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Volume 43, No. 5 12.9.2011

Lafayette High School th

e 17050 Clayton Rd. Wildwood, MO 63011image

BeautyReal

PerfectionPerception✓

Over 50 years after Barbie’s debut, the Image takes a look at Lafayette’s perception of true beauty.

December 9, 2011contentsta

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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.

theimage people&policiesMax Thoman ................ ..................Editor in ChiefLeanne Beasley ..................................Managing EditorGrace Bueckendorf .....................................WebmasterJessica Zadoks ........................ ............Campus EditorHannah Boxerman..............................Lifestyle EditorSarah Greenlee .....................................Opinion EditorChristine Jackson ...................................Sports EditorMia Schenone ............................Entertainment EditorDanielle Slauter ..............Asst. Entertainment EditorGian Wessel ...............................Online Sports EditorMcKayla Treat ...................................Asst. WebmasterMaddie Henning ..............................Asst. WebmasterKelly Carpenter ..............................Business ManagerMrs. Nancy Y. Smith, MJE ..............................Adviser

Staff:Paige Antolik, Katherine Blackstone, Anisha Chellaswami, Dominic Corvington, Alyssa Knowling, Alex LaMar, Gabrielle McDaris, Claire Norfleet, Sydnee Stottlemyre and Molly White

With the pressure to be perfect, some people view beauty synonymously with Barbie. Despite the age-old battle between women and body image, men also face challenges in dealing with personal appearance issues.

coversoundscover illustration by Max Thoman

3 rockwood rockedRockwood has been the subject of what some are calling “negative publicity” lately.

7 status updateWhat you post online can have repercus-sions beyond the virtual world.

11 show me stateTwo Lafayette teams took home State championships this fall to cap off a season worth remembering.

18 taste testWith restaurants offering seasonal specials, the Image has the scoop on the best

18

photo by Joe O’Connell

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“By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have been exposed to Human Papillomavirus (HPV).” This staggering statistic from the journal in adolescent medicine, Adolescent Shorts, is no joke.  Rockwood Valley Middle School nurse Ingrid Klesh said, “It has been recom-mended that girls ages 10-13 receive the HPV vaccine to prevent the future occurrence of cervical cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide.”

With HPV a leading contributor to cervical cancer, the vaccination is highly suggested for both girls and boys.

“HPV DNA is found in 99.7 percent of cervical cancer tissue,” Melissa Lawson, a doctor specializing in Adolescent Medi-cine from the University of Missouri-Columbia, wrote in her December 2006 article in Adolescent Shorts.

HPV is easily spread due to the fact that many symptoms are suppressed and are not obvious to the infected person.

Child Development teacher Alison

Harris said, “HPV is a common virus that is easily spread by skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity with another person, so it is possible to unknowingly

spread HPV to another person.”In fact, this is the case for

most people who have been exposed to HPV.

Lawson wrote, “Fortunately for

young women, HPV is generally a

transient infection

that is

cleared...in most people within 24 months.”

Klesh said vaccines are more effec-tive if given to women before they are sexually active.

“If parents are educated as to why prevention is important, their children usually follow this train of thought and follow this important way to stay healthy through their lives,” she said.

The HPV vaccine is given as three injections over six months and can be given at the same time as other vaccines.

“The hassle of going to the doctor and the pain of getting the shot are worth the benefits,” senior Alex West said.

But at first glance, the benefits seem to be slim. After all, the shot protects people from only four strands of HPV out of the 40 known to infect genital tracts.

Lawson wrote, “The HPV types are classified as low-risk or high-risk based on their potential to lead to cervical cancer. Low-risk types are associated with genital warts while high-risk types may cause cervical cancer.”

But, Lawson said the four types of HPV the vaccine protects against include, “Two high-risk types that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer and two low-risk types that cause 90 percent of genital warts.”

Plus, this health precautionary has few objections.

“[The CDC] says the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. However, as with any new vaccination, there have been no long-term studies done to show the effects or dangers of this vaccine,” Harris said.

But Lawson said, “At this time, there

are ongoing studies being done to evalu-ate the safety and effectiveness in older women and males.”

Klesh believes, “With continued research, the HPV vaccine may prove to be an important method of eliminating certain cancers in our lifetime.”

Since it was first introduced, the pa-tient pool for the vaccine has increased in size, now including adolescent males.

“The reason that fewer young men receive it is likely because the initial recommendations were strictly to have girls vaccinated,” Klesh said.

She said because women can develop cervical cancer, it made sense to prioritize them first.

Klesh added, “The benefits of having both men and women vaccinated have become more obvious in recent years with advertisers targeting young men more now than previously.”

Even though the HPV vaccine is not required for females, most choose to get it. The question is whether or not more males decide to get vaccinated.

“If it’s something that even has a chance of preventing a disease, I don’t see why you wouldn’t get it,” West said.

Teens encouraged to get HPV vaccinemolly white reporterOne Less

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For some, the college search can be an excruciating process, but for others who know exactly what they’re looking for, it can be enjoyable.

Lafayette students often choose to attend the University of Missouri, or another school within the state lines. But recently, there seems to be a pattern of heading out-of-state.

Some of the major universities in surrounding states, such as the Universities of Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas and Purdue, appear to be popular choices.

College Specialist Christy Wills has the scoop on the best deals for some of the more common choices among students.

“Arkansas and Alabama are the cheapest and friendli-est for out-of-state students, particularly high-ability students. For example, Arkansas has a scholarship that eliminates the out-of-state cost with a certain ACT score and GPA,” Wills said.

Seniors Haley Morrell and Maddie Van House have been friends since 6th grade, but attending the same col-lege never crossed their minds. Now they will be rooming together at the University of Alabama.

Van House said, “We never dreamed we would both choose the same college.”

They both plan to get a degree in athletic training, become certified and hopefully receive a doctorate in physical therapy.

“I’ve always loved the South and knew I wanted to go to college there. Alabama has one of the top rated athletic trainer programs in the south. Plus, I love their football,” Van House added.

The University of Arkansas is another hot spot for students seeking a Southern school.

Senior Luke Robbe plans to apply to Arkansas for various reasons.

“One reason is because they have a good engineering program. Another is that they offer in-state tuition to stu-dents from bordering states who meet certain academic requirements,” Robbe said.

Heading slightly west is another popular choice for students, the University of Kansas.

Senior Carter Franke has already been accepted and plans to attend the university.

“I’ve always wanted to go to KU because it’s so close to my family in that area. It’s also a beautiful campus with great traditions and it’s the best place for me to be with the degree I want to learn,” Franke said.

Up north in Indiana is the University of Purdue, which is also one of the top choices for students.

Senior Tim Heath considers the school a very likely choice, but hasn’t fully committed.

Heath said, “I’m interested in engineering, and Purdue’s program is one of the best in the Midwest.”

The overall interest among Lafayette seniors in at-tending an out-of-state college has grown, but the search for the right school can still be considered a struggle for students who are unsure about their future in academics.

claire norfleet reporter

Student interest in out-of-state schools grows

Lafayette’s College Hot Spots:Here are the most popular out-of-state choices for LHS students, according to College Specialist Chris Ramsay.1. University of Kansas: most attended out-of-state college since 20082. University of Arkansas: (as of Dec. 1) 37 requests for transcripts to be sent, as compared to last year’s 153. University of Alabama: (as of Dec. 1) 13 requests for transcripts to be sent, compared to the previous high of six4. University of Mississippi: common out-of-state school for LHS students5. Purdue University: popular choice for potential engineers

Movin’ Out:

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Seniors - JuniorsSpring 2011

one-on-one

ACT/SAT TutoringCall Dr. Jack Arnold 314-805-4561 for appointments

Tuesday/Thursday evenings or Saturday/Sunday afternoons

www.JackArnold.org

AttentionFall 2011Spring 2012

katherine blackstonereporter

Winter Pep AssemblyEvery year, the Winter Pep Assembly is scheduled to recognize the successes of fall teams and introduce the winter sports teams. At the end of the day on Jan. 20, the assembly will feature some very special events. Student Council sponsor David Choate said one highlight of the event will be the annual Students vs. Staff basketball game. The game pits some senior students against LHS staff members. The pep assembly will also include multiple perfor-mances including routines by cheerleaders, Escadrille and Winterguard.

Activities Director Steve Berry said he’s most looking forward to, “being able to recognize the achievement of our State championship teams and the final four finishers.”

Musical – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The Lafayette Theater Company will be performing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee from Feb. 9-11.

Director Natasha Toro said the musical centers around six students who participate in the Putnam County spelling bee. It pokes fun at how seriously the town takes the event.

Toro explained this musical is different due to the fact that it is mostly improvisation and uses audience participation. The cast and set is smaller and much more comedic than in past years.

“I’m most excited to be able to do something different. Something smaller and funny,” she said.

Class Fundraisers Every class raises money by having fundrais-ers in order to fund their own Senior Class Celebration.

The annual Freshman Winter Carnival is on Jan. 28. The carnival will feature a variety of games and prizes for elementary students and carnival food for everyone to enjoy.

“The carnival is always pretty successful; it’s a good start for senior celebration,” Asssistant Principal Mandy Lewis said.

The sophomores host Trivia Night, also on Jan. 28. Adults and students can participate in groups, working together to solve different trivia questions.

A Taste of West County, sponsored by the Junior Class, is on Feb. 27.

Local restaurants will provide different samples of their food.

Mr. LHS Lafayette boys will be struttin’ their stuff during the Mr. LHS competition on Feb. 16.

Todd Decker, Junior Class sponsor, said one junior or senior boy from each club and activity is nominated to participate.

After a dance and introductions, judges select 15 contestants to continue. There are several rounds, including talent, questions and formal wear.

Decker said there will also be entertainment in between rounds while the judges are deciding who will continue on in the competition.

Decker said he’s most looking forward to the talent competi-tion because the guys can goof off and have the most fun.

As winter approaches, the Image takes a look at some highly anticipated upcoming events

TurnaboutLafayette’s annual girls-ask-guys dance, Turnabout, will be held on Feb. 25.

Hosted by the Student Council, the week leading up to the dance will feature Spirit Days to cor-respond with the year’s theme. Freshman Megan Hardie is very excited to join in on the festivities.

“I can’t wait to actually ask a guy and be in control of who I’m going with,” she said.Sophomore Sara Ruby agreed. “The dance isn’t usually that crowded and I like the concept of

girls having to ask guys,” she said.

Groups prepare for special winter events, activities

1. Abstract2. Acute3. Aerobic4. Aggregate5. Ameliorate6. Apocryphal7. Articulate8. Astute9. Auspicious10. Austere11. Caustic12. Censure13. Circumspect14. Clandestine15. Congenial16 Copious17. Cryptic18. Dearth19. Defer (deference)20. Disparage

a. to belittle; to say uncomplimentary things about, usually in a somewhat indirect wayb. abundantc. theoretical; lacking substance (the opposite of concrete)d. perceptive; intelligente. submit to another’s will; respectf. sharp; shrewd; an angle of less than 90 degreesg. speaking clearly and wellh. corrosive; like acid; sarcastici. to condemn severely for doing something badj. scarcity; paucityk. unadorned; stern; forbiddingl. agreeable suitable; pleasantm. to make better or more tolerable; to improven. secreto. favorable; promising; pointing to a good resultp. of doubtful origin; falseq. considered as a whole(adj.); a group or mass of things considered as a wholer. careful to consider all consequences; prudents. able to live, grow, or take place only where free oxygen is presentt. mysterious; mystifying

Wall of WordsComplete this matching game of ACT vocabulary words.

Cut out and turn this sheet on the stage during lunch for a chance to win prizes!

Sponsored by: Lafayette Lit Link

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Rockwood schools have cozy ties with construction firm, Rockwood board is grilled over hirings.  These are just two of a series of articles run by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in recent months detailing various Rockwood School Board decisions.

As a result, the district has received some negative publicity concerning their spending, partnerships with Glenn Construction and staff benefits.

However, some people believe Rockwood has been unfairly targeted by the local media and some other groups.

“I believe that there has been an over dramatization of the facts [in the media],” Suzanne Dotta, President of the Rockwood National Education Association (RNEA), said.

“There has been a level of scrutiny on various small aspects of the district without acknowledging all of the various pieces of those stories or the district as a whole,” she said.

Dotta provided an example of this, speaking about a Nov. 13 article in the Post-Dispatch which looked into sick leave payouts for teachers.

Dotta said, “She [reporter Jessica Bock] talks about the fact that a sick leave buyout is not typically open or available to private sector employees, but what she fails to mention are all of the other benefits that are realized in the private sector that are not realized in the public.”

Dotta explained that private sector benefits often included matching 401ks and commissions, which are not available to Rockwood employees.

Still, Dotta is concerned the bad press has taken its toll upon the district.

She said, “We need to stay true to our core mission, which is to educate students and not allow that dramatic Post-Dispatch perception to distract us from our goals.”

On the other hand, other stakeholders within the district are supportive of the Post’s investigative

reporting.Eileen Tyrrell, co-founder of Rockwood Stakeholders

for Real Solutions (RSRS)—an organization of parents, taxpayers, and stakeholders—expressed her support.

“I wouldn’t want to say that it’s all bad press,” Tyrrell said. She added, “After all, the reason for the bad press goes all the way back to decisions that are being made by district officials and elected officials for the district.”

The organization was formed to, according to the organizations website, “keep the focus on students and fiscal responsibility,” and, “to give a real voice to the taxpayer/stakeholder.”

Tyrrell’s group is new to on the scene of district politics, but has had huge effects.

For instance, after the in-depth article, Rockwood schools have cozy ties with construction firm, ran in the Post-Dispatch, RSRS pushed the district for an audit.

Tyrrell said without the articles to bring these issues into the public eye, such steps may not have happened.

And this is exactly why Post-Dispatch reporter Elizabethe Holland said such topics need to be covered.

She said, “The newspaper as a whole sees itself as a public servant, whose job is to (among other things) shine light on issues and educate the public to the workings of the government, including school districts.”

“Newspapers do the majority of the investigative and enterprise reporting...and we see that as a very significant role in our democracy,” Holland said.

But, of course, there are two sides to every coin. Along with the negative press that Rockwood has

been receiving, there have been hints of greatness according to both Tyrrell and Dotta—both citing the teaching staff as the highlights of such positivity.

“Rockwood is good. Don’t get me wrong,” Tyrrell said. “Its [success] lies within our teachers.”

Dotta agreed, adding her own example of the com-passion displayed by the teaching staff in Rockwood.

She said, “Right now, teachers and staffs in Rock-wood are starting to work on something called, ‘The Backpack Project’.”

She continued, “There are several hundred home-less students that attend Rockwood schools, so there’s a movement to get together food that would be shared with a student, so that that student would have food for the weekend until they return to school.”

“That’s an extraordinary act of compassion that people I don’t think really understand that we try to meet the unique needs of students,” Dotta said.

However, among all of these positives, Tyrrell said, “You don’t hear about the character of the students, taught to them by their teachers. It’s just not in the presses.”

Dotta agreed, “I’m not going to sit here and say that anything has been factually incorrect, but that doesn’t mean something is accurately and fairly represented.”

But according to Rockwood’s Chief Communications Officer Kim Cranston, this representation is “the nature of the beast.”

Cranston said, “We monitor our media coverage and work very closely with all of our various media outlets to see if all of the stories are accurate and balanced.”

Holland stands by the Post’s reporting saying, “Rockwood has been accurately and fairly represented in the newspapers.”

She continued, “I believe Kim Cranston would contact me if there were problems.”

However, Cranston pointed out the selectivity of the media. She said, “I’m not the one who makes the editorial decisions about what gets placed in the Post. We send information out on a daily basis, letting people in the media know what’s going on in Rockwood, but it’s not up to us.”

Holland disagreed saying, “If you plug ‘Rockwood’ into stltoday.com, I think you’ll be surprised at how much the district is covered in very positive ways.”

All in all, though, Dotta believes Rockwood should just move on.

“I’m not saying that you forget what’s in the Post, but you can’t let it distract you from your primary convictions,” Dotta concluded.

max thoman editor in chief

Mixed feelings develop over press coverage

Are you smarter than your phone?

LHS TRIVIA NIGHTJanuary 28, 2012

To purchase individual tickets or a table of 8, contact teresahentiulcci@hotmail.com or mjbofct@aol.com.

The District The Post The Stakeholders The Association

“I personally believe that there has been an over dramatization of the facts [in the media].”

suzanne dottarnea president

“I wouldn’t want to say that it’s all bad press. After all, the reason for the bad press goes...back to...district officials.”

eileen tyrrellrsrs co-founder

“The newspaper...sees itself as a public servant, whose job it is to...educate the public to the workings of government.”

elizabethe hollandpost-dispatch reporter

“We monitor our media coverage...to see if all of the stories are accurate and balanced.”

kim cranstonrockwood cco

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Chemistry/PhysicsTutor Available

636-532-4648Retired Teacher

High School Level/Advanced Courses

Helping to keep youth safe in our community.

rockwood Drug-Free Coalitionwww.rockwoodCoalition.org

facebook profileingFacebook can provide hours of entertain-ment for the procrastinator, act as a means of staying in touch with long-distance friends, or it can be a place to share photos and more.  But what happens when what you share is seen by people outside of your friend list?

In Oct. 2011, Eureka High School was faced with this issue when Facebook photos portraying students with alcohol were turned into school officials by someone calling themselves only a “Concerned Parent.” Many of the students identified in the photos were subsequently suspended from activities and athletics for fall, winter and/or spring seasons.

Any member of athletics or activities falling under the control of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) is subject to all rules and bylaws of its student handbook, which includes “citizenship requirements.”

The Rockwood School District also includes policies on the conduct of its athletes.

Rockwood’s Athlete Code of Ethics stipulates that students must, “Be a role model, committed to the highest standards of…personal conduct and practice good citizenship.”

Assistant Principal Tim Jones said these rules concern out-of-school behavior as well.

“Unfortunately, if students have signed an agreement that says athletes aren’t going to drink and they do, then they shouldn’t expect that just because it occurred outside of school there won’t be repercussions,” Jones said.

Jones explaines that evidence of substance use outside of school doesn’t mean that a student will be subjected

to out-of-school suspensions and other punishments.

“There’s no school punishment…you’ll just lose part or all of your season and be suspended for a certain number of games or even for the rest of the season. For an infraction like this, you could be off the team, that’s it,” he said.

“Anything not MSHSAA sponsored, including club sports like boys lacrosse or hockey, can’t fall under school jurisdic-tion,” he continued. “But, if an issue comes to light it will be reported to the coaches, at which point it’s up to them. Our district has no jurisdiction over these play-ers.”

However, athletes have even more at stake than a high school season by posting inappropriate Facebook content.

Janet Oberle, Associate Director of Athletics for Sport Administration and Compliance at St. Louis University, says that online profiles are a valuable tool for colleges looking to recruit athletes.

“In terms of social media like Face-book and Twitter…your content choices are important. Coaches are looking at prospect sights and making judgments based on postings, pictures, etc. In ad-dition, most every Division I program is monitoring their student athlete’s social media sites-it could be a coach or an administrator-and ensuring that content is appropriate,” Oberle said.

Even athletes who have signed a legally binding National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play sports at the collegiate level are not necessarily safe from online

scrutiny.“If institutions have conditions on

their financial aid agreements which are not fulfilled by a prospect, than the NLI can be declared null and void,” Oberle said. “So if an institution had written into their awards something about behavioral expectations or not being involved in disciplinary suspension, than a prospect may be at risk [of this]”.

However, any student, athlete or not, who is applying to college could be subject to scrutiny, says College and Career Specialist Christy Wills.

“To be honest, there are some schools that are literally so large they cannot check social network-ing sites

for students,” she said. “But once you start getting into more highly selective institutions or universities that have any religious affiliation (which are usually smaller), then you’re definitely going to be checked into [online].”

“Can information on your online social media affect college applications and admissions? Yes, particularly when a student is applying for scholarships,” Wills said. “There are scholarships out there that are pretty competitive and you give them all your information, so it’s easy for them to search you.”

College and Career Specialist Chris Ramsay warns that even universities that have not formally included rules about social media in their admissions process may be viewing students’ profiles.

“Many admissions reps are on Face-book themselves and are pretty savvy about getting around on it and how the

whole system works. So while the college may or may not have a formal policy on that information being part of an admis-sion decision, you still have admission officers who know their way around Facebook and might be there,” Ramsay said. “Whether that’s right or wrong, I don’t know, but it’s part of Facebook’s cautionary tale.”

“Every situation is unique. For some prospects who make mistakes while in their senior year, the collegiate institu-tion they are committed to may feel that the student has learned their lesson and not feel the need to do something additional,” Oberle said.

She added, “In other, more drastic scenarios, a college could decide that a student isn’t ready for the collegiate environment because of their lack of good decision-making.”

To guard against these types of judgments, Wills advises students to exercise discretion online, viewing their own profiles as an outsider would.

“Monitoring your online profiles is a good practice to get into. It kind of stinks to say, but even from early on in high school be careful with these things, because the Internet is public. It seems like this generation sometimes forgets that because the Internet has always been available to you guys,” Wills said.

“You can erase the things you post, but in a way they’re permanent,” she continued. “Somebody can take a screen shot before you delete something. Realizing the permanence of it all is a very wise idea.”

“With today’s society, and the media, everybody is much more accessible,” Jones agreed. “There’s a lot higher chance nowadays that something like [alcohol use] is going to come to light. Someone takes a picture and puts it on Facebook…well, there’s the evidence.”

hannah boxermanlifestyle editor

Beware: online profile content may impact admissions, athletics

“Someone takes a picture and puts it on Facebook...well, there’s the evidence.” tim jones

assistant principal

December, 9 2011lifestylelif

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s the year draws to a close, a flip of the calendar page will welcome 2012.

For seniors, 2012 will bring graduation and

college. For politicians, the Presidential election. For athletes, the London Olympics. And for the ancient Mayans, 2012 will bring the end of the world.

Dec. 21, 2012 to be exact. The rumors are everywhere; from a collision with Planet X to death by giant robots (referred to as the “Grey Goo” theory), the world is abuzz about the possibility of a 2012 apocalypse.

The most popular theory is that the ancient Mayan civilization used their

cal-en-

dar to predict

the end of the world.

Many historians believe that the last date

on the calendar marks the last date for humanity.

While the accuracy of this argument is disputed, there’s no doubt that the Mayans were excellent time keepers.

Social studies teacher Steve Klawiter said, “By the 800s CE, the Maya had the most advanced writing, mathematical and calendar systems in the Americas. Continuing Mesoamerican traditions of cosmic polytheism, religion and calendar construction were greatly intertwined.”

He explained, “The Maya primar-ily used a system of two interlocking calendars: a 365-day solar year calendar that was only off by 17 seconds from our own and a 260-day ritual calendar.”

So how does all this add up to an apocalypse?

“The two calendars complete all

possible day combinations every 52 years, which coincides with proph-esies of great cosmic change or destruction. As a people obsessed with cycles of creation and destruc-

tion, they believed one future cycle, perhaps 2012, would bring an end to the universe,” Klawiter said.

While the Mayan calendar offers the most support for the theory, it is not the only source predicting doom in 2012.

16th century French philosopher Nostradamus also made the prediction.

He recorded cryptic four-line poems in a book entitled "The Prophesies." Said prophecies, when analyzed, have been thought to foreshadow major world events such as the French Revolution, Princess Diana’s death and Sept. 11.

One poem refers to an influx of natural disasters and a comet striking earth, causing mass destruction in 2012.

However, both of these theories are flawed to some extent, and scholars debate the validity of the predictions.

“Most scholars view it as an oversimplification of Mayan records, a legend perpetuated by conspiracy theorists or sensationalism on the part of the media,” Klawiter said.

He continued, “Even if the date is a concrete fact within Mayan records, it is simply one of their religious beliefs. Scholars would view it in the same way you might view the image of Zeus on Mount Olympus: a myth.”

However, language arts teacher David Choate asserts that you can never be too careful.

“Dec. 21 the world will end. The Maya predicted it, Nostradamus predicted it. It’s all over,” he said.

Choate plans on surviving the apocalypse Noah’s Ark style: by building a boat and preparing for the worst.

“The boat will hold myself, the rest of my family, a crocodile and an ostrich. They are the remnants of prehistoric times, and if anyone tries to get into said boat, they will attack,” he said.

While he won’t allow students on his boat, he does have some words of advice: “I’m warning you all now, there will be a flood. Get some life jackets. Get some oars. Get a boat. If you do those things, we will all make it through this.”

Still, many remain unconvinced. Community Service teacher Matt Landwehr said, “Life lesson: if Choate says it, don’t believe it.”

Klawiter thinks the hype has perpetu-ated due to the nature of the times.

“In our current era of economic crisis and uncertainty, people are extra sensitive to prophesies of doom. And everyone loves a good disaster flick, even one as cheesy as John Cusack’s 2012,” he said.

He continued, “Perhaps the most real threat to humanity is not to be found in an ancient religion but in the outbreak of mutating, drug-resistant viral pathogens.”

Another skeptic, Assistant Principal Matt Dieckhaus, distrusts the rumors.

He said, “I don’t really believe in all those superstitions. I’m from Missouri so you have to show me.”

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XI ‘12When the clock strikes

Apocalyptic rumors cause stir as countdown to 2012 approaches

jessica zadoks campus editor

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paige antolik reporter

FINALcountdown

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Lesser known-study spots provide change of pace1. McDonald’s provides a nice place to get away from the chaos of your home. You can settle down at a table, take out your books and enjoy the free refill drinks. 2. The library is often overlooked. We all know it’s there, but we just forget to use it. It’s quiet and there are plenty of books around if you need to look something up. 3. Kaldi’s Coffee is like a mix of Starbucks and St. Louis Bread Company—the food we love but with a quieter environment that’s perfect for hitting the books.

Teachers review, rework in hopes of finals successKathy Soucy, math teacher, said, “I give a lot of my classes a big packet and it’s got everything for the entire semester in it. I also like to give them a mock final that we take on the clickers. They get the results back and they know exactly how they did so they know what to study and what to work on more. And then of course there’s always study help sessions. I’m here all the time.”

Todd Decker, science teacher, said, “We have the students go through each unit test and see what they missed. Then they can find the answers to what they missed, correct it and then study it. We also get out the section test they took at the end of each quarter and look over those.”

Studying made easy: tips and tricks for finals prepJunior Haley Reynolds said, “If I didn’t do well on a test for a certain chapter, I look over the notes and copy them on another piece of paper to be sure I understand it.”

Freshman Connor Stephens said, “I like to space out my studying and not cram it all into one night.”

Marcus Christian, ISS supervisor, said, “I started prepping probably a week in advance because I’m a total nerd, and I had two teachers as parents. Having over-bearing parents really kept me going and it was good because studying a week in advance, I didn’t feel stressed out or rushed before that exam. By the time I got to college, prepping that way for exams really helped me.”

Before the winter holidays can come with their cheer, students must overcome the finals hurdle. Here’s the lowdown to make exams an easy A.

Final exam dates: Monday Dec. 19: 5th Hour 8:16-10:16 a.m. Tuesday Dec. 20: 1st Hour 8:16-10:16 a.m., 2nd Hour 10:26-12:26 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 21: 3rd Hour 8:16-10:16 a.m., 4th Hour 10:26-12:26 p.m. Thursday Dec. 22: 6th Hour 8:16-10:16 a.m., 7th Hour 10:26-12:26 p.m.

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St. Louis Family Church Presents

BeautyReal 10 lifestyle

lifes

tyle lifestyle

lifestyle 11

In 1959, Ruth Handler and her team premiered their creation in the 1959 Toy Fair. Her name was Barbie Millicent Roberts and at 11 and a half inches tall, she towered over the toy industry with immediate success. Through the past 50 years Barbie has undergone wardrobe re-styling, occupational changes and a series of face lifts in order to keep up with society’s trends. Not long after her world debut, Barbie was joined by her plastic male counterpart, Ken, who stormed upon the doll scene with his collection of suits, jerseys and costumes in tow. However, Barbie’s journey wasn’t as easy as a ride in her pink Corvette. Fraught with controversy, many began to argue that her dimensions were unrealistic and becom-ing a negative influence on her adolescent caregivers. In a 2000 statement regarding these concerns, owner company Mattel said that, “The new Barbie will have a more natural body shape - less busty with wider hips.” In the age of thin models and weight loss remedies, the waistline of “pretty” continues to shrink.

The LHS Campaign for Real BeautyHealth teacher Ashley Lewis has become the sponsor of a Redefining Beauty Club that was brought to her attention by juniors Rebecca Fer-

man and Madison Herrboldt and sophomore Bailey Borchers. The new club strives to direct the spotlight away from external beauty and into inner beauty and what makes a person unique. Herrboldt approached Lewis with the idea and she latched on immediately.

“The teenage years are rough. I think that teens are more self-conscious during this time of life because there are changes happening to their bodies and they are trying to express their independence. I have noticed as they progress throughout high school, I feel most kids become more and more comfortable in their own skin,” Lewis said.

Ferman was excited when Herrboldt recruited her to assist with the club’s activities.

“I think the best part about the club is helping many girls and guys around the school realize that there is more to appearance than just looks. We want people to believe in themselves without having to put on mascara or tons of blush. Basi-cally, it’s a self-power boost,” she said.

“The purpose of the club is that everyone is beautiful by just being themselves; people don’t need to change who they are to be beautiful, because they already are,” Herrboldt agreed.

Herrboldt got the idea from one of her friends at Eureka who started a Redefining Beauty Club of her own.“I read a book that the club idea is based on and it really inspired me, especially since I had terrible self-confidence until about the end of my

freshman year into my sophomore year. I thought the message was cool and I really wanted to share it,” Herrboldt said. Lewis, a Lafayette grad, has seen the transformation by curriculum as a health teacher and by observation as the teenage years progress and

changes are underway.“As I transitioned from high school to college, my body image changed drastically. I realized that being me was good enough and I did not want the

stress or drama of trying to fit in with the crowd. It was refreshing and easy to just be myself. I found a whole new confidence and I found myself much happier than I was in my early years of high school,” she said.

Lewis noted she felt as if underclassmen tend to care about appearance more than upperclassmen, and thought back to her days in high school. “I remember when I was a freshmen, I was worried about how I looked. I probably dressed up more that year than I ever had in my life. By the

time I was a senior, I just wore sweats to school because I was sick of trying to fit in. I just wanted to be myself. It was much easier,” Lewis said.

The Teen Mind and the Media Deanna James has been working with Castlewood Treatment Center for five and a half years and has noted how teens struggle in early years due to media influence.

“During this developmental stage many teens feel their identity is based on their physical appearance,” James said.

She added,

leanne beasley managing editor mia schenone entertainment editor

“Physical appearance is changing during this time at a crazy rate, social groups are formed based on appearance, and so adolescents look to popular culture to determine their appearance and level of attractiveness.”

Lewis said, “I think that teens are more self-conscious during this time of life because there are changes happening to their bodies and they are trying to express their independence has noticed changes in students over the years through the media.”

During adolescence, people are trying to figure out who they are, and for many that maybe simply trying to fit in.

“As self-development unfolds, teens are very aware of how they compare to others and the slightest difference can feel overwhelming,” James said.

Notorious for pushing images on both males and fe-males to be picture perfect the media makes looking perfect

seem easy. Yet what most people don’t know is that things are not as simple as they seem. People are paid a lot of money to make

celebrities looks flawless. “Teens are constantly seeing some type of media and they think

that is how society is supposed to look,” Lewis said. She added, “In our health classes, we show a before and after picture

of Faith Hill on the cover of Redbook. Her body was altered by the computer before her picture was put on the cover.”

However James believes the media does not have all the influence and power that many people says it has. “I think media plays a large role in placing importance on appearance and need-

ing to have the perfect appearance. However, I also think that our teens seem to have fewer and fewer emotional regulation skills, or people to turn to help them regulate their emotions,” James

said. “This seems to be what causes the emotional melt downs and self-destructive behavior. The media is a catalyst but not the cause.”

The Lafayette SkinnyAccording to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders’ surveys done on

a college campus, “In a survey of 185 female students, 58 percent felt pressure to be a certain weight, and of the 83 percent that dieted for weight loss, 44 percent were of normal weight.” Women were not the only ones surveyed. It is estimated the 10-15 percent of men have had anorexia or

bulimia; however, they are less likely to seek treatment due to the perception that eating disorders are “woman’s diseases.”

Senior Michael Conway holds himself to high standards in regard to his weight and nutrition. “I used to be very narcis-

sistic, but I’ve tried to make an effort on working out. I just came to the conclusion that I have a lot more time on this earth and I must make it in life to be able to live the life I want,” he said.

Conway’s previous life goal forced him to make giant strides in his appearance as he strove to be a body builder.

“I really wanted to look intimidating and massive so people would be like, ‘Whoa don’t mess with that guy.’ It was very motivating and helped me work harder every time,” Conway said.

Stereotypes convey images of girls who yearn to be skinny and “beautiful” like the models they see strut-ting the runway. However, Conway said guys are not only just as conscious of their looks as girls are, but

also seek peer approval in other areas. “They just want to have the best impression and if that is to have a good appearance,

then let it be so. Honestly, I think most guys are self-conscious about other things besides their looks,” he said.

In regards to society’s influence, Conway believes its strength has the power to overwhelm a person but also to motivate.

“Most people agree the appearance most people want to have is to be skinny. Some people frown upon the fleshy look. The

standards I would have to say are set by the pursuer of the goal, and society can either accept it or reject it, and their

influence can have an interaction with their goal. I just say stick with what you want to do and what

makes you happy,” he said. Borchers, Ferman and Herrboldt

hope their club may change the meaning of what it is to

be pretty.

“The new Barbie will have a more natural

body shape—less busty with wider hips.”

Mattel, Inc. parent company

“The standards...are set by the

pursuer of the goal and society can either accept it or reject it.” Mike Conway

senior

For polling results on Lafayette’s perception of

themselves, go to: lhsimage.com

December 9, 2011sportssp

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Field hockey, volleyball take home State titles on Nov. 5 to become just the second pair in LHS history to win championships on the same day

Lafayette has won its fair share of State champion-ships since opening in 1960.

But until this year, the school had never claimed a title in field hockey or girls volleyball.

Both sports took care of that feat on the after-noon of Nov. 5 and became just the second pair of teams in school history to take home a championship on the same day.

The only other day like it was Oct. 20, 2007, when the Lady Lancers beat an undefeated Oakville team 1-0 in softball and Gabriele Demos clinched the State singles title in girls tennis.

This time, field hockey got things started with a 2 p.m. face off and defeated Cor Jesu 2-0 with goals from senior Monica Carron and junior Kate Barber.

The Lady Lancers were just the fourth public school team to win the Midwest Field Hockey Tour-nament and the first since 1988. They also captured the Public School Tournament championship and finished the season 22-1.

Their only loss came against Cor Jesu in the first

game of the season.“It was really amazing because it was the first

time field hockey won,” Carron said, “I think it showed how girls can win for Lafayette, too. We were really happy for volleyball, too, because we knew it meant a lot to them.”

Volleyball followed at 3 p.m. and the Lady Lancers didn’t have such an easy time finishing their championship season against Lee Summit West.

After winning a close first game 25-23, they gave up a 22-17 lead and dropped the second game 24-26. But a 25-16 win in the third game gave them the title and capped a 33-5-1 season.

Senior Allie Novak had a unique perspective on the day, having played on the

volleyball team for three years and then joining the field hockey team this season.

“Joining field hockey was so out of the blue (for me), so it was bittersweet watching volleyball win,” Novak said, “But I had the same experience, just in a different sport.”

“We have a lot of friends on the field hockey team so it was great to get the two-in-one deal with them,” junior Maddie Jones said.

gian wessel sports editor

“What can you say? It was a

great day to be a Lancer.”

steve berryactivities director

(Top) As the final buzzer sounds, the Lafayette field hockey team celebrates their victory over Cor Jesu to earn the State title. The girls won 2-0. (Photo by Joe O’Connell)

(Center) In the championship match, junior Lindsey Pecoraro returns a ball hit by Lee Summit West. The Lady Lancers took the match 2-1. (Photo by Maryellen Johnson)

(Above) After earning a corner, junior Kate Barber shoots as senior Kelsey Clayman looks on. The shot would earn the Lancers their first goal of the game. (Photo by Joe O’Connell)

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Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a cumulative GPA of at least

3.5 will be invited to apply.

Although somewhat over-shadowed by field hockey and volleyball, the boys swim and girls cross country teams had triumphs at State as well.

In the pool, the Lancers placed second behind seven-time defending champion Rockhurst by 36 points on Nov. 12.

Their 233.5 total points were bolstered by a win in the 400-me-ter relay and a strong showing in the 200-meter freestyle.

The relay team of seniors Lucas Bruder and Alec Morgan, junior Jon Glaser and sophomore Patrick Vega set the school record with a time of 3:11.17.

“It was just incredible. The record had been standing for 17

years. It was something we had wanted all year, ” Morgan said.

Vega and Glaser also placed second and third, respectively, in the 200-meter freestyle.

On the course, the Lady Lancer runners had placed sixth at State, something rare for a team without an All-State runner.

Junior Caity Most and sophomore Ashlyn Pagliaro led the way by finishing 48th and 50th, respectively.

“It just shows we have a lot of depth. None of us are exceptional runners, but having a good team helped us place well,” junior Kelly Carpenter, who placed 60th, said.

Carpenter said, “As a team, we were able to bond at pasta parties and stuff...and mentally we helped each other after tough meets.”

Piling On

(Above) The boys swim-ming and diving team celebrates their second place finish at the State meet. A record-setting win in the 400-meter relay helped propel them to 233.5 total points. (Photo by Kurt Rahe) (Left) At the State cross country meet, sophomore Katherine Kelly runs her 5K race. She completed her run in 20:50.11 and was one of seven Lafay-ette runners to compete.(Photo by Kelly Carpenter)

gian wessel sports editor

Swimming, cross country teams add to successful postseason at State

December 9, 2011sportssp

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14

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As students, we typically know little more about our teachers than the snippets of personal info they men-tion in class.

Some are married with kids, some were war veterans and some, like physics teacher Joe Wier, were big-time athletes.

Based on the wrestling posters and plaques that mark the walls of his classroom, there is no doubt that Wier is an aficionado of the sport. But it is his stacked résumé of accomplishments that bring the most surprise.

He first took up wrestling as a freshman at Belleville East, looking for a way to retaliate against his brother’s aggression.

“I went out for wrestling because my brother wrestled for two years before me and he would just pound me mercilessly, and I knew I had to learn how to

wrestle or he’d beat me up for the rest of my life,” he said.

Within a year, this initial self-defense mechanism turned into a gateway to success as Wier quickly moved among the ranks of varsity competition.

By the end of his high school career, he had been a two-time State qualifier and gone 42-1 his senior year. His only loss came in the Illinois State championship.

From there, he continued to show out at South-western Illinois College where he was a two-time JUCO All-American. At one point he was even ranked number one in the country.

“I was surprised because I didn’t know how good he was at wrestling,” junior Nick Stewart said.

Wait, there’s more. To finish off his final two years of collegiate athletics,

Wier transferred to the University of Missouri. In his years as a Tiger, he became a standout

grappler, though he was plagued by a series of injuries.

However they were not enough to throw him off his game.

“My senior year I was having a really good start to the season and then I broke my hand and I had to get screws in my hand,” he said.

He eventually fought his way to the 1996 Big Eight championship match in the 177 pound weight class. Here he would take on Eric Josephson of Nebraska, an opponent who he had previously lost to in the season.

“He beat me pretty soundly early in the year, “ Wier said, “He was number one in the Big Eight, I was third.”

Despite a broken hand and a busted chin midway through the match, Wier ousted Josephson to establish himself as Mizzou’s final Big Eight champion before the conference changed into the Big 12.

“It meant more than I really can put in words because I could never win big tournaments. I had a lot of disappointments where I thought I’d never get the championship I deserved,” he said.

dominic corvington reporter

Physics teacher Joe Weir sports accomplished past

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(Above) In his championship match, physics teacher Joe Wier wrestles against Nebraska’s Eric Josephson. (Right) The victorious Wier celebrates his win in the champion-ship match of the Big Eight in the 177 pound weight class. (Photos courtesy of Joe Wier)

sports 15sportsimage

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Winter Sports Take Center Stage

After winning their twenty-sixth consecutive Conference championship and a thirteenth place finish at State, the girls swimming and diving team has high hopes for this season.

“Our main goal is just to maintain the undefeated season,” senior Hannah Chobanian said.

We have strong goals for Conference and State...really just to have a strong team again like everyone is expecting,”

The team returns several high point earners from last year, including Chobanian, senior Kelsey Kirchhoefer and juniors Taylor Holz and Laura Paskoff.

The team began its season away at Lindbergh, but will return to Lafayette on Dec. 13 at 4:15 p.m. to face rival Marquette.

Girls Swimmingchristine jackson sports editor

The Lady Lancers return virtually their entire roster, including two four-year starters in seniors Jordynn Martin and Kayla Hall.

They are currently ranked fourth among St. Louis large schools and are off to a 2-1 start after a second place finish in the Randi Perkins tournament.

“I think the tourney showed us a lot of our strengths and a lot of our weaknesses. While we were obviously a little bit still in preseason form, I think it showed us what to expect from this season and what we need to do to go as far as we can, “ Martin said.

Martin leads the team with 18.3 ppg and Hall, a Rockhurst commit, leads the Conference with 4.3 assists per game.

The Lady Lancers have their home opener scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight at sixth-ranked Eureka.

Girls Basketball

After defeating Jennings to open the Pat-tonville Tournament, the Lancers battled with Chaminade for three overtimes before falling 80-76 in the second round.

They then defeated CBC 62-54 for third place.

“Ultimately we want the Chaminade game back. Overall it was a great experi-ence for the team,” senior point guard Joel Pennington said.

Pennington returns as the leading scorer and will be paired with a new low-post threat in senior Luke Kreienkamp.

The 6 foot 6 inch center started the season with a bang, averaging 23 points in two games, and Pennington broke out with 17 points against Chaminade.

Following a trip to Marion High School for a 7 p.m. game tonight, the Lancers will play their home opener against Kirkwood on Dec. 13.

Boys Basketball

Despite suffering a tough loss in their season opener on Nov. 30, the Lancer wrestling team has high hopes for the season.

“We’re really young as a team,” coach Scott Sissom said. “But we’ve got a lot of extremely hard working kids. We don’t have as much mat experience, but they’ll work hard to get there.”

In their opening match against Eureka, the team suffered a 26-44 loss to the Wildcats, but Sissom believes his team has the will to recover from losses in later matches.

“We want to work our way to beating the teams we lost to in the beginning,” Sissom said. “We’ll out-work them.”

The Lancers will face their next op-ponent, Fox High School, in the Lafayette gym on Dec. 13 at 6 p.m.

Wrestlingdominic corvington reporter

gian wessel sports editor christine jackson sports editor

1. Senior Kelsey Kirchhoefer (Photo by Christine Jackson) 2. Senior Kayla Hall (Photo by Gian Wessel) 3. Senior Joel Pennington (Photo by Gian Wessel) 4. Senior Ryan Jones (Photo by Christine Jackson)

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December 9, 2011opinionsop

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UnfilteredSarah Greenlee

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The Image 2011 Holiday Wishlist

Tumblr no longer a source of individualityThe new Drake album Take Care was leaked early, causing Drake to post a comment on his blog. Though the comment was initially about the leak, he switched subjects and started talking about Tumblr.

As I read what he said, I realized I couldn’t agree more. Drake said what Tumblr has become is scaring him. The way teens just repost and repost and repost.

We’re perpetuating the cycle of killing diversity with our attempts to express our own individuality.

He said, “Instead of kids going out and making their own moments, they’re just taking these images and living vicariously through other people’s moments.”

Tumblrs are intended to be a place where you can express your own individuality, not Mary-Kate and Ashley and their weird outfits, not Ke$ha and her masses of glitter and trash, not even Drake and his opinions of how fame is bad and life is hard.

And maybe part of this problem is stemming from the fact that there are so many sources and places to look at various images of various people from any era, style, age that it’s hard to come up with your own individual style.

There’s so much media that we’re constantly exposed to new things. But because of all this media, it’s common that we only keep up with a few sources. Because of that, we really are

exposed to very little of what’s out there. Pretty soon all of our blogs look the same, all of our clothes

look the same, even our personalities and opinions on things become similar.

And these images don’t even represent the people who own the blog.

People post what they think will make their blog look cool. And oftentimes, their blog in no way represents that person. You meet that person with the awesome blog in real life and wonder how it could even be the same person.

Tumblr is a place where people think they’re being so unique; so ground breaking.

Only hipsters have Tumblers anyways, right? In actuality Tumblr has become an issue because people

think they are being original. When everyone stops trying to be an individual because they

already think they are, how will we ever find new things? If our culture as a whole begins to lose its desire to always find new things, then what will we become?

Our generation needs to strive to expand our horizons and put our own expressions and ideas on our blogs and in our lives. We need this in order to keep and heighten the diversity and excitement within our culture.

Dear Santa, This year for the holidays, the

Image is wishing for many things. On the top of our list is for

Lafayette to have another year full of great performances by our sport teams in 2012. Both girls volleyball and the girls varsity field hockey team earned 1st in State and we’d love to see that trend continue.

We’d also love a repeat of the Cardinals winning the World Series and to see Lafayette grad David Freese, hit yet another walk off home run, just for dramatic effect. Also, if more of our grads could possibly take part in pro-sports and if we could see the Blues or the Rams make a postseason run, we would be grateful!

And if it’s not too much to ask, we

would love some Letters to the Editor. We know that everyone at this school has an opinion about something. Why we haven’t received any up to this point, we don’t know. We’re good listeners. We promise.

Especially important on our list is more notice and more time to fill out final exemption forms. And, forms are due almost two weeks before the semester ends, making it challenging to get our forms in on time.

And can we please have less confu-sion over “the grading system that shall not be named.” We’re hoping that next year the district will figure out a new, more consistent method, that results in fewer students failing.

The next one is a share gift! The Image would love some better presi-

dential candidates. Between Herman Cain and Rick Perry it’s hard to find anyone worth voting for. Guess we’ll just have to wait another four years for someone decent to run. In the words of Rick Perry, “Oops.”

Also, we agree with the administra-tion about this hugging business. We demand a stop to this freshmen PDA. We just aren’t fans of the unnecessary display of affection.

We’d also like Rockwood to have more money. We’re not sure where to get it from, but we definitely need more. Maybe it’s time to start invest-ing in money trees.

And for the seniors particularly: more snow. What happened since last year’s snowpocalypse? Come on precipitation, we want snow days. If

it’s going to be cold, there better be mounds of snow on the ground.

If it would be at all possible to avoid the third quarter slump this year, those students afflicted with full-fledged senioritis would thank you greatly.

Among other things, we’d like to see everyone around school share the holiday spirit and really appreciate the opportunity to be at home with their families and use this break to recuper-ate and gear-up for the new year.

Everyone else can wish for their electronics and new toys, but at the Image we’re wishing for our school to continue to be as successful as it has been, but we’re also wishing for some changes, to make our experience at this school as enriching as it can be.

“I would probably build a cave and live there forever.”

Nick Higginbotham, 9

With the supposed apocalypse a year from this month, how would you spend your last year?

“With the post-apocalyptic world coming up, I’d spend it with my friends and family, play a lot of lacrosse and live life to the fullest.”

Rennie Pettinelli, 10

“I’d spend it with everyone close to me. And I’d watch lots of sappy movies and eat ice cream.”

Nastyia Hoffman, 11

“I’d spend all my money, travel around the world and do everything I wouldn’t be able to do for the rest of my life.”

Angelina Calandro, 12phot

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The Image asks: How are you spending your last year?

opinionsopinions 17image

the

New traditions have holiday spirit

Take a MinuteHannah Boxerman

On the ContraryMax Thoman

@lhsimage

lhsimage.com

Keep Up!

Keep In Touch!

Bring letters to the editor to Room 137A or comment on lhsimage.com

Nice:•The NBA starting on Christmas Day after the lockout. If only St. Louis had a team.•The cookie stand re-opening. It’s a Christmas miracle!•New Year’s resolutions. Until you break them.•Holiday themed food and drinks. Just another excuse to break our New Year’s Resolu-tions. •Cyber Monday. At least no one gets killed while shopping online.•Seniors who actually know how to fill out senior activity forms and get their senior pic-tures taken. Those of you who haven’t are about to lose the opportunity to be immortalized in the yearbook.•Seasonal retail jobs. Another reminder that the teenage worker is replaceable.

Naughty:• Ameren UE for fixing the power outage just in time for school to resume. The one time Ameren is actually on the ball is the one time we don’t want them to be.• Arsenic in grape and apple juice. Good to know that Juicy Juice is trying to kill us.•The scandals at Penn State and Syracuse. Note the college story on page four-those two aren’t in it. •How cold it is in this school. We’re going to keep complain-ing until something gets fixed. •Freshmen PDA. It’s not like you won’t see each other for two weeks. Oh wait...•Premature holiday music tak-ing over classic rock stations. At least let us eat our turkey first.

For most, a stuffed, delicious turkey is the heart and soul of the Thanksgiving meal.

Not for my family.I’ve been a vegetarian since I was

eight, and I was surprised when my fam-ily chose to follow suit a few years later.

And so my mom, who really could cook amazing meat, was faced with the challenge of finding a vegetarian alterna-tive for our beloved holiday dish when Thanksgiving rolled around.

It’s called Tofurkey, and for the record, it’s not the same-not even close.

This was the one time a year that I regretted my choice to not eat meat. Not because I particularly like turkey (I don’t), but because a turkey dinner had become synonymous with the idea of Thanksgiving in my mind. It pained me not to be doing Thanksgiving “right”.

This is the problem that plagues many during the holidays. The winter holidays have been so romanticized and

commercialized that the ideal celebration of them is essentially out of reach, leaving many with January blues when the tinsel settles.

This glumness continues after New Year’s Day, when in the spirit of a fresh start, people eagerly draw up New Year’s Resolutions and then beat themselves up when their resolve fails and they skip the gym and get a Big Mac.

When did the holidays become something that had to be done a certain way?

One of my friends has the most Christmas cheer of anyone I know.

For her and her family, Christmas is approached with nothing short of an attack plan.

Their traditions range from an unusual meal of pizza on Christmas Eve and cinnamon rolls on Christmas morn-ing, to an annual Christmas party and two separate trees, one on each level of the house for optimum festivity.

For my Jewish friends, Christmas is Chinese food and a movie, the only two places open on Christmas day.

These families’ perspectives on the holidays are genuine and quirky; as a result, they don’t expect a picture-perfect Hallmark celebration. What they

get instead is a trademark one.This season, I wish everyone a holiday as strange as their

own exceptional family.With this thought in mind, I came to appreciate our own

eccentric Thanksgiving as a gift. While Tofurkey probably won’t ever show up on the

dinner table of a family in a TV holiday special, the recipe has improved each year.

Maybe the makers of Tofurkey finally got the hint- or I did.

It’s a shame that the good name of the Rockwood School District is being dragged through the mud. I’m sad to see it done in so easily.

The district was in strong standing only a few years ago, but thanks to the combined efforts of exposé pieces and investigative journalism from the likes of the Post-Dispatch staff and on Elliott Davis’ infamous "You Paid for It" segments, the public opinion has turned sour.

And rightfully so! With articles flooding in accusing the

district of mistimed consultant hirings, incredible sick leave benefits for staff members and even a scandal involving a tight knit relationship between Rockwood’s chief contractor, Glenn Construction, and the district, what else are we supposed to think?

But, the sad reality is that the public has been manipulated by huge dramatizations of different events. These reports have been blown out of proportion, only to yield an attention grabbing story.

Quite honestly, this is a shameful reality of the media. Take the consultant hiring “scandal,” for instance—an issue

that got many stakeholders up in arms about the salaries of two newly hired consultants, both of whom formerly worked with Superintendent Bruce Borchers, during times of staff and budget cutting.

But what wasn’t covered was the rationalization behind these actions.

Primarily, the $138,000 and $125,000 salaries caused a huge uproar, but in reality, these are fairly normal fees for consultants.

And as for the hirings taking place in the middle of staff cuts, their jobs could actually benefit the staff of Rockwood as they could possibly save their jobs.

Not only that, but this money was allotted to Borchers for such hirings. Borchers even managed to save some of this consultant allocation from the district by getting these lower salaries for the consultants.

Such basic rationalizations can be found for all of these hyped stories cre-ated by the media only to gain attention. Rockwood has been attacked in the past few months all for the benefits of raised viewership.

And let’s not kid ourselves, Rockwood is a pretty incredible district—the posi-tives that have come out of our schools are amazing, be it in the stories we hear or the statistics we see.

The graduation rate for Rockwood is 94.7 percent. The dropout rate for Rockwood is only 1.2 percent. We have

some of the highest ACT and MAP scores in the state and in the nation and our schools are consistently named “Blue Ribbon” and “Gold Star” schools.

Our students achieve. For instance, the only three Missouri state AP scholars came

from our high schools and 18 high school students were named National Merit Finalists in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Amidst all of the bad press Rockwood has been receiving, I still count myself lucky to be a part of such an outstanding district.

I can say that I have been fully prepared for college. I have been exposed to educators that have made my life all the richer and have been forced to learn and think in ways foreign to me prior to this point.

I’m looking forward to my future ahead because of Rockwood. I’m ready.

But you never hear about that in the Post.

RSD has been unfairly attacked

naughtynice& **

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A half a drink moreImage staffers sample holiday hot drinks from area businesses

Starbucks: The Wolf: Wehrle’s: Teavana:

I’d never been to Wehrle’s be-fore and had low expectations. But when I ordered my coffee, I was pleasantly surprised. The drink had just enough pumpkin taste to be a real treat. A price of below $3 was a breath of fresh air. Despite its inconve-nient location in the mall, I will definitely be getting more from Wehrle’s.

Different flavored teas sounded like a decent idea. And, unique-ness penetrates Teavana’s store along with their drinks. I love sweet drinks, and this tea was jam-packed with flavor. I expect Teavana to gain more attention and hopefully become a well-respected name. Exactly my cup of tea.

Starbucks is synonymous with good coffee. However, I wouldn’t say their Gingerbread Latte is exactly a titleholder in my book. Notorious for high prices, I expected more from this seasonal item. It grew on me after a few sips, but nonetheless seemed an overall bland drink.

In my opinion, this latte does not qualify as a seasonal drink. The only seasonal thing about it is its name. It tasted like regular coffee, and not even good cof-fee at that. I was disappointed. Correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t a pumpkin spice latte taste at least a little bit like pumpkin?

It was truly an amazing drink. It was affordable and tasted great. The latte is all that you would want and expect from a seasonal drink. Easily the best drink on the list. It tasted like someone put a piece of pumpkin pie in my mouth. Absolutely fantastic.

This latte didn’t taste great at first, but it grew on me. Once I had a couple of sips, it was a really good drink. It tasted like gingerbread, which makes it pretty seasonal. The only other real problem I had with it was the price. If I’m spending $5 on a cup of coffee, I demand instant satisfaction.

I’ve swallowed enough lake water in my life to know that the tea from Teavana tastes no better. I’ll be honest; I’ve never been a big tea drinker. Perhaps it’s my genetic sweet tooth that has always made tea seem off putting. Biases aside, I still know a bad drink when I taste one, and this one breaks the scale. It smelled good though.

At first taste, the latte seemed to have too many flavors going on to make the coffee enjoy-able. However, upon continued drinking, the coffee became more mild and the flavors became coherent. Although Starbucks may not have the most affordable prices, the latte is a coffee I will be sure to order again.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte from The Wolf was seemingly pleasant at first taste. However, as I drank the latte, the flavors became, honestly, quite terrible. The latte lacked a key element: pumpkin. I couldn’t even finish the coffee. The prices are similar to Starbucks, but without the quality of coffee I was hoping for.

This latte can be described in one word: amazing. The flavors work together perfectly. The pumpkin flavor strikes the perfect balance. I can’t say anything bad about this coffee. The price is the best part: $2.75 for a small. I would make a special trip out to the Chester-field Mall for a cup of coffee from Wehrle’s.

This was my favorite drink by far. It was sweet, spicy and gave me everything I wanted that I didn’t get from the other lattes. Wehrle’s latte had a recogniz-able pumpkin flavor without being overbearingly syrupy and was spiced so as to be flavorful, not bitter. This one left me wanting more in my cup.

This fruity, spicy tea smells like Christmas. This tastes more like spiced ciders. The undertones of the maté and white tea come through, but the coconut and ginger really stood out to me. While a tea that includes coconut may not seem like an ideal holiday drink, don’t knock it until you try it. This one’s actually on my Christmas List.

The main problem with The Wolf’s Pumpkin Spice Latte is that there is almost no pumpkin flavor. It really just tastes as if someone dumped some nutmeg in overly milky coffee. While I’m a fan of some of the The Wolf’s regular roasts, this latte was extremely disappoint-ing. I threw this one out long before it was empty.

This slightly sweet, gingery latte is perfect for the holidays. The gingerbread flavor was just spicy enough, and I was left with a sweet aftertaste. I would have given this one an A, but it took a little bit of time to grow on me. The flavors come off bitter at first, but keep drinking; it turns out to be an acquired taste you’ll learn to love.

Being a tea lover, I might be biased. I really liked this tea; however, it tasted very similar to apple cider with its spicy undertones. I would have liked for the beverage to taste like tea. Still, it was very enjoyable, but in general, expensive. I will try other teas from Teavana and hopefully find another option I delight in even more.

Anywhere I have to wait in line and pay a decent sum of money should have good coffee, but at The Wolf this was not the case. The most expensive of our stops, I had hoped for a golden coffee. The latte tasted sour and strong. I wasn’t excited to finish it and I can guarantee you I won’t be ordering this again.

ou’re in a coffee shop, staring at the menu, trying to make your selection. The list is full of Peppermint Mocha this and Holiday Eggnog that, but what about a Gingerbread Latte? Or maybe even a cup of tea? How can you possibly know if the more obscure beverages are worth your money? The Image staff decided to hit the streets of St. Louis, hoping to find the

best holiday drinks around to keep you going as finals approach. Each staffer gave the beverage a grade based on taste and price.

Overall: B

Overall: B

Overall: A

Overall: A

Overall: C

Overall: C-

Overall: C-

Overall: B

Overall: C Overall: D Overall: B

Overall: A

Overall: A

Overall: D

Overall: B

Overall: B+Danielle SlauterAsst. Entertainment Editor

Christine JacksonSports Editor

Alex LaMarReporter

Molly WhiteReporter

YGingerbread

LattePumpkin Spice

LattePumpkin Spice

LatteSamurai Chai Maté & White Ayurvedic

Chai Tea

entertainment

entertainment 19imageth

e

Album:A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra by Frank Sinatra Time to break out the red chino pants and Christmas sweaters and recline by a fire. This classic 1957 Sinatra album was re-mastered in 1999. Sinatra’s first full-length Christmas album demonstrates crisp music behind a velvety voice that as-sures a spot as one of the most timeless Christmas albums ever.

DVD yearbook staffer Thomas Heney, gives his picks for December

PicksMonth

of the

Book:The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsThis futuristic novel takes place in a nation known as Panem, a capitol surrounding 12 outlying districts. In lieu of a rebellion, Panem created a cruel system to keep the citizens in check. Each district is forced to send a teenage girl and boy to the Hunger Games where they fight to the death. Main character, Katniss Everdeen is forced to fight and comes to terms with life and death.

Event:Chuck Berry at Blueberry HillKnown as one of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Chuck Berry was born in St. Louis. He has recorded 18 studio albums and has released 45 singles.

Returning to his hometown, Berry is coming for a one night show at his own Blueberry Hill. Performing on Dec. 14 at 9 p.m., don’t miss one of the greatest rockers performance.

Movie:SproutThis independent surf film, released in 2003, focuses on how lucky humans are to be capable of indulging on a big, wide, beautiful world.

Thomas Campell’s Sprout documents surfers on the coast of nine different countries and presents the cultural value of each. Loaded with extras, this film is a must see for people who aspire to explore, surf or just enjoy a Jack Johnson soundtrack.

TV Show:Modern FamilyThe portrayal of a unique blend of a family may confuse viewers at first but will result in nonstop laughter.

Modern Family is based on three branches of a family, all equivalently hilarious. Back for it’s third season, the show continues to be a hit with its character’s bizarre oddities, hilarious remarks and question-able actions. Tune in Wednes-days at 9 p.m. on ABC.

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to Outdated. Cheap. Dirty. These words are among many that flash across the mind when a typical person thinks of items in a thrift store. But, there are those who purpose-fully seek out the interesting items found, sometimes only, in these stores. Whether it is finding an interesting piece of clothing to create the perfect outfit or to take what some call trash and turn it into innovative art, the pre-owned items found in thrift stores, antique stores and flea markets allow these LHS students to affordably stand out from the crowd and turn trash into treasure.

alyssa knowling reporter

Students recycle ‘thrifted’ items to create art, fashion styles

In 8th grade, sophomore Ian Drake began to thrift shop simply because of how affordable everything was. As time progressed, Drake’s love for antiques increased, and he began collecting various items and clothes.

“A lot of why I do it [thrift shopping] is because of the uniqueness. The thrill of finding something awesome is great, not to mention a lot of it is cheap as well. I mostly buy clothing, but I do buy vinyl and old radios as well,” he said.

Drake’s interest in thrifting has lead to his eclectic sense of fashion, which he displays most often on his feet.

“I love vintage shoes. Rather than just wearing tennis shoes every day, I have a wide variety of shoes I’ve gotten from thrifting,” he said.

Drake continued, “Most days I dress simply and on some days more elegantly, but the majority of my clothes I get from thrifting. So I’d say thrifting has greatly affected the way I dress. I am commonly asked, ‘Where do you get your clothes?’ by both genders, though I can’t say it [my attire] has helped me out with the ladies.”

Ian Drake For senior and fashion-lover Sarah Thompson, clothing is the main draw of thrift stores.

“I’d say about a third of my clothes are from thrift stores,” Thompson said.

Thompson has been “thrifting” for about two years and has grown to enjoy all aspects of the thrift experience.

“I usually head for the sweater section first out of habit, because sweaters are what first drew me to thrift stores. I buy a variety of things though,” she said.

Thompson integrates the old with the new and focuses on finding individual pieces to add to her clothing collection.

“My favorite piece that I’ve bought is a black long sleeve button up velvet shirt,” Thompson said.

But beyond finding interesting clothing, the price and uniqueness of each item is a true perk to buying pre-owned items.

“The perks of thrifting would be the amount of money you save for sure. Plus, no one else will have what you’re wearing,” she said.

Sarah Thompson

photo courtesy of Kelsey Heitkamp

20

Kelsey HeitkampSenior Kelsey Heitkamp, who is aspiring to be an art teacher, is able to look at what some would call junk and turn it into art. From sculptures to multi-media collages, Heitkamp creates pieces that display her love for whimsy and beauty.

“I have been making art out of recycled, thrift store and antique items since I took Sculpture II sophomore year. Ever since I did one of my last projects in the class, I have found using old objects to create altered imagery really interesting, so I started finding things and making

multimedia pieces,” she said. Because she is open to many different types of found

objects, Heitkamp looks in a variety of places to find the items to create her art.

“I like going to antique stores, but I’ll also look at flea markets. If I can find anything free, I’ll take it. I don’t dig through trashcans, but if someone says, ‘Do you want this old blanket?’ I say sure. Anything older I like,” she said.

Heitkamp has created everything from a sculptural,

fabric heart to a found object collage in the form of a fish. Featured here is the unicorn she made out of an iron.

“I wanted to make a unicorn for a long time. I saw the iron and thought that it might work, so that’s how it became what it is,” she said.

Heitkamp continued, “I just think more things should be pretty in this world, and I hope to capture that in my art.”

For Alyssa Knowling’s favorite

antique and thrift stores, as well as a

picture slideshow of Heitkamp’s work,

visit: lhsimage.com