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Hockey club claims first Challenge Cup pages 15, 18 C

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Budget woes force proposed job cuts

Ge ingto 95

CF

*icons in blue represent a proposed job elimination at FHC*icons in red represent a prosposed job elimination in FHSD

2

Delve 3-6 Be Heard 7-10 In Focus 12-14 Sweat 15-18 The Scene 19-23

W e hear that the district must

surmount a deficit of $10.3

million the next school and we hear

that 95 staff positions need to be

terminated.

This number is large and

menancing, but it is difficult for

most high school students to grasp.

So while the big picture of the

impending cuts facing our district is

important and threatening, the the

smaller, more precise picture has a

greater impact on students. At Howell

Central, eight teaching positions need

to be vacated. Eight faces students

see and interact with daily. To these

faculty that may lose their jobs, the

number 95 means very little.

In this issue of the Central Focus,

the staff decided to focus on the

smaller, more personal aspects of the

impending cuts. Rather than focusing

on the district level, we focused on

the changes coming to our school

next year. We hope readers will look

beyond the sheer numbers and look

instead at a deeper level.

Sincerely,

Cory SchmittPrint Executive Editor

Lettereditor

OpeningShotsfrom the

1. State rankings

2. Suessical anticipation

3. Spring break

4. Showcasing art students

BOXLOVE IT

1. Grammy winners

2. Preapring for prom

3. Silver Shield announcements

4. Class rings

LIKE IT

1. Summer school class changes

2. Lady Gaga mimicking Madonna

3. AP exam prices raised

4. Predictable Oscar winners

LEAVE ITCoverWith an extreme economic crisis hitting the Francis Howell School District, budget cuts are starting to hit home and affect Francis Howell Central. It was announced 95 teach-ing positions will be cut from the district, and the eight of these must come from FHC.

Page design by Maddie Wilson and Ted Noelker

18

3 7

HOT

Francis HowellCentral High School

5199 Highway NSt. Charles, Mo., 63304Phone: 636.851.5636

Fax: 636.851.41

Editors and StaffCory Schmitt Print Executive EditorTed Noelker Multimedia Executive EditorKelci Davis Visuals ExecutiveEditorBrendan Kinnison Delve EditorAlli Keisker Be Heard EditorEllen Hinze Sweat EditorAnna Gingrich The Scene EditorSean Carroll iFocus EditorMikelle McClintock Communications EditorMichael Roundcount Business ManagerClaire Henderson Copy ManagerKarley Canova Staff ReporterLizzi Holland Staff ReporterPatrick Hurley Staff ReporterDestiny Pipkin Staff ReporterKamrie Reed Staff Reporter

Dylan Richardson Staff ReporterJulianna Smith Staff ReporterVictoria Walker Staff ReporterMaddie Wilson Staff ReporterJolie Denton Staff PhotographerJessica DiMariano Staff PhotographerScott Kenkel Staff PhotographerSavannah McEachern Staff PhotographerMr. Matthew Schott Adviser

Letters PolicyThe Central Focus is produced monthly as an

integral part of the News Production class at Francis Howell Central High School. Students learn all aspects of media production and are responsible for contributing to each issue.

The Central Focus is a public forum for the stu-dents at Francis Howell Central High School. The staff ’s editorial policy is available in Room 139.

The staff welcomes comments and suggestions from the student body. All letters to the editor must be typed and no more than 300 words. Names must be included with the submission of the letter, but may be withheld at the request of the author. The staff reserves the right to with-hold content at its discretion.

Delve 3

Split lunches abolished for the 2011-1012 year p. 4 Conference schedule changed p. 6

Central Focus FHCtoday.com/Delve Page design by Brendan KinnisonMarch 11, 2011

Some

question

reason for

summer

school

By Brendan KinnisonDelve Editor

In the past, summer school has carried the preconceived notions that only students who fail a class are the ones who spend their summer in the classroom. This is becoming less and less true. More and more students are spending their summer in the classroom picking up an extra credit, rather than taking the class during the normal school year.

“The majority is remedial, but it is a great option for kids who would like to get elective credits,” said Guidance Counselor Mrs. Kathy Bargeon.

With the Credit Enrichment Program, students may take classes that they have not yet taken but that they also need to graduate, such as physical fitness classes or personal finance. This creates an opportunity for students to take a required semester class in only 20 days, or 4 school weeks, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day. The days range from one to two classes depending on how many the student would like to take over summer. Two classes, will equal six hours as opposed to one class equaling three.

“I think summer school is a good idea for kids that don’t necessarily need it. It helps to get those classes you need to graduate out of the way, such as personal finance. A few weeks is much better than a whole semester,” said senior Allie Corrier. “Plus, with that out of the way, you have the chance to take more classes you want to take rather than the ones you need to take. It really just takes a load off. Plus, you get to have awesome teachers like Mr. Myers, and don’t waste your summer away.”

Art classes expandBy Karley Canova

Staff Reporter

Our school puts emphasis on students’ talent through a variety of programs. Whether it is academically, theatrically, or athletically,

there’s plenty for students to participate and show their true colors in. However, there has been exceptional growth in our art department.

“I don’t know another school who carries six full-time art teachers,” said Mrs. Judy Switzer, who teaches six of the seventeen art classes offered at

our school.Other schools, however, are downsizing their art

departments“[Other schools] aren’t invested enough, numbers

aren’t there, declining enrollment perhaps. There’s a lot of factors.” said Ms. Amy Roesslein, who teaches Painting I and II, and Drawing I and II.

The art department gets money from the district. Teachers list items that they will need during the

Senior Logan Whitworth sits down in Ms. Switzer’s sixth hour sculpture class and coils his clay on the turn table. The students were starting to work on their next project, a shoe made out of clay.

Photo by Jessy DiMariano

Please read more | Art, PAGE 4

4 Delve March 11, 2011 Page design by Brendan Kinnison

FHCtoday.com/DelveCentral Focus

According to Roesslein, the amount of enrollment, great teachers, and positive attitudes help out our district.

“I believe it helps us. I really do,” said Roesslein.

At Howell Central, the art department makes it a point to advertise and spread the word about anything and everything that is going on. They make posters, announcements, and showcases in the hallway. They make it easy for students to get involved, which helps them build up their experiences and skills.

“I think that as a department, we’ve been aware for a long time that our program will be in jeopardy,” said Ms. Switzer. “We have to make sure we are involved in the school and community.”

Before a student can take ceramics, painting, graphic design, etc., they have to take Introduction to Art, which is the foundation class for all of the other divisions of the art department. This class introduces students to the basics of each medium that would be used in other possible art class choices, such as clay,

pastels, and sculpting tools. There are approximately 250 new students who join Introduction to Art each year.

For students who are serious about joining an art class and really developing their art, there are a large amount of programs that the school offers currently, and new ones that will come out in 2011 - 2012.

“Take art classes early,” said Ms. Roesslein. “We want to know if you’re interested right away.”

Getting involved early will help students have an easier time landing a spot in the area that they want. Currently, the school offers studio nights, in which art class members can stay after school and work on art projects that they need to finish for class, personal work, or to build their portfolio.

“It definitely gives me the time

to work on art, considering my AP classes. My life during swim season is pretty much school, work, diving.” said senior Brittany Robinson, a member of the National Art Honor Society.

Next year, our school will be holding new classes and programs, such as an AP art studio class and club. These courses can help a student achieve advanced placement in college credit and an opportunity for students to develop portfolios for possible scholarships.

The portfolios have to meet the requirements of specific colleges, including a number of pieces and types of mediums. They then go to the National College Board to be judged and scored.

“It’s nice for us as a department to offer as many electives as we do,” said Mr. Bobby Storts, who teaches Graphic Design I and II, and the foundation class Introduction to Art. According to Mr. Bobby Storts, it is much harder for students to fit these classes in their schedules with as many credit requirements as there are necessary to graduate high school.

“The more options made available, [the more it] allows the student body to have a more rounded education,” said Mr. Storts.

By Victoria WalkerStaff Reporter

Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, the school is deciding whether or not to eliminate split lunches from schedules.

The school is trying to find the best way to reach the amount of minutes that students must be in class that is required by the state, Principal Sonny Arnel said. To accomplish this, the school day will be starting at 7:20 a.m. next year, rather than 7:25 a.m., as it has been.

There are currently five lunch periods, two of them split lunches: 4B and 5A. Dr. Arnel is pushing for those two lunches to be eliminated next year. He sees them as a time consuming distraction from classroom activities.

Dr. Arnel put it in the following example: students take a few minutes to get settled into class, then when lunch is a few minutes away, they stop paying attention to wait for the bell. They go to lunch and their attention is shifted from

the classroom to whatever is being served in the cafeteria that day, then they come back to class and time is taken up by the passing period.

More time is taken up getting settled back into the classroom and the teacher trying to get their attention set back on the subject. Then once again at the end of class, students begin to pack up and more time is thrown away. Much class time is wasted simply by interrupting it for lunch.

“I think [having a split lunch is] kind of distracting. You don’t always get to eat lunch on a regular schedule,” senior Dylan Flood said, referring to the days when teachers send students to another lunch period because of a test or other assignment that requires no distraction from the classroom environment. Flood also commented that in the beginning half of class he is thinking about food, then after lunch he is “trying not to fall into a food coma.”

“Split lunch is horrible,” said Mrs. Erin Thurston. “Before lunch

all [students] will talk about is how hungry [they are and] it is difficult to get back on task after lunch.”

Thurston also commented that it depends on the group of students. Two years ago she had a class with a split lunch that never had any issues. She also pointed out the lost time before lunch and at the end of class, as well as the fact that it is hard to plan class when there is a 15 minute activity but 20 minutes until lunch. The five minutes between is like dead space.

Junior Coleen Lewis had an entirely opposite opinion from Arnel, Flood, and Thurston.

“[I think sp would show] more negatives than it would positives,” Lewis said.

She enjoys having a break in the middle of class, but admits that coming back to class can be difficult to focus again. She also pointed out that on days where 4a and 4b eat together and 5a and 5b eat together, the lines are so long that there is no time to eat. She would rather the split lunches be left alone.

Three instead of five?Split lunches may be abolished in the 2011-2012 year

Senior Toni Hoesel rubs a mixture of water and clay onto the tip of her shoe to smooth out the imperfections. Hoesel was working on a TOMS style shoe.

As she cuts out a circle in her clay, sophomore Hannah Yoder concentrates to keep a steady hand. She already finished the sole of her shoe and was starting the front.

Photo by Kelci Davis

Photo by Kelci Davis

Photo by Savannah McEachern

Junior Jasmane Davis hands the cashier the money for her lunch that day. Students will no longer be having split lunches in the years to come.

Artfrom page 3

“ Take art classes

early. We want

to know if you're

interested right

away. ”— Ms. Amy Roesslein,

Fine Arts department chair

5DelveMarch 11, 2011Page design by Kamrie Reed

FHCtoday.com/Delve Central Focus

Turmoil hits homeBy Kamrie Reed

Staff Reporter

Political riots broke out in Egypt and Libya during the month of February. These protests have had a ripple effect on surrounding countries in the Arabic community.

The position for Egypt’s president is now open, and it is a race to see who will win control of the country. Elections are scheduled for August.

Now, the citizens and politicians are faced with the question of

who will rule their country in the future. An organization called the Muslim Brotherhood could be one of the upcoming rulers, or Egypt’s incumbent vice president.

“If the Muslim Brotherhood takes over, Israel will have a big problem,” said junior Abdallah Youset Abdo.

Abdo is a foreign exchange student from the country of Jordan, which is located to the east of Israel and east of Libya and Egypt.

Many surrounding countries’

politicians, such as those in Syria, Hezbollah and Iran, have high hopes that the Muslim Brotherhood will seize power.

Meanwhile, protests and riots have spread throughout the region, with governments in Iran and Libya fighting uprisings, often violently.

The United States has many close ties with Israel, a mostly Jewish country, and has greatly helped Israel in the past with political issues. However, the

controversy comes with the clash between Egypt and Israel, whose citizens are mostly Muslims and have harsh feelings towards people of Jewish decent.

Other countries, such as England, have been fully supportive of the latest uprisings in these Arabic countries. Egypt and Libya have both been under a dictatorship for around 40 years. Many of the surrounding countries, such as Jordan, have been waiting for the citizens to overthrow the

government.“This [rebellion] should have

happened a couple of years ago. Everything happened this year. We are not scared because [they are] rebelling for truth, not something wrong,” said Abdo.

These countries are now looking for more change and want more of a democracy.

“It is not easy to get what you want. If you want change, this whole mess has to happen in order [for it] to get better,” said Abdo.

Exchange student shares information about Middle East countries uprising

By Karley CanovaDelve Editor

Over the years, teachers and students have been improving techniques and lesson plans to help students do the best they can do on the ACT.

From 2007 to 2010, our school’s average ACT score has gone from 22.4 to a 22.8. We are now tied with Francis Howell North for the highest composite, or overall, score out of 36.

“Students have told us that they have gone up [from a score of ] 18 to 24, and even a few points is huge,” said Ms. Vicki Pohlman, 11th grade English teacher

To help these students, teachers do a variety of activities and practices to guide them. Students can take

the ACT however many times they would like, on the dates that they are offered. They are urged to take the test more than once.

“The first time is to get used to it,” said Mrs. Jessica Bulva, head of the English department.

Taking the ACT during junior year is strongly recommended; however, the school starts preparing the students their sophomore year.

During this time in their high school experience, students take the PLAN test, which will give students an approximate score of where they would be placed if they took the ACT.

Students will also take a practice timed ACT their junior year, at least once a quarter in Ms. Pohlman’s

class. These are graded and compared to a chart that will tell them the equivalent grade if it were the ACT.

“Most of it is practice,” said Ms. Pohlman.

The teachers then focus on what they need to teach the students based on these scores.

They use Study Island practices and similar wording and terminology that appear on the ACT while teaching so that the material is less alien to the students.

“We teach the literacy skills, and how they will appear on the ACT.” said Ms. Pohlman.

In the math department, teachers give practice tests and teach students how to properly use the tools they are given during the test - their brain and their calculator.

“[We teach them] where their mistakes might be, and how to rule out stupid answers,” said math teacher Mrs. Tiffany MacMillan.

Mrs. MacMillan teaches at least

one problem directly out of the ACT packet a day. She also lends out graphing calculators for those who do not have any of their own.

“Exposure is probably one of the key elements,” said Mrs. MacMillan.

Outside of school, students can also buy books or go online to get extra practice.

The top three books sold to help students are McGraw Hill, Kaplan, and Princeton Review. They range from prices of about $20 to $35. Also, free ACT preparations and sample tests are found all over the Internet. The ACT website contains links and suggested reading to help students.

“Understanding how the test is made is the key issue,” said Ms. Pohlman.

Teachers hold key for ACT success

Shell casings litter the road to Port Brega, the site of heavy fighting between revolutionaries and forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, on March 2.

MCT Campus

“ Students have

told us that they

have gone up [from

a score of] 18 to

24, and even a few

points is huge.... ”— Mrs. Vicki Pohlman,

English teacher

6 Delve March 11, 2011 Page design by Cory Schmitt

FHCtoday.com/DelveCentral Focus

By Maddie WilsonCopy Manager

Despite having announced in February that parent-teacher conferences had been cancelled for all secondary schools as part of the newly approved snow day make-up schedule, district administration has released a statement saying that conferences are officially back on the calendar.

This conflicting news has sent a ripple of chaos and confusion through both faculty and students, prompting questions over whether traditional conferences are worth the hassle.

The district’s original calendar for the 2010-2011 school year included two conference days: Oct. 22 for fall conferences and March 25 for spring conferences.

On these days, regular school would not be in session; instead, parent-teacher conferences would take place in the morning.

History department chair Ms.

Lisa Niswonger said that she liked this traditional schedule.

“We [teachers] love to talk to parents,” Ms. Niswonger said. “[But] some parents aren’t able to get away [to conferences] in the evenings.”

After the district cancelled eight days of school earlier this year due to inclement weather, district administration was forced to reconsider these previous plans; subsequently, the school board voted Feb. 3 to adopt a modified make-up schedule for secondary schools.

Among the changes was the decision to turn March 25 into a regular school day instead of a conference day. District officials said that parents and teachers were informed of the decision and were told to be prepared for further information from individual schools about potential options.

Mere weeks after this announcement, however, the district revealed on their website that

secondary spring conferences were back on.

The statement, included in a document addressing frequently asked snow day questions, cited “a number of inquiries [requesting conferences] from parents” and “an error in counting teacher work days” as some of the reasons why conferences were reinstated.

According to the district, after the conference day was initially cancelled, the number of work days for secondary teachers was one less than their contracts required.

Adding conferences back into the calendar, the document claims, “corrects this error and the inequity between elementary and secondary [work days] that it caused.”

After these developments, individual buildings were left to create their own schedules for conferences. Francis Howell Central has opted to devise this semester’s conference schedule based on teacher preference.

An e-mail with several time options for the conferences was sent by Dr. Sonny Arnel to all teachers, who then voted for when they would like conferences to be. The official dates for spring conferences are now Thursday March 10 and Wednesday March 23 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. each day.

“Dr. Arnel has been very good about communicating to us [teachers],” said Ms. Linda Scott, science department chair.

Still, the complicated process of scheduling and rescheduling conferences has raised questions about how important spring conferences really are. Ms. Scott said that she has mixed feelings about conferences.

“For year long classes, [conferences] are less important in the spring,” Ms. Scott said. “[But] I can see for a semester class why it would be important. I think we could get away with one night [of conferences] in the spring.”

The growth in popularity of technology available to parents may also affect conference attendance. Ms. Scott and Ms. Niswonger agree that increased email use and programs like Parent Portal, which allows families to see students’ grades online, may be affecting the importance of conferences.

“With Parent [Portal], many parents watch [their student’s] grades so carefully, that they contact me first,” said Ms. Niswonger. “I’m finding that I’m having fewer parents take advantage of being able to come in for conferences.”

Sophomore Lydia Colvin also believes that conferences have become less necessary.

“My mother is online every day looking at my grades,” she said. “I think it’s a sufficient substitute for conferences. Unless I have an issue with a teacher or something drastically changes my grade, I don’t plan on going [to conferences].”

Conferences conflict Parent-teacher conferences dates change due to snow days

Heard 7

Vandalism of artwork in restrooms p. 9 Lack of respect for recruited soldiers p. 10

Central Focus FHCtoday.com/BeHeard Page design by Alli KeiskerMarch 11, 2011

Be

During one of the first practices of the season, sophomore Kelci Davis shoots the varsity and JV girls soccer team as they warm up and run drills. Davis worked with photography in elementary school for fun, but did not get serious about her work until joining the staff of the Central Focus.

Photo by Savannah McEachern

Passion for the

shot

M y heart races. I can feel the muscle slamming into my rib cage over

and over again. There are only three minutes left in the game. Three minutes to drive the ball straight into the back of the net and save the game. I mentally predict a play-by-play moments before it happens: a sudden cross to the left, tactfully

played back to the defense, lobbed down to the corner, a deadly cross in front of the goal. Leg pulled back and ready. “Snap”.

I lower my camera. For just a moment, I discreetly smile as the girls’ soccer team celebrates its victory before returning the viewfinder to my trained eye and continuing to forever capture their moment of triumph.

Three years ago, I would have been celebrating on the other side of the lens. Screaming my lungs out at my team’s victory as sweat rolled down my face. Eleven years of failure, pain, sacrifice, triumph and perpetual motivation had been built into muscle memory and technical skill that I learned to utilize every time I stepped onto the pitch. From an early age, soccer became the epicenter of my entire life, my love/hate relationship that I wouldn’t have given up for the world.

At least, until the fall of 2007. Culminating injuries marked my entire soccer career, a lifelong journey highlighted with countless ankle sprains and strains that slowed me down, concussions that worried the MDs, a neck sprain, tendonitis and countless scars

Please read more |Passion, PAGE 8

Since the beginning of our childhood, we are taught to respect. Parents c o n s t a n t l y reinforce the ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ rules

of society. Teachers then further these skills by applying the starting foundations of social skills and moral beliefs. There are implied public rules in American society and table manners that need to be followed. So why is it okay to treat food service employees with the opposite of respect and the opposite of manners?

Treating the person that is kind enough to give you food with a smile as if they are lower than you isn’t a very wise decision for a customer to make. They handle the customers’ food. If they wanted to, they could do anything to that food without the customer ever questioning anything. Regardless of how consumers of the food treat the server, they expect the finest treatment. I work at a fast food restaurant, and I have experienced this firsthand. People think they can walk all over you, no matter how you treat them.

This brings us to part one of my epic story: “The Order.” One day, I was working the register on a busy Friday night. We were short-handed, and the lobby was full of customers who were trying to find flaws so they had something to complain about. One lady (we will call her Customer A) placed her order and took a seat, happy and content. Then the next person (Customer B) walked up and ordered the same thing as Customer A.

Which brings us to part two: “The Dispute.” Customer A’s food was ready, so I called out her order. What do ya know, the oh-so-impatient

By Ellen HinzeSweat Editor

Please read more | Fast food, PAGE 9

Customers show no courtesy to worker

By Kelci DavisVisuals Executive

Editor

Former athlete shifts dedication across

the sideline

8 Be Heard March 11, 2011 Page design by Alli Keisker

FHCtoday.com/BeHeardCentral Focus

It’s incredulous to think the Francis Howell School District is throwing education into the bargain bin along with all the unimportant afterthoughts of our society. The very thought of us actually learning something can be idealistic at times and it has become normal when we, as students, do not understand the material as easily as we thought we would. The teachers who walk these halls hold the sole job to help their students through the trials and tribulations of grammar and synthetic division, laws and life. Even today, that can be a stretch in the classroom. Next year’s drastic budget cuts will determine what teachers, and students, are able to handle after an exponential increase in work and a decrease in communication.

There are a lot of things wrong with the education system in the U.S. It doesn’t help when caring school districts cannot help their students because they do not have

the funds. The government must work to keep from putting schools districts in lose-lose situations. Our leaders must take the time to look at and focus on the specific points in the system that need to be changed instead of forcing schools to make uncalled for cuts in their budgets. The news that all first year teachers may be let go and that the number of students per class will increase at FHC is deeply concerning; news which many people, especially the teachers, are still trying to struggling to comprehend.

Attempting to cram three extra students into a classroom probably does not seem like any kind of epidemic. It’s not until we get into the

classroom and find our hands raised in the air for ten minutes before the overstressed teacher manages to get to our question that we realize this is affecting us. In many situations,

if we are understanding the material really well and want to advance our education, we can’t because we have to wait on our other classmates (who really shouldn’t be in the class at all) to catch up.

If this pattern continues with what the model for next year looks like, then don’t be surprised to see even a good student’s grades start to slip in one subject or another. The goal of education is to prepare students for the real world, but if this purpose is whittled down to just letting us get by then we will be in for rude

awakening after we leave these halls.

Many students don’t realize how one additional student can impact a teacher’s work load. There is one extra desk to fill, five extra questions to answer and twenty more papers to grade. A teacher’s time will be spent grading an extra five-page essay instead of helping students who still can’t put together a three-prong thesis.

Overall, it is inevitable that the downfall of our economy is going to hit even harder in these halls. As districts struggle to cram students into classrooms, the quality of education will be sacrificed. Corners are being cut all across the nation, and government officials as well as administrators must be sure that they are not sacrificing the education and thereby the future of our generation. It is up to the system leaders to pull our education out of the bargain bin and give students and teachers and chance of success.

Staff editorial

“ It is up to our

system leaders to

pull our education

out of the bargain

bin... ”

A decrease in teachers threatens classroom quality Changes cause concern

Fast foodfrom page7

Wordword of mouth word of mouth THOUGHTS ON THE STORIES WE COULDN’T FIND SPACE FOR word of mouth word of mouth

Kin

g L

eo X

erx

es

THE SCALE: On a scale of King Leo to Xerxes, we offer our thoughts on issues we couldn’t get into the paper.

Cartoon by Schott Kenkel

Customer B stands up first and comes to get the food he assumed was his. Then, being the nice person I am, I said, “I’m sorry, Customer B, but your food is not ready yet. This is Customer A’s food, I apologize for the wait. It should only be a little while longer.” This was not good enough for Customer B and he took - no, grabbed - the food right out of my hands and left in a huff.

Which brings us to part three: “The Rage.” Customer A then sees that Customer B got food before her. And you know the rule: no cuts. So she - who, might I add, missed the entire exchange I had with Customer B before - just assumed I gave the food to him to... ruin her day... So she stands up. Looks at me. Stares at me. Glares at me. Walks to the counter. Taps on the counter. Coughs obnoxiously. Stomps her foot. Makes statements. Looks at me. Looks at food. Me. Food. Me. Food. PROFANITIES. Customer A starts yelling at me for not giving her food that I don’t have. And it wasn’t a quiet yelling. She was not using her indoor voice.

So now we have part four: “The Act.” If you know anything about me, you know I tell people like it is, and I don’t hold back. Unfortunately, I am paid to keep calm and be nice no matter what. Lucky me. Now that customer A was done with her fit, all eyes were on me to see what the next move would be. So I look at her. Stare at her. Glare at her. Walk to the food. Point at the food. Look at the food. Her. Food. Her. Food. Deep breath. Smile. Pick up food. Hand food to her and say, “Thank you for choosing (insert restaurant here). I hope you had a pleasant experience. Do come again, I look forward to it.”

The end. Now that you have peeked into the life of fast food servers, maybe you will think before you glare or stomp or cause a scene. When you do, that poor little girl at the register gets yelled at; she gets reprimanded and it could cost her the job. Manners are like a different language, they can easily be misinterpreted to mean something totally opposite of what the speaker is trying to say. The better one’s manners are, the more understanding they will have.

DECA COMPETITION: DECA is going to The Lake of the Ozarks over spring break for their State competition.

RYAN TEBEAU: This semester, senior Ryan Tebeau received the Chick Evans Scholarship. He will be attending Mizzou with a full ride scholarship.

DRUMLINE: Drumline will be attending the St Charles comeptition at Francis Howell North on March 12.

WINTER GUARD: Winter guard recieved third place at O’Fallon Town Ship High School on Feb. 26.

9Be HeardMarch 11, 2011Page design by Alli Keisker

FHCtoday.com/BeHeard Central Focus

I wear like badges of honor. Each broken bone withered down my body until daily pains, ones that I still feel to this moment, somehow broke my lifelong drive.

One game, just another game, I fell to from my most devastating injury: a snapped ankle which brought me to my knees in a second. In the scheme of the game, it was an anti-climatic moment. I was never one to go down with pain, so when I dropped to my knee, my teammates and coaches looked around confused - all trying to find who I knelt in respect for. Unbeknownst to them, my cleat had caught an inseam in the AstroTurf - when my body moved to go one way, my ankle stayed as still as stone. “Snap.”

Ever since, I tried to mask my pain. After my games, I’d cry during the car rides home so none of my teammates, my makeshift sisters, could see me weakened. Time continued to beat me down, and with nearly unbearable pain, a disgraceful dictator of a coach and the realization that this sport was defining everything in my life, I was about to walk away.

I tried one last time: my final game with Tony Glavin Soccer Club.

Midway through the game, I broke into tears. In that moment, everyone knew. My dad who had supported my insatiable love for the game knew. My coaches, who taught me everything I know, knew. Worst of all, my teammates bowed their heads and knew. In a split second I had made the hardest decision of my life. It was over. I was done.

Anyone who plays a sport long enough, especially any other athlete who had their parent as a coach, knows that the game is their life. Your friends all play on your team, homework is done in the car on the way to practice and meals consist of pure carbohydrates, proteins and sugar. Before middle school, I had never really noticed my lack of social life. I hadn’t yet comprehended that their might be another way of life other than the one I had been living for so long. I was unaware of the multitude of options waiting right in front of my unseeing eyes.

The last time I took off my sweat-drenched jersey I remember being entirely perplexed. I laid the green cloth beside me and avoided looking down, knowing the number 14 was staring right back up at me. I hadn’t the slightest inclination of where to turn or where to even start. I now had nights and weekends off for the first time. In the midst of it all, I was faced with one question that baffled

me: what does a thirteen-year-old do for fun? Over halfway through seventh grade and I had no idea.

The rest of my middle school years consisted of a tight group of friends blended with teenage angst and infatuation. My adrenaline rushes no longer came from sprinting down an open field and chasing down an opposing player, rather from sprinting down a street and making a scene with my friends, my makeshift brothers.

Yet, I remained feeling slightly empty. I lost an outlet for my passion, for my drive and was hollow. I had lost my reason. That is, until I made a split-second decision my freshman year and walked into room 139 and stepped onto the Central Focus newspaper staff.

Deep within my skull, I knew I wasn’t supposed to be there. I had never taken photojournalism or journalism, never held a camera worth more than about three hundred bucks, and would have guessed that the inverted pyramid was some kind of masonic sign or something like that. Not your ideal staff member.

The adviser, Mr. Matthew Schott, was entirely skeptical of my journalistic worth, as was the entire editorial board. Still, no one was more skeptical than myself. As I quietly sat in the background of

a classroom, without the slightest inclination of where to turn or where to even start, I thought I had made a horrid mistake.

Then, I was handed a camera. One that was probably worth more money than all the birthday checks I’d received in fifteen years added together. I was scared to death of it, but when I raised the small, square, viewfinder to my untrained eye, I was in my element.

It never occurred to me that I had a true, strong, natural talent in anything. Honestly, I wouldn’t have even guessed it until Mr. Schott told me so after I shot the 2009 Homecoming football game. As he told the entire staff about how impressed he was by my actions, I beamed and tried to hide that it was one of the proudest three minutes of my life.

From that moment on, I’ve lived behind a camera lens. I made it my job to capture life, to hold a moment still forever. My life has become capturing life, and I am insatiable. I could never stop shooting. Instead of elbowing an opponent in the side to blow off steam, I capture another player doing just that. The camera symbolizes my duty, entertainment and has even become my source of therapy.

Photojournalism makes me face fears I never knew I had, and allows

me to triumph over them. From holding my face two inches from an unpredictable tarantula to taking pictures of a fallen hero’s, L. Cpl. Phillip Vinnedge’s, funeral through a tear-blurred viewfinder, I’ve been put in terrifying and morally-conflicting situations but remained strong thanks to my unbreakable belief that one photo can change the world.

My goal has changed. No longer do I look to bury a ball in a net; rather, I look to induce someone’s emotions with a single image.

My friends have changed. No longer do I have a family of soccer players; rather, I have an irreplaceable staff of brilliant journalists supporting me.

My life has changed. No longer do I run from practice to practice and from game to game; rather, I sprint along the sidelines and push through crowds to get that one, special shot.

My passion, however, has not changed. The touchline between the open field and the sideline is about three inches thick. It took me three years to cross those three inches, and despite everything I once loved so passionately, I’d never think of stepping back. The same drive I was born with runs through my veins at a thousand miles per hour. My passion has merely changed course.

So I raise my camera, focus the lens and hold steady. “Snap.”

Passionfrom page7

A r t w o r k around our school is taken for granted. I know from p e r s o n a l experience that the head of art club, Ms. Amy Roesslein, puts so much heart

and dedication into projects that she and the art club take on. The bathroom stall painting project, for example, cost art club around a hundred dollars, but the dollar amount isn’t the biggest expense.

Roesslein and the Art Club met twice a week for four months and worked at least an hour or two a day on the restroom project, and ironically, its main purpose was to put an end to restroom graffiti.

Art Club has been known to work countless hours to shed a new light on our restrooms, only to have them written over with vulgar filthy and snide remarks about the female

anatomy.In case you don’t venture into the

restroom too often, I am talking about the little pen or pencil written messages that spell out different parts of the male or female anatomy. Not creative poems or thoughtful remarks to accompany the painted images they’re written over, just a single word written, just because.

As an artist, this infuriates me. I don’t care where the art is, it’s art, period. For far too long it has gone unnoticed, unappreciated, and unrecognized not only in school, but in society as a whole.

Art students recreate classic pieces of art on the bathroom stalls and, unfortunately, they are continuously looked over. A majority of the time “the guys” are too busy reading about how “gangsta” this one dude is or reading meaningless four or five letter words that they, for reasons unknown to me, find entertaining.

Students fail to realize that everything costs money. These arrogant individuals who find it

entertaining to deface artwork, whether it be on canvas or bathroom stall, need be punished, but the question is how?

Administrators can’t tell the identity of the individuals who are going about committing these deviant acts. Their markings are done behind closed doors, so unless we can somehow manage to convince these people to cease, Art Club’s sweat and money is just wasting away.

What kills me isn’t just the fact that artwork is being defaced, but that the time, heart, dedication, and money that was put into these stalls has been dismissed and unappreciated.

I will say that we need to stop the madness, but unfortunately our administration is blind to who the culprit truly is. So we can only hope that our ever-so-immature group of small time vandals will recognize how ignorant this apparently “humorous” act really is, and find it in their hearts to put an end to their actions.

By Scott KenkelStaff Photographer

Photo by Scott Kenkel

Art work flushed down the drain

Photo by Scott Kenkel Photo by Scott Kenkel

Various paintings are featured on both inside and outside of the stalls.

Art Club members spend their free time after school replicating these paintings.

Students from Art Club’s art work is displayed in the bathrooms. The art work had been gradually painted on the stalls over the past few years.

10 Be Heard March 11, 2011 Page design by Julianna Smith

FHCtoday.com/BeHeardCentral Focus

To be a soldier takes courage and strength, not only externally, but internally. Many students argue that no one should vow to join the

military for a “corrupt” government. But if someone does not defend us, who will? Who will at least attempt to risk their life to save yours? Who will fight for your freedom?

Many people across the United States do not realize what we actually do have in this country compared to others, and they take advantage of the many opportunities and advances we have. We have the luxury of fresh pure water exiting a spout just from the flick of a lever, access to food right inside our six feet by five feet pantry, and the click of a button for technology entertainment. Not to mention, we have the ability to love who we desire without a planned family, and a woman now has the ability to have the same rights and liberties as a man. If a team did not form together to protect us, we

would have nothing.We live in a corrupt government,

right? Is that what we juveniles think? How much of us ACTUALLY do know the truth about our country’s situation and how the government is handling it? Sure, maybe you think it is going downhill compared to the past, but that is not an accurate reason to say we are “corrupt”. We have abilities and opportunities that no other country has seen before, so to keep this country alive and push the faith of our will-power, we need soldiers to defend and support us.

We would possess the qualities of a developing country if we did not have our advantages and opportunities that we do here. Like in India, where women are valued as nothing, population is accelerating because they do not possess the knowledge of birth control methods, and women are having up to eight children in their lifetime.

Even electricity is bare minimum and is very rare in a household. Women and children walk miles every day for small amounts of water, and almost every family lives on less than two dollars a day, according to

Ms. Paula Pettig.Though many Americans and

even us students are not too happy with the government and economy at this moment, at least take pride in your soldiers who risk their life to try to defend your life and liberties. That includes supporting

your peers who decide to join the military, because someone has to defend you and your family’s rights. And if you will not defend them, take pride in and appreciate your peers that do.

I just believe that every individual, including students, should realize

the sacrifice our soldiers make for us, and that is not about working for the government. No matter how corrupt a government is or is not, someone has to defend this country and every individual, for all the freedoms we do have and enjoy, as we strive for the pursuit of happiness.

They fight for your rightsStudents who become soldiers deserve appreciation for their choice

Looking around the school lately, I have noticed quite a few things about people, not a single aspect being positive. I’ve made a lot of changes lately; I’ve made friends and cut others off. I’ve realized that everyone comes to that point

where they realize who the people around them really are. I had surrounded myself with horrible, ignorant and untrustworthy people. The people who I thought were friends all turned out to be Judases; I was appalled. The lack of trust and respect that takes place in high school is disgusting. You should all be ashamed.

Guys go around trying to hook up with any girl possible, putting just the minuscule chance of anything higher up than their friends, the people who actually care about them. Whereas girls go around flaunting and acting all stuck up, then act confused when they end up with a guy who is a jerk and only wants their body; it is what you asked for, babe.

And don’t you dare try to tell anyone your secrets; they will be roaming the halls before you can even walk away, no matter

what trust you believe you have with that person. I am shocked at the number of two-faced students. Quite frankly, I hope this gets you fired up. I hope you call me a hypocrite; it’s just fuel for the fire.

Would you like to know why I purposefully try to alienate myself except for a select group of people? For one, those are the only people I feel comfortable trusting. Second, they tend to be the only people who do not fall for the stupid crazes. The most boring thing would be perfectly excitable. To put it simply, I despise the other students; they are not even remotely on the same level as us. We grow up from being freshman; well, ideally, that is what is supposed to happen.

You all know the things I am saying are true; we have all been there. We have all had that friend who we trusted that stabbed us in the back. We all know the kids who bully and beat down, we know what it feels like to be cheated. You learn more lessons from just going to school than you ever will in class. What I have learned is that life just goes on; I’ve stopped caring. Call it apathy, call it anything, I do not care. It is just too bad some people cannot mature; they never will. So I left them behind.

By Julianna SmithStaff Reporter

Hiding inner realities

By Brendan Kinnison

Delve Editor

Check out our blogs at

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Three teaching positions to be vacated In order to meet the target of 8 positions cut, the school will need to layoff a total of three teachers. Positions may be vacated in the core education departments. Teaching positions to be vacated will be announced in a meeting on March 22.

Timeline for staffing decisionsMarch 22: Staffing plans for each building sent to district office.March 25: Open positions posted internallyMarch 31: Reduction in force (RIF) to be presented and approved at Board of Education meeting.March 25-April 5: Internal transfer candidates interviewedApril 6: Any unfilled positions posted for candidates outside of the Francis Howell School District.

12 In Focus March 11, 2011 Page design by Cory Schmitt

FHCtoday.com/PrintCentral Focus CF

Getting to the bottom lineGuiding principles explained

By Claire HendersonCopy Manager

When the Executive Cabinet (Superintendent and Chief officers) created their budget proposal to present to the Board of Education for the 2011-2012 school year, they set forth a list of “guiding principles”. These were the guidelines they used while considering budget and staffing reductions. We contacted FHSD Chief Financial Officer Kevin Supple and asked him to explain what each of these guidelines meant, and how the Executive Cabinet used them to created the budget proposal.

1. Take care of people“The Executive Cabinet recognizes that reductions

in the number of staff members are not just numbers on a page, but that real people, members of the FHSD family, are impacted. We wanted to ensure that there was an opportunity to speak one-on-one with any individual who was identifiable in the proposed reductions. We did not want anyone to learn of the possible reduction of their position by reading it in the newspaper.”

2. Provide for a safe and orderly learning environment

“FHSD utilizes the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model of school improvement. Robert Marzano, one of the gurus of PLCs, describes a safe and orderly learning environment as an essential school-level factor. If teachers and students do not feel safe, they will not have the necessary psychological energy for teaching and learning. Without a minimum level of safety and order, a school has little chance of positively affecting student achievement. We kept this principle in mind as we made our recommendations for staffing reductions.”

3. Minimize the impact on the classroom as much as possible

“Research shows that the classroom teacher has the greatest impact on student achievement. We know that ancillary services are important. However, we worked to preserve classroom instruction as much as possible when making our recommendations for staffing reductions.”

Where $7.3 million in reductions comes and how it impacts Howell Central$4

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PRINCIPLES | Continued on Page 14

What is deficit spending?According to Chief Financial Officer

Kevin Supple, deficit spending is when the District budgets expenditures in excess of the anticipated revenue.

Why was deficit spending requested for this budget?

“The administration asked to make strategic use of a portion of its fund

balance reserves in order to lessen the impact of the anticipated decline in state and local revenue for 2011-2012,” Supple said.

How much does the district have in its reserves?

“The District started this fiscal year with $35.5 million in reserves. Because FHSD relies heavily on local revenue, a fund

balance equal to 20 percent of its budgeted expenditures is necessary to provide the cash to meet operating expenses from the beginning of the fiscal year ( July 1) until the receipt of property tax revenue in December. The $35.5 million represents a 20.5 percent fund balance reserve of projected 2010-2011 expenditures,” Supple said.

One dean of students The administrators will delegate duties out during summer meetings. Principals will have more duties and the greatest impact seen by students will be increased

caseloads by each principal, according to Associate Principal Diana Allen.

Special Ed. position Workload will increase on the teachers, but the impact on special needs students will be minimal. “We will continue to do whatever we can to serve students,” said Special Education department chair Mrs. Mary Boyd.

ISAP and Study Halls to share the same roomIn order to save a staff position, ISAP and all study halls will take place in Room 3. The impacts on students will not be

tremendous but the duties for ISAP teacher, Stephen Meyer will increase next year.

Department chairs to lose second plan hourDepartment chairs will no longer have two plan hours. By reducing the amount of plan

times, the school hopes to save a teaching position.

No staff in Writing LabIn order to minimize staff reductions, the

writing lab will no longer be staffed. Students will not be able to drop-in for help on essays throughout the day. The room will only be unlocked when teachers

have requested access to the room for their classes, according to writing lab teacher Kathryn Mastorakos.

Three teaching positions to be vacated In order to meet the target of 8 positions cut, the school will need to layoff a total of three teachers. Positions may be vacated in the core education departments. Teaching positions to be vacated will be announced in a meeting on March 22.

Timeline for staffing decisionsMarch 22: Staffing plans for each building sent to district office.March 25: Open positions posted internallyMarch 31: Reduction in force (RIF) to be presented and approved at Board of Education meeting.March 25-April 5: Internal transfer candidates interviewedApril 6: Any unfilled positions posted for candidates outside of the Francis Howell School District.

CF 13In FocusMarch 11, 2011Page design by Cory Schmitt | Photo by Jessy DiMariano

FHCtoday.com/Print Central Focus

Getting to the bottom lineOn Feb. 17, the FHSD Board of Education voted 7-0 to

approve a budget that will cut $7.3 million in expenses in the 2011-'12 school year to curb the $10.3 million deficit. This translates to 95 staff positions to be terminated

districtwide and a slew of other cuts across the district.

Where $7.3 million in reductions comes and how it impacts Howell Central

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What are other districts doing?

By Victoria WalkerStaff reporter

Last month, the district’s Board of Education voted to cut the gifted program, also known as the SEGA and Spectra classes. The high schools have all been cut to half time and the middle schools, with the exception of Bryan, have been cut to one to three hours a day. Bryan was able to keep its full time program, Ms. Sharon King, the Spectra instructor, said.

This means that the Spectra room will only be able to hold classes for three hours, and the room will only be open to drop-in students during those three hours.

Spectra is a self-directed learning program, where students are able to choose a project to work on that interests them and may go into full detail on that project. Working with the other gifted students is a good environment to work in. It’s like a “think tank,” said junior Nick Deckard.

Tracy Walker, who took Spectra in the 2004-2005 school year, put together an entire binder full of information on being a pediatrician.

Walker looked at colleges and programs, the cost of college, chose a school to attend, planned out classes, studied the birth rates in the counties of

Please read more | Gifted, PAGE 14

Gifted program cut in half

Seniors Dami McGraw and Max Muholland and freshman Stephen Eastman work on projects in the Spectra room. Next year, the option to take Spectra as an elective class will be eliminated and the room will only be available to drop-ins three hours a day.

Cuts are not only hitting Francis Howell School District, but many others across the St. Louis region. Here’s a peek at what other districts are looking to cut for the upcoming school year.Fort Zumwalt R-II School District intends to cut $3.6 million from its budget for 2011-12Rockwood School District is planning to trim $8.0 million from its budget for 2011-12The Mehlville School District is intending to slice $4.6 millionThe Wentzville School District is bucking the trend and plans to hire 25 teachers for 2011-12.The Hazelwood School District expects to see a $3.2 million shortfall from the state.

SOURCES: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Special Ed. position Workload will increase on the teachers, but the impact on special needs students will be minimal. “We will continue to do whatever we can to serve students,” said Special Education department chair Mrs. Mary Boyd.

General budget reductionsAccording to Chief Financial Officer Kevin Supple, “each building and department was charged with reducing their budget by 10 percent. It was not possible to specify the exact reductions, as FHN may choose to do something very different from FHC. This line item is the estimated reduction that come as a result of each building and department doing its 10 percent cut.”

22 staff positions, including technical and special education paras and cafe aides will be cut.

14 In Focus March 11, 2011 Page design by Cory Schmitt

FHCtoday.com/PrintCentral Focus

4. Make decision based on learning needs

“We use data to inform our decisions regarding the areas where more support for student achievement is needed. In making the proposed budget reductions, we tried to preserve funding for those supports that we believed would best lead to improved outcomes for students.”

5. No class averages over the MSIP minimum standards

“The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) establishes class size standards. Currently, due to reductions in state funding, the DESE is not holding school districts accountable for maintaining class size standards. However, we believe it is important to continue to meet the established class size standards, and our recommendations were

made with this principle in mind.”6. Find improved

efficiencies and equity, where possible

“We looked for every opportunity to complete our work in a more efficient manner, leading to cost savings that were used to maintain additional staff positions. We also looked at the relative staffing levels at various buildings (e.g., across all 5 middle schools) to determine if personnel and other resources were equitably distributed.”

7. Maintain collaboration time

“One of the tenets of PLCs is the ability for teachers to work collaboratively on ways to improve student learning. Over the past several years, we have made changes to schedules that allow for regular collaboration among teachers. Our recommendations for budget reductions were made with an eye towards maintaining the ability of teachers to be able to.

Principlesfrom page12

Missouri, chose a county she would like to work in, and then did all of the research about creating her own business there. Her college teachers were very impressed, King said.

Walker was overly prepared for college and her career, and had many of the major decisions other students had yet to make out of the way, ready to jump right in.

Projects are not the only thing that being in the Gifted Program can help students do to achieve their goals in life. Students can work on any type of project they choose to learn about, from applying to colleges, finding a college, studying for the ACT, researching, creating portfolios, writing music, poetry, or stories, any project that a student really gets into

and enjoys learning about, King said.“I could take classes others couldn’t,”

said sophomore Amy Sweeney, referring to her being in upper level English and math classes throughout her high school experience.

Sweeney was in the SEGA program during middle school.

Thanks to her being able to advance in math and English, Sweeney will classes that challenge her more and will be able to choose more classes to take, such as calculus, a class not all students meet the requirements for

during their high school years.Another student from the SEGA

program shares positive thoughts about the class.

“Good habits, organization, and friends,” were found in SEGA for sophomore Kyle Pyatt. He said without the program, kids wouldn’t be able to reach their full potential.

These students have special needs; it is a special education class, just on the high end of the spectrum. These children work and process information faster than the average student and need something to challenge their mind so they do not become bored with their studies.

“The drop out rate [nationally] for gifted students is 18 percent. At Central, it is zero [because they have the gifted program to challenge themselves],” Deckard commented.

With the cuts to the program, very few hours will be allotted to this group’s needed educational help.

“Overall, we’re going to be losing a lot,” Deckard said.

Students will be missing out on hours and resources, and many students will be unable to utilize the classroom at all if they’re unable to drop in during the three hours the classroom will be open.

Overall, they are missing out on the opportunity to excel and exceed beyond expectations, to push themselves to their full potential, and to take the time to learn about things that are important to them and projects that will help them with their futures.

Gifted from page13

“ The drop out rate

for gifted students

i 18 percent. At

Central, it is zero. ”— Nick Deckard,

junior Spectra member

tSwea 15

Central Focus FHCtoday.com/Sweat Page design by Ellen HinzeMarch 11, 2011

HockeyHockey ended their

season with 23-3 winning the state title for the first

time in school history. “It’s a tremendous honor.

The guys definitely deserved the win,” junior

Chase Rey said.

Boys basketball

The boys basketball team, above, beat Howell for the first time since 2007 and ended their season 12-14. “We won more games than we

have in the past, we could have done better but we accomplish a

lot,” junior Ryan Miller said.

WrestlingThe wrestling team placed second overall in the

state championship and had ten state qualifiers. One qualifier was Terrel Wilbourn, above, who battled

his way to his third state title. “We made history! We had the best finish [at state] in our school history.

With seven medalists, we had a very accomplished season,” Coach Steven Cross said.

Girls basketballThe girls basketball team, left,

made it to the district finals, but fell to Fort Zummwalt

South. “I think our season has gone well. We had 20 wins making it a great season,” junior Jazmine Davis said.

SensationsThe Sensations dance team

won the state title, below, placing first in jazz and second in hip-hop “I was in shock when I found out that we won since Sensations has never gotten

a state title before,” junior Hannah Greco said.

Girls swimmingAlison Strickler went to state

for 50 and 100-freestyle placing tenth in both events. “I got my best times ever at state. It felt great swimming

faster than I ever have before,” Strickler said.

W i n t e r s p o r t s r e c a p

Please read more | Wrestling, PAGE 17

Please read more | Basketball, PAGE 16Please read more | See FHCtoday.com

Please read more |See FHCtoday.comPlease read more | Hockey, PAGE 18Please read more |

See FHCtoday.com and PAGE 24

16 Sweat March 11, 2011 Page design by Maddie Wilson

FHCtoday.com/SweatCentral Focus

By Lizzi Holland Staff Reporter

Thomas Edison said that success takes 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration, which explains how senior Andrew Tedder has gone so far in his sports related endeavors. Tedder is a leading basketball team member, often playing as a guard. Regarding Edison’s famous words, perspiration is never lacking on the basketball court.

Tedder began his journey when he was merely five years old, when his entire family was either coaching or playing basketball themselves. This is why Tedder would consider his grandfathers, uncles, and all immediate family positive role models, both in life and basketball. However, family is not the only influence on Tedder’s perseverance.

“I always like to

watch Michael Jordan videos because he changed how the game was played,” said Tedder.

Perhaps it is because Tedder watched so many basketball videos that he considers his knowledge of the game one of his biggest strengths, the other being his poise while on the court. Despite both his talent and love for the game, Tedder cannot say that he will play once he is out of high school. Even though he does not see himself on the court in the future, he would like to be an influence for other basketball players.

“Someday I would like to be a coach because I have always been involved in basketball and being a coach [would be] the next best thing. Plus, I love watching the game,” said Tedder.

His passion for basketball along

with baseball and volleyball, which are two other sports he partakes in, could enhance his coaching abilities.

Along with passion, Tedder has confidence in his abilities. He remembers junior year and described

the anxiety he used to experience before a game. However, with an additional year came additional confidence.

“Now, as a senior, I have been through it all before,” said Tedder. “If I do get nervous I just think about how many

times I have practiced and that helps build confidence.”

And practice he does, with team practice everyday after school and at least once every weekend. However, Tedder remains optimistic about it, saying that once games begin, practices are not as extreme.

“Before games get started, we practice really hard to get into shape, but then once games start we still go hard, but not as much conditioning,” said Tedder.

With frequent basketball practice along with other sports, school and friends, everything could become overwhelming. Somehow, Tedder manages it all with a positive attitude and respect for his fellow teammates and his coach. His positive outlook is why his teammates feel the same appreciation towards him.

“[Tedder] is a great teammate who I can always count on, on and off the court. He always works hard and tries his best,” said senior Ryan Tebeau.

It is this dedication that has gotten Tedder far in his basketball-filled life.

“I wouldn’t say [basketball] interferes with the rest of my life,” said Tedder. “The rest of my life can interfere with basketball because during the season I try to be as focused as possible. If I wasn’t then it would be unfair to my coach and my teammates.”

26 Game

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Tedder by the Numbers

{Tedder averaged 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 9 points each game}

FOCUS

“ [Tedder] is a great

teammate who I can

always count on, on

and off the court. He

always works hard ” -Ryan Tebeau

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Senior guard Andrew Tedder finds success on court and off with

determination, hard work

17SweatMarch 11, 2011Page design by Ellen Hinze

FHCtoday.com/Sweat Central Focus

Wilbourn wins third state title

By Cory SchmittPrint Executive Editor

Terrel Wilbourn let out a scream as soon as the clock struck zero.

A scream of joy for the senior had just won his third consecutive state title in the Class Four State Wrestling Tournament.

A scream of revenge as Wilbourn had defeated the only wrestler to defeat him in competition all season.

B u t perhaps most importantly, a scream of pain as the wrestler overcame a third period knee injury to capture the title.

Even two minutes prior, a third title seemed out of reach. Keenan Hagerty of Blue Springs had gone after Wilbourn’s vulnerable right knee in an attempt to get the upper hand on his opponent.

With 43 seconds left in the match, Hagerty’s strategy seemed to have succeeded. Wilbourn, in agony, called out to the medical staff.

“I thought about forfeiting in my head when I first felt it,” said Wilbourn. “I didn’t want to wrestle anymore.”

And the thoughts began circling through his brain. Should the two-time state champion forfeit the match due to his injury or was it

worth sticking out? Wilbourn glanced at the s c o r e b o a r d and made his decision.

“I looked at the clock and saw it was in the third period and I decided to stick it out,” said Wilbourn, who was hanging on to a 3-2 lead at that point in the

match.But instead of hanging on,

Wilbourn took to the offensive instead. 15 seconds later in the match and Wilbourn, albeit hobbling, flipped Hagerty to thunderous applause from the stands to make the score 6-2. A victory seemed assured. History seemed assured. The clock read 0:00 and victory had come and history

had been made.“I couldn’t even explain what was

going through my mind when I won the title,” said Wilbourn. “There was so much emotion.”

The fact that Wilbourn was wrestling his greatest rival made his third title more sweet than his sophomore and junior year victories over Bricker Dickson and Russell Coleman of Park Hill High School.

“Keenan [Hagerty] and I have always been rivals,” said Wilbourn. “And since he had defeated me earlier in the season.”

Coupled with a hurt knee, this victory was bigger than his prior victories.

“It wasn’t just another victory to me,” said Wilbourn. “It was a harder earned victory because of my injury.”

Wilbourn’s coach, Mr. Steven Cross was extremely impressed with his perseverance.

“[The victory] really showed his toughness,” said Coach Cross.

With three state titles, a combined 175-7 record, and the memories of a lifetime, Terrel Wilbourn, as stated on the cover of the December issue of ESPN Rise Magazine, truly does have a grip, a championship grip, on Missouri wrestling.

State wrestling outcomesTerrel Wilbourn (140)Three time state championWin (20-4): Tyler Sonnabend, Parkway South (28-10)Win (fall): Chad Homan, Lee’s Summit North (30-6)Win (7-2): Blake Pepper, Seckman (23-2)Win (6-3): Keenan Hagerty, Blue Springs (42-2)

Ben Henson (119)Win (18-3): Zach Newman, Lee's Summit North (12-13)Win (8-2): Jordan Reisenbichler, Jackson (41-5)Win (5-1): Cole Baumgartner, Jeff City (43-4)Loss (5-2): Antoine White, Hazelwood West (25-0)

Matt Greene (171)Win (7-2): Jeremy Howard, Raymore-Peculiar (31-13)Loss (9-6): Timothy Niewald, Seckman (30-11)Win (11-4): Jerret Franklin, Francis Howell (37-10)Win (4-1): Ryan Tulley, Marquette (39-10)Win (5-4, 8th period): Ryan Marble, Jackson (37-1)Win (4-3, 6th period): Derick Sanders, Blue Springs (12-3)

Andy King (152)Win (6-0): John Oss, Ozark (39-12)Win (5-3): Gage Shaddox, Liberty (44-0)Loss (2-0): Michael Slyman, Lindbergh (31-1)Win (fall): Corey Matt, Seckman (29-13)Loss (6-2): Gage Shaddox, Liberty (44-0)

Luke Knoche (160)Loss (8-7): Matthew Mosior, Maquette (28-14)Win (6-1): Andrew Bestgen, Lee's Summit West (29-17)Win (2-0): Sam Cyr, Waynesville (18-2)Win (4-2): Joseph Holden, DeSmet (40-8)Win (fall): Matthew Mosior, Maquette (28-14)Loss (6-0): Tyrone Williams, Hazelwood Central (20-6)

John Wood (135)Win (18-5): Joshua Coquyt, Winnetonka (25-9)Loss (3-2): Greg Hegarty, Blue Springs (41-3)Win (12-9): Arthur Meyer, William Chrisman (34-11)Win (3-2): Andrew Niehaus, Lee's Summit West (29-4)Win (8-3): Harold Ritchie, Francis Howell North (40-3)Loss (2-0): Nick Olejnik, Lafayette (45-2)

Wyatt Miller (189)Win (4-0): Chris Carter, Parkway North (40-13)Win (3-0): Willy Gray, Ozark (41-10)Loss (4-3): Lewis Foutz, Blue Springs (38-4)Loss (4-3): Steven Kingsolver, Lee's Summit (34-6)Win (3-1): Will Owens, Hickman (10-4)

Cole Anderson (215)Loss (13-6): Donnie Horner, Blue Springs (39-6)Win (fall): Kenny Hanes, Fox (18-14)Loss (3-2): Jackson Hill, Lee's Summit (27-8)

Brain Paur (Heavyweight)Win (opponent forfeited before match): Shawntez Hamilton-well, Rock Bridge (21-7)Loss (1-0): Nick Tufts, Northwest (45-4)Win (3-2): Lucas Slinkard, Jackson (22-12)Loss (injury): Ben Boyd, Rockhurst (31-3)

Justin Dickey (145)Win (8-1): William Whitney, St. Louis University (31-12)Loss (4-3, 6th period): Gabriel Asano, Wayensville (30-7)Loss (3-2, 8th period): Timothy Hoffman, Troy (33-16)

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Senior Terrel Wilbourn grabs a hold of Seckmann’s Blake Pepper during the semifinals of the state wrestling tournament. Wilbourn would win the match 7-2 and go on to defeat Blue Springs Keenan Hagerty in the finals to claim his third state title.

Photo by Kelci Davis

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“ It wasn't just

another victory. It

was a harder earned

victory because of

my injury. ”— Terrel Wilbourn,

three-time state champion

Senior overcomes injury to knee in final round match to claim championship

18 Sweat Month 11, 2011 Page design by Cory Schmitt

FHCtoday.com/SweatCentral Focus

By Claire HendersonCopy Manager

The Spartan Hockey Cheerleading Squad is a group of girls who work extremely hard to accomplish the goals they set forth at the beginning of the year. These girls have cheered their way to the top, winning the Blue Angel Award at the Mid-States Hockey Cheerleading Competition in January 30. This award is given to the best overall squad at competition

“It’s a big deal because Central has never gotten the Blue Angel,” said senior captain Taylor Kitchen.

At this year’s competition, the squad took first in cheer and second in chant, beating SLUH out for the Blue Angel award, who had won it for the past two years.

“The competition was tough, SLUH was ready to win it again this year but we wanted to so much more!” said head coach Megan O’Brien. “When they finally announced who won, to hear our name being called was the most exciting moment in my 7 years of coaching. It was our moment and nothing else mattered.”

With the addition of six freshman, returning cheerleaders were skeptical about the squad’s success.

“They really amazed me at competition,” said Kitchen. “To be able to go out and perfect a routine like they did.”

Kitchen also attributed much of their success to Coach O’Brien, who started coaching the squad last year. O’Brien admits that she pushed the girls hard during practices and they responded by working hard to get to the goals that they set.

“I am by far one of the luckiest coaches,” said O’Brien. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls and I am excited to see where this program will go.”

This cheerleading squad is only slightly different from the cheerleaders who cheer at basketball and football games.

“The hockey cheer squad doesn’t build or stunt,” said sophomore Gabrielle Denney. “We do jumps and cheers.”

The hockey cheer squad is rarely recognized throughout the school as a cheer squad, and some of the girls feel that this is unfair.

“People say we aren’t real cheerleaders,” said Denney. “I don’t think they realize how much fun it is.”

Hockey cheerreceivesBlue Angel

Photo by Savannah McEachern

Celebrating with the throng of fans at the Scott Trade Center in St. Louis, senior captain Adam Otten shows one of the championship trophies the Spartans received after defeating the CBC Cadets for the Challenge Cup. This was the first time in the club’s history they had won the title after losing in the semifinals the past three years.

CHAMPS!

By Ellen HinzeSweat Editor

Even though CBC has won 11 state titles in the team’s history, and even though CBC has a record of 28-2, and even though CBC beat the Spartans 6-1 earlier in the season, the Spartan hockey team prevailed and won the Challenge Cup for the first time in school history.

The Spartans were the underdog in this fight for the state title, but with the offense the team brought to the game, the CBC Cadets failed to take the state title.

“It’s a tremendous honor [to win at state,]” said junior forward Chase Rey. “The guys played well, and they definitely deserved it, our whole team played well, even the second and third stringers.”

Senior forward Kyle Novak, Senior forward Adam Otten and Rey all contributed to the seven goals scored by the Spartans.

“It was great getting the team started, but my teammates did most of the work I was just in the right place at the right time,” said Rey.

Early in the game, the CBC Cadets scored the first goal, but within 70 seconds, Rey scored the first Spartan goal of the night.

Approximately one minute later, Rey fired in a second goal, bringing the Spartans a lead they would not relinquish. The lead would only grow as time went on.

“That turned the tide, that gave our guys confidence thinking, ‘Hey these guys aren’t immortal,’” said Coach Tom Mueller.

Not only did the Spartan fans become more excited with the score in the game, but according to Rey, the players did too.

“You are always going to be excited but you have to keep your head in the game,” said Rey.

And that is just what the Spartans did. They kept their lead over the Cadets for the rest of the game because of the offensive and defensive strategies they used.

“We got in behind them enough times to spread them out a little bit and take them out of their game,” said Coach Mueller.

Before the first period ended, Otten and Novak both got behind the Cadet defense and scored goals, bringing the score to 4-1 and adding to the barrier that the Cadets would not be able to overcome.

The Cadets were not able to score another goal until the end of the second quarter, despite the numerous shots on goal by the Cadets.

“[ Junior] Zach Grabowski made the save and the defense was able to hold them off from getting any kind of second shot or second

chances,” said Coach Mueller. “They did a great job of clearing the puck up in front of the net.”

Grabowski saved 45 shots from going into the net as the Cadets fired away as they tried to catch up. Grabowski received the MVP award for his performance.

“Our goaltender stood on his head, made great saves all night long,” said Coach Mueller.

Although the game was won handily, the team did not know what outcome to expect.

“It was a little scary coming over on the bus, because the guys were just totally totally quiet,” said Coach Mueller. “I couldn’t get a read on how they were reacting.”

Before the game, Novak thought CBC would be a hard game to win if at all possible. When the Spartans played CBC earlier in the season and lost, some of their players were absent and the game was a lopsided defeat.

The players who did not make it to that game were at a disadvantage in this game without the experience of playing CBC prior to the finals. Novak also believes that CBC was its own down fall.

“When we beat SLUH, we were excited, but we didn’t know if we could keep up or not,” said Novak. “I didn’t know what to expect from them. I heard they were good, I just think they got a little cocky.”

Novak thinks that with good reason. according to Coach Mueller CBC has have great talent and an outstanding coaching staff.

“When you beat a team like CBC, you’ve beat the best,” said Coach Muller. “That’s a hell of a program over there.”

“ When you beat a

team like CBC, you've

beat the best. That's

a hell of a program

over there. ”— Tom Mueller,

FH hockey club coach

Scene 19

Sophomores choose rings fit for kings p. 22 Chicken choices expanded p. 23

Central Focus FHCtoday.com/TheScene Page design by Anna GingrichMarch 11, 2011

TheRecording your own music

By Brendan KinnisonDelve Editor

Step 1: Start or join a band. Find people you know who play

instruments or that are already in a band; see if they want to start one or if you can join theirs.

Step 2: Write songs. Simply put, get your ideas flowing,

write parts for all the instruments in the band.

Step 3: Practice, practice, practice. You gotta practice those songs you

wrote, you don’t want them to sound bad when you record.

Step 4: Obtain some basic recording necessities.

Stop by your local music shop to buy microphones and XLR cables, they can tell you which ones are best suited for your recording needs. A microphone will cost you anywhere between $50-200, with the average cost being about $80 for a pretty good one; XLR cables are about $4-30 depending on length and coating. A gold coating will provide the best sound possible. The next thing you need is a mixer; again, you can pick this up at your local music shop. You can get a simple four channel mixer for about $80-150. A mixer is what controls the sound levels of each recording track, they are also used for PA systems. Lastly you need a computer and some recording software. For Mac owners the clear and simple choice is garage band; for PC’s you can download a free program such as Audacity.

Step 5: Record. Go instrument by instrument

and record their part to the song. Start with drums, then guitar, then bass, and lastly vocals. If you don’t have a full set of drum mics you can mic a kit by simply using a mic for snare, bass, and overhead. If any guitar amps have a “Direct out” use that instead of a microphone. While recording vocals it is best to use a “pop filter” which will prevent any

During his performance at Talentpalooza, freshman Charlie Grant falls to his knees to emphasize one of his punchlines. Grant also performed one of his routines at Saeger Middle School’s Variety Show when he was in middle school.

Photo by Amber Roth

Please read more | Recording, PAGE 21

Fresh talent hits

FHCFreshman Talentpalooza

winner, Charlie Grant, shares

his inspirations.

By Mikelle McClintockCommunications Editor

An unlikely, unexpected face appears on the blank, black stage. A young comedian steps to the microphone. With the very first joke from his

stand-up routine, the audience roars with laughter. Joke after joke, he keeps their attention with funny sounds of German colors and possible flavors of Biblical characters. As he confidently crosses the stage back and forth, freshman Charlie Grant performs one of his many routines at Talentpalooza.

“I’ve always loved making people laugh. It gives me a good feeling knowing that people like my jokes. It has motivated me to be even more goofy,” said Grant.

His favorite joke is set up like this: Please read more | Grant, PAGE 21

By Lizzi HollandStaff Reporter

Preparing for college can be an exhausting and seemingly impossible task. Not only is the application process extremely long and overwhelming, there is another thing to worry about: what to bring.

No responsible college student wants to begin his or her new life as an adult unprepared, especially when it comes to electronics.

However, according to school counselors Mr. Trevor Wolfe and Mr. Tim Holmes, the truth is that while one might crave certain technology while away, technically speaking, nothing is needed while heading to college. Every electronic thing one brings is not necessarily needed for the classes — rather, for sanity.

The number one thing one will want is a laptop, which seems like an obvious choice. A laptop is useful for writing term papers, checking email, and staying in contact with close friends and family.

Another useful duty of a laptop could be checking teachers’ websites, because some teachers use them for displaying due dates and assigning homework.

“My parents are definitely going to get me a laptop,” said senior Samuel Holder.

However, if an incoming freshman cannot afford one, he or she should be fine, considering that virtually all colleges have libraries that contain computers for student use.

“Technology wise, I don’t think you’ll need anything because the school you are going to should have the basic things you’ll need,” said senior Allie Kettler.

Another piece of technology that can be useful while at college is a GPS system. If the college one plans on attending is in either another state or in an unfamiliar area, a GPS system can help one find his or her way around.

“A GPS is good if you’re moving somewhere far away so you don’t get

lost around campus,” said Mr. Wolfe.An iPod is another recreational

item that can be of value while living the dorm life.

Dorm rooms can be noisy at times, especially if one happens to have the misfortune of receiving a roommate who is not respectful of studying time. This is when an iPod can come in handy, for your roomate is a result of luck.

Some find it much easier to concentrate on a typing a paper or preparing for a test when relaxing music is drowning out all distractions. Therefore, an iPod, or any type of MP3 player, is a useful tool for the college experience.

A cell phone is another useful item that can make it easy to call a classmate or order the all-important pizza for a study session.

Also, phones are yet another way of staying in touch with family and friends. One could simply buy a house phone, since many dorms have

phone jacks, but the more obvious choice would be a cell phone because most college students already have one anyway and cell phones typically have free long distance.

The final item worth bringing is some sort of organizer. This can vary from an actual professional organizer to one that is already programed into your phone.

Being unaware of due dates can be detrimental to college life because a professor is not going to repeatedly ask for assignments and is not going to remind students of test dates.

Therefore, an organizer can cut down the stress of scheduling times to get all of the school work completed and turned in. An organizer can also get rid of the need for a standard calendar.

The five aforementioned electronic devices can help college go a bit more smoothly. College is already a time of stress and confusion while starting out, so anything that can cut that down is worth looking into.

20 The Scene March 11, 2011 Page design by Destiny Pipkin

FHCtoday.com/TheSceneCentral Focus

Head to college with the technology necessary to succeedGrade A college tech

tune in tune in REVIEWS OF MOVIES, TELEVISION SHOWS AND MORE tune in tune in

By Karley CanovaReporter

Esperanza Spalding, a 26 year old bassist, vocalist, and composer, won the 2011 Grammys award for the “Best New Artist” on Sunday, February 13.

According to Esperanzaspalding.com, Spalding said, “[It is] unusual for jazz artists to make this category.”

Spalding’s fellow nominees include Justin Beiber, Drake, Florence and the Machines, and Mumford and Sons. Although, according to her website, Spalding complimented Justin Beiber and the other artists, their fans were outraged.

ABC News said the fans demanded to know how a “relatively under the radar artist” could out do their Beiber.

Dana Chanell, freshman, listens to Spalding every once in awhile. According to Chanell, Spalding deserved the award.

“She was so surprised,” said Chanell. “She was deserving, [considering] who she was up against.”

Spalding surpises herself, fans with unexpected Grammy win

Technology must-haves for college1. Laptop peripherals. If you opt for a netbook, you’ll want to consider an external DVD drive for loading up software that still comes on discs; a wireless keyboard and mouse.

2. Thumb drive. Every college student, no matter what his or her choice of computer, ought to have a thumb drive—a USB plug-in suitable for carrying data from one computer to another.

3. Image-manipulation software. Your papers and presentations will be greatly enhanced by software that enables you to get your images into publishable shape. Free programs include GIMP and Picasa

4. Skype. A wonderful new addition to the college scene is Skype, a free program that allows you to video-conference with anyone, anywhere in the world, who has the service.

5. Digital video or “flip” camera. You’ll want to share videos of all your escapades with your friends.

Photo by MCT Campus

Photos by MCT Campus

volume volume MUSIC REVIEWS, UPINCOMING MUSICIANS, BANDS AND CONCERTS volume volume

St. Louis lacks musical luster

By Sean CarrolliFocus Editor

St. Louis is known as the “gateway to the west,” and yet when bands decide what cities they want to play in on tour they decide to avoid the so called “gate” as if it were the gate to purgatory. This is not true about all artists, but

over the past few years it’s become clear to me there just isn’t that much going on in the St. Louis music scene.

Although, I’ve never been to a concert out side the greater St. Louis area, so I figured maybe that’s how it is across the nation; performances stay low key and one must be tuned in to find out who’s coming to town.

These expectations, however, were dismissed when I went to a concert in Orlando, Florida and it gave me a new perspective on St. Louis’ music scene.

It wasn’t drastic change or anything, but when I hear places like New York and Chicago are really great places to go hear music, it’s a disappointment to know that St. Louis is not among them. This common realization is found in many music enthusiasts here.

“My brother is in a band and I would push him to go play in other places with better

venues and crowds,” junior Chelsea Mohler said.

For the local artists it’s also troubling because they barely get recognition. Sure they probably have gained fans through Myspace and other music sharing sites, but aside from that all they have is what is available locally.

Most of time when a bigger name band name or artist comes to town, the local talent can join the shows as openers and that creates more buzz for them and could gain the potential record deal.

What’s left to do is to improve what we have here because there are great venues and places like the Delmar Loop that have a great artistic atmosphere. The Pagent in Delmar was named the fourth best venue in the world according to the “Top 100 Worldwide Club Venues list in 2008”. This polular venue has been host to great bands like Angels and Airwaves and MuteMath. Places like Pop’s Bar and Blueberry Hill also have a great sound and offer a lot for bands and audiences.

I think St. Louis has amazing potential to be a musical hot spot. If venues could model after some of our local leaders and increase in what we have already, I have no doubt in my mind that this city could be just as great of a music scene as cities like Orlando.

heavy exhales or pronunciations to be heard. Step 6: Mixing your track. Mixing is what is done in the recording program. You

take all of the tracks from each instrument and combine them into the song. You can also change the volume, add effects, or tweak the sound in any way. This is how you perfect your song.

Step 7: Play that funky music. You’ve finished mixing and now its time to listen to your newly created song! Keep in mind that to play in iTunes or upload to a website you must convert the file to an mp3, which can be done through the recording program. Simply export it as an mp3 file.

Recordingfrom page19

“ For my birthday, I got a humidifier and a de-humidifier. I put them in the same room and let them fight it out.”

He has been performing since 2007, with his first stage appearance at his church talent show when he was in sixth grade. Grant has participated in roughly seven talent shows, including his most recent, Talentpalooza, here at FHC.

A career in stand-up comedy has always been a dream and a long term goal for Grant.

“I kind of wanted to have my own show like all my favorite c o m e d i a n s on Comedy Central, like Jim Gaffigan and Gabriel Iglesias,” Grant said.

His inspiration has not only come

these famous comedians, but from his fans as well. Grant says that the people who laugh at his jokes give him the most inspiration. He keeps a YouTube channel, “otisgrant,” updated every time he has a gig and consistently obtains supporters.

“I hope I surprised people with the talent show. I’ve always been the quiet, shy kinda guy,” Grant said.

Being the first place winner of this year’s Talentpalooza, Grant was overwhelmed and overjoyed. Grant continued to be the talk of the school the following Monday after his performance at Talentpalooza.

“People have been telling me that they wish they could have seen it,” Grant’s mother, Cyndi, said

“I could’ve gotten a McDonald’s cheeseburger for all I care and still be this happy about getting first place,” said Grant. The money did not matter to him. The excitement of being on stage is good enough for him.

Within the week of Lady Gaga’s new single “Born This Way” it was already breaking records in Itunes, made it’s way to the top of Billboard.com’s charts, and is being blared on the radio. Unless the majority of students spend their free time hiding from all of pop culture-dom “Born This Way” is already stuck in there

heads. To be honest, when I first heard the song, I was disappointed. To me, the song lacked any passion. I was expecting a few primal screams and shouts like in her song “Dance in the Dark”. Instead, it sounds simple, plain and like something any other normal pop star could create. After hearing the song a few more times,

though, I grew to love it. When you first hear the song you do not notice the tiny intricate parts of the song. Then Lady Gaga whipped out her big surprise, “Born This Way”’s music video. This trippy video made me take back any worries I had of Lady Gaga ever becoming even close to normal. I, for one, loved the meaning

behind the intro to the music video. Yes, the video was different, to put it nicely. But when I watch something made by Lady Gaga, I expect to be a little freaked out, scared, and grossed out, which of course, she delivered. The video’s concept was fantastic, and despite the random unicorn, I’m very happy with it.

Gaga grows on fans, critics

Grantfrom page19

By Dylan Richardson

Staff Reporter

Photo by Michael Roundcount Photo by Michael Roundcount

23The SceneMarch 11, 2011Page design by Sean Carroll and Savannah McEachern

FHCtoday.com/TheScene Central Focus

“ I kind of wanted to

have my own show

like all my favorite

comedians on

Comedy Central. ”— Charlie Grant,

freshman comedian

22 The Scene March 11, 2011 Page design by Lizzi Holland

FHCtoday.com/TheSceneCentral Focus

my style mystyle FASHION TIPS AND GUIDLINES FOR STUDENTS REGARDING CURRENT TRENDS my style mystyle

Rings fit for kingsStudents debate necessity of class rings

By Destiny PipkinStaff Reporter

Sophomore year is when high school is exciting. The fear of the big unknown school has subsided, students are presented with football games and dances, and the boredom of high school has yet to set in.

On the day when all sophomores are called down to the auditorium to be introduced to the class ring brochure, Jostens sets a reminiscent mood for sophomores.

The top ten songs of the year are played over the sound system, and a slide show of pictures taken at lunches rolls across the screen. Students are told by a Josten’s representative how one class ring will symbolize the entire four years spent here.

“I’m getting a class ring to remember everything I have done in high school and to remember my whole high school experience,” said sophomore Morgan Mathis.

Class rings can be designed to feature a student’s graduation year, extracurricular activities, and various other symbols. This year, students are

not limited to rings; class necklaces are being offered as well.

Some students, however, do not find it necessary to spend around $300 on a ring to remember their years of high school.

“I think there are better ways to preserve high school memories, like a yearbook,” said sophomore Chris Schukar.

During the class ring assembly, as students enter the auditorium, a video is played with several elderly people explaining how their class ring has been a constant reminder of their years in high school; however, some students do not wear their class rings with as much dedication as those in the video.

“I got a class ring because my parents were offering to pay for it; I most likely would not have bought it if I had to pay for it myself. I have better things to pay for,” said senior Malcolm Switzer.

Money has become a deciding factor for a majority of students.

“If I had the money, I would definitely buy a class ring to remember everything I have done

in high school,” said junior Alex Enloe.

However, some students who did purchase class rings wish they had not.

“I got a class ring, but I regret it,” said senior Jen Faron. “It was so expensive and I never even wear it.”

If you are interested in a class ring from Jostens, you can visit their website to design your own ring before you order your ring, as well as check the price of the ring you design.

There are alternatives to purchasing class rings from Jostens, the company from which Howell Central receives senior memorabilia and class rings.

“I got my class ring from Walmart; it was only $81,” said senior Chelsea Hull. “It seemed like there was a lot more of a selection. There were even medical symbols you could get.”

Class rings can be purchased in the jewelry department at Walmart. If you are interested in purchasing a class ring from Walmart, you can visit their website or make your order at the store’s jewelry department. 2

1

3C

lass

of

When one first hears the phrase “non-profit”, they immediately think of donations. They sit there, pondering how much money this organization will cost them and how it may somewhat flatten their check book for the greater good. However, Bono, the lead singer of the band U2, has devised a not-profit organization that assists victims of aidsand gives back to the donater.

He has created a line of clothing and other products that, when bought, will donate up to 50% of their profits to an organization called RED.This organization’s primary goal has been to assist victims in Africa who suffer from AIDS and HIV.

This nonprofit has partnered with large and well-known name brands to create products that are literally red and ironically support RED,

the organization. Thanks to Bono, name brands such as Nike, Apple, American Express, Gap, Converse, and many other companies now have made Red products. The current goal of RED is to have all children born AIDS free by 2015. So far, the organization has raised over $160 million for their global fund and has impacted five million people.

RED has found a way to easily

motivate people to give to an organization but still allow those same donaters to have a product. People are being greatly impacted by this thought of creating products that have the ability to give back. RED’s success will continue to skyrocket, and with the encouragement of its buyers and partners, Africa will continue to receive assistance in this growing AIDS epidemic.

Companies offer feel-good fashionfor no profit

By Kamrie ReedStaff Reporter

23The SceneMarch 11, 2011Page design by Cory Schmitt

FHCtoday.com/TheScene Central Focus

Opening up opportunitiesBy Kamrie Reed

Staff Reporter

The Chick-fil-A franchise is now building a store on Mid Rivers Mall Drive. The building has come along rather quickly and will open on April 14th 2011. This new fast food place will hold a promotional raffle for new customers.

Chick-fil-A is offering all customers who are 18 or older the opportunity to receive one free meal once a week for an entire year. This meal includes one chicken sandwich, medium waffle fries and a medium drink. The overall grand prize meal would be the equivalent of 250 from Chick-fil-A.

Each contestant will receive a bracelet with a number that, if called by one of the sponsors, could be their golden ticket to free food for a whole

year. The participants must also have some type of ID that proves they are 18 or older.

Each winner must remain in a designated area through out the entire event, but they are allowed bathroom breaks. If their number is called in the raffle and they are in the first one hundred, they receive the grand prize.

In addition to these lucky winners, the sponsors of Chick-fil-A will also draw 10 more numbers. These people, whose number is drawn after the original 100 winners, will be called the alternatives. The alternatives will receive the grand prize if any of the intitial 100 winners break the contest rules. These alternates will also receive a $20 gift card to Chick-fil-A.

This practice is tradition when

Chick-fila A’s opens up a new restaurant, and many love the chance to win the grand prize.

Senior Jen Faron is excited for this new restaurant and plans to participate in the contest.

“Compared to the Valley and Chesterfield area, Mid Rivers has no selection [in restaurants]. It is nice to see that Chick-fil-A is coming for more of a variety,” said Faron.

Junior Kara Schneider usually goes to Chick-fil-A on early release days.

“I love their french fries, and it is real food, unlike Taco Bell,” said Schneider.

Sophomore Alyssa Purdom believes the 18 and older rule to participate in the “First 100” is stupid because minors like herself can not participate.

“I don’t eat fast food often, but if I do, it is Chick-fil-A; it is prime fast food,” said Purdom.

Many students are waiting in anticipation for this particular restaurant to open. Some hope to participate in the contest, while others are simply excited to have a good place to eat at on early release days.

Senior Adrianna Corcione has a special strategy for winning the raffle: she is going to make her boyfriend participate in the contest for her.

“Whenever I want Chick-fil-A [I willl tell my boyfriend] Chick-fil-A please,” said Corcione.

Many students are drooling over the opening and can not wait for the place to start up the frying pan and open its doors.

Students anticipate Chick-fil A's opening day on April 14th

By Brendan KinnisonDelve Editor

The Foreign Language department will be hosting their annual International Night once again on April 5. Anyone is welcome to attend the event and enjoy in all it has to offer; students, friends and family can get into the event for two dollars.

AP Spanish and French students will be hosting booths which represent different countries from all around the world. Various foods from the respective countries will be offered to participants to give them a taste of the popular food. Activities and games are planned throughout the night as well.

“We are going to have a dance instructor there to teach foreign dances,” said foreign language teacher Ms. Lauren Barth.

The night is also a time for language students to get more involved with their class and learn about other countries.

“The Spanish five students all are in groups who have booths, each from a different country. Each table will have food and an activity or game,” said Barth.

All students are encouraged to come out and enjoy the night of food, activities, crafts and games. International night is intended to be fun for all ages, not just high school students, so entire families are invited to come and experience all that is offered.

Foreign language students have extra incentive to come, as they will also receive extra credit for their foreign language class by attending and participating in the activities offered for fun and education.

Preparation for International Night begins once again

Construction continues on at the newest Chick-fil A store which is located by the intersection of Highway N and Mid Rivers Mall Drive, a few hundred feet from campus. Students were anticipating the resteraunt’s opening ever since the announcing banner was placed on the open lot in fall 2010.

Photo by Jessy DiMariano

24 Aperture March 11, 2011 Photos by Jessy DiMariano, page design by Kelci Davis

FHCtoday.com/ApertureCentral Focus

Sensations take firstat state

The varsity Sensations dance

team competed for state at FHC on Feb. 26 and walked away

with its first state championship.

The varsity girls open up their dance with a mix of Nelly’s biggest hits. Their routine featured the song “Here Comes the Boom” during a breakdown as well as ASK DANI.

The varsity girls support freshman Stephanie Henry as she comes down from a lift. Henry also participated in dance all her years at Saeger Middle School.

Senior Ashley Hanne lifts herself up and holds the pose. The routines were made by Courtney Kassabaum and Kylie O’Brien.

After finding out the team took first in Division 6A, freshman Jordan Sneed screams in celebration with the rest of her team. “I’ve been doing dance for about 11 years already,” said Sneed. “I plan to continue to all through high school.”

Seniors Tori Politte and Ashley Hanne hold up the first place plaque. “It was a great ending to a great year,” said Politte.

Senior Tori Politte grasps her father and cries tears of joy after finding out the team took first. Politte said she “was glad to have gotten one before leaving FHC.”