been told they are not good enough or goes home to hurt themselves over the harsh things people say, I recommend the beautiful circles for your amazing self, because I promise you, you are incredible.
My Thoughts Are Falling Three main problems with the vending machines. I love having vending machines at Liberty and most the students do to. But there are three problems that most people have with them… There are two drink vending machines that students are allowed to use, located under the main stairway. Out of the two, only one of them seems to work properly. The machine to the far right always takes my money. Not only me, but multiple other people too. After paying for a drink, my item is not dispensed and my money is not given back. The snack machine that students are allowed to use, also located under the main JESSICA GIBSON stairway, isn’t even open most the school day. They are open until 7:15 a.m., meaning classes have just started and then don’t open back up until about 2:30 p.m., which is after the buses have left and most sport practices already have started. I have last lunch during school, so by 4th hour I’m starving, and most mornings I will forget to pack a snack. So having the snack machine open all day would be easier for during and after school. The teachers lounge has two vending machines. A drink and snack one. Not only are they open all day, but they have a better variety of items. The drink machine has different sodas, and the snack machine has candy bars and better chips, unlike the one for students, which seems to have healthier items. Why is it that teachers have more unhealthy options than the students? After talking to Mr. Nelson and Ms. Reininger, the healthy food choices for the students are not the principal and staff’s fault. Due to federal regulation and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), school vending machines and school lunches are forced to have healthier options in hope of students making healthier choices. Also, bringing up the broken drink vending machine was new to administration, and hopefully will be fixed soon.
Liberty Ledger NOVEMBER 30, 2015
For the L
15
SPORTS ve of the game
Daryn Adler is the first in Liberty tennis history to place in districts. mADELYN baker
photo provided by Trotter
Maya Schnable (left) and Madeline Larouere put a lot of hours in of practice and the work paid off as both made it to state.
Swinging to Victory Two of the Liberty golf team ladies make state. JESSICA GIBSON Being the first golfers in Liberty history to make state, Madeline Larouere and Maya Schnable have really set the bar high. Out of all the schools who participated in districts, two of the 12 top scoring golfers are from Liberty High School. Larouere, who placed 6th, and Schnable, who placed 12th, have worked long and hard for their spot. “I practice on my own time,” said Larouere, “maybe 2-4 hours.” But practice does pay off in the end. Larouere top scores are a 38 on a 9-hole and an 82 on an 18-hole. On the first day of state, Larouere score was an 87, and on the second day was a 92. With her second year playing at Liberty, Maya Schnable is another great golfer. Schnable started playing golf when she was younger, but never got really serious until 8th grade. “I practice every day for three hours,” said Schable. Her best score on a 9-hole is a 39 and on an 18-hole, an 86. On day 1 of state, Schnable score was a 93, and day 2 also a 93. Schnable tied for 37th and Larouere tied for 27th at state. Out of 88 people total, both girls really showed the power of Liberty. The state tournament took place in Joplin at the Twin Hills Country Club Oct. 12-13. “We practice five days a week at the driving range,” said Coach Sodeman. “The both are very talented, and improved a lot. I’m very proud of them.”
A Race to the Finish Line
As Daryn Adler fought to achieve an outstanding performance in districts on Oct. 1st at Liberty High School, of the schools in her division, she placed fourth overall. She became the first individual athlete in school history to qualify for a district competition. Her competitors were from Duchesne, Saint Dominic and Fulton. Daryn was ranked number one for the varsity tennis team, which was a huge improvement for her since she started playing in July of last summer. “I had to work really hard all offseason,” Adler said. “I only started playing last July, so over the winter, spring and summer, I had to learn the mechanics and nuances of the game. I trained with Coach Kleiber and a small group of other players from Liberty who were all a huge help in getting me in shape for my sophomore season.” When it was Daryn’s final match, she was supported by many people she loved, like her family and team. “My favorite part of playing that day was being supported by my team and family. I loved being able to make everyone proud and gaining some recognition for Liberty,” Adler said. Not only was she just making her team and family proud, but also her coach who has seen her improve and perfect the game of tennis each time she plays.
photo by Alisha Grant Daryn Adler ranked number one for the varsity tennis team.
“Daryn works hard and is a persistent player. She has come a long way and has showed her total dedication to the sport. She has dedicated a lot of time to improving her game physically and mentally. She has nowhere but up to go from here,” coach Kleiber said. Although Daryn placed fourth in districts, she had some difficult decisions to make and some struggles throughout the season. “I’d say the biggest thing on my mind was trying to play without regrets. I had huge struggles this year with the mental part of tennis and I didn’t want my last matches to go to waste,” Daryn said. Even though Daryn had some struggles throughout the season, she conquered through them and ended up being Liberty’s first ever district qualifier.
Girls cross country and two boys advance to state after placing first at conference and districts. Chasteanne Salvosa Honest, supportive, persevering, and determined. Those are just some of the traits that the girls of Liberty Eagles cross country provide when describing their team. It was a breakthrough year for the program as the girls finished 14 at state and the boys qualified two runners for state. “Honest, definitely honest. Supportive, caring, and definitely, for a lack of a better word, brave,” runner Markie Schmidt said about her team. She topped the charts as first at conference for JV. After taking the cake at conference, the girls cross country team is the first to ever place a conference title in Liberty Eagles history. The team won conference, but only to take the cake at districts with Lexi Kayser placing first. But to come so far, the team must have started somewhere. Some of the girls began running at Frontier, running for the Frontier Eagles track team. Some began running on their own, just for the love of the sport. Some began later than others, only starting to fall in love with the sport. With more than half of the team injured, many of the girls had to push through major or minor injuries to be
where they are now. Pushing through shin splints, rolled ankles and calf injuries, most of the girls battled through their injuries for the team or the simple love of the sport. For sophomore Lexi Guffey, the injuries had caused her to sit out of six out of 10 meets. “It was really hard in the beginning because with the stress fracture, you can’t run at all. So I was there for all the practices and meet and just tried to support at best as I can,” Guffey said. Before the week of districts, runner Ellie McCrary was injured and had to be replaced by Markie Schmidt. Schmidt learned a mere few days before districts that she was going to be running. “I don’t know the whole situation, but it’s pretty serious, so Glavin’s having me run in districts and she’ll be running in state hopefully,” says Schmidt. But the feeling of winning of conference and districts was indescribable for some runners as they became the first sport to place a conference title in Liberty history. “So whenever we won conference and districts, it was extremely exciting for us because Glavin had set those expectations for us at the beginning of the season,” said Mackenzie Murphy, captain of girls country. Lexi Kayser, who won first place at conference and districts, placed as Liberty’s top girls finisher this season.
The team went on to place 14th in Class 3 at state. “I definitely think we’ll make an impact in the cross country community,” says junior Madelyn Brown. And some individuals have come to make accomplishments as well, this season. Kayser won first place at conference for varsity and at districts. Kayser finished 21:10 at state, placing her on the top of Liberty girls’ finisher. Along with the girls team, two boys have helped create a difference in Liberty history and qualified to state. Gabe Rompel, who finished 17:02 at state, came out at 24th out of 165 runners. He is the first to win a state medal in Liberty history. “I was literally speechless. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s the best feeling in the world.” Rompel says, describing the feeling of placing 24th. Accompanying Rompel to state was Wyatt Cleveland, who finished at 18:32. Coach Glavin’s expectations were met as this season wrapped up and he describes state as a great experience. He also hints at next year’s goals, with the boys team hopefully reaching state and the girls improving on their finish. “They’ve worked hard all season and I’m proud of their accomplishments,” Glavin says, describing the end of the season.
16 SPORTS
november 30, 2015
Liberty Ledger
Falling out of a great season All Conference SOCCER 1st Team: Tom Bindbeutel, Bennett Williams, Andrew Stuhlman 2nd Team: Seth Kemerer, James Boyd, Jack Douglas VOLLEYBALL 1st Team: Lauren Jones 2nd Team: Sam Cox GAC Sportsmanship Winner: Erika Fulhorst photo by Chasteanne Salvosa
GOLF Maya Schnable Madeline Larouere CROSS COUNTRY Girls: Lexi Kayser Ellie McCrary Lexi Guffey Phoebe Helton Lanni Guffey Mackenzie Muphy Madelyn Brown
photo by Faith Flannagan
Boys: Gabe Rompel Wyatt Cleveland Jhon Loehmer TENNIS Avery Ingle Emma Ingle Julia Wolz Abby Falgout
photo by Alysan Amann
SOFTBALL First Team: Amber Stockton, Colette Linden Second Team: Abigail Evans, Kate Benes, Taylor Jones GAC Sportsmanship Award Winner: Reagan Hartenberger
Boys Swim
photo by Ian Herling
photo by Madelyn Baker
Boys’ swim team had several swimmers place in the top 16 at GAC’s. “Our first relay placed 8th out of 11 teams,” Coach Meneau said. “This relay was Jake Erickson-Rieger, Eric Hudson, Ian Herling, and Zach Myers. Tommy Burtelow placed 16th in the 200 Freestyle, Shea Myers placed 11th in the 200 IM, Ian Herling was 13th in the 100 Butterfly, Shea Myers was 12th in the 100 Freestyle and Jake Erickson-Rieger was 14th in the 100 Freestyle, Lucas Sproull was 16th in the 500 Freestyle. The 200 Free relay of Devon Viernes, Ian Herling, Josh Roberts, and Shea Myers was 7th out of 10 teams. Eric Hudson placed 15th in the 100 Breaststroke. The 400 Free relay of Tommy Burtelow, Shea Myers, Lucas Sproull and Jake Erickson-Rieger placed 6th out 10 teams.” With so many people who went to the GAC’s a place in the top 16, boys swim had to work hard throughout the season. They had placed second place in many meets. “I think we did very well as a team this season. We had many second place team wins in Tri meets and we had a strong showing at GACs,” Meneau said.
Madelyn Baker
Football Liberty’s football team ended its season with a 4-5 record. One of the wins was against Cuba with a score of 32-24. Cuba had beat them last year. “It felt awesome to win against Cuba because they beat us the year before, and we had to come from behind the win,” Coach McMillen said. The biggest win that the football season had was against Barat, with a score of 32-0. “It felt awesome because homecoming games can be hard to win, and it has been five years since I have won a homecoming game,” McMillen explained. This year marked the most victories the Eagles have had since the program began. They had a three game winning streak.
Softball
Liberty’s girls softball ended their season 14-10. They feel a great accomplishment as they have come a long way from last year’s season. They have proved their hard work does pay off, by beating Nerix Hall 13-1. “I was excited because we won, we worked really hard the first inning and we scored a lot of runs during that time,” Amber Stockton explained. Not only was it hard work that helped them win games, but they also never gave up when they were down by some points. “The Orchard Farm game at home was my favorite,” Stockton said. “We were down 11-4 in the last inning and we scored 8 runs to win it with no outs. It was very exciting and we never gave up.”
Boys Soccer Liberty’s boys’ soccer ended their season 17-8-1. The biggest win for boys soccer was at districts against Hannibal with an ending score of 10-1. “When we beat Hannibal, it felt amazing,” Seth Kemerer said. “That game meant a lot to us because of how they had beat us last year in the same game. Everybody was super excited and happy.” The boys soccer team had to work hard to make the wins that they did. They had to come together as a team in order to accomplish the goals that they had set for themselves. “I think we had a really good season this year. We came together more as a team and it translated onto the field,” Kemerer explained.
Volleyball
Liberty’s girls’ volleyball ended its season 12-16-2. Girls volleyball had not won a single game before this season when competing at a varsity level last year, to winning 12 varsity games this year. “I think our team was very impressive overall. We went from not winning a single varsity level game last year, to winning 12 this year. I was very proud of the work that the girls put in and how much they improved over the course of the season,” Coach Tock said. The girls varsity volleyball team had one of the biggest wins against McCluer winning 25-8 in the first match and then 25-14 the next match. “It felt wonderful to beat McCluer by such a huge margin both games in the McCluer tournament. That was our first game of the day, and sometimes teams aren’t awake that early on Saturday tournament days, but our team really showed up that day, and fought hard through all five matchups to win the tournament,” Tock said.