North Star

| NEW ACT POLICY PAGE 07 | TWO-TIME GAC CHAMPION DIVER PAGE 33 | FHSD SUING JUUL PAGE 44 |
NORTH
|
STAR
FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH | ST. CHARLES, MO 63303 | 11.20.19 | VOL 34 ISSUE 03
PULLING
VAPING OUT
OF TEENS
FHSD WANTS RETRIBUTION FOR THE DAMAGES VAPING
AND THE COMPANY JUUL HAS INFLICTED. FIND OUT
MORE ON PAGES 23-29.
FHNtoday.com

CONTENTS
Junior defensive lineman Adel Mountassir goes to tackle a offensive lineman. On Oct. 4, the FHN football team
competed against Francis Howell Central. Mountassir is thinking about pursuing football after high school.
34 (Photo by Riley Witherbee)
ENTERTAINMENT
1 Vinyls vs. Streaming
2
Compare the differences between how
you can listen to music
Black Friday Deals
Find out where to shop and get the best
deals for this upcoming Black Friday
NEWS
6 Changes for FHSD
8
Superintendent Mary Hendrick-Harris has
plans to improve facilities
New Film Club
New Social Studies teacher starts a new
club to watch and analyze films
FEATURES
Student Fashion
Take a look at how students throughout
FHN use fashion to express themselves
15
20
Off to The Circus
Adelle Gertch takes online classes so she
can train for the circus during the day
SPORTS
From Soccer to XC
Joey Albers Prize switches his sport in his
last year of high school at FHN
Dribbling in Pink
For breast cancer awareness, the boys’
varsity soccer team wore pink jerseys
34
36
OPINIONS
42 Environmentalists
43
Read into the debate about weather
enviornmentalists are benefital or not
Christmas Music
Festive music should wait to be played
until November and December
ON THE COVER
A Juul is being pulled out of the game Operation.
This issue addresses the prevalent vaping at FHN.
Many school districts and levels of government are
taking action against vaping. (Photo Illustration by
Phoebe Primeau)
09
Freshman Wonder Reed reads her script for the
upcoming play. The second rehearsal of “Once Upon
a Pandora’s Box” was held in the FHN auditorium.
The performance will take place Nov. 21-23. (Photo by
Alyana Furch)
14
Senior Leann Smyth dresses up like Princess
Jasmine before she goes to a child’s birthday
party. Smyth interacts and sings songs with
the kids. It is a weekend job for Smyth. (Photo
by Riley Witherbee)
FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | CONTENTS
PAGE BY KARSYN WILLIAMS

VINYL VS. STREAMIING
Making the case for vinyl, a once forgotten format in the new era of quick and easy listening on streaming services
by Jack Cleaveland
jack.cleaveland@gmail.com | @Braackn
If you look around the hallway at school, most if not every person wearing
headphones is using a streaming service. Whether it be Spotify, Apple
Music or Soundcloud, streaming services are the cheapest, quickest and
undoubtedly the most convenient way to listen to music today. So, why
would anyone want it to be different?
There are many reasons why someone may choose
not to use a streaming service. There’s sound quality
differences, more benefits towards the artist and a feeling
of pride when one is in a conversation about an album and
they can say, “Yeah, I have that one on vinyl.”
First, sound quality. While a lot of people don’t pay
any mind to the sound quality of their music, it’s there.
For example, on Spotify, all the song files have been
compressed to make the song smaller and able to be
played back faster and easier. This compression process
is what makes your music sound different on your phone
than it does on vinyl. There is more flexibility to how much
content you can put onto a 12-inch record than there is for
a single song on a cell phone or computer since streaming
services have a predetermined amount of space a song can
take up. Compression reduces your music’s dynamic range:
the variation between the song’s loudest parts and its quietest parts.
Second, benefits toward the artist. Everyone knows the artists we look up
to are pretty financially successful, but we never think about how the money
actually gets to them. If an artist is signed to a label, they own the rights to
the music and, therefore, they decide where and who the money goes to. The
artist’s management, their label and anyone else involved in the production
Where to Shop
for records:
Vintage Vinyl
Music Record Shop
Record Exchange
Discogs.com
Euclid Records
Music Reunion
Planet Score Records
Record Reunion
Dead Wax
Slackers
of the song or album in question is going to get a cut out of the total profit
from the song. If you listen to this song on Spotify once, an independent artist
without a label or any collaborators makes about $0.0044. Now to make
minimum wage off that one song it will need to be played 366,000 times.
Yeah, that’s a lot. Now imagine someone huge like Playboi Carti. Currently his
song “Magnolia” has 342,248,579 plays on Spotify. Doing the math, Carti and
his management have made approximately 1.5 million dollars off that song’s
Spotify streams alone. Physical sales are another story. If
someone releases their album to record stores on standard
12-inch LP’s, those records are going to retail for around
$20-$25. Let’s use Prince’s “Purple Rain” for this example.
Currently, the album is at 25 million record sales worldwide.
A rough estimate for the profit of that album is around
$562.5 million. So, it’s obvious to see that if you can get your
album in stores and people are buying it, the profit will be
much higher.
Finally, the pride that you feel when you own a record.
There’s something about listening to an album on a
streaming service, falling in love with it and then going to a
record store and making the commitment to spending the
money on it. It can make the album resonate in a different
way once you can physically hold it, look at any exclusive
cover art or listen to any exclusive songs that only came out
on the album’s physical copy.
All in all, whether you’re streaming your music or listening to all your
favorite records, music is music. While streaming’s convenience and ease of
access makes it a rational choice for the casual music listener, vinyl has higher
sound quality, record sales are more beneficial to artists and it makes you feel
much cooler.
PAGE BY JACK CLEAVELAND
ENTERTAINMENT | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
01

(Photo from Pixabay.com)
BLACK FRIDAY BARGAINS
Save big with great deals while shopping on Black friday at these places.
(Content by Aadhi Sathishkumar)
THE RISE OF
SKYWALKER: AN
INTERNAL WAR
The year is 1977. The theaters are packed like
cans of sardines. Audiences erupt with pure joy,
excitement and wonder. The world gathers to
watch the birth of an era.
It has been 42 years since the very first Star Wars
movie. The beginning of a franchise so beloved
and powerful it has managed to remain relevant
for almost half a century. Fans of the movies are
some of the most diligent and loyal in the galaxy.
But their patience with the series is running thin,
and it’s evident that “A New Hope” may not be
possible for this series.
“Am I excited? Yes. Am I optimistic? No,” said
junior William Pundmann concerning Disney’s
newest endeavor. “No Star Wars movie this century
has been good.”
Pundmann has been a Star Wars fan since he
was six years old, when he accidentally got a movie
from the library.
Pundmann mentions that the series kills off the
wrong characters.
“I wish [The Last Jedi] didn’t exist; there were too
many plot holes,” Pundmann said.
Though Pundmann dislikes the more recent
movies, he still showers them with an unwavering
affirmation.
“Yes, it’s the best movie franchise,” Pundmann
said. “No other movies compare.”
21st century Star Wars movies may have gone in
directions many despise, albeit this, a fan cannot
deny that it draws them to the theater.
‘“A New Hope’ is my favorite...I think the newer
ones rely more on the nostalgia of the originals,”
said art teacher Courtney Flamm. “I don’t think
[continuing] was necessary [but] I think it’s good
kids get to experience it.”
Despite the story failure Pundmann feels it has
suffered from and the uselessness Flamm feels,
seeing Star Wars is an event. The packing of those
who love it from one theater wall to the other,
everyone who’s followed the story for years and
years erupting with ecstasy. Despite all the hate,
when asked if they love Star Wars, a fan will still
say, unflinchingly, yes. (Story by Minnie Adams)
(Illustrations by Kiley Beiner)
Walmart
Being the largest retail store in the
world, Walmart certainly has deals for
Black Friday. Deals range from home
appliances, TVs, game consoles and
furniture. Notable deals include the
Apple Watch and the iPad.
Target
Selling exclusive and hard to find
items, Target has an allure to those
interested in high end items. Deals
include headphones, toys and home
appliances. Notable deals include
AirPods and Google Home Mini.
Amazon
For those who don’t want to go
through the hassle of shopping on
Black Friday, Amazon offers an alternative
to packed and crowded stores.
With deals on almost anything you
can think of, shoppers can expect to
find what they want for cheap. Notable
deals include the Echo Dot and the
Fire Stick.
Best Buy
One of the biggest retailers of
electronics, Best Buy sells just about
any TV, computer or appliance you
could think of. Notable deals include
this Samsung 8k TV and the Surface
Pro 6 laptop.
“I really like Walmart. I like to
get the right things, and they
have everything.”
Anthony McDonald, 12
INFO
Shop Walmart’s Black
Friday deals now:
bit.ly/2KhYYgX
“I like the service.
Immediately when they
see you at the store they’ll
help you. If you don’t need
anything, they’ll leave you
alone.”
Devon Grapenthin, 11
INFO
Follow this link to
check out Target’s
Black Friday deals:
bit.ly/2CE1MRa
“It’s convenient. You can get
stuff easily at the comfort of
your own home.”
Brady Jarmen, 9
INFO
Explore Amazon’s
upcoming sales here:
amzn.to/2CHQXgU
“I like to shop at Best Buy
because I like tech, and
usually a lot of the stuff
is really expensive, but on
Black Friday, I can afford
some of it.”
Pavan Kolluru, 10
INFO
Shop Best Buy’s Black
Friday prices here:
bit.ly/2rHtJa5
02 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | ENTERTAINMENT PAGE BY MINNIE ADAMS

ALL I WANT FOR
(Photo Submitted by Liy Taliaferro)
CHRISTMAS IS
TUNES
Whether heard on the radio or sung by holiday choirs, these are
well-known songs of the Christmas season (Content by Ryleigh O’Donnell)
“ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU” BY MARIAH CAREY
The song was released on Oct. 28, 1994, and was written by Mariah Carey
and produced alongside Walter Afanasieff. The track is a love song and it’s one
of the best selling modern day Christmas songs. It sold over 14 million copies
and in Dec. 2017 it had an estimate of over 3,415,000 downloads. Many artists
and bands have made covers of the song such as My Chemical Romance, John
Mayer and Justin Bieber.
“I like it because it’s a traditional song,” sophomore Emily Armbruster. “It’s catchy
and you can dance to it.”
“LAST CHRISTMAS” BY WHAM!
“Last Christmas” is a pop Christmas song that was released in Dec. 1984. It was
written and produced by George Michael. The song ranked number one on the
charts in Denmark, Slovenia and Sweden and was the most popular Christmas
songs in the UK until it was overtaken by “Fairytale of New York” in 2015. It’s been
covered by Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Glee.
“I like that so many people have made covers of it and that the covers are all
different and I’ve liked it since I was a preteen so its always been an all time
favorite,” English teacher Brittany Morgan said.
“JINGLE BELL ROCK” BY BOBBY HELMS
This song was released in Oct. 1957, and has been frequently played in the U.S. ever since. The
song is an extension of Jingle Bells and even includes some aspects of Jingle Bells in it. It’s been
covered by the show, Glee.
“I like the song because it was a song I grew up listening to,” senior Kevin Meyer said.
“BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE” BY FRANK LOESSER
Written by Frank Loesser in 1944, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” has been a classic
since it came out, but has received criticism for its lyrics and even cancelled by a
number of radio stations in 2018. It’s covered by Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé,
Glee and Dean Martin.
“Christmas is favorite time of the year, so it reminds me of family and loved ones,”
sophomore Natalie Venegoni said.
“FELIZ NAVIDAD” BY JOSE FELICIANO
This song was written by Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano in 1970.
The song has become a classic Christmas pop song with the lyrics “Feliz
Navidad, próspero año y felicidad” which translates to “Merry Christmas, a
prosperous year and happiness”.
“I like the song Feliz Navidad because around Christmas time I’d help my
Aunt Jill paint and it was our favorite song to listen to while painting,” junior
Josh Reily said.
“IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR” BY ANDY WILLIAMS
“It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” was recorded and released in 1963 by Andy Williams
for his Christmas Album but it was written by Edward Pola and George Wyle. The song focuses on
the joyful things about Christmas like spending time with friends and family.
“You can sing it over and over again and it never gets old,” senior Zylinnea Rogers said.
SOUR APPLE
USERS
This fall, Apple became a trending topic due to the
release of the new iPhone 11, 11 Pro and Pro Max with
new changes and upgrades introduced to the new phone
line.
“I like it because it’s the new phone. When you have it,
it works well,” sophomore Dominic White said. “It works
fast, you can do all of the latest things with it. It’s just
better. The camera is better.”
A lot of users are impressed by the rate of technological
advancement in iPhones with new features such as
multiple cameras, variety in phone colors, increased
artificial intelligence and increased performance and
speed. However, some people wish Apple would consider
different, fresher features.
“I just wish that Apple was moving in a different
direction instead of adding more glass, like making it
more industrialized with corners and metal,” White said.
“I was hoping that they’d have more, newer features like
a thumb reader on the screen, because it’s more accurate
than the face reader. There were other features too, so
you could put AirPods on the back and they [iPhones]
would charge them wirelessly from your phone instead of
having a wireless charging pad.”
Although Apple users anticipate the yearly release of
new phones, some users also feel the same about the
tech company’s focus on appearance and style over
efficiency.
“Every time the new iPhone comes out, it just keeps
getting better and better and with the new phone, the
camera is so much better and just the intelligence of the
phone itself,” Briana Bennet, a freshman Apple user with
an iPhone 7 said. “It’s just more sophisticated. Honestly, I
just really want them to return the home button.”
Apple users admire Apple’s technological growth, and
are compelled to continue using their products, they just
hope that Apple won’t continue to neglect the common
complaints and changes their users want them to make
to future phones.
“Actually, no I wouldn’t [recommend the iPhone 11],”
Toni Morris, a sophomore with an iPhone X, said. “With
the 11 I feel like they’re doing a little bit too much, and
they just keep coming out with phones back to back.”
(Brief by Liy Taliaferro)
PAGE BY RYLEIGH O’DONNELL
ENTERTAINMENT | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
03

comic central
FIVE MORE MINUTES
MICROWAVING
Dude,
you want
a grilled
cheese?
Sure.
Are you
putting
that in the
microwave?
Yeah? I don't
know how to
use a stove.
You are a
disgrace to society
and I am surprised
you have made it
this far.
(llustration by Ryleigh O’Donnell)
(llustration by Maya Helbig)
04 ENTERTAINMENT | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM PAGE BY ASHLYNN PEREZ

PERFECT
VISION
CATS ARE WEIRD
(llustration by Jena Pae)
LIFE OF A JUICE BOX
(llustration by Sky Hebisen)
(llustration by Minnie Adams)
PAGE BY ASHLYNN PEREZ
ENTERTAINMENT | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
05

FHN faculty and students eat in the lunchroom every day for lunch. Lunch tables were purchased last year as an improvement to the school. Superintendent Mary
Hendricks-Harris and Principal Nathan Hostetler worked together to purchase new tables for the lunchroom. (Photo by Adam Hogan)
PLANS TO IMPROVE FACILITIES
The FHSD school board makes new plans for facility renovations within the district and budgets their money for it
by Ashlynn Perez
ashlynnkaeperez@gmail.com
FHSD’s superintendent Mary Hendricks-Harris will retire after the 2019-20
school year after working in the district for years. In her final few months,
she is pushing for an improvement of facilities in the school district in
order to create lasting physical change that can assist in the learning of students
through creating a healthy, safe academic environment.
“Our current strategic plan calls for safe, secure, well-maintained and equitable
facilities that meet the needs of 21st century learners,” Hendricks-Harris said. “All
bond issues, including a new FHN, would be aligned with this goal.”
Earlier this year, the FHSD School Board met to discuss the projects that will go
into the improvement of the schools in the district and what it
will cost. The session’s agenda contained discussion of fiscal
responsibility and school policy reviews before they entered
into a work session about the bond issue, which is the facility
improvement discussion. There is a current debate on when
this issue will run, but Hostetler said rough plans were for either
April or November of 2020.
The school board conducted a survey among FHSD
employees, parents and people living in the community
surrounding the district. Survey questions included questions
inquiring about the observed condition of the facilities, the prioritization of
certain renovations and the support behind the proposed bond issue.
While none of the people surveyed said that the district’s facilities were in bad
condition, 12.90% said they were in poor condition, 48.39% said it was in average
condition, and 38.71% said they were in good condition. In the end, facilities
could be improved in order to contribute to the improved learning environment.
According to head principal Nathan Hostetler, the main concern at FHN is the
messy HVAC systems and leaks due to roofing problems, and the rifts between
the roof panels.
MORE INFO
Below is a survey
conducted by the school
board on the bond issues :
bit.ly/2p1Bh52
“We are the oldest building, so a lot of our stuff is beginning to age,” Hostetler
said. “We have approximately 50,000 fewer square feet than the other two [FHSD
high schools]. And honestly, the HVAC and roofing are going to be significant
issues moving forward.”
53.33% of people surveyed said they would strongly support the bond issue if it
was $250 million and resulted in no tax increase. No one said they would strongly
oppose. A common theme among responses on why the bond issue should
be supported was that the facilities FHSD currently works with are outdated
and need innovation. Many responses stress the necessity of updates. Building
envelope, utilities, and updates were considered highest priority according to the
survey, while safety systems were runner up.
Of the proposed $250 million, current improvements to FHSD
facilities to satisfy these priorities would cost approximately
$66,840,000. Elementary schools will cost the most money for
the district, mainly requiring HVAC modernization and exterior
improvements, while the minor updates in the high school
category would cost the least due to a smaller amount of
schools, aside from the cost of building a new building for FHN.
For some time now, talk has gone around about the creation
of a new FHN to replace the current one, and this is estimated
to become a reality within the next three to four years, and will
be built close to Henderson Elementary School. This project is high on the School
Board’s priority list, according to Hostetler. The pre-construction cost estimate
is $86,350,000. The building of a new FHN has raised concern among the people
responding to the school board’s survey, mentioning that the school may need a
remodel but do not see it necessary to build an entirely new facility.
“If North is going to be in the same place in terms of physical plant as the other
two buildings, then this one really does need to be replaced,” Hostetler said. “It
really is time for this. It’s not like the building’s falling down around us, but it’s
time.”
06 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | NEWS
PAGE BY SKYLAR VOGEL AND ANNA BESANCENEZ

Studying for her ACT, senior Phoebe Primeau does the English section of her ACT. “I think that the new ACT policy
could benefit students that do not do well with taking each section one after another, however I do feel that
separating the tests could affect students who do well on lengthened tests,” Primeau said. (Photo by Salam
Abouchleih)
STUDENTS’
TAKE:
How do you feel about
people being able to retake
the ACT in sections?
“I think it’s good. You
can focus on the areas that
you need to fix but at the
same time I don’t like the ACT
because a student shouldn’t
be judged by one test.”
Grace Moseley, 11
“I think it gives kids a
chance to improve in certain
areas at different times.”
CHANGING RETAKES
Students retaking ACTs will soon have the opportunity to retake sections of
the ACT rather than retake the entire test all over again
by Liy Taliaferro
liytaliaferro@gmail.com | @liy.leee
The American College Testing (ACT) organization
announced a new change to the ACT that will be put
into place at the end of next year.
In the past, students wanting to retake the ACT
would have to retake the entire test. This means if a
student were to do poorly in one section of the ACT
in contrast to how they performed on the other three
sections, they would still have to
retake four sections math, science,
reading and writing - in order to
improve their grade on that one
section.
“From what I understand is that
students are allowed to retake
certain subjects,” Patty Bartell, a
math teacher at FHN, said. “They
can retake math or they can retake
the English part of the ACT [and so
on].”
Some sophomores were allowed
to take the ACT in seventh grade
because of their Measures of
Academic Progress (MAP) Test scores from that year.
Some underclassmen who have taken the ACT for
JBA and Missouri Scholars are planning on retaking
it. With underclassmen aware of this change, some
may feel more hopeful towards having to take the
Upcoming
ACT Dates
December 14, 2019
February 8, 2020
April 4, 2020
June 13, 2020
July 18, 2020
ACT next September when the change is put into
play.
“I feel like it’s a really good system because if you
don’t fail the whole test you shouldn’t have to retake
the whole test- there’s no purpose for it,” sophomore
Kaylie O’Dell said. “It’s time. It’s a four-hour test, so
if you only failed one section and you have to take
the test again, that’s four hours of wasted time and
if you get a worse score for a different section that
doesn’t make any sense because
you already got your score.”
The ACT is $68 including the
written portion. Although it is not
yet confirmed, some believe that
having to retake individual sections
is going to be significantly cheaper
than having to pay $136 combining
the cost of the first ACT attempt and
the retake when only one section
needed to be retaken. In some cases
it is too great of a financial strain
on some families, especially when
students have to pull that money
out of their own pockets. This
can also be stressful for students receiving private
tutoring.
“Instead of paying $60 I would hope that it would
be cheaper to just take the one part,” junior Olivia
Neunaber said.
Joey Wallace, 11
“It would give kids a
break to switch gears to the
next subject first.”
Jeremiah Meador, 12
“It makes it easier
to take more time on the
sections that affect their
future career goals.”
Madi Molle , 11
“I think it’s a really,
really good thing. It gives you
the whole time to just focus
on just one section and [do]
a lot better on just that one
section.”
Caroline Mitchell, 11
PAGE BY LIY TALIAFERRO
NEWS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
07

UPCOMING
EVENTS
November
27-29
Wed. - Fri.
Thanksgiving
Break
December
4
Wednesday
Curriculum Info
Night
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: Auditorium and
both gyms
Freshmen Jessika Rogers and Makayla Hayes watch “The Ring” attentively. The
club was started by Anjolina Blackwell and they meet on Thursdays to watch and
discuss films. “I joined so I could watch a different type of movie, ones that I usually
wouldn’t watch,” freshman DaNyla Creacy said. (Photo by Sam Waltkins)
NEW FILM CLUB IS
STARTED AT FHN
The film club is a new group at
FHN, recently founded through the
joint efforts of social studies teacher
Anastasia Hercules and senior Anjolina
Blackwell. The club was created in
order to watch movies and promote
an appreciation for the art of film. The
group has watched more than five
movies so far.
“I’ve been in film clubs
at other schools,” Hercules
said. “This is the best one
I’ve had. Everyone here
is interested and they
actually want to be here.”
Hercules and Blackwell
had discussed movies during school,
and their shared interest bloomed into
the film club. Starting out with roughly
10 people that regularly attended
meetings, the film club took off.
The club chooses a genre for each
month and watches a movie from that
genre every Thursday after school
in Hercules’ room. They started with
horror movies to celebrate October’s
spooky season, and then moved into
a more light-hearted comedy genre
for November. They plan on watching
holiday-themed movies for December.
“We get a variety of movies,” junior
film club member Luis Hernandez said.
“They pick ones that fit a mood.”
Students start the meetings
discussing what movies they watch
and the plan for the upcoming
months. They have a large say in
the decisions the club makes and
are able to have a say in the way
it works.
“It’s their club,” Hercules said.
“They have a lot of films they’re
passionate about, so we’ll try to
work those in.”
Hercules tries to incorporate a wide
range of movies within the genre, both
for entertainment and enjoyment, but
also to educate the students on the
different types of films.
“Movies affect people,” Hercules
said. “They draw you in and they’re an
expression of people. (Brief by Ashlynn
Perez)
A cup of coffee sits on a plate with the logo of the new St. Charles Coffee Company
above. The company was established in 2017 as a pop-up coffee shop in the St. Louis
area and they pride themselves on donating profits to a charity of their choice.
(Photo Illustration by Ella Manthey)
LOCAL COFFEE STAND
OPENS ON MAIN
Main Street is home to a community
of many local businesses and
storefronts filled with antiques, clothes
and coffee. Geries Shaheen, owner of
a local coffee stand called St. Charles
Coffee Co., wanted to join that in a
different way.
“Every now and again we collaborate
with different people in the
community and we set up a
[coffee booth],” Shaheen said.
“A couple years ago we did it
at the old post office down the
street and it was a hit so we
decided to do it again this year
with [local restaurant] Tompkins
on Main.”
Shaheen sends part of his proceeds
to charities and at his most recent
event his money was sent to an
organization called Sparrow’s Nest
STL. They are a teen maternity home
for homeless, pregnant and parenting
teen moms. It’s organizations like
these that inspire Shaheen.
“All the time, we get surprises
[donations] like the one Geries did,”
Sparrow’s Nest director Elisa Zieg said.
“We get surprised all the time with just
this beautiful generosity for our own
community.”
Geries began his business in 2017
as a hobby and has continued it
since then. It started when he and his
wife took a trip to his homeland of
Israel. They saw many micro coffee
shops and fell in love with the
concept of a small menu which
was the inspiration behind his
establishment.
He offers one drink on the menu
at each of his events and it comes
as a latte or iced. In a recent event,
Legends and Lanterns, it was a
butterbeer latte, his most popular
drink, inspired by the popular Harry
Potter series. As to where to find him,
he is always looking for inspiring
venues and ways to collaborate with
the community.
“A lot of places you go to you’ve got
infinite choices,” Shaheen said. “It’s
kind of a unique engagement.” (Brief
by Justin Brewer)
08 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | NEWS PAGE BY CONNOR PEPER

December
7
Saturday
Breakfast with
Santa
Time: 8 a.m.
Where: Commons
December
All Knighter
Meeting
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Commons
December
12 13
Thursday
Friday
Drama Trivia
Night
Time: 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Where: Auditorium and
Senior Anjolina Blackwell reads from her script in preparation for the upcoming
fall play. The show, Once Upon a Pandora’s Box, written by Monica Flory, will be
performed by the FHN Masque Players on Nov. 21-23. (Photo by Alayna Furch)
DRAMA PREPARES
THEIR SECOND PLAY
After putting on a production of the
play “The Lion and Mouse Stories”
earlier this year, the drama club is
working on the show “Once Upon a
Pandora’s Box” for their second fall
play. The play will be shown from Nov.
21-23.
“Usually, productions take six to
eight weeks to complete,” Kim Sulzner,
drama teacher and director of the play,
said. “These last two have been
done in three to four.”
Instead of having their
traditional one fall play and
one spring play, the drama
club has opted for two fall
plays. This was done in order
to minimize expenses and save money
for the spring play.
“Addams Family was really
expensive,” Sulzner said. “We like to
carry over a big enough balance to
look into doing a musical every year
and usually children’s shows bring in a
lot of extra money.”
The general plot of “Once Upon a
Pandora’s Box” revolves around two
siblings in New York, Tabitha and
Louis, played by Ashlynn Bozich and
Collin Foster respectively, after opening
a strange box. By opening the box, the
siblings release five fairy tale villains.
Together, they must figure out how to
contain them.
“I feel like Sulzner knew what
she was doing when she
was casting,” Bozich said.
“Tabitha has a really strained
relationship with her mother,
and I just lost my Mom, so I
feel like I can really get into
her.”
Auditions took place on
Friday, Oct. 25. Sophomore Bryce
James will play the role of Rumple, one
of the five villains in the play.
“I think I am going to like this play
more than ‘Lion and Mouse Stories’,”
Bryce James said. “It is deeper than
‘Lion and Mouse Stories’, and I like
the characters more.” (Brief by Aadhi
Sathishkumar)
A flag waves next to FHN, which was founded in 1983. In the past couple years
rumors have been going around about a new school that is going to be built. The
school board acknowledged the possibility that they are going to build a new school
close to the soccer field, tearing down the one standing. (Photo by Sarah Williams)
FHSD POLLS SUPPORT
FOR NEW BOND ISSUE
The Francis Howell School District
(FHSD) has previously asked the
community for more money by putting
a tax levy proposition on the ballot.
It has failed each time so the Board
of Education is thinking of doing a
different approach; a ‘No Tax Increase
Bond’. Currently they are looking
towards the community to see if this
new option would pass if it’s put on
the ballot.
“Thus far, the reaction has been very
positive because we have explained
what we’re looking at and
why,” Patrick Lane,
treasurer on the Board
of Education said. “We
have had some negative
responses, but we feel like we’ve
answered most of those questions.”
A ‘No Tax Increase Bond’ is similar to
a loan. The bond will allow the district
to receive how much they asked for at
small increments throughout several
years. That will allow them to pay it
off at a slower rate, and keep tax rates
$
the same.
“If you don’t act on things now and
you wait the costs are going to go up
and it will be more expensive at a later
date,” Chuck Dale-Derks, a parent in
the district, said. “Then we put the
district at risk of having a facility that
has an emergency need.”
The district allowed architects to
walk around all the buildings in FHSD
and assess the repairs that are needed
at each one and roughly how
much it would cost. This
showed some concerns
for a couple buildings and
how much longer they can last
without repairs.
“We need to upgrade our facilities,”
Janet Stiglich, a Director on the Board
of Education, said. “We need to for the
safety of all of our buildings, for the
safety of our kids to bring some of our
facilities into the 21st century [and]
to make sure that we have a creative
learning environment for all.” (Brief by
Macy Cronin)
PAGE BY CONNOR PEPER
NEWS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
09

A mugful of hot chocolate sits on a trail that
thousands run on every year. The Hot Chocolate Run is
an annual choice of a 5k or 25k and is hosted by the
insurance company, Allstate. (Photo by Pavan Kolluru)
RUN FOR
WARMTH
Few things would make running in freezing
temperatures worth it except maybe a nice cup
of hot chocolate. That is the purpose of the Hot
Chocolate Run, “America’s sweetest race”.
“All finishers, from top to bottom, get hot
chocolate, a medal and a care package,” Rana
Shaker, a sophomore who will be competing in
the race for the first time said. “You just have to
finish the race.”
The race offers a five kilometer run and a 10
kilometer run. The St. Louis race is on Nov. 24
and set in Forest Park.
“I just want to stay on track with my running,”
Shaker said. “Last year I stopped running after
cross country, and that didn’t help me during
track season. I just thought that by running [the
race] my endurance will stay up and my speed
will increase.”
Since the Hot Chocolate Run’s 2008 inaugural
run in Chicago, it has had over 200,000
participants with runs in 24 cities from San
Francisco to Charlotte. A 5k run is longer than
three miles. That doesn’t scare Lilian Cash,
another sophomore and first time Hot Chocolate
Run racer.
“I’ll be doing the 5k because that’s what I’m
used to,” Cash said. “I’m currently still going to
[off-season] cross country practices. The past
few months I’ve had consistent practice and
I’ve already been doing 5ks so I’m pretty used
to them.”
The frigid cold presents a change of
environment compared to the races one would
expect in the summer or spring, a change
competitors will have to adapt to.
“The air is very thin so it’s harder to breathe
and your heart constricts,” Shaker said. “What I
do is wear a lot of layers, two layers of pants and
three layers on top. It hurts your ears when the
wind is whooshing, so I cover my ears.” (Story by
Connor Peper)
Senior Emma Temper and freshman Emma Landwehr passionately play their flutes in a performance of Freeze,
the FHN’s marching band set. The marching band played at every home football game and performed at
competitions. The band qualified for finals in the Sullivan Marching Festival. (Photo by Courtney Wortman)
THat’s a wrap
FHN’s marching band season has ended after months of competitions
by Macy Cronin
macycronin03@gmail.com
F
HN’s marching band starts to thaw from their
fall Freeze. The show took hundreds of hours
of practice and many sleepless nights from
students, but with hard work came the successes of
the season.
“[The show was] about being a kid and having fun
in the snow,” Stegeman said “You
UPCOMING SHOWS
get in your overalls, right. You
pad yourself up, put three layers
of socks on because you know
you are going to get wet. You are
trying desperately to not get your
body wet with the cold water of
the snow. It’s about that, being a
kid and going out having fun in
the snow.”
Each new marching band
season jumps off to a rocky start,
but this one was especially hard
for them because of the intricacy
that the show held.
“This year was a hard show, you got ‘how big are
those ramps out there’ that people are sliding down
and you got kids dancing,” senior drum major Grace
Sickendick said. “You are teaching nerds how to
dance. I love them, I’m a nerd, I am a super nerd, but
only a couple of these kids have a dance background
or a sports background, so it’s a lot to put into one
season.”
Nov. 26
Choir/Jazz Concert at FHC
January*
Knight Pride Trivia Night
Feb. 1
Missouri State Jazz Festival
*Date not confirmed
Throughout the season the band went on
overnight trips and spent over 50 continuous hours
with one another.
“[Iowa] was a hard competition,” Sickendick said.
“We had to compete at the buttcrack of dawn, but
you know, it’s fun. As exhausting as it is from being
together, you are able to go ‘Alright I don’t need
to think about school right now, this is my band
family.’”
This season gave lots of
opportunities for seniors. Senior
Matthew Juhlin, despite this being only
his second year in band, was placed in
the position of drum major due to all
his hard work.
“It means a lot [to be a drum
major],” Juhlin said. “It means that Mr.
Stegeman trusts me enough to put me
in that position despite not knowing
me all that well, but I’m really glad he
did because it has given me so many
opportunities to push as hard as I can.”
Marching band ended their season off with
performing at St. Louis Super-Regional BOA, Bands
of America, where they competed against bands in
their class, or bands similar in their size.
“I was extremely happy [at finding out FHN placed
11th in their class],” Juhlin said. “I wasn’t entirely
sure how the run had gone after performing, but it
was great to feel that it had been a really good last
competition run.”
10 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | NEWS
PAGE BY IVY LOWERY

FHNTODAY PRESENTS
MORE INFO
Check out FHN’S Nerd
Culture coverage here:
bit.ly/FHNnerdculture
NERD CULTURE
Find popular nerdy movies and books from Harry Potter to Napoleon Dynamite.
Watch an in-depth tutorial of how to
play Dungeons and Dragons.
Learn how to dress like a modern
nerd from students at FHN
Test your nerdy knowledge with a
quiz on popular nerd culture.
Learn about local businesses, ‘The
Fantasy Shop’ and ‘The Collector’s
Store.’
Learn about card games that FHN
community members play and love.
Find all this and more on FHNTODAY.COM
PAGE BY SOPHIE CARITE
FHNTODAY | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
11

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In the FHN studio, junior Brandon Bridgeman smiles
as he shows off his style on Oct. 28. Bridgeman enjoys
wearing fashion pieces of people he likes, like Tyler the
Creator. An important piece in his outfits would be his
dads hat that he wears everyday. “I can express myself
through my clothing,” Bridgeman said. “I wouldn’t add
anything because I like how I dress already.”
Sophomore Cierra Brown poses to show off her unique
style in the FHN studio on Oct. 24. Brown shops at
Savers, Hot Topic and Zumies in person but shops at
Dollskill and Demonica online. Brown described her
experience wearing unique clothing as isolating since
nobody else dresses like her. “I get most of my ‘out
there’ pieces online and then my regular clothing from
thrift stores, like Savers,” said Brown.
Junior Kyle Helton shows off his fashion style on Oct.
25 in the FHN studio. Helton likes to shop at places like
Zumies or Spencers because they have unique items.
Helton shops online more because he can find certain
items he is looking for or certain brands. “I like looking
different than others but I don’t like to be the center of
attention,” said Helton. (Photos by Ryan Ginn)
14 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | FEATURES PAGE BY LIV ENGLE

STATEMENTS
On Nov. 2, senior Leann Smyth poses as princess Jasmine
before a birthday party. Smyth portrays the parts of different
Disney princesses. “I love my job because it is fun.
Singing and performing as someone else is exhilarating,”
Smyth said. (Photo by Riley Witherbee)
IN FASHION
Students at FHN use fashion as a unique way to express themselves
by Liv Engle
OEngle158@g.fhsdschools.org
Picture this: rolling out of bed to that 6 a.m.
alarm clock, pairing white washed jeans with that
vintage t-shirt of yours and the black converse
high tops that may have been worn one too many
times. That might just be any ordinary outfit to
someone, but it’s your favorite.
One of the many perks of picking that t-shirt or
those jeans, is that it’s a unique style all your own.
Fashion has been around for centuries, but each
person’s style is like their DNA, what they’re made
of. Junior Kyle Helton is one of many with a style
all his own.
“I’m not really a social person, and I don’t like
talking to people,” Helton said. “So, my way of
showing people who I am is expressing that
through my clothes.”
Helton describes his style as inspired, mainly by
music artists and influencers that he follows, and a
good amount of his wardrobe are brands made by
not-so-famous designers.
“I’m the only one that wears the brands that I
wear [FTP, Ransom, Gnarcotic, Foulplay], and I
think that it’s cool,” Helton said. “It makes me feel
comfortable in public.”
On the topic of more unique styles, sophomore
Cierra Brown thinks that being fashionable is
influential.
“I think it’s important because it touches on
personality,” Brown said. “If I wore what everyone
else wears, then I feel like I’m following a crowd.”
Brown likes stepping out of norms and dressing
her own way.
“If you line people up and put me next to
someone wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, I’d
definitely stand out.” Brown said.
While others are looking for the latest trends,
Brandon Bridgeman likes to incorporate
sentimental pieces into his outfits. Bridgeman
incorporates his dad’s hat into his outfits.
Bridgeman holds his hat close as a reminder of
his father and the bond they shared. Bridgeman is
fond of the current day fashion.
“Everyone gets a chance to have their own style
and it’s pretty unique.”
Fashion can be defined in numerous ways. It is
interpreted differently by many people. Whether
that is using it as a way to express yourself,
embodying something sentimental in an outfit,
or looking outside of the box because fitting in is
boring, you create your own style.
What sets you apart from the latest fashion
trends?
“The only consideration
I make when buying clothes
is ‘do I think that looks cool?’
Half of my clothes were stolen
out of my dad’s boxes of old
military stuff anyways.
Colton Conley, 11
“I like being
comfortable because I
don’t care what people
think and I like doing what
makes me happy.”
Haley Hall, 10
“I feel like I combine
different elements of
different fashion styles, rather
than sticking to one style.”
Ash Swift, 10
“Instead of copying
trends, I like to take bits
and pieces of them and
make them my own.”
Emma Osterloh, 12
“I try to do what
is considered ‘Not the
norm’. I like standing
out, rather than looking
like everyone else.”
Anthony McDonald, 12
“I just do my own
style. I don’t follow any of
the trends going on.”
Hadi Syed, 9
PRETTY
PRECIOUS
PRINCESSES
She walks into the office/studio at Enchanted
Events with her hair in a tight wig cap and makeup
already done, ready to transform herself into a
princess. She warms up her singing voice and gets
the party bag together, including the props and
the coronation poem along with the certificate
attached to the tiara. Then, it’s time for the party
to begin.
Senior Leann Smyth works to make little girls’
dreams come true as a party host at Enchanted
Events.
“I mostly dress up as Jasmine, Moana, Belle
or Anna from Frozen,” Smyth says. “There is also
mascots from Paw Patrol. Those are really popular
at parties right now.”
When Smyth arrives to the parties, after greeting
the parents and kids, the kids have ecstatic
smiles and jump up and down at first sight of the
princess. The kids gather around saying hello. The
kids and the princess talk for a while about the
princess’ movie. After they sing happy birthday,
the coronation begins.
“During the party and coronation, we turn the
birthday girl into a princess,” owner of Enchanted
Events Kelly Scheider said. “She repeats a magical
poem and the princess waves the magical wand
and then places the tiara on her head. The princess
now presents the new princess to her guest
as a real princess.”
After the coronation, the princess gives the child
an autograph card signed by the princess and
fun children’s games are played like hot potato or
freeze dance with songs from the princess movies.
When singing and performing, Smyth uses her
choir voice to add strength to her performance.
“I think that my experience in choir has really
helped me,” Smyth said. “I don’t think I would
have excelled in choir as much as I do now without
this job.” (Story by Anna Besancenez)
PAGE BY LIV ENGLE
FEATURES | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
15

Reading song lyrics, junior Zoe Meier sings Ne Poy, Krasavitsa Pri mne by Rachmaninoff. Meier started getting involved with opera singing when she was going into seventh
grade. Meier is apart of Union Avenue Opera Theatre and has been in three productions with the company. “I just happened to audition and in the midst found my passion,”
Meier said. (Photo by Anna Hollinger)
BIG VOICE, BIGger STEPS
Junior Zoe Meier was selected out of many to participate in the AIT program for opera singing
by Julia Sampolska
j.sampolska@gmail.com
There are people who know in their childhood who they are going to
be. One of them was 8-year-old Zoe Meier when she was standing on
stage one day, realizing that in the future she would like to be a singer.
That dream came true when Zoe decided to take part in the auditions to Opera
Theatre Saint Louis Artist in Training (AIT) Program.
“I heard about the auditions from a lady at my church,” Zoe said. “Then, I went
to see the performance from that program, where I got all information and dates
about auditions.”
AIT has set out to coach and encourage talented students from high schools
across the St. Louis area since it was established in 1990. In AIT, participants
work to improve voice skills with professionals, performing with major opera
companies and symphonies across the United States and
Europe. Graduates of the AIT program have gone on to study
at the nation’s top music schools like Juilliard School of Music,
Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern’s Bienen School of
Music and New England Conservatory.
Only 25 students from Saint Louis have been selected to
participate in the 2019-20 AIT program. Meier is one of them.
“We don’t get involved in what she earns or accomplishes,”
Angela Meier, Zoe’s mother said. “Auditions were all on her. She gets what she
earns and we stay out of all that, for sure.”
Zoe worked hard and prepared for auditions, attending choir class and taking
private lessons with a voice coach. Her first artistic experiences had with St.
Charles Community College, performing as a kid. After a few years, when she
came to FHN and took choir class, she started improving her voice in a big group
of singers.
MORE INFO
Check out the AIT
Program here:
bit.ly/32jt6pT
To participate in auditions, Zoe had to pick a piece of classical music and
perform it in front of a panel of judges. It was a good opportunity to test her stage
presence.
“I was very excited about the opportunity for Zoe,” Angela said. “She was very
nervous, way more than me. My job was to keep her encouraged and redirect her
energy to be excited instead of nervous.”
Zoe likes to listen to some music genres, mainly jazz and classical music.
Everyone probably would ask her why opera? Why does she sing such a beautiful,
but hard type of music?
“Our FHN’s concert choir teacher, Ms. Jennifer Onken was the first one who
produced the idea of me being involved in classical voice,” Zoe said. “She
definitely influenced that decision and helped me to meet up with my voice
coach.”
Being a participant of this opera program gives lots
of experiences. Zoe is most excited for watching artistic
performances, talking with famous opera singers and
performing in The Sheldon Concert Hall. This is a big step in her
early career. Despite previous experience, the young artist still
discovers more and more about her artistic soul.
“Zoe’s bent towards theater and singing has been evident
since she was a toddler,” Angela said. “When she made a
conscious decision that she wanted to do this professionally her father and I
have done everything we can with our schedule and our finances to get her the
training she needs. We have done all we could.”
Support from family and friends certainly helped Zoe spread her wings and
achieve this success.
“In 10 years, hopefully I’ll have my masters and I’ll be somewhere in Europe or
in a big city in the USA performing,” Zoe said.
16 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | FEATURES PAGE BY JULIA SAMPOLSKA

Science teacher Joe Brocksmith handles his classroom pet that he uses to improve the learning experience for
his students. “He has multiple snakes in his room,” senior Alayna Furch said. “He used to allow students to hold
them, but he doesn’t anymore because they were getting out.” (Photo by Kaili Martin)
A SCALY STRATEGY
Joe Brocksmith uses snakes in his classroom to enhance learning
by Linsey Zerbonia
lzerbonia419@g.fhsdschools.org
Walk in. Sit in an assigned seat. Listen to the
teacher talk. Take notes. Many times, the learning
environment looks the same, but that’s not the
case for science teacher Joe Brocksmiths’ class at
FHN. Brocksmith teaches both biology as well as
environmental science. Brocksmith owns five snakes
that he keeps in his classroom.
Just as he is going into his 16th
year teaching, the snakes are
going into their 16th year living
at North.
“I got them when I was in
college,” Brocksmith said. “I
mostly got them so I can breed
them.”
Brocksmith loves the snakes,
but some of his students do not
seem to feel the same way.
“Many of my students are curious about them and
ask a lot of questions, but I always get a large group
of students who walk into my room and say ‘Oh Hell
no,’” Brocksmith said.
One of his students, junior Isabel Granjeno, is
currently in Brocksmith’s Biology Two class.
“When I first walked in I was terrified, I literally hate
snakes,” Granjeno said.
Although snakes are a unique incorporation into
the classroom, they are not just meant to be any
normal class pet. Brocksmith says he did not want
the smell of snakes in his home, but also wanted a
purpose for the snakes.
“Many kids are scared of snakes
for no reason, so I like to bring them
in and educate kids about them so
WATCH
Follow this link to
watch Brocksmith
talk about his job at
FHN:
bit.ly/2rELxkw
they can get over the fear of them,”
Brocksmith said.
Some students feel opposite about
the snakes as Granjeno feels. Another
one of his AP students, junior Adel
Mountasir, enjoys having the snakes
around.
“I actually like them here because
they’re so cute,” Mountasir said. “They
don’t bother anyone unless you aggravate one.” .
With all the fun that comes along with owning
snakes inside of the classroom, there has to be some
educational purpose.
“The snakes come in handy when doing the reptile
unit.” Brocksmith said. “We get them out and use
them as a fun educational prop. They’re just so fun.”
Help some
families
from FHN
this
holiday
season
KOE is selling
bracelets with all
proceeds going to
the FHN
Adoopt-A-Family
Program. Purchase
one from a member
today or drop by
room 130 to get
yours or make a
donation.
PAGE BY MACY CRONIN
FEATURES | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
17

(Photo Submitted by Ashlynn Perez)
ASPIRING
ARTISTS
There are plenty of AP classes for students
to take at Francis Howell North, one AP class
stands out more than the rest is AP Studio Art.
Junior Jenna Weber is actively involved in AP
Studio Art and has a deep love and passion
for the class and overall art.
“My favorite thing about the class is that we
have a lot of freedom,” Weber said. “The class
used to be a lot more strict, but since the
curriculum changed, we’re given a lot more
freedom.”
Weber’s
love
for art
began at
a young
age and
plans on
MORE INFO
Take a look at the art
made by FHN students :
bit.ly/3774pJm
continuing her love for art after high school.
“I’m going to try to get into the illustration
and animation field,” Weber said.
AP Studio Art is more difficult and holds
the students to a higher standard than
most other art classes at FHN. Before taking
the class, a student has to apply with their
art and the teachers analyze and decide
weather or not to give them a spot within the
classroom.
“To take the class, you have to make a
portfolio showing your artwork to the art
teachers,” Weber said.
For some people, criticism can be one’s
worst enemy, but for Weber, she takes it
and views it as a positive and influencing
experience and uses it to help improve her
art.
“I would say listen to critiques and turn it
into something positive so it helps you grow.”
Weber said. (Brief by Skylar Vogel)
Mary Lauritzen’s soon to be service dog, sits on her lap in her home. Lauritzen’s dog has not officially started
training, yet at a specific place. Lauritzen at the moment does most of the training for her dog at her own
home. (Photo Submitted)
HUSKY HELPER
Sophomore Mary Lauritzen is preparing to have her pet husky, Penny,
trained to be a therapy dog for emotional support
by Maya Helbig
helbigmaya77@gmail.com
Her furry friend sits right next to her, helping
her through every emotion going through her
head. The smile they give to each other and all the
responsibilities that come with owning a normal dog
is the life of Mary Lauritzen as she prepares her pet to
be a therapy dog.
“I think the best part about owning Penny is how
much she has really helped out with Mary as far as
helping her when she gets really upset,” Lauritzen’s
mother Stephanie Combs said. “She makes Mary
really happy when a lot of other things can not make
her happy.”
Lauritzen and Combs, will be putting their twoyear-old
Siberian Husky Penny into Therapy dog
training sometime soon. Penny has yet to be put into
training because of her age. Dogs being trained have
to be at least two years old and Penny only turned
two recently, so she has yet to start.
Just because she’s not in therapy dog training now
doesn’t mean that she isn’t being trained the typical
dog commands like sit, stay and down. Lauritzen’s
family tries to perfect these skills everyday for
around an hour, using many treats, but not forcing
her if she gets stubborn and refuses to continue.
“I don’t want to do an intense-intense training
with her just because like, I want to give her
some time to just be a dog too,” Lauritzen said.
“Especially because she is just a puppy, which is
something different than a lot of people would do.
A lot of people when they know that they’re going
to be a certain type of dog start training for that
immediately. But I’m in no rush to get her to be a
therapy dog.”
Getting any pet can be exciting, but getting
something you have always wanted, and that is
specifically for you can make you feel something
more.
“There are different types of service dogs,”
Lauritzen said. “There’s like personal therapy dogs
but there’s also therapy dogs that are trained for
others. Like at hospitals and stuff, they will bring
animals into the sick kids and let them play for a bit.
My therapy dog is different because she’s specialized
to me, not everyone else.”
Huskies are dogs that have a lot of natural energy
and need a lot of play time. Penny sometimes has
the trouble of wanting to play during training or
while Lauritzen is doing homework, but a lot of that
energy gets put to use with many varieties of play
time.
“Penny is definitely energetic but she also knows
when something is wrong and she knows when
something’s wrong with Mary,” Combs said. “And she
knows what she needs to be there for.”
Therapy dogs are a real thing and people don’t
just get them because they feel a little sad. People
do go through things and have actual reasons to get
anything that is able to help them through the bad
times. Penny is that something.
“It’s something that my family thought would be
a good idea, and even my doctors thought that it
would be a good idea,” Lauritzen said. “It’s not like,
‘Haha I get depressed sometimes.’ It’s a lot deeper
than that.”
18 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | FEATURES PAGE BY ANNA BESANCENEZ

Time
management
is a talent
Since she was 11, Senior Courtney Helmick has been performing at GT Performance
Gymnastics and Cheer for seven seasons and one season at Olympia Mid Rivers.
Helmick has won over 100 medals since she started competing. In her most recent
match, Helmick came in second on beam. (Photo by Addy Bradburry)
Senior Courtney Helmick balances band, gymnastics, a
job and school, along with other activities
by Marina Williams
mwilliams807@g.fhsdschools.org
Running to her car late in the
afternoon, 18-year-old Courtney
Helmick is ready to begin her
third activity of the day. She swings
her marching band bag into the back
seat of her car, checking again for
her gymnastics bag. She sets off to
the gym, trying to make practice on
time. The only thing on her mind is
how she also has to close for her job
at Fazoli’s tonight. She rests her head
on the wheel before walking into her
gymnastics practice, she knows it’s
going to be a long night.
Gymnastics and band have always
been a huge part of Helmick’s life,
doing gymnastics since second grade,
concert band
since sixth grade
and marching
band since ninth.
Helmick can’t
think of anywhere
she would rather
be.
“It was really hard at first, but once
I learned time management and
MORE INFO
Learn tips for time
management here:
bit.ly/2Noa7yx
developed a routine, it wasn’t nearly as
bad,” Helmick said.
After seeing her older sister do
gymnastics, she started gymnastics
at just seven years old and fell in love
with the sport, not knowing at the time
that the gym would soon become her
second home.
“I was the annoying little sister who
wanted to be just like her older sister,”
Helmick said. “So, when Emily did
gymnastics, I wanted to. I didn’t know
how much I would love the sport or
how big of an impact it would have on
my life until I tried it.”
Her sister, Emily Helmick, had always
been a huge role model to her. So
when her sister took up band, it was
impossible for Helmick to pass up
another opportunity to be just like her
older sister.
“I originally started band because
of Emily,” Helmick said. “But I also
wanted to be involved in a high school
sport, and that’s really all I knew how
to do.”
Of course, such demanding activities
come with their own pros and cons.
“I really like performing, which I do
in both band and gymnastics. I really
like the little successes along the way
in gymnastics,” Helmick said. “And I
really like being a part of something
so much bigger than myself, which is
what marching band is all about, but
the physical demand in gymnastics is
really rough on my body, and the time
commitment in marching
band gets rough, but I can
manage.”
A week in Helmick’s life
can be described as tiring,
hectic, busy and long.
She sets aside 19 hours a
week for gymnastics and
15 hours a week for marching band,
not including football games and
competitions. She also goes to school,
works at Fazoli’s, is involved in many
school clubs and is very involved in her
church and family.
“It’s all about time management and
prioritizing,” Helmick said. “I haven’t
watched a Netflix series since the
beginning of August.”
Helmick has made many friends
along her journey through gymnastics
and marching band. Jenna Brown, her
friend since kindergarten, and someone
who has done both gymnastics and
band with Helmick, has nothing but
good things to say about her.
“She’s very kind and trustworthy,
and she is always ready to help you
with anything you need,” Brown said.
“She manages her time really well and
makes time for her friends and family.”
PAGE BY CHLOE HORSTMAN
FEATURES | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY.COM
19

Sophomore Adelle Gertsch balances on a rock to test her flexibility. Gertsch has been recently been training to join the circus after high school. “I’ve always loved
watching people preform in the circus, but at the same time I would be a little sad.” Gertsch said, “Then one day I decided to try aerial silks and it was the best
decision I’ve ever made.”
A BIG BENDY DREAM
Sophomore Adelle Gertsch is training to become an acrobatic circus performer at Circus Harmony
by Evan Becker
ebecker066@g.fhsdschools.org
Doctors, lawyers, firefighters; the common answers to “What do you
want to be when you grow up?” But sophomore Adelle Gertsch doesn’t
want to be common. She wants to live in a unique way, and for her,
that means as a circus performer.
As a child, Adelle was very active, even doing gymnastics at the age of five.
She showed a clear inclination towards the performing arts.
“I mean, Adelle has always been a monkey basically,” Adelle’s mom Carolyn
Gertsch said. “She was always climbing on things, hanging on things, always
been a kind of a daredevil not afraid to try stuff. So yeah,
it wasn’t surprising to me at all that she wanted to do [the
circus].”
Circus Harmony, the program Adelle uses to learn circus
skills has multiple levels. Seeing the highest levels of their
classes, Circus Flora, perform was what inspired her to join.
“I always went to the Circus Flora, and I always was
enjoying the show,” Adelle said. “But I always thought like,
man, I just wish I could do that. I always wanted to be able
to do those amazing tricks. When I quit softball my parents were like let’s
harness this energy, and I was like, maybe aerial silks?”
Every performer at Circus Harmony has to take basic classes covering the
usual skills of juggling and plate spinning. Adelle, however, focuses specifically
on contortion and aerial silks.
“In my contortion class, we get all bendy,” Adelle said. “Sometimes we’ll do
MORE INFO
Check out the Circus
Harmony website here:
bit.ly/36JraTq
a bridge and then someone will do like a chin stand on the person doing a
bridge, stuff like that. In my aerial classes we work on trapeze skills and Aerial
silk tricks.”
The path to a career in the circus is paved the same way as many other
careers. She studies hard, applies for colleges, and after going to the colleges,
she can be hired for the best gigs. The only difference is in the content of the
classes.
“You don’t have to take science or math classes because it focuses on what
your actual career is,” Adelle said. “It’s more of your art form and trying to
master it.”
Deanna Massie is a college professor, educator and
researcher. She’s known Adelle since Adelle was about five
years old and was ecstatic to hear that Adelle wanted to be a
part of the circus.
“We have become a society that’s too focused on stuff that
won’t make everyone happy,” Massie said. “Adelle has always
been bored in school and she’s always had higher goals. I was
super excited that she found a track she wanted to do that
would make her happy.”
For Adelle, it’s not just a place that she can expend her energy but, it’s also a
place where she feels like she truly belongs.
“Circus was originally where all the weird people went, the outcasts, where
they could be outcasts together,” Adelle said. “And so it’s just nice that the
circus community is very inviting and appreciates everyone. I love everything
about it.”
20 PAGE BY MAYA HELBIG
FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | FEATURES

FHNTODAYTV FEATURED VIDEOS
ART TODAY
with Red Lee
HUMANS OF FHN | CHLOE HORSTMAN
Chloe Horstman is an aspiring clothing
designer, with a dream of becoming
a good dress designer. Horstman
has made her own dresses for
Homecoming and many other events
in the past. Horstman’s passion for
sewing comes from playing seamstress
with her sisters as a child. In the future, she
would love to work in the fashion
industry to showcase her creativity.
She tells us how she got into
clothing design and what inspires
her to continue creating. (Video by
Francisco Jimenez and Emily Zhang)
HUMANS OF FHN |
BRIANNA WORTMAN
In this episode of Humans of FHN,
freshman volleyball star Brianna
Wortman shares some things that
motivate her and why she loves her
sport. (Video by Anjolina Blackwell and
Morgan Hanson)
AZ’S ANALYSIS
with Az Anderson
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with Emily Hood
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HUMANS OF FHN |
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Listen to Becka Brissette speak
about her love of softball. In this
video, she covers her place on the
team and the hard work that goes
into being an athlete for FHN. (Video
by Gabriel Lobato and Nadia Abusoud)
We’re social, are you?
Give us a follow. We’ll follow back.
FOLLOW US @fhntoday
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PAGE BY EMILY HOOD
FHNTODAYTV | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
21
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PULLING
VAPING
OUT OF TEENS
After seeing the hold Juul and vaping has on
students, FHSD is making choices for change. Vaping
has become more prevalent in teens in recent years.
More and more studies are showing the possible
harmful effects.

JUUL VS FHSD
On Oct. 7, FHSD filed a lawsuit against the e-cigarette company Juul
by Sydney Ellison
sydney.ellison55@gmail.com
After seeing the effects vaping and Juuls have had on teens and
paying for the damages FHSD has experienced because of this, FHSD
has filed a lawsuit against the e-cigarette company Juul. The lawsuit
was filed on Monday, Oct. 7. It follows the actions taken by two Kansas city
school districts Goddard and Olathe. More and more districts are now filing
lawsuits against Juul including school systems in Long Island, New York and
La Conner, Washington.
“Juul improperly advertised to individuals that were too young to legally
purchase their products without informing the individuals of the dangers of
vaping,” District Attorney Cindy Ormbsy said.
The idea of the lawsuit was first brought up within FHSD when Ormbsy was
asked by a Kansas City law firm, already in the process of suing Juul, to bring
the proposition to the school districts she represents. According to Ormbsy,
the FHSD school board then decided that suing Juul was the correct decision
for the district.
“We see teachers having to take time out of class to deal with student
vaping,” Ormbsy said. “[FHSD needs] additional hallway monitors because
students are vaping in the hallway and in the bathrooms.”
From 54 nicotine related infractions five years ago in FHSD, to 248 last
year, there has been increased disruptions throughout the school district.
According to Ormbsy, FHSD doesn’t have the resources to deal with this.
Money is being spent on more programs and resources to help stop students
from vaping. In the 81 page lawsuit against Juul, it lays out the groundwork
for the case. It provides detailed examples of how Juul is marketing towards
teens. FHSD wants reimbursement for the costs and damages Juul use has
had on the district.
“The number of nicotine related discipline incidents is going up and that
is probably not going to reduce anytime soon, so the goal is to get funding
to deal with and pay for all of these programs and education and time spent
by employees for past, present and the future until this problem is resolved
and that way taxpayers money is not having to be spent to deal with these
issues,” Ormbsy said.
The lawsuit has gotten mixed responses from the public. Many are
concerned about how it was being paid for, but the lawsuit is not using
taxpayer money and any settlement from Juul will be used to pay for the cost
of legal fees. This lawsuit also was under some controversy from parents,
many commenting on FHSD’s Facebook statement about the lawsuit saying
that it wasn’t the school district’s right to sue on behalf of the students.
Others commended the district, saying they are proud that FHSD is doing
something to stop nicotine addiction in students.
“The school district’s still going to hold students accountable for violating
school policy, it’s not letting students off the hook, it’s just they [FHSD]
decided to also not let Juul off the hook,” Ormbsy said.
At FHN, assistant principal Jeff Blankinship has noticed the effect vaping
has had on the school. He believes the biggest problem vaping has caused
is disruption in classrooms. Teachers are spending more time disciplining
students and getting less time to actually teach, according to Blankinship.
“It’s just taking away from a learning environment and kids are trying to get
away with something that they shouldn’t be doing,” Blankinship said.
FHN changed their policy on vaping for the 2019-2020 school year
to hopefully cut down on the vaping infractions. Now both vaping and
having possession of a vape will earn three days on in school suspension.
Blankenship hopes for students to realize the potential damages one can get
from vaping.
“I guess the biggest thing is just understanding that it’s not healthy and it’s
not something that you may not feel the effects of today or tomorrow or even
this year but you are doing things to your body that are not healthy and are
not natural,” Blankinship said.
Ormsby hopes for more schools to join the fight against Juul. She claims to
confident going forward.
“We are just dealing with an issue that the district didn’t create but they are
having to deal with,” Ormbsy said.
24 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | IN-DEPTH PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

Hazardous to health
Reports show a link between vape use and illnesses within the lungs and the effects may be more drastic
in adolescents
by Karsyn Williams
karsyn.williams15@gmail.com
Within the past 20 years, vaping has become more and
more prevalent across the U.S. and with it, the reports of
respiratory issues and lung disease from those using vape
products have increased dramatically.
“Vaping is almost like smoking cigarettes on steroids,” FHN nurse
Brooke Magilligan said. “You’re actually smoking and inhaling more
than if you were to smoke a pack of cigarettes.”
Unlike cigarettes, which have had hundreds of studies throughout
the century that demonstrated the dangers of smoking, vape products
haven’t been studied nearly as much since it’s a newer product. Due
to this, no one is entirely sure of the long term health effects of vaping.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
have reported that over 1,500 vape users have been shown to have
respiratory issues and the majority of them are under the age of 35. Also
according to the CDC, 34 deaths caused from respiratory diseases have
been linked to vape use.
“There has just not been enough studies on it to even rule that it’s
safe, there’s been tons of people going to the hospital,” Magilligan said.
“The more you do it the more you increase your chances of developing
problems.”
Consistent and frequent vaping has also been shown to cause acute
lung injury and fills up one’s lungs with inflammatory cells rapidly. The
inflammatory cells can block and fill the air sacs in the lungs, preventing
the flow of oxygen. This snowballs into critical lung illness and diseases,
such as emphysema, a disease that prevents the body from getting the
proper amount of oxygen, and can pose a potential threat of death.
“We shouldn’t think that vaping is safer [than smoking] in anyway,”
pulmonologist Gary R. Goldstein said. “It is, plain and simple, not safe.
You are putting something into your lungs and you don’t know what it
is.”
Within the past decade, vape products have become more
widespread as more brands and flavors are released. The compelling
flavors of vape are believed to be part of what’s causing a rise in
teenage vaping, despite the laws preventing anyone under the age of
18 from purchasing vape products. To combat this, the FDA has recently
been working towards banning the flavors targeting younger audiences.
Adolescents and teenagers are more affected by the use of vape and
nicotine than adults, as they are more likely to develop an addiction
due to the brain not being fully developed.
“The flavoring is being targeted towards high schoolers and younger
persons because adults aren’t interested in flavors like that,” Goldstein
said. “They are being used by the market to enhance their sales.”
Since vape products primarily contain nicotine, an addictive
chemical, it’s hard to stop once one starts. The best way to prevent
vaping from becoming a habit is to never start in the first place. A
younger addict should let their parents, a counselor
or doctor know about their addiction to help start
taking steps towards recovery together. Recovering
from addiction will remove a major stressor in one’s
life and help them live a healthier future.
“First thing is the realisation that you don’t
want to vape anymore, and once you reach
that conclusion, to stop and set yourself up
for success,” Goldstein said. “Get rid of all
the vaping you have available, because the
withdrawal symptoms and temptations can
be very strong. Once you get over the first few
days it should hopefully snowball into success.”
COMPONENTS OF A VAPE
Learn about the mechanics of the average vaping device (Content by Karsyn Williams)
Mouthpiece
After the e-liquid is converted
into vapor, the gas is inhaled
through the mouthpiece and
into one’s lungs, allowing for
the chemicals, nicotine, and
water in the e-liquid to go into
the lungs and body, before
being exhaled.
E-Liquid
Cartridges of e-liquid contain a
mixture of nicotine, flavoring, water,
and other chemicals. The FDA has
only recently began regulating the
ingredients in e-liquids and many vapes
and cartridges are sold without prior
approval from the FDA.
Atomizer
After receiving energy and heat
from the battery, the atomizer
boils the e-liquid, converting it
into a vapor, then traveling up into
the mouthpiece.
Battery
The battery of a vape requires
charging, as is the element that
provides the heat and energy to the
atomizer and fuels the vapor. Using a
charger that wasn’t designed for the
battery can be dangerous and cause
electrical problems. There have been
multiple reports of the batteries from
vapes overheating or even exploding
during use.
PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN
IN-DEPTH | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
25

EASY ADDICTION
FHN graduate Tyler Crook admits to struggling with
a nicotine addiction from vaping in high school
by Sydney Ellison
sydney.ellison55@gmail.com
HIT FROM THE PAST
Alumni Jake Miller got the strength to quit his vaping habit from high school
by Sydney Ellison
sydney.ellison55@gmail.com
It’s almost always on his mind. It’s
inescapable. The urge to vape is a never
ending cycle, one where picking up a
Juul is the only way to decrease stress.
FHN alumni Tyler Crook started vaping in
high school and hasn’t stopped since.
“Whenever I’m really stressed out,
all I can think about is hitting my
nicotine,” Crook said. “It sucks
though, it would be so much
better to find healthier coping
mechanisms.”
Graduate of class 2019, Tyler
Crook is now taking a year off
and saving up money for
college. His journey with
vaping began in high school
when his senior friends
offered him a hit off their
Juul. According to Crook,
the smoke tricks and having
friends who vape is what
influenced him to take
that first hit.
“I started off
with no nicotine, it
was just cool to
do the tricks and
practice the tricks,” Crook
said. “Then I started hitting Juuls and
liked the nicotine buzz and kept going,
kept buying it.”
The simple fact of growing up is how alumni Jake
Miller got past his nicotine addiction. Miller began
vaping in high school but after graduating in 2019
and going to college his vaping habit ended. Initially
it was the variety of flavors that convinced Miller to
vape but it was the nicotine that made him stay.
“It’s just what nicotine does,” Miller said. “It just
makes you addicted, you just like it. You like the
feeling.” Miller said.
Though often surrounded with peers and friends
who vape, Millers’ decision to vape was entirely his
own, there was no peer pressure. Miller’s friends
who didn’t vape often voiced their disapproval
about his vaping habits.
“They would always just pressure me to stop and
they would just keep telling me there’s no point in
doing it,” Miller said.
Soon after vaping, the road to
addiction became clear. That need for
the buzz of nicotine took over his life.
Crook remembers leaving classes to vape
in the bathroom. Even now, Crook vapes
frequently throughout the day.
“In the mornings after like the first five,
ten minutes after I wake up, I think about
the nicotine and I think about how I need
to get it,” Crook said. “I’m just in a bad
mood until I hit it in the morning.”
Vaping has caused other problems
in Crook’s life besides struggling with
addiction. Vaping caused tension
between him and his parents who
continually tried to stop him from vaping.
According to Crook his parents would
find and confiscate his Juuls back in high
school but now they are more accepting
of his habit.
“They don’t mind anymore because I’m
18 and they understand that I’m going to
make my own choices,” Crook said.
Because of multiple vaping-related
infractions during high school, Crook lost
out on the A+ program. This program
could have given him two years of free
college at SCC.
“I’ll still get there [college] but I had no
idea how much that [A+ program] would
have helped me now,” Crook said. “It
[vaping] ruined a lot of things.”
Vaping also made a big dent in his bank account,
which is a large factor in why he regrets vaping in
high school. According to Miller, he bought a pack
of pods a week as a high school student. To put that
in reference, the E-cigarette Juul has pods that sell
for $15.99.
“I know it’s like everyone’s doing but it’s just a big
waste of money,” Miller said. “Save up your money
and get some stuff that is actually valuable to you.”
Miller is now going to SCC pursuing a job in the
medical field. Miller still sees plenty of people
vaping while on campus but stays away from
gaining back that habit for himself. Miller’s advice
would be to go against the trend and don’t vape.
“It is definitely harmful,” Miller said. “Nothing
should be going into your lungs except for air.”
HERE ARE
THE
NUMBERS
218 FHN students were
surveyed to see how many
students in the school have
vaped (Content by Andrew
Reese)
of the freshman class
26% have vaped at least once.
(20% of the freshman
class was surveyed)
of the sophomore class
34% have vaped at least once.
(34% of the sophomore
class was surveyed)
of the junior class
56% have vaped at least once.
(23% of the junior class
was surveyed)
of the senior class
45% have vaped at least once.
(22% of the senior class
was surveyed)
26 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | IN-DEPTH PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

HERE ARE THE
218 FHN students were surveyed to see how the rise of vaping has effected the FHN community. Displinary
actions because of vaping infractions have increased by hundreds over the past three years (Content by Andrew
Reese)
STUDENTS’
TAKE
“I think it [vaping] is stupid
and people who do it are
throwing their lives away.”
Max Brewer, 9
“I think it [vaping] is pretty
dumb and stupid and it’s
essentially people killing
themselves for pleasure.”
CJ Montgomery, 10
“I think the people who
are doing it [vaping] will
realise it’s not healthy and
stop doing it.”
Anthony King, 11
ISN’T VAPING BETTER
THAN SMOKING?
One Juul pod is equal to 20 cigarettes,
which is one whole pack.
58%
of
the student body see
vaping as different from
smoking cigarettes.
IS VAPING EVEN A
THING ANYMORE?
15%
of
the student body vape currently.
FACTS
“It [vaping] is fine and it’s
a better alternative than
smoking.
Alivia Faupel, 12
IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?
58%
aspects
of the student
body believe in the
negative health
of vaping.
About one out of four students vaped
20+ times.
of the student body
believe that vaping
10%can’t result in death.
27%
held
of the student body
believe that more
research needs to be
about vaping.
of the student body
believe that vaping
5%won’t cause any harm.
PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN
IN-DEPTH | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
27

REPEATING
HISTORY
As vaping becomes a popular trend among youth, history
may be repeating itself
by Chloe Horstman
clshorstman@gmail.com
In 1993, a girl smells the scent of
cigarette smoke as she walks off
campus to meet her friends to study. A
cigarette is passed to her and she smokes
with her group between classes in her
first year of college. At age 19, Leslie
Firebaugh began smoking, unaware that it
would become
MORE INFO
Check out part one of
The New York Times
vaping podcast here:
http://bit.ly/33NpJmB
an addiction
that dictated
her, until she
battled to
reclaim her life.
Now in 2019,
a 16 year old girl hears peers talk about
vaping. Junior Allie Moore listens to them,
worrying about the new trend they’ve
become involved in.
“I assumed that it wasn’t going to be a
huge part of my life,” Firebaugh, mother
of Moore, said. “I just thought it was not
going to happen to me, little did I know
that I wouldn’t be able to quit. The worst
is when you realize that you’re addicted
because you’re by yourself and you’re not
in control of it like you think you are.”
Now at age 44, Firebaugh had
attempted to quit smoking multiple times
throughout her life, and defeated the
habit once she found out she was going
to have a baby. Quitting proved to be an
immense struggle, but Firebaugh prayed
for help to avoid hurting her unborn child.
“I wasn’t even able to on my own,”
Firebaugh said. “One day I was like ‘Okay
God, I’m pregnant, I don’t want to hurt the
baby that you’ve graced me with. You’re
gonna have to stop this for me. There’s
no way I can quit on my own.’ The next
time I went to light up a cigarette, it tasted
like I had been chewing tin foil. It was
like ever since I prayed for him to stop it,
it stopped. I couldn’t physically smoke
another cigarette.”
After defeating smoking, Firebaugh sees
the vaping trend that engulfs teenagers
similar to how her experience with
getting into cigarettes was. Her daughter,
Moore, believes that vaping poses a lot of
potential danger, even though it wears a
mask of safety.
“If you say ‘I can drive recklessly, I won’t
get in an accident,’ and you continue to
drive recklessly, one day you’re going to
get in an accident,” Moore said. “Same
with vaping. It might not hurt you in the
beginning, but it’s going to catch up
to you and something bad is going to
happen.”
As vaping related health issues become
increasingly prominent, it’s as if the
history of smoking is repeating itself, but
this time it smells like strawberries, or
nothing at all.
“The struggle that people our parents’
ages went through with nicotine
addictions
is the exact
same thing
that we’re
going
through, but
with Juuls,”
Moore said.
MORE INFO
Check out part two of
The New York Times
vaping podcast here:
nyti.ms/2qgyfdA
“We’re just repeating history rather than
avoiding it, it’s just come in a new form.
People are attracted to it and don’t realize
that it’s literally the same idea.”
28 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | IN-DEPTH PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

VAPING IN AMERICA;
HOW TO STOP THE EPIDEMIC
Teens vaping has become the new norm over the last decade. All of America is coming to an agreement- to end
illness and death due to vaping among teens (Content by Ivy Lowery)
The Federal Government is
Keeping an Eye on Vaping.
The National Government has become
aware of the new teen crisis. President
Donald Trump delivered a speech at the
White House earlier this fall, declaring that he
is moving to ban flavored vaping products in
an effort to stop the teen vaping epidemic in
America
The FDA and CDC have recently been
looking into vaping, to see what has been
causing deaths among vape users. The FDA
regulates legal vapes by lab testing them
and giving them legal approval to sell. The
issue with vapes that aren’t tested by the
FDA is that they are what has been causing
recent deaths and illness. While Federal and
Health officials look into these illegal vaping
products, the FDA has been keeping the
public informed on these legal and illegal
vapes, and how to stay safe.
Updated Policy For FHN.
The Francis Howell School District introduced a new
policy for students struggling with drug abuse of all kinds
earlier this year. The old policy stated that students must
be suspended for 10 days with a Code of Conduct hearing,
which then would be decided their punishment. FHSD
has updated this policy, students who are caught with
any substance or paraphernalia for any reason will be
suspended for three days and go to 9 mandatory days in the
Alternative Intervention Program (AIP). AIP offers counseling
and support for victims of addiction instead of punishing
them for their actions.
Missouri is Taking Action.
After noticing the new trend America is in action to prevent, Misssouri
took the nation’s lead. Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri signed an executive
order on Oct 15, 2019 stating that research and education discouraging
from the use of vaping products must be done. The campaign is set to
use current assets to launch within 30 days.
Over 20 health cases in Missouri alone are due to illness or
death of vaping-related products. The order states that Elementary and
Secondary Education, Public Safety and The Departments of Health and
Senior Services must develop a statewide campaign to educate and
inform youth about the dangers of vaping.
HOW TO STOP AN ADDICTION
Vaping has become a very relevant thing in teens, and at FHN. If you or a friend has a vaping
addiction, this is how to make quitting easier (Content by Ivy Lowery)
Find a Reason to Stop
Whether it’s wanting to positively influence
your siblings or wanting to avoid health
issues, quitting is the right thing for you.
Considering how vaping affects your life,
school work, and emotions is key to start
quitting. Ask a friend if they have seen any
changes in your life since you started. Some
people who vape also use other drugs. If you
or a friend smoke other things, now would be
a good time to try to quit those habits too.
Prepare Yourself to Quit
Setting a plan and a date of when to quit.
Set yourself up to be ready for the stress
and health issues that come with quitting.
Depending on the severity of the addiction,
you may experience withdrawals. Certain
situations may cause the victim of addiction
to crave nicotine to the point of physical
illness. Preparing strategies to help fight the
addiction and resist temptations to take
another puff are essential to quitting.
Create a Safe Place
Gaining new friends who support your
choices and who will help you to resist the
urge is the most important thing. Leaving
those habits behind also means leaving bad
influences behind. Creating a vision in your
mind of what you hope to achieve and who
you want to be surrounded by will help you
become who you want to be, while also
staying drug-free.
PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN
IN-DEPTH | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
29

WARNING!
55%
OF STUDENTS
HAVE NOT PURCHASED THEIR
YEARBOOK FOR THIS YEAR YET.
Why is this a big deal?
• The price goes up to $65 March 12
• The staff will not be ordering extras
once the final number is set at the end
of the year
Check on FHNtoday.com to make sure your
name is on the list of who has purchcased a
book. You can find that list here:
http://fhntoday.com/yearbook-sales/
You can purchase a 2013-14 yearbook:
• in room 026
• in the main office
• on FHNtoday.com under the
YEARBOOK tab on the top menu

ST. PETERS, MO
Dan Aubuchon
Fire Chief
Board of Directors
David J. Tilley
Chairman
Patricia Hamm
Treasuer
David Bell
Secratary
1220 Cave Springs Blvd
Saint Peters, Missouri 63376
Phone: 636-970-9700
Fax: 636-970-9715
www.centralcountyfire.org
Jeff Strickland, Agent
Daniel’s
Farm & Greenhouses
www.JeffStrickland.com
636.947.6226
Walk in, Call in, Click in
A local family-owned
business
Monday - Friday
9 am – 7 pm
Saturday
9 am – 5 pm
Sunday
10 am - 5 pm
352 Jungermann Road
St Peters, MO 63376
(636) 441-5048
https://www.danielsfarmandgreenhouse.com/

AUTHORIZED RETAILER
Worship Times:
Saturdays at 5:00 PM
Sundays at 8:00 AM
Sundays at 9:30 AM and 10:45 AM
SunRise O’Fallon Campus
7116 Twin Chimneys Blvd,
O’Fallon, MO 63368
Ph: (636) 978-2727
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Laulie Cakes
Mon - Closed
Tues-Sat-
10am-6pm
Sun - 11am-5pm
lauliecakes.com
420 S Main St
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Custom Cakes, Cookies,
Desserts, and More!

Sophomore Logan Schelfaut dives into a pool at the RecPlex. He won state last year and worked hard
this year to prepare for GACs. Schefault plans to continue swimming through high school. (File photo)
DIVING INTO
ANOTHER WIN
Sophomore Logan Schefault takes his second win at the GAC
Diving Championship
by Gracie Bowman
graciebowman310@gmail.com
Logan Schefault has impressed many. Through
his win in regionals and his state win last year, he
has proved himself a great swimmer. On Nov. 5,
Schefault won the GAC Diving Championships for
the second year in a row.
“I go to practice and do my dives,” Schefault said.
“I was happy [that I won.]”
Schefault competed at the St.
Peters Rec Plex. He swam against
Francis Howell, Francis Howell
Central, Fort Zumwalt and Holt
High school. Schefault came
in first place against the other
schools.
“I was very excited,” FHN swim
coach Joshua Galati said. “It’s nice to see all his hard
work pay off.”
According to Galati, Schefault is always the first
one at practice and the last one to leave. He works
extremely hard to improve his swimming and diving.
MORE INFO
Check out the article
when Schefault won
state his freshman year
here: bit.ly/34Z74CV
He works hard along with his other teammates, who
were there to cheer him on at the GACs.
“He works very hard,” Galati said. “He is a leader.
He puts 100 percent effort in and does a great job.”
Not only did Schefault come in first place, but he
also broke his own GAC diving record from last year.
He holds the point total of 582.8.
“[I beat my] GAC record,”
Schefault said. “It was exciting.”
Schefault will continue to
keep swimming in high school
and hopes to continue during
college. Galati also hopes that
Schefault will continue to swim.
He sees a lot of potential in
Schefault’s swim and dive career.
“I think Logan is going to have his choice of where
he wants to go [in the future] because he is that
good,” Galati said. “He’s not just the best of the state,
he’s one of the best in the country.”
PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN
SPORTS |11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
33

FINISHING
THE
SEASON
FHN’s varsity football team ends
their season with a 1-9 record, an
improvement from last year
by Abby Martinez
amartinez240@g.fhsdschools.org
FHN’s football team looks back at their season and
how they hope to improve it next year. FHN’s varsity
football team finished their 1-9 season with a
hard-fought loss during playoffs against Battle High
School on Nov. 8.
“I would describe this season as a struggle, but
I would say there’s beauty within the struggle,”
running back AZ Anderson said. “With every loss we
had, I gained a valuable lesson to become a better
player.”
The team went through many hardships
throughout the season, but they always worked
together to overcome those. One of the main
challenges the team faced were the close-game
losses.
“I think the biggest challenge all season was
definitely finishing in the later quarters,” lineman
Logan Currie said. “That’s where we always came
short.”
Along with the challenges the team faced, there
Senior Joey Albers Prize passes a competitor at a 5k
race during a cross country meet. He has one of the
fastest personal records on the team. Albers also
played volleyball and soccer in the past. (Photo by Allie
Moore)
Junior Braedon Salter plays outside linebacker against Washington High school at a home game. He has played
for the past three years of high school. Salter subbed his freshman year and played varsity his sophomore and
junior year. “I feel like the seniors really stepped up and led the team,” said Salter. (Photo by Riley Witherbee)
were also very special moments the team cherished.
The team beat Ft. Zumwalt South for the first time
since 2017 on Sept. 13.
“Beating FZS was the biggest moment this season,”
Currie said. “It showed us that we can compete.”
As the boys look back on the season, they begin to
notice patterns throughout each game: the mentality
of each player.
“The biggest improvement was definitely our
attitude change,” Anderson said. “Even when we
were down losing, it didn’t matter, people still had
their heads held up. Last year we’d be down by
a certain amount of touchdowns and everybody
After playing soccer for three years, one athlete has
found a new calling. Senior Joey Albers Prize made
the big decision to choose to run cross country his
final year at FHN.
“I did track my junior year and I just kind of fell in
love with running,” Albers Prize said.
Although Joey is new to cross
country, he is not a new face to FHN
sports programs. Aside from soccer,
he ran track last year. This, in part, due
to his love of running. He loved not
only the sport itself but also the team.
A lot of the track team also run cross
country and encouraged him to run
cross country.
“A lot of my friends and family knew that it would
be good for me because in soccer, I was always
known for having a lot of endurance,” Albers Prize
said.
Changing up a sport as a senior can be hard.
When the time came for fall tryouts, Albers Prize was
would be like ‘oh my gosh’ and I think that has to do
with leadership.”
Though the season didn’t end the way the players
or coaches hoped it would, they still took away the
importance of being a team and to play like they
know how to. The team has found a way to find the
importance in each game of the season, whether it
ends in a win or a loss.
“I wouldn’t do-over any games because I honestly
believe that everything happens for a reason,”
Anderson said. “Even the ones we lost by one or two
points, because it built me into the person I am.”
DRIBBLING TO RUNNING
Senior Joey Albers Prize runs cross country, making a change from soccer
by Justin Brewer
justinbrewer15@gmail.com
WATCH
Follow this link to
watch a recap pf
Cross Country at
Districts
bit.ly/33tYjAj
almost completely set on running cross country. He
had played soccer his whole life, but he also knew
that he was going to have fun on the cross country
team.
“By the time tryouts came, I already knew I wanted
to run cross country,” Albers Prize said “I had been
thinking about it the whole summer.”
Albers Prize sometimes wishes that he
had run cross country earlier, but if given
the chance, he wouldn’t change anything.
He loved the years he played soccer.
However, he has also loved running cross
country and hopes to do it in the future.
Head cross country coach Kimberly
Martin believes that he definitely has the
ability to succeed and hopes he does.
“After seeing him on the track I knew that he was
going to be good in cross,” Martin said. “He has a
really good work ethic and anybody who has that is
going to be able to improve really well throughout
the season.”
34 SPORTS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY.COM
PAGE BY ABBY MARTINEZ

Junior Lucy St. John is playing on softball varsity for
her second year. The junior will play anywhere she is
needed but she is in on field most of the time. (Photo
by Jordyn Sgroi)
REFLECTING ON
THE SEASON
Juniors Emille Miller and Sophia Gabel attempt to block the ball from Liberty High School on Oct. 9. This is
Miller and Gabel’s first year playing on varsity. During their sophmore year, the two juniors played on the JV team
together. (Photo by Ella Manthey).
SETTING THE SCORE
The varsity volleyball team played their final away game on Oct. 24 against
St. Charles High School and look back at this year’s season
by Mollie Roberts
msroberts6536@gmail.com
When the 2019 FHN girls varsity volleyball
season came to an end, there were mixed
emotions from both new and returning
players. For many of the girls, it was their final season
playing volleyball especially since five players on the
team were seniors.
“Since being a senior, I think the thing I am going
to miss most is getting to spend everyday with my
closest friends that I would
not have made if I didn’t play
volleyball,” Kylie Schaffer
said, who has been playing
on the varsity team since her
sophomore year. “Even though
I am going to be playing in
college it won’t be the same
playing without my girls from
high school.”
Many new players joined the team this season,
including sophomore Ella Bargen who moved up
from the freshman team to varsity in one year. She
attributes this success to playing club volleyball
during the winter. Many girls play club volleyball
during the off season to keep up with their skills and
prepare for the fall season.
“It was a very big jump from the freshman team
Varsity Girls
Volleyball Stats
Wins: 14
Losses: 15
Ties: 1
to varsity and a bit scary because the girls were
much taller and hit a lot harder, but I was ready
because I always used to talk about being varsity
when I was younger,” Bargen said. “I trained really
hard by playing club volleyball and by doing clinic
and camps. I worked on things I struggled with and I
mastered them. Just in this season alone I improved
by knowing how to read the ball not only by seeing
where she was hitting by how the hitter was hitting.”
Junior Cate Hahn was another new player who
moved up from JV to varsity. Throughout
the season she developed her skills and
eventually won All Tournament team
at both the St. Charles High School
Tournament and the Lutheran St.
Charles Tournament. Hahn has been
playing volleyball since her freshman
year and has played for all three teams;
freshman, JV and varsity.
“My favorite game was when we played
Lutheran High in the championship game of their
tournament, because it was the best we have ever
played and although we didn’t win we played for
each other to reach a common goal,” Hahn said. “I
hope that next year we are still able to play for each
other, not individually, and although we are losing
our seniors, we can keep the team unity that we
developed this year since it is so strong.”
The Knights softball team started competing in
their first game of districts on Oct. 16. They were
ranked as the number five seed and played Fort
Zumwalt North, who had the number four seed,
and the Knights defeated them 13-3.
“We played pretty well so we were pretty
excited to play the next day at Francis Howell
Central who had the number one seed,” head
coach Mike Freedline said. “They had already
beat us three times this year so we knew it was
going to be a tough game.”
Francis Howell North played Francis Howell
Central on Thursday and started off the game
well, but then had a couple errors, gained
unearned runs and eventually lost 0-10. For
next year the Knights have high hopes and
expectations.
“We’ll be changing conferences, so going into
the new conference our goal next year is to win
the conference as we come into it next year,”
Freedline said. “Our seniors led the team real
well, and everybody stepped up and improved
from the year before, so they all did a pretty
good job.”
Last season, the Knights had six starting
sophomores and were a young team. The
Knights will be losing seniors such as Adria
Schmidt, who led the Knights with 36 hits
and two RBIs. Next year, the Knights will have
several returning members, such as junior Becka
Brissette and freshman Lucy Fajatin who led the
team in home runs.
“This season we ended up having a lot more
upperclassmen since we were such a young
team last year and we ended up getting farther
into districts this year,” junior Becka Brissette
said. “We want to win conference next year, we
changed conferences and we want to ended up
winning and go farther in districts, and I want to
hit better and get my stats up.” (Story by Parker
Kilen)
PAGE BY JUSTIN BREWER
SPORTS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
35

Junior Jack Ferry swims at the RecPlex against FZS on
Oct. 29. Ferry has been swimming on the varsity swim
team since his freshman year. The team came in third
place. (Photo by Addy Bradbury)
SWIMMING FOR
SUCCESS
Junior Jack Ferry has participated in the
school’s swim team for all three years of his
high school career. His swim experience goes
back further than high school, however. Ferry
started playing sports at a young age. In first
grade, Ferry joined the Dolphins, an outdoor
swim team associated with the Rec-Plex. He
found he had a natural stroke.
“I choose to stick with swim because I
thought it was easier on your body,” Ferry
said. “I also enjoy the competition.”
Ferry practices in all strokes but he favors
the breaststroke. FHN swim practice starts
surprisingly late. In some cases, this can be
stressful and swim can get in the way of other
obligations. Ferry spends a good amount
of his time swimming, but when he’s not
at the pool, he’s usually studying or doing
homework. With his busy schedule, it doesn’t
leave much time for himself.
“Swim requires a lot of prioritizing,” Ferry
said. “Otherwise I am swimming generally
four to five nights a week.”
Ferry swims practically all year round, and
he’s even on a summer swim team. All that
practice and hard work has paid off. One of
Ferry’s best times has been on a 50 free which
he swam in 24 seconds at a meet. One length
of the pool is 25 meters.
Ferry plans on continuing his swim career
into the future, and he plans on swimming all
the way through college.
“I think swim’s helped me keep a healthy
lifestyle when the workload gets bigger,” Ferry
said.
Ferry’s coach Josh Galati has had a major
impact on his success by helping him practice
for many meets throughout his career.
“He’s a strong swimmer,” Galati said. “He
really pushes himself.” (Brief by Emma Fischer)
Junior Liam Levins attacks the goal, looking to pass the ball to his teammate, Louis Primeau. Players on the varsity
boys soccer team compete in a nail-biting soccer game against Holt on Oct. 8 at FHN. The team was led by Coach
Scheller. (Photo by Phoebe Primeau)
KNIGHTS GO PINK
The boys’ varsity soccer team brings awareness to breast cancer by
wearing pink jerseys for home games throughout the month of October
by Abby Akers
aakers454@g.fhsdschools.org
During their games in October, the boys varsity
soccer team wore pink jerseys in support
of breast cancer awareness. The team, who
has a 4-19 record, thought it would be a good way to
show that they support breast cancer awareness.
“Coach [Larry] Scheller decided it would be a good
idea to get them,” said sophomore varsity soccer
player Cannon Murray. “In years past we have always
had pink-themed jerseys in October.”
The team likes being able to wear the pink-themed
jerseys. It brings awareness to something that isn’t
talked about as much as it should be.
“The whole team enjoys
wearing them to show support,”
said sophomore player Jackson
Houk.
The month of October
is National Breast Cancer
Awareness month. Breast cancer
is one of the most common
cancers among women.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation,
an estimated 268,600 people will be diagnosed with
invasive breast cancer this year.
“It’s scary to think that so many people will have
breast cancer,” sophomore Rebecca Orthwerth said.
“You never really know how big of a problem it is
until you read about it.”
The team typically wears black jerseys for home
games and white jerseys for away games. During
October, the pink themed jerseys are worn in place
of the black home jerseys.
MORE INFO
Read more about breast
cancer and help by
donating to the cause:
bit.ly/2Qg9rgp
“We choose as a team and we usually wear it
[the jersey] every other game,” junior player Dane
McManus said.
According to UCSF Health, breast cancer is most
common in older individuals. One in eight women
who live to the age of 80 will be diagnosed with
cancer. Nearly 77 percent of women who are
diagnosed with cancer are over the age of 50. Less
than 5 percent of women under the age of 40 are
diagnosed with breast cancer.
There are many ways to reduce the risk of getting
breast cancer. According to City of Hope, exercise
can reduce your risk of being
diagnosed with breast cancer.
Reducing the amount of alcohol
you drink and not smoking can also
reduce your risks tremendously.
Breast cancer does not only affect
women. Although rare, men can
develop breast cancer. Male breast
cancer symptoms are the same
as women. One in every 1,000 men will develop
this cancer. Men also have a higher mortality rate
because it usually isn’t caught as early.
The team is grateful that they had the opportunity
to wear the pink jerseys. They are glad they are able
to show support in such a big way. The boys hope
to continue the tradition of wearing the pink jerseys
next October.
“Yes, [we will continue the tradition next year],”
Houk said. “I think it’s a cool thing to do to support
breast cancer awareness.”
36 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | SPORTS PAGE BY ANDREW TUETH

FINISH OF A
MEMORABLE
SEASON
The girls’ cross country team has had a successful
season with Chloe Horstman and Allison Vernon
moving on to sectionals. They have led a team of 17
girls this year, with 14 runners who have returned
from the previous season. Many of the athletes on
the team improved throughout the season and
developed healthy habits in order to successfully
compete against other rival high schools. Alise
Simon, an athlete on the team, is no exception.
“I maintain good grades throughout the season
because I have a much stricter schedule during
cross country season,” said Simon.
Before a meet, the team performs several normal
routines. They did activities together such as
receiving race number bibs, putting on spikes,
warm up jog and stretching.
“My favorite thing to do before and after I run is
cheering on the other races FHN competes in,” said
Simon.
The team spirit is what helps to fuel these girls as
they race against competitors. During practices and
meets, the athletes all cheer for one another and
coast alongside the race to motivate the runners to
move faster.
JUNIOR HELPS
LEAD THE TEAM
This year there was one tennis player who stood
out from the bunch: Allie Moore. She is a junior who
first started playing her freshman year. She was
looking for something to do outside of school.
“I thought it would look good for college and for
businesses,” Moore said.
Moore’s teammates think highly of her and enjoy
her motivation and her passion for tennis.
“She’s a very motivated person,” junior tennis
player Iris Lee said. “I guess if she has an idea she
has the drive to make it happen.”
Moore wanted to become a better leader to the
other members in tennis, so over the summer
she learned how to coach younger kids. With the
knowledge she learned from coaching them, she
went into the season ready to help people.
“I have started giving people on my team advice
and helping them out with little things,” said Moore.
“But there is only so much you can do when also
trying to better yourself but I try to help out where
I can.”
One of the pieces of advice Moore had for the
team is to practice more during the off season.
“If people practiced more during the off season
we could be better than other schools,” Moore said.
Moore helped her teammates with
Junior Chloe Horstman runs during a cross country
meet for FHN. Horstman has participated in cross
country for three years. (Photo by Allie Moore)
“Team spirit makes cross country enjoyable and
tolerable, I don’t know what we would do without
it,” said Simon.
There are three main workouts every week
during practice: distance runs, track workouts and
timed runs. Distance runs are focused on form and
cardio, slower than race pace, but usually go farther
distance coverage. Track workouts tend to be the
hardest of the three, and are focused on pushing
yourself physically and mentality. Timed runs are
the easiest of the three. Those are done a day
before a meet and it is a thirty minute jog on your
own at FHN.
“The workouts done at practice not only help to
prepare the athletes, but also act as a stress reliever
from school,” assistant coach Valerie Green said.
(Brief by Andrew Tueth)
Junior Allie Moore prepares to hit the tennis ball back across
the net to her opponent. Moore has been playing for three years
and has experienced coaching change. Moore enjoys helping
her teammates. (Photo by Avery Witherbee)
techniques and forms. She also helped newer
players improve. She wanted to work on specific
ways to move and hold the racket while doing a
front hand or backhand.
“She has definitely helped me in tennis whenever
I started out,” said Lee. “She helped teach me the
techniques and I definitely improved thanks to her.”
Moore is a motivating person, often hosting and
setting up group bonding events for the tennis
team with Lee.
“Watching her play itself was pretty exciting,” Lee
said. “We’d always just watch her play really well
and it motivates us to be better.” (Brief by Jon Fitch)
Freshman Leah Heischmidt follows though on her
swing on Sept. 24 at a match against Troy Buchanan.
Heischmidt has become a valuable player during her
first year on the golf team. (Photo by Nadia Abusoud)
ACHIEVING HER
GOALS
The first year of high school for many students
is an opportunity to not only find new things to
do and experience, but also a chance to continue
and build upon things previously enjoyed.
Freshman Leah Heischmidt used her freshman
year to continue playing golf, as she had as a
child, but went in with the goal of making friends,
being able to manage everything and growing in
the process.
“I’ve played golf since around fifth grade,”
Heischmidt said. “I played CYC [Christian Youth
Channel] through my old school, but for high
school I was excited to meet all of the girls
because they’re all so nice, and all so welcoming.”
Since Heischmidt had previously played golf
and made the team when she tried out this year,
and she found that the biggest struggle was
playing against the upperclassmen.
“We have rankings for who we get to play
with, and I was number one, so I played against
juniors and seniors,” Heischmidt said. “And I’m a
freshman so I was just like ‘uhhh.’”
Heischmidt looked forward to meeting the girls,
and she formed many friendships throughout
the season. Her favorite memories were from
bonding with her teammates.
“Leah is valuable as a teammate because she
is very good at golf and helps our team scores,”
freshman teammate Chloe Perkins said. “As a
player she’s calm and easy going, and as a friend
Leah is funny, kind and fun to be around.”
Heischmidt hopes to play golf for the rest of
high school. With her dad’s encouragement and
her desire to continue playing, she thinks it makes
the most sense. Going into the next few years she
hopes to make it to sectionals and continue to
improve her skills.
“My favorite thing about golf is the
sportsmanship,” Heischmidt said. “Everyone is
usually kind of nice to play with so it’s not there’s
any bad environment with anyone. It’s just a good
environment to be in.” (Brief by Hannah Davis)
PAGE BY KARSYN WILLIAMS
SPORTS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
37

A peek into Winter
As winter sports began in early November, players and coaches have been working hard and
training. Take a look into their goals, plans and what’s new for the current season
BACK ON
THE MATS
During last season, three
boys’ wrestlers qualified for
state, one returning to the team
this year. This season, many
underclassmen are in a position
to move into the varsity spots.
With many freshmen having
gone through the school’s little
league wrestling program,
some newcomers are already
experienced in the sport of
school wrestling. Previous state
qualifier, sophomore Mason
Apple hopes to return to state
this season, and is currently
preparing for the teams first
home duel on Dec. 4th against
St. Charles West.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,”
coach Chris Brown said. “I’m
hoping our varsity spots will rise
up to the task.”
With this being the second
year of a separate girls wrestling
team at FHN, the team is
continuing to struggle with
gathering a sufficient amount
of wrestlers within each weight
class. During the previous
season, not all of the wrestlers
were able to make it through
the entire season as many
suffered injuries. Thankfully, this
season has had an increased
interest in the team overall and
new wrestlers have decided to
try out. The team is working
hard training to prepare for the
Wonder Woman Tournament
on Jan. 4th.
“[Last year] was definitely
an experiment,” Brown said.
“I’m excited for this year and I
hope the team rises excitement
for wrestling.” (Brief by Karsyn
Williams)
Senior Trace Martin takes down an opponent on the home fields. Martin has been on the wrestling
team all four years of high school. “I wanted to be in wrestling because I wanted to be in a sport
that would push me and make me stronger,” Martin said. (File Photo)
DIVING INTO THE SEASON
Last season, diver and alumni Kamryn Bell had
gone to state and many previously inexperienced
swimmers got up to speed with learning
the swimming strokes needed at meets and
improving overall.
Many underclassmen swimmers had also
joined swim club last year, giving the returning
swimmers, such as junior Olivia Neunaber and
sophomore Natalia Salazar the ability to apply
their new and improved skills to meets for the
current season. The team will also be going to
more meets this season to gain some experience,
and they are working hard at the pool in order to
prepare and hope to make it to state and improve
their times.
“We lost some really good swimmers this
season because they were seniors,” sophomore
Ana Remolina said. “But, this year’s seniors and
juniors are amazing and many of the sophomores
have improved a lot.” (Brief by Karsyn Williams)
Junior Lexi Triller cheers as her teammate
finished a relay during a swim meet. Triller has
competed in breast stroke and freestyle swim
during the previous season. (File Photo)
38 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | SPORTS
PAGE BY KARSYN WILLIAMS

Senior Sterling Jones takes the ball down the sideline of the FHN basketball courts. Jones
has been on the varsity team since his sophomore year and he plans to play again this
year. “I chose to play basketball because it’s my favorite sport,” Jones said, “and I have
been playing since I was a little kid.” (File Photo)
SETTING OUT TO SWISH
Last season, the team struggled but found
that they had improved as the season went
on, and they aim to continue building off
that improvement. Seniors Ben Oster and
Kyle Foster are returning to the court for
their last year on the team and plan to bring
their best game. This is the first year with
coach Mark Wright being the head coach
of the team. He and the other players are
looking forward to competing this season
as they prepare for their first tournament
on Dec. 9 at St. Charles West.
“Our team goal is to be playing our best
basketball in February,” Wright said. “We
are working hard each day, each practice,
each game to get a little bit better each
time we step on the court.” (Brief by Karsyn
Williams)
Senior Jenna Thompson hides the ball away from an opponent from
Francis Howell Central at a game on Jan 29. Jenna Thompson played
both on the varsity and JV girls basketball teams during her junior
year. “I have been interested in the sport all my life.” said Thompson,
“My parents both played it in high school and even my mom played
a little in college.” (File Photo)
Q&A
WITH JENNA THOMPSON
Take a look into how the only senior on the
varsity girls basketball player is preparing for
the 2019-2020 season
Why did you start playing basketball?
“It was a sport my family has always played and it was really
easy to play in the backyard. It was a sport I grew up to love.”
What are you looking forward to this season?
“Getting to know the new coach and getting to move very
well with all the new girls that we have.”
What are some of the teams goals this season?
Sophomore Matthew Wells takes a shot on goal against the Holt Indians. Wells glided
through the opposing defense to get a one-on-one with the goalie. Wells played varsity since
his freshman year. (File Photo)
RETURNING TO THE ICE
With new players and many returning
players stepping up to varsity this season,
the hockey team has been working hard
on improving individually and as a group.
Returning players, sophomores Max Ising
and senior Blaine Longmore, are putting
their best effort in during games. Last year,
The team had won a playoff game and aims
to improve their record this season. On Nov.
22, the team competes against Timberland
and is looking forward to getting on the ice
to play.
“I feel pretty good about our practices,”
sophomore player Matt Wells said. “I think
varsity is going to do pretty good this year.”
(Brief by Karsyn Williams)
“To somewhat do the same of last year. To grow as a team
with the new coach and all the new players and just really have
the best season that we can.”
How does the team plan on reaching these
goals?
“We’re gonna really work our butts off this year and we’re
definitely going to try and hit the weight room as much as we
can. We’re going to keep working hard every practice and get
better each one.”
How is it being the only senior on the team?
“It is kind of crazy being the only senior. But, it’s also kind of
nice because I’m someone the rest of the teammates and the
JV team look up to.”
(Content by Karsyn Williams)
PAGE BY KARSYN WILLIAMS
SPORTS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
39

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A wilting flower sits outside during a snow storm. An enviromental activist is a person that works towards protecting plants and animals in nature. The activists could end
up hurting the Earth though with their actions and protests. (Photo by Kaili Martin)
Helping or Hurting
Environmental activism without purpose or solutions
contributes to the problem more than it helps
Remember back to US History class, when Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the
Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC and twerked on national television, or when
in protest to the Vietnam war, peace activists flew into Vietnam and set it ablaze
with Napalm? Of course not. These protests would’ve been ridiculous instead of
game changing if any of that was true. So, why does the climate hysteria that has
gripped the world in recent months expect to be treated seriously?
Starting with #ShutDownDC, an event that aimed to block major highways to
force government action. Instead, as recorded and later posted to social media,
protestors twerked, littered and threw confetti (which they didn’t clean up) and
glitter into the air. Glitter is awful for the environment; it kills marine life. That
combined with the fact that several protestors thought “twerking” was a form of
protest. It isn’t. Not to mention police had to, as journalist Julio Rosas reported,
power a gas guzzling generator to destroy protestor-erected barricades. Great job,
protestors.
Then there’s Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swede who made
headlines after sailing across the ocean in a zero-emission
yacht to avoid a plane ride. Except she flew in a crew. Also,
as Vox and Bloomberg explain, not only would Thunberg’s
trek not decrease plane emissions for a single flight, but it’s
counterproductive. Flying overseas is when planes are most
environmentally friendly. It’s also impractical: not everyone can borrow
a millionaire’s yacht. Upon arrival, Thunberg threw a temper tantrum at the UN,
like a child. She has no moral supremacy because she’s a child, nor is she immune
from critique. Thunberg been made a victim of climate hysteria, not climate
destruction.
Both of these were virtue signals. Real environmentalists aren’t twerking in DC
or building custom yachts. They’re cleaning up trash. The same time as the DC
protests, real activists went down to Los Angeles to clean up 50 tons of garbage.
Even Stream Team in Missouri and Recycling Club at FHN have done more to save
the planet than these “protests”. It’s time we stopped giving legitimacy to those
who don’t deserve it. (Story by Connor Peper)
Environmental activists get a bad wrap and are
helpful and essential towards the future of our planet
The earth is heating up. According to NASA, the earth has heated up about
0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880. This has been caused by the increased carbon
emissions due to fossil fuels. The United Nations has stated that it has a goal
to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. For this to occur,
action must be taken in order to change policies regarding carbon emissions.
Environmental activists express their concern for the government to provide a
better future for the planet.
Environmental activists are key to getting policy to change regarding climate
change. They communicate to the government their want for better policies on
climate change. During the week of Sept. 20, there were a series of international
climate protests demanding action to be taken against climate change, with
CNN reporting 7.6 million people taking part. Without their voice, nobody would
know their demand to prevent climate change, and policies would not change
to prevent it.
The EPA shows that 45 percent of global carbon emissions come from two
countries, China and the United States. They only have nine and 12 climate laws
respectively, relatively low compared to Brazil’s 28 climate laws. Brazil has about
two thirds of the population of the United States, and yet they only account
for about two percent of global carbon emissions. China and the United States
need to regulate their carbon emissions, especially since they are two of the
most industrialized nations in the world. The activists are demanding policies
that would decrease carbon emissions by phasing out fossil fuels, creating
sustainable agriculture and more.
Activists hope to keep global warming to well below two
degrees Celsius. Left untreated, climate change will lead to
stronger storms, more droughts, heat waves and rising sea
levels, according to the EPA. More people are going to be
affected by global climate change, whether it be through more
and frequent strong storms, or they may be displaced due to rising sea levels.
Every voice is necessary to help get the world to act on climate change. (Story by
Justin Christensen)
Do environmental
activists help or hurt the
environment?
“It is good for the
enviroment, it allows others
to see what others are doing
for the enviroment. It spreads
awareness.”
Emma Musselman, 10
“They have admirable
passion, but there is no actual
effort being done by them or
influenced by them.”
Julian Washington, 9
“What enviromentalist do is
imperative to the survival of the
human race. Everybody should
strive in one way or the other to
protect the environment.”
Logan Holloway, 10
42 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | OPINIONS PAGE BY AADHI SATHISHKUMAR

WHY YOU
SHOULD
CHOOSE M&M’S
Two of the best selling candies in
America are evaluated. M&M’s are
the better choice, for more reasons
than just their delicious taste
by Ivy Lowery
ilowery408@g.fhsdschools.org
Everyone has seen the bright, colorful, and
seasonal advertisements and begged their parents
for these candies at some point. Whether it’s
chocolate bars or fruity sugar pellets, people of all
ages love candy. Two of the most popular in sales
and flavor come down to be evaluated by a candy
enthusiast. M&Ms by the candy company MARS, or
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups by the arguably most
famous chocolate company, Hershey’s. Who will win?
Why should someone buy M&Ms instead of
Reese’s? Other than the exceptionally smooth
chocolatey taste, the price for each unit is a great
amount lower than Reese’s. In a typical $5 candy
bag for Halloween, there are 14 units of one piece
Reese’s cups, and 21 packs of Fun Size M&Ms with 17
candies, 357 in total. This comes out to three and a
half ounces worth of Reese’s Cups and a whopping
11 ounces of M&Ms. By buying M&Ms, you get more
than triple the candy for your money.
As well as getting more sugar filled delights,
MARS offers more variety of M&M flavors such as
the classic milk chocolate, hazelnut, almond and
(Photo submitted by Gracie Bowman)
First sold in 1941, M&M’s spill out next to a relative of theirs, Reese’s Pieces. Although the first Reese’s candy
hit the shelves in 1928, its small, candy coated counterpart wasn’t seen until 49 years later in 1977. Despite the
obvious inspiration that Reese’s took, they continue to rival M&M’s. (Photo by Aidyn Gleason)
more. Unfortunately, Reese’s doesn’t have much
variety: only various chocolates and Reece’s Pieces
Cups. With more choices, the
combinations and possibilities of
flavors are endless. For some, the
classic M&M cookie filled childhood
memories with mouth-watering
smells and smiles all around. With all
these M&M flavors, you could make
endless varieties of these cookies
with M&Ms. What cookies or recipes can you make
with Reese’s?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups blend the taste of
peanut butter and chocolate seamlessly, but have
you ever come back to your car and had melted
peanut butter and chocolate all over your seat or
Christmas comes with many special things. One
of the biggest ones is Christmas music. There is
a great variety of Christmas songs in existence,
like “Jingle Bells,” “All I Want for Christmas is You,”
“Jingle Bell Rock,” and lots more.
There is an ongoing debate as to
when these tunes are appropriate to
listen to. Some people are Christmas
lovers and are happy with listening
to Christmas music all year, while
some people have a set time frame
for when it is appropriate. The best
time for Christmas music should be reserved for the
Christmas season.
Holiday music all year long is inappropriate. It
should be saved for after Thanksgiving through
New Year, however, because playing music year
round would take away from some of the special
quality of the music. Christmas music is special
because it is only widely played around the holiday
console? M&Ms were designed to prevent this very
problem. Forrest Mars, Sr. came up with the idea in
1941 after seeing soldiers during the
Spanish Civil War eating chocolate
pellets with a hard candy casing. The
candy was made with hard casing so
the soldiers could carry them around
during warm weather. So thanks
to Mars’ great observation, you no
longer have melted chocolate in your
beautiful car.
Although M&Ms have many benefits, both M&Ms by
MARS and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups by Hershey’s
are great candy in their own ways. The smooth pure
taste of the classic chocolate candy is a beautifully
crafted recipe, and is severely underrated.
KEEP CHRISTMAS TO ITSELF
The best time to hear Christmas music is after Thanksgiving
by Justin Christensen
11justintc@gmail.com
MORE INFO
Check out some more
facts about Reeses’ and
M&Ms here :
bit.ly/2MNK3MW
season. If it was played every day, it would no
longer be special, like any other song played on
the radio.
Some people absolutely detest Christmas music
and would rather not hear it at all. They say it all
sounds the same, upbeat and happy, which isn’t
their style. That is very true, but
that’s the point of it. It’s a happy
MORE INFO
Check out some popular
Christmas music here:
bit.ly/33XCAki
time of year: people give gifts
to each other, spend time with
their families and much more.
Christmas music reflects the
overall feeling of the holiday:
happiness and joy. Besides,
lots of people really enjoy listening to Christmas
music, so it still should be played widely during the
holiday season.
When played during the right times, Christmas
music is a fun, special addition to the holiday
season. To keep the special quality of Christmas
music, the best time for it to be widely played
would be just the Christmas season.
PAGE BY JUSTIN CHRISTENSEN
OPINIONS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
43

STUDENT TAKE:
WHAT IS YOUR
OPINION ON FHSD
SUING JUUL?
“They can sue them, but I
don't know how effective
it is because there are
different brands .”
Abby Keathley, 11
“I don't like Juuls, but I think
it's kind of stupid to sue
them because you'd never
win. It's not about FHN. It's
just kids Juuling.”
James Struble, 12
“I think it's waste of time.
It's the individual kids so
it's kind of silly to sue a
whole company. We should
focus on something else.”
Alex Harris, 12
"It seems kind of stupid
because they don't have
any power over who they
can sell to. It's the kid who
chooses whether or not
they buy one.”
Aiden Kehoe, 9
“I think it's kind of dumb
and waste of money, but I
don't know much about it.”
Emily Nelson, 10
“It'll probably help with
banning Juul, making it
harder to access. It'll also
help with the other schools
that sued.”
Calvin Caswell, 10
NORTH STAR TAKE:
FHSD SHOULD TAKE
THE FIGHT TO JUUL
FHSD is currently in a lawsuit against Juul Labs
On Behalf of the Editorial Staff
@fhntoday.com | @FHNtoday
The Francis Howell School District
has decided to join other school
districts around the country to sue
the e-cigarette company, Juul Labs. The
decision was brought forward to the board by
their lawyer, Cindy Ormsbry. After the federal
government released a statement saying
that Juul Labs advertises towards underage
kids and the rapid spike in e-cigarette related
offenses in the school district, FHSD didn’t want
to leave Juul unpunished.
The Editorial Board is in support of the
Francis Howell School District. FHSD has done
the most they can do with trying to keep the
students away from e-cigarettes. They have
tried to prevent them from being used by
under-age kids with their health effect warnings
and have tried to help students with nicotine
addictions.
According to Ormsbry, the district has
spent an excessive amount of their time and
resources trying to take care of this e-cigarette
epidemic. After a spike from around 50 to 280
e-cigarette infractions within the school district,
44 FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | OPINIONS PAGE BY ANDREW REESE

the board has taken action to fix the underlying
issue of nicotine addiction. Figuring that detentions
and suspensions don’t work, they have spent
excessive resources to hold information programs
for their students and enforcing a new drug policy.
None of the funds from the lawsuit are coming
from the taxpayers or the district either. If there is
any recovery from a settlement or after a trial, the
legal fees will be paid out of that settlement, but
there will be no funds and no taxpayer funds to pay
for the lawsuit.
Although this lawsuit does punish Juul Labs,
FHSD will not blame Juul for students being caught
with vapes on their person. The student is still held
accountable for their behavior. The student will be
punished with in school suspension and will be
go through programs to help with their nicotine
addiction.
The district’s end goal of the lawsuit is to get
reimbursed for the issue they didn’t create, but
that Juul did. FHSD wants the funds reimbursed
(Illustration by Kiley Beiner)
to them that they had to use towards the vaping
problems they have had over the past three years.
They want to be able to pay for the programs and
rehabilitation that is used and the administrators
and professionals that help as well.
If no actions were taken before this, the lawsuit
would seem impractical. But FHSD has spent time
and finances trying to fix a problem that they didn’t
create for their students. Juul has created a mess
that FHSD has had to clean up for the past three
years. The district isn’t using their own funds to pay
for the lawsuit, they have tried other ways to fix the
problem, they aren’t blaming only Juul, but also the
students; FHSD has all their I’s dotted and all their
T’s crossed.
The district cares about their health and well
being of their students. If they win this lawsuit, they
are hoping to be able to cure this vaping epidemic
once and for all with the resources they will be able
to provide, including rehabilitation programs and
help for the students’ addiction with nicotine.
North | star
Editor-in-Chief:
Grace Bowman
Copy Editor:
Ashlynn Perez
Entertainment/Opinions Editor:
Justin Christensen
News Editor:
Macy Cronin
Features Editor:
Sydney Ellison
Sports Editor:
Karsyn Williams
General Staff:
Minnie Adams Abby Martinez
Kiley Beiner Ryleigh O’Donnell
Anna Besancenez Connor Peper
Justin Brewer Andrew Reese
Jack Cleaveland Emma Rohrbach
Olivia Engle Julia Sampolska
Maya Helbig Aadhi Sathishkumar
Chloe Horstman Aliyah Taliaferro
Ivy Lowery Andrew Tueth
Skylar Vogel
Editor-in-Chief of Photography:
Phoebe Primeau
Newspaper Photo Editor:
Kaili Martin
Yearbook Photo Editor:
Ella Manthey
Sports Photo Editor:
Riley Witherbee
Photographers:
Salam Abouchleih Isabella Manthey
Addalynn Bradbury Allison Moore
Alayna Furch Jordyn Sgroi
Bryanna Ginn Rachel Stover
Aidyn Gleason Samuel Watkins
Sky Hebisen Sarah Williams
Adam Hogan Avery Witherbee
Anna Hollinger Riley Witherbee
Pavan Kolluru Courtney Wortman
Editor-in-Chief of FHNToday:
Sophie Carite
FHNtoday Managing Editor:
Carson Ramirez
Web Staff:
Abigail Akers Taylor Hill
Brianna Ammons Eva Kaminski
Isabel Bira Parker Kilen
Sumi Chen Julia Kristensen
Jonathan Fitch Rocio Romero
Carly Gordon Uma Upamaka
Bret Hammond Mya Walker
Adele Higgins Lauren Willerton
Michael Willmann
Executive Producer of Video:
Emily Hood
Chief Editor:
Jena Pae
Podcast Editor:
Tom Jamison
Promotions Manager:
Emily Zhang
Associate Producer:
Francisco Jimenez
Segment Producer:
Azariah Anderson
Video Staff:
Nadia Abusoud Michael Mellor
Anjolina Blackwell Louis Primeau
Nico Beonitz Raymond Shea
Victor Escobar Cole Sherman
Morgan Hanson Coong Tran
Reinita Lee Jacob Willmann
Gabriel Lobato Joshua Wright
Advisers:
Aaron Manfull
Jordyn Kiel
PAGE BY ANDREW REESE
OPINIONS | 11.20.19 | FHNTODAY. COM
45

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