Parkway North High School
Norse Star
12860 Fee Fee Rd. St. Louis, MO 63146
Volume 53, Issue 1, September 25, 2014
The Sparkle Effect and book club add to North’s extracurriculars See more on page 9
Also Featured:
Field Hockey begins new season with new players, coaches
See more on page 10
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raises over $114 million See more on page 2
2
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014 Parkway North High School
North High School faculty, students participate in ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Staff Writer The ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Association is an organization dedicated to trying to create a world without ALS. Marching band members, as well as the administration and students, have completed the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money and awareness for the cause. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spine. When motor neurons are affected, the brain cannot control muscles, and in later stages of ALS, those affected can become completely paralyzed. According to the ALS Association, approximately 5,600 people are diagnosed with ALS each year, and the life expectancy of someone diagnosed ranges from two to five years. “It’s for a good cause, and I know by donating money, I’m contributing to the betterment of the ALS disease,” said junior Destiny Tucker, who participated in the ice bucket challenge with the marching band to help raise awareness and money for the ALS Association. “It makes you feel good for doing something good.” No one really is sure how the Ice Bucket Challenge got its start. The challenge consists of a person donating $100 or dumping a bucket of ice water on his or her head. People who dump ice water on their heads also may donate money to the cause and then nominate someone else to take the challenge. The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised over $114 million worldwide. This challenge has taken over the United States. It is not
Norse Star Staff Molly Thal ...Editor-in-Chief
Gianna Sparks
...Copy Editor
Sarah Butterfield ...News Editor
Zoe Schuver
...Community Editor
Lauren Sparks
...Centerspread Editor
Sarah Noble ...Features Editor Natalie Blue ...Features Editor
just for celebrities and people all over the country; it has spread to Parkway North as well. Northeast Middle School band director Mike Steep nominated the North High marching band to do the challenge after he did it himself. On Aug. 12, during Tuesday night rehearsal, parents filled buckets with ice water. Then, students dumped the buckets on their own heads while they stood in a fundamental block, which is a basic band shape where members stand a set distance away from one another on the field. “One-hundred and thirty people were doing this with me, and I was like ‘Hey, I’m gonna do this,’” said senior Erin Stiegemeier, who also participated in the challenge with the marching band. After the band completed the challenge, they collected donations and nominated all of the other marching bands in Parkway to take the challenge. The band raised over $250 to help the cause. “It was a good way of seeing the band do good in the community,” said band teacher Andrew LaRose. Not only is the band using this challenge to help the community, but the administration took part in the challenge as well. On Aug. 29, between the third and fourth quarters of the football game against McCluer, the administrators lined up on the track in front of the fans, and the seniors dumped ice water on their heads. “It was fun seeing the administration do something that we can relate to,” said senior David Thal. They got nominated by Men’s Room
Photo by Gabrielle Redfield
Gabrielle Redfield
Senior cheerleaders dump buckets of ice cold water on faculty members including athletic director Kris Kellams, principal Dr. Jenny Marquart, and senior principal Dr. Rhonda Page for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge after the third quarter of the football game on Aug. 29.
and Powder Room when they did it. Junior principal Greg Wagener described the challenge as “damp, and relatively cold.” However, Wagener said him and the other adminsitrators “decided to do it and get it done.” Wagener even did the challenge twice. He participated once personally, when junior Helen Oh nominated him, and with the administration. It’s been a trend that has benefited
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the ALS association, and has helped donate money to help the cause. The ALS Association not only uses the money collected to fund research and find a cure for ALS, they also use the money to help raise awareness by educating the public about this disease. In addition, they provide care services for those who have the disease and support for people who take care of loved ones with the disease. “It’s a worthy cause,” said LaRose.
3
Community
September 25, 2014 Parkway North High School
Social Justice Action Team prepares for cultural fair Brianne Lewis Entertainment Editor/Ad Manager On Oct. 1, Parkway North High School’s Social Justice Action Team will host the Cultural Fair between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to introduce the community to different foods and activities of other cultures. “I am really looking forward to our community learning about all of these different cultures, and our community coming together and supporting everyone’s differences and having fun,” said senior Rebecca Fink, social justice action team leader. SJAT strives to bring awareness of different minority groups to the community through events such as the fair. The Social Justice Action Team also hosts discussions with students and others in the Parkway North community. “The cultural fair is going to be a gathering of different representatives in our community that represent different cultures and customs and ideals. They are going to be coming here to share different parts of their identity and who they are with people who may not be familiar with them,” senior Layla Kousari, SJAT leader. This is the first time that the cultural fair is being brought to the North High community. Last year, the fair was canceled at the last minute due to weather. Social Justice is looking forward to bringing the fair
Parkway North Social Justice Action Team discusses the Cultural Fair that will take place on Oct. 1. Students contacted venues in the community as well as school sponsored organizations and individual students to create the event.
this fall with more predictable weather. The fair is after school so students and teachers can go to the event. “I don’t think [rescheduling] is going to have a negative impact. I think it is going to have a positive impact...if anything, it helped
them learn from a plan process that there were things that we needed to do differently,” said Social Justice Action Team sponsor Mike Hazelton. Some activities that will be featured at the cultural fair include henna designs
by senior Bethlehem Negash, music and dance recitals by various students, information booths, and food sampling from Mediterranean Grill, Joe Boccardi, and Govinda’s Vegetarian Restaurants. “I think that is it different, especially since we live in such a diverse community and our school is so diverse that we try to instill some empathy in each other and to be more understanding about how other people live and what their lives are like. I am excited for people at North to get a glimpse of that,” said Kousari. Parkway North community is going to benefit from having the cultural fair by having a spot on location where people from different walks of life go to school and see what actually goes in on that culture. Also, the fair will let students do activities and eat certain food that the culture specializes in to get a better understanding. “It’s important to have the cultural fair at North because cultural understanding is really important,” said Fink. “At North, we have a lot of different cultures. In order to accept other people that are different from you, you need to know, understand, and learn about them and learn about their differences,” said Fink. The cultural fair will be an opportunity for students to explore different cultures. The event is open to friends and family members of all ages. Activities and booths for each country or restaurant will be located in the commons and upper gym.
Social Justice training, Sister 2 Sister work to improve relationships Gabrielle Redfield Staff Writer Social Justice and Sister 2 Sister are a two groups at Parkway North dedicated to addressing issues concerning race, bullying, and social issues in society. Through different events sponsored by these groups, such as social justice training and field trips to historical places, students and staff can develop a “respect of other cultures and orientations,” said freshman principal Dr. Tori Cain. The staff at Parkway North participated in social justice training on three different dates this summer to deal with issues related to racial relations and share stories to gain a better understanding about different experiences. “I have more understanding of the experiences of people different than me. That will help me be more understanding and build stronger relationships with everyone at PNH,” said librarian Eve Diel. During training, all of the staff participated in different activities and get-toknow-you games “in order to bring the staff together and develop deeper connections with staff members,” said Dr. Cain. They also used the activities to discuss racism, and how they can reflect on how they “look at curriculum that affects different types of students,” said Cain.
Social Justice helps both students and teachers understand different cultures and races. While racial relations affect society as a whole, the Parkway North community also needs improvement regarding race even though the school is very diverse. “We, just like every school, have areas of growth,” said English teacher Heather Fleming. Race is still an issue, even in society today and at North High. One of the ways that North has worked to improve racial relations is through the Sister 2 Sister club. This club is primarily for African American girls, though any girl can join. Its main focus is to use time to discuss issues related to African American girls. “I’ve become more comfortable around people in this school, and it makes me want to push myself to be better,” said junior Arianna Varner. Sister 2 Sister is an environment where people can “honor the need for shared experience,” said Fleming. The club offers tutoring and has meetings where they discuss different issues. “[Sister 2 Sister] really allows me to get to know and form relationships with students that I might not have in class,” said Fleming. They also offer field trips; they hope that soon they will be able to travel to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Being a member of Sister 2 Sister is a way to understand the diverse environment
here at Parkway North. Through different activities and clubs, students, staff, and parents can understand the experiences and issues related to different aspects of social justice. People can hear each other’s stories
and relate to one another. “When you hear [another person’s] personal experience, it affects how you perceive them [and your] decision making,” said Cain.
Joshlyn Harris discusses a project with Sister 2 Sister members junior Arianna Varner, junior Diamond Roy, and senior Morgan Sims.
4
opinions
September 25, 2014 Parkway North High School
Despite student complaints, new cafeteria changes promote healthier eating habits Photo by Ryan Lutker
Ryan Lutker Sports Editor For the last few years, the Parkway School District has been making adjustments to the nutrition of school lunches, in order to comply to new guidelines enforced by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or DESE. The most startling and controversial changes yet came this year, as changes were made to the snack options, and many snacks were no longer sold in the cafeteria or in the vending machines. These changes aren’t without reason, however, and make some sense. Not every student is comforted by DESE’s efforts to improve the nutrition of school lunches. Many students remain frustrated with the lack of options and the removal of certain choices from the cafeteria. “I don't like [the changes] because I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions about what I eat, and I should be able to make a choice if I want to eat healthy or if I don't,” said junior Katie Landsbaum. This is a valid argument. High school is an opportunity for students to learn how to make decisions for themselves before they leave for college and are on their own. However, changing the way students eat at school positively affects their eating habits
Students wait in line to buy their lunch in the Viking Line on Sept. 16. Because this line serves a la carte food, the line stretched all they way to the guidance office.
by helping them get into a healthy routine. According to The Dairy Council, lifetime eating habits are learned during childhood, and so it is important to encourage good nutrition for kids.
“It’s just getting everybody accustomed to the healthier choices...People will change, the kids will change. It’s hard at first, but I think after a while it’ll become second nature,” said Peggy Mitchell, the Regional Manager
for Parkway North Food Service. “Where it makes a difference is [with the younger kids]. They’ll grow up with that taste. It may not be so beneficial for kids in high school right now as it is for them to follow that pattern as they move along.” The changes removed the majority of unhealthy options available at lunch. This is a great opportunity for students who would like to eat healthy. Some students would like to adopt a more healthy lifestyle, but found it difficult to do so when there with a lot of unhealthy options. Danielle Hay said, ““I like [that] they took out the salt - especially for athletes. Most of [the unhealthy food] they don't need to eat [is gone]. [This is also good] for people who are trying to change their eating habits.” The changes to are due to the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, championed by First Lady Michelle Obama. The purpose of the legislation is to enhance nutrition and fight childhood obesity. The act reinforced the National School Lunch Program, which requires certain standards including that all lunches provide fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk, and encourages the sale of organic products. Additional standards require that food be baked, not fried, and reduced levels of sodium. Overall, this change is good since teenagers don’t always eat as healthy as they should.
Allowing electronic use in class can benefit learning by giving students up-to-date information, independence Emma Petrofsky Opinions Editor At Parkway North, the use of electronics during class time is prohibited unless permitted by the teacher as a part of the instructional process. This policy does allow some electronic use in class, but the policy should be more lenient. School planners state that the goal of the electronic policy is to maintain a respectful and productive learning environment in classrooms at all times, but this goal can still be achieved even if students are allowed to use their devices more freely. “Listening to music in class helps kids keep quiet and stay focused,” said sophomore Amanda Toser-Aldaz. The use of electronics in class can be very useful. For example, electronics can be used to help students focused and stay on task. Students often use electronics to listen to music which can help them to stay focused. Also, some students need frequent breaks to remain focused. If students could use their phones for a few minutes during breaks in class that would help some kids stay on task and pay attention. Letting students use electronics more freely in class would not only help them to remained focused, but it also would benefit their education and learning as well. “It’s easier to learn from our phones and things we’re used to,” said freshman
Brianna Barrera. Nowadays, students are more accustomed to looking up information online rather than in books. Additionally, websites and online databases are updated frequently. “Electronics add to learning because sometimes books can be out of date, but with phones you can find websites that are up to date,” said Toser-Aldaz. Even teachers agree that using electronics in class benefits learning. “It can be very useful when used correctly, like for research, following up on assignments, and taking notes,” said world history teacher Scott Nilsen. Although there are many benefits to having electronics, such as phones, in class, there are some downsides as well. “I think the danger is when students have a hard time resisting temptations,” said Nilsen. There are both positives and negatives to using electronics in class, but the positive outcomes that would come out of a less strict electronic policy outweigh the negative outcomes. Using electronics in class would help students with research, studying, taking notes and staying focused. Yes, some students might abuse a more lenient policy, but the majority would not. If the electronic policy was less strict, some students would take advantage of it, but that only would affect that student. The students who want to be there and want to learn would pay attention in class and learn.
When should students be allowed to use personal electronic devices? 22 %
Students should be allowed to use personal electronics when they decide it is appropriate
30%
Students should always be allowed to use electronic devices
5% 41%
Students should be allowed to use personal electronics with teacher’s permission
Students who do not want to be there would not pay attention regardless of if they were allowed to use their phone or not. It would not affect the kids who want to learn because no one is going to get distracted by somebody else texting or listening to music, etc. “I like that teachers can set their own rules,” said Nilsen about the teachers having the power to decide when students can use personal electronic devices. By allowing students to use phones
Students should never be allowed to use personal electronics in class
as long as teachers give permission, they channel the temptation to use phones into using phones for academic purposes. “Kids are still going to use their phones in class. If teachers say no, they’re just going to be sneaky about it and end up getting in trouble,” said sophomore Kristin McClearen. The electronic policy should be more lenient; it would help students be quiet and focused, and it would also benefit their education.
September 25, 2014 Parkway North High School
5
Entertainment
Theater department takes on Shakespeare play
in classes at high school or in college. Since the play was made centuries ago, students and adults have a difficult time understanding what the text is trying to say and also how to perform the text. This is the first time in over four years that the theater department
has performed a Shakespeare play. This is a difficulty that the theater department had to overcome. “Antiquated language and being able to understand what the modern concept is using that old language is the difficult part
for the actors,” said Little. There are four different groups in the play, “the mechanicals, the lovers, the fairies and the ensemble,” said Mitchell, whose character is a lover. Mitchell plays Hippolyta, a queen in the play. “[Hippolyta is] engaged to the duke Theseus (played by junior Evan Meier) so we’re lovers. I don’t want to give away any spoilers [but] there are six lovers,” said Mitchell. While Mitchell has been in some of North’s other productions, including last year’s The Laramie Project, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is sophomore Andrea Schilp’s first production at North. Schilp plays a fairy. She enjoys acting because it is a “good experience, and you get to be someone different.” When Schilp found out she got the part, she said, “[I] was really excited, and [I] called my mom and told her.” The technical aspect of the play is a big part of the production as well. Sophomore Leah Jacobson, sound crew head. This job entails being “in charge of making sure there are sound effects and [the] placement of music in the show.” One challenge that Jacobson has found is “it’s hard to find the perfect sound cue for some parts of the show.” Rehearsals have already begun and the play will be performed in the theater on October 8th, 9th and 10th at 7 p.m. Little began casting lead roles at the end of last school year, but continued auditions in August.
have a more peaceful life in Boston until he comes out of his retirement to help a young girl in need and finds himself coming face to face with Russian “gangsters”. “I actually don’t know [how the movie is going to be]. They might keep most of the good stuff. When movies do books, they’re phony,” said sophomore Matthew Price. Mockingjay is the third installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy, a dystopian trilogy, by Suzanne Collins that comes out on Nov. 21. The movie is the first part of the fall out of Katniss Everdeen volunteering to take her younger sister’s place in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to compete. This trilogy has been at the top of the box office every time one of the movies come out. “[I am excited for the movie]. I feel like they’ll make the movie worse though”, said freshman Archie-Lynn Rivera. If I Stay is a romance novel by Gayle Forman. It is about how life can change in an instant for young Mia Hall after a car accident puts her in a coma. During an outof-body experience, she must decide whether to wake up and live a life far different than she had imagined or let go of life. This movie comes out Aug. 22.
“I thinks it’s pretty cool that [If I Stay is being turned into a movie] I thought [the book] could have been better written. I liked the concept of it, but the ending could have been better,” said sophomore Allie Gaubatz. Movie adaptations are classic ways for movie executives to come up with ideas for films. The producers and the directors can take away any part of the book they want to or put different parts in the story. They can also portray a story in a different light. These movies come from both classic and modern tales.
“I think it’s great if the producers stick to the storyline, but that doesn’t happen enough. The whole point of turning a book into a movie is to keep the story the same, but put visuals into it. When that doesn’t happen, it messes everything up. So I don’t like it unless they stick to the plot basically,” said Khambekar. Movie to book adaptations are common in the movie industry. The novels range from science fiction to romance. There will be something for everybody to enjoy this fall movie season.
Photo by Lauren Sparks
Lauren Sparks Centerspread Editor Lights, scripts, rehearsals. Actors and members of the Parkway North tech crew, as well as the director and drama teacher Chad Little are going to use all of these things in this year’s fall production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. To describe the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is difficult because “there’s five different plot lines going on,” said Little. The cast of characters includes “three sets of lovers. It’s talking about people with mature love who have been in love forever, people who are an older age and falling in love again; young people who don’t know what they want, young people who are very sure of what they want; and people who’ve been married for ages and are not getting along [but] figuring out that there still is love there and how to fix it,” said Little. Senior and cast member Emma Mitchell agrees with Little, “[It’s] really hard because it’s a bunch of different plot lines merged together, [and] there are a bunch of different settings.” Little chose A Midsummer Night’s Dream “for the experience of performing a Shakespearean piece. [I] think it’s advantageous for all of the performers...and all the technicians who’ve had to read the script to figure out what’s going on.” The play also “supports the curriculum through the English Department,” said Little. A hardship for the cast is understanding the language. This language is mostly studied
Cast member and senior Emma Mitchell rehearses Act I alongside fellow cast members senior Mark Cunningham, junior Matilda Burch, and sophomore Andrew Evans.
Popular books make their way to the silver screen Christina Ibrahim Staff Writer Movie to book adaptations have been very popular for the past couple of years and this fall will be no different. No matter what kind of movie or book you like, there is surely something for everyone when it comes to entertainment. “I thinks it’s always been taking place [books being turned into movies]. There is a big history of it,” said English teacher and film club associate Mark Bannecker. The Maze Runner is a science fiction novel by James Dashner that was converted into a movie which came out Sept. 19. The movie, directed by Wes Ball, is about a boy named Thomas whose memory is erased, and then he is stuck in a group of boys who are trapped in a maze. They are desperate to escape. “I’m excited for The Maze Runner. I can’t wait to see how the producers express the book and if they do it well,” said freshman Saayli Khambekar. The Equalizer is a novel by Michael Sloan that is being turned into a movie. It is coming out on Sept. 26. It is a action/ crime/thriller movie about a black operatives commando who faked his death so he could
6
Norse Star
september 25, 2014
Parkway North High School
Centerspread
Log On:
What do you use your Google account for?
North converts to new Google-based system
Molly Thal Editor-in-Chief
Centerspread Editor
“I use my Google Drive to e-mail my teachers,” said freshman Temesgen Ghidey
“I use my Google Drive to share documents with my classmates,” said sophomore Duncan Bryan
History teacher Jeff Kinney and long-time Google Drive user works on his computer during his plan time on Sept. 3. The new Google-based system will allow teachers and students to communicate more efficiently.
and intervention activities” for various types of students, from the struggling to the successful. Under this new system, individualizing for each student just might get easier as time goes by, a change that some might find welcome. This will likely lead to a much-lessstressed student body, since students can now know what their teachers think of their work more instantaneously and have access to individualize work that they need. The new Google system also allows teachers to create surveys and quizzes for all students to access making quick assessments of where students are easier. By implementing this change, Parkway North seems to be embracing its purpose to prepare students for the ever-changing world, and hopefully the students learning in the classrooms of today will adapt to new technology systems of the future as easily as they are with this shift to a Google-based computer system.
dance club.” Montague hopes to “promote spirit and give a sense of community to kids who cannot participate in team sports.” The North Sparklers practice on Fridays right after school until 4 p.m. At practice, they warm up, stretch, practice technique, have a snack, and do a craft or game. The Sparklers plan to use some of the crafts they make as ways to fundraise for the Sparklers. At their first practice, they made signs for the homecoming parade. Junior Derek Baker joined the North Sparklers because he “loves to move his feet to the beat.” Baker’s favorite part of practice is “the girls, the snacks, and [practicing] kicks.” The Sparklers plan to perform during basketball season and Special Olympics to bring awareness to the community and to show
off the skills they’ve learned at practice. Clubs at North are not only based on athletics. A new academic club, a book club, is being introduced to North this year by junior Faith Schroeder to “help [students] with SAT and ACT scores and also to help with vocabulary.” The book club is starting by reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. To make the club more interesting, Schroeder plans to “let people chose the books they want to read, so it doesn’t feel like an English class.” Even though they are beginning with a classic, Schroeder “wants to focus on contemporary pieces to make the club more fun.” Schroeder hopes members “have a new appreciation for books and build a foundation... later in life.” Both Montague and Schroeder agree that
Social studies teacher Jim Hubbard prepares to lead part of the new faculty meeting on Sept. 14, 2014. Teachers from Parkway North, Central, West, and South got together to learn and collaborate.
“I use my Google Drive for all of my assignments, all of my presentations and all my papers,” said junior Katie Pautler
“I use my Google Drive to do all my papers. I make a lot of documents for theater so we do a lot of our communication through Google Drive,“ said senior Shannon Commerford
“I use my Google Drive for a variety of things, mostly when I want to be sure that I am sharing a document with somebody and have the opportunity for many people to proof and edit,” said school principal Dr. Jenny Marquart
Join the Club: Parkway North welcomes new clubs in 2014
Community Editor Looking to get involved at Parkway North? There are a variety of different extracurricular activities to choose from that cater to different interests. In fact, “about 3-4 new clubs are added each year” said Activities Director Kris Kellams. This year, junior Claudia Montague and Zoe Schuver are adding to this list with the North Sparklers Squad. The North Sparklers is a charter club to a nationally recognized organization called the Sparkle Effect. Montague “loved the idea and heard great things about The Sparkle Effect.” Montague, who is also a Vikette said, “the Sparkle Effect is different from Vikettes and cheer because it is an all inclusive cheer and
it is hard to start a club but rewarding once preparation has been done. “Our difficulties [include] getting everything together - we just need to get organized. Once we get organized, I think everything will fall into place,” said Schroeder. “[It’s] hard to get people interested and aware,” said Montague In order to start a club, students need to talk activity director Kris Kellams and find a teacher to sponsor the club as well as a way to publicize the club to other students. Kellams said, “the most common difficulty is finding a sponsor because so many teachers are already involved in an after school activity.” Once a sponsor is found, they can help with some of the work in order to make the preparation easier on the student.
Photo by Zoe Schuver
Zoe Schuver
Junior Derek Baker shows off his dance moves at North Sparklers first practice.
Along with new clubs and a transition into a Google system, the 2014-2015 school year has brought 17 new faculty members due to natural changes in population of students and teachers. “I moved here because I love St. Louis. I’ve always wanted to live in St. Louis and I had an opportunity up here,” said visual arts teacher Carlynn Forst, who is beginning her first year at North and her fourth year teaching. Although there are 17 new teachers, most of them were not hired to work full-time. Some teachers are only working on B Days, and others are only working two blocks. “On A Days, I still get stuff done, working on subbing and everything. But you wake up and you’re like ‘I might not be teaching my classes today’ or ‘I might not be going to school today.’ I’ve just been adjusting to a different routine,” said Physical Fitness Concepts teacher Mary Christine Kubik. Kubik is unique even among first-year teachers because she was a student at North before becoming a faculty member. “It’s just a different experience because now my former teachers are colleagues. It’s a different feel of things. You see the opposite end of the school,” said Kubik. “It’s just different walking through the halls knowing that you’re a teacher and that you were there five, six years ago as a student. It’s been fun.” One thing that sets Parkway North apart from other teaching opportunities is the sense of community and acceptance. “I feel like there’s a lot more respect towards students in terms of them being individual people. Everybody is more apt to listening to their students and working with them more. I feel that there’s more freedom to be an individual both for students and for faculty. So as a teacher, it’s really important for me because I feel like I can be myself when I’m
teaching here,” said Forst. Along with only teaching part time, some teachers have classes at both North High and Northeast Middle School. One of these is the Latin teacher, Maura Tobin. “For the first time in x amount of years, they’re finally having Latin as a course elective at Northeast. So [Tobin is] teaching there in the morning, and a minute or two before we get there, she shows up at class [here at North High],” said senior Mico Xa. While this means more students at Northeast Middle will have the opportunity to study Latin, this split schedule makes her less available for before school help. However, she is available at other times during the day. “We can’t go see her before school, but she is available both priorities of Academic Lab, which I know was a problem for some of the math teachers [with a split schedule] last year. She’s available after school up until around 3 p.m.,” said Xa. Over the summer, staff members from all over the district met at Central Middle School to kick off the year. “We went through Parkway’s expectations and the curriculum, how to instill the love of learning, how to get students motivated, and how you balance everything as a new teacher,” said Kubik. There was another new faculty meeting at Central in August, but it was optional. The teachers who chose to participate had the opportunity to discuss last-minute
preparations and thoughts. “It was nice to see everybody together then break off. One day we spend here at North with Dr. Marquart and the rest of the administration. They definitely helped us out a lot,” said Kubik. There was also a chance to collaborate on Tuesday, Sept. 14, when there was another optional staff meeting. At this meeting, the participants went over some struggles and possible solutions. “I collaborate a lot with the other PE teachers, but we do have new teacher meetings every month. That’s when we talk to each other. Some it’s their first year, some it’s their 25th year,” said Kubik. With the new faculty meetings for district teachers and teachers just at North, Parkway made efforts to make teachers feel more comfortable in the district community. “This really is, and I’m by no means lying or exaggerating, a really great school. The kids here are all really awesome. I’m having a great time,” said Forst. “It’s an environment where everybody gets along so well. I feel like everyone is respected here and everyone gets along here. It’s just a really welcoming and warm environment.” Other new faculty members include Jason Breeland, Chip Broze, Steve Clem, Rachel Corno, Kayla Effner, Ellen Jacobs, Marilyn Katich, Jamesell Kee, Tony Koening, Stacy Rebello, Toni Richter, Julie Teixeira, and Maura Tobin.
English teacher Natalie Vonarx, physical education teacher Mary Christine Kubik, and history teacher Andy Rudolph participate in an activity during a district-wide meeting for new teachers. The faculty wrote on an index card one thing they had struggles with this year, then the group discussed possible solutions.
Photo by Molly Thal
to the new system as the weeks go by. For instance, senior Alyssa Villacis said that “some people were a little annoyed” at the change because they already had Google accounts, but she also said that she thinks “it’s okay” even though she already had a Google account. Villacis also said that she thinks the new system will “make it easier for students to turn in Word documents or PowerPoints,” echoing Marquart’s statements, and added that because of the new system, “teachers can now e-mail students easier.” This was possible under the old computer system, but it was less efficient than it has become with this change; now, teachers can more easily e-mail students than they could before. Furthermore, this will help students because teachers can have access to their work and help them more regularly and individually. For teachers, Marquart noted that the new system could “help plan for enrichment
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17 new teachers join Parkway North staff Photo by Molly Thal
Staff Writer To achieve greater efficiency and collaborate more frequently, officials at Parkway North have decided to convert the school to a Google-based computer system starting with the 2014-15 school year. Under this new system, each individual student and teacher now has a Google account, and all documents will now be shared in Google Drive, where students can comment on peers’ work and edit as needed. Over the summer, teachers were instructed about how to use the new system, which required the creation of new e-mails for every teacher and student in the school. If students didn’t already have a Google account (and even if they did), at the beginning of the year, they were required to create one, instructed by their teachers, who had previously attended summer training sessions. Principal Dr. Jenny Marquart said that the new system would “make it easier for students to work together,” while doing so “in real time” and sharing their documents. She also noted that the students create “an electronic portfolio that never goes away.” It is worth noting that while all this technological transitioning seems new, it is really just an expansion of old communicating technology like the telegraph and telephone that updates the system to the needs of today. Personal Finance and Accounting teacher Bart Prosser said that this system will allow the faculty and students to collaborate a little more and allow them to be more versatile in how they measure performance. Prosser said, “I’m not sure it’s going to bring about immediate change” and it would “become more useful as we move through the year ”. Students seem to slowly be adjusting
Parkway North High School
Lauren Sparks Photo by Dylan Farmer
Dylan Farmer
September 25, 2014
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Features
September 25, 2014 Parkway North High School
Students participate in STARS, SIFT Copy Editor While many students view summer break as a time to relax and have fun, several students at Parkway North spent their break doing research projects with various universities in St. Louis including SIFT, which stands for Shaw Institute for Field Training, and STARS, which stands for Students and Teachers as Research Scientists. STARS is a program run by University of Missouri St. Louis that gives rising juniors and seniors the opportunity to work on research projects with graduate students and professors in universities around St. Louis including University of Missouri-St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, and St. Louis University as well as The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and Confluence Life Sciences. “I participated in the STARS program...I was studying between which different flowers bees would go to and why they would prefer that flower based on innate preference or preferred conditioning,” said senior Amanda Crawford. Students in the STARS program participate in a six-week research project with a lab specifically under the watch of a practicing researcher who acts as the students mentor. Projects include work in a wide variety of fields from computer science and engineering to biology and psychology. “What I learned most was how to act in a lab as well as how to write a real scientific paper,” said Crawford. Along with experience in a scientific research lab, students were also given instruction and opportunity to hear about emerging research and new discoveries from prominent research scientists around St. Louis. By the end of the summer, students
had to complete a formal research paper. STARS sets itself apart by being “the only pre-collegiate research program that provides hands-on research at three major research universities and a worldclass private plant research center,” said Dr. Kenneth Mares, director of the STARS program at UMSL. Along with STARS, SIFT, run by Washington University in St. Louis, also provides students with a chance to participate in research projects. Unlike STARS, SIFT focuses on field research. “[Field research] is really getting outside and doing more complex lab work and understanding how variables connect and affect your lab rather than trying to control the variables so they don’t affect your lab,” said biology teacher Russ Barton. SIFT is designed to train students in the basics of field research including taking a census, testing of abiotic factor, identifying plants and animals, biotic sampling as well as using maps and GPS. After an initial five-day basic training, students are invited to participate in various research and restoration projects at field research sites, such as Tyson Research Center and Shaw Nature Reserve and are paid for their work. “[After completing training], I went to Tyson Research Center and helped researchers there,” said sophomore Elizabeth Rand. Field Research that students participated in included restoration activities, sampling and censusing of plant and animal species, as well as managing invasive species. While research opportunities provide students with one of a kind experiences, it’s not for everyone. “They have to be careful and choose something they’re passionate about,” said Barton. STARS runs from the second week of June to the third week of July. Applications
Photo by Gianna Sparks
Gianna Sparks
Senior Amanda Crawford practices her lab technique in Jessie Michael’s room. “I applied to the STARS program] because I am interested in becoming a research scientist so I figured it would be good to get experience,” she said.
for the 2015 session are available online beginning in January. Rising seniors and excellent juniors are invited to apply. SIFT is
open to teens and runs from June to March. Students must apply through the SIFT website.
by different clubs and school groups. The club made a human-sized operation board, in which kids would pull out imitation organs with tongs. Club members and participants in the game learned about human anatomy. “The kids really enjoyed Special Olympics,” said senior Ryan Wahidi, an active member of the club. In the Medical Club, participants not only participate in activities, but can meet professors and doctors who come and speak to the medical club. Speakers talk about a variety of health-related topics and provide further opportunities for students to become active in the medical world. One person who spoke to the Medical Club was Dr. Cynthia Wichelman, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. On Aug. 26, Dr. Wichelman spoke about the Mini-Medical School she directs at Washington University. This school gives anyone who is 15 or older an opportunity to explore the different possibilities of the medical field. Dr. Wichelman said, “Physicians, in
addition to taking care of patients in an office practice, can become researchers, professors, hospitalists, work for pharmaceutical industry, or work abroad for Doctors Without Borders, to name a few. Lots of options!” One common misconception of the medical field is how all doctors deal with blood and the human body. As Dr. Wichelman mentioned, the medical field involves innumerable opportunities including researchers and teachers of medicine. The medical club allows students to explore the medical world. Usually, the medical club takes a field trip to tour a local hospital. “There are actually some doctors that may not enjoy dissections and then there are doctors who don’t like the sight of blood,” said Leverenz. She goes on to add how students don’t have to attend every single meeting if a student was disinterested in a topic. Unlike some other clubs, there is no requirement that requires students to attend a certain number of meetings. “[The medical club has] started to open my eyes about how vast the medical field is,” said Wahidi.
The Medical Club educates, prepares students for future Photo by Sarah Butterfield
Sarah Butterfield News Editor The Medical Club allows participants to explore the different aspects of medical fields through a variety of speakers and handson activities such as dissections, field trips, bacteriology studies, and games. This club meets once a month after school on Tuesdays in room 2219. Science teacher and sponsor of the club Frances Leverenz said, “We try to make it fun, and not just another class at the end of the day, so we hope people enjoy it.” Leverenz also said,“We might go on a field trip, we might do a dissection, we might have another speaker, we might do another lab, [and] most years, we do some sort of a game. We might go on a bacteria hunt… these are just some general ideas. We can have somebody come in, and everyone becomes disabled in some respect and find how it is to go through a normal day with a disability.” Last April the Medical Club hosted a booth in the Special Olympics, where
Students in medical club also learn about anatomy. They use dummies, like the ones in science teacher Megan Yemm’s class.
students with disabilities from around the Parkway School District gathered to engage in physical activities as well as games hosted
September 25, 2014 Parkway North High School
Features
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New York Fashion Week sets hair, fashion styles for fall Features Editor The season of fashion is on its way with the kickoff of New York Fashion Week, Sept. 4-11. A lot of preparation has been put into fall 2014 as designers try their best to make this fall different from the last. Not only has the color scheme changed, with bright colors like Radiant Orchid, but the textures and hair styles as well. Hair stylist Amanda Birkenmeier from a local JCPenney salon said that natural hair color and straight hair with a Pompadour look is coming into style for guys. For girls, she said that a wavy beachy look was coming more into style as girls veer away from the simple straight hair look. She also said, “Instead of a simple ponytail, [girls should] wear braids. They add more texture and are easy to do.” In terms of makeup, family and consumer science teacher Kara Sussman Photo by Natalie Blue JC Penny at West County Mall displays trendy pattern leggings and loose-fitting sweaters.
said, “The smokey eye look with jewel tone and natural colors is coming into style,” which is also what Birkenmeier said. Fall fashion trends tend to be the same every year with only a few minor changes. Browns, blacks, jewel tones, and neutrals will be big this year just like last year. However this year well also see bright colors. This years color is radiant orchid, which is a purple with a pinkish undertone. Shoppers can find this color in everything from scarves to shirts. “[There will] Not be a lot of prints but more leather mixing or hard and soft fabrics,” said Sussman. There are some clothes and fashion items that are simply just not in this year. Instead of wearing really fancy, busy tennis shoes,casual sneakers like skater shoes, converse, Vans are simple and will be trending.They come in many colors and patterns that they fit any personality and are a fun splash of color to any outfit. Boots are the number one fall shoe. Even though boots are the most worn shoes in the fall, that doesn’t mean that they can’t have a special flair added to them. “I’ll always live somewhere that is cooler because I love wearing boots,” said Sussman Skirts and leggings are a big part of fall, although the type of skirts and leggings change each season. This fall, leather is going to be big, from shoes to skirts, wallets, belts. Wearing a nice leather skirt with a pair of solid fall colored leggings will be trending. The newest trend this year would be tribal print which is coming back into style, while cheetah prints are going out of style. Although tribal print has been in style before, tribal printed leggings are a new trend. Most Pattern leggings are going to be in style, except for any animal prints. The most trending design for leggings will be plain fall colors. Solid color leggings are easily found at any clothing store, since they are going to be popular this season. Fall colored leggings can also go with just about any outfit. “People are still going to see legging, and tall boots. Furry boots are making its way back it depends more on your outfit and personal preference,” said Sussman. The trend for guys, however, is leaning
more toward cardigans than vests. A simple fall colored t-shirt with a cardigan over the top with a pair of jeans is the main style for guys fall 2014. Although vests have always been known as the main trend for guys in the fall, stores and designers are trying to push the idea of cardigans rather than vests. For shoes, a pair of converse or vans should do the trick. Freshman Kyle Wolfe said, “Fall is the season of fashion.” Guys will see more neutral colored khakis than the standard jean. Khakis over the years have become more casual. This fall, guys will see khakis with a more relaxed fit. In the summer and spring cloths tend to be tighter, while in the fall and winter cloths tend to be loser and more casual. Fall has always had a very distinct style. Unlike the simple shorts and t-shirts of the summer, fall has a bit more flair. There are a lot of accessories that normally only trend in the fall, such as scarves and boots. Wether a person is wearing boots or vans, neutrals or bright colors, Birkenmeier said, “Give yourself a look that’s confident for you and not what society wants you to do.” The season of fall has chilly days and
Photo by Natalie Blue
Natalie Blue
Freshman Lucy Garlich braids a fishtail, a type of braid that is in season for fall, in freshman Paige Lacy’s hair at lunch on Sept. 2, 2014,
changing leaves, which is what inspires many people when it comes to what they wear. Fall only comes once a year people should “Take advantage of it while you can,” Freshman Archie-Lynn Rivera said. Just make sure that what you wear is “anything that represents you, “ Rivera added.
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September 25, 2014 Parkway North High School
Sports
Girls’ field hockey team begins season with new players Editor-in-Chief The field hockey team began their new season with many new faces and some returning players. Because so many seniors graduated last year, the team is now mostly new players. “We have a lot of new girls this year, which is very exciting. We’re training a new goalie, and she’s already doing really well. I think everybody’s excited to be there, so I think it’s going to be a really good season,” said junior Melanie Brucker. This is Brucker’s third year as a defensive player on the field hockey team. While new players bring a new dynamic to the team, they need some extra time working on basic skills. With individual attention from returning players and coaches, the players with less experience picked up the stick skills and rules of the game quickly. “I’d say you can’t tell the new players from the ones who have played before all that much. People who joined their sophomore year or even their junior year are just as good as those of us who have been playing all four years,” said senior Alexis Becker. Becker started playing field hockey her freshman year, so this is her fourth year as a Parkway North offensive forward/ midfield player. One problem the team faces is their small numbers. Since so many players
graduated last year, the number of players is smaller. Because there are only enough girls to make one team, everyone plays on the varsity level. “They don’t have the privilege of learning at the JV level. They’re starting with varsity right off the bat,” said assistant coach Marsha Barash. Playing on varsity as a first year player can be difficult, but the benefit is that new players are able to learn from experienced players who are on the same team. “These girls are very supportive of each other. Since it’s such a small team, they have to support each other. They’re very sharing of their knowledge and skills. They help each other out,” said Barasch. Along with younger players, the team has seen a change in coaches. The head coach, Rachel Corno, has been assistant coach for North’s field hockey in the past. The assistant coach, Barasch, has coached field hockey before, but her main coaching role at North is the head coach for lacrosse in the spring. Now, she will be coaching both. “The same people go into both field hockey and lacrosse, but they’re different games. They both are played with a ball on a field, but other than that, they’re completely different,” said Barasch. The field hockey team has rituals before every game including mental and physical preparation and giving buddy gifts. “Mentally, a lot of it is just getting
“We have a lot of new girls this year, which is very exciting...I think everybody’s excited to be there, so I think it’s going to be a really good season,”said junior Melanie Brucker
Photo by Molly Thal
Molly Thal
Senior Kristin Suzuki practices her drive, the fastest and most powerful kind of field hockey hit, at practice on Sept. 19.
pumped up and excited. I love all our super fun cheers that we do before games,” said Brucker. “Physically, you have to be drinking water all day long because you know you’re going to be exhausted. We do a lot of shuttles and small little practices before each game. And the buddy gifts are always a fun way to get pumped up for the game.” For the buddy gifts, each upperclassman is paired with an underclassman to give a small gift to show support of teammates
before games. Sometimes, buddies decorate each others’ lockers before games. “Each player is paired up with another player and you bring them different gifts. I have a Gatorade for my buddy today. Sometimes, you bring [granola bars] for them to eat, which is really nice on the way to away games so you have something to eat on the bus. It’s a really great way to pump each other up. It’s really great to have someone on the team to support you,” said Brucker.
Fall sports teams practice for upcoming games this fall Photo by Ryan Lutker
The girls JV volleyball team practices in the lower gym. Their next game is Sept. 30 against Rockwood Summit.
Photo by Ryan Lutker
Photo by Sarah Noble Varsity cheerleaders practice after school on Sept. 22. They cheer at every football and soccer game.
Varsity tennis player senior Gina Berg serves during practice. The team is preparing for the District Tourney that begins Sept. 29.
September 25, 2014 Parkway North High School Varsity Sports 9/25-10/16
Girls Cross Country Oct. 11 Conference Meet at Koch Park 11:00 a.m. Oct. 16 Patriot Classic at TBA 4:00 p.m. Girls Field Hockey Sept. 26 at Oakville 4:15 p.m. Sept. 29 Parkway South 4:15 p.m. Oct. 01 at Rockwood Summit 4:15 p.m. Oct. 07 Brentwood 4:15 p.m. Oct. 15 Webster Groves 4:15 p.m. Football Sept. 26 Pattonville 7:00 p.m. Oct. 02 at Webster Groves 6:00 p.m. Oct. 11 at Ritenour 1:00 p.m. Girls Golf Sept. 29 at District Tourney TBA Oct. 06 at Sectional TBA Oct. 13 State at Twin Hills TBA Boys Soccer Sept. 30 at Hazelwood West 4:00 p.m. Oct. 01 Kirkwood 4:30 p.m. Oct. 08 at Pattonville 6:00 p.m. Oct. 09 Parkway West 4:00 p.m. Oct. 10 Lindbergh 5:00 p.m. Oct. 14 at Lafayette 6:00 p.m. Oct. 15 at Rockwood Summit 6:00 p.m. Softball Sept. 26 at St. Josephs Academy 4:15 p.m. Sept. 29 Francis Howell Central 4:15 p.m. Sept. 30 McCluer North 4:15 p.m. Oct. 01 at Ft. Zumwalt West 4:15 p.m. Oct. 02 Parkway West 4:15 p.m. Oct. 06 Ritenour 4:15 p.m. Oct. 08 at District Tournament TBA Boys Swimming Sept. 30 Kirkwood 4:00 p.m. Oct. 02 Parkway Central 4:00 p.m. Oct. 10 Ft. Zumwalt West at Rec Plex 3:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Webster Groves 4:00 p.m. Girls Tennis Sept. 29- Oct. 4 at District Tourney Girls Volleyball Sept. 30 Rockwood Summit 5:30 p.m. Oct. 01 at Fort Zumwalt North 5:30 p.m. Oct. 06 at Ft. Zumwalt West 5:00 p.m. Oct. 08 Webster Groves 5:30 p.m. Oct. 09 at Fox 5:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Ritenour 5:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at University City 5:30 p.m.
Former North football players play at Mizzou Anthony Gatti, Donavin Newsom discuss football life after high school
Photo by Sarah Noble
Boys Cross Country Sept. 29 Blow Pop Invite at Kirkwood Park 4:00 p.m. Oct. 11 Conference Meet at Koch Park 10:00 a.m. Oct. 16 Patriot Classic at TBA 4:00 p.m.
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Sports
Sarah Noble Feature Editor Parkway North has had its share of athletes sign to play at top rated schools. This year, former North football players, Donavin Newsom and Anthony Gatti are playing for Mizzou, a Division One football team. “The difference I would say is the speed and the amount of information you have to know," said Newsom. For example, the rules and regulations change when you move from high school to college football too. New rules and regulations are not the only difference between high school and college football. "The difference between high school and college is huge. Being able to play at the college level takes a lot of skill and mental toughness. The game speed is probably the biggest change," said Anthony Gatti. Players may also notice a difference in their opponents and teammates once they begin to play at the college level. “Everybody is bigger, faster and stronger than you are used to in high school. Every player is the best player out of their high school,” said Gatti. Playing football in college also includes a lifestyle change since many teams not only practice together but also study together to make sure everyone stays eligible. “You also have to deal with practicing and going to 15 hours of classes every week for 5 years,” said Gatti. Furthermore, playing football can change the way people they think about their future. For Newsom, his future is now about giving back to the community. “My plans are to open a place like a YMCA for kids who need somewhere to hang out," Newsom said. Some college football players don't want to stop playing the sport, and want to continue playing by playing professional football in the National Football League (NFL). Gatti plans on “trying to go to the NFL", but just in case he “started my master program this semester and am going to finish it up by next fall.” Since football is such a tough sport,
After throwing the ball, sophomore Luke Hertzler, quarterback, looks to see if he connects with a receiver against Parkway Central on Friday, Sept. 5. Hertzler plans to play college football.
some don't make it, but Gatti encourages players to “Never give up on your dreams to play. You never want to waste a day to better yourself both in the classroom and on the field...Work extra on everything you can because you never know when your career is going to end so you want to be able to give your best effort every day.” To be a college football player, it takes a lot of time and energy that has to be spread
across many different areas. Newsom advises players to "keep your head in the books and listen to the coaches, even when you think you already know things.” “You have to be number one for everything and extremely talented. You also have to have extreme size [build], be above and beyond in everything,” said football coach Bob Bunton. “You also have to be a good student above everything else.”
September 25, 2014 Parkway North High School
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Back page
Vikettes warm up the fight song before the start of the homecoming parade. Vikettes, along with other spirit squads, have worked hard in preparation for homecoming week.
With much determination to end their last high school homecoming with a bang, seniors Brandon Etz and Auburn Meister work hard to build the best class float.
Freshman Sohana Pai participates in commons decorating during homecoming week by creating a sign for her grade level’s Pixar theme, Toy Story.
Juniors Alison Ney and Emily Schaff help paint part of the float for the junior class. All four classes worked hard to prepare their Pixar-themed floats for the homecoming parade.
Sophomores Daijah Wilkes, Samantha Hope and Nicole Grinberg come together during float building to help with the painting of the sophomore float.
Students celebrate homecoming with float building, parade, game Sharrell Evans Staff Writer
With the support from a home crowd, Parkway North’s varsity football team takes on Kirkwood Pioneers for the homecoming game.
Juniors Matt Kleffner and Dawson Holter work together during float building in effort to help the junior class win the homecoming spirit stick.
Sophomores Ashia Stith, Adrienne Johnson and Sydney Hill help out with the sophomore float by painting a cutout of Dory from Finding Nemo.