Pepper Box Volume 35 Issue 4 December 2015
The CLUE Issue
Ritenour High School 9100 St. Charles Rock Road St. Louis, MO 63114
Staff Editorial Have you ever felt clueless about upcoming tests or finals at the end of the semester? The members of the Pepper Box staff have all been through and continue to go through the same struggles. In this issue, we plan to explain and help give you clues on how to perform well on the upcoming finals now that first semester of 201516 is coming to a close. The end of the semester is a rough time for just about every student; even teachers have their own difficult tasks to go through. Finals are just one part of the rocky road that makes up the last few months of the year. There are many ways to cure the final-itis that occurs in students. Our goal with this issue is to help provide you with clues to help you get through finals week and all the weeks afterwards that lead up to the end of the school year. A few tips from us at the Pepper Box about finals and that stressful week are below: 1. Sleep well! Don’t stay up too late studying, you will not retain anything from your late night study sessions. Finals Week is a week that just proves Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest; academic style. If you survived your classes these last five months and did fine, then you are most likely sure to be okay. School is a stressful workplace and it leads to sleep deprivation, which results in a fall in grades. The Pepper Box Staff makes sure to be well-rested all through finals week and you should too. Not getting enough sleep can result in laziness and becoming moody. No teachers or other students want your moodiness or laziness. so get enough sleep! 2. Eat a good breakfast. Even though most of us skip the most important meal of the day, finals week is an important week where breakfast is a necessity. Without food, your body does not want to do anything but sleep. By eating breakfast, your body gets energy enough to be able to do activities. Eat enough and you’ll be sure to have enough energy throughout each day of your Finals Week. 3. Ask questions if needed. Do not be afraid to ask questions about your study guides or anything that is tripping you up from being successful on your exams. It is important to make sure you understand the material given including the study guides. Ask for your understanding and maybe others peers’ also. Do not feel bad or concerned when questions arise, you are not going to know everything perfectly when you get the study guides.
PEPPER BOX STAFF Adviser: Ron Steinschriber Content Manager: Sean Baker Design Editor: Morgan Diamond News Editor: Allison Baker Opinion Editor: Sidney Lee Online Editor: Carcea Carr Sports Editor: Ryan Tiefenbruch Spotlight Editor: Leia Boyd Staff Members: Shaquan Brown, Cheynne Harris, Will Qualls, Bri’Asia Mays, Royalty Knight, Sarah Barbeau, Makayla Smith, Alicia Watson
Editorial Policy: The Pepper Box is designed and created by memebers of the newspaper staff of Ritenour High School. The purpose of the newspaper is to provide a forum for the students to focus on issues, give opinions, and share information with the Ritenour High School community. The opinions expressed in this paper do not reflect opinions of our faculty or administration. Letters to the editor are welcome and accepted, but they may not contain profanity, obscenity, or anything innappropriate to school. They may be e-mailed to Ron Steinschriber at steinschriberr@ritenour.k12.mo.us, or dropped off in room 240. The staff reserves the right to edit these letters.
Preferential treatment starts early Students are often aided by those in power in order to climb the social ladder at the high school
The King’s Speech By: Shaquan Brown When the scope is narrowed upon the typical American high school, certain truths and verities are left exposed. It becomes a presumptuous truth that has remained true throughout the course of the educational phenomenon, the subject of reinforced favoritism and preferential treatment that has spawned into its own rudimentary establishment of social hierarchies in modern high schools. These are not the generically stereotypical social outlets presented in the media in an effort to meet the tribulations of the average high school student; these hierarchies are manifested through the placing of particular students on a higher social accord than others either by the staff or their peers. What is the reason that these social hierarchies continue to thrive in the school system despite a perceived effort to dismantle them? They still exist because of the surplus of preferential treatment and favor provided to them by the biased
recognition of authority figures. If an athlete shines brightly during a competition then chances are he will be met with generally high regard from his authority figures, this is the governing principle in the construction of a foundation of social hierarchism as said athlete will become a beacon that “stands out” in contrast to their fellow peers. It gives the acknowledged student an inept sense of accolade, to which they may fall victim to the egotistical mindset that follows. This egoism is the product of those who praise the student, however. To hold those who do deeds we regard as astounding to a far higher accord than those who do less stellar deeds because of our own bias surmounts the possibility for high school social hierarchies to be created. It is no secret that when students without self discipline or a sense of humility are met with praise, the overtly modest braggart within them will subsequently be revealed. When a group of students who have been met with praise for whatever sort of deed they have accomplished come together, it is natural that they emulate a pack of lions and lionesses who hold a mutual belief that the world is blessed with their grace. Despite my hesitancy on resorting to such a deprived cliche, it is unquestionable that an umbrella of popularity and charismatic cliques govern the majority of Ritenour High School. Simply observing the interaction between some staff and some students will make this irrefutable. The students who are often referred to as leaders within in our high school have become yet
another means to establish subjective popularity contests, except in this manner, it is disguised as academia. It is of course, not limited to academics, as it is evident within extra curricular activities such as sports, which in itself shows inept favoritism to some sports rather than others. It is also seen on the stage, with the redundancy of student actors being recycled into new starring and featured roles, it is questionable why new cast members and new faces have not been found. It has become an obvious fact that teachers have particular students whom they hold a certain affinity for, and it is no longer just the placing of an apple on a teacher’s desk that earns students regard in these times. At times it is a series of common interest and other times it is an amiable connection between teacher and student that drives the aforementioned preferential treatment. It has become an undeniable truth within this high school that some students are more appreciated than others, these students occupy certain athletic or extracurricular outlets that bring good press to our school so in turn they are treated with priority and have higher expectation set for them. If we continue to fail to recognize the existence of such social hierarchical clusters in high schools then we could risk creating monotony and a sense of pecking order amongst our students, in a similar fashion to animals within an untamed jungle.
Opinion
Better food options should become a priority for the school The lunch options available do not meet the needs of the students at the high school By: William Qualls Staff Reporter The food prices at Ritenour are steadily increasing and the quality of food is steadily decreasing. It’s not just me that thinks that there’s something fishy about the lunch. Every year the lunch prices rise, this year it’s $2.85 per every lunch. Not to sound old, but back in my day, my old private school, Holy Trinity, would charge $5 a month for food that was of high quality. The chef ’s salad blew the doors off of the “chef ’s salad” they serve to us here. While the prices are going up, there are problems with some of the food, as maggots were found in the food last month; yummy! If the prices are going to continue to rise, shouldn’t the quality of the food go up too? At Holy Trinity, one of the menu favorites was the cheese filled breadsticks, otherwise known as bosco sticks. The cheese would melt out of the crust and it would be so good. In contrast, we have bosco sticks here, but the cheese does not melt out of the crust and you have a good chance of getting cold food. I’m a junior now, but back in my late sophomore year, I had one of the worst experiences a student could have; my milk was warm and the milk had come spoiled. Luckily I realized what had happened before I drank it. We should get refunds if milk is rotten and the food is cold. Sadly, the food is government supplied, so we don’t really have a choice on what we get, and what we get
Opinion
a lot is close to nothing, and the food is not up to par. In the past, my friends and I noticed our chicken on our chicken sandwich was undercooked and we couldn’t do anything about it. We get taught in food classes that meat and poultry need to be cooked to be a certain temperature to get rid of all the bad germs in food. Along with the lack of quality of food, there is a lack of quantity of food. On average, my friends and I get a carton of milk, a carton of juice, a main entrée, and maybe a side. The food is bad enough, there should be at least an abundance of bad food. I understand the cafeteria staff tries to give us enough to get to the end of the
day, but then again we are not all the same, some of us are hungrier than others. When there is a lack of food, it is harder to stay focused in the classroom, thus leading to poor quality of work. If teachers want their students to stop eating in the classroom during lessons, they should take it up with the cafeteria staff about supplying enough food while we are sitting in the cafeteria. I think there needs to be a change, and maybe this can be the start of it. It may take time, and there is a possibility that we may still not get our way, but we need to stand up for ourselves and demand more.
Students in the cafeteria eat their school lunches. Photo by: Makayla Smith
Public awareness is necessary for the West Lake Landfill Bridgeton residents are owed more information about the dangerous landfill in their area By: Allison Baker News Editor In 1989 the West Lake Landfill was claimed as a radioactive waste Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund cleanup site. The West Lake Landfill is located in Bridgeton, off of St. Charles Rock Road. In early October, St. Louis County made public an emergency response plan describing how we would respond if an underground fire at Bridgeton were to reach radioactive waste at West Lake. The Ritenour School District also released a letter to families saying that there were emergency plans in place in case the landfill situation became more dangerous. In December 2010 a chemical reaction began smoldering underneath the Bridgeton facility; the cause of this
fire . Bridgeton residents are taking cautious acts and some have even left their residence because of the expected eruption of the underground nuclear waste. The toxic fumes from the landfill are not suitable for a human being. Personally, I think the news and the local informers should be spreading more awareness on what is happening and about the process that is going on to fix the problem. As people who live in and within miles of the Bridgeton area, we should know freedom of choices is one of the many natural rights people are supposed to have. Being aware of this dangerous situation should be the main priority, but it feels like it is being swept under the rug as though it is not important. Solutions to this can be
finding a way to change and fix the toxic unethical danger people are being introduced to. There is no justifiable reason to blow this out of proportion, but also there is no reason for ignoring it and leaving people on their own for a problem they did not cause. There are students and teachers who are working to understand this better. Dr. Heather Bonner’s AP Chemistry class just completed a research project on the landfill, and she says that her students now have even more knowledge on the West Lake Landfill that she does. “We had a classroom discussion on what they found out. We also talked about how people don’t trust politicians and government officials,” Bonner said. The students are currently looking for a place to post these projects around the school.
Buy your yearbook before it is too late. 50% of all yearbooks ordered have already been purchased. For more information come to room 240. Opinion
Two students fly towards their future Seniors Khalid Murray and Michael Savage both got to explore Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania thanks to a little known college visiting program
Seniors Michael Savage and Khalid Murray both attended a college fly-in to Franklin and Marshall College and both loved their experience. Photo by: Sean Baker
By: Royalty Knight Staff Reporter Two Ritenour students have been the recipients of financial support in an attempt to find a college that will best suit them. Seniors Michael Savage and Khalid Murray have both done a college fly-in to Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn. during the school year. A college fly-in occurs when colleges pay for students to come do college visits. Most schools offer the opportunity for students to come and visit on their own, but these schools are willing to pay for students to come from longer distances, and many of them offer the chance to students who may not have the financial security to spend that much money visiting a
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school they may not end up attending. “A fly-in is where a college chooses to do an all expense paid trip with a student and experience what life is like on their campus; And they usually choose students who have proven themselves in high school with rigorous courses, leadership and community service,” Savage said. This is an opportunity for students to have a better chance of being accepted into any college they want. During a fly-in the student gets to shadow classes and just get the college experience. “The experience was amazing. It literally changed how I see, and where I see myself going to college in the future,” Savage said. “I see myself going to a private liberal arts school now because I liked it so much. There was so much diversity, the food was
great, the host was great, I met really nice people on the trip, and it is my first choice and I ended up (applying early decision).” To apply for a college fly-in, students need to go to the college counselor to receive assistance. “ I applied to College Bound, and Debbie, my college counselor in that program, nominated me for it. They accepted me and that was it,” Murray said. Both students spoke with college counselor Julie Kampschroeder before they went on their trips. Although they went to the same school, they were nominated by different people, so they did not go together. “My favorite part of a college fly-in is that the student typically doesn’t have to pay. There are certain schools around the country that are trying to increase their minority population on campus and they might fly-in thirty or forty students from across the country,” Kampschroeder said. “There might be four-hundred applications for those forty spots, but if you don’t apply for the fly-in you don’t have a chance to get it.” Kampschroeder believes that this is an excellent way for Ritenour students to help decide on colleges. “You’ll be there usually two nights and three days, and really get a feel for the college. You’ll understand what type of students go there, what the professors are like, how welcoming the community is, what the academics are like, and what the region around the campus is like, so it’s a really great experience,” Kampschroeder said.
Fox Theater seeks talent at Ritenour and other area high schools Ritenour students have received an opportunity to show off their musical talents By: Sidney Lee Opinion Editor Talent from Ritenour High School, along with other schools within a 50 mile radius, has a chance of performing on the stage of the Fox Theater for a chance to win a large monetary prize and potential scholarships. The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation is hosting a Teen Talent Competition for high school students in St. Louis to compete against each other to win a $7,000 prize. Posters were hung on the walls and announcements were made to get as many students to join and show off their skills as possible. “I saw the posters around the school and heard the announcements and I thought about it, but then (Drama teacher Greg) Jones told me about it, and I decided to sign up,” sophomore Emma Norman said. The competition has several rounds and workshops that the competitors must go through. Ritenour students filled out the applications to apply for a chance to showcase their talents. There are also many categories that students can enter for the competition, including singing, acting, playing music, dancing, rapping, and even circus skills. “I’m singing and playing my guitar for the competition,” Norman said. “I’m excited, yet nervous to see if I make it past the first round and continue on to the finals.” The talent show is offering many different workshops to the
students at Ritenour. The workshops teach the contenders how to hold the microphone, how far to stand from the stand, or how far to hold the microphone from their mouth, and how to project their voice throughout the theater. They also tell the contestants what to expect from the judges and exactly what they are looking for. “I’m excited for the workshops. I’m hoping they will teach me how to get better at singing and keeping my voice leveled while I sing. They will also teach me how to sing louder while singing well, but overall I think I am a little nervous for it all. There are a lot of steps that go into getting ready and prepared for the show,” freshman Tasia Lee said.
Students have practiced and put in as much time as possible to make sure that their performance is up to par with the judges expectations. Even with extracurricular activities, school, work, and jobs, students still managed to find time to get together and practice “My partner and I have been working on this and are hoping to get first place. We figured out some songs in October then came to a choice in November and started practicing. We haven’t had much practice due to the play, “Moon over Buffalo,” but we still tried to each moment we had together,” senior Dana Rue said. The first preliminary round will take place on January 30 and cuts will be made from there.
Senior Cheynne Harris and sophomore Emma Norman are both competing in the St. Louis Teen Talent competition. The two worked together during the 2015 fall play. Photo by: Sean Baker
News
Finals Survival Guide Laurelie Carriker
Tavonda Palmer
“Don’t wait until the last minute to study”
Chris Pearson
“Don’t cheat”
Krisstin Swyres
“Do the study guides your teachers give you.”
David Bishline “Get up early and study in the morning”
“Have a good breakfast, get a good night’s sleep two nights before finals”
Vanessa Delgado
“Study with friends”
Kendall Powell
“Study and review older, graded tests”
Dejah House
Penni Martin
“Stay caught up on your work before finals”
“Don’t push off your studying”
Austin Kaiser
“Focus on taking deep breaths”
Finals schedule
Spotlight
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Spotlight
Early injuries stall the beginning of girls basketball season Injuries that have occurred both on and off the court have affected the girls basketball team in the pre-season
Sophomore Dannie Millett plays in the game against Hazelwood Central on December 8. Millett is one of the players who has had to overcome early injuries this season. Photo by: Bri’iAsia Mays
By: Bri’Asia Mays Staff Reporter At the start of the girls basketball season, the Ritenour varsity team experienced seven out of eleven players injured or in the recovery process. Injuries ranging from minor bruised muscles and partially dislocated shoulders to concussions and torn ligaments have stalled early progress. Due to the various injuries associated with the team, the varsity girls have not been able to fully participate in practice. Many of the girls’ injuries have restricted them from certain drills that require extensive running or jumping. “I cannot go full speed, and I have to sit out whenever I start to feel pain in my leg,” sophomore Alexis
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Ramey said. After practice several players sit along the walls of the gym icing their sore, worn out muscles. “I have to ice almost everyday at practice and sit out whenever my knee bothers me,” junior Madison Stiebel said. Many of the returning players have coped with these injuries for several months now, making their recovery process long and sometimes intolerable. Physical therapy was recommended for several girls with newer injuries. Some players are asked to visit their physical therapist up to twice a week. “It gets very tiring constantly going to physical therapy and it often takes up a lot of my time,” Stiebel said. Although all the girls are taking the necessary precautions to
help prevent them from damaging another body part, some of them are nervous about their wounds affecting the season. “I’m scared that I’ll injure myself again if I continue to play on it,” Ramey said. Not only are the players a bit nervous, but the head coach Ron Steinschriber also gets worried about his girls from time to time. “I’m worried just because I don’t want any of them to get any worse, and I would hate to have kids miss time or have serious health issues. I’m worried as a coach because we haven’t really had a chance to practice as a whole team at full strength. I think we could be really good this season, but it is all potential right now until we can get all eleven girls ready to play,” Steinschriber said. Other than the injuries giving the girls a disjointed start to the season, Steinschriber and assistant varsity coach Marsha Rozelle have continued to work to improve their team’s skills while also focusing on bigger life lessons. “We did a lot more as a whole program over the summer, and brought a lot more girls to summer tournaments. We are really trying to focus on not just becoming better basketball players, but becoming better people. Of course we want to win our games, but the lessons we can teach in this setting can last a lifetime, even if girls don’t continue on with basketball after high school,” Steinschriber said.
New head coach leads boys basketball team into the future Coach Mike Nelke arrives at Ritenour from Clayton High School planning to continue the recent success of the program By: Ryan Tiefenbruch Sports Editor Ritenour High School has a new face of the boys basketball program, as head coach Mike Nelke is walking the sidelines for the 2015-2016 season. In addition to coaching the boys basketball team, Nelke is teaching Edgenuity (E2020) in his first year at the high school. Nelke has basketball connections in both the North County, as well as experience at the college level. Nelke was a point guard at McCluer High School, where he played for 4 years. After he graduated from McCluer, he went on to get a scholarship at Valparaiso University. He played point guard for two years at the Division 1I school that went to the NCAA tournament while he was there. After playing there for those two years, he then transferred and finished his playing career playing two more seasons at Southeast Missouri State. Nelke is coming to Ritenour from a smaller school at Clayton High School. He is taking on a new coaching staff and new athletes as he enters the 2015/2016 seasons. Nelke said the athletes at Ritenour are bigger, faster, and stronger than the athletes from his last school. “I’ve known the previous coach Dave Watkins for awhile, and I know he’s spoken really highly of the athletes here and the support here.” Nelke said. Nelke says the YMCA by West
Florissant and 270 was a big help in developing his skills as a basketball player. “I always say I look at the game through the eyes of a point guard,” Nelke said. Nelke said that his players have a really good base. He is not trying to change a lot of the previous skills that Coach Watkins put in place. Nelke said that defensively, the team will do a lot of the same things; “We will play a full court game ,kind of a run and gun type of offense,” Nelke said. The players have connected with Nelke quickly. Senior Fermin Jeff is especially thankful that Nelke is already helping him with a post-high
school plan. “I think he is really helping me get into the college I want to get into; getting me to play Division 1 basketball.” Jeff said. Nelke is coming into this season excited about the senior leadership and the talent of the younger kids on the team. He is hoping for big things form his players, ultimately hoping to win a conference championship. The players are coming into this season hoping to do some big things and know the future is bright here at Ritenour. “The athletes that are here make it a really attractive place,” Nelke said.
Coach Nelke advises his players in an early season game. Photo courtesy: Gary Spiller
Sports
Freshman wrestler hopes to garner statewide attention RJ Sagum makes varsity wrestling at 106 pounds, and his coach and teammates have high expectations for him
Freshman RJ Sagum is a varsity wrestler as a freshman. He is wrestling in the 106 weight class. Photo by: Sean Baker.
By: Cheynne Harris Staff Reporter Born in the Philippines, RJ Sagum is a freshman who has wrestled his way onto the varsity wrestling team. Sagum did not originally start as a wrestler, instead starting off in martial arts and gradually moving on to more combat sports. His eighth grade teacher happened to be Conye Ausar, the high school wrestling coach, and Ausar convinced Sagum to try wrestling when he got to the high school. “My eighth grade algebra teacher, was the wrestling coach here, so he wanted me to try it out.” Sagum said. On his first year of trying out, Sagum made it on the varsity wrestling
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team. “He is committed, focused, cerebral and goes about his business like a professional,” Ausar said. “I usually have a 106, but it is very rare to get a 106 that has his focus, tenacity, and attention to detail. He is abnormally athletic and strong too.” Due to Sagum’s lack of experience, he has pushed himself further and tries to do more to show that he deserves his varsity spot. “Sometimes I don’t know a lot of stuff and i have to ask a lot of questions sometimes. But I pick up on moves and stuff like that pretty fast” Sagum said. After being taught the basics ,he did catch on pretty quickly. “I don’t think I’d really be on varsity if it wasn’t for my partner, Austin Cornell. He’s the one who helped me
get to this level.” Austin thought of himself as a “little guy” and knew he was in need of someone his size to help him better himself. “He’s looking like he has been wrestling longer than he really has. Like someone who has been wrestling since they were very young.” Cornell said. Wrestling is both an individual and team sport. Hard Work, dedication, and teamwork can better the team as a whole, with athletes teaching and learning from each other, to make themselves be all they can be. “It feels great to be on varsity, but I have to work harder than everybody else, because it’s my first year and I have something to prove.” Sagum said. Showing up to practice and working hard throughout, coming to non-mandatory practices, and having a good energy about himself has made Sagum the wrestler he is today. “RJ will go as far as he wants to go. He will have no limitations except the ones that he places upon himself,” Ausar said. “If RJ works hard enough, he will be a state qualifier this year and a medalist/champion before he graduates. RJ is blessed enough to wrestle and drill with an amazing partner everyday in practice: Austin Cornell. You have to have a great drill partner to get better. Medalists come in pairs.” Cornell is as enthusiastic about Sagum’s potential as Coach Ausar. “I look for RJ to be a state qualifier this year.” Cornell said.
Swimming begins with athletes aiming for personal, team success Ritenour swimmers aim to win in the pool by coming together as a team, but also seeking to improve personal bests By: Alicia Watson Staff Reporter With Ritenour’s new swim season vastly approaching the team is prepping for the season. In comparison to previous years, the girl’s have fewer teammate’s this upcoming season. Despite this challenge that the team faces they still remain determined. “Since we have less girls this season I am hoping we can look at this as more of a positive instead of a negative,” sophomore Izzy Clark said. To an outsider, swim may appear as a team sport that focuses solely on hard work and dedication to win as a team, but this is not entirely true. The girls do not only look forward to winning and participating in the sport, but they look forward to other things as well. ”I am looking forward to getting to know my girls a lot better. It is like a home away from home, it is really fun to swim and be around them,” Clark said. As a team, the swimmers are determined to win, but as individuals on a swim team they have another thing in common, they all aim to improve their personal best. “Having a personal best, it kind of pushes you,” senior Alejandra Romer said, “It moves you to go faster and not just beat the other team, but improve yourself as an athlete.” Their personal best is what helps the swimmers to stick out as individual athletes as opposed to just a member on a team. Another swimmer,
junior Jayda Taylor, has similar feelings toward the matter. ”I always try to achieve over my personal best, I do not try to make it my end result. I always want to do better than it,” Taylor said. Being on the swim team comes with hard work. Not only do they have to be attentive to the team scores, they also have their personal scores to focus on as well. “If you do not try for your personal best, it’s not worth being on the team,” sophomore Samantha Pullen said. “I definitely care about the team, but whatever my personal time is that comes up is the most important thing for me.
Regardless of the hardships that come with the role of being on a swim team, it is still associated with positive memories. Some swimmers who have been on the team for a while can share some of these moments. ”I love going to conference. It is so great because there are all these other teams there and we are all brought together, sharing our stories,” Romer said, “Even though they are supposed to be our enemies it is still great.”
Senior Alejandra Romer swims both for personal bests as well as for team success. Photo courtesy: Ashley Meyer
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