23-24 Marquette Messenger: Issue 2

Valuing Nutrition

Coaches and experts agree: a well balanced diet, including protein rich foods, is essential to athletes’ performance. Which foods have the most protein? Rank the foods above from most protein to least amount of protein.

See answers & story on back cover

Locker rooms show wear and tear. See full story on pg. 14.

Conflict between Israel and Palatine impacts Jewish and Muslim communities. See full story on pg. 8-9

ON FRONT

The front cover features a protein rich plate of foods athletes typically consume. A healthy meal contains dairy, grains, protein, vegetables and fruits.

Photograph by David Moss Illustration by Annabelle Miller

ROLL CALL

Editor in Chief

Annabelle Miller

Anvi Talyan

Prashu Sidella

Elliott Jorgensen

Willem Hummel

David Moss

Eli Ferguson

Emily Chien

Aubrey Lacavich

Hailey Neuner

Claire Lowder

Layla Shockley

Luke Graves

Justin Small

Aiden Burkhardt

Kate Jesperson

Emily Jorgensen

04 MHS ACT SCORE ABOVE AVERAGE Scores across the nation declining.

05 NASAL DECONGESTANT Congestant treatment deemed ineffective by the FDA.

07 BEST BUDDIES Business class and Best Buddies club collaborate.

10 SHOE CULTURE Students share their shoe collections and passion for shoe culture.

16 ATHLETE NUTRITION The importance of diets and protein cause athletes to prioritize nutrition.

Photographs by Jack Favazza, Eli Ferguson Jana Hamed, Elliott Jorgensen, Annabelle Miller

ABOUT US

The Messenger is a public forum, published six times a year by students in the News Production class at Marquette High School, Chesterfield, MO, 63017. The publication serves to inform readers about issues concerning the community.

Opinions of Messenger columnists or the Editorial Board are not representative of the opinions of the entire Messenger staff or the administration. The full student publication policy can be viewed on the Messenger official website, marquettemessenger.com.

The Messenger takes responses for any issue. Send these to yourmhsnews@gmail.com. The Messenger reserves the right to edit submitted material and to refuse to print material because of space limitations, repetitive subject matter,

libelous content or any other reason the editor in chief and adviser deem appropriate, including advertisements and letters to the editor.

The Messenger is nationally recognized as a member of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), the Journalism Education Association, Missouri Journalism Education Association and Quill & Scroll. This year, the publication was named a Hall of Fame recipient and Quill & Scroll George H. Gallup award winner. Past issues have been named NSPA Pacemaker finalists and CSPA Crown finalists. The Messenger website is a Distinguished Site recipient.

The publication office is located in Room 226, (636) 891-6000 ext. 26228.

OUR MISSION

As journalists who strive for accuracy, objectivity, balance and credibility, we stand to bring the school community together by featuring stories that inform, entertain and inspire with an emphasis on giving a voice to the school community.

Featuring: Renaissance Fair, New Music Production Class, German Exchange Program and Double Jointed Students, Staff by | Jack Favazza Elliott Jorgensen

NEWS 3 issue II IN BRIEF

SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS

HELP WANTED

If hired, students would:

• work before or after school

• work no more than 2-4 hours per work day

• work no more than 3-4 days per week

• not work weekends

• earn $15.46 per hour

Students, teachers hired for custodial positions

claire LOWDER • david MOSS • anvi TALYAN

A custodian will retire this month leaving the building with only two custodians during the day and four at night. This total is compared to the 5 to 6 day custodians and 11 night custodians the building is supposed to have, Randall Ray, head custodian, said.

Students

The administration has opted to offer janitor positions to students to help ease the current staff’s duties. Students who are hired would work no more than two to four hours a day for up to three to four days a week at a rate of $15.46 an hour. There are no weekend hours. The district will prioritize academics over work for those students who are hired. Applications are available through a Rockwood application portal, which administrators can direct interested students to access.

ing and then the Board of Education has to give approval. Even adults who currently work at the school have to go through the process.

“That hiring process, it takes forever. I mean, it’s pretty rough,” Ray said.

Ray said students would have tasks such as sweeping hallways, vacuuming the library and cleaning up the theater.

Carlos Vences, senior, applied to work as a custodian after seeing fliers posted on the walls.

Vences previously worked at Panera and said working at fast food places was constant and demanding, so this opportunity seemed like a better alternative.

“There are no applicants from the public, so we find ourselves turning to our current employees who may be interested in part-time work.”

Kyle Devine, sophomore principal

With 10 times the workload he’s had in the past, Ray said he would appreciate more help and is surprised more students don’t apply.

“It’s a learning experience for them,” Ray said. “And plus, it helps the school out too.”

Having a small staff makes it difficult for the full-time staff to even empty trash cans, Ray said.

“It’s even going to be worse so it’s been a big impact on everybody,” Ray said. “We don’t have the people to clean the school the way it’s supposed to be.”

Ray said a frustrating part of this problem is the hiring process. There are background checks and fingerprint-

“The wage is really nice,” Vences said. “It seems way more manageable, especially with time since I won’t have to work as much.”

Vences said he plans to work 15 hours a week and can choose when he works.

Sophomore Principal Kyle Devine said the idea of hiring students was first presented last year, as few adults were applying to halt the custodial shortage. As of now, two students have applied.

“We have a very big building,” Devine said. “Over the last year, we’ve had four custodians retire, so it’s not making it any easier on them trying to balance the absolute needs of sanitary cleaning and also what we would like to see aesthetically.”

Devine said the full-time custodians fulfill the most essential duties like trash and bathrooms.

“People feel better about seeing

things that are clean,” Devine said. “When the public comes in for things, you want to give a good impression.”

Staff

The district recently approved several staff members to fill part-time custodial positions.

“We don’t have enough custodians to get into classrooms to sweep and mop,” Devine said. “There are no applicants from the public, so we find ourselves turning to our current employees who may be interested in part-time work.”

Ac Lab

The administration also has opened up Ac Lab for students and clubs to clean the school as community service.

Marquette Academic & Cultural Club, (MACC) has dedicated their service project of the year to cleaning up campus. The club, sponsored by Maria Stull, language arts teacher, will now spend the last Monday of each month cleaning at school.

On Monday, Sept. 25, the club held its first cleaning session.

“We swept stairways, wiped down handrails and picked up trash,” Stull said. “We hope that by helping out we will encourage other students to do the same.”

ROTC also stepped forward to help. On Friday, Sept. 22, members picked up the stadium after the Homecoming game.

“The stadium was super messy Nobody really cleaned up after themselves,” Hanna Grzyb, freshman, said. “I wanted to help the custodians out.”

Grzyb said she is likely to help out again.

“It was nice to give back,” she said. “People always say that but it’s true.”

The district is participating in the Walk to end Alzheimer’s on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Chesterfield Amphitheater. During the week of Oct. 23, teachers at MHS participated in Casual for a Cause to raise money for this event.

The deadline for the Make it Count program, a program enabling high schoolers to attend St. Louis Community College for their second semester of senior year, is Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Members of the community will vote on the district’s Prop 3 on Tuesday, Nov. 7. See page 4 to learn more.

During the month of November, the library plans to recognize Native American Heritage Month and National Writing Month with displays and activities Wednesday, Nov. 1, is the early action and early decision deadline for applications to most colleges and universities.

During Ac Lab on Wednesday, Nov. 1, seniors will meet to receive information on their caps, gowns and various other graduation apparel from Jostens. There is a Senior Parent Meeting that night from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Randall Ray, head custodian, cleans tables with other members of the custodial and lunch staffs between lunches. A custodial shortage has prompted the district to pursue hiring students before and after school to clean the building. Photograph by David Moss

MHS ACT scores rise above national average

annabelle MILLER

Amid a decrease in the national ACT score, MHS continues to rise above the average and recover from the pandemic.

The national average ACT score dropped from 19.8 in 2022 to 19.5 in 2023. This is the lowest the average has been in the last 30 years, and the score has been decreasing since 2018.

MHS, however, had an average score of 24.29 in 2023, which was an increase from 2022.

Julia Welker, testing coordinator, said this is the first year since the pandemic that the score has increased, but student testing rates have not changed.

“We have been providing the ACT to all juniors for close to 15 years, so the participation rate has remained constant,” Welker said. “The number of students who elect to take the PSAT and SAT also has similar numbers from year to year.”

Only 66% of Missouri students take the ACT, so MHS is well ahead of the rest of the state in test participation.

Recently, ACT has released a nationwide report detailing events that have affected the national average score. It includes the pandemic, a decrease in post-secondary enrollment and a 2.7% increase in the number of students who took the ACT.

Welker said these events have impacted MHS students as well.

“It is my hope every year for students to have access to a college admissions test and the ability to achieve success on it,” Welker said.

66% of Missouri students take the ACT 19.5 is the 2023 national average, the lowest in 30 years 24.29 is the 2023 average at MHS, an increase from 2022 43% of students nationwide scored below all collegereadiness benchmarks

Matt Nienhaus, math teacher, explains commonly missed questions to his ACT prep class before school on Thursday, Oct. 19. MHS ACT scores have risen to 24.3 from 2022 to 2023. This doesn’t follow the national trend of a decrease in average scores. Photograph by Annabelle Miller

Melissa Burger, language arts teacher, runs the ACT prep program at MHS.

She said the program allows students to gain 20 hours of instruction from MHS teachers for specific sections of the ACT.

“The more practice you put into a test like the ACT, the more you will see growth and, oftentimes, that translates into the score,” Burger said. She said the program consistently sees improvement in students’ scores,

and attributes MHS’ high average score partially to the prep program making it rewarding.

“Not just simply because students improve their score,” Burger said, “but because a lot of times students will come back and ask clarifying questions or just really want to learn more.”

Max Radovilsky, sophomore, was signed up for the prep program by his parents but said he is glad to be part of it.

“I think it’s better for me because it helps me work on strategies to complete the test,” Radovilsky said. Radovilsky said he’s not surprised the MHS score is higher than the national average.

“We’re a smart school. Teachers work hard to make sure you know all the knowledge, and there’s a lot of help provided to make sure you get a good score,” Radovilsky said.

Prop 3 prioritizes safety, technology, facilities

prashu SIDELLA

A student Chromebook typically costs just over $400, but when purchased with bond funds, the average cost of the initial device goes from $405 to $715 per device when factoring interest.

Bob Deneau, chief information officer, said Chromebooks are an important part of students’ learning.

“Chromebooks are compatible with these digital resources at a good price point for school districts,” Deneau said.

Rockwood Technology purchases Chromebooks with a 4-year total care warranty that covers all costs associated with accidental Chromebook breakage and keeps maintenance costs low.

“A safe, secure and reliable network is key to learning with digital resources and devices such as Chromebooks,” Deneau said.

Proposition 3, which is on the Tuesday, Nov. 7, ballot, aims to shift the district’s financial priorities from long-term debt interest payments to annual safety, technology and facility maintenance. This shift will occur by having a dedicated annual levy for these items to ensure that 100% of proceeds go to schools instead of banks in the form of interest.

If Prop 3 passes, MHS may benefit through having 2-way radios, updating door access control and monitoring system, updating and adding security cameras, revamping the intruder alarm system and creating a surveillance station for the School Resource Officer (SRO).

“The district will have to assess the costs of projects, and not all things will be done as seen fit,” Sophomore Principal Kyle Devine said.

Priorities at MHS if Prop 3 Passes: Safety

• Update 2-way radios

• Door access monitoring system

• Update/add security cameras and SRO surveillance station

• Update intruder alarm system Technology

• Update cybersecurity and technology

• New Chromebooks for freshmen

• Staff device, classroom projection and computer lab desktop refresh Facility

• Expand parking capacity

Mary LaPak, Chief Communications Officer, said that the last bond issue funds have been depleted, and today’s interest rates are higher than they were in April 2022. Needed resources cost more than $30 million annually.

“We are simply asking taxpayers to allow us to reallocate tax revenue we are already receiving from debt to capital projects,” LaPak said.

If Prop 3 passes, it will accumulate approximately $26-$27 million annually when fully phased in.

If Prop 3 does not pass, the district will again return to voters with bond issues to fund annual safety, technology and facility updates. The district would continue to fix major issues as they occur; howev-

• Replace elevators and ADA platform lifts

• Renovate student restrooms

er, long-range preventative maintenance would fall behind.

“All priority projects at every school can be funded in the first few years if Prop 3 passes, but we want all patrons to be informed about which projects have been identified as priorities at each school,” LaPak said. “The absence of a transfer to Capital Projects is already taking a toll on schools.”

Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain presents information about Proposition 3 to the community at a Town Hall at MHS Tuesday, Oct. 10. Photography by Rhianna Li

Nasal decongestant deemed ineffective

Drishya Manda, junior, caught the “beginning of the year cold,” and her go-to medicine was Tylenol Cold and Cough.

The FDA announced on Tuesday, Sept. 12, that Phenylephrine, a common agent used to treat nasal congestion, is ineffective. The drug made $1.8 billion last year, according to the FDA, making it the most popular oral decongestant.

“It kind of dumbs it down a little bit, but it’s not very effective,” Manda said. “Usually I’ll just try to take a bunch of cough drops and hope for the best.”

Manda said now that she knows the nasal decongestant in Tylenol is not effective, she will probably turn to home remedies.

It can actually have side effects like nervousness, dizziness and high blood pressure from long-term use.

Jessica Hutchings, chemistry teacher, said she feels vindicated now that Phenylephrine has been proven ineffective in oral medicines. After using Advil Sinus last year, her sinus headache was relieved, but her congestion didn’t go away because of the Phenylephrine present.

“It’s just sad that there aren’t a lot of options when it comes to effective drugstore medicine.”

Drishya Manda, junior

“I’m kind of sad that it took me this long to realize they were ineffective, but I’m not surprised,” Manda said. “It’s just sad that there aren’t a lot of options when it comes to effective drugstore medicine.”

Phenylephrine is in popular products like Sudafed PE, Tylenol Sinus, Mucinex and Vicks NyQuil Sinus. The report states that the intended effect of phenylephrine, to reduce blood flow to the sinuses to prevent congestion, does not reach the nose in its oral form.

“Phenylephrine is in a chemical group called amines,” Hutchings said. “They are supposed to stimulate these Alpha 1 receptors inside of your arteries in order to dilate or constrict your blood vessels.”

The FDA has only declared that oral ingestion of this chemical is ineffective. Phenylephrine can work in a nasal spray form when it does not have to be transported through blood.

“I found out there was a citizen’s petition to remove Phenylephrine back in 2015,” Hutchings said. “It took from 2015 until now for that to be heard.”

Hutchings said that in a similar situation, according to studies, Claritin has been proven to be “not more effective than a placebo.”

Tracy Crawford, school nurse, said colds happen around from the end of October to March every year. This year,

she has seen consistent traffic of about 70-80 students visiting her each day.

“Ibuprofen or Tylenol is good for the headache that goes along with a cold. Lots of water can help thin out nasal secretions too,” Crawford said. “Cough medicine is one of the main [medicines] if you do have a cough just to help you get through the day.”

Crawford advises students to practice good hand-washing habits, avoid touching their face and use nasal sprays and medicines for other symptoms.

Without the seal of FDA approval, the community can expect these products to be taken off the shelves until these companies create a new, more effective formula. But, at this moment, they are still available.

Phenylephrine, a common agent recently deemed ineffective by the NDA, can be found in popular products such as Sudafed PE, Tylenol Sinus, Mucinex and Vicks NyQuil Sinus. Photographs by Eli Ferguson

Natural Remedies

1. Gargling saltwater can help to relieve pain and swelling in the throat.

2. Turmeric contains curcumin, which can reduce inflammation while also acting as an antioxidant.

3. Honey can be used to reduce severity of coughing.

Infographic by David Moss and Willem Hummel. Information from John Hopkins Medicine, the National Library of Medicine and Harvard Health.

Dandiya sticks are struck together during the Dandiya dance. The sticks can symbolize many things such as the swords of the Goddess Durga or the harvesters in a paddy field raising their sickles.

Garba event celebrates Indian culture

emily CHIEN

Rudra Kansara, senior, attends Garba every year to pray, dance and celebrate with his friends and family.

Garba is an Indian celebration celebrated in Octo ber that originated from the state of Gujarat in India. The event is held at the Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis in Hazelwood.

There are two parts of Garba. The first is organizing into groups and dancing into circles.

“There’s a sense of collectivism because you’re dancing in groups,” Kansara said. “Everyone’s getting together to organize and dance.”

ple from other cultures to come together.”

Fast Fact

Garba and Dandiya are performed during Navratri, which is a 9 day festival from Oct. 15 – Oct. 23 this year. The Hindu festival, originating in Gujarat, honors the goddess Durga. It falls in the Indian Festival Season from Sept. to Jan.

The second is Dandiya, where the dance uses sticks to symbolize many things including the swords of the Goddess Durga.

Kansara said Garba is a way to spread culture and he cherishes the tradition.

He said there is certain etiquette to attending the event, such as the way one dresses. The guys wear Porthos, which he describes as looking similar to an elongated dress shirt, and the girls wear Chaniya Choli, a multi-layered dress with an embroidered and colorful blouse.

Aash Pammi, sophomore, is South Indian and enjoys celebrating Garba because it is an opportunity to get to know the Indian people in the area.

“It’s really meaningful to me because I get to spend time with all my friends and meet new people there,” Pammi said. “So if you’re new to St. Louis,

Ridhima Khullar, sophomore, has been attending Garba for years and said she enjoys it for the dancing and the opportunity to pay respect to Hindu Gods through an Aarti, a time to pray to God and venerate through the ritual waving of a light.

“If you want to go and celebrate, you can go,” Khullar said.

Khullar also celebrates in ways besides dancing and praying.

“We give out like a shot, which is a kind of food blessing. The food is given to each person and has been blessed by God, so by eating it, I’m paying respect to God,” Khullar said.

Some foods that were served at Garba are Samosas, which are fried pastries with fillings of herbs and meats and Pani Poori, which are deep fried balls with fillings of chickpeas, potatoes and more. A drink served is Mango Lassi, a creamy drink made with mango.

Khullar said Garba brings her closer to God.

“It feels really meaningful to me because it seems as if me and God are like one,” Khullar said “It feels like I can connect to God and doesn’t feel like God is some upper identity that I can’t talk to.”

Thank you to our Sponsors! Brandt Family Floerchinger Family Steidtmann Family

Burkhardt Family Ferguson Family Peach Family

Attendants perform Dandiya on Saturday, Oct. 14, in the Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis in Hazelwood. Dandiya is a folk dance from Gujarat, India, that is performed during Navratri. The event in held every October for two to three weekends.

Photograph by Anvi Talyan

Connor Gleason dance at the Garba Event at the Gujarati

Best Buddies expands to Ac Lab, business class

aiden BURKHARDT

• justin SMALL

When senior Kate Morris’ older brothers began working with Best Buddies, an organization that brings together students of all abilities, Morris saw the impact the program was having on these students and decided to join, eventually becoming the president.

“I saw the good that it could do and the joy that it could bring people,” Morris said.

Wanting to help Best Buddies grow even more, Morris decided it would be a good idea to partner with the business in her second hour Business Management class.

The business, Onshine Apparel, sells a variety of sweatshirts, hoodies and t-shirts. The partnership will provide additional funding for Best Buddies and even foster friendships between students, Morris said.

“The extra money coming in will be really good to make our activities more fun and host more parties,” Morris said. “It can help the club grow even more.”

Marlo Bohlen, senior, said he’s a proud member of Onshine, which gives 10% of its profits to the Best Buddies organization.

The goal of the collaboration, Bohlen said, is to “make everyone’s day and world brighter.”

Gavin Lingafelter, senior, buddies up with Sam Schneider, sophomore, to color at a Wednesday, Oct. 4, Best Buddies meeting during Ac Lab. “It’s a completely positive experience,” Lingafelter said. “The buddies we have always bring joy into our lives because of how much they enjoy the activities.”

Photograph by Jack Favazza

Bohlen said Onshine partnered with Best Buddies because of their business’ desire to contribute and help people locally.

“It goes to people that you may know or people whose siblings you may know,” Bohlen said.

“Best Buddies isn’t just at Marquette. It’s at multiple schools.”

Molly Straumann, SSD teacher, is the special education adviser for the MHS Best Buddies chapter and helps lead their activities.

“It’s a club for the atypical students to pair up with the special needs communities,” Straumann said. “So they buddy up, they do monthly events at school and they hang out outside of school. The whole point of it is for them to form friendships outside of the school building.”

Straumann said Onshine Apparel is only one of the many ways Best Buddies is trying to expand.

“We want to grow it more outside of school in regards to working with our buddies,” Straumann said.

On Wednesday, Oct. 4, a Best Buddies meeting was held in the Commons during Ac Lab. Students who attended colored together.

Another member of the Onshine team, Carle Bachman, senior, said the business wanted to support Best Buddies because it is inclusive.

“Be Bright, that’s our slogan,” Bachman said about Onshine. “And so we’re supporting Best Buddies because it’s something that doesn’t get much attention at Marquette and we want to get it more attention.”

Sophomore influences policy on global issues

eli FERGUSON

Adithya Chengalvala, sophomore, is looking for results.

Specifically, he wants to see the end of global poverty.

To reach these goals, Chengalvala joined the international RESULTS group that teaches volunteers how to influence policy about poverty by contacting legislators.

“We focus our efforts to improve global standards and domestic standards within the United States, whether it’s education, health, etc.,” Chengalvala said.

Chengalvala joined Results after hearing about it from a family friend who participates. His mother encouraged him to join after that.

“I saw their goals and standards, and it resonated with me,” Chengalvala said. “I’ve always had a zeal to help people, education-wise.”

Chengalvala joined the St. Louis Global Issues group of about 10 members in May of 2023, and met Cynthia Changyit Levin, the group co-leader.

“I’ve always had a zeal to help people, education-wise.”

Right now, members of the group are working on gaining co-signers in Congress for the End TB Now Act for global tuberculosis support and the READ Act Reauthorization Act for global education.

Adithya Chengalvala, sophomore

Volunteers of all ages can join as regularly active members of a state or local group or members of a less time-committed action network.

As a member, Chengalvala, attended his first Zoom lobby meeting in September with an aide from Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt’s St. Louis office to talk about tuberculosis and improving education across the globe.

“It’s kind of hard because they’re very busy people,” Chengalvala said. “Even getting a meeting and giving them an opportunity to co-sponsor bills that we want to push, it’s a big thing.”

“It’s quite a significant achievement to step out of one’s comfort zone and speak to a congressional office,” Levin said. “I’m thrilled that Adithya is starting so early.” Katherine Bauman, social studies teacher, emphasizes the importance of students getting involved with the government.

“You can volunteer in political campaigns, canvassing and phone calls,’’ Bauman said. “You can write letters to your local legislators about issues, there’s all kinds of ways, but, of course, the most important way is to vote.”

Bauman said there are organizations in and out of school that get students involved with legislative issues.

“I think it’s excellent,” Bauman said about Chengalvala’s involvement in RESULTS. “I think that’s going to give them a very realistic picture of how the government influences their lives and that they can influence the government.”

Adithya Chengalvala, sophomore, is in a group called RESULTS. They are advocating for ending Tuberculosis and improving global education in impoverished communities. Photograph by Eli Ferguson. Photo illustration by Layla Shockley

Israel-Palestine

Community reacts to

The colors of black, white, green and red flooded the streets of downtown St. Louis on Sunday, Oct. 15, as Jana Hamed, junior, was joined by fellow Palestinians and allies in a protest against Israeli military employment in the Gaza Strip.

“I'm really connected to my country, and I wanted to show my support,” Hamed said.

On Saturday, Oct. 7, a Palestinian militant group

Most homes and buildings in Israel are equipped with a safe room that acts as a bomb shelter individuals use when rocket alarms sound. Amit Harir, Lafayette Class of 2019, has been living in Israel since 2021 and has grown used to using this shelter after experiencing many rocket alarms.

"It's almost a little desensitized. Like, when you hear a fire alarm in the United States. You're not immediately thinking 'oh, I'm gonna burn to death'."

Amit

Harir,

Lafayette Class of 2019

named Hamas initiated an attack on Israel, lead ing to the death of 1,400 people and the capture of 200 hostages. With its increased violence from past conflicts in that region, this attack has sparked discussions among the community.

Hamed has cousins living in the Palestinian of Beitin two hours away from Gaza, an area that has faced many losses due to the current conflict. Though her cousins aren’t facing direct attacks in Gaza, Hamed said they have still been affected.

“They can’t leave their city because they’re scared to,” Hamed said.

Hamed said she is frustrated with misinformation that has been spread regarding this conflict, especially on social media.

Erin Canis, sophomore, said that while she acknowledges the importance of sharing information, she also has found the posts by her peers to be overwhelming.

“Every student should a global as the world shrunk because technology.”

Joshua Politics teacher

“I wish people kind of understood perspective more,” Canis said. “We don't understand a lot time why something happened.”

Since the beginning of the Israel-Palestine flict, Canis said she has reached out to her Jewish community to understand more about the situation.

“I think it was really helpful just to talk to other Jews and see their perspective,” Canis said. Canis said she has been able to communicate with a friend she has in the Israeli army whom met at a Jewish camp. Canis was worried because her friend is actively serving, but she was able ensure that she is doing okay.

“I just feel like it's a really complex situation, and it's really hard because it's innocent lives being lost no matter what,” Canis said.

First-Hand Experience

Amit Harir, Lafayette Class of 2019, moved to Herzliya, Israel in 2021 for college and said hadn’t felt fearful of violence during his years Israel until Hamas’ recent attack.

“The morning of October 7 was truly terrifying and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before,” Harir said. “I woke up to a text from my mother that said ‘we’re at war’.”

Harir said he immediately turned on the news and reached out to loved ones in areas under attack.

He had a friend who had been attending a festival that was also a place of violence and had gone missing.

“Waiting for a response was perhaps the most terrifying part, the fear of what it meant if they weren’t responding,” Harir said.

Harir said his friend’s body was recovered woods a couple days after the massacre.

Harir has a cousin in the Israeli army who at an attack to act as a combat medic. His vehicle was hit with a missile, which took his right arm but was able to survive as the explosion prevented his wound from bleeding out.

Harir said his family considers his survival miracle.

“I have been lucky enough that I have not been fearing for my own life,” Harir said. “But since start of the war I have been terrified for the lives my loved ones.”

anvi TALYAN

Saja Mohsen, junior, hoists a sign supporting a free Palestine. Mohsen was born in Lebanon, a country that boarders northern Israel. She has family who lives in the Gaza Strip. Photograph by Iman Mohamed

Many students attended a Palestinian protest in downtown St. Louis on Sunday, Oct. 15. Photograph by Iman Mohamed

Israel-Palestine Conflict

increased conflict

Understanding the Conflict

Joshua Hyde, Politics & Conflict teacher, said an important step to understanding the situation is to first learn the history and politics surrounding the land being fought over.

“I think that every student now should become a global citizen as the world has shrunk because of technology,” Hyde said.

student now should become global citizen world has because of technology.”

Joshua Hyde, & Conflict teacher

leadcapture from sparked Palestinian city that conflict. attacks like affected. perspective of the conJewish situation. other communicate whom she because to situation, being moved he in terrifying before,” mother news attack. music had most they in the was vehicle arm off, prevented a been since the lives of

He said a crucial part of this research is to make an effort to learn about Hamas from both an Israeli and Palestinian perspective, as it can change whether the Hamas are viewed as terrorists or freedom fighters.

Hyde said an example of opposing viewpoints can be seen with the media portrayal of the bombing of a Gaza hospital on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Israeli defense forces claimed the missile went awry, while Hamas has been working to release data to show the event from inside of the hospital, Hyde said.

“So once again, there’s an emotional response that could then impact a political response,” Hyde said.

Hyde also said this conflict impacts other countries as well, as anti-semitic and Islamophobic hate crimes have spiked in the world due to it. Reuters reported in London a 1,353% increase in antisemitic hate crimes and 140% increase in Islam-related offenses, for example.

He also said the current humanitarian crisis may worsen, as refugees from this area will flood neighboring nations and need aid that the countries may strain to provide.

Aid from Abroad

Born in Lebanon, Saja Mohsen, junior, has stayed connected, as her home country has been affected by the conflict and she has loved ones living in Gaza and Ramallah.

“I think about it often so it does kind of affect my daily life,” Mohsen said. “I open my phone and it's always there.”

Peters was born in Tel Aviv, and has visited Israel almost every summer since moving to America when she was 9. Peters said she's experienced bombs in her area. Once in Israel last summer, there was a terror attack near her cousin's house.

“I feel like it scares everyone, but also, my family is kind of used to that,” Peters said.

Peters said her brother is currently in Israel with their grandparents. He was supposed to serve in the army this year, but his training has been delayed.

Currently, Peters said she is planning on moving back once she graduates this year, but that she may have to rethink her plan if the war continues.

District Response

Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain sent an email out to secondary staff about how they should address the situation in their classrooms after obtaining resources on how to teach delicate but serious content from Facing History, a national organization that specializes in helping educators prepare for difficult conversations.

“Our primary goal is to work to ensure that all students have a sense of dignity and belonging in every single school in the Rockwood School District,” Dr. Cain said.

Area of Conflict

Mohsen said she hasn’t talked to her family friends in Gaza, but has had on-andoff communication with her friends in Ramallah. Mohsen said they have experienced a few bombings and are currently living in a building with hundreds of others after having to evacuate their house.

“They haven’t seen their house in a while so they don't know if it’s still standing,” Mohsen said.

Mohsen said she has donated money, posted information on social media and rallied at the same protest Hamed took part in to support those abroad.

Lia Peters, senior, also has shown her support, through donations to her home state of Israel.

Jordan McGaughey, social studies coordinator, reached out to secondary social studies teachers with information.

“I know that we have a lot of students that potentially have family members and friends that might be impacted by what's going on," McGaughey said. “We wanted to make sure that resources were provided to teachers to be able to facilitate meaningful conversations around that.”

Some resources he shared were news literacy and media involvement in the conflict to help teachers navigate misinformation.

Anna Gray, Contemporary Issues teacher, has been working with Brittany Sharitz, librarian, for the past year to create a program for teachers about how to recognize misinformation, using the book “Fighting Fake News.”

“We are bombarded with thousands of messages in a day,” Gray said. “We have to be able to understand how to filter them, how to understand them, how to put them in context, and make decisions for ourselves based off this information."

Gray said she switched her previous unit of economics to talk about this conflict as she felt it was important to understanding the current world, and because she knew many students have emotional connections to it.

“I wanted to make sure that students felt like what mattered to them matters,” Gray said.

Additional reporting by Elliott Jorgensen

its surrounding countries to compare its size to the size of Missouri. Carson and Casey Lange, senior, are members of the Student-to-Student program, a program developed by the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis. The program allows for high school juniors and seniors to visit high schools in their area to teach about

Students teach Judaism at local high schools

anvi TALYAN

Joined by three to four other Jewish teens as part of the Student-to-Student program, Joey Carson, senior, travels to different high schools in St. Louis to teach kids about the Jewish faith. The goal is to decrease acts of antisemitism in the St. Louis area.

"I think it's important for all high schoolers to understand what Judaism is because everything they obviously hear what it is from school, but this gives them that more personal understanding of how Jewish teens live their life in St. Louis," Carson said.

The program, created by the Community Relations Council of St. Louis, is available for juniors and seniors, and Carson joined his junior year after being reached out to by the program coordinator, Lauren Abraham.

Carson said each group includes members of different ranges of Judaism, such as Reform, Conservative and Orthodox.

"Conservative and Orthodox are the more straightforward. They look at what the Torah says and strictly follow that," Carson.

Carson said he is part of the Reform branch of Judaism, which has fewer restriction than other branches on usage of technology, electricity and cars.

"Reformed Jews is Jew by choice," Carson said. "So it's kind of like you have that choice of what you want to follow or not."

The groups present on many topics relating to Jewish faith and history such as Shabbat, the Jewish life cycle, the Holocaust and Israel as a state.

"Then we also talk about our own experiences and how we, as our branches of Judaism, will do that type of activity in the way," Carson said.

Some schools Carson has presented to include Westminster, Principia and Rosati-Kain Academy. Though many schools they visit are private schools, Carson said the program isn't limited to private schools.

Carson said being Jewish is important to him, after having traditions past down from his Jewish parents.

Carson's mom was part of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO) as a teenager, and Carson and his brother both have taken part in the program.

BBYO is a teen-lead Jewish youth group where members are part of programs and chapters, and attend meetings and events put on by their group. Carson currently holds the position of BBYO Council President of St. Louis.

"I like to take a lot of pride in my Jewish religion," Carson said.

Joey Carson, senior, presents a poster with a map of Israel and

Judaism to fight antisemitism. Photograph by Lauren Abraham

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ALL SOLED OUT

Students participate in shoe culture

justin SMALL

Since Frederick McCullough II, senior, was in middle school, he yearned to have one thing: a diverse shoe collection.

“I didn’t like looking at a whole bunch of the same shoes on the shelf,” McCullough II said.

Once he entered high school and began to work at Champs Sports at West County Mall, McCullough II began to buy shoes more frequently and eventually started to collect them as a hobby.

His job also allowed him to help people who are interested in finding the latest pairs of shoes.

“I started getting three to four pairs of different types of Jordans, Vans, Air Forces and a lot of other things,” McCullough II said.

McCullough II describes himself as a sneakerhead, a person who regularly collects and trades different types of shoes.

Jackson Warden, junior, has collected 15 different pairs of shoes, primarily a variety of Air Jordans. However, Warden said he rarely picks shoes based on what happens to be trending at the time.

“Just get the shoes that you like, not because of what other people say,” Warden said.

Warden said allows him to diversify his outfit based on where he is going.

“I just like the feeling of pulling up to a place with a pair that matches the whole outfit really well,” Warden said. “It’s always nice when they turn people’s heads.”

Sneakerhead

However, collecting shoes means something different to Harsh Bains, senior, who uses a wheelchair to move around. Bains said he has always been interested in collecting shoes despite not using them.

Noun. A person who regularly collects and trades shoes

Sneakerheads gained prominence in the ‘70s and ‘80s as shoes endorsed by hip-hop groups and athletes became increasingly popular. As the years progressed, collecting shoes became its own subculture and many people across different communities began to participate.

Gwenith Hoffman, junior, primarily collects popular shoes endorsed by celebrities.

“Just seeing rappers and celebrities wear nice shoes gets me into it,” Hoffman said.

While many sneakerheads tend to trade their collected shoes for money, Hoffman said she mostly does it to pass her free time.

“There’s some that have resale value, but I honestly do it for fun,” Hoffman said.

“Becase I don’t use them that much, their longevity is much longer than they would be for someone who actually uses them on a regular basis,” Bains said.

Bains said he believes some of his shoes could also have good resale value.

“Because I collect them but don’t really use them, I can just keep them tucked away until someone needs them,” Bains said.

One of Bains' favorite brands to buy are Converse. He also enjoys collecting New Balance, but his most used pair of shoes are his Asics.

McCullough II said that no matter the reason, every sneakerhead should strive to be unique.

“No sneakerhead will have the exact same pairs,” McCullough II said. “If you saw my collection, you’d see that mine are different than other people’s.”

Frederick McCullough II, senior, showcases his favorite pair of Nike sneakers: Air Jordan 1 High OG “Rebellionaire” in Tropical Twist. This shoe was first seen in 1985. Photograph by Angel

Gwenith Hoffman, junior, wears one of her favorite sneakers: Nike Air Max in beige. Photograph by Sophia Dominicis

Harsh Bains, senior, showcases his favorite pair of sneakers: Asics Gel in dual tone yellow/ orange. Photograph by Elliott Jorgensen

DiSalvo

Jackson Warden shows off his Nike Blazers. Photograph by Justin Small

Mobile game gains popularity

luke GRAVES

Rodrigo Rodriguez, sophomore, recently started playing a game titled “I Want Watermelon.”

“I saw lots of friends and other students playing it and it looked interesting, so I downloaded it,” Rodriguez said.

“I Want Watermelon” is a mobile game developed by Lazycell Inc. The game has found its way to MHS’ daily culture with many students playing.

The object of the game is to drop and merge various fruits. The bigger the fruit, the higher the score earned. If the stack of fruit reaches the top of the screen, the round is over.

Rodriguez said the popularity of the game is its time-killing nature.

“It’s a good game that can waste time if you don’t have anything to do,” Rodriguez said. “I play whenever I get free time during class.”

The largest fruit achievable in the game is the watermelon, which is created by merging two coconuts. After the watermelon is created, it disappears and is added to a counter at the top of the screen.

Riley Bossi, junior, takes pride in her in-game accomplishments.

“I have gotten 10-20 watermelons,” Bossi said. “Watermelon is what you’re always aiming for, and I usually get one at least once a round.”

She said the game has gained popularity because earning the watermelon is an elusive goal.

“Almost all my friends have the game and have played it,” Bossi said. “I think it is so popular because you really want to get the watermelon since it’s so rare.”

Henry Chen, junior, downloaded the game for the sake of competition with his friends.

“A lot of my friends and my girlfriend started playing it, so I had to get on too, to beat their score,” Chen said.

Chen said the game is played by so many because of its accessibility.

“It’s not hard to learn, and it’s fun to compare scores with other people,” Chen said.

Photo illustration by Emily Chien

SPEAK OUT

WHEN CURRENT EVENTS SPARK ONLINE DEBATE, DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO PUBLICLY SPEAK OR TO POST YOUR THOUGHTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

“Depending on the topic, your opinion shouldn’t always be posted because it can be hurtful to other people. It could make someone feel less heard or insignificant.”

CASSIDY KERBER, freshman

“Honestly, no, not really. Most of the time there is no need to.”

AMEER ALTAKROURI, sophomore

Sophia Chalmers, junior, was in the library last Thursday for Crom Saunders’ storytelling performance when a fight broke out near the end, just outside the library doors.

“I felt really bad,” Chalmers said. “He was doing his act, so I was trying to not focus my attention on the fight, but it was hard to not look at it because everyone was standing up and pointing and yelling.”

EDITORIAL

Saunders is a deaf storyteller who was here last Thursday for the annual St. Louis County Public Library’s St. Louis storytelling festival. Saunder’s presentation was his first impression of MHS.

End the fights BOARD

“The safety of our students and staff is always our first priority. We regret that this event took place.”

These incidents present a bad image of our school to the community and the staff who work hard to enhance students’ futures. We are expected to uphold a standard of excellence at MHS, not just in education but in maturity as well.

Students should refrain from fighting and students who are not involved need to act responsibly and step away. If a situation arises, let the administration handle the situation and refrain from recording fighting.

“Everyone deserves to speak freely. Posting about what you care about helps others get to know you.”

ADDISON LONG, junior

“I’ve always tried to be an advocate for people with no voice. So yes, I feel obligated to as a human.”

GABBY KENSY, senior

“Generally speaking, I try to keep social media light. I stick to posting my family, friends and events in my life. But if something moves me, I will interrupt my feed for a current event.”

LAURA MARIE COVERSTONE, language arts teacher

Chalmers said after the disruption, the audience’s attention had shifted elsewhere and it was more difficult to focus on the performance.

This embarrassing event was only one of the fights that took place last Thursday. It was also the latest in similar incidents since the start of the year.

Earlier this month a fight took place in the Commons before school and involved several admin and the School Resource Officer.

That fight prompted Principal Dr. Tracey Waeckerle to send an email to parents. It stated:

“I was really disappointed that our event got interrupted,” Ray Holmes, librarian, said. “I was very disappointed in it just because it doesn’t show what is best about Marquette, and about the students here. It has represented us in a poor light to our guests who were visiting here.”

No one wins in a fight, and they affect everyone in the community to varying degrees, making them a selfish act.

Instead of fighting, consider talking to a trusted teacher or counselor.

LETTERS to the EDITOR

Students share thoughts on attendance policy

The policy on absences is absurd and unfair. As a freshman just coming from middle school, I’m afraid to be absent even just once. I’ve shown up to school sick wearing a mask twice now just because I’m afraid that I’m going to miss something and be punished for it due to the way that the policies have been worded.

This fear is really reinforced by the fact that the school is not allowing teachers to teach during Ac Lab, causing students to be unable to access important information simply for being unable to show up. Anytime that I would be absent is not due to skipping school like some seem to think, but due to illness or other circumstances.

Students should not have to feel afraid to not come to school if they are ill or something has come up, and should not feel like they have to force themselves like I have.

CYPRESS WOOD, freshman

Teachers shouldn’t have to re-teach every time a student misses something, but they should still have the option to. So many students have missed school, but most of the time it’s something like an illness that they cannot control.

Yes, some students miss school and skip classes because they just don’t want to be there, but so many more don’t even get a choice whether they go or not. Earlier this week, I missed school due to not feeling well and deciding with my parents it was best that I don’t go.

Teachers, under no circumstances, should be forced to re-teach a lesson, but if they decided to, it’s stupid to take away the opportunity for them to do so. Students should not have to stress out and worry about missing school for things out of their control, adding extra unnecessary anxiety.

CASSIDY KERBER, freshman

Illustration by Layla Shockley

Exchange students are the best educators

david MOSS

For two weeks, my family and I decided to host a German exchange student. This was our first time ever as a host family, and we didn’t know what to expect.

Our exchange student, Anika Wolfe, was 17 years old and from a small village called Singen in Germany. She loves drawing and cats, and enjoyed teasing me and my sibling.

For the two weeks she was with us, we went to supermarkets, thrift stores, local restaurants, McDonald’s, a pumpkin patch and several dinner events. She tried many new foods, including tacos and corn on the cob, plenty of which were not home-hitters.

To anyone who has the ability to host a foreign exchange student, I say do it.

My family and I have learned much about schooling in Germany, at least in the region where Wolfe lives. She said she has 17 classes in a week, yet far less homework than students in the U.S.

The walls of her classrooms lack the overabundance of posters observed in American schools, preferring a more bland yet focused atmosphere.

I certainly learned many things from Wolfe that MHS could be doing that worked well for German students,

like having longer breaks throughout the school day, focusing more on academics and creating a more rigorous environment without honors/regular classes.

Yet, I also learned to appreciate the caring and supportive nature of our school. When Wolfe attended MHS on Friday, Oct. 6, she said the students seemed “more open” and friendlier than students in Germany.

We sometimes take for granted a kind, friendly teacher or a community of friends and classmates who lift us up.

Often when I learn about a topic, whether in a class, a book or online, I develop a somewhat simplistic under-

standing of it, or, at the very least, a summed-up version.

Secondary sources can only give us so much, but talking and living with someone from a very different place has shown me a raw, unfiltered personal perspective of the differences between our homes and our nations.

French teacher Emily Thompson, who also hosted a German exchange student, summed up this experience best:

“We only understand what we’re exposed to,” Thompson said. “The more different people you’re exposed to, the more open-minded and likely you are to understand that everyone comes from a different place.”

Colleges disregard environment

My house is full of glossy brochures. They are stacked on my counter, in my room and in my mailbox. And they are all from colleges begging me to send in an application, despite half not having either of my intended majors.

They are filled with every wonderful thing a college could offer: pictures of an obscure class with 14 students that few will take, their selective large dorm rooms, aerial views of the school only in early fall or late spring, and the vast options of food served on campus.

start a recycling business.

Colleges highly prioritize marketing, paying 42 cents for each student email and address from the Student Search Service, a College Board database. A fortune is spent on these shiny picture books that only add to the stress of college applications. And where do most of them end up? In the trash.

According to Eco-cycle, about 4 million tons of glossy brochures, envelopes and other direct mail advertisements end up in U.S. landfills each year. A large portion of that can be contributed to college mail. Clearly this is a problem.

There are 575 seniors at MHS. Multiply that by the 60 brochures I received in a week and the whole Senior Class received 34,500 pieces of college mail in one week.

Ninety times out of 100 the brochures sent from colleges won’t tell you how much it costs to go there, but do include their super selective scholarships.

There are 575 seniors at MHS. Multiply that by the 60 brochures I received in a week and the whole Senior Class received 34,500 pieces of college mail in one week.

Accumulating this mail over the course of a whole year and we could

Should schools have a 4-day week?

While smaller school districts in Missouri turn to four day school weeks, do you believe that RSD should do the same?

YES

As a student, the idea of less school in a given week sounds incredibly appealing, both because of the extra day given to complete class work and because of the ability to enjoy hobbies more freely. The question is, though, is this change as positive as it seems?

This schedule holds a variety of benefits for students and parents. Judging from my personal connections alone, a large number of students would be open to this change because it would give them more time for homework, more time to recuperate from the school week and to focus on mental health, and more energy for the school week itself.

The switch to a four-day school week would absolutely come with drawbacks, but those downsides pale in comparison to the benefits that would be enjoyed by students, faculty and parents alike.

It’s understandable that colleges and universities have to advertise because ultimately they are a business, but switching to only email marketing would be best. I already receive a ton of emails from colleges, and I don’t need the additional picture books they decide to send.

College mail isn’t useful, especially when it’s wasting paper, and ignoring the clear alternative: email.

According to New York University, it’s estimated that American households collectively throw away the

equivalent of 100 million trees’ worth of paper. Recycling college mail would largely curtail the amount of paper going to landfills.

As high school students, we cannot stop colleges from advertising and sending “personalized” letters in bulk, but we can at least recycle instead of contributing to landfills.

annabelle MILLER

NO

The schools that have recently implemented this plan are often underfunded, understaffed and rural. Seeing as MHS is none of these, the four-day week wouldn’t provide the same benefits it does to other schools.

As an athlete, an extra day off of school would provide challenges. Sports would have to rely on busing to get their athletes to school or cancel practice on the off day. School days would have to be extended to make this plan work, so athletes would miss more class time for away games. We’d sacrifice the education of our athletes for an unnecessary change.

Don’t we have enough trouble focusing in class on a normal day? Longer school hours would be difficult for most students to get through and impossible for others. The day off would also decrease memory retention as students now have a three-day break from school instead of two. Implementing a four-day week schedule would be unnecessary and difficult for students to adjust to.

aiden BURKHARDT

aubrey LACAVICH

During the two weeks that Anika Wolfe, German exchange student, stayed with my family, we did several activities including carving pumpkins to demonstrate to Wolfe an American tradition. Photograph by Elizabeth Moss

Three Messenger staffers collected their college mail for less than one week and it filled a recycling bin. Photograph by Elliott Jorgensen

No plan in place for aging locker rooms

hailey NEUNER

Da’shaun Anderson, varsity football captain, leads a sea of green and navy off the field at halftime. Unlike most teams who regroup in the locker room, this team’s only option is to spend their halftime in the weight room.

MHS, home to 23 varsity sports, is the third largest high school in Missouri according to student population and features the original four locker rooms built in 1993.

That’s three decades of wear and tear.

The football program utilizes two locker rooms six months out of the year, beginning during summer workouts and concluding in early November.

Anderson attributes the relocation of this year’s halftime meetings and speeches to the locker rooms' lack of space.

“I wouldn’t say it’s outdated. More like too small. We’re pretty crowded in there,” Anderson said.

Ninety-five lockers for 90 varsity players line the walls and create narrow corridors in between. Benches sit in these corridors, some broken and some removed from the floor altogether. The lockers are filled with gear, all under minimal ventilation.

Anderson, having spent four years in the football program, said the locker room is a major contributor to team culture.

“We play a lot of music. We dance a lot. We

chill. It’s where we always are,” Anderson said.

Michael Stewart, head football coach, sees a need to renovate the athletic locker rooms.

“When we have envious facilities, like our weight room, the players do a really good job of keeping it in good shape. It’s a point of pride,” Stewart said.

The weight room houses top-notch equipment, Stewart said. The racks and dumbbells have MHS emblems, and matching green and navy bumper plates sit at each rack. Mirrors line one wall, while windows line the others, all looking out at the stadium.

“We want to create a safe environment where the kids feel secure about where they are,” Stewart said. “And, in an updated facility, they're confident they have that. So, I do think we're behind when it comes to locker rooms.”

Stewart said the locker room lacks square footage most of all. Each player wears about $1,000 worth of gear, and often there isn’t a place to put their equipment in the locker room.

“We have to hang equipment in the office. There’s just no other space for it,” Stewart said.

The coaches have put graphics along the walls and continue to maximize the space to create a sense of home for their players.

“Our school does as good of a job as possible with the facilities,” Stewart

said. “We do the best that we can with what we have, but there's definitely plenty of room for improvement.”

One solution, Stewart said, is re-hauling the basement structure to accommodate more room for lockers by building a wrestling room on top of the weight room, which would require a district-level financial commitment.

Felicia Durst, PE department chair, said only a few students change their clothes before and after gym class; however, the 1993 fixtures such as the tile floors, showers and broken lockers could be updated.

“For our PE students, the locker rooms are sufficient,” Durst said. “There is plenty of room each hour, and there are enough lockers for the students that want one.”

While the stadium press box and most of the bleachers below are original to the school, new scoreboards, new gym floors, new gym pads and new football turf mark some of the newest athletic facility updates.

Activities Director Adam Starling said the district has recently prioritized academic wings over other campus updates.

“World-class STEM labs have gone up in all four high schools,” Starling said.

While there are currently no plans to renovate the locker rooms, Starling said, “We are always looking for ways to improve facilities.”

After 30 years, the original locker rooms are showing their age with rust and broken locks, shelves and benches. Photographs by Elliott Jorgensen and Hailey Neuner

Kaitlyn Johnson, sophomore, bench presses in fifth hour Advanced Strength Training. The weight room is one of the more recent renovations in the academic building and features space, natural lighting and new equipment. Photograph by Ila Hudson

FUELING UP

Coaches, students monitor athlete nutrition

aubrey LACAVICH • david MOSS

Melissa Burger, head cross country and girls track coach, said young people should treat themselves like they would treat a Bugatti.

“Number one, you need to value your body,” Burger said. “Number two, you should be taking care of it, and number three, you should be fueling it.”

Burger said focusing on nutrition and making good food choices is important for athletes to have enough fuel to operate as effectively as possible.

“We don’t talk about dieting,” Burger said. “We talk about nutrition.”

Students should consider natural, healthy foods before changing their diet, Burger said, and a doctor, not Google, should be consulted before adding supplements.

On race days and hard run days, Burger said athletes should always be eating breakfast, staying hydrated and obtaining electrolytes. She strongly recommends athletes eat an energy bar or other form of protein within one hour of running for recovery and growth.

“If we aren’t eating enough, we’re in a deficit, and we’re destroying ourselves,” Burger said. “Nutrition and eating is the cornerstone for strength.”

Most importantly, Burger said students should listen to their bodies.

Coaches’ Perspective

Shawn McAteer, cross country and girls wrestling coach, said having enough protein is important for athletes in any sport.

“When we grew up, everybody pushed carbs as a high-energy food,” McAteer said. “We’ve forgotten how important proteins are to help build our muscles and to build back in terms of recovery.”

McAteer said athletes often forget to eat throughout the school day or simply don’t bring enough food.

“We get up early, we rush out the door, we maybe don’t have a good breakfast, we have lunch at 10:04, and then suddenly we’re at practice at 3:30 to 4, and we feel awful,” McAteer said.

weigh in, however, athletes should eat simple carbohydrates for quick energy and avoid proteins, which can cause an upset stomach before a match.

For all students, eating right can be the difference between feeling lethargic or feeling healthy and active, Dieffenbach said.

Students’ Perspective

Gavin Lingafelter, senior, said what he eats makes a huge difference in his wrestling performance.

“It’s honestly a really big difference if you don’t eat, especially with weight cutting and trying to lose weight,” Lingafelter said. “If you don’t, you’re just gonna have no energy at all.”

During wrestling season, he sticks to little snacks every other hour to keep him going and saves a big meal for when he gets home at night.

On tournament days, Lingafelter limits his meals to low-calorie, high-protein snacks like peanut but ter and jelly, grapes and protein bars.

“There’s no way you can have a good practice or a good tournament if you’re not fueled properly,” Lingafelter said. “So, it’s really just putting your calories strategically throughout the day so that you have enough to get you through the hard parts.”

“There’s no way you can have a good practice or a good tournament if you’re not fueled properly.”

Gavin Lingafelter, senior

Jacob Dieffenbach, boys wrestling coach, said it’s especially important for students in wrestling to be conscious of what they eat, more so than other sports. This is because many wrestlers try to cut to a lower weight class to have more success in tournaments.

“In football, you’re trying to get a lot of calories and force food down your body,” Dieffenbach said. “Whereas, in wrestling, you’re trying to do the exact opposite to lose weight and get in the weight class you want to be in.”

Dieffenbach recommends his athletes stay away from simple sugars, unhealthy fats and excessive sodium.

Dieffenbach said eating right is especially important before a tournament due to a fast turnaround time and the need to make a low weight class.

“They may have only eaten breakfast that day,” Dieffenbach said. “They’ve got to weigh in, eat right away and then perform.”

Dieffenbach tells his athletes to limit their carb intake in the days before a tournament. After they

Lexi Morgan, sophomore, loves Barebell protein bars and packs them in her lunch every day. She became interested in nu trition last year when she started to workout outside of softball practice.

“I wake up at 5:15 in the morning and leave around 5:25. Then, I workout for an hour and go to school,” Morgan said.

Last year she also started meal prepping and cooking for herself. She packs her lunch with healthy snacks that are high in pro tein.

If the body experiences a Vitamin D or calcium deficiency, it can lead to stress fractures, Austin said. These fractures are especially common among younger athletes. Austin said the key is to maintain a balanced diet which includes grains, proteins and various fruits and vegetables to provide vitamins and minerals.

“We don’t function, in and out of athletics, properly without food in our system,” Austin said. “Eating regularly, even if it’s small meals, will help everybody function better throughout the day.”

Morgan chose a more low-calorie, high-protein lifestyle because it helps her to build muscle. She noticed a difference in her softball performance after she prioritized her nutrition.

“I feel more energized after a good meal,” Morgan said, “If you are eating enough protein, you will gain muscle, and if you gain muscle, your performance will be better.”

Morgan said nutrition is undervalued in the sports community.

Expert Advice

Jessi Austin, athletic trainer, said a lack of nutrients commonly causes dehydration and heat-related illnesses.

“Water is attracted to certain nutrients in the body,” Austin said. “If we’re not getting those nutrients, then the water doesn’t have anywhere to go, which makes it really hard for our body to be properly hydrated.”

From the Front

Food ranking by protein per cup

1. Chicken (38g)

2. Almonds (30.4g)

3. Meatballs (30g)

4. Wild Rice (24g)

5. Lentils (18g)

6. Hard Boiled Egg (17g)

7. Artichoke Heats (2.29g)

8. Kale & tomatoes (2.21g)

9. Grapes (0.6g)

Information from the USDA

Lexi Morgan, sophomore, enjoys Barebells protein bars to get her daily intake of protein before softball practice

Jessi Austin, athletic trainer, wraps the arm of Torin Davidson, sophomore. Austin provides resources and expertise to injured athletes. Photograph by David Moss

Lexi Morgan, sophomore, cooks her high protein, low calorie enchiladas. She said nutrition is undervalued in the sports community. Photograph by Hailey Neuner