Lafayette High School17050 Clayton Rd., Wildwood, MO 63011

Volume 44, No. 7 / March 14, 2013 / lhsimage.com

[the]image Lafayette High School17050 Clayton Rd., Wildwood, MO 63011

See pages 10-11

[the]imagemisc. / 02March 14, 2013

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image staff / policiesEditors:Grace Bueckendorf ......................................................................Editor in ChiefPaige Antolik .................................................................................... News EditorGabby McDaris ................................................ Opinion/Entertainment EditorKatie Blackstone ......................................................................... Features EditorDylan Corbet ..................................................................................Sports EditorArianna Demos ..................................................................... Asst. Sports Editor

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Jessica Brown & Hannah Meuret ........ ..............................Business ManagersRebecca Ferman...............................................................Social Media DirectorVeronica Knysh / Dakota Shaw ....................................................... Cartoonists

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table OFcontents [8/

10/11

5/

20/

What does your handwriting mean?

Poppin tags

A slice of life

Scientists have debated if handwriting analysis can truly determine personality traits or not. Heres an unprofessional analysis of selected students and teachers handwriting.

With the popular new song, thrifting is becoming all the rage again. From Goodwill to St. Vincent de Paul, you can find practically anything, even if you only have $20 in your pocket.

Rockwood has yet to join the nationwide shift to mobile learning devices in the classroom. Although educational iPads do offer many benefits, there are downsides to consider as well.

15/Spring sports are in session and senior Matt Goro and junior Natalie Quisenberry are hopeful for a successful year in baseball and soccer, respectively.

upcomingevents[ [WHEN IN ROME/ Juniors Beth Nondorf, Shelby Fechter and Amy Cui work on posters for the Latin room during a Latin Club meeting. Latin Club President Nondorf said, These are things we dont normally get to do in class. Latin Club involves more culture instead of grammar. [Coloring] is a good way to relax. (photo by Emily Pascoe)

March 15-22/ Spring Break, No School March 27 Community Bond Issue Meeting 6:30 p.m. in the CommonsMarch 27/ Senior Cap and Gown photos 11 a.m. in the TheatreMarch 29/ Spring Holiday, No SchoolApril 3/ Choice Awards 7 a.m. in the TheatreApril 10/ Staff Development Day

Here are some important dates to plug into your calendar app or pencil into your planners.

Is it true that you have to be born and raised to like St. Louis style pizza? Students provide their opinion on this myth and discuss if they are in favor of the thin crust pizza, or if they prefer a different style.

iDo or iDont

Athletes to watch

[Photoof themonth[ [

[the]image news / 03March 14, 2013

13th year proves lucky for new Teacher of the Year

Lori Zang, social studies teacher, is passionate about teaching and loves her students. She is sarcastic and funny when the time is right and teaches what could be considered a boring subject in an interesting way. She is the 2012-2013 Teacher of the Year.

The process began when senior Adam Johnson nominated Zang. He said he believes she is an awesome teacher and deserving of the award.

Shes very involved with the students in that she not only teaches AP Government, but she also does Model UN and Mock Trial, Johnson said.

On Zangs end, the process was fairly simple.I had to submit a resume and answer a few

questions for the committee to review. There really wasnt much to do after that, Zang said.

Principal John Shaughnessy said staff members voted for the candidate they believed was most deserving this year.

I was very surprised when [Shaughnessy] told me I won. The other nominees are all very

deserving of this award, Zang said.The other 2012-2013 finalists included social

studies teachers Vince DeBlasi, Brittany Trott and Jamie Waeckerle.

One perk that comes along with being named Teacher of the Year is a reserved parking spot in the first row.

Unless they can move the parking spot to the side of the building where I park, I probably wont be taking advantage of that, Zang said.

Zang will also get her picture on the wall with the pictures of every past Teacher of the Year. She noted that while this will be awkward for her, it is also an honor.

There is absolutely nothing that makes me stand out. Lafayette is full of teachers that do what I do, she said.

Shaughnessy said he is honored to have Zang represent Lafayette Teacher of the Year.

Shes a good role model and certainly a good person to reflect what we believe is good teaching and good standards here, he said.

She will now move on to represent Lafayette in the Rockwood District Teacher of the Year competition later this year.

PRAISE FOR ZANGShes a good teacher because she really knows her material and you can tell that she knows what shes doing.

elliebednarek /12

Shes very involved with her students. She finds herself staying after class a lot and she even comes back to school after picking up her kids. adamjohnson /12

Q&

A W

ITH ZA

NG

Q: How long have you been teaching?A: This is my 20th year teaching;

for the past 13, I have been at

Lafayette.

Q: What classes do you teach and which is your favorite?A: I teach both AP Government

and Politics and an elective called

Law and Justice. Just like my

children, I like the students in

both classes equally; however,

if I had to pick, I probably like

the content of Comparative

Government the most.

Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching and why?A: That would have to be the

students, of course. I love when

students pick up on a news

story about something weve

talked about in class or they

watch Saturday Night Live and

get the political sketch.

Q: Why did you become a teacher?A: I thought about becoming

a teacher at a very young age.

Teaching allows me to combine

both my love of history and

government and my desire to

work with young people. Every

day is different and brings new

challenges. The students at

Lafayette are extremely bright and

keep me on my toes.

Im in Model UN and Mock Trial with her and besides being a good teacher, shes a good person so she definitely deserves it.

joeflannery /12

She works really hard at what she does and Im glad she got the award.

ninatheobald /11

HUMBLY HONORED/ Zang has been named 2012-2013 Teacher of the Year in her 13th year of teaching at Lafayette. She was nominated by senior Adam Johnson. (photo by McKayla Treat)

McKayla Treat / webmaster

The Big Zang Theory

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She really knows her stuff. She kind of teaches a boring class but she spices it up with jokes.

chaseshelton /11

I think she really deserves it because shes a really good teacher and shes super involved because shes in charge of Model UN and Mock Trial. rachelradecki / 11

(636)-207-881815815 Manchester Rd.

Ellisville, MO 63011

Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m.Saturday a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

[the]imagenews / 04March 14, 2013

The Courtyard was added to the school with the Library addition in the Fall of 2009.

However, some students dont know the true purpose of the area.

The Courtyard is complete with three grills, two fountains, flower gardens, picnic tables, two benches and handicap access.

Some students believe they are not able to use the Courtyard for lunch or hanging out.

Principal John Shaughnessy said, Students are free to use this space during the day. The only issue is noise since there are classrooms that have windows that open to the courtyard. Students using the courtyard need to be respectful of the classes that

might be in session that would be affected by noise coming from the Courtyard.

The Courtyard was always a part of the Library addition plans.

We tried to keep the natural sunlight from the existing classrooms available as we built the new classrooms and Library addition. This allowed us to build the Courtyard, Shaughnessy said.

Someone must maintain and preserve the courtyard. This task was taken up by Counselor JoAnn Goehler who tends to the plants in the Courtyard.

Assistant Principal Tim Jones takes care of the fountains. They were a Senior Class gift for the two flower beds in the Courtyard.

The Courtyard is open

seasonally for use during lunch and class. However, it is locked currently due to the weather and season. When the weather turns pleasant, students and staff will be allowed to use it.

Although students and staff are not currently using it, they have in the past.

Sophomore Kassie Bennett said, [My class] liked it more [than the classroom] because we had more fun out there. We got more work done faster because we liked it outside.

Students who have not had the opportunity to use the Courtyard said they would enjoy being able to if they could in the future.

Senior Lizzy Adcock said, If I had the opportunity to go out in the Courtyard for class I would because getting stuffed up in classrooms all day, we lose interest and stop

paying attention in class. But when teachers let you have a little bit of freedom, then youre more inclined to pay attention to them because its like a pay back of respect.

Many teachers agree the Courtyard is helpful to learning, including Katie Bekebrede, health teacher.

She has taken her health class out in the Courtyard.

I think the students enjoy going outside and the change of scenery. It adds a little spice to the day. I enjoy going outside, so anything that helps relax or give the students a pick-me-up is a positive, Bekebrede said.

Even though not many are aware of the uses of the Courtyard, for those who have used it, it has provided an escape from the confines of the classroom.

Karre Wagner / asst. webmaster

The Courtyard was added in the Fall of 2009, providing an outdoor area for students to relax during lunch and get some fresh air before class. However, not many students realize all the Courtyard has to offer.

putUseYes

(50%)No

(50%)

Do you believe you are allowed to usethe Courtyard?

Yes (72%)

No (28%)

Would you use the Courtyard if you could?

it togood*Survey of 152 students

[the]image news / 05March 14, 2013

With Kirkwood School District adding iPads to curriculum, Rockwood weighs pros/cons of introducing this technology to students in the classroom

Educational iPads are being used in schools nationwide, proving to effectively engage students in lessons and give teachers the ability to teach with a more practical approach as technology is becoming increasingly standard in everyday life.

The Kirkwood School District is the first in St. Louis County to use these interactive, versatile tools to help students not only develop communica-tion skills and media literacy, but also save money normally used for paper and books.

Although iPads offer benefits, Rock-wood has not considered such mobile devices in our schools yet.

A program similar to Kirkwoods One-to-One iPad Learning, the pro-gram that introduced iPads into their school, could be expected if Rockwood were to ever implement school-issued iPads.

Kirkwood is still in the process of testing out the idea as 625 iPad Minis are planned to be provided to students in classrooms with teachers who are a part of Kirkwoods Technology Leader-ship Group.

Within this test group, third graders and older will be assigned iPads that can be taken home. Second graders and below will have iPads on carts that

will stay at school. Data will be collected throughout

the end of this school year. Then their district will present their findings to the School Board before deciding whether to officially issue iPads to all students in the upcoming years.

Administrators held informational meetings with parents of students receiving the iPads. The parents were asked to pay an insurance fee of $28 per year, waived for students who receive free or reduced priced lunches. The total cost of this plan is about $213.87, which is to be paid for with their dedicated technology funds.

iPads were chosen by Kirkwoods School District as the best mobile learning devices because they provide active learning through sharing and collaborating electronically. There will also be easier communication between the teachers and students as iPads provide fast Internet access, ensur-ing a variety of ways work can easily be submitted, assessed and returned. Moreover, iPads are lightweight and easy to carry around.

iBooks would replace current text-books with something more dynamic that can be regularly updated. Many classic books that are used in language arts classes are already available free online, resulting in immediate savings.

However, iPads could easily become

a distraction for students. There may be technological difficul-

ties as there already are with laptops and Smart Boards. Misuse, irrespon-sible use or damages are inevitable.

Like any other learning tool such as text books, iPads may be left at home or uncharged, leading to classroom problems.

Also, connection to Internet is nec-essary for many uses but some students may not have Wi-Fi at home.

Students and teachers at Lafayette recognize these downsides, claiming that such disadvantages out weigh the advantages.

I think itd be a really innovative and different way to learn, but at the same time I think thered be a greater chance of people losing information and notes. And if something doesnt work right or if theres too much on the server, it could end up creating prob-lems. But itd be fun to use in an inter-active way, just as another resource, not as our whole backpack turning into a tablet, junior Anna Weiner said.

Dawn Indelicato-Faw, language arts teacher, said although the financial aspects of replacing actual books with iBooks are positive, there is still a big price to pay since students would lose the ability to annotate their texts.

Its harder for me [to read on a tablet] since I cant annotate the text

and I think a lot of other students dont really get what theyre supposed to be reading. There have been studies that show the downsides of eReaders with reading comprehension so I think if we want better readers, unfortunately, were going to have to find other ways to include technology but not to be completely reliant on that technology, Indelicato-Faw said.

Rockwoods Director of Technology Will Blaylock offers insight to why Rockwood is opting out of this shift to newer technologies.

I believe iPads provide value to the classroom, but I do not believe that an implementation of iPads is something that we can maintain effectively at this time. We currently have 16,000 com-puters within the district that are all Windows 7. Adding the need to sup-port a separate operating system that doesnt easily connect to our network is problematic, Blaylock said.

However, for students who view the idea of school-issued learning tablets as interesting and worthwhile, Blaylock does mention alternate possibilities.

We have been reviewing the ef-fectiveness of Android and Windows 8 tablets. The tablet platform as a whole shows promise. The key is that the tab-let will need to essentially replace the capabilities of a laptop or a desktop, Blaylock said.

Grace Yun / reporter

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[the]image features / 07March 14, 2013

In the United States, people born in a foreign country represent 13 percent of society, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Of the foreign-born population, about 85 percent spoke a language other than English at home. Several students at Lafayette discuss their experiences of moving from a different country and their new life in the U.S.

meltingpotJack Rogan / reporter

Carolina dAndrea/Sophomore Carolina dAndrea and her brother, senior Felipe dAndrea, are from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Their native language is Portu-guese, which they speak at home.

dAndrea and her brother have moved overseas not once, but twice.

When dAndrea was just 4 years old, she and her family were moved from Sao Paulo to Germany.

She said, The first time I moved I didnt realize there was such a thing as a different language. Id go up to kids and speak Portuguese and they would just walk away from me.

Eventually, she realized that not

everyone spoke the same language, and was tutored in German after school.

When dAndrea was 6 years old, she moved to Pittsburgh, PA. Once again, she had to start fresh with another language.

It was a huge struggle, especially coming from Germany because I was bilingual and I got here and it was over my head. It was really hard, dAndrea said.

In terms of school, dAndrea felt it was an easy adjustment.

Besides the language barrier, for the most part school was an easy adjustment. I moved at a good time.

I went to preschool in Germany, and moved to the U.S. second semester of my kindergarten year, so it was easier, she said.

However, on the social spectrum, dAndrea struggled.

She said, It was really hard to make friends because some people were nice about it and some people alienated me. People dont really want to talk to you if you dont speak their language.

In terms of culture, dAndrea feels that Brazil is different from the U.S.

In Brazil, its expected for a teenager to go out and go to parties. Not everyone does, but its common

there, she said. In Brazil, people greet each other

more personally than in the U.S.When you greet people here, you

wave, but in Brazil you hug everyone and kiss them on the cheek, she said, Its more touchy-feely.

At home in the United States, dAndrea speaks Portuguese, but finds it easy to drift in and out of her native language.

Im pretty adapted to it. I think in English, but whenever we go to Brazil and I spend a month down there, Portuguese becomes my main language again, she said.

Massiel Islas-Malanco/Freshman Massiel Islas-Malanco was born in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, which in 2012 had a popula-tion of almost 9 million.

Islas-Malanco moved to the United States at the age of 12.

Although Islas-Malancos na-tive language is Spanish, which she speaks at home, she studied English for seven years in school in Mexico.

However, immersing herself into a society where English is spoken was difficult.

I already knew English, but I still had to ask what a lot of words were, she said. It took me a while to just speak fluently.

The Mexican schooling system is very different from that of the United States.

Schools are really different; everyone goes to private schools. You go to a bicultural school then you have to take a year of entirely English. You finish elementary school in 6th grade, and then three years of middle school and three years of high school, she said.

Along with the difference between schooling systems, Islas-Malanco struggled as she began adjusting to education in a new country.

School wasnt an easy adjustment. Having to learn math in a different language was pretty hard and lan-guage arts was tough, she said.

Islas-Malanco also described the weather and the cultural differences in Mexico City. We have a 60 degree winter so its really different and its a lot more crowded [in Mexico City].

FAMILY CELEBRATIONS/ Islas-Malanco is pictured second from the left with her family during her graduation from 6th grade, which, in Mexico, is a very significant event. (photo courtesy of Massiel Islas-Malanco)

THE great AMERICAN Liane and Matt Keegans/Sophomore twins Liane and Matt Keegans were born in North York Toronto, Canada and moved to the United States at age 12.

Although they did speak English at home as a first language, they were put into a French immersion school where they learned to speak French.

Because she was so used to speaking French in school, Liane had difficulty getting used to an all-English school.

I would speak to my teachers in French and then realize Im not at my old school anymore, he said.

In terms of sports, hockey is very popular in Canada, whereas in the U.S., its just another sport.

Just because they already knew English doesnt mean moving wasnt hard for Liane and Matt.

Matt plays hockey and feels mov-ing may have been a minor setback.

Sometimes moving cities sets you back because many of the top teams involve politics and being the new kid, it takes a year or two to break into the higher programs, he said.

Canada also has a different schooling system than the U.S.

In Canada, elementary school is kindergarten through 6th, junior high is 7-9 or 7-8, and senior high is either 9-12 or 10-12, but it used to go to grade 13, Liane said.

As many Americans know, a pop-ular phrase in Canada is eh. There are also many different pronuncia-tions of different words, such as the word sorry.

Another thing Canadians say dif-ferently is the letter z.

In Canada, we say the letter z as zed, Liane said.

The weather is another aspect of Canada that differs.

Its definitely colder in Canada. Theres a really cold wind-chill and it snows a lot. Its really humid here and not there, and it gets warm but not unbearable like it does here. We lived in a few different provinces, and Manitoba is by far one of the coldest places you can live, Liane said.

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[the]imagefeatures / 08March 14, 2013

Graphology, the study of handwriting in relation to human psychology, is said to to determine personality traits based on handwriting characteristics alone.

However, many scientists and psychologists debate the legitimacy of the science.

AP Psychology teacher Susan Glenn said most psychologists would disagree with handwriting analysis and has defined it as pseudosci-entific, or not following the scientific method.

There just isnt much empirical evidence to support the claims of handwriting analysis, Glenn said.

On the other hand, some believe handwriting is a reflection of ones personality, which is determined by the brain.

Glenn said, There are many parts of the brain that control handwriting; any part dealing with voluntary motor

skills is involved.Therefore, since handwrit-

ing is determined by the subconscious mind, grapholo-gists say certain personality characteristics are reflected in the subconscious.

To determine what each trait means, graphologists study handwriting samples from certain individuals who have certain characteristics, and look for similarities between samples.

Graphologists can iden-tify several characteristics including intelligence level, emotional stability, leadership qualities, level of honesty, per-formance in work or school, special talents and substance abuse.

Whether one believes there is a relationship between handwriting and personality or not, there are hundreds of tests said to determine per-sonality through samples.

All analysis to the right were evaluated with resources from Psychology Today.

Avery Cantor / reporter

the[ [imageasks /

Do you think handwriting really portrayscertain personality traits?

}{

}

Upper Zone

Lower Zone

Middle Zone

A messy signature shows self-consciousness about

public image.

A short upper zone shows short-term mindedness.

Consistent spaces indicate organization.

A large middle zone indicates love for attention

and praise.

A left letter slant indicates introversive tendencies.

An overall base upward slant shows optimism.

Tight loops show pro-tective tendencies.

A legible signature shows an interest in self image.

A straight baseline indicates good goal direction.

A small middle zone shows intelligence and modesty.

Consistency shows independence and level-headedness.

A straight letter slant shows indepen-dence and self reliance.

Theyre fairly accurate, with a few minor exceptions. I was kind of surprised with the results, because when I took the test I thought There is no way that this is going to accurately describe my personality, but it was really close so thats pretty impressive.

The results are pretty accurate. Im pretty optimistic so I think its interesting how my handwriting says that. I dont really agree with the fact that it says Im concerned about my self image, because Im really not. Other than that though, everything else seems accurate.

Its just 100 percent true. Some of the traits like independence and self-reliance were repeated in the analysis, which makes it seem emphasized. It really reflects my personality because those are two really important qualities for me.

Graphology seeks to understand personality through handwriting

Kimmy Skubic, 10

Andy Hine, 11

Melissa Schumacher, language arts teacher

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With handwriting varying as much as personality, students, teachers offer handwriting samples for analysis

Females take control of video game world breaking one stereotype at a time

[the]image features / 09March 14, 2013

From collecting mythical creatures to shooting down opposing forces, video game content has always varied; however, the player of the games has always remained the same. Until now.

More than ever, females are becoming a prominent figure in the video gaming world in comparison to their male counterparts.

The female heroes in video games have taken storm in video game conferences all across the world as well as into the homes of hundreds of thousands of gamers.

In response to the increase in female lead characters, more girls have begun to play video games, introducing the term of gamer girl.

One of those girls is Junior Erika Heckemey-er, who plays games such as Skyrim and Portal, after learning about the game from one of her friends sisters 11 years ago.

I think its perfectly fine for girls to play games; it shouldnt be any different if a guy were playing them, Heckemeyer said.

Playing three to four times a week, Heck-emeyer has grown confident in her gaming skills.

Although there is a universal stereotype for

gamer girls, Heckemeyer thinks that the type of games girls play puts themselves into a gaming stereotype.

Girls that play Call of Duty are probably more stereotyped than other girls because it is categorized as a boy game, Heckemeyer said.

According to her, the more masculine a game is characterized to be, the more mascu-line and unappealed view of the girls that play are then envisioned; however that is incorrect.

A girl who plays mostly male dominant games is freshman Eleni Tambassis, who plays various games such as Black Ops, Modern War-fare and Legend of Zelda.

Tambassis, originally encouraged by her boy-friend and friends to play video games, grew to love the gaming world in her own way.

Every Friday, Tambassis, along with her boy-friend, junior Brad Boucher, play video games after a long day of school.

I love playing video games with her; I think shes fun, Boucher said.

To Tambassis, the best aspects of gaming are things that are impossible in real life like being able to die and come back to life.

Many girls dont think its socially acceptable to intermingle in the video gaming world and that it should be left for the boys to enjoy and

discuss. Gaming is something fun to talk about; as a

girl, its a good thing to have knowledge about when meeting new people, Tambassis said.

Although the majority of the gaming popula-tion consists of male teenagers and children, the presence of female gamers is steadily increasing.

According to the market information hub the numbers of females playing video games has increased from 23 to 28 percent in the past year.

Freshman Madison Weaver has been playing video games like Assassins Creed and World of Warcraft for over six years.

Despite caring what others think, Weaver, like Tambassis, plays for the sheer enjoyment that games give her.

Gaming is very stereotypical; its kind of funny to see guys reactions as a girl gamer, Weaver said.

As a female gamer, its helping to pave a way for girls in other aspects of society that men are commonly associated with dominating.

It doesnt matter if you have a female char-acter; youre always to assumed to be a guy, Weaver said.

Weaver frequently plays games with her

boyfriend, senior Deen Kelley. They enjoy competing against each other.

Although Kelley knows more about the gam-ing spectrum as a whole, Weaver is able to keep up with him and stand on her own as a player.

Many times, Weaver has witnessed male gamers get angry and throw fits when they lose to a girl gamer.

A guys pride takes over and he cant stand losing to a girl in his own element, Kelley said.

Along with this, the stigma that comes with being a gamer girl is very negative and full of stereotypes.

[The basic stereotype] is a girl who is very unattractive, lonely and will basically amount to nothing, Weaver said.

Although this isnt true about all girl gamers, many girls still shy away from the video gaming world.

Fortunately, Kelley sees an increase of fe-males in the gaming world spectrum.

Half of my friends online are girls; out of the 15 million players, Id say that about three to four million are girls, if not more, Kelley said.

In spite of these negative stereotypes, Heck-emeyer, Tambassis and Weaver persevere and continue to do what they love, making them the ultimate gamer girls.

Jalyn Henderson / reporter

LLORALEORALEEEMONDLMONDLRROCKOCKWWOOOODD FOR

Valuing our KIDS and COMMUNITYLoralee Believes in: Kids First Parents and Community

Involvement Connecting Board, Administration

and Schools Building Board Visibility in the

Community High Academic Standards Hiring the Best Teachers and Staff Budget Transparency

Loralee has the Experience to Lead: Masters in Education; BA in Chemistry,

Math and Education Marquette Teacher and Coach for five

years Curriculum Advisory Council and

Guidance Advisory Council Participant Facilitating Team Member for Picture

Rockwood Classroom Volunteer Two sons in Rockwood Schools

/LoraleeforRockwood @LoraleeRockwoodwww.LoraleeMondlforRockwood.com

paid for by Loralee Mondl for Rockwood, Deb Humphrey Treasurer

Endorsed by the RNEA and Rockwood Labor Club

The Lafayette Theatre Company Presents...

Performances will be held in the Lafayette Commons.

Tickets are $5 in advance, $8 at the door

Thursday, April 11th 7:00 PM An evening of laughter and tears, of joy and of sorrow

Friday, April 12th 7:00 PM

Dessert and beverages are included!

[the]imagecover story / 10 cover story / 11March 14, 2013

An unwanted Christmas sweater from your aunt, a shirt that has inched its way up to your belly button, or even that pair of pants that went out of style years ago: everyone has those certain items that have resorted to serving as a waste of space in a closet.

An alternative to throwing away these items is donating to Goodwill. They accept various donations from the community and sells the items at an affordable price.

Junior Shelby Foley said that the key to successful thrifting is patience.

Sometimes, if you look long enough, you can find brand name items, she said.

Goodwill accepts items of all quality. Matt Zemanek, the manager of Goodwill located in the

Chesterfield Valley said, Since we receive an abundance of donations, we are able to put out the better quality clothing. Some of the stuff is brand new with the tags still on it.

Because of our location, we tend to get nice clothing brands, Zemanek added.

Zemanek stated that the most popular purchase at Goodwill is clothes, although furniture sells quickly as well.

Besides the basics of clothing and furniture, Goodwill offers a wide stock of odd hand-me-downs, including DVDs and records.

Junior Matt Glanvill said that he shops at Goodwill not only because of the nice, cheap clothing, but also due to the fact that they have other items, including TVs.

Many students have recently turned to second hand

shopping at Goodwill. Although senior Matt Lucken said he doesnt visit Goodwill frequently, he still enjoys looking through the low priced items to see what he can find.

Theres one item each time that catches your eye, he said.Junior Gabby Breiten said that she goes more for the experi-

ence.She said, You could end up with something great, and if

not you still have a really good time. A common reason to thrift shop among students is spen-

ping less money.You can save a lot of money, they have really good prices,

Glanvill said.Its a great way to get more stuff for your money, Breiten

added.Zemanek said that Goodwills items run on a base price

scale, but newer clothing items tend to be pricier.Since the economic times have gotten harder on people,

people realize they can get brand new things for not brand new prices, Zemanek said.

Besides helping people save money, Goodwill also offers various assisting services to people in the area.

Although the company has many shops scattered across the USA, they all share a common mission: To provide oppor-tunities for persons with barriers to employment to work and live more independently in the community.

The local Goodwill is located at 17355 Edison Avenue and is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Since their recent opening in Ballwin, Savers has attracted many people with their quality products and pleasing organization. According to the Savers website, they maintain their goal of providing customers with the best selection and shopping experience of any thrift store in the world.

One of the most attractive aspects of this store is the overall appearance, where Savers maintains a nice, clean reputation, instead of the grungy atmo-sphere of most thrift stores.

Retail manager Angela Osgood said, Our store is well-lit and clean; the clothes and products look almost new.

She added all products are organized neatly by brands and conditions.

This is good news for shoppers on a hunt to find treasures, where someone can easily find an old blouse and trans-

form it into a cute outfit for school. Its cheap and has lots of sweaters,

its more organized, clean and every-thing makes sense to where it should be, senior Becca Moss said.

Although retail stores may strive to imitate that natural aging look of a vin-tage sweater, their price cant compare with the cost of a similar $5 sweater.

However, at Savers, theres a lot more than just sweaters.

Osgood said, We have 6,000-8,000 pieces of everything. Some moms will buy all the toys, while others prefer the books and movies. It really depends what the customer is looking for.

Junior Joel Swisher added said he likes to look at the blazers and jackets.

Theyre cheap and cool, but theyre also classy. They let you do your own thing which is cool, and the people at the register are always nice, he said.

With the copious donations flooding the store each week, a customer can be sure that no two trips to Savers will be the same. There will always be new treasures to discover.

All excess donations are distributed to various non-profit charities and recycling centers in the area.

Our store supports the Vietnam veterans and we pay them per pound of donations, Osgood said.

Their business does the same with more than 140 other non-profit organi-zations and helps inspire each other in doing business according to the Savers website. No matter what they purchase, all Savers customers contribute to the cause of serving the community and supporting one another.

Savers is located at 15892 Clayton Rd. and is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Platos Closet, a chain of thrift shops found around the coun-try, was created in Minneapolis for the purpose of providing high quality, brand name items at low prices.

Products in the store include major brands; anything from Guess to Aeropostale, and everything in between.

Cindy Henry, manager of the Chesterfield Platos Closet, said her store is mostly for teenagers.

Jewelry, gloves, bags, lots of teen-oriented items. We stock clothing for teens and 20-something year olds. Henry said.

To keep with recent fashion trends, the stores buy items no older than 12 to 18 months old in close to mint condition.

They do not buy clothing that is stained, clearly worn or with non-functioning zippers, clasps, etc.

Were very critical about quality, Henry said, but this is so we can provide the best quality at the lowest prices.

According to Henry, clothing prices are generated by a computer. The employee inputs the brand, clothing item and size and comes back with a price at a 75 percent discount of the original price of the garment.

The customer gets approximately 30 to 35 percent of the reduced price back in cash.

A lot more people are trying to spend wisely, and are coming in for the low prices, Henry said.

Junior Danielle Christian, while on a back to school shop-ping spree, went into the Platos Closet for the first time. She found herself a pair of jeans and a few jackets for $25.

It was a good experience, Christian said.Senior Annie Henning can attest for the fun in finding a

new favorite clothing item among the many racks.Its always fun to find hidden stuff; the store is organized

by color so you can look for things easily, she said. Since our school is sponsored by them, I can also get a discount.

These discounts, which vary based on Renaissance level, can be anywhere from 30 percent of a single item to 20 percent of any item.

In addition, Platos donates multiple $5 and $10 coupons to various academic events, including the Academic Credit Card giveaway.

Principal John Shaughnessy believes Platos is a good sup-porter of Lafayette.

[Platos] has been a great supporters of Renaissance for many years, Shaughnessy said.

In addition to their clothing, Platos has an assortment of miscellaneous books, DVDs and CDs to choose from.

The Chesterfield Platos Closet is located on 1674 Clarkson Rd., Chesterfield.

$20 in your pocket... What can

you find?The Image went to these various thrift shops to see if it was possible to find an

entire outfit for $20.

Thrift shopping is like a treasure hunt. The gold is out there somewhereyou just have to know where to look. West Country thrift shops just may be the solution.

Emily Altic / reporter Amber Park / reporter Zoe Scala / reporter

Romper: SVDP: $6

Sunglasses: Platos Closet- $4

Vest: Savers: $7

Blouse: Goodwill: $3

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) is a non-profit organization to help provide the needy with services and necessities based on Catholic principles. With their mer-chandise consisting of clothes, furniture and new mattress program, customers can find everything they need.

SVDP employee Marie Berdhardt said, Everything that you would have in your home is in our store such as clothes, furniture, couches, shoes, etc.

While the SVDP thrift shop provides for the needy, it is also open for the rest of the community, welcoming any interested thrift shopper to explore the endless possibilities of their merchandise.

One who takes full advantage of the stores opportunities is junior Chris DAgostino.

DAgostino said, I like to look for electronics and things that are usable. Very high quality, it just needs to be cleaned up a little. Otherwise, its still nice. They have really nice prices on everythingmost stuff is under $10.

The first thing that overwhelms the customers eye when they walk through the door is the amount of clothing, which, like most thrift shops, fills a majority of the store.

Customers can expect to find any clothing theyre on the hunt for, just not in the fashion theyre used to.

Berdhardt said, Clothes are our biggest seller. We have a lot of things that were worn but we try not to pick up things that are too tattered,

She said the rest of the damaged clothing is recycled.

One factor that overrules the rest is the cost. One mans trash is another mans treasure; this is especially evident through the numerous donated furniture where a finely made desk can be marked down from $500 to $75.

One who enjoys looking for furniture at thrift stores is science teacher Ryan Bixby.

He said, The furniture is good to look at because solid good furniture now-a-days is hard to come by.

However, the SVDP thrift store receives tens and hun-dreds of donations each week, leaving an abundance of merchandise left over. So what do they do with the extras?

Some things are standard priced, but if theres an abun-dance of something, we put it all on sale, said Berdhardt.

According to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Louiss website, theyve sold over 1 million units of value priced merchandise to their customers.

The SVDP has also partnered the local parishes to create SDVP conferences, and together theyve given a total of over $160,000 worth of free merchandise to those in need.

Lastly, in order to add to their revenue and be more responsible with all the donated goods, the organization initiated a new recycling program and recycled more than 350,000 pounds of unsalable goods in 2011.

So whether the customer purchases or donates products, it still contributes to the good of the community.

The local SVDP thrift shop is located at 14660 Manches-ter Rd. and is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m-8 p.m.

[the]imagesports / 12March 14, 2013

636-227-341215579 Manchester Rd.

Ballwin, MO, 63011

Girls Basketball/The Lady Lancers ended with a heart-breaking loss to Parkway South (24-3) by a score of 51-57. The team certainly had their ups and downs during the season as they finished at 12-15.

When simply looking at their record, youd think it was an ordinary year for the Lady Lancers; however, when looking at their strength of schedule this year, 12-15 is far from mediocre.

Some of the tough opponents the Lady Lanc-ers faced include, Nerinx Hall (17-11), Webster Groves (18-9), Parkway South (24-3) twice and Parkway North (25-1).

Riding a losing streak of five going into Districts, seniors Hannah Finley and Han-nah Schneider were desperate to keep their careers at LHS alive. The duo combined for 28 of the teams 42 total points in their win over Rockwood Summit in the first round, keeping the season alive.

They would move on to face Parkway South for a second time this season, losing the first matchup 60-38. This game was different; ev-erything was on the line for the Lady Lancers, especially for the seniors.

The Lady Lancers shocked the crowd at Mar-quette, by scoring an astounding 16 points in the first quarter and holding on to a two-point lead. They were in it the whole game, but costly turnovers eventually gave the game to the Patriots for the second time this year. This time there was no next game for the Lady Lancers.

Finley led the team this season with 13.3 ppg and also averaged 6.3 rpg during her senior season. Schneider led the team in rebounds with 7.0 rpg and also put up 9.8 ppg.

Looking on to next year, the Lady Lancers will lose their two top scorers and rebounders; however, they do keep three of their starters.

Junior Kate Pennington will look to lead the team as a senior next year, after recording 3.9 ppg this year. Also two underclassmen stand-outs, sophomore Maddie Seifert and freshman Jenny Kohl who had outstanding seasons, will look to do even more damage next year.

Wrestling/Senior Nick Olejnik has been ruling the mats at LHS since he was only a freshman. Now he walks into Mizzou Arena knowing any one of these matches could be his last.

In the 138-pound weight class, Olejnik started off the first round with a 3:38 pin over Hickmans Alex Shea.

In the Quarterfinal, Olejnik would move on to the Semifinals by defeating Libertys Jarred Payne-Queen with a 5-0 decision.

Olejnik would face his toughest opponent in the Semifinals, Blue Springs Darick Lapaglia. Lapaglia would beat Olejnik by a decision of 3-1. Lapaglia would go on to be the State Champ for the 138-pound weight class.

Olejniks career wasnt over just yet however, in the consolation round for the Semifinals Olejnik defeated CBCs Alec Maglione by a decision of 6-0, moving on to the third place match.

Olejnik would end his career finishing third at State by defeating Ozarks Grant Godfrey by a tight decision of 6-5. His final record on the season was 44-2, ending a fabulous career at LHS, one that will definitely be remembered.

As a team, the Lancers would finish 17th out of 45 schools with an overall school of 35.

Boys Basketball/The ending to the Lancers season is very similar to that of last years a tough loss in the District Championship; however, the road there was a whole different story.

Last year the Lancers held a high pre-season ranking, and for good reason too with return-ing senior starters Luke Kreienkamp, Nick Messer and Joel Pennington. They had a strong season, with a few key losses to teams they should have blown out however they found themselves right where they were expected to be, in the District Finals.

They faced Marquette, who they had beaten earlier in the season, however they would lose by just one basket, ending their season.

This year, no one was talking about the Lanc-

ers. They returned only two starters: juniors Nate Messer and Evan Scales. The 4-8 start to the season didnt help the Lancers case either.

However after their loss to SLUH for the second time of the season, something clicked with the team that would completely change the course of their season.

The very next game, the Lancers gave power-house DeSmet a run for their money. They led practically the whole game before just losing by only two points.

The Lancers realized their potential and never looked back after that game. They had incredible leadership from senior Kamron Emamjomeh, who went on an absolute tear after the DeSmet game.

Along with Emamjomeh, Messer and Scales led the team to winning eight of their final nine games of the season headed into Districts.

Despite their hot streak, the Lancers were stuck with the four seed and would have to win two games just to make it to the Finals again.

They escaped Parkway South 56-55 and then proceeded to dominate the number one seed Rockwood Summit the very next day 70-61

Hopes were high for the Championship against Eureka, however the Lancers couldnt get it done and finished second in the District for the second year in a row.

Messer finished the season as the teams leading scorer with 13.1 ppg. Messer and Scales look to lead the team next year as seniors and hopefully make it back to the District Champi-onship, this time coming away with a victory.

Girls Swimming/Numerous Lady Lancers made a splash at the St. Peters Complex for the State Competition.

Sophomore Claire Kirchhoefer placed the highest individually for the Lady Lancers, plac-ing third in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:07.14.

Junior Mae Riordan finished sixth in two different competitions during the weekend. She placed 6th in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:55.92 and in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:07.64

Senior leader Laura Paskoff would finish her career at LHS finishing sixth in the 50-yard freestyle and 4th in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.45. Paskoff will be swimming for Illinois State University next year.

As a team, the Lady Lancers finished just 64 points behind State Champ Glendale and placed 5th overall for the 2012-2013 season.

High hopes remain for next years squad with Kirchhoeffer and Riordan returning to look to do more damage in State next year.

Winter teams wrap-up seasons in final eventsDylan Corbet / sports editor

PRE-GAME RITUAL/ The Lady Lancers do their usual team huddle before tip-off during one of their regular season games. (photo courtesy of Prestige Portraits)

Spring sports officially began on Feb. 25; however, the St. Louis weather turned from just another mild winter to freezing snow storms right about that same time.

The athletes were obligated to practice inside, which only consisted of running for most sports. Losing a solid two weeks of outside practice could cause problems and create some disorganization among teams once games begin.

Despite the setback, the coaches and players have made the most of their time indoors, hoping to kick off their seasons strong after returning from Spring Break.

Lacrosse/Entering a rebuilding year, the boys lacrosse team faces strong competition this spring after losing several senior starters. With young po-tential, the boys hope to advance to the playoffs ,and eventually, the final four.

Most of the teams we play have lost seniors, too. We have the talent to do well this year against any team, junior Tim Slocum said.

With experience on varsity, juniors Justin Ruck, Slocum and senior Jeremy Crowe will lead their team against powerhouse teams CBC, De Smet Jesuit, SLUH and MICDS. To prepare for season, juniors Bryce Rommel and Slocum traveled to lacrosse tournaments on the East Coast during their summers.

Its really good to be back playing for La-fayette. My favorite part is being able to come together as a team and compete against our rival schools, Slocum said.

Hoping to improve their record this year, the Lady Lancer lacrosse team consists of upcom-ing underclassman and dynamic seniors who have the potential to be successful this season.

Committed to playing for McKendree University next year, senior Hannah Schneider looks to lead her team against any opponent.

All three levels of lacrosse are looking great. Since this is my last year before playing college lacrosse, I am looking forward to having a good time and helping my teammates improve, Schneider said.

On the first day back from Spring Break, the girls face rival Cor Jesu to kick off their season. Last year, LHS easily defeated the Chargers, 17-8, and the Lancers look to repeat in a couple weeks.

In April, the team will travel to Memphis for a two-day tournament. Giving them a chance to bond and grow as a team, the girls compete for two days and then return just in time to prepare for postseason competition.

I just want it to be a competitive year and for everyone to have fun. It will definitely be a season to remember, Schneider said.

Water Polo/After only losing one senior last year, the water polo team hopes to use their strong start-ing line up to dominate the upcoming spring season.

For most of the team, this is our final year

together. We believe that we will have a win-ning record and make an impressive run in the State tournament at the end of the season, senior James Murphy said.

Although the squad struggled to find success last season, the boys look to bounce back, leav-ing nothing on the table. During the off-season, they have developed a tough offense, while the goalies, junior Matt Mannion and senior Rodney McKenna, stood out in early season practices.

The private schools (SLUH and MICDS) always field a strong lineup, so we will have to play to the best of our abilities and focus on teamwork in order to win, Murphy said

Track and Field/Looking to defend their title as Conference champions, the girls track and field team has continued to grow in numbers and talent. We have a lot of dedicated athletes who are willing to push themselves to their full po-tential and become the best that they can be, senior Alex Voss said.

Committed to run for Missouri Baptist University, senior Lindsey Jansen hopes to lead her team to another successful season, and eventually advance as many events to the State competition as possible.

I look forward to getting close with all of my new teammates and making it a great season for them, just as the seniors have done for me in the past few years, Voss said.

Despite losing seniors Kayla Hall, Patricia Miller and Mackenzie Schweitz, the young team has shown potential to remain on top. With their sights set on defeating powerhouses Eureka, Marquette and Lindbergh, the girls will have to work hard and find chemistry within their relay teams before meets begin in late March.

After a devastating baton drop in the 4x100 State championship, the boys track and field team look to avenge their bitter defeat this spring season.

The team is looking good. We have quite a few returning varsity sprinters, jumpers, and distance. So I think our team is as strong or stronger than we were last year, senior Elliot Montgomery said.

Advancing to the collegiate level in their event, seniors Kenny Boyer, Jordan West and Derek Legenzoff may experience some extra pressure to impress their future coaches. This season, each athlete hopes to obtain a State medal.

Our biggest competition would be each other pushing each other at practice because I believe we have some of the fastest guys in the state at our school, Montgomery said.

Boys Volleyball/Coached by Doug Ell and Sue Tillery, the boys volleyball team looks to acquire another solid record, despite losing some key seniors.

The team is looking great so far, but of course there is always room for improvement. I can already tell, though, we have great team chemistry, senior Jake Steinberg said.

After a tough loss last year against SLUH in

the Final Four, Ell and the boys are hoping to make it all the way and claim a State champion-ship this season.

Although the weather has prevented other sports from accomplishing productive prac-tices, volleyball has consistently spent hours of hard work in the gym. When the season kicks off in late March, the team will be well prepared and ready to play.

I think we have the potential to make some noise in our area. Im looking forward to get-ting better as a player and doing what I can to help the team, Steinberg said.

Girls Soccer/With several returning varsity seniors, the girls soccer team has the potential to make an impact this season. Coached by Tim Walters, the team contains a solid core group, but hopes underclassmen will step up and assist the girls to a State championship.

Every team has lost key players so we can definitely go far this year. Eureka will be one of our toughest competitors, but we should have the talent to beat them, senior Ashley Parks said.

Last year, the team ended regular season with a solid record of 14-4, but they struggled to find their offense against Marquette in the first game of Districts. This season, the girls have prepared during the off-season and look to redeem themselves in post-season play.

I am most looking forward to playing our rival Eureka. To prepare for the game, the seniors will go get and listen to our pregame songs, Parks said.

Baseball/At the District Championship last year, the Lancer baseball team were unable to clinch the victory against Parkway South, but are looking to come back strong this season.

I predict that we could run the table in Dis-tricts and hopefully bring home a District title. Im looking forward to my senior season and spending it with all of my teammates, senior EJ Myers said.

With a strong batting line up and talented pitchers, the squad will be a tough match-up against any opponent. With a tough schedule ahead, rival schools Marquette and Eureka will be ready to put up a fight against LHS.

Boys Golf/Hoping to advance their whole team to the State tournament, the boys golf squad will face some tough opponents as they enter their spring season.

This will probably be our best season yet. The team looks great, we have a lot of new upcoming players, senior Jordan Srote said.

Due to the harsh winter conditions, the team struggled to find adequate time to practice during the early weeks of season. The boys have great potential, though, to have success in the next few months.

Boys Tennis/After a shaky District match last year to end their season short, the boys tennis team looks to clinch a position in State competition this upcoming spring.

Entering his last season in a varsity uniform, senior Sean Hoel hopes to lead his team to success. After dedicated practices during the off-season, Hoel and the boys should put up a fight against their strong competition.

Our goals for the boys tennis season are to win our district, sectionals and qualify for state as a team. We will have good depth this year so we have the potential do achieve our goals, Coach Mark McAllister said.

[the]image sports / 13March 14, 2013

Arianna Demos / asst. sports editor

[Looking Ahead]

Girls Lacrosse/Opening Game: March 25 vs. Cor Jesu @ Home

Boys Lacrosse/Opening Game: March 13 vs. St. John Vianney @ Crestview Middle

Water Polo/Opening Game: March 12 vs Fort Zumwalt West @ Home

Girls Track and Field/Opening Meet: March 27 @ Marquette

Boys Track and Field/Opening Meet: March 28 @ Home

Boys Volleyball/Pre-season Blast Tournament: March 22Opening Game: March 26 @ Kirkwood

Girls Soccer/Opening Game: March 25 vs. Fort Zumwalt East @ Home

Baseball/Opening Game: Midwest Classic Tournament starting March 25

Boys Golf/Opening Match: March 25 vs. Fox and Northwest @ Spirit at Landings Golf Course

Boys Tennis/Opening Match: April 1 vs. Parkway Central @ Home

/ For updated coverage throughout the season, visit www.lhsimage.com

actionSpringing

into

The legacy that precedes the United States Military Academy (USMA) as one of Americas most intimidating and illustrious institutions is well deserved.

The path to becoming an officer in the United States Military goes through West Point, New York and four grueling years of pain, pun-ishment, perseverance and ultimately prize in graduating from one of the United States most prestigious universities.

Academically, USMA, or West Point, ranks among the top academies in the country. Ac-cording to westpoint.edu, the current Class of 2016 contains only 7.86 percent of those who applied for a total of 1,193 freshmen.

And, 72 percent of those freshmen were in the top fifth of their graduating class, 100 were class valedictorians and 46 were salutatorians.

The excellence in the classroom is matched by the physical schedule cadets contend with in their four years as well. Senior John Voit knows all about the daily rigors of cadet life.

Voit said wake-up calls can come as early as 5:30 a.m. every day and are followed by hours of regimented training before classes. Time to study is allotted after training and classes.

The life of a West Point cadet can be brutal.Now can you imagine playing a Division I

(DI) sport on top of all of that?Voit can and will, because on Feb. 6 of this

year he signed to play football at the USMA.Voits varsity football Head Coach Boyd

Manne thinks Voits personal traits will allow him to excel at West Point on the field.

Hes a tremendous, tireless worker. Hes a self-motivated starter and has the teams best interest at heart as well as doing what he needs to do to make himself compete and be ready to play, Manne said.

Manne, Voits coach for his three-year var-sity career, noted that the senior was the only two-way player the Lancers had this season, starting at both tight end and defensive end on

opposite sides of the ball. Voit is only the second LHS football player to

go to a military academy in Mannes tenure. Former linebacker Matt Brewer committed

to the Naval Academy out of Lafayette in 2007.Voit, who had standing offers to play football

at other DI schools, chose West Point for the chance to serve and still compete athletically.

I just saw an opportunity that I didnt want to go to waste, and I took it, Voit said.

USMA began to enter the picture when a recruiter came to speak with Voit about coming to West Point on a football scholarship.

Their meeting sparked something in Voit, who just got hooked on the thought of get-ting to play DI sports and still be able to serve in the military upon graduating as an officer after four years.

On the gridiron, Voits merit has been proven during his time with the Lancers no more than in his final year in the black and white.

In his senior season, Voit was voted team captain by his peers and was key in the Lanc-ers perfect 7-0 record in the Suburban West Conference.

The Lancers, under Voits leadership, made it all the way to the Missouri Class Four State Semi-Final.

Though Voit connected with junior quar-terback Evan Scales for a 63-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, the teams efforts proved too little as they fell 17-6 to the favored Francis Howell Vikings.

Stlhighschoolsports.com showed Voit led the Lancers in receiving with 545 yards and six receiving touchdowns this past season.

He amassed 568 total yards on the year, tied for second on the team, as well as 44 total points, fourth on the team.

Defensively, Voit collected 58 tackles and recorded eight sacks, both second most on the team.

According to recruiting site hudl.com, Voits top on-the-field honors include First-Team All-Conference Defensive Lineman in 2011

and 2012 and First-Team All-State Defensive Lineman this year.

Off the field, Manne believes Voits strong character will serve him well at the USMA.

He cares about people. He doesnt like to brag and boast, hes very humble. Hes just a genuine good person, Manne said.

After West Point, Voit didnt rule out possibly continuing his football career, despite his desire to enter his mandatory 5-year service period in the Army immediately after college.

Id love to [continue playing football], well see what happens, Voit said

Despite all the pressures and hardships Voit will have to face at West Point, Manne thinks Voit will succeed.

If a person really wants to do something hes going to find a way to get it done. I think hell find a way to pursue his goals and his dreams, and hell find a way to make it happen, Manne said.

[the]imagesports / 14March 14, 2013

The Extra MileVoit to take discipline, football to next level at West PointLucas Meyrer / reporter

COMMITMENT/ Voit connects with a hard tackle on Marquette wide receiver Mitch Carr during their Sept. 8 meeting. The Lancers won 46-7 at home, improving their record to 3-0 at the time. Almost five months to the date after that game, Voit pens his commitment to play Division I collegiate football at the United States Military Academy on Feb. 6. Voit was one of 17 Lancer athletes to commit that day. (photos by Sydney Ockerhausen)

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[the]image sports / 15March 14, 2013

Goro, Quisenberry hope for successful seasons

Athletestowatch[ [

As the beginning of spring sports arrives, athletes look foward to the new season. Senior Matt Goro and junior Natalie Quisenberry are Marchs Athletes to Watch.

Matt Goro/Goro will be ready to com-pete this upcoming baseball season. Signing with Webster University, Goro is excited to take on a new challenge.

Last year the Lancers went 21-8-1, with

Goro as a major contributor. Goro says he hopes to lead his team to a District title. Personally he hopes to improve on his pitching.

Coach Scott DeNoyer said, Hes a very confident and consistent pitcher. He is also competitive and loves the challenge of pitching every chance he gets.

Preparing for the tough competition the Lancers face, Goro spends his off-season playing football and playing for an extremely competitive summer baseball team.

The recruiting process began this summer when scouts started coming to watch as he played with his summer team. He said scouts viewed his online stats and would then follow up and come to watch him play.

Goro is following in the footsteps of his older brother, Nate. He has became successful in baseball and is someone that Goro looks up to.

Some athletes would say older siblings cause more pressure to compete, but for Goro he doesnt find it a problem.

Having an older brother doesnt add any extra stress. If anything its easier because the coaches already know my name, he said.

Heading into his last season of high school baseball, Goro feels less stress then compared to last year. Having already signed with Web-ster University in St. Louis, he hopes he will be

able to spend the season enjoying it with team-mates and leading the team to a victory.

Although next year will be a new experi-ence, what Im going to miss most about the team is the camaraderie and the bond that we all share, Goro said.

Natalie Quisenberry/Looking to dominate in her third season of varsity girls soccer, Quisenberry has lined up many goals for her to accomplish her junior season.

Since freshman year, she has played a large supporting role in the teams overall success. Last year, the team compiled a solid record and achieved many of the goals they began with.

However, this season, the Lancers have a new set of goals.

She said, I hope all the girls will be able to mesh well and by the beginning of the season we will be playing as a team. With that said, hopefully we can make it far.

When Quisenberry isnt participating in Lafayettes soccer program, shes still playing competitively and training in the offseason.

In fact, she was originally discovered through

her club team, St. Louis Scott Gallagher, not Lafayettes team.

After senior year, Quisenberry will attend Quincy University in Illinois where she has already signed to play soccer.

She said, Being signed to a college is more stressful because you still are constantly trying to get better, but now you have to deal with also preparing to play at college level.

Quisenberry worries about the changes after her senior year, Being put into a situation of having to play with a new group of girls and being forced to play as well as you can be very difficult.

She helps deal with the pressure of preparing for col-lege by going on runs and working on her footwork both at practice and at home.

Ben Rachell / reporter Kelly Panzitta / reporter

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4. Save money! At only $93 per credit hour, a summer course at STLCC will cost LOTS less than at most four-year colleges and universities.

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Enroll now at STLCC.EDU/SUMMER

[the]imageopinions / 16March 14, 2013

Outside The Box

Gabby McDaris, Opinions Editor

Rockwood needs to get its act together[Staff Ed]Opinions expressed on

the editorial pages do not necessarily reflect

the viewpoints or official policies of the

school administration.All editorials (unsigned)

represent a majority opinion of the Editorial

Board. Signed, columns, blogs, editorial

cartoons and reviews reflect the views of the author and not

necessarily those of the Image Editorial Board.

Rockwood is in the news again. And, it is not anything good.

Depending who you talk to, the district either has a surplus or is broke.

Some argue there are millions in reserve funds above and beyond what the district is required to maintain.

Others point to a deficit that will require cuts in future spending.

The Superintendents proposed budget for 2013-2014 asks for ad-ditional funds in some areas that could require major cuts in others.

In the meantime, there are serious needs in our schools.

All of this comes at the same time that a state audit of Rockwoods finances show problems.

The audit showed the district had several problem areas specifically

in handling construction contracts, obtaining services without competi-tive bidding, not providing receipts for money spent, not conducting an annual inventory of district property, using the same provider to serve as financial adviser and bond underwriter and not analyzing which staff members do and do not need procurement credit cards.

On April 2, Rockwood will ask voters to approve Prop S, a $38.4 million bond issue, focused on renovating and repairing schools.

But, the audit revealed that $1.2 million was misspent from previous bond issues during the period of 2003-2010.

That doesnt bode well for this upcoming vote.

Additionally, the board extended the contract of Superintendent

Bruce Borchers when surveys of district patrons have indicated a distrust in the districts leaders.

That doesnt help either.Something needs to change in

order for a positive turnaround to occur in Rockwood.

How does the district expect this bond to pass with so much negativ-ity surrounding decision making by its leaders?

Sensing discontent by residents, Board member Steve Smith, who has been embroiled in a controversy over the hiring of Glenn Con-struction for bond contracts, has resigned from his position.

He hoped to direct the focus back to the students and our needs. We hope it is not too late.

All these recent issues involve things that are not just little mis-

takes; they exposed irresponsible decision making in several areas.

The district audit received a rating of fair.

If a student earned a fair on state assessment, that would not be acceptable to district leaders and definitely not to our teachers and parents.

The adults running Rockwood should be held to the same high expectations that we are.

Students are depending on Rockwood to get its act together and untangle the mess they have created in the past few years.

Time is up. An action plan is nice but what

we need is something to restore the faith of voters before they head to the polls and express their dissatis-faction at our expense.

There are young women across the world try-ing to earn the right to obtain an education and create a future for themselves.

American women have a right to take what-ever path in life they want, but not enough are taking advantage of it.

My mom told me about how when she was driving to a concert with her friends someone stated how she went to college for her MRS degree.

For those who dont understand this clever saying, this woman essentially went to college to find a husband. Not to earn a degree and create a career for herself, but instead to set up her domestic future.

I was once talking to one of my peers about what she would like to study in college and she

stated she is choosing a certain degree since it would only take four years to earn it.

She explained that her reasoning behind this decision was because she only wanted to work for two years after college, since because she wanted to start a family and be a stay-at-home mom.

So essentially, she was going to go to college for four years to earn a degree which would only be used for two years of her life.

There are multiple problems with this plan. The first problem being she will put all of this

time and effort into something that will only be used for a very short and limited amount of time.

Thats like taking a four day flight somewhere and only staying for two days. Its pretty much

pointless, makes no sense and is a complete waste of time and money.

Already knowing that after you graduate you are going to only take advantage of your skill set for a couple of years and most likely never use it again seems ridiculous.

Instead of planning out their future before knowing how they will actually feel in the com-ing years, teenage girls should leave their future open to any opportunity that comes their way.

Who knows, you might not meet your husband in college, and you might figure out that having kids so early is not what you want in your life.

Relying on marrying a successful man is not enough of a security blanket for someones future.

We have been given the chance to create a career for ourselves, and not taking advantage of what many other women in the world dont have is a wasted opportunity.

Girls preparing for the future cannot rely solely on a domestic life

[the]image opinions / 17March 14, 2013

Stars To: A 2-year-old is cured of HIV in Mississippi. Dr. Katherine Gay was the leading doctor on the girls case.#gaysavesthedayNew Ferrari model, the LaFerrari, has hybrid characteristics, making it safer for the environment. #creativename Actor Harrison Ford for signing on to return as Han Solo in the Star Wars reboots. #hesnotflyingsoloeither The Dow for jumping 100 points, a new all time high. #moneyinthebank

Gripes To: Sinkhole swallowed a Florida mans house, trapping and killing him.#mothernaturestrikesagain The TSA for now allowing knives shorter than six centimeters in length on flights. #dontseeanyproblemswiththat Microsoft for not allowing users to pick their own web browser, breaking their contract with the European Union worth a $730 million fine. #justchumpchange Taylor Swift for being angered by Tina Feys and Amy Poehlers comments at the Golden Globes about her several boyfriends. #whytheygottabesomean? A new bacteria , CRE, that kills up to half the people who come in contact with it. If that wasnt enough, the bacteria is highly resistant to most drugs. #thatsjustgreat A college student in Ohio for arriving to class in Ku Klux Klan robes. #noklassesforyou

stars & gripes

GracefullySaid

Grace Bueckendorf,Editor in Chief

Where to draw the line in high school athletics

12 appears to be the new 18When I went to volunteer at the Babler Elementary Variety Show, I expected to see kids perform popular songs in Kidz Bop fashion, and Girl and Boy Scout troops performing dances and comedy routines to please the audience. Kids stuff. What I didnt expect was sitting next to an elementary-schooler that looked more like something off Toddlers & Tiaras than any of the kids in Little Rascals.

With eyes like a raccoon or wannabe hipster and more logos than she could probably count, it was hard to believe this girl was as young as she was.

At first, I thought she had to be an act. That would explain the flashy clothes and overdone make-up. Maybe she was dancing a Lady Gaga song. But when I directed her toward where the rest of the acts were sitting, she told me she wasnt in the show.

Her next words to me were, Oh my goodness; is that a Lululemon headband? I

was wearing a Lululemon headband, one that my friend had gotten for my birthday. But when I was her age, I wouldnt have been able to tell blue jeans from sweatpants.

I didnt know brands, and was more concerned with the latest installment of the Harry Potter series than which clothing brands were in or out. It astounded me that such a young girl could already be so preoccupied

with fashion and name brands.She went on to explain to the raccoon-

like twin beside her, who didnt know what Lululemon was, that Lululemon is just a store in Plaza Frontenac, right by Neimans. Its kind of expensive, but, you know, its just money.

Just your parents money, maybe. I couldnt believe a girl of her age had this kind of brand obsession, paired with a total disregard for her parents and what they provide for her.

Rather than focusing on the things I know I cared about when I was her age, like dance class, school and hanging out with friends, she seemed hyper focused on material things, like the headband, rather than the friend she was sitting next to.

Im not saying our childhood of watching Boy Meets World, and collecting Pokmon cards obsessively was as wholesome as we like to make it out to be. But, its better than obsessing over what clothes you wear or what stores you shop at.

[My Turn Now]

There are so many athletes that participate in a sport simply because they think it is fun and they enjoy it. However, there is a great amount of kids that play a particular sport because they have talent or because they have nothing better to do.

For example, as a freshman I joined the cross country team because I wanted to enjoy myself and meet new people.

As my own season went on during freshmen year, I discovered I had a good running ability, which came with the pressure to constantly become faster and focus more on dropping my time than having fun with my friends.

I continued running, and joined the track and field team that spring. I was constantly expected to drop my time and practice hard to ensure I gained speed. Sometimes, it just was not enjoyable.

Coming into the season of my sophomore year, the pressure continued when I was on the line between junior varsity and varsity.

Although I love my sport and placing high State this past fall was incredible, the sport can sometimes be demanding and stressful, my case certainly not being the only one.

For so many of our student athletes at Lafay-ette, their sport becomes a job, a task that he or she feels compelled to do, because he or she is talented or has the potential to be great.

If a person is good at a particular sport he or she should try it out, but continue only if he or she enjoys it.

Is being good at a sport a good enough reason to continue? The pressure of a student athlete to succeed and involve him or herself in a sport simply due to skill is not fair; the athlete should have some motive for doing that activ-ity, whether it is to stay in shape, reach a goal, or just because it is fun.

Of course, winning a big accolade, on a state or national level, for instance, can be excep-tionally rewarding.

Getting third place at State this year for cross country, for example, was an extreme accom-plishment for my team and me, but regular

seasons are long and sometimes an athlete may not want to struggle so long for the reward to be so far away.

For most high school sporting teams, the main goal is to get to a larger competition, usu-ally at the state level. It can be difficult to work hard every day to not reach the final goal until two and a half months later, and some teams or individuals do not even make it there.

So, how do you enjoy yourself for such a long time when your target goal seems so far away, so unreachable?

The key is to have fun, to constantly remem-ber that the sport should be taken very seri-ously, but not to the extreme where it consumes your whole life and your whole mind.

Keep in mind that it is just a high school sport, and that while competitiveness should play a large part in your sport, you should still enjoy yourself.

Remember that you never get these four years of high school back, so involve yourself in something you love, something that youre sure you wont regret.

Dakota Shaw

Jack Rogan / reporter

[the]imageentertainment / 18March 14, 2013

Album/Justin Timberlake The 20/20 ExperienceJustin Timberlake is not only bringing sexy back, but after five years of a music hiatus, he is finally releasing his third solo album. His new song, Suit and Tie, which he performed at the Grammys, is only one of the 10 songs featured on this bluesy, modernistic album. Timberlake teamed up with Timbaland to produce The 20/20 Experience set to be released March 19. Mirrors, another new song of Timberlakes which was also performed at the Grammys, is currently the only song available for purchase from this highly anticipated album, which can be pre-ordered on iTunes.

Reporter Hannah Marshall chooses the entertainment picks for the month of March.

PicksMonth

of the

TV Show/Duck DynastyJack is back! The Robertsons are on A&E with a new season of Duck Dynasty. This crazy family, featuring Willie and his wife Korie, Jase and Missy, Phil and Miss Kay and fan favor-ite Uncle Si, have turned a family-operated business into a multi-million dollar industry of making handmade duck calls. The Robert-sons are always on the move and coming up with crazy things to pass the time whether its creating a water park for the kids, interrupting the teenagers during their dates or blowing up trucks. If you havent checked out this hysteri-cal show, you are missing out. New episodes of Duck Dynasty are on A&E Wednesdays at 9 p.m.

Movie/The Host On March 29, Open Road Films is releasing Stephanie Meyers book The Host. The Host is a look into the future where another species has enslaved the human race. Main character Mela-nie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) and brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) are rebels who are in hiding when they meet Jared (Max Irons). The three team up in order to survive and then to find Melanies Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) who had supposedly set up a colony for rebels against the parasites. Plans drastically change when Melanie is caught. For those wary about another Meyer film, The Host shouldnt be like the vampire romance. This film is rated PG-13 and directed by Andrew Niccol.

Podcast/Radio ShowBobby Bones ShowAfter taking over for the previous morning show host, MJ, on FM 107.7, Bobby Bones and his crew have made getting up for school a little easier. Bobby, Amy, Lunchbox and Ray make one crazy funny group who fill the 5-9 a.m. time slot with pranks, bets and musical guests who perform live. On Feb. 25, Bobby and the gang, broadcasting Pop songs from Texas, moved from just a few FM channels to the capi-tal of country musicNashville! The Bobby Bones Show is now a national broadcast on XM channel 57 WSIX and also on local St. Louis radio, FM 93.7 The Bull. So tune in while you are on the way to school! The Bobby Bones Show will brighten your day.

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