[the]imageLafayette High School 17050 Clayton Rd., Wildwood, MO 63011w w w.lafayettepubl icat ions.com

what’sinside

comingsoonFriday, April 18, 2008 [Vol. 39 Issue 8][April 20]GSL Jazz Festival

[April 28]Jazz /Chamber Choir Concert 7 p.m.

[April 30]STAR Meeting6 p.m.

[May 1-2]One Acts7 p.m.

[May 3]Prom

[May 6]Band Concert7 p.m.

[May 7]Staff Development Day(Early Out)

[May 5-9]AP Testing

[May 12-14]Senior Exams

[May 15]Graduation Practice

[May 12-16]AP Testing

[May 18]Graduation & Celebration 2008

[May 21-23]Final Exams

Peers share their tat-toos and piercings and the stories that go with them. [see p. 11]

Good grades will always mean

HOW MUCH

graduation

LONGERWILL THEY MEANRENAISSANCE

glor y? ryanbueckendorf[editor in chief]

As Jostens pulls out, Renaissance programs face changes

Prop 3 passage means more constructionRockwood voters approved the new $74.5 million bond

issue on April 8. They also chose new members for the Rockwood Board of Education. Newcomers Darla Baker and Kim McGuiness were elected and incumbent Rao Kaza was re-elected.

The bond issue will upgrade all Rockwood schools with new tech-nology both in the classroom and for the safety of the school, and also to expand school facilities that are facing overcrowding.

At Lafayette, students will be graced with new computers in all the computer and writing labs, and certain classes will be accommodat-ed with laptops for the students.

The library will be renovated, adding a video conference room, more seminar space for the Flex

program and also replacing Lafay-ette’s aged telephone/voicemail system.

“These updates will give us the infrastructure to keep up with our technology needs as we begin to use more technology in the classroom,” Principal John Shaughnessy said.

“The incentive program will have more spaces so kids have plac-es to go. The updates will help the Flex program grow,” he added.

Classrooms will be phased out of using the overhead projection devices, and will be transitioned into using more SmartBoards and ceiling projectors.

Structural designs of Lafayette will change throughout the next few years.

An elevator will be added to reach both the uppershelf and down to the weight room area. A

hallway will be added through the old library to create easier access from the front of the building to the Commons in contrast to having to walk through the freshman hall.

Lafayette athletics, a perennial top five program in the metro area, is getting an upgrade to its win-ningest sport, boys and girls swim-ming.

The aquatic center will receive various repairs and renovations, including renovations to the locker rooms, both on the main floor and downstairs.

Both the maintenance of the pool and the overall structure of the building will be renovated.

The trailers behind the school will be eliminated to create space for a new varsity locker room and additions to the upper shelf.

Another pressing addition to the

school will be the inclusion of a new intruder alert system. The cur-rent system is read over the inter-com when an intruder is sighted.

The new system, already in place at the elementary schools, is a more advanced system that will lock classroom doors and any student in the halls will have to be buzzed in by teachers.

“All of these additions are de-signed to promote what we do, and provide opportunity to enhance fu-ture programs,” Shaughnessy said.

“For example, the pool was original in 1989, so it’s time to get a renovation. A lot of it [bond fund] is to bring us up to speed by replac-ing existing facilities, but also to provide for the future as we grow with the new schedule and provide opportunities for our students,” Shaughnessy added.

bretthamlin[staff reporter]

If the success of a school program were dictated by the proliferation of its T-shirts, Renaissance would win hands down.

In a school known for the rate at which students accumulate club shirts, one would be hard-pressed to find a club better represented on any given school day. For some, Re-naissance shirts form a good chunk of their entire wardrobe.

Soon, those students might have to look elsewhere for their free T-shirts. Jostens, formerly a major Re-naissance sponsor, is withdrawing their financial support of the pro-gram beginning next year.

Lafayette boasts one of the most developed Renaissance programs in the country. Designed as an avenue for local businesses to support the academic achievement of students, the program blossomed, earning recognition as a National Model Renaissance School.

The program was, and is, unique in that it offers positive recognition to the school, its students and the

businesses involved. Today, the program is supported

by a wide array of business partners, and offers students such benefits as Renaissance Cards, scholarships, fi-nal exam exemptions, T-shirts, and scholar athlete recognition, among others.

Despite some change neces-sitated by the loss of such a sub-stantial sponsor, art teacher and Renaissance sponsor Bill Senti said that most of these and other Re-naissance programs would remain essentially intact.

“I don’t know that the change would be initially noticeable,” he said. Senti said many tenets of Re-naissance, including T-shirts, were paid for by other sponsors and would survive.

Other components, including the Academic Pep Assembly, are also expected to survive on the sup-port of remaining sponsors.

Senti, regardless, is disappointed by Jostens’ decision.

He said Lafayette’s Renaissance

program is well ahead of the Jos-tens standard, having offered for years many of the programs which Jostens is only now beginning to feature for its Renaissance schools.

It would seem that such a highly developed Renaissance program would still be attractive to Jostens.

“I don’t see where the program lost its value [to them],” Senti said.

Senior Drew Petry explained it in terms of Jostens putting a lot into something the received little out of.

“Jostens didn’t need the adver-tising [they receive] from sponsor-ing Renaissance [here],” he said.

Jostens, which also has the LHS contract for class ring and gradua-tion programs, has cited a desire to turn support of Renaissance over to local businesses and vendors.

“The best way to fund Renais-sance is through business support,” Jostens representative Larry Glen-non said. “Think about the number of vendors at Lafayette.”

Glennon said that, when the full

breadth of vendors and potential business partners was taken into ac-count, there existed sufficient sup-port for the Renaissance program.

He noted specifically the Cen-tury Club, composed of business partners committed to contributing $100 annually for 10 years to Re-naissance, as means to replace cur-rent Jostens support.

Glennon said he was never in control of the level of sponsorship from Jostens, which came entirely from the corporate level.

Rich Stoebe, Director of Com-munications for Jostens, said Jos-tens advocated the support of lo-cal businesses and vendors more so than monetary support.

“Direct sponsorship is not our policy,” Stoebe said. “We do more in arranging business partners.”

The vendor support view is one echoed by Principal John Shaugh-nessy.

See Renaissance on pg. 4

Standard Bearer

Changes Ahead?

Jostens’ Thoughts

Shifting into ‘Refocus’

Lafayette’s own Louie is up for a scholarship to be the mascot for the University of Iowa. [see p. 13]

Gamers get their chance at recognition with the Renaissance sponsored Xbox tour-nament. [see p. 19]

Students work to inform their peers of the dangers of binge drinking and its effects on the developing teen mind. [see p. 5]

[two] imageopinions lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]imagestaff[people & policies]

Ryan Bueckendorfeditorinchief

Brooke Thibodaux

newseditor

Erik Dauster asst.newseditor

Nicholas T. Elwood opinionseditor

Jared Anderson asst.opinionseditor

Nicole CastellanoSydney Miller

featureseditors

Aaron Casias entertainmenteditor

Alex Davis sportseditor

J.P. Bartmess asst.sportseditor

Sarah Calhoun admanager

Courtney McBay asst.admanager

Nancy Y. Smith adviser

Staff: mikebujnak karacampbell calebcavarretta

danielclutteraustingoodman

bretthamlinadamharris

melaniehinzpeterdrewstiehl

d.annevollmayerkathleenwaddell

ninawalters minayu

InformationThe Image is published 10 times a year by

the Newspaper Production Class. Subscrip-tions are $25. Free issues are distributed on

campus. The 2006-2007 Image received a rating of First Class with three marks of

distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association and was named a

national Pacemaker Finalist. It was also named an International First Place winner

from Quill and Scroll, and Gold Medalist by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

PhilosophyThe 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. While

the student staff encourages constructive criticism of any part of the newspaper,

authority for content rests in the hands of the student members of the newspaper

staff. Students will not publish mate-rial considered to be legally unprotected

speech, or libel, obscenity, material disrup-tion of the educational process, copyright

infringement, or unwarranted invasion of privacy.

Contact Us We are located in Room 213 at Lafayette

High School, 17050 Clayton Rd., Wildwood, MO 63011. Our phone number is (636) 458-7200 ext. 2338 and our e-mail ad-

dress is smithnancy@rockwood.k12.mo.us Please visit us on the web at www.

lafayettepublications.com

PoliciesOpinions expressed on the editorial page

do not reflect the viewpoints or official policies of the school administration.

All editorials (unsigned) represent a major-ity opinion of the Editorial Board. Members

of the Editorial Board include all staff editors. Signed editorials, columns, edito-rial cartoons and reviews reflect the views of the author and not necessarily those of

the Image Editorial Board. Participation through letters to the editor by students,

faculty and the community is encouraged. Letters must be signed but names will

be withheld upon request and with the concurrence of the Editorial Board. Letters

should be limited to 300 words. The Image reserves the right to reject, edit or shorten

letters. Letters may be submitted in writing to Mrs. Nancy Smith in Room 213, or to

any Image staff member, or via e-mail to smithnancy@rockwood.k12.mo.us.

staff editorial[ ]

The Image

Editorial Board

finds action

without

consideration

of the effects

unnecessary.

We all must

contribute

effectively

and ensure

that energy is

not wasted in

overcoming

social issues.

Truth ryanbueckendorf

Truth bueckons

For those still without homes after Katrina, yesterday’s disaster is still very much today

Conserving life energy, social effectiveness

In a nondescript front yard nestled away on a nameless street hidden in the small Mississippi town of Pearlington, a woman stands examining the unfinished framework of her house.

Correctly speaking, there are three houses in the lot, but the one in the rear was too destroyed by Katrina to rebuild and the trailer to the side where the woman had lived for the past two years can hardly be considered a house. Not for a single mother of two.

There remains so much to do, she thinks as she walks around the house, stealing a glance at her children bouncing on a trampoline. So much to do.

Hurricane Katrina. At this point, many readers have tuned out, fed up with a disaster that hap-pened almost three years ago. For those of you still reading, pay close attention to this story; it’s ending is not yet written. It is up to you to write it, for those others have chosen to instead close the book.

This story began with the disaster that was—still is—Hurricane Katrina. It began in the flood-ed streets and ravaged communities of Missis-sippi and Louisiana, but it will not end there. It cannot end there.

In the days following the storm, the despair of watching everything washed away had always been tempered with so much hope. Disaster had dealt its worst hand, and America had sprung up

as one to answer the call. Volunteers flooded the Gulf coast just as sea-

water had done just days before. The world tuned in every evening to watch as cleanup proceeded at a frenzied pace, as government agencies set up tents and aid stations.

From the devastation there arose progress, but it was not to last.

The woman is worried. She is worried because her house lacks electricity, drywall, or even steps up to its elevated door.

She is worried because she still does her laun-dry in the shell of her old house, destroyed two years ago. She is worried because her children have spent two years of their life living out of a FEMA trailer never intended for so long a stay.

Worst of all, she is worried that help might no longer be on the way.

If Hurricane Katrina itself robbed its victims of their old way of life, the slow ebb of the vol-unteer tide has stolen their hope of ever regaining any semblance of those lives.

So much still rested where Katrina dropped it, but the television cameras were gone. The relief agencies didn’t stay long after that; America had turned its attention elsewhere.

Into this rapidly degenerating story stepped men like Larry Randall. A retiree at the time of Katrina, Randall saw what America did not: friends and family still without a house nearly a

year later. Thus, at a former school which itself was al-

most destroyed by Katrina, the Pearlington Re-covery Center was born.

Volunteers streamed to the PRC, where the exposed floor-tiles of the old school are a con-stant reminder of why they were there.

One such group of volunteers is assigned to the woman’s house. As they build her steps and paint her house, she comes out to greet them

In their young, eager eyes, she saw reflected back at her the assurance that her story is not yet finished. The woman, Lorraine Bowden, hopes to be in her new house by Christmas.

Her story, and that of the region, will continue to be written by the volunteers and donors who support PRC and other like organizations.

Be one of them. Donate your time; one week over the summer. Donate your money; every dol-lar helps people get into their homes. Do your part to help finish the story.

Certain things have come to light. Let it be known, all human beings should live life trying to give more than consume, create, not destroy--and to make certain that their efforts to do good are not wasted. We, the Image Staff, recognize a series of declarations that shall better the condition and position of our lives and minds.

We must budget our time carefully. Humans only have so much Life Energy, the drive to commit actions and make decisions. This can be used for great impact on their surroundings, not only in ma-terial terms, but through personal relationships, living communities, expression and the influence of action.

We must acknowledge our social niche in the sense of available services, and become self-aware through this process. Many people live their lives blankly, re-sponding to their daily realities with little awareness--no true clarity. A man’s potential can only be achieved by acknowledging and developing personal strengths, find-ing the universal niche. By doing so, one discovers what they’re able to provide.

We must have charitable spirits, always careful of worthiness, but also making sure to benefit those around you. This world will pros-per even more if we all contribute to our communities; it is only proper to give our brothers and sisters what it is that we may provide. Good deeds and righteous actions are essential.

We must make our lives as fulfilling as possible and set our sights on bettering humanity. No kind act is ever wasted. By committing such acts, we drive our personal worlds in a more positive direction. Goodness ripples.

We must simply act and demand change where it is most effective and most appropriate, careful not to waste precious Life Energy. In

this regard, many international problems may be dealt with by those with proper authority, but for many average citizens, these heavy, sol-emn press releases are nothing more than information about issues which we can do nothing about.

We cannot sweat that which we cannot change. We are all doomed to die in the end, but that should never discourage a man or woman from reaping the fruits of life now. In the end we fall, but we can find the sun in life. Help those around you, be a good person. Those with authority to do so shall fix the major issues. Find a way to contribute that is effective. Do not act for futility, but rather for immediate

change.The Image staff knows it is the immediate issues,

good or bad, that deserve the most attention. World-awareness is fantastic, but our human lives are best spent helping and influencing those around us, tackling the issues that affect us directly.

These are also the ones that we have the most control over, the most opportunity to create a positive change. We cannot waste time making minor steps on enormous issues when we can take enor-mous steps on the minor issues in our close proximity.

We demand that all mind their outlook. We must not worry our minds with unnecessary, dead weight (i.e. excessive TV, media, bad news, advertisements, gossip) as much as possible, cognizant of their effects.

The Image staff promotes beneficial action and an existence dedi-cated to making life worthwhile. Life energy is a powerful force when used properly. When one changes their mind, they change the way the world exists around them. Focus your efforts in a direction that sparks positive change, and then humanity shall truly prosper.

imageopinions [three]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]

[stars & gripes]

stars to:

gripes to:

studentperspective

• Prom at the Renais-sance Hotel. This dance is the best of the year, and word on the street is the after parties don’t get much better than this.

• Senior Field Trip at the Cardinals game. What a great way to send the seniors out into the “real” world--a business-man watching the hometown baseball team.

•Spring has arrived. If only it hadn’t missed its initial cue. Thanks anyway Mother Nature, but snow in April? Seri-ously? •Completion of the new Theater. Not only do seniors get an entrance back for their last month of high school, but the Theater itself is not too shabby.

•Good-intentioned Fair Trade efforts. They fall short of economic viability, but succeed in rallying social aware-ness.

• End of the year assess-ments. As if MAP test-ing isn’t enough, now we get to show the rest of the state how much smarter we are again--at the expense of our collective writing hand.

• Scheduling conflict, part II. This time, Prom is scheduled the Saturday prior to the first week of AP exams. Kudos to the masters of the District calendar.

• The water machines-Part III. For the third time, and hopefully it’s the charmed time, please place regular water in the machines. Extensive research has found that the ratio of regular water to to flavored junk is 1:5.

• Earth Club. Your recycling campaign is a wonderful idea, but it’s common knowledge that you can’t recycle laminated paper.

• Clayton Traffic Light plans. They are still up for debate in City Council. Unfortunately, the Lafayette car ac-cidents continue.

•Facebook, YouTube criminalizing posts. They help nobody. The 5 o’clock news already tells us about the daily crime issues this soci-ety faces.

Student Voice: Gas prices & the drinking age

socialdecadence

nicholaselwoodopinionseditor

Analyzing realistic fairness of the Fair Trade movement

Drug holiday recognizes social choice and free will

Dear Editor,For the first time in reading

his articles I have to agree with Nicholas Elwood. Despite his liberal viewpoints that contrast with my own, I must say he makes a very compelling argu-ment for lowering of the drink-ing age to eighteen.

By encouraging young people to be proactive and make deci-sions on their own as opposed to be led by the hand by over-bearing and worrisome parents, we can advocate and implement good decision-making skills in today’s youth.

The deprivation of some-thing that one feels one needs to obtain can be worse than peer pressure to drink or do drugs.

Think back to when you all were sixteen or younger and re-ally wanted to get into that R rated movie, but alas that guy asked to see your ID, and lo and behold you don’t even have a driver’s license. So what did you and your buddies do?

You snuck into that movie anyway. The same concept ap-plies to drinking, just with deadly consequences.

Zack Blakeley, 11

Dear Editor,Fossil fuels are destroying our

environment. This fact holds true regardless of what political ideology or economic philoso-phy you adhere to, and the solu-tion is an alternative fuel source.

Like any good, energy trades on the principles of supply and demand. As the supply of oil decreases, the demand (and price) shoots up.

When searching for a sus-tainable alternative energy, we need to exploit this funda-mental element of economics. Stop the oil subsidies.

According to Oil Change In-ternational, the United States has provided over $15.6 billion dol-lars in aid to oil companies since 2000 (kind of insane considering Exxon-Mobil posted $39.5 bil-lion in profit for 2007).

This keeps gas prices cheaper than they would be naturally. If we cut this aid, the price of oil will move up to its natural range.

With oil prices higher, the niche for alternative energy in the market expands. Not only will the researcher working on new fuels be able to save the en-vironment, he will now be able to become very rich doing so.

Because of this new incen-tive, more people will become interested in fuel research.

A new fuel, one less harmful to the environment, will eventu-ally be found and sold. The mar-ket, as always, finds a solution.

John Ferry, 12

I am not a naïve kind of guy: 4-20 is fast approaching, and it’s a big deal around here. Time for us to whip out our pieces and pipes, and roll another joint in the spirit of the season. Time to let go of it all for a day and dull our senses and mind completely.

As a solid citizen striving daily to do my civic duty, I am well aware I should never break the law. I should never question the law, either. There-fore, by convention I should not smoke pot; and I don’t.

But I do question a few aspects of the legal system of this nation. Like speed limits that are 20 miles an hour on Strecker. Or how and why tax dol-lars continually go to waste paying construction workers to take three hour breaks on the side of the road.

These things make little sense to me, but they pale in comparison to the folly of laws outlawing marijuana consumption.

These laws, passed on a state-by-state basis, originated in Texas in 1905 and spread nationwide. Now every state has illegalized the drug.

In Missouri, possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana is a class A misdemeanor, which results in up to a year in jail and $1,000 fine. Pos-session of more than 35 grams is a felony, and can result in seven years in jail and a $5.000 fine. Yikes.

These laws are, in my humble opinion, unnecessary. Marijuana is simply not that harmful to the body. It has even been said it’s a very nice benefit to the mind and soul every once in a while. Okay, it’s not really

beneficial, but studies show it isn’t all that harmful to those interested in altering their presence of mind, es-pecially in comparison to cigarettes and alcohol.

According to the Drug Policy Alli-ance (DPA), marijuana doesn’t cause permanent mental illness. It’s not addicting, and it’s not more potent than it used to be. Most importantly, marijuana is not more harmful than cigarettes or alcohol are.

The Missouri Division of Drug and Alcohol abuse (ADA) cites ciga-rette smoking as the single largest cause of premature death and dis-ability in the nation. Yearly, 350,000 citizens die prematurely from ciga-rette-related causes.

Three-quarters of smokers start before age 21, and nine out of ten smokers say they want to quit, but they have extreme difficulty in doing so, as cigarettes contain the nation’s favorite additive--nicotine.

Pot contains no nicotine—it’s not addicting. Marijuana also does not narrow the passageways to the lungs, as cigarettes do. Marijuana does the same amount of damage as its legal relative alcohol does. But when you turn 21, you can break out the booze, and not your bowl.

Yet, for some reason marijuana is illegal in this country said to be founded upon choice. There should be no law outlawing marijuana use.

But realistically, we simply cannot allow marijuana to be legalized. Too many citizens would take up the drug, and legalization would send signals

that all other drugs, no matter how illicit, would also be okay to use.

As 4-20 shows us all, many citi-zens of this nation and some this school smoke marijuana anyway. They’ve made it into quite a celebra-tion. No law can ever eliminate weed from being used. Not even every po-lice officer on duty simultaneously can stop pot from being smoked. It’s just not possible.

So this Sunday, when you break out the goods, keep in mind you are breaking the law, no matter how much you disagree with it.

Also remember if you are caught, you will pay for it, no matter how much you beg and plead, although it won’t be much if you are under the influence.

Smoking pot is your choice, and choice is an instrumental part of this country’s solid foundation. Just take a look at the Bill of Rights. It’s time we realize marijuana is a way of expres-sion to some, even a way of speech. Pot smokers should not be punished for their choices, no matter how fool-ish some think those choices are.

Several weeks ago I received a report about Fair Trade, a new con-cept aimed at assisting poorly paid farmers in mostly South and Central America. I had seen flyers decorating the Lafayette halls, advertising Fair Trade chocolate sales and the topic seemed timely, so I began my pre-liminary research.

I found the movement’s goals are commendable, that the Fair Trade Federation aims to set a consis-tent “floor price” on international goods—things like bananas, coffee, wine, textiles and cocoa beans—en-suring that the farmers who produce the commodities will receive more reliable pay.

It wasn’t until further research that I discovered the Issues surrounding Fair Trade. Things grew far more complicated when I read several ar-ticles from the Adam Smith Institute, a credible economic headquarters, stating that the theory behind this righteous intention was bunk.

Reports explained the act of con-trolling market value by any means—including setting a pre-determined cut for worker pay and fixing a good’s “floor price”—is harmful, creating distorted market prices not based on accurate value.

The main argument can be ex-plained logically: Imagine two poor Mexican fields that produce coffee beans. Attempting to assist, the Fair Trade Federation steps in, boosting the compensation of one field, while the other remains non-Fair-Trade. The process is a success; the certified

workers receive more pay. But what happens

to the other field? The workers are taunted and teased by those working across the road, receiving more pay for the same labor. Some of the lower-paid workers will quit their jobs and start fresh with a certified producer. This puts strain on the non-Fair-Trade fields, forcing those already working in harsh poverty to compensate for the absence of avail-able workers; they become worse off. The poverty noose tightens.

I realized, too, that if this move-ment were completely legitimate, why then would the FTF be so vague in providing statistics other than world starvation rates and poverty tolls? The economic basis seems to have been overlooked.

We seemingly forgot several criti-cal things: that we must think our actions through, and that poverty is an inevitable pitfall of capitalism that cannot be removed as long as nations continue to work within the system’s bounds.

But does that mean we should ne-glect these unfortunate souls, these impoverished victims, struggling to keep their families’ mouths fed? Per-haps not, but to replace one market failure with something that could po-tentially be another (i.e. Fair Trade) is illogical and unwise.

Surely there are problems with all of this, and surely this is some-

thing we should perhaps forsake and acknowledge as a doomed philoso-phy. Though that does not mean that the choices made and actions taken to provide and purchase fair trade at Lafayette were fruitless, far from it, in fact.

I think that if anything is remem-bered from this article, it should be that nobody is to blame for any wrongdoing; nobody has failed. The Lafayette Fair Trade business suc-ceeded in encouraging social con-sciousness by introducing a world is-sue and proposing an active solution, as well as promoting self-empower-ment and the mindset of individual potential.

We can all do Good and make a difference; we must simply approach our methods more carefully, and per-haps rest from buying Fair Trade any longer.

There is no quick fix to poverty, and though Fair Trade would prove unsuccessful, we must carry forth the charitable momentum that it has pro-duced and find another way to make a change.

Bond, James Bond, inspires the “Casino Royale”

theme to this year’s Prom. It will be hosted by the class of

2009 at the Renaissance Grand Ho-tel downtown on May 3.

Despite the location change, the schedule stays the same with pic-tures beginning at 6:45 p.m., a din-ner buffet at 7:15 p.m. and Corona-tion of the King and Queen at 9:45 p.m. on stage.

This year, however, Prom will be at the Renaissance Hotel due to a previously booked event at the Fox.

Regardless of the location change, the Junior Advisory has worked to keep the ticket price the same.

Tickets will be sold from April 23-25 for $60 per person which in-cludes the dinner, dance, soda bar and favor.

Final tickets sales will be May 1 and parking is $5.

Along with the excitement of Prom comes the lingering reminder of tests and sporting activities that

still have to take place before the end of the year.

On the day of Prom, there is also a junior varsity and varsity boys track meet, a junior varsity boys vol-leyball tournament and a junior var-sity girls lacrosse tournament.

Boys track coach Randy Seagrist not only sees a direct interference between track and Prom, but an in-direct one too.

Coach Seagrist said, “For the en-tire week before prom, the kids are thinking more about prom than they are about their track season. The week after prom they’re tired from having stayed up all night at prom so their track workouts are less than optimal.”

Junior Alex Mace is not only tak-ing several AP tests the following week after Prom, but is taking the SAT on the morning of Prom in ad-dition to a volleyball tournament.

In addition to sport conflicts, AP testing will take place the following week starting May 5.

Even worse, the testing sched-

ule starts out with the AP Gov-e r n m e n t and Com-parative test which juniors are taking.

This means students won’t be able to study the usual way by of last-minute cram-ming.

However, college counselor Mary Muel-ler said despite the busy schedule that comes around every May, there is good news.

While AP courses are year-long, they are also an ongoing prepara-tion.

Mueller also reminds students that AP teachers have been prepping their students all year for this test.

Mueller said, “Whether you are going to Prom or not, you have to function like you do in college. You

h a v e to balance your schoolwork along with your family and social life. It is key to budget your time.”

[four] imagenews lafayette high school newsbriefsRelay for Life Lafayette will host this year’s Relay for Life on May 30-31 and to help raise funds for the event, Relay for Life is sponsoring Shop for a Cure. Shop for a Cure is a craft/vendor fair to help your team raise money for the American Can-cer Society.

If you have a Relay for Life team you can reserve a table for FREE to sell craft or other items. Vendors can rent a table for $100 and all proceeds will go benefit your Relay for Life team.

On April 26, the Shop for a Cure event will be held at Babler Elementary School. The event will run from at 9 a.m.-3 p.m. To reserve a table call Donna Dyer at 314-707-7689, or email her at dyer-donna@rockwood.k12.mo.us.

Prom 2008 features ‘Casino Royale’ theme at Renaissance Grand Hotel

minayu[staff reporter]

Hwy 109 ConstructionCrews working from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays are repairing Hwy 109 to Hwy 100. They are resurfacing the road and rehabili-tating shoulders along the route.

The project will cost about $2.1 million and is expected to be finished by August.

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Renaissance loses Jostens sponsorship, cont. from pg. 1“What we want to do is to outline the history of Renaissance,” he said. “Outline where it comes from and where we want to take it. What I’m going to ask is for vendors to spon-sor various activities.”

Shaughnessy acknowledges, how-ever, decisions will have to be made as the school attempts to maintain the program.

“It will make us restructure the fi-

nances associated with Renaissance. We will have to become creative in how we roll this out,” he said.

“I refer to it as ‘Refocusing Re-naissance’,” Shaughnessy added. He said that the brunt will fall elsewhere in the school. “We’ll have to take a look at expenditures elsewhere,” he said.

The loss of Jostens, Senti said, was not the first incident of a major

sponsor withdrawing support. Most notably, Senti said, the Coca-Cola brand once sponsored the Renais-sance program, but no longer.

“I still have a pair of pants with ‘Coke’ on them,” he said.

That Jostens was not the first ma-jor sponsor of Renaissance inspires hope that they won’t be the last. Were such a sponsor to again be-come available, Senti said the school

would take advantage. “We are always looking for other

major business sponsors,” he said. Despite some minor restructur-

ing, much of Renaissance seems likely to survive Jostens’ pullout.

For both those who take advan-tage of the myriad opportunities Re-naissance offers and those who de-pend on it to provide the clothes on their back, that is very good news.

Dealer’s Choice:

B i n g e d r i n k -ing has

become common practice among some high school students and even though they do not condone it, many people view binge drinking as a pattern young people outgrow without lasting effects.

However, research shows that this is not the case. Scientists have determined that the teen brain is a work in progress.

“Take a newborn baby and keep its eyes taped shut for the first two years of its life. After those two years, take the tape off. Will it be able to see? No. The part of the brain that allows us to see is developed during the first two years of our life. The same thing happens to a teenager that participates in binge drinking,” junior Brent Folan said.

“From ages 13-25, cru-cial brain development oc-curs and binge drinking will significantly alter this devel-opment, resulting in lasting effects including alcohol use disorders, learning problems and interference with the brain’s ability to form short- and long-term memories,” Folan said.

Folan is one of 20 students participating in Try Putting Off Drinking (TryPOD), a peer-teaching program de-

signed to reduce binge drinking among young adults by educating them about new research on the ef-fects of binge drinking patterns on the developing teen brain.

To participate in the TryPOD program, a student must be selected by the Supporting Teens At Risk (STAR) executive board and attend a six-hour training session where he or she learns how binge drinking af-fects the teen brain, how to teach this information to fellow students and how to encourage their peers to participate or lead activities in their community that discourage alcohol consumption.

TryPOD members present in-

formation they learn from the ses-sion to health classes to promote an understanding of the brain and how binge drinking patterns impact its development.

“I participate in TryPOD to spread knowledge. I think a lot of teens drink because it’s fun or for the need for some escape, but they’re not aware of the harm they are do-ing to themselves,” senior Jourdan Fenster said.

“I want to make sure everyone is aware of the repercussions should they choose to drink, not to deter them from drinking or to preach to them, just to educate them,” Fenster said.

Even though they may seem like the experts during their pre-sentations, TryPOD members have learned about the negative effects of alcohol as well.

“I learned how brain cells work to transport messages to the brain and how alcohol can alter them severely. The session made me more aware of the negative effects of alcohol use in the teenage body,” sophomore Mary Buttram said.

Binge drinking among Rock-wood students is significantly high. A 2004 Rockwood student survey showed that 31 percent of sopho-mores and 47 percent of juniors had participated in binge drinking at least once two weeks before taking

the survey.The same survey re-

vealed that the percentage of Rockwood students par-ticipating in binge drinking averaged higher than state and national figures.

“Binge drinking seems to be a huge problem right now with teens. The knowledge I have gained from this club will allow me to share the effects of binge drinking to my fellow peers. It all comes down to what the teens want to do, but I hope that what we teach them will help steer them in the right direc-tion,” Folan said.

imagenews [five]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008] alcoholcomplianceWith a grant from the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Rock-wood has provided funding for alcohol compliance checks to make sure vendors across the area do not sell alcoholic bever-ages to minors. The following vendors have passed the test:

Amoco/BP (Highway 109, Clarkson Rd.)

Conoco (Manchester Rd.)

Dierbergs (Wildwood Town Center, Clarkson/Clayton Center)

Express Market

Lara Market

Lukas Liquor

Mobil (Manchester Rd.)

Mobil on the Run (Ellisville Town Center, 15,000 Block Manches-ter Rd.)

Phillips 66 (Highway 109, 15,000 Block Man-chester Rd.)

Quik Trip (14,000 Block and16,000 Block Man-chester Rd.)

Shell (15,000 Block Manchester Rd.)

Shop ‘N Save

U-Gas (15,000 Block Manchester Rd.)

erikdauster[assistant news editor]

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Students inform peers about consequences of binge drinking

Rockwood Student Survey on Binge Drinking2004 Survey of over 1,500 Rockwood Students

Rockwood StateNationReport of binge drinking(5 drinks or more in a row) 39% 31% 28%

Current alcohol useacross the nation 53% 49% 45%

8thgrade 10thgrade 11thgradeCurrent alcohol useacross Rockwood district 25% 47% 61%

[six] imagenews lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]clubnews

That’s A WrapThe new school the-atre is finally done. The

construction project to remodel the old auditorium started in March 2007.

The project cost roughly $3.5 million and has made the old audi-torium officially a theatre. The new theatre was first used April 8 for the Sophomore Ring Assembly and then used again on April 10 for the Choice Awards.

But the main question: will the new theatre provide a more positive experience for students?

“Absolutely. Lafayette is the last of the four (Rockwood) high schools

to get the renovations,” Assistant Principal Matt Dieckhaus said.

“It will provide a much better learning environment for students, like it has at the other three schools,” he added.

Drama teacher Kate Slovinski agrees. She said, “It is an amazing accomplishment for the Rockwood School District, particularly Lafay-ette High School.”

She added, “It is delightful to be a part of it (the new Theatre) and to share the experience with my stu-dents.”

Dieckhaus said it will create a more theatre like experience for stu-dents, what he describes as “the real thing.”

Slovinski said, “It is a comfort-able environment to view whatever goes on in the Theatre and it allows you to focus.”

She also added, “It will provide an opportunity for students to work with state of the art equipment.”

The area has gone through major changes during its transition from an auditorium to a theatre, with new features including an enlarged pit with a motorized grate, new mo-torized theatre equipment for set changing, a new sound system, new state of the art lighting and an en-larged stage.

There are also new state-of-the-art acoustics, which are utilized by the new sound system.

Doorways between the Com-mons and Theatre have also been changed in order to transport larger equipment.

There is no longer a balcony so the seating starts at stage level and goes up. The front entrance has also been remodeled and is now wheel-chair accessible.

The angle of the seating has also changed and the theatre now sits 564 students, which will sit roughly 25 percent of the student body.

Many students cannot wait to get inside the new theatre. “No one can wait to get inside,” Slovinski said.

She added, “I hope to keep mak-ing quality works of art in the new Theatre.”

calebcavarretta[staff reporter]

[Opening Act]Left-Final construction is finished in the audience section of the Theatre. Lighting is hidden on the side in the walls and a new balcony was added. Above, left-Under-neath the stage, an electrician finishes lighting in the pit under the stage. Poles hold the structure when the pit is not being used, adding more space to the stage Above, right-The view of the entire stage as workers add final touches to the space.[brookethibodaux]

Construction concludes as brand new theatre opens

Dream FactoryOn April 20, the 5K Run/Walk for Dream Factory is being held. Check-in is at 1:30 p.m. More information about the event or for registration forms can be found on the Lafayette website.

WACKEDThe goal of the infor-mal club, Wild And Crazy Kid in Education-al Distress (WACKED), is to spice up the regular routine of the school day with entertaining activities.

“We just want to make the best out of our day,” leader Cole Donelson said.

The club usually meets on Tuesdays at 8 a.m. in Room 218 on Tuesdays to brain-storm, plan and discuss weekly activities.

So far the group has done a conga line, free orange juice Friday, freeze day, tin foil hat day and many more.

Anyone is welcome to come to meetings and submit creative ideas.

Savings for Lafayette High School Studentsat Xenon International Academy

Exclusively for Lafayette High School Students and Staff

imagenews [seven]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008] newsbriefs

Recycling program gets tossed asideReduce, re-use, recycle. It’s some-

thing everyone is starting to get into, including seven Rockwood schools.

Kehrs Mill Elementary, Crest-view Middle and Lafayette are three of the schools chosen to be ‘guinea pigs’ for the improved Pilot Recy-cling Program.

Quality Roading and Services (QRS) Waste Management did a study and found Rockwood schools were wasting a high amount of money on trash, 80 percent of which could have been recycled.

Mike Szydlowski, from the Rock-wood Science Department, said the main goal of the project is to reduce the amount of trash the schools put in the dumpster each day.

Lafayette has been the biggest culprit with not recycling. Szydlows-ki said the students are not putting in enough effort to try to separate their garbage.

The kitchen staff was also put-ting all their cardboard boxes in the trash, he added. Currently, Lafay-ette’s program is being run without a sponsor.

Principal John Shaughnessy said, “It’s up to the older kids to take their own initiative and some are really doing it.”

The students at Kehrs Mill Ele-mentary are most enthusiastic about the new opportunity to help the en-vironment, responding well to the recycling programs there.

Assistant Principal Sarah Turpin

said the students are constantly ask-ing what things are made of and if they are recyclable or not.

“I think they’ll want to continue because they know it’s good for the environment and fun,” Turpin said.

She said it hasn’t been a burden for the school as far as management and feels that the community will soon get behind the thought of “go-ing green.”

Amy Schaefer, science teacher at Crestview Middle School, said they have been collecting paper and alu-minum on a small scale for many years.

Crestview just started recycling plastic after the program reached their school.

Schaefer said the students are pretty good about separating their cans and plastics from the rest of their garbage, but sometimes the custodial staff will go through and pick them out of the trash.

“A handful of kids have com-mented on it being a really good idea for the school and the environ-ment,” she said.

Szydlowski said the high schools seem to be taking the least amount of interest in the new program.

Shaughnessy said it could be be-cause of the lack of visibility and management, and without a spon-sor and little student involvement, no one really knows what’s going on with the program.

He also said he believes the school could be doing more to stress the fact the school should be recy-

cling and the students should be tak-ing more initiative to separate their trash after lunch.

The Aluminum Can Recycle Challenge promotes the collection and recycling of aluminum cans separate from plastic containers.

Crestview has been recycling be-fore the Pilot Program started and has been receiving money for the school.

When asked about it, Shaugh-nessy said he thought it would be beneficial for Lafayette.

There are currently two elemen-tary, two middle and two high schools enrolled in this program.

“We make too much garbage and need to recycle,” Schaefer said. “No-body wants a landfill in their back-yard.”

d.annevollmayer[staff reporter]

[Going Green]Dumping his plastic bottle, freshman James Ryan does his part for the environment by recycling. “Plastic Only” boxes line the Commons next to trash cans, creating easy access for student to use. [calebcavaretta]

Traffic LightProgress on the Clayton Road traffic light in front of LHS has been delayed by Wildwood City Council as they review a series of po-tential designs. Further checks are being made to ensure regulations and codes are being followed.

So far, the majority of the groundwork- the sidewalks, paving and sub-ground censors- appears to be com-plete. There’s still much left to do, including all above-ground con-struction, finalization of plans and painting the street lines. Principal John Shaughnessey expects the project will be finished by the beginning of the next school year.

Big GiveThe Lancer’s Landing is holding a “Big Give” to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society through April 24. Freshman Jared Applebaum and Rachel Dennis nominated the MS Society, and as of April 10, $81 has been raised in the jar. Princi-pal John Shaughnessy and the Lancer Parent Organization will match the final dona-tion amount before sending it in to the MS Society.

High schools lag behind elementary, middle schools

[eight] imageadvertisement lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]

With high-speed Internet and a “time is of the essence” attitude, 15 min-utes of fame is

out the door. Now people from all over are realizing it’s a minute and 15 seconds.

In Feb. 2005, a video sharing website named YouTube cashed in on the new era and hit gold.

According to a YouTube spokep-erson, “People are watching hun-dreds of millions of videos a day on YouTube and uploading hundreds of thousands of videos daily.”

Senior Gray Stamulis said he has videos posted with him in them.

“We filmed the people I work with doing stupid stuff in the back during their break,” Stamulis said. The videos had to be taken down because of possible repercussions.

Students don’t seem to mind hav-ing videos with them in it as long as it won’t hurt them.

“I have two or three videos of me on YouTube; I don’t really care if I’m on there because I’m just do-ing something funny,” Stamulis said. Freshman Dominic Manno said he doesn’t mind if people post videos with him in it.

Manno is a member of the band Highland Circus and said people film their live shows and then post them on YouTube, which Highland Circus then puts on their Myspace page. The videos basically allow them to advertise for free.

With the site, some problems

have arisen. On March 30, six teen-age girls viciously attacked another teen while filming. The six girls along with two boys that were used as lookouts were arrested.

The father of the 16-year-old victim was quoted saying he didn’t recognize his own daughter in the emergency room.

Junior Sara Harvey and her sis-ter, freshman Emily Harvey tape videos, but don’t like them online. Sara Harvey said, “My friends didn’t want people stalking them, or crazy people coming to look for you.”

While there are problems, teens still post videos anyway. Seniors Dan

Strike and Tom Verseman posted a comic video. “I filmed Dan and myself locker boxing with a friend,” said Verseman. “I knocked the other guy out with a stomach shot,” said Strike.

Freshman Emily Youngberg posted a video of her and her little sister dancing to Hannah Montana’s “Nobody’s Perfect.” Youngberg said she put the video on YouTube “be-cause I was bored at the time. It also lets my friends from dance see it, they don’t have Facebook.”

In the past few years video posts have raised dramatically and so have their popularity.

“Every minute, 10 hours of video are posted on YouTube,” a YouTube spokesperson said. A study done by Nielsen NetRatings (an internet me-dia and market research company that monitors the audience and traf-fic for websites) showed that there were approximately 70 million users on YouTube.

With this increase in popular-ity, other forms of advertisement are watching for the videos that are watched most often and use those to help market their products.

“Every one posts videos with the want for a little fame. A lot of videos end up in commercials, so people try to get noticed,” Verseman said.

“I think people put videos up so that they can get attention. It’s the same reason people do stupid stuff in public. YouTube is like the human ebay,” Stamulis said

Videos are also watched every day and for a variety of reasons.

“I look up videos all the time. Usually I look for posts containing comedy or just something interest-ing,” Stamulis said.

“Usually I watch them if I need to figure something out. Before a dance I had to watch a video so I could learn how to tie a tie,” Verse-man said.

Other sites such as Digg.com, Metacafe.com, Break.com, Myspace.com and Stupidvideos.com all offer video posting but have not matched the popularity of YouTube.

For those looking for their 15 seconds of fame, there simply is no other option.

imagefeatures [nine]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008] youtubewinners

8

karacampbell[staff reporter]mikebujnak[staff reporter]

Seeus for all

your Prom

needs!

YouTube offers users For the past two years YouTube has spon-sored their version of an awards show. These are some of last years winners:

Best Music Video:“Chocolate Rain”

Most Adorable Video:“The Laughing Baby”

Best Instructional Video:

“How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube”

Best Eyewitness Video:

“Battle at Kruger”

Best Political Video:“I Got a Crush on

Obama”

Best Short Film:“ My Name is Lisa”

Best Comedy Video:“Harry Potter” hand

puppets

Best Popular Online Show:

“What the Buck?”

[information from abcnew.com]

Freedom to post does not always come without consequences15 seconds of fame

[Looking Sharp]With a database of thousands of videos, YouTube has a video on almost on any topic. Some people, such as senior Tommy Verseman, use the website to figure something out; in this case, tying a tie for a dance. [mikebujnak]

Sometimes, the motivation to donate to Locks of Love is more personal. For senior Hannah Hamby the reason behind cutting off 13 and a half inches of her hair and donating it to Locks of Love was an extraordinary one.

“It all started in sixth grade when my friend’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Hamby said “I was always at her house, so I witnessed her getting weaker as the years passed.”

Hamby’s friend’s mother was in remission four times and eventually lost all of her hair. It was then when she started buying hairpieces, which turned out to be pricier than expected.

“I remember her mom being so upset when she left the house because she had no hair and could nev-er find any wigs that she liked because they were all too short,” Hamby said.

In Hamby’s sophomore year, her friend’s mom was told that she had only five more years to live. But unfortunately, she passed away Hamby’s junior year.

“My hair was past my ribs, so I decided to cut off my hair as soon as she passed away. It was the least I could do,” Hamby said.

Soon after she sent the hair, Hamby received a postcard saying that her hair had been accepted as a hairpiece and was given to somebody.

“It really meant a lot, knowing that I was helping someone get a free wig because some can be so ex-pensive,” Hamby said.

[ten] imagefeatures lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]donationinfoIf you are interested in donating your hair to Locks of Love, here are some basic guidelines to follow:

•10 inches measured tip to tip is the mini-mum length needed for a hairpiece. •Hair must be in a ponytail or braid before it is cut. •Hair must be clean and completely dry before it is mailed in. •Place the ponytail or braid inside of a plastic bag, and then inside of a padded envelope.

All hair donations must be mailed to Locks of Love at: 2925 10th Avenue N Suite 102 Lake Worth, FL 33461-3099

Please Note:

•Shorter hair will be separated from the ponytails and sold to offset the manufactur-ing costs. Although the shorter hair cannot be used in the hairpieces, it still greatly helps to reduce costs.

•Gray hair will be ac-cepted and sold to offset the manufactur-ing costs. •Colored hair is not us-able if it is colored over bleached hair.

TOWN AND COUNTRY

636-591-0222

Hwy 141 & Clayton RoadNext to Schnucks at

Woodsmill Plaza

Hair today, hope tomorrow:Organization gives help to children who lose hair to disease

Why not start the s u m m e r

off with a new haircut? For the past ten years, Locks of Love (LOL), a nonprofit organization, has been taking hair donations to make hairpieces for kids suffering from medical hair loss such as cancer and alopecia (an auto-immune disorder that causes the hair follicles to shut down).

Their mission statement is “to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from medical hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive the hair free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.”

LOL focuses on children 18 and younger because it is the time when dealing with stresses, such as being bullied, brought on by the loss of hair, affect their self-esteem.

“Each wig is custom made for each child using approximately 140,000 strands of hair,” Volunteer Service Director Pia McCarthy said.

The hairpiece forms a vacuum like seal allowing only the wearer to remove or attach the hairpiece.

Once a child is accepted into the

program, they receive a kit with an instructional DVD to explain how to create a mold of the child’s head for perfect fitting purposes; other decisions are made for short time hair loss.

There are a few guidelines that need to be followed, the most im-portant being that the minimum amount is 10 inches.

In fact, many students at Lafay-ette have participated in this organi-zation in the past and present.

“I wanted to cut it, but not just cut it,” senior Caren Abraham said. Abraham recently donated 12 inches to LOL; it was her first time donat-ing. Before the scissors met her hair, her locks sat a little past her shoul-ders.

The only way hair is accepted is bundled in a ponytail or braid. Hair that is permed or colored can also be used.

As long as the hair has been stored safely, old hair from years ago is allowed. A few things that are

not accepted include dreadlocks, lay-ered hair (unless it’s over 10 inches), bleached hair, or hair that has been shaved or swept from the floor.

Thanks to LOL over 2,000 chil-dren have received hairpieces, and after 18 months they can re-apply for another.

Junior Katie Moorkamp has do-nated hair on two different occa-

sions. The first time she donated was in eighth grade because her sister had done it and because Rockwood Valley Middle School was hosting their own event to get hair for LOL. That time she only got nine inches cut off, which was sold to help pay for the wigs.

In Moorkamp’s sophomore year she donated about 10 inches. “It was right after basketball season and it had gotten long, so I decided to donate again,” Moorkamp said.

Moorkamp is not the only one who donated at a younger age. “The first time I cut my hair was in fifth grade, it was down past the back of

my knees,” senior Ellyssa Kondrick said.

She decided to donate it to LOL because her mom had mentioned the idea, but more importantly to her because she would receive a free pink tote and a certificate.

When it came time to cut off the 16 inches, the scissors at Custom Cuts couldn’t even cut through the thickness of Kondrick’s hair, result-ing in the hair stylist having to saw through her hair.

She donated again two times af-ter, once in seventh grade and again her sophomore year.

Now, Kondrick decides to keep her hair short because when she was little her hair got caught in the seat belt and her mother had to cut it out with her keys.

“I like my hair long but I felt bad for the cancer patients, so this was the easiest way that I could’ve helped,” senior Michelle Pregler said. Pregler has donated 14 inches of hair the three times she contrib-uted.

Like these girls, anyone can do-nate as long as the correct require-ments are met.

To find out if a salon partakes in donating to LOL, look for the decal in the window, or just ask the recep-tionist.

nicolecastellano[features editor]

Senior makes a difference through Locks of Love, one strand at a timenicolecastellano[features editor]

SoHo NailsProm Specials!

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Before

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Short

Abraham

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Before After

toLong Seniors Caren Abraham

and Ellyssa Kondrick both donated large amounts of hair to Locks of Love. This resulted in a drastic,

but satisfying change in appearance.[ ]

Ellyssa

Caren

imagefeatures [eleven]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008] helpfuladvice

Works for us.

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Piercing, tattoo popularity growsFor some, bodies are a canvas, used to decorate or mold as a reflection of how people view

them. Whether it is by permanently marking our-selves with a needle and ink, or puncturing our own skin for body jewelry, this creativity is shown world wide, and started many generations before our generation could express ourselves.

Tattoos have been around since the ancient settlers of our earth, to show power, authority and respect.

And now it has evolved into a way of express-ing feelings, experiences, joy and grief.

Language Arts teacher Crystal Maier is one of a few teachers who have a tattoo.

“I wanted one from the time I was 15 on; I fi-nally got one when I turned 30. My younger sister and I went together and she got one also,” Maier said.

“It’s a swirl design. The tattoo artist was a good friend of mine and he drew it for me and then shredded the design. He died a few years later so the design is truly an original,” Maier said.

The most important aspect of getting a tattoo is the artist. Luke Olczyk from All Star Tattoo is an artist that has done close to 8,000 tattoos.

“I always thought about becoming a tattoo art-ist, and I decided to train for it and it just came through for me,” Olczyk said.

He also said that all of the tattoos he has done have special meaning.

“The most important thing about getting a tat-too is making sure it is something you want to live with for the rest of your life, and look into artists, and don’t just choose the first artist who offers to do it for you,” Olczyk said.

Senior Jade Tinnel also has an appreciation for the art of tattooing.“I had always wanted one since I knew what it was,” Tinnel said.

“I have a peace sign on my inner right wrist. I don’t think it is something I will get tired of be-cause it means a lot to me,” Tinnel added.

Junior C.J. Gentile has several tattoos, one of

which is a family crest, and one that resembles strength and honor. “I have a tiger and a cherry blossom with a samurai sword,” Gentile said.

After two and a half hours Gentile said, “It was painful,” but other than that it was fun.

For some who decide that a tattoo just isn’t for them there is always a way to get it removed. Whether they will enjoy it is another story.

“The process is very painful; some say it hurts more than getting the tattoo. The laser targets multiple pigments, and they explode,” Dr.. Amy Miller from St. Louis Skin Solutions said.

Piercings are another way of expressing your-self. But for some who want to take it to an ex-treme, there is the stretching or “gauging” of a piercing, typically in the ear lobe.

This is when you expand the hole of a pierc-ing, which can be done with tools called “tapers” which you can find at the mall or at tattoo par-lors.

Freshman Leo Verde said, “I always wanted to be able to stick my pinky through my ear.”

Another person who has stretched their ears is freshman Reese Bolton.

“I had wanted to get my ears pierced for a long time, and when I saw my brother do it, I decided to officially do it too,” Bolton said.

Bolton decided to start gauging his ears be-cause he liked the look of it, and he wanted to be different from people with a normal piercing.

“At first my mom didn’t want me to gauge my ears, but I went behind her back and did it any-way. Now I have a four gauge and she just doesn’t want me to go any bigger,” Bolton said.

With our world learning new ways to express itself, whether it is permanent or temporary, the art of expression will never fade away.

adamharris[staff reporter]

It is up to the tattoo parlor to make sure all equipment is sanitary in order to prevent the spread of disease.

Always go to a legitimate tattooing parlor, and never allow someone to illegally tattoo you.

The most common problem that arises with tattoos are allergic reactions to the ink. Chronic reactions to the new tattoo can be psoriasis and derma-titis.

[information from The Associated

Content][Stretching the Limit]Freshman Leo Verde displays his gauged ear, which was done using tools called ‘tapers’. Verde said he has “always wanted to be able to stick my pinky through my ear.” [adamharris]

[Eye of the Tiger]With the symbol of courage and honor displayed on his left shoulder, junior C.J Gentile’s tiger tattoo means a lot to him. He also has another tattoo of a cherry blossom with a sword and his family crest. [adamharris]

A article on ghchealth.com states “up to half of all body piercings lead to acute infections which require medical treatment.” The article also mentions two piercing-related deaths in Europe in 2007.

The article includes a list of potential dangers of body art which include: toxic shock syndrome, tetanus, venereal ulcers and tuberculosis.

potentialdanger

[twelve] imagefeatures lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]grammargeek

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FLORISTS

Fuel prices hit the gas:

This summer another boom in gas prices (up to $4 a gallon in some areas) is expected.

Gas is already the highest it’s been since the Iran-Iraq war in 1981, approaching $3.40 at the BP station only five minutes from Lafayette.

Getting from point A to point B has decidedly become more difficult, especially for teens and the Rockwood School District.

Some students only making minimum wage are struggling to pay for a $65 tank. Junior Joel Maislin, who works at Indigo Joes at $6.50 an hour, drives a Ford Truck which gets 10 miles to the gallon. Each week, Maislin spends $70-75 in order to fill his tank.

“Sometimes my boss doesn’t give me the hours I need. Sometimes if I don’t have enough money, I just won’t go out,” Maislin, who is cur-rently looking for a second job, said.

Maislin works every day (if he can) and still needs a second job in order to pay for his car and other necessities.

Unlike a majority of teens at Lafayette, Mais-lin is required to pay for “oil checks, gas, insur-ance, clothes, contacts, shampoo…all the neces-sities of life.”

“Anything I want I have to pay for,” Maislin said. “My parents want to make me my own in-dividual.”

Already working every day of the week, Mais-lin sometimes does not have money left over to go out during the weekend after paying for the above items.

“A couple of weekends I’ve had to give up go-ing out because I have no money. But I also have friends who like to do things besides spending money,” Maislin said.

Students are not the only ones feeling the pinch. Surprisingly, the Rockwood School Dis-trict also devotes a large amount of money to gas for transportation.

“Part of our contract is that they provide the drivers, and we provide the diesel,” Chief Finan-

cial Officer David Glaser said. In 2007, the district paid $768,942 alone on

diesel fuel for First Student (formerly Laidlaw). Due to the price increase this past year, there

is a 26 percent increase in the budget, which cur-rently lies at a hefty $968,100.

“If we could come up with a way to save $50,000, we would much rather spend that [mon-ey] on teachers instead of diesel fuel,” Glaser said.

Rockwood Director of Transportation Wil-liam Sloan said Atlantic Express is not a large concern since they are contracted through VICC.

The difficulty with high school bussing is that most high school students drive to school or are driven to school, Glaser said.

Therefore, some buses are left with very few students riding, but still run through the same amount of gas as buses filled to capacity with students.

Glaser said the reason for this is because bus routes run on a tight schedule, and “a route may take an hour and they might not be done in time to take students to [school].”

“We are looking to be a little more creative with bus routes. We’re looking at all different angles,” Sloan said.

Both sides of the spectrum, student and school alike, are feeling the pressure of high gas prices.

As summer approaches students like Maislin will be saving money and taking up second jobs in order to travel during break.

Students, Rockwood feel pinch sydneymiller[features editor ]

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[Filling Up]At a local gas station, one driver spends nearly $90 on regular fuel. Gas prices nationwide are expected to spike to $4 per gallon in some areas, and many students making minimum wage are having trouble stomaching the climb-ing prices. “A couple weekends I’ve had to give up going out, because I have no money,” junior Joel Maislin said. He plans to work two jobs during the summer in order to pay for gas and other necessities. [sydneymiller]

Each issue, language arts teacher David Choate will provide some helpful hints to improve your use of the English language.

Difference between Among and Between

Among is used when discussing three or more persons or things, as in:

“Mr. Choate was among the most talented teachers at Lafayette.”

Between usually refers to two persons or things, as in:

“Between you and me, Mr. Senti is not among the best dressers at Lafay-ette.”

imagesports [thirteen]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]

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Louie’s Big BreakLafayette’s iconic mascot, Louie, a.k.a senior Carl Dick, has been approached with the opportunity of a lifetime.

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austingoodman[staff reporter]

Going to every basketball and football game would be pretty sweet, but

cheering and making yourself look like an animal in front of thousands of fans would be the thrill of a lifetime.

Senior Carl Dick and proud Lafayette mascot, Louie the Lancer, is pursuing a scholarship at the University of Iowa.

Not just a scholarship, but a chance to be Herky the Hawkeye in one of the most presti-gious conferences in the country.

“I expect to win,” Dick said. “Not many mas-cots can throw down a dunk at the halftime of a basketball game.”

Following a season of being Louie the Lancer, he hopes that this will be a fun and unique way of earning his college tuition.

“After giving up his main sport in volleyball, I knew that Carl was pretty serious about being a mascot at the next level,” Marcie Dick, Carl’s mom, said.

“I’ll be sad if I don’t get chosen because then I will have to find another way to come up with the money to attend Iowa,” Dick said.

Although the scholarship is not sponsored di-rectly by the university, it is donated to the win-ning mascot by anonymous donors.

“I believe that being as well rounded of an individual as Carl, he will definitely have an ad-vantage amongst the other contenders,” Athletic Director Steve Berry said.

The scholarship includes room and board at a specific fraternity house on the campus of Iowa University. The scholarship will give several individuals the chance to participate in over 400 athletic contests. “Being the mascot comes with the best seat for every game - the sideline,” Dick said.

Being Herky the Hawkeye will give Carl a great opportunity to build connections within the university and also to meet new people.

Not only did the senior choose Iowa in hopes of being the mascot, but he also thought it fitted

him academically as well as socially.“Iowa was the big school I was looking for and

has one of the top entrepreneurship schools in the country,” Dick said.

He then said, “I loved my previous experienc-es with being the mascot here, so I decided the collegiate level would be even better.”

This year for Carl, in terms of his Louie expe-rience, was not all about fun and games.

Preparing mentally before games, Dick not only takes his role seriously but believes that oth-ers should also.

“A mascot represents the school and the bond that the school has with one another. Being the mascot makes me the leader of our school and the people that I represent, I take a lot of pride in that,” said Dick.

He finds time to train in the weight room a few times a week, and hydrates himself accordingly.

Dick finds out near the end of the summer if he will take his mascot skills to the next level at the University of Iowa.

[Stretching Out]Prior to a photo op, Louie the Lancer, senior Carl Dick, stretches his quadricep. Dick has received the chance to perform as Herky the Hawkeye for the University of Iowa next semester. If he does receive this job, there is a scholarship to go along with the costume. [ericbarford]

NFLmockdraft

1. MiamiJake Long, OT2. St. LouisGlenn Dorsey, DT3. Atlanta Matt Ryan, QB4. OaklandChris Long, DE5. Kansas CityRyan Clady, OL6. N.Y. JetsDarren McFadden, RB7. New EnglandKeith Rivers, LB8. BaltimoreSedrick Ellis, DT, USC9. Cincinnati Vernon Gholston, DE10. New OrleansLeodis Mckelvin, CB11. BuffaloDominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB12. Denver Derrick Harvey, DE13. CarolinaChris Williams, OT14. ChicagoRashard Mendenhall, RB15. Detroit Jeff Otah, OT16. ArizonaPhillip Merling, DE17. MinnesotaMalcolm Kely, WR18. Houston Brandon Albert, G19. PhiladelphiaAqib Talib, CB20. Tampa BayDevin Thomas, WR21. WashingtonLimas Sweed, WR22. Dallas Mike Jenkins, CB23. PittsburghDesean Jackson, WR24. TennesseeKentwan Balmer, DT25. SeattleDustin Keller, TE26. JacksonvilleCalais Campbell, DE27. San DiegoGosder Cherilus, OT28. DallasFelix Jones, RB29. San FranciscoAndre Caldwell, WR30. Green BayJerod Mayo, LB31. N.Y. GiantsDan Connor, LB

Sports Editors, Alex Davis and J.P. Bart-mess, make their first round NFL draft picks

Carl Dick

[fourteen] imagesports lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]

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Who will kill the metal?ninawalters[staff reporter]

VS

With Illinois’ steps towards wood bats in high school baseball, the questions are raised: Are aluminum bats safe? Will Missouri act in regards to safety?

For years alumi-num bats have been around baseball.

They swing faster, last longer and hit the ball farther than wooden bats. It is also believed they cause more injuries, leading to several leagues and high schools not allowing alu-minum bats.

According to the National Fed-eration of State High School As-sociations (NFHS), the rule states the bats may either be wood or non-wood, yet everywhere across the

United States leagues are discontinuing the use

of non-wood bats.“Athletes to-day are big-

ger, faster a n d

stronger. Technolog y is better and risk of injury is higher. I would prefer to see wood-en bats in the game,”Activities Director Steve Berry said.

That will not be happening any-time this year though.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHAA) follows the NFHS rules and allows aluminum bats.

“We follow the National Federa-tions game rules. We won’t go out on a limb and ban aluminum bats unless they do,” MSHAA represen-tative George Blasé said.

Aluminum bats might cost more than wood, but they last a lot longer.

Not only that, they are much lighter making it easier to swing fast, yet makes the ball travel up to 20 mph faster than off of a wooden bat.

Still many believe there is no way to prove aluminum causes more injuries, including the

NCAA, Little League International, and several amateur baseball gov-erning bodies.

Illinois, on the other hand, along with other leagues and states, wants to ban metal bats due to safety.

Each year, a number of peo-ple are severly in-jured from balls hit off aluminum bats.

Illinois High School Associa-tion (ISHA) rep-resentative An-thony Holman, and his assistant collected data from their studies of wood vs. non-wood bats.

Eleven schools in the Illinois area recorded and reported data from non-wood and wood bat games and gave the data to Holman.

Non-wood bat games had 1,263 hits in 144 games compared to wood bat games with 930 hits in 143 games.

In this time 122 batters in non-wood bat games were hit by a pitch

and one fielder was struck by a ball. In the wood bat games, 85 were hit by a pitch and two fielders were struck by a ball.

Within 412 games, 368 wooden bats broke, and the break-ing of a bat can be just as dangerous as a ball off an aluminum bat.

This led IHSA to the conclusion that non-wood bats had more hits per game and longer games.

IHSA also believes

that with more data, more of the differences could have been shown to be significant and will continue to allow both types of bats in games.

“Currently both are used. There may be some more studies, but right now we will just have to use both wood and non-wood bats,” Holman said.

For all the leagues and states that are getting rid of aluminum bats, just as many are keeping them.

Missouri will not be affected and will remain to keep aluminum bats in the games.

Yes, this helps play-ers hit the ball now, but for those who plan to go on to the Major League, the use of aluminum bats in high school will not help at all.

“If they are going to make a

career out of base-ball, then they need

to get ready and famil-iar with wood bats. The Major Leagues only use wood,” Berry said.

In the end, it is hard to tell if aluminum bats

are more dangerous than wood or if it is

just an unlucky hit. Safe or not, alu-

minum bats are making a name, and will re-main in Mis-souri high school base-ball, along with many o t h e r states and schools.

STUD!“Alex and I PAID FOR THIS!” - J.P. BartmessAlex Davis & JP Bartmess

Athletes today are bigger, faster and stronger. Technol-ogy is better and risk of injury is higher. I would prefer to see wooden bats in the game...-Activities Director Steve Berry

“”

bigleaguesstats, standings

& stories[Cardinals

Rams

BluesThe team finished the season on a two game win streak, but were 12 points short of the playoffs. Forward Keith Tkachuk scored his 500th career goal in the season finale. The team will have the fourth overall pick in the June 20th NHL Amateur Draft.

The Cardinals stand a top the Central Divis-sion by winning every series they have played. Albert Pujols leads the team in batting average (.390) and runs scored (9). Pitcher-turned outfielder Rick Ankiel leads the team in homeruns (4) and RBIs (10). Starting pitch-ers Braden Looper and Kyle Lohse are each 2-0.

As the Rams prepare for the draft, the team is still making moves to improve the team. They resigned defensive end James Hall to a two-year deal and agreed to terms with center Brett Romberg. The Rams have set their pre-season schedule too, where they will face the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mizzou FootballThe Tigers prepare for the upcoming season and have their annual Black and Gold game tomorrow. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU. The Tigers will be one of the top teams in the upcoming season, with Heisman finalist Chase Daniel and receiver Jer-emy Maclin returning.

]

imagesports [fifteen]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008] ondeck[sports calendar]

Athlete Month:ofthe

melaniehinzpeter[staff reporter]

To put a spot-l i g h t

on student-athletes, the Image staff selects one athlete to be the Athlete of the Month.

An Image staffer will inter-view these athletes in a Q and A format to introduce those indi-viduals who represent the Lanc-ers in athletic competition.

This issue, senior volleyball player Nick Battenberg is Ath-lete of the Month. He averages 2.57 kills a game, and has 36 kills over seven games.

Q. Who is Nick Battenberg? A. I’m just a really goofy guy. I try to joke a lot and I think it shows on the volleyball court because I always yell like an idiot and I do the girl cheers if we get a point. I know it’s really stupid but I do it anyway.Q. What do you do in your spare time?A. I play Halo. I play a lot of Halo. I’ll either do that or I’ll hang out with my girlfriend or my friends. I’m a pretty relaxed guy, with movies and stuff.Q. When did you start playing volleyball?A. I started my freshman year. I didn’t play club or anything. We did middle school, play around

volleyball, but nothing else.Q. What makes you so interested in volleyball?A. I’m tall so I guess that helps a lot. But I’d say I just really love playing the sport and that’s what makes it so fun and that’s why I’m committed to it. If it wasn’t something I necessarily enjoy, I wouldn’t try as hard as I do. Q. Has volleyball always been your top priority?A. Volleyball has always been my top priority. When I was little I got hit in the head with a baseball, so that’s why I don’t play baseball anymore. I played basketball for a while, but it really wasn’t my strongest sport, so I decided to focus on something I was good at and stick with it. Q. Which game do you most look forward to this season?A. We don’t play Saint Louis University High School (SLUH) in the season but I’m looking forward to playing them in the State Champion-ship. But other than that, I’d say either Marquette or DeSmet.Q. How much working out do you do outside of school?A. I usually work out five times a week, trying to stay toned. I’m trying to get my vertical up

as much as I can. Right now its at 36-37 inches, but I’m going to try to get above 40 inches.Q. How has the support of your parents and coaches affected you?A. My parents have supported me an unbelievable amount. They ask me every night how volleyball is going and they help me with my college decisions, and my coaches are always there for me. The Mei-ers helped a lot, too. Without Tim and Tony, I wouldn’t have known how to play and hit and block.Q. Do you follow national volleyball teams?A. To be honest, I really don’t. I follow college a little bit, but that’s about it. Just club teams mostly. The things I’m interested in are teams my age. I play for Missouri Thunder, and they got third in Nationals last year. Q. What are your plans for college?A. I’m going to Ball State to play volleyball, and they’re a Division I school. Q. What are your plans for after college?A. I think I’m going to stop playing after college and focus more on business. I chose Ball State because they have an amazing business program and that is what I’m interested in.

Nick Battenberg Baseball4/21 @ Parkway South4/24 vs. Mehlville4/29 vs. DeSmetBoys Tennis4/18 @ Rock Bridge Tourney4/21 vs. Kirkwood4/22 vs. Parkway NorthBoys Track4/19 @ Dale Collier Invite4/21 @ Vianney Relays4/24 @ Patriot ClassicBoys Volleyball4/19 @ Parkway Central Tourney4/22 @ Linbergh4/24 vs. FoxWater Polo4/21 vs. Parkway West4/23 vs. Ft. Zumwalt West4/25 @ KirkwoodBoys Golf4/19 @ Mehlville Tourney4/21 @ Fox Invitational4/22 vs. MehlvilleBoys Lacrosse4/22 vs. SLUH4/23 @ Chaminade4/26 @ DeSmetGirls Lacrosse4/21 @ John Burroughs4/23 vs. Parkway Central4/28 @ Parkway SouthGirls Track4/19 @ Dale Collier Invite4/26 @ Victoria Reeves Invite5/2 @ Suburban West Conference MeetGirls Soccer4/21 @ St. Dominic Tourney4/26 @ McCluer North4/28 @ Bishop DuBourg

[Starting it up]Getting ready to start the volley, Nick Bat-

tenberg serves the ball. His team is off to

a 6-1 start. [melaniehinzpeter]

[Putting it down]

The spike is practiced to perfection by

Battenberg. The dedication has definitely

paid off for this senior. [melaniehinzpeter]

The Image asks:

[sixteen] imagesports lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]AnalyzingT-Mei

j.p.bartmess[asst. sports editor]

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After being named to the first team All-Con-ference, All-District and receiving academic All-State honors, senior forward Tony Meier will attend the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee this coming fall on a full basketball scholar-ship. Meier chose them over Evansville, Illinois State, SLU and Western Illinois. “They (UW-Milwau-kee) recruited me the hardest out of all the schools and I really liked the coaching staff and the atmosphere around the campus,” Meier said. Meier gives a lot of credit to one of his coaches who talked to colleges for him. “Coach (Matt) Landwehr knew the coaches at Milwaukee through some of his connections and really pushed for them to come see me play,” Meier said. Meier is also the setter on the volleyball team and is considered to be one of the top setters in the nation. Meier has gained attention from some of the best men’s vol-leyball programs in the nation, like Ball State, Hawaii, Ohio State, Penn State, Stanford and USC. “Coaches were con-stantly calling for him and wanting to talk to him every day,” sopho-more Abbey Meier, Tony’s sister said. She said the fam-ily didn’t want him to play basketball over volleyball, but they understood he liked basketball more and supported his decision.

“We were happy when he chose Wis-consin-Milwaukee. The whole family went with Tony for his visit and we were all impressed by the school and the city,” Abbey Meier said.

Now the senior can put to rest all the heck-ling friends and family gave him in passing up great opportunities in volleyball.

Meier said, “People don’t understand that it wasn’t full rides that I was getting for volley-ball. It was basketball where I was getting full rides. Trust me, if Stanford gave me a full ride, I would take it. I mean, it’s Stanford.”

Inclement weather keeps outdoor sport teams from having sufficient time to practice

Water Polo

Golf

SoccerVolleyball

TrackTennis

Baseball

Girls Lacrosse

Led by an all senior squad, Coach Doug Ell seems to have all the pieces for a State title run.

They have proven themselves against some of the top catho-lic schools in the area, defeating DeSmet and losing to CBC, but in three games.

Senior Nick Battenberg leads the team in kills (36) and blocks (21); senior Tony Meier leads the team in aces (14) and assists (131). The Lancers have also received a huge lift as senior libero Matt Swoboda leads the team with 51 digs on serve-receive.

The girls soccer team are once again off on a tear to start the season. They are led by senior Nikki Rivera, who leads the team in goals (7) and points (16), and sophomore Christine Hibler, who has tallied three goals and leads with six assists.

Junior goalie Megan Link has 23 saves and has produced three shutouts in her first season as a varsity goalkeeper.

Last weekend, they won the Kickapoo Shootout, defeating nationally ranked St. Theresa’s in the championship game, 3-2.

Coach Jamie Waeckerle and his team aren’t off to the start that they wanted. With a 4-10 record, the team needs to get more con-tributions from their underclass-men.

Sophomore Taylor Foye and juniors Spencer Wells and Chris Powell have been the offense for the team.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jack-son Powell has been a nice sur-prise, leading the conference in saves with 173 and only allowing 9 goals a game. Next week they have three big conference games.

Baseball has begun its season with a solid showing even with inclem-ent weather

Senior Kris Zeid leads the team with a .474 batting average and eight RBIs. Seniors JP Bart-mess and Eric Fink have been key contributors, too.

Junior pitcher and team ace, Kyle Grana has helped the team with a Suburban West leading 22 strikeouts and a 2-0 record as a starter. The Lancers will play league leading Parkway South on Monday and will look to keep climbing in the standings.

The King-powered varsity squad was dealt with the card of ailment, and this triggered senior number one Ryan King to miss out in many of the opening matches.

King played his first two, which included a victory against Rockwood Summit, and then an ensuing victory in the Rockwood Doubles Tournament.

His partner and brother, soph-omore Adam King, was also out for two matches, leaving the num-ber one spot to freshman Mick Lyons, and the number two spot to his doubles partner freshman Jake Goodman.

Not only have these two been filling in, but winning as well; playing well above expectations. They are undefeated in doubles.

After two rained out games, the girls lacrosse team has a record of 4-1. Junior Jackie Henke, along with sophomores Hillary Lawless and Kelsey Zalasky, lead the team with eight goals a piece.

Coach Dee Wilkinson began the season with a smaller varsity team, then pulled up several girls from junior varsity to help with the defense and the midfield.

The team will be heading to Chicago for the Windy City La-crosse Classic from April 18 to April 20.

After that weekend, they play at John Burroughs on April 21 and a game with Parkway Central on April 23.

The start of the boys golf sea-son has been a slow one with a significant amount of rained out matches.

The team opened up against Lindbergh, losing by just two strokes. As the team continues battling through, the Lancers will play in five more tournaments un-til Districts.

Sophomores Ryan Don-nell and Austin Goodman have helped with low scores along with juniors Josh Day, Andy Simpson and Zeke Dieckhaus. The team will continue next week against Conference rivals Marquette and Mehlville at St. Albans.

The boys track team partici-pated in the Henle Holmes meet last week posting a strong show-ing.

Senior Michael Izuchukwu finished very well in the triple jump. Junior Ian Moore, a multi event runner, has pulled more then his fair share in hurdles and short runs such as the 200 and 400 meter.

The girls track team was a part of the Lady Lancer Invita-tional and represented it well last weekend.

With many top five finishes in various events the Lady Lanc-ers are running very well. With a strong 4x800 relay team, they will continue their pursuit of the State Tournament.

Rain Delay Coaches worry as game cancellations pile up;

indoor sports remain unaffected by the rain

imagesports [seventeen]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]

springsigning

day

]NEVER egendsDIEj.p.bartmess[

[ ]Thirdand

Foreveralexdavis

Rams’ 3-13 record gives them the second pick. Now what?

Mizzou’s past talent production resembles the present

5/16/08 5/16/08 5/16/08

Expires 5/16/08

This time year, the resounding sta-tistics of recent Heisman runner-ups and Bednarik candidates are analyzed as if it was Gore shouting, “Recount! Recount!” It never fails to disappoint or serve as an upheaval.

I can remember Saturdays when I would race home to see student athletes getting introduced to the next 50 years of their life through a warm celebutante welcoming in the Big Apple, and big tables are dedi-cated to their mere name.

The NFL draft has let the hearts of many fans (namely the Jets) hol-low and abused by poor decisions of owners and their checkbook.

As it has been for the past decade or so, St. Louis’ beloved (beloved?) Rams have had the high emotions of the community riding on their victories (or lack thereof).

The magical draft streak the Rams led from 97-99, featuring stars such as Orlando Pace, Grant Wis-trom and Torry Holt, is all but com-monplace nowadays in terms of le-gitimate draft picks for these Rams.

This upcoming draft places the Rams into the second spot, setting

them behind the 1-15 Dolphins.With such a high spot, the Rams need to pay careful attention to three positions.

Offensive LineIt would be an ignorant procla-

mation for any Rams fan to say that the Offensive Line is not in the bot-tom three of the NFL.

I am not the biggest Bulger fan. He has yet to dazzle me, like he has other St. Louis natives, with his mul-tiple turnovers a game.

However, with his Pro Bowl ap-pearances in mind, he should not be discounted as a sub-par quarterback. It’s the offensive line. This poor, poor offensive line.

Yeah sure, the crème of the crop features ridiculous talent, and his numerous pro-bowl appearances prove that. Left tackle Orlando Pace has been left high and dry and has no support around him.

The only potential that I can see is in Richi Incognito, the anger man-agement riddled monster.

So, an easy solution to this offen-sive line problem would be to pick

up one of the many center free agents, be it Mike Pucillo (Red-skins), Matt Lehr (Buccaneers) or Ross Tucker (Redskins).

And then, the obvious choice as the second pick would be for the Rams to pick up feisty wol-verine Jake Long. However, if the Dolphins make the poor deci-sion (which they are notorious for, i.e. Ted Ginn Jr.) of taking Long, then the question comes up; is it too early for Boise State’s Ryan Clady?

Well, hopefully that doesn’t arise, but if it does, I think Clady’s 6’6”, 319 frame is ready enough to come and make an impact early.

Defensive LineLeonard Little, La’Roi Glover

and Adam Carriker seem to be the recipe for potential success. Once Carriker weathers and his talent peaks (much like Grant Wistrom), there is an awesome D-Line.

However, there are two puzzle pieces that could potentially fit nice-ly as the weakside defensive end, and neither are Chris Long.

I am talking about Ohio State’s

Vernon Gholston and Florida’s Der-rick Harvey.

Both have the quickness that a D-End needs, and both come from conferences which have had a repre-sentative in the national title the past two years.

These two players will translate to the NFL much better than the Cavalier.

LinebackerLack of depth. That’s the sweet

(bitter…) song that the Rams have sung to all season. Witherspoon fills the middle with unchallenged incon-sistency.

So now, the Mike and Will line backing spots are left WIDE open. The amount of care this position needs is not contrasted evenly with amount of available talent.

(continued in the sidebar, on the right)

Keith Rivers would be an awesome pickup. However, second is to early for him. There is too much tal-ent at other positions. The same goes for wide receiver. There is extreme lack of depth behind Holt, but the combine is not producing the necessary talent for the second spot. An arising question in my mind is: If the Rams should gun for Keith Rivers, they might want to trade back to the Ravens at the eight spot, or the Bengals at the ninth. In whatever happens, this is going to result in an awesome draft. College football’s fin-est being showcased, and a full Saturday to enjoy it. There’s not much that I enjoy more than this.

Hawaiian Pleasures(White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia cookies)

1 egg1 package dry sugar cookie mix (Betty Crocker)

1 stick melted butter1/2 cup macadamia nuts

3/4 cup coconut

Bake 8-10 minutes at the temperature on the cookie mix directions

Icing:Melt bag of white chocolate chips and 2 tsp. veg-etable oil in a double boiler. When melted pour onto cooled cookies.

Twenty-six All-Americans, 183 play-ers drafted in the NFL and seven of them in the National Football Hall of Fame.

With a team history that dates back to the Depression era, you would think I would be talking about a team with multiple Conference and National Championships.

But I am talking about the Mis-souri Tigers.

The Tigers have a total of just six Conference Championships and zero, nada, zilch National Champion-ships. So in conclusion, they can’t be compared to some of the great col-lege football programs like Nebraska, Oklahoma or Texas.

Fair enough.Texas has produced 35 NFL first

round draft picks, which is the eighth most out of all college teams in the history of the draft. Right next to them at ninth is Oklahoma with 34 and Nebraska is 12th with 32.

One hundred and eighty-three players from Mizzou have lived the dream of their name being called and 11 in the first round which now a day lasts a minimum of five hours.

In 2001, the Cincinnati Bengals se-

lected defen-sive end Justin “ G o d z i l l a ” Smith from Mizzou fourth overall. Smith has recently signed a six-year, $45 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

But the past of Ole’ Mizzou goes even farther back.

Johnny Roland was a running back turned into a defensive back in 1965 who was a Mizzou All-American.

He was drafted by both the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals (yes, they were a football team) and the AFL’s New York Jets in the same year. He chose the Cards and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors.

Once again, the Jets have draft problems.

Out of East St. Louis, Kellen Win-slow became a Consensus All Ameri-can for the Tigers. Winslow was the 13th overall pick in the 1979 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.

Most people remember his name not for him, but his son, Kellen “I’m a soldier” Winslow Jr. whose career has

been nothing short of a bust.

But now we are in 2008. There is the NFL draft to be dealt with and there are six Tiger graduates who have a chance.

Wide Receiver William “Helicop-ter” Franklin out of Vashon High School may not have the necessary size of a wide receiver, but his 4.44 sec forty time will make him an early sec-ond day selection in the draft. The St. Louis Rams had him workout in front of the coaching staff two weeks ago so the St. Louis kid might be coming back home.

Center Adam Spieker is a big, tough, physical interior lineman whose leadership ability and funda-mental blocking technique makes him the best center prospect in the country and will translate into a possible mid to late second round pick.

Defensive back Darnell Terrell out of Eureka High School has a 6’3” frame which helps him defend taller receivers and most scouts say he will turn into a safety in the NFL. Look for his name to be called in the fourth

or fifth round.Offensive Tackle Tyler Luellen

brings in a history of injuries that has plagued his tenure at Mizzou.

But the 6’7” tackle has an imposing size and can move quickly against fast-er defensive linemen. Look for him in the fifth or sixth round.

Defensive Tackle Lorenzo Wil-liams has a motor that runs harder than most linemen. His ability to get off snaps quickly and penetrate into the backfield makes him a good role player. His name might be called in the sixth or seventh round.

Tight End Martin “T-Ruck” Ruck-er was an All American this past sea-son and is the top pro prospect out of all the Tigers.

With his imposing size at 6’6” and his lateral speed down the field, Ruck-er can be an immediate starter for any NFL team. His name will definitely be called in the second round.

But this goes to show that being apart of a team who’s had a success-ful season results in more players go-ing to the next level. Putting the team first has given these players a chance to pursue their dream.

It’s a good payoff.

thirdand

forever[column cont.]

National spring signing day is April 20, but due to athletes waiting until the season concludes, Lafayette’s college bound athletes will announce their intent in May. Senior girls basketball players Sami Dunger and Meg O’Connell have committed to play at Central Meth-odist University and McKendree College respectively. Nick Battenberg has committed to play volleyball at Ball State University and Tony Meier has committed to play basketball at the University of Wis-consin-Milwaukee. Several athletes are still mulling over their options, as they do not have to officially sign their Letter of Intent until August 1.

bretthamlin[staff reporter]

Opposite ends of the Spectrum: The NFL Draft and the local impact

[eighteen] imageadvertisment lafayette high school [april 18, 2008]

08.230 Lafayette Ad 10x16.indd 1 4/11/08 10:16:12 AM

imageentertainment [nineteen]lafayette high school [april 18, 2008] facultyrecs“Currently I am

reading the third book of the “Song of Fire and Ice” [series] called “A Storm of Swords” by George R. R. Martin. It is reminiscent of Tolkien’s Middle-earth books and Ken Follett’s “Pillars of the Earth,” except there is a lot more sex and violence; a whole lot more sex and vio-lence. It is a real page turner and difficult to put down.”Nathan Willard, language arts teacher

“The best concert I’ve ever been to was to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds in this tiny little audito-rium on the campus of Murray State in Ken-tucky. It was incredible and completely worth the five hour drive!.“Lauren Sakowski, art teacher

“My favorite chain restaurant is Ruby Tuesdays. My wife and I love the healthy food (and the price). My favorite local restaurant is Café Manhattan on Tesson Ferry Road in South County. It has a nostalgic, comfortable feel to it and the food is great. “Brian Fish, foreign language teacher

“My favorite musical act has to be “They Might be Giants” because they are not the average, every-day, run-of-the-mill band. Their songs are ingeniously creative and off-the-wall and I think that mirrors some of my personality. I have yet to see them in concert, but I do own a few of their albums. Go Particle Man!”Brian Reed, foreign language teacher

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Latest “Boris” release does everything but bore us

Renaissance to host school XBox tourney

S p r i n g -field, IL n a t i v e s

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelt-sin are back with their new album Pershing.

The group is truly a story of do-it-yourself success, having gained favorable status in the indie rock movement.

Not to mention, they had a song (a hit from their previous album, Broom, called “Oregon Girl”) fea-tured in an episode of the Fox series The O.C. Keep in mind, this was all done originally without any record label to back the band and without any significant national touring.

Now, with the support of label Polyvinyl Record, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are back and ready to show themselves to the world.

The 2006 debut release, Broom,

proved that a Midwestern indie band had the capacity to craft pop-driven tunes while still maintaining a fore-boding, ominous sound with layered vocals in the same vein as the late El-liott Smith and other similar artists.

Pershing takes a much simpler approach. Gone are the lamenting, dreary tunes that made up Broom’s centerpiece.

In their place, a straight-forward pop album that lies dangerously close to becoming formulaic.

Thankfully, the album finds its saving grace in impressive tracks like opener “Glue Girls”, “Modern Mys-tery” and “Heers”.

The album doesn’t contain bad songs; it’s hard to believe that the boys of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have it in them to cre-ate anything but quality music.

There are simply songs that put strain on the listeners.

Take, for example, the nearly too long track “Oceanographer”, the only song on the album that surpass-es four and a half minutes in length. The tragedy is that the band seems to struggle keeping a song entertain-ing for that long.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have made a habit out of crafting quality indie pop tunes that have an average duration of two and a half minutes, making their longer songs appear redundant and dron-ing.

Thankfully, neither album has fea-tured more than one song over this amount of time, the aforementioned “Oceanographer” and Broom’s “Anne Elephant.”

Pershing, however, has a much more refined quality to it, separating it immediately from the likes of its predecessor.

Of course, when you record in a

studio as opposed to at a band mem-bers home, as was the case with the band’s previous works, things are bound to sound a little less noisy and a bit more polished.

The only issue with this approach is that Broom’s glory lied heavily in the melodic subtleties and barely-discernable riffs over its brief 10 tracks.

With Pershing, everything is thrown right at us, leaving nothing to be searched for in later listens. Broom’s appeal relies on the listen-er’s ability to give the album multiple listens and discover its hidden trea-sures.

Overall, Pershing offers an indie pop experience for fans looking for a summer pop album, but leaves much to be desired.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin’s albums are on iTunes as well as from Polyvinyl Records.

aaroncasias[entertainment editor]

R e n a i s -sance has a l w a y s

represented the school’s brightest and finest with awards and recogni-tion.

Finally, Renaissance will recognize Lafayette’s unsung hero: the gamer.

Renaissance will be hosting an Xbox tournament on April 26.

The tournament will feature both amateur and intermediate level play for 3 popular games, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4 and Madden 2008.

“We’ll probably be selling tickets a week before [the event] during lunch shifts, and we’ll also be handing out waivers for those students who are under 17 to play Call of Duty 4,” Re-naissance Student Steering Commit-tee sponsor Becky Lawrence said.

The tournament will be conduct-ed in a bracket system where winner-take-all rules apply.

“We’re doing a bracket tourna-

ment where the first time you lose, you’re out. It’s very similar to the NCAA set up. For each different game, there will be two separate brackets; one bracket will be the in-termediate bracket and one will be for the ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’ [group]” Lawrence said.

The steering committee is look-ing to hold the tournament, at least in part, in the new Theater now that it has been thoroughly renovated. If this plan falls through, however, other areas of the school such as the large Flex Room will be used.

The winners of each individual bracket have more than simple rec-ognition and bragging rights to look forward to.

The grand prize for the winners of the intermediate tournaments, according to Steering Committee member, sophomore Varun Mehro-tra, will be a gift card to Game Stop presented to the winners.

“[The gift card] will be in an amount upwards of $400-$500,” Mehrotra said, “…and will be divid-ed up. We don’t have $500 for each person.”

Mehrotra also said a smaller cash prize may be presented to the win-ners of the amateur competitions, though the amount and final details have not been decided on yet.

Behind the Steering Committee involvement, however, are the real masterminds of the tournament, the Business Management classes. Among these helping hands are se-niors Chris Ryu and Livi Jarboe.

“We thought up the whole busi-ness plan so that Renaissance could carry out [the plans]…the financial side, the marketing; that was our part. Renaissance is in charge of doing everything. That’s their part,” Ryu said.

“We’re asking people to bring in their own Xbox 360 [consoles].

Everyone is going to have to sign a waiver saying that if you break a con-troller, you’re liable for it. The same goes for games,” Ryu said.

The Business Management class is certain that once people learn of the tournament, they will be very responsive and supportive of the event.

“It sounds kind of boring right now, but after talking with students and teachers, they are all really look-ing forward to it,” Jarboe said.

Ryu said that there is also the possibility of a free-play system be-ing set up after elimination rounds to keep people entertained until the final round in which the winners of the bracket system will compete.

“We want this to become an an-nual event. We hope that future classes will keep the tradition going and make money for the [Renais-sance] program in the future,” Ryu said.

aaroncasias[entertainment editor]

Review:

flagthese[info]tainmentFriday, April 18, 2008 [Vol. 39 Issue 8] page 20

The Pageant

Black Rebel Motorcycle ClubFriday, April 25$15 Advance/ $17 Door

Tegan & SaraSunday, May 4$20

The Creepy Crawl

Femme FatalitySaturday, May 3$10 21+/ $12 Under 21

Alesana w/ The ChariotWednesday, May 7$12 Advance/ $14 Door

Pop’s

Drowning PoolFriday, May 2$15

Streetlight ManifestoMonday, May 5$15

New Releases

4/22

Charlie Wilson’s War DVD

Cloverfield DVD

The Savages DVD

The Orphanage DVD

Jack’s Mannequin: the Glass Passenger CD

Tokyo Police Club: Elephant Shell CD

4/29

The Golden Compass DVD

27 Dresses DVD

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly DVD

Augustana: Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt CD

Madonna: Hard Candy CD

5/6

I’m Not There DVD

Clay Aiken: On My Way Here CD

5/13

Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs CD

In Theatres: Weekend of 4/18

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

Mosh Pit With summer approaching and the concert season under way, it is crucial to be versed in concert etiquette, dress

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It is important to have a proper game plan going into a concert. The proper stance is to have your feet shoulder-width apart, and your arms held up somewhere in front of your chest, creating a barrier between you and the person in front of you.

At a rough show where there is a lot of movement, this will prevent unintentional bumping and grind-ing, which can be misinterpreted and reprimanded.

In a less crowded concert, it is fine to have your hands in or around your pockets, but having them sim-ply hanging at your sides will result in looking like a floppy noodle, which is one of the most awkward stances for your body to be in.

The pit, or the area of the ven-ue located directly on the floor in front of the stage, is inevitably go-ing to have some movement. Thus, it is virtually impossible to maintain your spot in the crowd for the en-tire concert. Your best bet is to let the crowd move you around a little bit and take advantage of any op-portunities you might have to move toward the stage.

If you are feeling able, stir the

crowd up a bit yourself. However, it is important to remember the point of movement is not to harm any-body, but to simply inspire them to rock out to the music.

Nobody in their right mind goes to a concert with the intention of getting hurt, and getting hurt can easily ruin the best of concerts.

If you start to feel nauseous or in danger of being crushed at any point in the concert, you should leave the pit immediately.

There will be significantly less chaos outside of the pit, and notably better sound quality, both of which should allow you to recover enough to make another go at the pit later on in the show.

It is important to check your pockets constantly to make sure that your wallet or cell phone has not been nabbed or lost.

If you do lose something, yell out in between songs; chances are that someone standing on top of or next to it. If there is still no luck, then check with the security guards after the show, should there be any, as many things end up in front of or underneath the stage.

Don’t wear the band’s T-shirt to their concert. Don’t wear your own band T-shirt and wear it to the concert. Don’t make your own T-shirt dedicat-ed to a particular member of the band and wear it to the concert. - Senior Kasey Klimes, Tree Heart Orchestra

The best advice I can give first timers: the buddy system – go with someone you know well, don’t lose your ticket once you get in, stay out of mosh pits unless you really want to get in there [and] have a meeting place in case you get separated from those you came with. -Jeff Burton, 105.7 The Point’s Tom and Jeff Show

Have a great time. Mosh, do stuff you wouldn’t do at Lafayette. - Senior Evan Cottrell, Highland Circus

The clothing you wear to a concert has the potential to shape your concert experience. Appropri-ate clothing will gain you respect amongst your peers, and therefore enhance your concert experience. On the other hand, inappropri-ate clothing will win you awkward glances and even more awkward physical contact.

Generally, wearing high heels, flip-flops, Ugg Boots or brand new shoes is not a good idea, as they are bound to end up lost or at the very least the grossest looking shoes in your closet.

Short skirts and sleeveless shirts show too much skin to be consid-ered appropriate to wear in a venue crammed to capacity with sweating and exhausted adolescents. Contact with your upper thighs or biceps is uncomfortable for any party in-volved, and is likely to cause painful chaffing. Jeans are always appropri-ate, and you would have to try pretty hard to make them otherwise. Poor-ly placed holes and rips in the tops of your jeans, however, are awkward looking (even outside of a concert

setting) and do not add to the de-sired “worn” look. At shows where intense dancing is imminent, short-shorts can be pulled off, but outside of a dance-punk setting, they be-come shady at best. Your hot pants are best left at home.

If you choose to wear a band T-shirt, don’t be “that guy” by wearing a shirt emblazoned with the logo of the band you are seeing. Otherwise, any other band’s shirt is perfectly ac-ceptable, and you get bonus points if it is a shirt from a band-member’s former band. Choose your band shirt wisely, however, as different genres may not mix (e.g. a Panic! at the Disco shirt at a Killswitch Engage concert), and could lead to the aforementioned awkwardness. Usually, button-up shirts are the standard garb seen at concerts, and it is usually a safe bet to wear one regardless of what show it is.

However, the more adventur-ous may wear Halloween costumes as long as they don’t interfere with people’s view of the stage. This is also good way to meet new people and even the band.

What to wear and how to wear it

The Pit Experience: How to handle yourself

The major goal of your concert experience should be to enjoy your time during the show, not to meet the band afterwards. However, if you are intent on spilling your heart to that special bass player, there are certain steps that you can take to en-sure a meeting.

The merch table is a gold mine. The merch guy/girl will usually know where the band is or if the band is expected to make an appear-ance at the table later. Although you should tip them anyway, tipping the merch guy could win you some extra information.

If the band isn’t expected in-side the venue, then head out back to their van or bus, where they will most likely be loading their equip-ment into a trailer. There, you can either offer your help or just hang around until they’re done to strike up a conversation.

If there is a line to meet the band, simply walk around the other side of the van or bus and wait for them there. They will be less intimi-dated by a smaller group of people and will probably talk to you first.

After establishing contact with the band, remember that they are people first and band members second. They don’t appreciate high pitched squeals as much as you might think, so keep the incredulous screams to a minimum. Treat them like old friends, and your conversa-tion will be significantly less awkward than it would be otherwise. Bring up other concerts you have been to recently, other times you have seen the band live, or talk about their new CD should they have one or plan on releasing one. Don’t be afraid to be honest, however, as good criticism is hard to come by on tour. It can be much appreciated.

How to meet the bandLarge venues have the distinct ad-

vantage over smaller ones on the ba-sis of drawing power. More popular bands will make pit-stops at places like the Pageant or Pops because of their potential to draw more people and therefore make more money.

However, more people also means that people who aren’t inter-ested in the bands playing will be in attendance, which increases the like-lihood that you will be standing next to someone who breaks all of the previously mentioned rules.

Fortunately, the good usually outweighs the bad at large venues, and you can generally get away with more rule-breaking in a larger crowd, making big shows a good place to begin your concert career.

Smaller venues, on the other hand, offer the kind of intimacy that places like the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater can’t hold a candle to. The audience is able to stand up against stage at the Creepy Crawl, Off Broadway, and any of the sev-eral other smaller clubs around St.

Louis, which enables you to literally feel, smell and unfortunately, some-times taste the band.

In between songs, it is possible to converse with the band instead of yelling at them anonymously from a crowd of hundreds, and start conversations that can be continued after the show.

Because of the band’s proximity to the crowd, there is usually a great-er amount of audience participation at smaller clubs, which makes it pos-sible for you to scream your heart out and actually see your favorite song be played in person.

The only downside is that you usually have to see smaller bands at smaller clubs, but don’t let that steer you away. In spring 2006, The Audi-tion headlined several shows at the Creepy Crawl, and less than a year later they were opening for Jack’s Mannequin at the Pageant.

In other words, the bands that you will see at smaller clubs aren’t necessarily bad, they just haven’t hit it big yet.

The difference between large and small venues

drewstiehl[entertainment reporter]

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Manners