Rolla High School December 19, 2015 Issue

Echo

Rolla High School - 900 Bulldog Run - Rolla, Missouri 65401 www.rhsecho.com

Vol. 66 - Issue 3 - Dec. 19, 2014

Working towards a greener world pg. 10 Alternative forms of schooling pg. 6 The controversy over genetically modified organisms. pg. 14 The dark side of the body positivity movement pg. 16 Former Rolla High School student believes he can cure cancer pg. 18

In this issue...

Exploring the fandom community at RHS.............................................5 Alternative forms of schooling...............................................................6 Religion in High School..........................................................................8 Go home and go Green.........................................................................10 Genetically modified organisms and you.............................................14 Why feminism is still relevent..............................................................15 The body positivity movement’s dark side...........................................16 A man who believes he is on his way to curing cancer........................18 Angel Tree program brings Christmas to the needy............................21 Explore religion in schools with Political Arena..................................22 Holiday treats and Christmas crafts.....................................................24

Going Green

Letter from the editor b y

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You’ll find no one more loyal to this magazine than me, but even I have to admit that this issue is kind of a downer. Multiple stories about the degradation of religion right before the biggest religious holiday in the world? Come on, us. Even so, I’m so proud of my tiny staff for consistently writing about important and hard hitting issues facing teens today. We are talking about things that matter instead of writing fluff, but even so I can admit that this isn’t the most festive magazine around.

However, I plan to keep the merriment going by talking about unrealistic gift expectations during the holiday season. We’ve all seen

the posts on Twitter, a girl saying that she would “Die if someone did this for me” with a room covered in rose petals and a few Michael Kors bags, or maybe a boyfriend buying his lady $400 worth of stuff. Let’s make this clear now: your high school boyfriend has a minimum wage job and is not going to be able to afford that. I know a few boys who would love it if I bought them a brand new gaming system, but that’s not going to happen and is a completely unrealistic expectation. If this is really what is expected then you are only going to find yourself disappointed. Having high expectations in a relationship is key, we all deserve someone who treats us well, but focus more on the small sweet gestures, like if your significant other picks up your favorite candy bar at the gas station for you. Besides, do you really want someone who drops all of their savings on you? It’s unhealthy, shows poor life planning and is more than a little bit obsessive.

ECHO Magazine Staff Editor In Chief - Maggie Duncan Managing Editor - Theodora Leventis Webmaster - Rohit Allada Staff Writers: Chloe Myers, Trustin Dinsdale, Rahel Pommerenke, John Giesey, Amanda Steineman, Luke Walker.

Next month ECHO welcomes Sam Frimpong, Elise Mazzeo, and Celia Parsons ECHO is an open forum for student expression. All letters to the editor must include the writer’s name, signature and class or position. Anonymous letters will not be published. ECHO reserves the right to reject any letters. should be sent to ECHO, Rolla High School, 900 Bulldog Run, Rolla, MO 65401.

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“POTENTIALLY, IT CAN PROVIDE ANOTHER CURE FOR A VARIETY OF CANCERS. IT SHOULD BE FREE OF SIDE EFFECTS AND EFFECTIVE IN ERADICATING CANCER CELLS.”

Doctor M.

Frederick

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A former Rolla High School and Missouri School of Mines student finds cure for cancer. Read about his life and work on pages 18 and 19.

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Historically Known In Beautiful Downtown Rolla

Blossom Basket Florist 10th and Cedar Streets

Rolla, MO 65401

573-364-7101

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Examining the fandom communities of Rolla High School i e s e y

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When considering our generation, people must acknowledge that ours is the first one to utilize many different technologies. We were raised with the infinite knowledge of a Google search and mini-computers in our pockets. Considering the growth of technology, it should not be much of a surprise that our ability to connect with more people has gone up too. This connectedness has resulted in the spawning of the fandom.

Fandom is not really a new idea–it’s essentially a group of people sharing a common interest who come together to appreciate said interest. If we use this definition, it could be argued that Christianity is a fandom of the teachings of Jesus Christ, or that sports fans are in a fandom of their team. However, the modern idea of a fandom usually involves an online community with the object of focus being some type of media. The community usually writes fan fictions, creates artwork and discusses their object of interest.

“I would describe fandom as one’s true love. Or at least sharing something that you love with a community of people who love it just as much if not more. What being in a fandom means to me is that I am taking my appreciation to a new level, more than just liking something; I’m placing myself in it or becoming a part of it. I think it brings a new light on it; fandoms add another dimension of appreciation to something. They bring expansions of universes and topics of discussion and information, ” junior Cody Santogrossi, who belongs to the fandoms of Doctor Who, My Little Pony, Star Wars, various animes and the Steampunk genre, said.

As the internet and technology grow, so do fandoms. What this means is that fandoms are becoming more commonplace than ever.

The fact that Rolla High school has its own anime club is a testament to this.

“I think that the high schools anime club has contributed to fandoms in sense that it brings a new level of acceptability to a high school setting. When it first started, I remember seeing teacher after teacher refuse to sponsor it in fear of having a bunch of nerds in their classroom all the time doing weird anime things. I think that having a group of people who are tangible and come out and say they are a part of it brings fandoms more into the realm of peoples everyday lives.

Furthermore, for people who enjoy anime already in their homes, they can come out with their appreciation for anime and become social with it. They can enjoy it with others who enjoy it and accept it. Like I said, in a high school setting, it really just makes the presence of fandoms easier to see,” Santogrossi said.

As fandoms become more common and accepted in American culture, you can likely expect to see more individuals joining as fandoms become a part of many more people’s lives.

“I wouldn’t say everyone should join a fandom, but I think fandoms are fun and they have brought a lot of happiness into my life. I don’t think everyone would enjoy being in one, but there are probably some people out there who haven't tried one but would really like it. I would say to people that if they're bored and don’t have anything to do, try a fandom. Talk to people about a show or movie that you like; it could be really interesting,” sophomore Jeremy Dalton, who belongs to the My Little Pony, Doctor Who and Star Wars fandoms. “I don’t know if it’s more accepting or understanding, but they are growing a lot. More and more people probably know what something is because they have a friend who likes one, or they have personally experienced a fandom.

There’s conventions and stuff now that has just helped everything grow a lot. Although, I think it’s pretty hard to be in a fandom in Rolla just because it’s a small town in the midwest and a smaller school so nobody really understands it because the whole idea of fandom is just really different from the culture here. I think that it is getting better, because the shows are cool and they are growing and becoming more widespread. This just causes more people to come into contact with

them more frequently. Then they see that the shows are cool so they just, get into it,” junior Claudia Kim, who belongs to around thirty different anime fandoms, said.

People may underestimate a fandom as a group of people simply liking something. However, for some people in fandoms, their appreciation goes beyond liking something, with some methods of expressing their appreciation getting a little unconventional.

“Some fandoms can get crazy. Like, what comes to my mind is people who will go to chat rooms and role-play as a character, talk like that character and make decisions like they would. It sounds weird to outsiders, but I can kind of understand why, because some animes just grab your emotions and you find yourself getting attached to characters and feeling very personal towards them. Then sometimes they die and you’re just depressed; it ruins your day. When that happens to me I really do get all moody and sad for a couple of days,” sophomore Sarah Butler, who is in various anime fandoms, said.

There’s no doubt that there is a “nerdy” stigma associated with fandoms, but there is reason to believe that stigma is pretentious and fading away.

“I would say there is a stigma simply because when you think of sports, you don’t think of all the fans as being in a fandom, but when you think of, for example, Star Wars fandoms, you think of nerds hunched over a computer screen and carrying lightsabers with them everywhere. I think the stigma varies based on what you’re interested in. Star Wars is a bad example because it’s pretty common now, but obscure animes or steampunk do have the stigma,” Santogrossi said.

In many fandoms, a crucial part of contribution and appreciation is done through fan fictions, which is essentially a fan writing a noncanon story with the object of adding to the communities appreciation.

“I’m writing a My Little Pony fan fiction called Carmino. In the story, Pea Gravel has been trying to find out who or what Carmino is. She had been wandering for some time. She had become lost in the desert and was on the verge of death. Memories of a not too distant past burned in her young mind. She has an encounter with something she never wanted to meet again but she finds more than what she thought.

New friends and new enemies. To me, fan fictions add to the fandom.

They are used to express what the people in the fandom can actually do and My Little Pony is no exception. In fact its probably the best example of fan fics. I can’t think of another fandom with such a diverse set of fictions, art or animation. Most of it is great, other are sub-par as most fandoms go. Then you have the ‘other’ stuff, art and fictions that deal with very adult themes and stick out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the fandom. So stories made by the fans are the lifeblood of a fandom but can also be its downfall,” Dillon Swift, who belongs to the My Little Pony fandom, said.

While the behavior and methods of expression for some people in fandoms can seem to be weird, it is a part of the changing society that is shaping itself around technology. Weird or not, fandoms mean a lot to their members and are really just people having fun by talking with others who share their interests.

“Fandoms are kind of just a way for me to express myself and be as crazy as I want to in ways that I can’t be in my real life. If something in an anime I follow happens, like a crazy plot twist or a character dies or something that makes me excited happens, I can’t get up and scream or get really mopey because that just doesn’t belong in the real world.

But in fandoms you can do whatever you want and act how you’re feeling,” Kim said.

Whether you agree with fandom culture or not, it is here to stay and grow. One must also find their dedication and ability to stand up to judgment admirable as well.

“I guess it is nerdy, but I’m okay with that. I don’t think anything’s wrong with being in a fandom. I enjoy them a lot; they’re fun. If some people don’t like that I do it, then whatever. That’s just their opinion,” Dalton said.

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If you’re reading this magazine, you are likely part of the public school system, but many of our students do not attend public schools throughout all of their education. In fact, St. Patrick’s Catholic School and other religious-based schools educate a great number of students in our area. Additionally, a home schooling community allows students a unique education. Parents home school for a variety of reasons and sometimes the parents send students to public school in order to help them actively engage in higher level classes and activities during the student’s high school years.

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ithin our generation, laziness is a prevailing concept. This is why coffee, weekends and pajamas are a type of holy trinity with a false prophet of procrastination promising that it can get done later. As such, it is common for homeschooling to be related to sleeping in, taking easy subjects, frequent breaks and extensive use of pajama pants, but this is a common misconception, as many homeschool families are hard-working, invested, and their kids are set up for successful academic lives, as well as social.

Homeschooling is an alien concept to most people. The lack of understanding can lead to people disregarding homeschoolers as properly educated, when that is often not the case. b y

“I have assignments and tests and stuff just like in public school. She checks the answers out of an answer book then averages up the scores and that’s my grade. It counts for credit too. It’s not always at home, like last year I took an online math class at Liberty University in Virginia. Right now, I am in AP Physics, German 3, US History, American Literature, Practical Drafting and Pre-Calculus,” Barry Holland, a 11th grade homeschooler said.

“I feel like being homeschooled allowed me to be immersed in lots of different real life environments all the time, not only growing me as a person and developing my character, but broadening academic opportunities and things to shoot for. Being home during the day I learned to manage my own schedule and time in a real, day to day life environment. I learned to balance relationships of every age, not just

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those in my age group. I was involved in homeschool co-ops, theatre, music, and other groups, broadening my learning beyond schooling at home. It kept my perspective on life beyond just the day to day high school life, and showed me what I’d be aiming for outside the classroom, whether college, family, business, or relationships,” Meg Riefer, a now-graduated homeschooler said.

There are numerous different reasons as to why parents decide to homeschool, but it is often because it’s what they believe to be best for their family and their child.

“The initial decision was when my son was in first grade in public school. We saw disturbing behavior in him that we weren’t demonstrating at home. There was all the trouble of getting up so early and getting him to school. We also didn’t like how we never saw him until

late in the afternoon, and even after that he would have homework.

There wasn’t enough time to correct the behavior we had seen in him so we just decided that having him at home would give us more access to our son and more opportunities to teach him what we think is important for us to learn,” Mary Brigham, a Rolla homeschool mom, said. “I never planned on it. But it kind of started when my son starting reading at four, he went to a montessori pre-school in Kansas city and has a late birthday. So by the time we moved here he was supposed to enter Kindergarten he was six and had been reading for two years. I didn’t want him to begin being lazy or unmotivated and to be a smart kid in school who’s lazy, so they just try hard enough to get by and rely on their intelligence, then they never really learn how to work hard then they just fall behind when the going gets tough. I wanted him to love learning for learning’s sake and not for an A or to do well,” Amy Koenig, another Rolla homeschool mom said.

Another major pro of homeschooling is the excellent community in Rolla, which offers lots of programs for kids to go out and make friends

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as well as learn and grow who they are.

“There’s a couple different home school groups.The biggest one is CHESS, but that’s not really a group as much as a network for homeschool parents to go out and meet others, share and learn tips and all kinds of stuff that makes the whole process easier. But the group usually does a fall play and a christmas party just as a chance to get kids out and socialize. So there’s lots of things for kids to do, drama in the fall is particularly popular. You can join through its website. It’s ten dollars a year and it mostly operates through volunteers stepping up and saying they want to do this field trip or event and then they get it scheduled and there you go. There’s probably a hundred families in it,” Koenig said. “On an ongoing basis we have stuff like Awana, we do homeschool P.E at the center, they all have different likes and interests, so my kids have done scouts, horseback riding, lego club and team, dance, we go to a VBS every summer and stuff like that. We do try to do stuff that will satisfy their interests and make sure it’s something they like to do,” Brigham said.

here comes a time when some parents debate on whether or not their children should attend public school or private school. Both have strengths and weaknesses, but in the end, it depends on which is best for the development of a child educationally and spiritually. Private school students consistently score better on standardized tests than public school students, and it is possibly because they put the main focus on education rather than political matters or possibly because of the socio-economic make-up of the private school body. The curriculum rigor at Rolla’s St. Patrick’s school may be partially responsible for its academic strength. The grading scale is ten percent higher than that of the public school. With a 69 percent for an F and a 92 percent for a B, the scale sets the academic bar much higher than is utilized at Rolla’s public schools.

“[St. Pats] definitely pushed me more. I feel like I have a really nice educational basis from it, and whenever I got to public school, everything got so much easier. It was like slacking. [The material] was the stuff that everybody [in public school] was learning too in the same grade, it’s just that [St. Pats] went more in depth with it and [the teachers] made us do a lot more things than what my public school friends were talking about,” senior Rachel Crowley said.

Though private school may be stronger academically, public school provides more options in courses and activities. Since public school is so branched out, students have more opportunities to find themselves and what they enjoy. Students may follow their own desires and do what interests them as individuals. “[In] public school, we have a lot more options of classes we can take.

At St. Pats, we had to take the same classes as everyone in our class.

And public school has a lot more people and it’s fun to be social. We had a lot more religious oriented activities throughout the day and at public school we don’t have those, [which is] not a bad thing,” Crowley said.

There have been concerns about whether or not public schools should offer religious-oriented classes. Some people state that having religion classes significantly shaped their spiritual views while others claim it hasn’t made an impact at all.

“I don’t think St. Pat’s really shaped my views of religion much except that religion doesn’t have all the answers. You spend so much time studying that you can’t help but question it at times, and that rarely anyone ever really believes everything in their religion,” Senior Drazen Gonzalez said.

Children who are raised with certain religions don’t necessarily keep them once they get older. Some people keep their faith while others place their faith in the “people who are there to help, and not in the God who allows people to suffer from disease and abuse of any kind.”

To some families, religion is not important in raising happy, healthy and moral kids.

“I feel like if I went to public school as a child, I probably would be a lot more religious than I am, because at St. Pats, they seemed to shove all the beliefs at you instead of letting you find yourself and what

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you want to believe in. I feel like it’s really cool in public school that everybody gets along like, ‘Oh that’s cool if you believe that.’ But at St. Pats they’re like, ‘Oh you need to believe this.’ And you have to do things even if you’re not their religion. If you were a different religion you could go there, but you still have to go to [the same religious activities],” Crowley said. “The moment that I realized that I was not happy with that religion was in sixth grade. We were in religion class [and] we were talking about suicide. And our religion teacher said that all suicide victims go to Hell. And my sister had committed suicide, so I started crying and then she was like, ‘Except for your sister, Rachel.

She has a spot in Heaven. And I was like, okay, not for me anymore.

So I feel like they say certain things unless you want to hear certain things, but you can’t just change religion just because someone wants to hear something else.”

Whether or not religion classes make a difference in people’s beliefs, the more information the better. Learning about the different religions doesn’t hurt. In fact, there would be less hypocrisies if more people were educated on the different practices that exist. Catholic school has good and bad aspects depending on the person’s view. For some it is a better experience than for others, but in the end there is something to gain.

“I know that religion wouldn’t be as important to me if I had gone to public school. St. Pats gave me a foundation for my faith and because of that I take the Catholic faith seriously,” junior Katherine Frisbee said, “Overall, I would say I had a great experience at St. Pats. I made friends that have stuck with me through everything. I received an education I am proud of and I grew deeper in my faith. I am happy that I was able to attend St. Patrick’s for my primary education.”

Frankly, there are both sides to how one can view private school and public school. In the end, it ultimately comes down to what the person feels is more beneficial for them. Each person grows differently and takes away what they will from experiences.

“I’ll admit there were times I did want to leave St. Pats. I got into my fair share of troubles there. But I am glad I stayed. I don’t think I would be doing as well as I am now in school if it wasn’t for St. Pats pushing me,” Gonzalez said.

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Church. God. For many high schoolers, these two words are dwindling out of their vocabulary and out of their lives. With the hustle of today’s world, many teens just simply can’t find the time for church. Some would argue that this generation does not have its priorities straight, while others would venture to say that values and priorities are changing. According to Pew Forum Survey, 56% of Millennials disapproved of Bible reading in schools. The correlation between religion leaving schools and less people practicing a faith is there. Junior Nate Potrafka has a way to combat the decline.

“I think in order to get kids into church one thing you have to do is appeal to their family and to their peers, not just to them. You have to show them its okay to believe a certain thing of it’s okay to be part of a certain thing.

So in order to get kids more involved you have to also show everyone else that its okay too,” Potrafka said.

As our world continues to change, so does the societal norms that surround us daily.

The norms regarding religion have slowly taken a turn to make God unimportant in high school age kids lives’. Chad Lewis, one of the leaders of the St. Patrick’s Parish high school youth group, sums up the reasoning behind this unimportance.

“Society has told us that God is not relevant anymore. we’ve gotten to this point where everything has to be instant gratification. Thats not what Christ teaches at all.

Its very counterintuitive to what society is preaching. God is a God of old testament days. Thats what society tells us,” Lewis said.

The societal pressures that are put on Christians these days can be overwhelming.

Some Christians are trying to fulfill their secular duty of spreading the Gospel, but it does not always fall on open ears. Senior Laine Marler has a way to work around the don’t-force-your-religion on me mindset.

“People react badly because they think most Christians are Bible thumpers. You just start to branch out and talk to people you don’t know, so when they start to know you, those accusations, they’ll start to dissipate. They’ll see you for who you really are and what your religion is and what it means to you and what it could mean to them and what they could have,” Marler said.

High school can often be a battle ground

“I think that as Christians, we need to spend time learning more about faith and becoming reassured so we can have a fire blazing inside that other people are able to see. It’s important that we do not become stagnant or our faith will be stamped out of the world. We have to be able to fight back against the evils of the world. They don’t stand a chance against us as long as we try,” Marler said.iu

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“We’ve gotten so good at mitigating all of those consequences away.

Suffering? Oh no. Take a pill, take a drink. Theres no suffering to make us stop and take a real hard look and say, what the hell am I suffering for?

What’s wrong in my life?

I got to stop and take stock of things and figure out where I went wrong.

Thats the whole point of suffering, it draws us right back to the foot of the cross and gives us the oppurtunity to look up and say that’s what we’re supposed to do, that’s when we’re supposed to see what real love looks like. I can go live that love now,” Lewis said.

to figure out who you truly are. As the months edge closer to graduating, seniors are trying to find what they want to do. As the end of high school nears for some, it can be the beginning of a spiritual journey for others.

The doors of a church are always open.

“You enter high school with some high expectations of yourself. Those years form you into the adult that you are going to be.You are forming your concrete morals. I don’t pretend that I am going to cause a great conversion in anybody. I think that what i do is that i can plant seeds in each of you and you can plant seeds in other people. There are lots of things out there, that help me see through crap to see the relevance of Christ in this world. Seeing my youth and how serious they are about Jesus and how they go about living their lives, [that helps me see the relevance of Christ],” Lewis said.

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go home &go green Living “green” is a state of mind. It doesn’t only include recycling, but also learning how to save engery as well as resources. We are the sole caretakers of the only environment which can sustains human life. It is our duty to protect it for future generations.

Enviromental engineers at S&T work to reduce pollution b y

Environmental Engineering is a way of improving the natural environment. It uses the principles of engineering to provide healthy water, air and land for human habitation. Environmental engineering addresses the issue of energy preservation and control of human and animal waste. The engineers are responsible for waste water management, air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, radiation protection, industrial hygiene, environmental sustainability and public health. According to environmental and civil engineer professor Joel Burken, the field of environmental engineering is sort of misnamed.

They are more like public health engineers with the focus to protect human health through protecting the environment.

“As environmental engineers and working with public health, through time we have assessed what the biggest impact to our health is, and there’s kind of a saying within our field that environmental engineers save more lives than all doctors combined, and it’s very true. We look at a lot of countries and due to their poor water quality, they deal with infant mortality and rampant sickness, which is really detrimental to society and pulls you down a lot if people are sick on a regular basis. They are not as healthy to go to work and they can’t go to school and get educated, and the time spent trying to take poor water and deal with it individually is a huge burden. We deal with the health issue, but at the same time it frees people to be more productive in society, so we can move forward,” Burken said.

In making water safe for utilization, environmental engineers are responsible for taking out agricultural chemicals such as pathogens, sediment, lindbane and astrozone. Depending on the water quality as they get it out of the environment drives how they will treat it. Environmental engineers study the effect of technological advances on the environment. To do so, they conduct several studies to evaluate the significance of hazards and advise treatment and develop regulations to prevent mishaps. With what used to be a former problem with activities such as dry cleaning and machining parts, S&T students are now

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working to fix the damage that was created from disposing toxants.

“So we’re working on an NSF grant with the north city of Rolla and with S&T students to put a buffer in, so we’ve planned it over 200 trees down at the edge of shuman park, and the reason for those trees is to chemically sample them to find out what the groundwater pollutants are below the trees without ever having to dig them up, but also those trees are actively pumping out that groundwater and releasing it to the environment. And the first question everybody asks is what brought the pollutants in the atmosphere, and they’re very short lived. These chemicals last in a subsurface where they’re protected from sunlight and much oxygen for decades, but once they’re in the atmosphere, they only last a few hours, because sunlight destroys them. So with no energy input, and just by planting trees in a park, we’re actually dealing with an environmental pollution problem right here,” Burken said.

Pollution is a major source of harm in the environment. People fail to see how dangerous it can become once it gets to a certain extent.

There are people who work to keep the environment safe, but it is everyone’s job to do what they can to help the situation.

“On solid waste, it’s really obvious. If you buy something and it contains hazardous materials, they have to go somewhere, and are they going to go into a landfill? We try to make them safe, but we know forever is a very long time. So what we’re putting there is likely, at some point in time, to escape. So if we think about all the things we utilize or buy and if there are options that have a smaller shadow of afterlife, what are they going to be? That’s really important, and understanding that if you put pharmaceuticals down the toilet, they’re probably going to end up in some local stream. So understanding what we utilize is important and asking yourself, ‘What’s the next step in the life of that?’

The answer is medicine, product and chemicals we use. And if we can make a little bit smarter choices on what we bring into the environment, we’ll have a lot better outcomes and an easier job on our end to see what we put out in the environment later,” Burken said.

photo by Maggie Duncan

What can we learn? there are many things students can do every day to become more eco friendly such as take S&T’s zero emissions E-Bus, or take advantage of E d i t o r i n C h i e f the newly renovated bike paths and racks on campus. Some students go even further than these day to day things and are taking matters Although it’s common knowledge that the Missouri University of Science and Technology is a top engineering college, it’s lesser known that into their own hands. The Eco-Miners, a student group on campus, has made it their mission to install special water fountains on campus that they are one of the most eco-friendly colleges. Their long term goal is have a faucet to refill water bottles. to create engineers who will be aware of the environment and will go “We have somewhere between 7 and 10 refillable water stations on out to create a greener world. campus. As more and more of our water stations come up for refur“We’re educating our students to go out into the workforce so we’d bishment we plan to install water bottle filling stations like that so we much rather have students that are educated and aware in terms of can reduce the number of water bottles on campus,” Brennan said. sustainability and sustainable operations such that even if they’re not Although the water stations are eco friendly, they are also more costly here at S&T if they go off and work at any company in any city they than a regular water station. However, a way to improve both sustaincan still take some element of sustainability to that company to see if ability and save money at the same time is to improve the insulation of there’s any kind of focus area that their new employer can work towards as well,” Cory Brennan, a graduate student working in the Office a building.

“If you’re looking for any kind of way to save energy or save money or of Sustainable Energy and Environmental engagement said. anything like that windows, window seals, and insulation are going to One of the ways that the university works for a greener world is be your first step. Because if you can reduce the amount of energy that through the creation of their solar village, which can be found at the you’re wasting, you have to put less in,” Brennan said. corner of 10th and Poole Street and with a second village coming soon.

With all these initiatives, it should come as no surprise to learn that The village contains 4 prototype houses, the designs of which hopefully S&T can boast high international rankings for their sustainability conwill one day become expanded upon and be spread worldwide.

Here at the solar village, smart living is energy efficiency, energy con- sistently placing in the top 100 at a competition called Recyclemania.

“Recyclemania is a collegiate competition, and the focus of it is to servation, self awareness, resource stewardship and not only energy analyze your waste for over two months but water and waste generation. All of our and try and push better recycling and tenants here at the solar village sign, or agree better waste diversion during those two to sign, a sustainable living charter. Which months. It’s a competition, but we don’t means that they’ll do what they can to reduce win anything besides a couple of bragging their energy consumption, reduce their water rights. We compete with about 600 other consumption and generate the least amount universities from across the world. It’s of waste. It hasn’t been kind of pushed out to normalized against how many students the residential halls yet, but that’s something we have, but as long as per person we’re that we’re working on is to push the sustaingenerating more recyclable content than ability charter such that anyone living on they are we win,” Brennan said. campus will try and do their best to use what“This year they’re focusing more on the ever resources they need the most efficiently. refillable water stations. In the past though So that’s really what smart living means to us I know they’ve done work with the library on a campus level and some of the signature to help recycle old books that would have research areas we’re focusing on,” Brennan photo by Maggie Duncan otherwise been thrown away in the trash. said.

So recycled paper, and they do a lot of work with our office as well, The goal of the houses is to be energy neutral, which means that they so whenever we put on events like earth day or Recyclemania these create as much energy as they use. Although they are tied to the Rolla benchmarking kinds of things they usually help with that,” Aaron Enz, municipal power grid in case of emergency, they strive to be coma student worker at the Office of Sustainable Energy and Environmenpletely independent. Rolla municipal power grid power is primarily tal Engagement said. coal generated, which is a nonrenewable resource and not indefinitely Waste auditing is a way to find out how many recyclables from a sustainable. building are entering the waste stream. A couple of bags of trash are “On campus we also use geothermal, or ground source, heating and pulled from a building, and the contents are separated by weight into cooling. That was a 31 million dollar project that was just completed a waste and recyclable items. This allows the auditor to determine how month ago. So with that we kind of push heat into the ground during well the entire building is recycling. the summer months and we draw that heat out of the ground during “That helps us understand if a building needs better recycling serthe winter months. So we use the earth as a giant thermal battery. vices or whether they’re okay, and that helps us educate the students Other than that it’s really focusing on how can we use our energy and inside the building whether it’s students faculty or staff on the benefits electricity across campus more efficiently. We decomissioned our power plant last may, so we are now a coal free campus,” Brennan said. of recycling,” Enz said.

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Recycling Center

the materials which can be reused. The availb y R a h e l P o mm e r e n k e ability of recycling Staff Writer also plays a role in the number of peoDriving by the Rolla Technical Center at night might seem like ple who recycle. driving past a winter wonderland. The bright lights reflect off of “I think it’s very the asphalt creating a blanket of sparkles. This phenomenon is far from a miracle. Crushed glass, referred to as cullet, is mixed into the important to keep a recycling bin asphalt mixture, known as glassphalt. The recycling center initiated right next to the this change. trash can so that “We donated a couple hundred tons of glass, gladly,” Brady Wilthey have that opson, director of the Environmental Service Department for the City tion. A lot of times of Rolla, said. if they are walking Glass is one of the many materials that are dropped off at the reout of the room cycling center. Separated into two categories, clear and colored, the and the trash can glass is deconstructed and reconstructed in separate organizations. is right next to the The clear glass is shipped door, they aren’t to Strategic Materials going to walk back in St. Louis where it is into the room to crushed into cullet, and the recycling bin then resold to companies who process the loads into and recycle their paper. glass containers, ceramic It doesn’t dawn on tiles, and underlayments them,” Mayo said. for pipes and glassphalt, For many people, throwing things into the trash has become a which are in turn sold all habit, and in order to switch to separating the trash into actual over the United States. waste, compost, plastic, glass and cans takes an understanding on The colored glass is how these resources can be reused and what good would come from shipped to Ripple Glass photo by Rahel Pommerenke recycling them. in Kansas City, where it is “A lot of it comes down to education and whether students go out crushed, melted and molded into beer bottles which are filled by a and look for the information themselves or whether it is introduced local brewing company. into the curriculum in the classroom,” Wilson said.

“We just give them the glass, and make the community happy,” Educating others about the benefits of reusing instead of throwing Marcia Mayo, recycling specialist at the Recycling Center in Rolla, away prevents many still useful productions, such as paper, cardsaid. board and plastic from ending up in a landfill. The local recycling The materials are recycled into a variety of objects, many of which center, the only one in the twenty mile vicinity of Rolla, recycles can today be purchased at large department stores. paper and cardboard out of all of the other materials.

“A couple of years ago, these products were a lot harder to come “We ship four to six loads of cardboard a month, and one load of by. Now if you go to Lowes or Walmart, you are high grade newspaper every four to six going to see them there [more frequently] and weeks,” Mayo said. the cheaper,” Mayo said.

One load consists of 22 bales, each The integration of such products into the weighing one ton, and is shipped out in a consumer market has increased due to two main fifty-three foot trailer. factors: the price and the availability. The prices “Usually the storage room is packed full of recycling items, for example, notebooks, have grown trees with bales, so you can see how the big decreased in comparison to non-recycled items. the impact of the people bringing their This drop in price is caused by an increased materials to us, instead of throwing them

produce ton of number of people who recycle. The more main the trash, is making,” Mayo said. terials which are given to recycling centers, such paper The recycling center is the community’s as the one in Rolla, the more products can be combined effort to minimize waste, but made, and thereby the lower the price. As people it means that every person could and become more aware of the benefits of recycling, should contribute to diverting useable materials the availability of the materials increases, because more from landfills. The most straightforward way is people contribute. This increase is also boosted by larger recycling. However, there are other strategies to organizations, such as schools, providing their facilities conserving resources. with recycling bins. “[Things] such as not letting water run and Every classroom at Rolla High School has a recycling switching off lights in the rooms that we are not bin. The message that those bins send out to the student using, because the energy that we use comes from body as well as the teachers and any visitors is that our burning coal, which is a non-renewable resource, all schools wishes to contribute to the long term benefits that make a difference,” Wilson said. recycling can have for our environment. When paper, Although these small actions do not seem to the number one material that go unrecycled, lands in the amount to much when an individual performs trashcan instead of the recycling bin, it causes damage them, the combined effort of the community saves to the environment. For example, it takes seventeen fully not only energy, but useable trash as well. It takes grown trees to make one ton of paper. Considering the a phone call and a bit of personal inspiration to get amount of paper that is used in the classrooms at Rolla a recycling bin and help reduce major world issues High School, recycling makes a large impact. such as deforestation.

“You’re throwing away great resources. It’s getting “We sure would like to see more recycling. We people to change their habits. Some people are going to be are the trash service provider as well as the recywilling, and other simply don’t see a need,” Mayo said. cling collector. We’d like to divert more of it from Despite the fact that some resources are renewable, the landfill so we can save more in the long run,” others are not, many of which are used in the production Wilson said. of non-recycled products. Thereby, it is essential to recycle

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TURN OFF

REUSEABLE WATER BOTTLES

Buy recycled paper

Carpool or take the bus

RECYCLE

THE LIGHTS

UNPLUG ELECTRONICS

toilet systems

Insulate windows

2 flush

administration

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

BUILD ECONOMICALLY AWARE ARCHITECTURE

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There has been a rising concern in the food industry in the last few years. Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs are becoming more and more prevalent in food. According to Dr. Ronald Frank, an associate professor of plant molecular genetics at Missouri S&T, a GMO can best be described as “[A]n organism that has been modified through recombinant DNA technology as opposed to modified through breeding or cross breeding. Genes are introduced into the organism artificially, in a laboratory.”

One of the companies that is connected to the development and production of GMOs is Monsanto. Monsanto is a global company based in St. Louis, Missouri. Their main focus is agriculture biotechnology and agrochemical aspects. Throughout the years, they have produced a variety of products, but presently, they are in the seed industry. According to Matt Threadgill, a 2010 RHS graduate who held a co-op, which is a paid internship at Monsanto, the company has recently expanded.

“Traditionally [Monsanto] was a chemical company that sold herbicides and pesticides. They developed GMO’s that revolutionized the farming industry. Thier current specialization is continuing to advance GMO’s. Also, they branched into an area known as smart farming, which is using instruments to gather data about crop yield,” Threadgill said.

Monsanto has been known to take swift legal action on what farmers do with seeds. According to monsanto.com, 145 lawsuits have been filed since 1997 in the United States. To date, only 9 cases have gone through full trial. Rolla High School biology teacher Dwight Warnke explains the process that Monsanto uses regarding their seeds.

“I don’t know the technical detail, but the way it goes is that when a farmer chooses to use their seed then they sign a contract stating that all of the product of what they grow has to be sowed as feed or for commercial use. They cannot use that seed; they can’t clean that seed and then replant it the following year. If they do, then Monsanto will have

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legal actions in which they literally sue them,” Warnke said.

There is a large controversy on whether or not GMOs are harmful to people. Many argue that the unnatural changes to the plant’s genetics will have a negative effect on peoples health.

“What people are worried about is that you’re taking an organism, say a soybean, and now you’re putting a gene in it that produces a protein, that does something good for the soybean, herbicide resistant, that protein, if it hasn’t been consumed by humans over evolutionary time could produce allergies or something like that. So thats what they say, there really isn’t any evidence,” Dr. Frank said.

The company’s genetically modified seeds have been widely accepted by the agriculture community because of their efficiency. Monsanto’s products have taken the market by storm; some argue too much.

“What I have a hard time understanding is how a company really monopolized the entire industry. If you take a look at the sources, they started this [soybean seed] in 1996, by 2008 92 percent [of soybeans] raised in the United States were Monsanto soybeans. You know if you had a railroad or an airline or anyone else that monopolized 92 percent of the industry, everyone else would go nuts. And yet, nothing is said,” Warnke said.

There might be an explainable reason for this, though. Many high ranking government officials have held high ranking jobs at Monsanto, creating a special interest.

“The administrator for EPA, well she was VP of Monsanto. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas? Well he was an attorney for Monsanto. So you’re thinking thats a certain interest, you used to be for Monsanto, and now you’re making the laws,” said Warnke.

Dr. Frank has a plan to help deal with the GMO problem that is facing America.

“I think what’s going to happen is that we are going to have to deal with it on a case by case basis. I don’t think you can just jump in and say that its all bad or its all good. Are we doing that though?” Dr. Frank said.

fem·i·nism noun \fe-m-ni-zm\ : the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes b y

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Feminism is a widely misconceived word and concept. For centuries, women have been put below men in the world, mainly because of the idea of women being only necessary for domestic tasks and rearing children. Though women have made huge leaps in the world of politics and science, they are still paid less than men, considered less intelligent, and objectified for their bodies.

According to Catalyst Research Centers, “The median annual earnings for full-time, year-round women workers in 2012 was $37,791 compared to men’s $49,398.” The over-ten-thousand-dollar difference shows how the workplace still values men more than women. In a research study done by scientist John Philippe Rushton, he claims that the average man has a higher IQ by nearly 4 points, though he does believe a woman can be as smart if she works harder than a male.

While these statistics show average men may be stronger and smart, it does mean that every man is smarter than every woman; the basics of a person’s strength and intelligence come from their hard work and perseverance, not their sex.

More and more, media shows women as pieces of meat, not humans. TV shows and movies include obscene scenes. Even the music industry has been promoting specific assets of women. More and more, songs are related to sexualizing women, and not to the “love” aspect of a relationship between men and women.

Though many in the technology industry disapprove of feminism and derail women, Emma Watson, starring in the Harry Potter movies, takes a stand for feminism.

“Why has the word become such an uncomfortable one? I think it is right I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that

women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that will affect my life. I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men,” Watson said in a speech in the UN. Watson believes in equality in bodies, politically and socially.

“How can we effect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too.” Watson said in a speech in the UN. Though men may be seen as the superior race, when that man gets married or has children, his wife and daughters will be treated the same way as he treated women. Beyonce, a big name in music culture, also speaks up about the respect of women and the need for change.

“Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect,” Beyonce said in a CNN article.

Feminism is seen largely as a women’s movement. But it needs to be more than that; men need to also want change. Before anything will change, the people in power must be willing and want the change to happen. Though men might want to have the power now, the same inequality will still be present for their future.

Many women tell other women that they cannot live without feminism; this is not true. Feminism is not a way of life- it is an opinion that many women take seriously to promote equality for men and women in the workplace, at home and in politics. Feminism can give women empowerment, but it is not until men stand with the women that there will be a change. Though men are opposed to the idea of losing power so women can gain it, men must think of the women in their lives that are losing money and respect because of something as simple as gender.

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‘ All about that bass ’ 16 feature

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The body positivity movement in today’s pop culture is all about curves, booty and being what is often referred to as “a real woman.” Songs like Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ tout lyrics such as “boys like a little more booty to hold at night,” and many fuller figured woman may proudly say popular phrases such as “Bones are for the dog, meat is for the man.” Other popular songs such as Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” get progressively more offensive as the song goes on, starting out with a male voice proclaiming that “My anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns hun,” and going on to have Minaj rap lyrics such as “He don’t like ‘em bony he want something he can grab,” and closes with her repeating the phrase “F*** those skinny b****es.” This body positivity movement is only positive toward more fuller figured body types, and may leave women with naturally flatter figures by the wayside.

“They’re calling large women ‘real women’ when a woman of any shape is a real woman. It doesn’t matter what your shape is,” senior Hannah Ulrich said.

Every movement in popular culture has a backlash, but it is an interesting phenomena that skinny shaming goes so largely unnoticed while if the situation was reversed, like if Minaj’s song had glorified thinness and shamed fuller figures, there would be widespread outrage.

“As a society we like to jump on bandwagons and not really see other individual’s perspectives. We like to make ourselves feel good about ourselves and where we are. And the only way to do that is to put other people in a hierarchy. I’m not saying that’s right by any means, but I think that’s how that manifests or comes about. I think in all aspects, not just when it comes to weight, tolerance is an interesting thing. Because I see that sometimes when people who preach tolerance for whatever the issue may be, may also tend to be intolerant and outspoken when it comes to topics. It’s an interesting paradox as to why that happens,” sociology teacher Samantha Kaysinger said.

As a society we are taught that making comments

about someone who is overweight is wrong, but many thinner girls feel as if their peers feel entitled to comment on their weight since they are on the opposite end of the spectrum.

“Of course always growing up in a co-ed school I’ve always had guys be like ‘Oh you’re too skinny,’ or ‘you’re a string bean, and guys don’t like that.’ I’ve never personally asked a guy if I’m too skinny, or if they like my butt or my boobs. I’ve never asked them but they feel the need to give me their opinion as if I care and I don’t,” senior Avery Farrar said.

The “skinny shaming” that Jones experienced was so severe it caused her to become very depressed.

“I felt so bad about how skinny I was that I was ashamed to be in my own body, and you should never ever feel that way about yourself. Some days it would make me extremely depressed to where even though I wanted to eat, I was just so sick that I couldn’t do it. I would lose my appetite because of how depressed I was and that would make me lose even more weight. Just small things that people say about your weight can affect you so much, and I don’t think anyone takes the time to realize that what they say, no matter how meaningless it may be, can truly hurt you,” Jones said.

Anytime when I would just want to eat a As America becomes a steadily larger nation, naturally thinner salad as opposed to like, a hamburger, at people begin to stand out more and more. While they may be at their natural weight as a result of a higher metabolism, their weight may lunch it would immediately allude that I’m seem unnatural to their peers and many naturally thin people find on a diet or I have an eating disorder, as themselves under another type of scrutiny. opposed to that I just don’t want to eat this “I grew seven inches in a matter of four months in middle school and I just had the worst time with it. There were teachers and students who processed meat. I can’t eat healthy withhad me on an eating disorder watch, and there were like rumors within out any speculation, the community, and people who would talk about that around my senior Avery farrar said. mom. It wasn’t even children but grown women, who would see me as a thin 11 year old and think that I already had an eating disorder when it couldn’t have just been my growth spurt. Or anytime when I would This constant stream of comments drives some to unhealthy measures just want to eat a salad as opposed to like, a hamburger, at lunch it in order to try to conform to society’s standard of what they should would immediately allude that I’m on a diet, or I have an eating disorlook like. der, as opposed to that I just don’t want to eat this processed meat. I “For years I have had people tell me ‘Oh, you can’t eat healthy without any speculation,” Farrar need to eat some burgers and get some meat on said. your bones!’ And that is so aggravating. When As previously mentioned, many try to gain self anyone tells me that it stresses me out so much. esteem by putting themselves above others in a I literally eat twice as much food as I probably hierarchy and this results in people on both ends of even should, plus I stash away a ton of snacks in the body type spectrum putting each other down. my backpack every day so I actually eat a lot, but However since the super thin body type of the I cannot gain weight whatsoever. On both sides of nineties was the previous standard, some may asmy family you are skinny when you are young besume that thin people are immune to the negative cause of how high our metabolism is. It just runs Dove’s “Real Beauty” body campaign features comments even though we are now living in a new in our genes and I can’t control that, but people only fuller figured women and none of a thinner, era with new standards of beauty. think it is so easy for someone to just gain weight more boyish figure.

“As women with curves are becoming, in media, and it really isn’t,” senior Sarah E. Jones said. more desirable I think it makes skinny girls feel Jones is not unique in feeling this pressure, a lot of which may stem like no one’s going to want them for their body, which although you from feeling unwanted by the opposite gender. shouldn’t be wanted just for your body, it hurts. People think that “It made me feel like I had to gain some weight. I remember this one small girls aren’t worth as much as big girls because they don’t have time this boy told me that he thought I was really pretty and he would a big butt or big boobs but I think it’s really hurtful and we need to probably like me but my boobs weren’t big enough,” Ulrich said. embrace people of all body types. A body is a body,” Ulrich said.

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H ‘ Doctor Hawthorne attended Rolla High School, went on to the Missouri School of Mines, and earned his doctorate degree at UCLA. Over the course of 50 years he has become a trailblazer in the field of boron chemistry and an esteemed researcher in molecular medicine.

M. Frederick Hawthorne, PhD, is the University of Missouri’s first National Medal of Science recipient. The Medal is the United States’ highest honor for scientists, engineers and inventors.

Cancer is a disease that affects almost everyone, either directly or indirectly b y

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Whether it be a family member, a friend, or even an acquaintance, most people know of someone who has battled cancer.

Though survival rates have generally gone up as modern medicine has progressed, therapies like chemotherapy and radiation often have harmful side effects, and many people still succumb to the ruthless disease.

The International Institute of Nano and Molecular Medicine at the University of Missouri has been working on a potential cure Boron Neutron Capture Theory (BNCT) presents a way to kill cancerous to cancer. Led by Dr. M. Frederick Hawthorne, the institute has tissues without harming surrounding cells conducted research on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) as a way to kill cancer cells with no side effects. Since the discovery of the neutron in 1932, scientists have realized the potential of the boron neutron as an effective way to treat cancer. However, for decades, the problem remained that there was no feasible vehicle to deliver the treatment without harming surrounding tissue. Dr. Hawthorne and his research team have come up with a solution – a chemical that is absorbed only by the more accepting cancer cells. Once inside the cell, the capture of the neutron by the boron chemical releases helium and lithium atoms that penetrate the cell from the inside and destroy it, all while leaving the surrounding cells unaffected. If put into effect, this alternate form of radiation therapy would be the first of its kind, and the University of Missouri would be the first institution with facilities to perform BCNT in the world.

“Potentially, it can provide another cure for a variety of cancers. It should be free of side effects and effective in eradicating cancer cells,” Dr. Hawthorne said.

Though there is still a long way ahead to approve the treatment. Testing is currently being conducted on mice, and machines need to be developed to carry out the treatment on a larger scale. However, the outlook is promising.

“The treatment will probably be available to the public, barring any complications and assuming we get approved, in the next five to ten years,” Dr. Hawthorne said.

Curing cancer is only the latest on Dr. Hawthorne’s lengthy list of accomplishments. The 2009 Priestly Award winner and recipient of the 2011 National Medal of Science credits his dedication to chemistry for his success.

“I was just really interested in what I was doing. I was ambitious, and I worked really hard. I got where I am today through interest in the subject and luck, just being in the right place at the right time,” Dr. Hawthorne said.

Dr. Hawthorne’s advice to high school students is the same philosophy he’s followed to achieve the sucThe boron chemical implanted in the cell cess he has experienced in his over 50 years in the field of boron chemistry. captures the neuron and releases lithium and helium that destrys the cancerous cell “Be very interested in what you do. If you are not, it won’t work out for you,” Hawthorne said.

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Be very interested in what you do. If you are not, it won’t work out for you.” ~ Dr. Hawthorne

M. Frederick Hawthorne •Attended Rolla High School from 1942 to 1945 •Attended Missouri School of Mines (now Missouri S&T) from 1945 to 1948 to study chemical engineering, and graduated with a BA in Chemistry from Pomona College in Claremont, CA • Attended UCLA and earned his PhD, then did postgraduate work at Iowa State University.

•Authored over 560 articles, 35 patents, 10 book chapters and 2 books •Universtiy Professor in Chemistry Emeritus of the University of California •University of Missouri Curator’s Distinguished Professor •Awards and accolades include: 2003 King Faisal Prize in Science, the American Chemical Society’s 2009 Priestly medal, and the 2011 National Medal of Science.

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Helping angels this Christmas Phelps County Advocacy Network makes a difference in local children’s lives b y

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While shopping at Walmart or Kmart, you may notice some Christmas trees in the front with little paper angels on them. If you take a closer look, you will see that there is a description of a local child in need on each angel, as well as a gift idea and clothing sizes. These “angel trees” are part of the Phelps County Advocacy Network (PCCAN) Angel Tree program. With this program, parents in need are able to give Christmas gifts to their children. These families are referred to this program by different youth and family-serving agencies in Phelps County. Last year 81 families were served, a total of 188 children.

Rachael Karr, Mentoring Coordinator and Prevention Specialist at Prevention Consultants of Missouri, a not for profit charitable organization in town, is directing the PCCAN Angel Tree program for her 5th year.

“Parents fill out an application provided by one of the referring agencies and they list the clothing sizes [and] coat sizes and a couple toys that their kids are interested in receiving. We take that information and we put them on angels,” Karr said.

Once the angel trees are put in the participating stores, customers can take the angel and purchase the item written on it. Once they do this, they leave them at the store with the angel.

“We will collect the items back from the stores when people purchase them and we bring them here to the office [Prevention Consultants of Missouri] and sort them out,” Karr said.

Although this program has been going on for quite some time, they are making a new adjustment to it this year.

“This year we are going to set up a store where the parents can actu-

ally come choose the presents that they want to give their kids. In the past we have boxed them up by family and wrapped them, but this year we wanted the parents to have more input and more ownership in the project for their kids,”Karr said.

According to Karr, this process is rewarding even though a lot of work is required to keep it going.

“I feel like Santa Claus. It is a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun. We have had lots of volunteers who have helped by cutting out and putting strings on the angels to get them ready for the trees,” Karr said.

There are a couple ways people can get involved in this program that helps so many families this Christmas. One way is to buy a gift at the store, and the other would be to help with the store in which the parents will pick out the gifts for their children. Volunteers may also help the parents wrap these presents.

“On December 19th when we have the store set up [at the Dance Studio] we would also be happy to have volunteers help with that,” Karr said.

The success of the Angel Tree Program relies heavily on the generosity of these anonymous donors who take an angel and buy gifts for kids they will likely never know.

“It’s amazing each year and very heartwarming to see first-hand the generosity of people in our community. If you have doubts about humanity, working with this program will certainly rekindle your belief in the good in people and make you proud to be a part of our community,” Karr said.

Forum & 10th Street Rolla, Missouri feature 21

Political Arena It’s not always black and white

No!

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One of the fundamental pillars of the United States is chipping: the separation of churches and State. Governmentfunded institutions, such as public schools shouldn’t have affiliations with religion. The first amendment gives citizens of the United States religious freedom. Inducting religion into public schools would diminish the equality of the rights protected by the constitution.

Initially, the separation applied only to the federal government. However, when the fourteenth amendment extended the Bill of Rights to include state governments as well, those had to adapt the separation of religion and politics. Under this ruling, state and federal governments are prohibited from passing laws to aid any religious organizations including churches or houses of worship, as well as religiously-based schools. This principle was adopted to prevent the government from favoring a certain religion due to the fact that there is not an official religion of the United States. The delicate balance between different practices would be destroyed if religious institutes were supported by taxes. Not only would the possibility arise that certain religious would be favored by the government over others, but the individuality of their beliefs could be influenced by politics. Much like if our school paper were fully funded by the school system: the school would have more control over what could be written.

However, it can be debated that without the support of the government, some private schools would go out of business. In the past decades, the number of students attending religious schools has decreased. Varying reasons for the loss of popularity of these religious-based schools is something that I believe has been caused by an evolution in the culture of the United States. Another concern in the state funding the religious schools is the discrimination within the school. Questions such as; Would teachers be hired or fired due to their religious orientation?

In addition, the curriculum in public schools would be affected if the state allowed religion to be taught at school. Adding another subject to would be offered at school would require more teachers, classrooms, as well as time. Questions such as which religions should be taught about and in a critical or non-critical way. Since there are many ways in which members of a certain religion could be offended, making these decisions are difficult. Due to the various opinions and problems that have come hand-in-hand with teaching religion in schools, the government has decided, up to this point to not initiate the changes which religiously focused political groups, influenced by religious organizations such as the Religious Right.

The separation of the state and religion in public schools gives every student the chance to express their own religion. Although religion was one of the causes of the settlement of the United States, the founding fathers decided separate the two, which affects the United States, on a federal, state, and local level. Even though not all constitutional rights apply to high school students under the rule of their school system such as freedom of speech, the liberty to believe in their religion, if any, and to express themselves in a respectful manner still exists.

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Does religion have a place in public schools?

Yes!

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While many argue that the Church and the State should stay vastly apart, I believe that these two should have an active bond. Religion has played a large part in my education; my time spent in a Catholic school only served to strengthen my academic life.

The rigorous coursework there prepared me to take advanced courses at the high school.

According to a study done by the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, teens who have a religious affiliation are 40 percent more likely to graduate high school, and 70 percent more likely to enroll in college. These statistics back the need for religion in school. Values taught in the Bible are relevant to kids’ lives. Finally, it is a school’s constitutional duty to have religion in schools.

James Madison’s original version of the First Amendment read, “The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretence, infringed.”

Going off of Madison’s original intentions, religion should not be limited to private practice. Rather, if schools would wish to incorporate religion into schooling, it should not only be accepted, but encouraged.

On top of this, religion in school should be protected.

There are many values that are found within the Bible, that if taught within schools, would improve our society as a whole. The value that I find would be most beneficial to school children is that of love. This value is often found in the Bible, this verse exemplifies it “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great.” (Luke 6:35). The first part of this verse is perhaps the most important lesson that can be taught to people. Once you learned to forgive and love your neighbor, you posses one of the strongest loves. Just remember the enemy to everything that’s evil is people loving people.

Theology of various religions is a necessary subject. Many times, religions have played a major role in history. Theology is also very necessary to understand current events. Religion l plays a very large role in shaping a person’s or group of people’s ideologies. Very often times, religions clash and cause conflicts, sometimes on a global scale. However, some people do not know why these two groups were clashing. It is very important to be well educated not only with prevalent religions in America, but with world wide religions. Americans have perhaps the worst religious literacy in the world. According to USA Today, only 40 percent of Americans can name five of the ten commandments. According to a survey of 100 high schoolers, only 36 percent know that Ramadan is the Islamic holy month. It is important to make sure that as Americans, we stay up to date with the world’s religions. Teaching kids world religions in school will help to reverse these statistics. An educated populace is a populace that can change the world. Information is power. Teaching kids to have an open mind and to embrace religions would be very beneficial.

The bible teaches many values that can be used in everyday life.

Having a class on world religions would also serve to benefit students, because it would open students minds. I believe the decline of religion can be attributed to the absence of the topic in schools. We need to create a resurgence of religion by bringing it back to schools.

Athlete of the Month Caroline Victor b y

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Grade: Junior

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Staff Writer

Sport: Basketball Favorite part of basketball: ”Going at a defender 1 on 1.”

Hardest part of playing basketball: “For me, the fitness aspect of it is always challenging.”

Hopes for her team: “Winning districts is the ultimate goal, but for now, we just need to focus on working hard to improve everyday.”

Other activities she is interested in: “I also play soccer and volleyball.”

Life after high school: “I plan to study athletic training in college.”

Inspiration: “My dad because he started me out playing basketball.”

Why she plays: “I love the game and that I get to be a part of an awesome team.”

Favorite Quote:

Proudest Moment: “When we beat Jefferson City in the summer league once.”

“No matter what happens, you can always control your fitness.”

-Anonymous

Join an organization where youth are twice as likely to earn B grades or above and 1.7 times as likely to go to college.

Interested?

Call 573-458-6260

for enrollment information sports feature 23

Holiday Baking b y

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Staff Writer

If you need a cute and yummy holiday food to take to a Christmas party or just to share with family, try these ornament cupcakes from HoosierHomemade.com.

Step 2: cover the cupcakes with sprinkles.

Ingredients: Cupcakes, baked and cooled Buttercream frosting Assorted sprinkles and colored sugar White, Green and Red Sparkle Gel Gumdrops Red Pull-and-Peel Licorice Mini M&M’s Crushed Candy Cane

Instructions: 1. Bake and frost the cupcakes.

2. Cover the entire cupcake with sprinkles; dunk the cupcakes into a shallow bowl filled with sprinkles, then use a spoon to fill in any sports missed.

3. For the hook, cut a piece of licorice into a small strip. Add a small drop of icing to a gumdrop, then attach the licorice to the gumdrop.

4. Use candies, gels, and other colored icing to decorate the cupcake.

Step 4: decorate the cupcakes with candies and icing pens.

Step 1: bake the cupcakes.

24 arts & entertainment

Tips: -Get creative with your ornaments; use fondant to make snowflakes or other cute holiday symbols to put on top of your cupcake -Try using other candies or nuts that are not in the ingredients to decorate the cupcake -Be careful not to let your frosting get hard before you add the toppings; this could result in toppings not sticking onto your cupcake -If you cannot find the ingredeants to make the hook, leave it off.

Crafty Christmas b y

Let

(Inside ! w o n S it

Chl

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Staff Writer

DIY in 5 steps!

a Jar)

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arts & entertainment 25

Living on your own

Life will get you there, will you be ready?

B

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Managing Editor

In life, there is always going to be someone with whom you disagree; even someone you may care about. That person could be a friend, a parent, a roommate or a teacher. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, folks. So grab your tissues and chocolate, because this might get a little emotional. ’ll be honest, this past month has been rough for me. I barely agreed with anyone about anything. I didn’t want to talk to anybody, because I didn’t think anyone would understand. But then again, who really does? Anyway, the reality is that nobody can really know what another person is going through. I see people walk past me everyday and I think nothing of what their lives might be like. I’m sure every person at one point has had to encounter something they didn’t necessarily deserve. Most people tend to think that they have all the pain; that they suffer the most; that they have the most stress. But in actuality, everyone has their obstacles and their own messes to sort out.

62 percent of fights happen for no reason, meaning that those fights consist of people taking their problems out on each other. I’ve been guilty of this more often than I care to admit, and in no way am I defending this horrid habit, but my goodness it relieves some of the stress. Yes, I realize on the other end it’s not quite as fun; I’ve been on both. But, all of this can be avoided if everyone is straightforward with each other. I’ve learned that it’s better to let it out and suffer the consequences than to keep it inside and not know what could’ve happened. Who knows? Something great could come out of it and the difference would never be known.

As for the 38 percent of fights which have real substance, those can also be solved by being straightforward. Either the one person complies or a compromise is formed. In any way, there won’t be unfinished business or an elephant in the room. If something is that bothersome, it is best to let it out in the clear and deal with it.

People in your neighborhood:

The somewhat-bilingual gamer who cleans up your vomit edition b y

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Staff Writer

Do you ever walk into school and are overwhelmed by the smell of feces? Do you ever tape plastic bags to your shoes to prevent them from being ruined by stepping in puddles of vomit? No, or at least I hope you don’t. But do you know why I can assume that? Because Chris Headrick is our custodian. His job is certainly not that glamorous, but thankfully, he puts up with it and that’s just one of the reasons why we are very lucky to have him.

Much like Superman, his legend began in a small town in Kansas.

Their stories are similar, but I’d have to say his life has the edge in excitement and danger.

“I was born out in Manhattan, Kansas. My dad was in the military so I moved around a lot. Then we moved to Heidelberg Germany when I was older and I lived there for three years. When I was in ninth grade we moved to Fort Leonard Wood and I went to Waynesville. Then my dad retired and we moved out to Dent County. I graduated from Salem High School in 83. I also played football every year in high school. When I graduated from high school, I went and worked for the Walmart in Salem for about three months. In that time I was getting ready to go to college through East Central College and RTI but then I was asked to substitute as a custodian at the Rolla district. When a fulltime position became available at the Middle School I took up the offer. I was going to school in the day and working at night until I got my Associate’s degree in Science from East Central college. I got married around that time and have had four kids since. Later, I was promoted to the lead position at the Middle School and stayed there for twelve years until I came here in about 2001,” Headrick said.

Whoa, he lived in Germany. That must have been radical. Does he speak German?

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“Ich kenne klein Deutsch,” meaning not really. “I loved living out in Germany. It was all very lovely and clean. Great country. I was definitely sad to leave and I’ll always remember my time there very fondly,” Headrick said.

If you’re rocking around the Christmas tree having a happy holiday and you remember that you have a big ol’ pile of money that just won’t go away why not show jolly old St. Headrick some love? But, what should you get him?

“For Christmas my family will probably just be having our home thing. There’s not too much that I want, but if anything it’d probably be some games for the Xbox One because I do actually game a lot. I just got Wolfenstein for my birthday and I’ve been waiting for a good time to get into it. I’ve heard Advanced Warfare is good so I wouldn’t mind that. I mostly play First-Person Shooters, but my favorites are ones with good stories. I really liked the Mass Effect games and Far Cry, too,” Headrick said.

With such a man, it is no surprise that he is able to make custodial duties seem so cool.

“My official title here, at least what we’ve always said, is head custodian. I’m just in charge of the custodial staff who cleans this facility and at a district level. As for what I do, I get lots of phone calls and emails and take care of various crises that arise at any of the schools.

All of the schools in the district have a lead custodian, so I spend a lot of time communicating with one of them. I also take care of all the ordering the district does as far as custodial supplies. My least favorite thing to do is probably clean up vomit. As for the worst thing I’ve ever seen: I won’t tell you because it shouldn’t be told. Just know that I am very concerned for that person and I really hope they don’t do that at home. But really, I see a huge part of my job as being a good influence for the kids here and contributing to the community by allowing the school to operate and function,” Headrick said.

Serious Silliness b y

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Staff Writer Disclaimer: This column’s purpose is to not rant on about my opinion… well maybe a little bit… but I do want to provide a new outlook on different issues that affect high school kids, like myself. But like always, I promise some silliness at the end to lighten up the seriousness.

Blah blah blah racism… blah blah blah feminism...blah blah blah Ebola in America...blah blah blah gays...blah blah blah Obama…

Shame on the media. Shame on those who choose to ignore a real issue in America today. But, I mean, what could possibly be more important than corrupt NFL players? How about children across America who are neglected and/or abused and/or hungry? We do not see those stories flashing across the TV or reposted millions of times on our newsfeed.

What I am trying to say is this: we are so focused on all of these media-sensationalized stories, that we are completely ignoring some really important issues such as mistreated and/or hungry children.

Tell me, what is more important; whether the Duggars support gay rights, or the many beatdown and/ or hungry children in our own community? I would hope the answer would be these children, however, it is obvious that it is not by watching the several news channels on our televisions.

This reality that these children get no attention is a huge letdown by society for me, as I hope that it would be for you. So instead of just declaring complete loss of faith in humanity, I have decided to try and

make a change. How am I going to do this? Well, ironically, in the words of Michael Jackson, “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change!” So I am planning on doing some service in hopes that I will make some sort of impact on these children’s lives from here on out, especially this Christmas. I would like to invite you to do the same, because together we can make a bigger impact. I encourage you to look for some ways in which you can help these children this holiday season, as well as other times during the year, whether it be donating some money to a local organization, or volunteering your time packing food at Grace Church some Saturday mornings. Let us forget all of these petty politics and start taking some action to make the lives of these kids better, because that is what is truly important.

Now for this silliness…

This holiday season, since I can’t give you all a gift (I’m not Oprah), I’ve decided to give you all my opinion… which is pretty valuable if you ask me. But I am still figuring out how to wrap it…

Show-Me College Showcase b y

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Staff Writer

As the Holidays are looming , I turn my writing towards the class of 2016. I’m not saying that this isn’t for Seniors, I’m just saying that it’s starting to pertain to Juniors. Once again, I’ve found another college to talk about.

About two hours away from our small town is an even smaller town. Located just a few miles outside of Columbia is Fayette.

With a population of 2,688, Fayette is the home of Central Methodist University. CMU is a pleasant college that fits in nicely with its cozy town. With a student to faculty ratio of 16.5:1, this university provides an intimate and personal learning environment. The class sizes average at 17 people per class, which is less than some of our own class sizes!

The Central Methodist Eagles offer many degrees ranging from philosophy to pre-engineering. They also offer four masters programs including Master of Education, Master of Music Education, Master of Clinical Counseling and Masters of Science in Nursing. Many dual credit courses are also offered. High school students can take online classes during a designated hour in the school day. Each online course is 16 weeks long. In conjunction with the online courses, high school teachers can seek approval to teach a dual credit course for their students. With a Careers Development Center, CMU offers many ways to prepare students to join the workforce. They do many things from reviewing resumes to helping with procuring internships. An entire career resource library is provided for students who wish to further their knowledge in the job field.

For further information on this charming university, visit www. centralmethodist.edu.

Pictures of the campus provided by Central Methodist Admissions

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@rhsechonews #RoMoBulldogs Rolla High School ECHO