Dec. 17, 2010Vol. 42, No. 4

www.lhsimage.com

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Lafayette High School 17050 Clayton Rd. Wildwood, MO 63011

S , What's the Diff?

In challenging economic times, many households are making the switch to generic

products. The Image went on a fact-finding mission to determine:

News2 Dec. 17, 2010

Image Staff[People & Policies]Chelsea Coleman .........Editor in ChiefMax Thoman ...................................Managing EditorMia Schenone ............................................WebmasterKara Campbell ........................................News EditorAlicia Mestre ..........................................News EditorCaleb Cavarretta ................................Opinion EditorLeanne Beasley .................................. Feature EditorMaddie Johnson ................................ Feature EditorAdam Harris .......................... Entertainment EditorChristine Jackson ................................ Sports EditorGian Wessel ......................................... Sports EditorGrace Bueckendorf ....................... Asst. WebmasterJessica Zadoks ............................. Business ManagerAlyssa Knowling ...................... Marketing DirectorSanti Diz.............................................................. ArtistMrs. Nancy Y. Smith, MJE ........................... Adviser

Staff:Kelley Bauer, Hannah Boxerman, Dominic Corvington, Ashlyn Goldston, Sarah Greenlee, Maddie Henning, Sean McIntyre and McKayla Treat

Information:The Image is published nine times a year by the Newspaper Production Class. Subscriptions are $30. Free issues are distributed on campus. The 2009-2010 Image received a rating of First Class with three marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association. lhsimage.com received a rating of All-American with four marks of distinction.

Philosophy Statement:The newspaper’s primary obligation is to inform its readers about events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population. The newspaper, while serving as a training ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. Operating as a public forum, student editors will apply professional standards and ethics for decision making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper. Contact Us: Located in Room 137A at Lafayette High School, 17050 Clayton Rd., Wildwood, MO 63011. Our phone number is (636) 733-4118 and our e-mail address is smithnancy@rockwood.k12.mo.us or visit on the web at: www.lhsimage.com

Policies:A complete explanation of the Rockwood School District Policies and Regulations concerning official student publications and the policies and procedures used by the Image staff can be found on the website www.lhsimage.com under the About Us tab.

What’s Inside:WINTER SAFETY: How to drive in the winter weather ... page 7

HOW MUCH?: The cost of sports equipment ... page 15

Find out the difference between generic and name brand foods with a taste test and comparisons of the prices and students’ preferences between brands on pages 11 and 12. (Photo illustration by Alex Vanderheyden)

the Image ON THE COVER

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Other Rockwood high schools offer lunch detentions as optionKara Campbell / News Editor

With the change of the cell phone policy some might have expected detentions to decline. However with the new tardy policy, Lafayette administrators project the number of deten-tions assigned this year to increase.

However, Assistant Principal Matt Dieck-haus said his number of suspensions has gone down. He said, “I usually give out about 90 a year, but so far I've only given out about 20.”

He continued, “It’s the same 40 students over and over [that receive detentions].”

“The overall District policy regarding discipline must be consistent with all four buildings,” Principal John Shaughnessy said. “However, each building is allowed to create a system that works for their unique building.”

While all four Rockwood schools have after school detentions, there are variances between them. Some offer morning, lunch, after school, Saturday and a one hour detention that the student serves with the teacher.

Marquette (MHS) gives lunch, after school and weekend detentions.

“Each detention is a different strategy to help change student behavior,” MHS Principal Greg Mathison said. “We try to do whatever we can to keep kids in class and that is the reason why we have multiple types of detentions.”

Rockwood Summit Principal Dale Menke agrees. “All consequences are designed to change behavior," he said. “For these minor offenses, these detentions seem to help students

realize that they made a mistake and help them not make the same mistake again.”

Eureka's Associate Principal Nish Patel also said, “We are all about changing the behavior of the student and not simply giving a detention for punishment purposes.”

At LHS students receive after school and Saturday detentions, while the other Rockwood high schools have different detention policies.

Associate Principal Renee Trotier said, “We have thought about [lunch detentions] and have had a lot of conversations about it, but we just don’t really have anyone to staff it.”

While the schools vary in their detention policies, each have found disciplinary actions that work for their individual school.

Detentions at each Rockwood

high schoolEHS: Morning detentions once a week from 7:30-8 a.m., lunch and after school detentions

LHS:After school and Saturday detentions

MHS:Lunch, after school and weekend detentions (2.5 hours on Friday or Saturday morning) while teachers also have the ability to assign one hour detentions that students can serve with them

RSHS:Before school, lunch and after school detentions

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Field trips provide connections from classroom to communitySince kindergarten, students have gotten the cherished day off of school to take a field trip. But these trips are no longer limited to a simple bus ride to the St. Louis Zoo or the Gateway Arch.

Classes of many different subjects are taking field trips out of town or to offbeat locations to enhance their understanding of the material they cover in class.

AP Art History is one class using field trips to connect their lessons with the real world. They have been on two field trips.

The first trip started with the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion in University City and from there they went to the St. Louis Art Museum. The second field trip included a visit to the St. Louis Islamic Center and the St. Louis Cathedral.

AP Art History teacher Jean Peters said the purpose of these field trips are, “to study religious architecture and religious art.”

She continued, “I can’t do the job I want to do, when it comes to teaching [AP Art History], in a classroom.”

“It’s out there, they get to see it, they get to smell it and they can walk into a museum and actually be the tour guide. I want them to have that experience,” Peters said.

Peters also teaches Senior Literature, and takes these students to several plays.

“I typically take them to the [Repertory Theater of St. Louis] to see plays because in my mind the only way to really teach drama is to see a live production,” Peters said.

Students do not necessarily see the plays they have read during class, but this year is an exception. Senior Literature Flex class will see Macbeth, which they have read in class this year.

For Peters, the main goal of these trips is to teach students that “history is alive,” and to allow them to apply their learning through experience.

Calculus students took a field trip this year to see Calculus the Musical.

Math teacher Jeri Heth said, “[The play] is approximately an hour long and covers the history of the discovery of Calculus.”

The play features parodies of songs originally sung by artists such as The Beatles, Madonna and Eminem.

Heth said this is the fourth year she has taken students on this field trip. She takes them for two reasons.

“First, it gives them a chance to see how Calculus was developed and that it really is used in the world. Second, it gives them a break from the everyday grind in class,” she said.

Symphonic Orchestra will take two out of town field trips this year, one to Chicago in February and one to Kansas City in March.

On the trip to Chicago, they will have a clinic at Northwest-

ern University and perform on stage at the Science and Industry Museum. However, they will also be able to enjoy the city.

Orchestra members will go shopping, see the Blue Man Group perform and go to dinner shows.

“I’m excited to hang out with friends and have fun,” junior Sarah Park said.

These field trips give students a break from the regular routine of school and allow them to expand their knowledge through hands on experience.

Maddie Henning / Reporter

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“Six Flags for Physics. I copied all the AP kids and rode roller coasters.”- Chris Thompson, 11

“The Zoo because my friend got bit by a penguin and we all thought he would turn into one.” - Ben Ward, 9

“Class trip to New York. It was a different experience.” - Isis Gines, 10

What’s the best field trip you have ever been on and what made it so good? “The OSEP trip downtown in Lindell for a scavenger hunt. It was really fun.”- Irish Smith, 12

“We went to Springfield and Jefferson City. We got to ride the awesome buses.”- Jenny Chan, 11

“I went to Harrisburg, PA. The bus ride was the best.”- Eric Deters, 10

“I went to the Rex Plex. We got to swim.”- Shameon Blackmon, 9

While visiting the historic St. Louis Basilica, Jean Peter’s two AP Art History classes spent the day seeing art close up that they would normally only get to see from slides on the board, such as mosaic and sculpture. The group also visited St. Louis’s Islamic Center. (Photo courtesy of Hannah Boxerman)

“AP Art History to the St. Louis Cathedral was my favorite.”- Matt Thoelke, 12

News4 Dec. 17, 2010

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News BriefsCommunity ChatOn Jan. 13, Lafayette’s Communi-ty Chat on “Over-Scheduling and Hyper-Parenting: De-Stressing Todays Anxious Student” will be presented by Amy Maus, school consultant, presenter and author of the Care Team Approach in Room 137. Maus’s goal is to provide the resources for parents to help their kids lessen their stress level while still being productive.

New Teacher WalksAs a way to help new teach-ers adjust to Lafayette, the administration has implemented a new teacher walk program. Once a month, new teachers are given an opportunity to observe veteran LHS teachers in action. Observations such as teaching style, class organization, etc. are made. Teachers get the chance to also observe teachers of other subjects instead of the monotony of their specific subject. This program was initiated by Associ-ate Principal Renee Trotier.

Poetry Out LoudEvery year, LHS hosts a competi-tion for students with a passion for poetry. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation compe-tition sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, formed to spark an interest in teens in learning more about poetry. Various prizes are received on different levels. At the school level, the winner receives an iTunes gift card or equivalent. The winner of State receives $200 and a trip to Washington D.C. for Nationals. The winning schools receive money for poetry books. Participants include seniors Chris Angulo, Alex Eklund, Kendra Fullmore and Shante Moore, sophomore Alex Rich and freshman Ryan Schaper. The LHS Competition will take place Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. in the LHS Theater.

Juniors join STL teen leadersA group of juniors hope to change perception of public schools.

Youth Leadership Saint Louis (YLSL), a teen version of the leadership group Focus St. Louis, consists of juniors from 25 area high schools. Juniors Madison Beirne, Michael D’Errico, Max Dieter, Joey Gebhart, Alodia Girma, Logan Graham, Patricia Miller and Lane Rommel have been chosen to represent Lafayette.

Participants apply at the end of their sopho-more year and are accepted to the program based on grade-level principal recommendations.

The program begins in the September of their junior year with an introductory retreat for all members across the region.

Students also take part in one field trip a month followed by a weekend program, which focuses on visits to St. Louis area institutions such as the county jail and city judicial system. The lessons culminate in a year-long project.

The project, which results from a partnership between Focus St. Louis and Professor James Gilsinan, an E. Desmond Lee Professor in Collab-orative Regional Education at St. Louis University, is used as an opportunity to provide leadership training for students in the program.

This year, however, Gilsinan and Focus St. Louis decided to ask students to begin a project that would impact not only them, but the com-munity.

Monika Korolczuk, Gilsinan’s graduate research assistant, said that the reasoning behind the choice of project, entitled “What’s Right With Our Schools” is to shift the public focus on area schools from negative to positive.

“After some deliberation, Professor Gilsinan and Focus St. Louis agreed that it is time to celebrate what is good in our schools rather than to give in to the negative and often quite pessimis-tic portrayal of them,” Korolczuk said.

“What’s Right With Our Schools” allows students a chance to collect information on the encouraging aspects of daily high school life. The research they compile will be presented at the end of the year to an academy of area superintendents and principals.

“Typically the information that reaches the public concerning our public schools is by way of newspaper stories and television news stories, and recently it has been a lot of the negative,” Lafayette YLSL advisor Betsy Rivas said.

“Their initiative is really to tell of the positive of all the things that are going right with the schools. The Lafayette research will be used to show how, despite being such a large school, we really do care like family, in times where people are in need.”

Examples include the fundraising efforts for Ty Krewson, a Class of 2009 graduate who was seriously injured in an accident and for whom staff and students collected money for through a carwash and other events.

The results of the project are currently being broadcasted on a limited-access website, viewable only by participants, advisers and school princi-pals. At the end of the year, the stories gathered by the students will be compiled into a physical document that the public will be able to see.

Aside from the goal of educating the public, the project is also intended to be a learning tool and exercise in research for the juniors involved.

“This year’s project has a few basic objectives: to support students’ leadership role, to show that research is not a dull practice and that everyone can engage in it and to use research to celebrate what is right with our schools. Students are vital partners in this research and they are the ones gathering the data,” Korolczuk explained.

Each month, advisors ask students to gather research in different ways.

“In October, the focus was on uncovering stories through documents. In November, the goal was to gather research through observation,” Rivas said.

“[The participants] could do any kind of observation. For example, they were to watch their peers during a sports event or at lunch in the school cafeteria. These observations are designed

to render yet another story about positive school characteristics,” Korlczuk said.

However, students learn much more than just research skills through taking part in the project.

“This project has made me change my perspec-tive,” Girma said.

“Every day, you go to school, you come home and you don’t think about what goes into it. It’s all of the efforts of the people behind the scenes that give us the Lafayette that we get to see. Everyone has their part in our school and we don’t normally look at that.”

Rivas also hopes that a valuable lesson in leadership is in store for YLSL juniors.

“One of the initial lessons is in working with a group and facilitating a group, making sure everyone’s opinions and perspectives are heard. As a leader, sometimes it’s important not just to share your own opinion and drive the conversation but actually seek input from the group,” Rivas said.

She continued, “Also, for these students, perhaps dealing with issues, even on a lighter scale than those dealt with by St. Louis leaders, will help them become more in tune with the community in which they live,”

Korzolcuk is pleased with the students’ progress.

“As a person who does not come from the area, I have been not only astonished but also inspired by the enthusiasm and incredible potential that students bring to the table,” she said.

Hannah Boxerman / Reporter

Representing Lafayette in two groups in the Youth Leadership St. Louis program are juniors (from left) Alodia Girma, Max Dieter, Madison Beirne, Joey Gebhart, Lane Rommel and Logan Graham. Not pictured: Michael D’Errico and Patricia Miller. (Photo by Hannah Boxerman)

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Study Guide:As finals come around at the end of each semester, students are guaranteed to be attempting all nighters and panicking.

However, it is best to be calm about studying. According to University at Buffalo counseling services, unnecessary anxiety has been known to cause mental blocking and poor results on exams.

Teachers have weighed in on their best study tips. Whether it is studying alone, forming study groups with friends or attending review sessions, these tips will help assuage those sleep-depriving nerves evoked by tests.

How do you like to study?

Alone

In a group

(24 %)

Relieve the stress, anxiety of finals

(76 %)

Teacher Tips:AnnMarie Gilman - Science “Students will have a semester review guide to begin working on next week. Each night I suggest you complete 10 questions and go back over the previous 10. That way you spend about 20 total minutes looking over info. By the time the exam arrives you are ready. I usually have one day for in class review and typically play a game of some kind. I also usually meet at Borders one evening prior to the first exam.”

James Waeckerle - Social Studies“Students should prepare for finals well in advance of finals week. Students need to be reviewing their notes on a daily basis throughout the semester. And, if the teacher provides a study guide for the final, the student should complete it early so they can review it daily before the final. If a student waits until the night before to cram for a final, they will increase their stress level. In addition, it is unlikely a student can retain all the information they study in this method.”

Brian Reed - Foriegn Language “I get the questions all the time, ‘what do I need to study for the finals?’ But far too many

students think that cram sessions or all-nighters are necessary, when in fact they are truly causing themselves more stress than necessary. We spend all semester learning and

practicing the material, so it is my expectation that the students step up to the plate and study as we go. Work hard early enough and you won’t have to stress yourself out right before finals.”

Cathy Dantin - Language Arts“Most of my exams are skilled based, cold readings and questions. Good excuse

not to study. However, they also have vocabulary that can be reviewed. I provide students with links to Quia, a website on which I have created matching games

for the vocabulary.” Stefanie Hruby - Math

“I would look over old tests and quizes and see what was missed most, and go over those concepts first. Also go over review informa-tion that the teacher gives you.”

*180 students polled

Final Exam ScheduleDec. 20 1st Hour 8:16-10:16 a.m. 2nd Hour 10:26 a.m.-12:26 p.m.Dec. 21 3rd Hour 8:16-10:16 a.m. 4th Hour 10:26 a.m.-12:26 p.m.Dec. 22 6th hour 8:16-10:16 a.m. 7th Hour 10:26 a.m.-12:26 p.m.

Alicia Mestre / News Editor

*Brad Giddens, 10

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Guiding Change:In the midst of the economic turmoil sur-rounding not only the nation, but the world, no one is safe from the pains of budget cuts, slashing and revenue builders. Unfortunately, Rockwood is no exception.

Background“We have continued to see decreases in

revenue from the state’s education funding formula and from state sales tax,” the Rock-wood website reads.

“During the past two years, the district has cut approximately $12 million from the school district’s operating budget. Even with these budget cuts, it is anticipated that expenditures will exceed revenues in the coming years,” the Rockwood website continues.

On Dec. 16, the Board of Education held a meeting to further discuss proposed options for budget cutting and overall money saving that will hopefully allow the district to balance its budget for this year.

These options, proposed by a committee consisting of district administrators also known as the ‘design team’ of this budget overhaul, which Rockwood has affectionately named “Guiding Change”, were presented to the board at the Dec. 2 meeting.

Stakeholder Input The Dec. 2 presentation and the decisions

on those budget cutting options which were ac-cepted into the proposals came after the design team was introduced to stakeholder comments and input.

These opinions were collected through surveys and from the stakeholder input meetings which the district held throughout the budgeting process as well as the various opinions of the “budget task force” in terms of what items should be salvaged and which items should be chopped.

The stakeholder opinions, largely collected though phone and online surveys conducted by Rockwood, were supposed to be an “essential component of the Guiding Change process.”

According to the Rockwood website, the in-formation was utilized in a reviewable manner.

The website reads, “This data has been reviewed by the Budget Task Force and a group of district administrators to develop a shared understanding of stakeholder perceptions and opinions.”

The data primarily pointed at a few key items that the stakeholders believe in.

First, that class sizes at every level of education should be conserved [67.1 percent of stakeholders strongly agree].

Secondly, according to the compiled data, there is a split in the numbers accepting a tax referendum.

The website said, “two-fifths [44.2 percent] answered that they would “strongly favor,” “favor” or “lean” toward favoring the proposal while 51.0 percent were in opposition.”

Next, the surveys compiled information about the opinions of the public surrounding some budget cutting options such as cutting technology, cutting the gifted program for elementary students and even consolidating class sizes.

All but two of these items the majority of stakeholders surveyed felt were worth saving or continuing.

These two items were not priorities to a majority, as both fell below the 50 percent support factor.

The stakeholders decided maintaining the current administrator to student ratio and maintaining high school Zero Hour classes were not priorities to the majority, as both fell below the 50 percent support factor, at a 47 percent and 38 percent approval rate respec-tively.

Utilizing this information, the budget task force created their proposed budget saving options in order of their perceived significance by allowing each member of the panel to place an option on their list of desirable cuts.

In the end, eight members included cutting or modifying the Center for Creative Learning

on their lists as well as cutting or modifying transportation.

A salary freeze or benefit reduction followed close behind with seven members placing it on their list along with a “pay to play” option which would force students fees for sports, activities and field trips.

Other options included cutting the high school hybrid block scheduling, reducing technology, eliminating the free ACT for juniors and even implementing a four day work week.

However, increasing class sizes fell down to only two votes, reflecting the stakeholder’s inputs.

Budget Cutting OptionsFrom there, the design team decided upon

four separate options, each including the previous budget cutting ideas found within the previous options and adding more.

For instance, option two utilizes the first 37 suggested budget cuts, including option one’s first 24.

In the first option, items on the chop-ping block ranged from the reduction of the premium cost for property, liability, workmen’s compensation, the renegotiation of the First Student bus contract, the reduction of the administrator salary increases from 3 percent to 1.5 percent and even to the elimination of stipends for elective professional development summer workshops.

All in all, the projected total savings of this option is $2,495,660.

The additional cuts for Option 2 range

from the elimination of the driving portion of Driver Education to the reduction of the Zero Hour budget and these first 37 cuts total up to $4,828,660.

The final two options continue in this respect, with the third option taking up the first 40 budget cutting ideas and cutting $6,307,660 and the fourth taking up the first 44 slots and cutting $7,472,922 total.

Other notable proposed cuts include the elimination of the elementary Strings program, the reduction of three high school Assistant Principals and their secretaries and the reduction of high school staffing points by eight points.

Ultimately, it is up to the Board of Educa-tion to adopt a certain option proposed by the design team.

Future Budget IssuesUnfortunately, with all of the options, a

large negative still lingers. The fact is, even with the most drastic cutting measures, the budget cuts will not save Rockwood enough money to sustain a balanced budget in the future school years.

“These budget cuts will not sustain a bal-anced budget in the future because we have lost our state revenues, specifically for transporta-tion, which we lost a number of millions of dollars for,” Chief Financial and Legislative Officer Shirley Broz said.

“We don’t anticipate that we will get all of the formula foundation money from the state from the state budget coffers and we anticipate between a nine and a fifteen percent reduction of the money we expected,” Broz said.

Broz continued, “We have to look at those expenditures because our revenues are not keeping pace with our expenditures, which are growing much faster than the revenues are.”

Broz also said she is concerned with the budget cuts because of the detrimental effects on Rockwood.

She said, “[I’m concerned with] losing the Rockwood way, the fact that the cuts which we are looking at right now don’t sustain a balance budget in the future because it’s just not enough money and the fact that cuts, or the kind that we are talking about, touch people and affect people’s lives, people’s jobs, people’s benefits and their salaries for the next year.”

Max Thoman / Managing Editor “““These budget cuts will not sustain a bal-anced budget in the future because we have lost our state revenues, specifically for transportation, which we lost a number of millions of dollars for.”

- Shirley Broz, Chief Financial and Legislative Officer

RSD proposes new budget cutting options

imageFor updates

on the budgetgo to:

[lhs.com]

[ ]

Trivia NightHosted by the Sophomore ClassJanuary 29, 2011 in the LHS Commons

Get a table of your neighbors and friends together for an evening filled with fun, trivia, prizes and silent auction.Pick up your order form in Sophomore Office or email

Tickets: $20.00 per adult $10.00 per LHS student/staff

8 people per tableDoors open at 6:00 PMTrivia starts at 7:00 PM

Feature 7 [the]image

Each year as winter rolls around, parents begin to warn their teenagers of the dangers of driving in the ice and snow. And while these talks are important, many students are well aware that they need to slow down and be very cautious while driving in inclement weather. Being safe in the winter goes far beyond carefully driving in the snow. It is important to consider daily weather conditions, know what to keep in your car and even the clothes necessary for the cold. Here is the ultimate winter safety guide, use it wisely.

Lafayette’s LotWith hundreds of teenagers and their cars packed together, the Lafayette parking lot can seem like a nightmares. However, Assistant Principal Tim Jones said that when snow rolls around, the lots are quite safe.

“Kids know to take it easy in inclement weather. We don’t expect anything unlike winters in the years past, as far as parking lot accidents go,” Jones said.

“Our maintenance crew does an outstand-ing job shoveling the lots and salting it. Our lot is so safe to drive in. The work out into the lot is almost overkill, because it seems safer to drive on than the streets after a snowstorm,” he added.

This Year’s Snow Days The methods that decide whether school will be cancelled are similar every year.

“As early as 2:30 a.m. on the morning of a snowfall or ice storm, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Dennis Griffith contacts a group of individuals who drive throughout the district to test the roads.

Many factors are considered before making the final decision including weather predic-tions, highway department preparedness, time of day, wind-chill factor, as well as the driver’s

reports,” Superintendent Bruce Borchers said.Though Borchers is from Minnesota, he

says that the wintery weather of his last state will not impact Rockwood’s snow days.

“In Minnesota, the average snowfall is almost 50 inches a year, so weather in St. Louis this winter will definitely be a change. I can as-sure you that I will follow District procedures for the closing school,” Borchers said.

A Winter Horror StoryRegardless of how cautious one may be, winter accidents are

always a possibility. Senior Luke Dunakey is just one

of the many examples.“I was going around

a curve after it just started snowing. I thought it wouldn’t be bad to drive in the snow if it just started. I lost traction on the curve, fishtailed and went off the road,” Dunakey said.

Though he was not hurt and his car was not wrecked, a tow truck had to come pull his car out of a ditch, which was enough to change his driving habits in inclement weather.

“I’m a lot more careful in the snow and rain now, especially going around turns,” Dunakey said.

• Charged cell phone• Heavy blanket

• Reflectors or flares (if you get stuck)

• Ice scraper

• Warm clothing: gloves, hat, etc.

• Flashlight

Winter weather sparks driving precautions

Tips for the Winter Driver• “It’s most important to have good tires on your car for winter driving.”

• “Black ice looks just like wet pavement but it is ice and it’s incred-ibly dangerous.”

• “Be especially careful when turning or stopping. Even if you have 4-wheel drive, it’s very possible that it will be difficult to stop if you go too fast.”

• “When weather is so bad that school is canceled, that’s a good indication that you shouldn’t be driving if possible.”

• “If the weather causes dangerous traffic or accidents, make sure you pull off the road into a safe place.

• “Make sure you always wear your seatbelt.”

*Information provided by Lafaytte Resource Officer Oliver Helbig

Yes (61%)

No (39%)

LOOKLOOK

LESS LESS

HisHer

forfor

BeforeAfter After

Who

Do you keep an ice scraper in your car?

Trendy winter coats may be hard to find at an affordable price, but peacoats at Old Navy run as low as $49.50.

Get a crocheted head-scarf for a vintage look for only $7.99 at Target.

Get a woven scarf for $7.99 at H & M.

Look handsome and sophisticated with a zip-up peacoat on sale for $39.99 at H&M.

SaysWarm Can’t

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“Temperatures [will] get well above normal but we also have a very good chance of above normal pre-cipitaion which puts us in the odd po-sition of getting a winter that’s very mild, while at the same time getting hit with a few big snows.”

- Mike Roberts, KSDK-TV Meteorologist

* 226 students polled

Alyssa Knowling / Reporter

What to keep in your car:

Luke Dunakey

Senior Kim Stading is not affected by nuts or peanuts, but her diet is still very restricted.

Two years ago, Stading discovered her intolerance to lactose.“I would get stomach aches after eating, and then I started

getting really bad headaches, and I would also be very tired,” she said.

Her first thought was that she may have been sick, but after the doctor instructed her to cut lactose from her diet, she noticed a change.

“At first it was kind of minor, but [my doctor] said it is something that progresses so it gets worse and worse as you go on,” Stading said.

“Now it’s to the point where if I were to even have a sip of milk, I would be sick to my stomach,” she added.

This condition restricts yogurt, ice cream and all other diary products from Stading’s diet.

“I can eat, in small amounts, a chocolate bar. But I have to take a pill with it, and then another pill afterwards,” she said.

About a year later, Stading discovered yet another dietary roadblock: gluten intolerance.

Her trainer at the time suggested that a gluten-free diet may be a solution to the fatigue and aching she was experiencing.

She then went to the doctor and had her stomach scoped. It was concluded that the gluten was causing a lot of irritation.

“Even if I were to eat something completely neutral like rice, which is something that shouldn’t affect me, it was affecting me because [my stomach] was already irritated,” Stading explained.

But the difficulties didn’t end there.“On top of all that, I have acid reflux, so I can’t have oranges,

apples, and foods like that,” she said.Much like Crow, Stading was unharmed by all foods before

her first encounter with lactose upsetting her stomach, pizza being one of them.

“Now, pizza is like my death sentence because it has gluten in the crust, acid in the tomatoes and lactose in the cheese,” she said.

These obstacles have caused Stading to seek alternate forms of nutrition. For calcium, Stading takes Tums once a week. Soy milk is a common substitute for milk, and although she doesn’t necessarily prefer it, she uses it while eating cereal.

“I really like soy chocolate milk, but I have to put a ton of chocolate in it,” she said.

She also eats fruits, vegetables and nuts. “One of the big problems is that because I can’t eat gluten,

I don’t have energy because I’m not getting carbohydrates. I have to eat a lot of meat, and sometimes even candy for energy,” Stading said.

“For lunch, I’ll bring mashed potatoes and peas and corn, and maybe some chicken,” she added.

However just as the educational community is becoming more aware of allergies, so too are grocery stores. Many offer a

variety of gluten free products, including pasta, which Stading and her family often eat due it’s identical taste to regular pasta.

For this reason Stading favors the Pasta House, where gluten free pasta is offered. In addition, Cecil Whittakers offers gluten free crust. She can also eat Taco Bell, where corn tortillas are offered.

Though her life has been significantly changed, Stading has learned ways around this obstacle. If anything, she suggests to “really be careful and know what you can and can’t eat.” Though cafeteria food in college will be its own roadblock, she’ll continue to find alternate ways to meet her nutritional needs.

Feature8 Dec. 17, 2010

Sophomore Melanie Crow is just one of the many Americans who must be very cautious about the foods they eat.

“I’m allergic to all nuts, including tree nuts and peanuts, bananas, celery and sesame seeds.”

However, Crow didn’t always stray from these foods. For much of her life, these allergens never caused a problem.

“I ate celery and peanut butter all the time when I was younger. I loved it,” Crow said.

However it only took one frightening incident for Crow to realize that something was wrong. While on vacation with a friend, Crow ate a dinner roll with walnuts in it. Shortly fol-lowing, she began experiencing an odd feeling in her throat and pased out in the restaurant lobby when headed outside to get fresh air.

“I’m off the charts for walnuts. If I were to eat a whole one, I could possibly die,” she said.

Precautions are now taken so that Crow will be ready in the event that she accidently consumes such a food.

“I carry my Epi-pen everywhere, I have about three of them.” she said.

“Its a shot, and you stick it into your thigh. It speeds up your heart rate so that it extracts all of the things that you’re allergic to.”

In addition, she is much more thoughtful when selecting food to eat.

“I think its always kind of awkward, because if someone is handing out cookies, You always have to ask, ‘Are there nuts in that?’”

The community as a whole is becoming much more con-scious of such allergies. Schools throughout the Rockwood School District are creating peanut and nut free lunch and nut free classroom environments.

For example, in the lunchroom at Chesterfield Elemen-tary School, seating is assigned by classroom. Students who bring foods containing peanuts are asked to sit at tables on one side, while those with allergies sit on the other.

In addition, if a child brings food from a restaurant, they are asked to sit at a table away from students who have peanut allergies due to the use of peanut oil in french fries.

Chesterfield Elementary Principal Jodi Davidson explained that at the beginning of each school year, letters are sent out informing parents of the allergies within their child’s class.

Birthday treats are an area of cautious concern.“Parents are encouraged to send snacks that are peanut-

free so that all children can participate,” Davidson said.

“My eyes are bigger than my stomach.” A common phrase used when referring to the appeal that food may have when you see it, but the regret that comes with attempting to devour every last bite. For many Americans, this is the only threat food may have on everyday life. But just as kryptonite is Superman’s defying agent, food can be a peril to many mere mortals. According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, “More than 12 million Americans have food allergies. That’s one in 25, or four per cent of the population.” In addition, of those 12 million, three million are children.

imageFor links to food alergy

websites visit:

[lhs.com]

[ ]

Kim Stading:Lactose, Gluten and Acid Reflux Melanie Crow:

Tree Nuts, Celery and SeedsRockwood:Allergies in Schools

Maddie Johnson / Features Editor

Feature 9 [the]image

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Holidays Made Easy:

Holiday Movie: ElfA story of an expelled elf, played by Will Ferrell, became a classic hit in November of 2003. Ferrell’s exceptional childlike humor gave us

phrases like, “You’re a cotton-headed ninny-muggins” and how to properly answer the phone

with, “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” Junior Colleen O’Connell fell in love with Elf immedi-ately. With Will Ferrell being one of her favorite actors, the movie appealed to her preferences and inner-child.

“I absolutely love Will Ferrell, and I think the story line is awesome,” she said.

O’Connell watches the movie year round, but when Christmas season rolls around, Elf is played more often in her household.

“I have so many favorite quotes; one would be, ‘I’m sorry I ruined your lives, and crammed eleven cookies into the VCR,’” O’Connell said.

It’s the perfect holiday movie, when the adults can act like kids for a little while.

Light Display: The Way of LightsThe Way of Lights at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville, IL is one of many light displays,

but one of the most well-known. Over one million lights are used throughout the 200 acre area. Customers are able to drive through the one and a half mile display or take a carriage ride free of

charge. The Way of Lights display opened Nov. 19 and will close Jan. 2. Also, the Shrine offers

a laser light show. Admission is three dollars and free for anyone under the age of four. Through light and sound, visitors are able to view the uniquely designed show created

just for The Way of Lights. Getting out of the house to see this presentation of brilliant lights is a-must-see holiday festivity.

Leanne Beasley / Feature Editor

Music: GleeThe holiday season is incomplete without appropriate music to get everyone in the mood. On Nov. 16, one of the most popular TV casts released their much awaited album. With over 15 million already existing songs downloaded and five million albums bought, the cast created Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album. Whether

you start listening before or after Thanksgiving, investing in the glee-ful holiday album is a must. With oldies like, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen to Wham!’s Last Christmas, the Glee cast has taken a fresh spin on these songs and more. For all the Gleeks out there, this album will make the perfect gift this year.

a guided way to the perfect break

imageFor more holiday

tips go to:[lhs

.com][ ]

Tree Time: Ted DrewesInstead of buying a pre-lit false needled Christmas tree, make this holiday season the real deal. Ted Drewe’s Frozen Custard is known for its delicious custard that hits the spot year round. What most people don’t know is that Ted Drewe’s offers a wide range of Christmas trees from Nova Scotia during the wintertime. Some of those varieties are Balsam Fir, Frasier Fir, White Pine and Scotch Pine. Ted’s finest tree is the Dottie Tree which is a personal favorite, according to the owner, Ted Drewe.

The trees have been around just as long as the custard, making the company a double-threat.

According to the Ted Drewe’s website, the Christmas tree tradition has become an annual St. Louis holiday tradition, almost as big of a hit as the custard itself.

“We have people buy their trees from us year after year, and they don’t even know we sell ice cream,” Drewe said.

In addition to their assortment of trees, Ted Drewe’s also has an array of decorated and undecorated wreathes available for purchase that come with hand-tied bows.

So out with the fake and in with the authentic way to celebrate the season.

Cheez-Its: 20.4 cents per ounceTarget: 51.9 cents per ounce

(individually packaged)Walmart: 12.3 cents per ounce

Feature10 Dec. 17, 2010 Feature 11

The Great Generic Food Challenge

Dr. Pepper: 2.3 cents per ounceDr. Thunder 1.8 cents per ounce

Froot Loops: 17.5 cents per ounceTarget: 20.4 cents per ounceWalmart: 12.7 cents per ounce

Walking down the soda aisle at the local grocery, names like Dr. Pep-per, 7-Up and Mountain Dew seem to stand out most prominently in the minds of potential customers.

On the less conveniently located shelf below, more obscure brands of soda are also available, but at a lower price. The variety of knock-offs, a.k.a. generic brands, are endless.

Schnucks’ Dr. Phizz, Sam’s Choice’s Twist-Up and Aldi’s Mountain Frost to name a few comparables to the wide spread name brands.

Despite the price difference of these generics, name brand companies seem to have a stronghold throughout stores.

Last year alone, Dr. Pepper Snapple Inc. continued growing improving its volume 4.8 percent in sales.

Perhaps it’s the reliable taste, or the incessantly advertised “23 flavors” or even the familiar packaging consumers have grown up on which draws them to these name brands.

Sophomore Aliah Ptah said many name brand foods offer a better taste than knock-off counterparts.

“I prefer name brand, because you can always tell when [a brand

is] an imitator,” she said.However, others taste no difference between name brand and

store brand foods.“A lot of the off brands taste just as good as the name brands,”

freshman Leah Winckel said.Sophomore Karen Flavin feels the same way.“I shop at Aldi and buy the no-brand foods. It tastes the same,

sometimes even better,” she said.Even though taste may be important, people also may consider

price when buying food. Mostly, generic items are a lot cheaper than name brands.

For example, Dr. Thunder, an off-shoot of Dr. Pepper, can be bought at Wal-mart and Sam’s Club chains at 1.8 cents per fluid ounce. Original Dr. Pepper, on the other hand costs 2.3 cents per fluid ounce.

Although it may not seem like a big difference, Dr. Thunder would theoretically cost about 22 cents per can, while Dr. Pepper would be 28 cents. The difference adds up when buying cans of soda.

According to a study conducted by Consumer Reports magazine, “Price gaps have less to do with what goes into the package than with

the research, development and marketing costs that help build a household name.”

In other words, name brand companies use the same ingredients as generic food companies, but what consumers are actually paying for when buying name brands is the name itself.

Consumers are not paying extra money for better ingredients, but for Tony the Tiger, Lucky the Leprechaun or the Trix Bunny.

In fact, referring back to the soda example, ingredients listed in both products are exactly the same with the exception of two addi-tives (lactic acid and monopotassium phosphate) in the knock-off.

All other nutritional facts are the same.To test whether or not generic foods really taste the same as

name brand foods, the Image conducted a blind taste test using three sample foods and one drink.

A, B and C samples represented Walmart, Target and various name brands in all food categories.

In the soda test, however, A sample represented the brand Dr. Thunder while B was Dr. Pepper.

Not a single student chose all name brand items.

Kelley Bauer & McKayla Treat / Reporters

Soda

Cereal

Frui

t Snacks

Cheese

Cra

ckers

Dr. Pepper (37%)

Dr. Thunder (63%)

Welch’s: 17.3 cents per ounceTarget: 15.7 cents per ounceWalmart: 15.2 cents per ounce

“I could tell the difference between sodas.”

- Andrew Marsh, 9

“For crackers, A [Walmart] and C [name brand] were so similar that I’d buy A if it was cheaper.” - Stephanie Sammons, 11

Froot Loops (31%)

Target (52%)

Walmart (17%)

Welch’s (18%)

Target (35%)

Walmart (47%)

Cheez-Its

(54%)

Target (7%)

Walmart (39%)

Juniors lead the way as both basketball teams seek consistency

12 Dec. 17, 2010

Heading into this weekend’s GAC Shootout in St. Charles, the Lancers are confident even after dropping their previous three games, two of which was by double-digits.

(The Dec. 13 contest against Kirkwood did not make print.)

“We improved a lot against Marion. It was a step in the right direction and I was very pleased,” Head Coach Scott Allen said.

For the second straight year, the team opened the Pattonville Tourna-ment with a win over the host team, only to collide with high-powered Chaminade.

The Lancers were outmatched from the start in a 70-48 loss to the highly-ranked Red Devils, who are led by top recruit Bradley Beal.

They followed that with two losses against McCluer and Marion.

With so many lineup changes from last season, senior Aareon Smith (12.7 ppg) and junior Joel Pen-nington (10.7) remain constant and are providing the Lancers with a nice inside-outside combination.

Junior Nick Messer is adding 9.3 ppg and had a team-high 21 points against McCluer.

“The first couple of games we weren’t playing as a team. Now we’re getting better chemistry and playing harder as far as getting loose balls and talking better,” Smith said.

With virtually their entire starting lineup returning, the Lady Lancers are looking to translate last season’s successes into wins this year.

The team defeated Francis Howell and Marquette in the Randi Perkins Tournament, but fell 44-35 to 2010 State runner-up Fort Zumwalt West in the championship game.

“I think it shows that we’re going to have a pretty decent season and that it definitely helps to have most of your team return.

I think we’re all hardworking and bought into the team and that’s going to lead to our success,” junior Jordynn Martin said.

Martin is currently second in the Suburban West in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game (ppg). Junior Kayla Hall’s 9.4 ppg is good for second on the team.

With only one returning senior, the Lady Lancers continue have their share of youth within their lineup. Freshman McKenley Meadows has become an effective force on the both ends of the floor and is averaging a team-high of 5.4 rebounds per game.

“She has stepped up and helped us. She’s only going to get better if she keeps up her great attitude,” Head Coach Jennifer Porter said.

However, even with effective offensive play, the team has struggled to grasp a consistent level of play.

Dominic Corvington / Reporter Gian Wessel / Sports Editor

Girls open 3-2, battle streaky play to start

At the guard positions, juniors Claire Norfleet and Joel Pennington have had solid seasons so far. (Photos by Dominic Corvington and Alex Vanderheyden)

SportsBoys optimistic despite starting with 1-3 record

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St.LouisSt.Louis

Winter Sports Schedules

Sports13 [the]image

After losing key swimmers from last year’s State championship team, the Lady Lancers are off to a strong start after their Dec. 7 meet versus Lindbergh High School.

They bested the Flyers 124-62.“The team is very different this year than

it was last year. We lost a lot of depth, but by training hard and maintaining the team-based state of mind, there’s no reason it should affect us,” senior Taylor Paskoff said.

Key swimmers and divers returning from last year are seniors Paskoff and Alyssa Shaw, juniors Hannah Chobanian and Kelsey Kirch-hoefer and sophomores Gretchen, Taylor Holz, Laura Paskoff and Kelly Shaw.

With many point earning swimmers returning, the Lady Lancers have high hopes for the season.

“Our team’s goal is to go undefeated for the regular season, including Marquette Relays and the Parkway South Invitational,” Paskoff said. “and we would really love that 26th Conference championship.”

The girls competed next at the Marquette Relays on Dec. 10-11.

The team placed first in the meet for the

fourth year in a row, ending with a score of 268, followed by St. Joseph’s Academy at 244 and Parkway Central at 208.

The team placed first in five of nine swimming relays, including the 200 free, 600 individual medley (IM), 900 progression relay, 300 fly relay and 300 back relay. The team also made a State cut in the 200 free.

In addition to the State cut in the 200 free, five individuals made State cuts, putting the team at a total of seven individual State qualifiers and three relay State qualifiers just one week into the season.

The Lady Lancers also placed third in diving, with points from senior Alyssa Shaw, sophomore Kelly Shaw and freshman Sophie Gebauer.

Paskoff said, “Everyone has been working hard so far, so I believe we have a really great season in front of us.”

She continued, “The underclassmen have been stepping it up, so I expect a lot of fast swims from them. As long as we stay focused there’s no reason we shouldn’t finish with a perfect season.”

The girls next meet will be against Hazelwood West on Jan. 7 at 4:15 p.m. in the Lafayette pool.

After taking home the District and Suburban West Conference crowns last year, the Lafayette wrestling team prepares to hit the mats for yet another successful season.

In addition to taking their District and Conference titles, the Lancers advanced to the State tournament where they placed eighth overall as a team last season.

The season started with two close regular season losses, one against Eureka and the other against Northwest, scoring 30-33 and 28-33 respectively.

These were tough losses to start the season with, especially with the scores being so close.

The match against Northwest could be the closest they will face all season, falling to the Lions in the final match.

“It was tough because anybody could’ve picked up those points for us,” senior Kyle Black said.

“Northwest is a tough program that puts out a good team each year . . . We just needed one match to swing our way and we would’ve won,” assistant wrestling coach Jonathan Sumner said.

The Lancers picked up key wins from seniors Kyle Black, Daniel Clutter, Taylor McKenna, Chris Stainbeck, Danny Wrocklage, junior Ryan Jones by default and sophomore Nick Olejnik.

Although Lafayette has faced two difficult losses to begin the season, they will stay positive and confident as they finish the season. Having good, experienced players will help them along the way.

The team lost some key performers to graduation, but have some newcomers and returning players looking to have strong seasons.

Six players who qualified for State last year return including, seniors Kyle Black, Taylor McKenna, Ryan Siebert, Danny Wrocklage, junior Ryan Jones and sophomore Nick Olejnik.

“We have a great lineup with a strong base, we need some guys to step up and fill some gaps from last year where we graduated some tough kids last year,” Sumner said.

One player to watch this season is Kyle Black.

Black placed sixth overall last year in only his junior season. Black returns to the team this year and has his sights set high.

“Last year I did pretty well, but I under-achieved at State. I am aiming to win State this season.”

One of the things the team will have to do to achieve their lofty goals is to perform well on the biggest stage, the State level.

“I think we can get fourth as a team this

year, if we don’t underachieve at State again,” Black said.

“We are working on some things to help push our team at the end of the year so we can make a bigger impact at the State level,” Sumner said.

It is still early on in the season and that leaves the Lancers with plenty of time to perform at the level that they desire to.

“It is early and as long as we work hard and learn from our mistakes. I am confident we will place higher than both teams we have lost to at Districts and State,” Sumner said.

The team’s next meet is on Dec. 28, when they will compete in the Spartan Invitational at DeSmet High School.

Despite 0-2 start, wrestling keeps high hopes

Girls Swimming Is Back For More

Diving from the starting block, junior Kelsey Kirchhoefer enters the pool at the Dec. 7 meet against Lindbergh High School. The Lady Lancers beat the Flyers 124-62. (Photo by Christine Jackson)

Before winning the match by decision, senior Danny Wrocklage attempts to pin his opponent. In spite of his efforts, his team came up short, losing to Northwest 28-33, giving the team an 0-2 start in the regular season. (Photo courtesy of Sharol Nuckolls)

Christine Jackson / Sports Editor

Girls BasketballVisitation Christmas Tournament Dec. 17-27

@ Melhville Jan. 7 at 5:30 p.m.

Home v. Hazelwood Central Jan. 10 at 7:00 p.m.

Girls Swimming@ Oakville Jan. 4 at 4:15 p.m

@ Webster Groves Jan. 6 at 4:15 p.m.

Home v. Hazelwood West at 4:15 p.m.

WrestlingSpartan Invitational Dec. 28 at 9:00 a.m.

All Suburban Tournament Jan. 7

Lafayette Invitational Jan. 22 at 9:00 a.m.

Boys Basketball GAC Shootout @ Family Arena Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m.

Meramec Tournament Dec. 27-30

@ Oakville Jan. 4 at 7:00 p.m.

Lady Lancers start off strong against Lindbergh; win Marquette Relays

Sean McIntyre / Reporter

Sports14 Dec. 17, 2010

Taking It To The Next Level:LHS prospects receive exposure in variety of ways, undergo recruitment for participation in college sports

Jake BusiekBaseball

Chelsea ColemanTennis

Abby MoserVolleyball

Taylor PaskoffSwimming

Jordan WoolumsSoccer

As high school seasons come to a close, stand-out athletes are still often left with unfinished business regarding their sport-oriented lives after graduation.

College recruiting often varies based on the talent of any given high school athlete.

Major Division I, or “blue-chip” athletes as they are often called, are those that are noticed in a variety of ways.

However, getting most athletes maximum collegiate exposure demands students, their parents, and their coaches to determine potential schools before attempting to make contact with them on their own.

“They have to reach out to programs to let them know of their interest in that college. Those schools do not have the athletic budgets to spend as much time on the road recruiting, so they may never know of a prospect that has interest in them,” national recruiting analyst from Rivals.com Brian Perroni said.

Then when the time comes for players to settle on which collegiate program best suits them, three major factors come into play; academics, athletic ability, and interest.

However, they must first make a name for themselves as collegiate caliber athletes

Among some of the most widespread meth-ods of gaining exposure includes participation in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) programs, elite showcases, highlight reels, as well as registration on recruiting websites such as

beRecruited.com. “I made a demo video and put it on

youtube and I would send the link to the video to coaches that I would want to see it,” senior Shannon Knobloch said.

Then beginning Sept. 1 of their senior year, the NCAA allows each prospect to go on up to five official college visits. However they are limited to 48 total hours on campus.

With this, a potential recruit’s day may consist of meetings with coaches and financial aid officers, but in the evening they may be assigned a host from that school’s team who

will help them experience campus life while classes are in session.

Transportation, lodging, meals, and entertainment for the prospect also come at the expense of the school.

However, specific rules and guidelines within the NCAA and NAIA have placed certain limitations on the roles of high school players and college coaches.

During the seasons of each respective sport, there are periods where coach may come and watch a student athlete perform, but they are not allowed to communicate or make contact

with them in any way.  On the other hand, recruits are not subject

to the same restrictions. “Recruits can make unlimited phone calls

and unlimited campus visits for which they pay their own way. The one major rule is not to take an incentive of any kind, whether it be cash, gifts [or] trips other than the NCAA allowed official visits,” Perroni added.

Additionally, every collegiate sport from DI to DIII schools of the NCAA to NAIA programs now require new recruits to submit  test scores, grades, behavior records, and other information to eligibility centers so that recruiters and coaches can determine the level at which that individual can be recruited.

  As choosing a school to attend can be both a lengthy and stressful process for the average student, the addition of the many factors regarding athletics can also be a hectic experience for some.

Yet even so, the process eventually merits a positive result.

“It was a whirlwind. There were so many emails, phone calls and plane rides, but it was a great experience and it was all worth it,” senior Taylor Paskoff said.

Other seniors that have committed to play at collegiate level include Kelly Lamarche at Saint Louis University for golf and Zac Walters at Rollins College for soccer.

*Editor’s Note: All information about students signing was collected from Activities Director Steve Berry.

“I always give the advice to be as proactive as possible . . . there is nothing that prohibits prospects from contacting schools as early and as often as they would like.”

- Brian Perroni, National Recruiting Analyst

College:

Mizzou

Status: SignedAfter moving to Florida after his freshman year, Busiek made a name for himself while competing with his select team, the Orlando Scorpions. With them, he participated in national tournaments sponsored by Perfect Game scouting service where recruiters attend games to search for potential prospects.

College:

William Jewell

Status: SignedColeman relied on Ches-terfield Video to create a DVD showcasing her skills and point play construction. She then sent the DVD to prospective schools and released it on YouTube. In addition, she utilized ten-nisrecruiter.com to publicize her USTA ranking and had continuous contact with college coaches.

College:

Towson

Status: Signed

After her 11th year of club swimming, Paskoff had gained notoriety among various collegiate programs for her prolonged participa-tion in the USA swimming organization. Her Rockwood Swm Club coach, whose been teaching the sport for the past 32 years, has also helped her make contact with other schools.

Dominic Corvington / Reporter

College:

SLU

Status: VerbalThrough travel with her Gateway Field Hockey Club team, Knobloch was able to show her skills to many college coaches at tourna-ments and showcases. She also made demo videos of herself playing which she posted on Youtube and then sent its link to the coaches and programs whom she’d want to see it.

College:

Indiana

Status: VerbalWhile competing in national showcases with the St. Louis Scott Gallagher U18 Elite team, Woolums was able to gain attention from numerous Division I schools as coaches stood along the sidelines spectating. Along with participation on a club team, she also emailed coaches about her interests in their programs.

College:

Truman State

Status: SignedMoser also found recruiting success by making videos displaying her talents which she put on YouTube and sent to coaches. In addition, the experience of her mom, who is also her Rockwood Thunder club coach, and of competing in tournaments across the country helped her throughout the recruting process.

Shannon Knobloch Field Hockey

Sports15 [the]imageReal Cost of High School Sports:

Team choices, gear add to players’ expenses When it comes to sports, high school teams often look like the cheapest option, but before those first tryouts, it is good to know what you’re really getting into.

Activities Director Steve Berry estimates the school spends around $75,000 on equip-ment for Lafayette sports, but the school cannot foot the bill for everything.

“Some sports do have a booster club that can subsidize a student who needs help with sports costs. The school also provides whatever is essential for a student to play. However, some teams choose to go above and beyond with equipment like shoes, team warm ups, or required kinds of equipment and we cannot pick up the bill for those,” Berry said.

Boys basketball is one such team.Though all you need to play is a uniform,

which the school provides, the team chooses to add an extra cost.

“The only things that are really required

for a basketball player to buy are the team shoes which were $85 or $90,” junior Luke Kreinkamp said.

Junior Claire Norfleet said that on top of the necessary expenses of her stick, face mask, mouth guard, gloves and cleats for lacrosse, the team also pays $50 for Under Armour skirts and $500 for a team trip to Chicago in April.

The most costly sport is ice hockey.Lafayette’s hockey team is not school spon-

sored; meaning students and their parents are footing the bill for everything from uniforms to practice times. Players pay about $1,500 in

team fees to play, which includes playing on the team, jerseys, and socks.

“It is incredibly expensive to play and I thank my parents everyday for giving me the opportunity to play,” senior Jeff Holiday said.

According to Holiday, the grand total for a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, pants, shin pads, gloves, skates, a stick, socks and jerseys comes in at a little over $900.

Adding to the costs is team spiritwear, an expense common for many of teams.

This expenses caused junior Grace Nau-man, who plays varsity field hockey, to stop

buying her team’s warm ups.“I bought a team T-shirt, but I didn’t end

up buying any warm ups this year because they are expensive and I’ve bought them for the past two years,” Nauman said.

“I bought the team shirt because our team always wears them before big games to get pumped up.”

Holiday’s clothing purchases have set him back about $75, some of the cost required, and some by choice.

“We bought [a warm up suit] for $40 because it was a requirement to wear to the games. I also bought a hoodie which was $35,” Holiday said.

Though the cost may seem steep, Berry still believes that high school sports are more frugal.

“Though [the costs] could defer a student from playing,” Berry said. “I believe any cost that takes place by participating in a high school sport is minimal in comparison to any select team.”

Q: What equipment is required?A: “A stick, mouthguard, face mask, gloves and cleats.”Q: What have you bought as far as team sweatshirts. T-shirts, warm-ups, etc.? Why did you buy these?A: “An UnderArmour pull-over; it’s comfort-able and supports the team.”Q: Do you have to pay for any of your uniform? If so, what parts and how much do they cost?A: “Yes, we have to pay for our black underar-mour skirts; they cost $50.”Q:Do you have to pay team fees?A: “No.”Q:Do you pay to travel? If so, how often, where to and how much?A:“We go to Chicago one weekend in April every year; it costs $500 per person.”Q:Do you think you have to have the most expensive equipment to play? Do you think yours is the most expensive?A: “No, I get the best quality of equipment, but its not the most expensive compared to other sports like hockey.”

Q: What equipment is required?A: Helmet ($110), shoulder pads ($50), elbow pads ($40), pants ($70), shin pads ($60), gloves ($80), skates ($250), stick ($150), socks ($10), jerseys ($100) Q: What have you bought as far as team sweatshirts, T-shirts, warm ups, etc.? Why did you buy these?A: “A warm up suit. We bought it because it was a requirement to wear to the games ($40). I also bought a hoodie which was $35.”Q: Do you have to pay for any of your uniform? If so, what parts and how much do they cost?A: “Socks and jerseys are in our price that we pay to play which is about $1,500.”Q: Do you think your sport is too expensive? Do you think you play the most expensive sport?A: “It is incredibly expensive to play and I thank my parents every day for giving me the opportunity. Ice time costs around $250 for an hour, which is why we only practice twice a week. It would be great if the school sponsored hockey, but that won’t happen. Especially not with the reputation of Lafayette-Marquette games.”

Q: What equipment is required?A: “The only thing that is really required for a basketball player to buy is the team shoes and they were $85 to $90.”Q: What have you bought as far as team sweatshirts, t-shirts, warm ups, etc.? Why did you buy these?A: “I have bought the team travel gear, I can’t remember how much that costs, and I bought travel gear because they are very comfortable to wear anytime. The basketball team is very lucky because the booster club is very supportive with getting the whole program t-shirts.” Q:Do you have to pay team fees?A: “The only part of our uniform that players have to buy is the team shoes.”Q:Do you pay to travel? If so, how often, where to and how much?“We don’t pay to travel.”Q: Do you think your sport is too expensive? Do you think you play the most expensive sport?A: “Basketball is a fairly inexpensive sport to play compared to others like hockey and volleyball.”

Q: What equipment is required?A: “A stick, mouthguard, shinguards and cleats.”Q:Do you have to pay team fees?A:”Yeah we do, I think it’s about $75.”Q:Do you pay to travel? If so, how often, where to and how much?A: “Our trip to Louisville was included in the team fee, but when you go on trips, you end up paying for snacks and food while you’re there, which can get pretty expensive.”Q: Do you think that you have to have the most expensive equipment to play?A: “Well no, but it’s always better to have some more expensive things because they’re usually better quality, like field hockey sticks, for instance. the more expensive ones are made specifically for positions and can allow you to hit faster or harder.”Q: Do you think your sport is too expensive?A:”Even though it costs a lot, I really don’t think its too expensive becasue all the sports cost money to play, so relatively its really not that much. And if you aren’t able to pay, the school can usually pay it for you if your financial situation isn’t great.”

Christine Jackson / Sports Editor

Claire Norfleet: Lacrosse

Luke Kreienkamp: Basketball

Jeff Holiday: Ice Hockey

Grace Nauman: Field Hockey

Photo by Alex Vanderheyden Photo by Christine Jackson

Image: © 2010 Marlin Shulist Photographics Photo Courtesy of Claire Norfleet

Q&A: Athletes weigh in on the price of equipment for their sports

“Some teams choose to go above and beyond with equipment like shoes, team warm-ups or required kinds of equipment and we cannot pick up the bill for those.”-Activities Director Steve Berry

Sports16 Dec. 17, 2010

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[ ] check for regularly updated

news, sports and features coverage

Gian Wessel / Sports Editor

The Great Debate

BCS Title Game#1 Auburn vs. #2 Oregon

Rose Bowl#3 TCU vs. #5 Wisconsin

Orange Bowl#4 Stanford vs. #13 VT

Sugar Bowl#6 OSU vs. #8 Arkansas

Fiesta Bowl#7 OU vs. UConn

‘Tis the season to indulge in great football. With college bowl games set to kick off next week and the NFL regular season winding down, there will be no shortage of high-stakes games for fans to chew on over the next month.

“I like the energy, anything can happen. Some players and teams step up that you’re not even expecting and it adds to the energy,” senior Alex Eklund said.

Thanks to college football’s extended bowl season, the wait is almost over for those anxious to see their favorites in postseason action. Starting on Dec. 18, 35 games will showcase 70 of the top teams.

The biggest game of them all will be the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) Championship between top-ranked Auburn and second-ranked Oregon on Jan. 10.

In the NFL, a wildly unpredict-able regular season enters week 15 and playoff races around the league are starting to heat up.

Each of the NFL’s eight divisions remain up for grabs, which will provide plenty of excitement for fans of all teams.

“I like how the AFC is back on top,” senior Blake Willoughby said. “Watch out for the AFC East.”

Others fans might have their own predictions, but all fans should be asking the same question: How can I possibly watch everything?

College or Pro? The Image asked two fans

where their loyalties lie

“College athletes try harder because they’re trying to get to the pros. Every game means more and are more exciting. I like the overtime rules, they’re better [in college]. And the BCS bowls give everyone a chance.”

“It’s cool seeing people do what they love on Sundays with the crowd. It’s fun that they’re the best of the best and it brings a lot better competition. Everyone’s so fast in the NFL that it’s a team effort more than individual.”

Brock Berhndt, junior

Ben Perez, junior

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. (Photo courtesy of MCT Campus)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. (Photo courtesy of MCT Campus)

Everyone’sGot Game

Gian Wessel,Sports Editor

Bowl season, NFL playoffs sure to excite in December

Opinions 17 [the]image

‘Twas the night before an “unnamed holiday,” and all through the halls,

Lafayette lay silent; there was no movement at all.

Fire alarms were muted after big Homecom-ing scares,

And the Kona-Ice truck had retired its wares. Bruce Borchers was home, sleeping not quite

sound,With nightmares of budget woes keeping him

wound.The clocks all hit Twelve, but not all at once,As their circuits were fried by a mechanical

dunce.As for the students, who all had worked hard,At TPing and vandalizing, of which they

weren’t barred,They cried in Glee as Harry Potter rolled on,

and lined the streets with Hogwarts clothes on.Pink swept through the building, attached in

their hair,In time for October, and the brisk, cool air.The Principals were pied, the students refused

to shave,And all of the Marquettians just would not

behave.

They spray painted the field to gloat before the game,

And yet we lost it all just the same.Attendance was high at the Battle of 109,Where everyone body painted in order to

shine. Chicken pox, Pageant tickets and construc-

tion round out the year,And in the end there was nothing to jeer.It was full of memories; all its happenings

were quite queer,And so we at the Image say, “Just wait for next

year!”

“Political cor-rectness is not that big of a deal, because it isn’t something that could really be taken offensively very often.” -Logan Pauley, 9

“It goes way too far. They should not tell us what we can and cannot celebrate.”- Sarah Helderle, 10

“ It is important to be respectful of people’s views, but it is taken too far.”- Connor McAndrew, 11

“It really does not matter that much. There are a lot more important things to get upset about.”- Rena Black, 12

[the]imageStaff

Editorial

The Image staff reflects on the eventful school year

What others thought

How far does political

correctness go during

the holiday season?

This month the Image

asks...

Not far enough (15.8%)

Far enough (30%)

* 203 students polled

Too far (54.2%)

Alicia Mestre

Opinions18 Dec. 17, 2010

Stars to: Gripes to:• To the automatic toliets that decide when it’s time to flush. We make the decisions around here, not you machinery!

• The time needed to scrape the ice off our cars in the morning. Oh, the effort we put into making it on time to this wonderous educational institution.

• The Transport Security Administration. Nothing like a nice physical pat down or a quick revealing image to start off the holidays.

• Ke$ha’s concert at The Pagent in February already being sold out. We should have paid attention to time passing . . . Tik Tok.

• Politcal correctness during the “holiday” season. So, have a generally pleasant winter time break.

• The break from school. Although we always feel jipped by the seem-ingly decreasing length of the break, it really is a blessing.

• Choir’s Holiday Showcase, a A Christmas Carol, sold out a week before show time with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House. In the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, every one.”

• Christmas specials. Talking toys, mutant reindeer and animate snow-men. What’s not to like?

• New Froyo opening in the Chesterfield Valley. Is winter best time to open a new frozen yogurt place? We think yes.

• A legitimate reason to wear ugg boots. Comfortable? Yes. Attractive? Questionable.

stars & gripes

School cyberbullying regulation often naiveTomorrow’s Answers Today

CalebCavarretta

OpinionsEditor

On The ContraryMax Thoman

Managing Editor

Political correctness threatens religous equality

Cyberbullying has become a major issue, as students of all races, creeds and beliefs experience it, whether it be through reading a malicious text mes-sage, discovering a hurtful Facebook page or witnessing it in an embarrass-ing video posted on YouTube.

The issue has drawn national atten-tion, as teenagers feel the toll of rising suicide rates, (the third leading cause of death for ages 10-24) and schools, organizations and parents attempt to take reactionary measures.

These measures, while seemingly appropriate, often constitutes a naive overstep of authority by schools, as well as the creation of a dangerous grey area in terms of what cyberbullying encompasses.

The safest route schools can take is to enforce rules against bullying inside of school of all kinds, no matter its target or device, and address it as a serious problem.

This is the best way for schools to avoid overstepping their authority. The simple fact of the matter is, a school has no jurisdiction over actions taken by students outside of school.

Out of school cyberbullying by students falls under the responsibility

of parents, unless of course it crosses the law, in which case it falls under law enforcement’s jurisdiction.

The suicides of Phoebe Prince and Tyler Cllementi, both of which were found to be caused by cyberbullying, were appropriately followed by legal pursuit of the victim’s harassers. This legal action was the only justifiable disciplinary action that can be taken against a student for cyberbullying outside of school.

Inside of the schoolhouse gates, disciplinary action is fair game, but focusing mainly on this method would be doing little more than putting a band-aid on a deep wound.

Schools simply administering pun-ishment rarely solve problems. While setting an example of an offender, such as in the case of the death penalty for a murderer, may deter the action among adults, there are still ignorant and crazy people that do it.

Sadly, ignorance is a detriment that happens to be rampant among the student population.

We do not think like a logical or experienced adult, even though they might like to think they do. We think like teenagers.

We, quite bluntly, are impulsive. Students do not understand the repercussions of that mouse click, and thus simply punishing them for those repercussions likely will not inspire change among their peers.

The situation requires tough mental medicine, especially on the part of schools, which need to aggressively address the issue.

Teaching students that harassment of any kind or origin is wrong, as opposed to individual ideals intended to teach sensitivity to students with differences that may be perceived as coming dangerously close to viewpoints on social issues, is the best way for schools to combat the issue.

Another serious issue is the grey area that would develop if school enforcement was to expand outside of the schoolhouse gates.

What truly entails cyberbullying? How far does the schools jurisdiction on punishing student who cyberbully reach?

Does it encompass harassment based on race? Religion? Political beliefs? Sexuality? Intelligence? Athletic ability? Taste in clothing? Personality?

Does it have legal standing? Does

it overlap or complicate the actions of law enforcement? A school regulation of cyberbullying that expands outside of school grounds begs far too many questions, while providing few definite answers.

Kids of all ages are bullied for these things, but a school would not enforce its traditional bullying policies outside of school.

If a student was harassing another at some local playground off school grounds, the parents and law enforce-ment are rightly the only two groups that have a say in this.

What makes this any different from cyberbullying?

This is purely a double standard, as the school truly has no authority over traditional out of school bullying, or out of school cyberbullying.

The schools should not be asking if they should regulate cyberbullying outside of schools, but rather if they can.

Cyberbullying is a tragedy, but one schools can only make clear to students as a problem, and regulate in their own halls. Outside of them, it is the issues of parents, law enforcement, and the kids themselves.

I miss the good old days.I miss the days when uttering a

word with a connotation to that of a religious holiday, or rather a religious event, wasn’t frowned upon.

I miss the parties.I miss the fun.The holiday season, as it is

commonly referred, is a rather blunt and corporate label placed upon three distinct religious observa-tions that all happen to fall during one common time period, and for schools and corporations alike, this title allows for a much broader or blanketing statement which is able to encompass all three observances without discrimination and the like.

By removing the true aspects of “the holiday season” from that very name, our overprotective society has created a taboo which has been placed on the discussion of these religious events to the point of a lack of understanding.

This can be viewed more often in schools, where impressionable children are molded into the citizens which they will one day become, than anywhere else.

Now, I am an avid believer in the separation between Church and State, but there comes a time when one has to ask, what is too far? Where is the line?

After all, the court cases dealing with religious displays and religious acts or teachings within schools are so numerous and so contradictory that it seems hard at times to keep straight what is constitutionally acceptable to teach within schools.

And perhaps this is where the ambiguous term finds its roots. In fear.

No one wants to be sued and the religious realm has been so overly questioned within the Supreme Court with cases like Lynch v. Don-nelly, Santa Fe School District v. Doe,

and Edwards v. Aguillard, all dealing with a separate issue and all creating new regulations and guidelines to follow, that it is hard for school districts and the like to keep up.

It’s an understandable desire for corporations and governmental groups to want to protect their employees and their officials from lawsuits surrounding religious discrimination.

However, this random cloak of ambiguity which the corporate and social world has placed upon religious occurrences also seems to take away the true meaning of the holidays.

Sheltering children in every way possible is not the answer to pacify this fear brought on by a judgmental society.

Young students need to learn about these holidays. They need to know about different religious practices and they need to under-

stand the equality of each observance so that they might better be able to distinguish the equality of all in our modern society.

By blanketing the occurrences of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa under the term, “the holiday season,” our society acts only to falsely protect.

Through this ambiguity, children do not learn equality.

Instead, they lose the opportu-nity to understand and accept their counterparts, something that could potentially backfire in the future.

The same goes for adolescents and adults.

With blanket statements and ambiguous hints at religious celebrations, society robs religious acceptance and understanding from the holidays and shifts focus onto a basic understanding.

And so the taboo remains and grows.

Infotainment 19 [the]image

Picks of the Month

Movie:How Do You Know?Starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicolson and Paul Rudd, the movie is star-filled and bound to be hilarious. Rudd’s char-acter falls in love with Witherspoon, who is dating Wilson, creating a love triangle leading to a romantic, silly movie. It is to be released on Dec. 17.

Event:Winter WonderlandThis year being the 25th year, Winter Wonderland is held in Tilles Park each year. The park is set up with thousands of lights, and horse drawn carriages take you throughout the wonderland. The display is open until Jan. 2.

TV Show:The Walking DeadBased off of the American comic book, The Walking Dead on AMC is not the typical run of the mill zombie thriller. Made like a movie, but put into a TV show form, it is flaw-lessly made, gory and exhilarating to watch.

Album:Alphabetical by PhoenixReleased in 2004, this album smoothly combines acoustic, electronic and pop music. Each song flows into the next, creating a carefree sound, while the beats are driving and dance-like. Each song is likeable and interesting, and the album as a whole is great background music as well.

Book:The Best of Roald DahlKnown for his children’s stories such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl was also famous for his dark, witty short stories. The compilation consists of 25 separate short stories filled with dark humor and raunchy plots.

Alyssa Knowling makes entertainment choices for December

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Infotainment20 Dec. 17, 2010

It seems that everyone these days can sing. Dis-ney Channel stars are factory-made to be TV stars by day and singer/songwriters by night. But the music behind the voice, the heartbeat of any song, remains to be the beat.

With technology and music progressing hand-in-hand it is no surprise that music can be made digitally without any need for a physical instrument.

This method of music production has been utilized most in the hip-hop industry as artists and producers collaborate to make beats in digital studios with computer software and hardware.

Programs such as FL Studio, Logic, Pro-Tools and Mixcraft allow artists to choose from a library of sounds and notes that are combined to make the melody or beat.

USB pad controllers, which are basically like a digital drum-pad, also feature an array of sounds that artists can assign to individual pads on the particular machine that play when pressed.

A popular example of a “beat” machine is the Maschine made by Native Instruments.

Senior Rory Trankler has started creating beats using FL Studio 9, Mixcraft, a keyboard, guitar, and the Maschine.

“I chose to use Mixcraft because it’s easy for recording my guitar and keyboard and it’s cheap, and FL studio has such a large amount of different sounds and kits,” Trankler explained.

Trankler is influenced by a diverse array of music including Jimi Hendrix and Passion Pit. “Just about any type of music can influence me when I make beats,” he added.

“That is what I really like about hip-hop, it is so versatile. A lot of my songs sound very different from each other so you will notice dif-ferent sounds on each that came from different influences,” he said.

“Eventually I realized that what I really enjoyed was the music behind the lyrics so I started making my own beats,” he said.

Trankler described the steps to creating a beat as follows:

“First you have to format the song in your heat, get a rough idea of what the chorus and verses are going to sound like,”

“Second, I create the drum beat,”“Third I mess around with the melody

I created with the drum beat playing in the background to get a feel for what I want the final chorus to be,”

“Fourth, I create the rest of the song, the intro, verses and outro,”

“Finally, I try to perfect the beat by doing any extra layering or panning on it that needs to be done to make the beat really bang,” Trankler explained.

Trankler has teamed up with senior Cam Kennedy, who writes lyrics over the beats he produces.

“I’ve been singing all my life and I’ve ex-perimented with writing music many times in between. Somewhere along the way these lyrics just started turning into rhymes,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy’s inspiration comes from a hand-ful of indie bands including Yeasayer, Local Natives, Broken Bells and Arcade Fire.

“New artists nowadays are incorporating this genre [indie] with rap,” he said.

“As for rap, I have very specific interests: Chiddy Bang, Mac Miller, Hoodie Allen, and Lupe Fiasco just to name a few,” he added.

Kennedy said that he tends to write about what most people are afraid to say.

“Everything tends to sound the same these days. The trick is finding something people aren’t used to hearing. I love to make people think,” he said.

Kennedy went on to say, “as much as people try to sound original, their style always reflects someone. There have been a couple of times where after playing back a verse, Trank

[Trankler] was like, ‘That sounded like Hoodie Allen.’”

Kennedy believes that his love for music is more noticeable in the time he puts into making it than in the lyrics.

“You have to be catchy and original. Also, nobody repeats song lyrics that they can’t understand,” he said.

According to Kennedy, “People that produce instrumentals never get enough credit. But everyone samples old music now. Rap is incorporating more and more genres of music nowadays, and that’s why I love it.”

Trankler and Kennedy intend to put their finished work on Datpiff.com for download and will be using social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter to spread the word.

Class of 2010 graduate Ian Bernstein has also started to dabble with music production.

“Ever since I did a research project on the history of hip-hop I’ve been into the whole

process and scene, but how the songs were made really caught my attention,” Bernstein said.

Bernstein recently purchased a Maschine and said, “It’s really intuitive and gives me a physical way to control the music and at the same time use the computer to see what I’ve done.”

Two of Bernstein’s favorite producers are DJ Premier and Kayne West.

“Both of them know how to use great samples and weave them into a song. There is a professional sound to their music that sets them apart,” he said.

When writing a song Bernstein explained, “For me, I usually write the piano or main part first. Drums are always second, and from there I do bass and other melody parts.”

“I always second guess everything because there are so many little changes possible. If you’re comfortable with the song, that is as good as it’s going to get,” he added.

Bernstein only puts in a few hours a week producing but hopes that during break he will have more time.

“When I’m finished with my work I’ll start to get in touch with low-key rappers and post my songs, but right now it’s all too soon,” he said.

The internet is chalk-full of aspiring producers who post their recordings online, namely Knock Squared who has his own site, knockshouse.com, where he sells beats and posts videos of him making music.

“I started at 16 because I was into DJ mixing and someone bought me a Tr-808 from Roland [classic beatbox]. I then started to toy around with it and found I had a knack for it,” Knock said.

Knock uses Native Instrument’s Maschine, Pro-Tools, Logic and FLStudio. “They are what works best for me. I am all about quick workflow,” he added.

While Trankler beleives the hardest part of beat making is coming up with a melody, Knock said, “For me it’s getting to actually making beats. I am a family man and my time is limited now.”

Knock’s favorite part of making music is, “sitting alone in the studio and creating a masterpiece. I love working overnight. It’s a time where I feel like music is all I need,” he said.

“I always wanted it to be I produce what make me feel good and if others want to come on board that’s great,” he added.

When asked about his advice to aspiring producers, Knock said, “My advice is to pro-duce what sounds good to you and always keep trying to get better. Develop your own sound, even if it sounds whack at first. People can feel when something comes from the heart.”

He concluded, “Also don’t let other produc-ers make you feel inferior just because you may have cheap software to make beats with.”

Hip-Hop isNOT Dead

Underground producers breathe life into industryAdam Harris / Entertainment Editor

With equipment and software conveinently located in senior Rory Trankler’s room he does not have to go far to produce beats and collaborate with senior Cam Kennedy. “[Hip-hop] is so versatile. A lot of my songs sound very different from each other so you will notice different sounds on each that came from different influences,” Trankler said. (Photo by Adam Harris)

Native Instrument’s new groove production studio, Maschine, proves to be a vital tool when producing and sampling music. (Photo by Adam Harris)