PIRATE PRESSPattonville H

igh School Vol. 74 Issue:6 April 2010

life at private school, kindergarten n driving hazards n prom preview

varsity soccer team plays with state

championship in mind

Pirate PressPattonville High School

2497 Creve Coeur Mill RoadMaryland Heights, MO 63043

The pirate press is the open forum news magazine of Pattonville high school. The opinions published are of the publication and are open to criticism. As the members

of 2009-2010 pirate press staff, we dedicate ourselves to the accurate and

objective dissemination of information to all readers of this publication. we will

protect and exercise our first amendment rights, not only for our own benefits, but for the benefit of all high school

journalists past, present, and future.The viewpoints of all staff members are to be

regarded as being separate from those of our administration, faculty, peers, and

adviser.

 

Editor-in Chief+Opinions Editor Elise Moser

Managing Editor+News Editor Jessica Brunts

Copy Editor Julia Wurm

Photo+Design EditorJacob Sharp

Features Editor+Sports Editor

Alexia McGheeStaff WriterAlex Amo

Geri Farrell

It is the opinion of the Pirate Press staff that the students of Pattonville High School should be exposed to all sides of the news, including topics that do not reflect well on the school.

School publications are supposed to be the open news forums where students can share and discuss issues going on in their school and community that are important to them.

As made legal by the Hazelwood court case in the ‘80s, school administrators have the right to censor and cut out any material they deem “inappropriate.” Administrators and principals have the right to review student publications before they are sent to print. This leaves a lot of room for censorship; however, censorship of high school publications, though legal, can hurt the student journalists and readers of the publication.

Students of Timberland High School have felt the heavy hand of censorship. This school year, a story about students with tattoos was pulled by their principal. The story was pulled very close to deadline and left the students without content. The censorship has gotten so bad that the journalism adviser has decided to resign.

The line between what is appropriate and what is inappropriate has been blurred by the Hazelwood court case. There is no set rule for what is proper material for a newspaper. Many school administrators feel that any news that can possibly reflect poorly on the school should be kept out of the newspaper.

However, as high school journalists, we have been taught that news is news. Good or bad, student journalists have the right to report the news, because the rest of the student body has the right to knowledge.

Student journalists have the right to learn and practice journalism. Students also have the right to learn the process of creating a publication.

Censorship keeps students from fully exploring the field of journalism and developing these skills. If students are only allowed to cover sugar-coated, happy stories, then their journalism course is not preparing them for their careers where they will be required to cover tough, hard-hitting stories.

Censorship is not only depriving the students reading the newspaper of fair and balanced news, it also limits the ability of the student journalists to learn.

The first amendment gives every citizen the right to free speech and free press. Student journalists and newspapers should not be an exception.v

Staff Editorial

Have a comment, question, concern, or opinion on something you read in the Pirate Press? Have something to say about Pattonville High School? Please write to the Pirate Press by either e-mailing at pattonvillepress@gmail.com or giving a letter to Mr. Heyman in B108 or the Pirate Press staff during lunch in B108.

Adviser Brian Heyman

On the cover: Tiffany Laughlin, 12, races to the ball during a soccer game against Marquette.Cover photo by Elise Moser

New Assistant Principal Hired

Luke Lammers was hired as the new assistant principal at Pattonville High School. Lammers was approved by the Board of Education at the meeting on Tuesday, April 14.

Lammers is currently the Dean of Freshmen at Francis Howell Central High School. Prior to working for Francis Howell Central, he taught at University City High School.

Lammers will be taking over the po-sition that Jeff Walker is leaving after the end of this school year. v

Pirate PegboardMegan Jones, 11, a

Cappie Critic, will have

her review of McCluer

North High School’s

production of Guys

and Dolls published

in the North Country

Journal.

The Pattonville band had

51 entries at the Solo

and Small Ensemble

Festival and made a new

record with 10 three-rat-

ings, 24 two-ratings and

17 one-ratings. One is

the highest rating. (See

sidebar for entries that

earned a one rating.)

The Pattonville Honors Orchestra earned the highest rating possible at the St. Louis Music Educators Association Festival March 10 at Hazelwood Central High School

The recipients of the

2010 Pride of Patton-

ville Award are Cindy

Hale, Dana Lindsey,

Dr. David Mille

r, Dr.

Scot Mosher, S

andy

Recor, Donna Tracey

Robinson, Marilyn

Sadler, Greg Stoltz and

Becky Vik.

Christen Baker, 12,

earned a 2nd place

award for her work in

the 11th/12th grade

category at the Mis-

souri Art Education

Association Spring

Conference high school

art show in Kansas

City.

The Pattonville Women’s Chamber Choir and the Treble Choir earned the highest rating of a one at the MSHSAA Large Group Festival. The Concert Choir earned a high two.

The 2010 Junior Prom Court is Emily Cock-

rum, Mary Cradick, Kelly Gould, Jessica

VanNoy, Joseph Beck, James Benoist, Daniel

Johnson and Bradley Ridings.

Kha Vo, 11; Madison Emerick, 11; Chris Sim, 12; and Tyran Brooks, 11, have artwork displayed at “The Next Genera-tion” high school art exhibit at Soulard Art Market and Con-temporary Gallery. Emerick earned a 4th place award for her self portrait in oil painting, Sim earned a 1st place award for his acrylic painting and Brooks earned “Best in Show” for his mixed media drawing.

The 2010 Senior Prom Court is Brittney Freeman, Kacie Keuhn,

Tiffany Laughlin, Ana Solorio, Emily Tucker,

Kylie Zoller, Alex Amo, Cody Branneky, Brian

Hruby, Marquis Keys, Jordan Pinto and Zach-

ary Roberts.

Compiled by Jessica Brunts

Entries Who Received a 1 at Solo and Ensemble

tTrumpet Quartet: Sean Hayes, Mon-tel Moore, Alyssa Forsythe, Amanda HornungtBaritone Sax Solo: Jacob JohnsontXylophone Solo: Sierra HartleytTrumpet Solo: Sean HayestFlute Solo: Vickey YousseftClarinet Trio: Cassie Chandler, Courtney Rolen, Danielle ToneytTrombone Solo: David LindsaytAlto Sax Solo: Caitlyn DunsfordtTuba Trio: Dillon Dedert, Hannah Johnson, Paul FoxtFlute Trio: Megan LaFollette, Elise Moser, Casey LeektBaritone Solo: John SorsentMarimba Solo: Shannon FlanakintFlute Solo: Megan LaFollettetXylophone Solo: Zack HarnetztBassoon Solo: Erica ReamtClarinet Trio: Rachel Fine Lora Hakanson, Matt OelkerstTrumpet Solo: Montel Moore

Students’ parents run for office in recent electionSeveral students reflect on experiences with parent politicians

Elise Moser

Several Pattonville High School stu-dents had parents on the ballot on April 6., Tami Hohenstein, mother of

Megan, 12, and Jessica, 10, won a one-year term on the school board against Sophia, 12, Theresa, 12, and Julia, 9, Mullineaux’s father, Jim.

Sophia said her father ran for school board because “he wanted to make Pattonville a better place.” Jessica said her mother ran for school board “because she wanted to be more involved.”

Chuck Caverly, father of Isaac Caverly, 9, was elected as a City Council Member in Ward III in Maryland Heights.

Caverly was already a member of the Plan-ning and Zoning Committee in Maryland Heights before he decided to run for council member.

“He was on Planning and Zoning for 14 years and he wanted to move onto the next step,” Isaac said.

Shelley Welsh, elected mayor of University City, is the mother of Maddi Chilton, 9.

Welsh was running for a second time, after being defeated in the last election.

“She ran last time and didn’t win and she was really unhappy about the state of the city and she wanted to change that,” Chilton said.

Many of these students worked hard to help their parents get elected. Many of them helped hand out flyers to voters or put up signs.

Isaac walked door-to-door with his dad, trying to get him elected. Chilton helped hand out fliers at several of her mom’s rallies.

On election day, many of the students stood at the polling places. Jessica said she and her three sisters were placed at many dif-ferent polling places, trying to get those last minute voters.

Having parents elected to office affects the students in different ways.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Chilton said. “Every-one’s been asking me about it. It’s going to

be different once she’s mayor.” Chilton said that many of the students at her old school in University City recognize their new mayor as her mother.

Julia was excited about her father running for school board.

“I thought it would be kind of cool because you’d see his name all over and when they talked about the board you would know it af-fected him,” she said.

Isaac was excited about his dad’s victory for a different reason: with the new job comes a higher salary, and perhaps a new car for him

to drive. v

Election Results for April 6

Pattonville Board MemberTAMI HOHENSTEIN 2,641 -57.23%Jim Mullineaux 1,974 -42.77%

Council Member Ward 3Ron Lee Watts 268 -34.10%CHUCK CAVERLY 518 -65.9%

University City MayorSHELLEY WELSCH 3,259 -45.28%Robert “Bob” Wagner 784 -10.89%Terry Crow 3,154 -43.82%

Four Students Qualify for National DECA Competition

after Wins at State

Pattonville Renaissance Club hosted its fourth annual Taste of Pattonville on Thursday, April 1.

Restaurants such as Noodles and Company, Moe’s Southwest Grill and McArthur’s Bakery made repeat appearances.

However, there were also many new faces this year such as Dairy Queen, Buffalo Wild Wings, Syberg’s, Reynold’s Roadhouse and Pattonville’s Culinary Arts Class. Twenty-seven restaurants participated in total.

Over 400 people attended this year and about $4,000 was raised.

“The proceeds go to Renaissance to help with the student recognition programs such as Scholar Athletes, Student Improvement Luncheon, and everything else we do,” Renais-sance club member and Taste of Pattonville volunteer, Kaylen Iberg, 11, said.

This year, Taste of Pattonville had about 70 student volunteers.

“It showcases our students to the com-munity. We get so many comments on how helpful and respectful they are,” Beth Moritz, Renaissance sponsor, said.

In fact, every year for the past three years of the program, at least one restaurant has offered student volunteers a job.

“Jimmy Johns offered jobs to Jordan Prosperi and Dion Jones. I know Ponderosa was really impressed with their student work-ers and specifically commented on it. Dairy Queen was really impressed too,” Moritz said.

Moritz was pleased with the positive feed-back and the work ethic of the volunteers.

“It says a lot about how well the students work there and how professional they are,” Moritz said.

Jake Cummings, 11, volunteered through the NHS program this year at Tony’s Donuts and only had positive comments about the program.

“It’s great because there is a lot of good food and it’s a good promotional event, Cum-mings said, “I can’t wait for it again next year.” v

Renaissance Club Hosts Fourth Annual Taste of Pattonville

Over $4,000 Raised to Benefit Student Recognition Programs

Rachel Roemmich, left, 12, and Rachel Crow, 12, volunteer at Taste of Pattonville by serv-ing desserts for McArthur’s Bakery.

Geri Farrell

Four students from Pattonville high school’s DECA chapter are heading to a national competition in Louisville,

Kentucky April 23-April 28. Wins at DECA state in the Lake of the Ozarks ensured the students qualifications into nationals.

DECA, formerly known as the Distributive Education Club of America, is an international association of students and teachers of mar-keting, management, and entreprenuership in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales. The team meets during some contact times in Mrs. Martinez’s room.

Sophia and Theresa Mullineaux, 12 were competing in the category of buying and merchandising as a team down at the Lake of the Ozarks, the area where the state DECA competition was held.

“DECA State went really well for us. As a team we did well, I was proud of us,” Sophia Mullineaux said.

Sophia joined DECA at first because she

heard good things, so she fit it into her sched-ule. “I like competing and working as a team, and DECA really helps with communication skills.”

Theresa joined for a different reason. “I’m really interested in marketing and I

thought I’d try it out in high school before I went into it in college.” Theresa said.

“For Nationals, I just want to be one of the top ten finalists. That’s one of my goals,” said Sophia.

Kevin Olson, 12, who was partnered with Stephanie Haag, 12, also qualified to nationals in the Travel and Tourism category.

“I’m hoping to do well in nationals, and I’m glad I have a good partner to go through it with,” Olson said.

Olson joined DECA because he thought it would be a good experience. Suprisingly, this is his first year in DECA, and he already qualified to Nationals. v

DECA Team Places in State Competion at the

Lake of the Ozarks

From left to right: Kevin Olson, 12, Stephanie Haag, 12, There-sa Mullineaux, 12, and Sophia Mullineaux, 12, after receiving awards at State.

Jacob Sharp

Photo by Geri Farrell

Photo Courtesy of Sophia Mullineaux

At 60 mph, you travel the distance of a foot ball f eld in just three seconds.

DN’T TXT N DRIVE! =(The Dangers of Being Inattentive Behind the Wheel

Julia Wurm

Driving despite many distractions is a habit that all drivers get used to.

As people start coming of age to drive, they face higher responsibilities and dangers.

While teens are generally more adept at texting and multitasking than many older people, statistics say that no matter who you are, distractions while driving are dangerous.

Your diversion of attention while driving competes with your attention for safe driving.

Distractions are not all the driver’s fault, there are external distractions all the time.

The radio, pedestrians, lights, cars, and signs are a number of these distractions. Teens have a tendency to create more distractions for themselves, such as changing the radio, eating, dialing on a cell phone, and texting.

“Seventy to 80 percent of all accidents occur because of driver

inattention,” Leanna Depue, Ph.D., Director of the Highway Safety

Division of Missouri Department of Transportation, said.

Distractions and

how much more

likely they are to get

you in a crash:

Reaching for an object: 3x

Dialing a cell phone: 6x

Looking at a map: 7x

TEXTING: 23x

Over 50 percent of teens admit to texting while driving.

“A young man in Stover, Mo., was texting and driving when he hit and killed a pedestrian,” Depue said. She explained how this can affect the boy’s entire life and the probability of the 17-year-old being charged with involuntary manslaughter. “He completely ran him over.”

According to a research study performed by Virginia Tech on the analysis of various distractions, the average amount of time that it takes a peron to send a text is five seconds.

“Seventy to 80 percent of all crashes nationally occur because of driver inattention,” Depue said.

The normal impacts of distracted driving are problems staying in your own lane, decreasing the ability to detect hazards, speed control, and slower response times.

Texting is a particular danger to drivers because it is so involving.

The visual distraction of looking at a received text takes your eyes

away from the road. Thinking about

what you want to text back takes your mind off of the road. Manually

typing in your reply and hitting send takes your hands off of the wheel.

The Missouri law against texting while driving, effective Aug. 28,

2009, prohibits drivers ages 21 and under from sending, reading, or writing an electronic message.

Breaking this law classifies as an infraction that is punishable by a fine of up to $200.

Depue believes that the law has made a difference in the amount of texting, either because some people don’t want to break the law, or because “$200 is a pretty steep fine.”

The law originally applied to all drivers, but it lost steam in Congress. After this it was tacked on to an omnibus crime bill and passed with the restriction only for young drivers.

From January when the bill took effect until March, the amount of tickets given out by Missouri police was 13.

During the 2010 legislative session, five bills have been filed that propose expanding the bill to all drivers, but no action has yet been taken on these bills. v

Photo illustration by Julia Wurm

Foreign Exchange Spotlight

Apichaya “Eye” Suakrachang: Thailand

Elise Moser A Day in the Life of Eye Suakrachang

6:30 a.m. Wake up

6:35 a.m. Eat breakfast. Every day Eye’s mom makes the same thing: rice and fried eggs.

7 a.m. Eye’s mom drives her to school.

7:30 a.m. School starts. Every morn-ing, the students at the school sing a national Thai song and listen to daily announcements for a half an hour before beginning classes.

8 a.m. Students begin their classes. At Eye’s school, all of the students are in the same classroom all day and the teachers come to them. Eye’s first class of the day is chemistry. The students study chemistry for two 50-minute periods.

10:10 a.m. After chemistry, Eye has P.E.

11 a.m. Biology. Just like chemistry, Eye’s class studies biology for two periods.

12:40 p.m. Lunchtime. The students are given an hour to eat. For lunch, Eye enjoys the same meal everyday: noodles with chicken and meatballs. “It’s delicious!” she said.

1:40 p.m. Math class. Eye studies math for 50 minutes.

2:30 p.m. English

3:20 p.m. Art

5 p.m. School is finally out. Eye’s mom picks her up from school every day.

5:30 p.m. Once Eye gets home, she starts on her homework. She has two to three hours of homework each night.

8:30 p.m. Dinner time. Most nights, Eye and her family eat a rice dish with different meats and vegetables.

Fast Facts: Eye SuakrachangAge: 16Birthplace and Hometown: Chiang

Mai, Thailand

Eye Suakrachang flew over 8,000 miles from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to Mary-land Heights, Mo., to experience life

in the United States.“I wanted to get a new experience and learn

a new language,” she said.Thailand, a country with a population that

is less than the populations of Texas and California combined, is quite a bit different than America.

When Suakrachang found out she was coming to the United States, she did some research on her new home.

“I thought this was Maryland Heights, but I didn’t know what “MO” meant,” she said. “I thought I was going to Maryland [state.]”

One of the major differences between Thailand and the United States is education. Like many Asian countries, there is a strong focus on education.

Suakrachang attends a private school in Thailand. Students in Thailand wear uniforms at school, even at public schools. The dress code even prohibits girls from wearing their hair down.

At Suakrachang’s school in Thailand, there are students ranging from seventh to 12th grade. The “high schoolers” are 10th through 12th graders, but are not housed in a separate building.

In Thailand, Suakrachang attends school from 7:30 a.m. in the morning until 5 p.m. at night—when most athletes at Pattonville are getting out of sports practices.

Students in Thailand are also in the same classroom with the same students every day. When they switch subjects, the teachers come to them.

Suakrachang has had many new experiences in the United States. Her first shock came on the day she arrived in St. Louis.

“We drive on the left side but you drive on the right side,” she said. When her host family picked her up from the airport, she went to what she thought was the passenger side on the left side of the car, but was surprised to see it was actually the driver’s seat.

Suakrachang has seen many of the sites in St. Louis but was most impressed with Six Flags.“It’s awesome,” she said. “It’s better than Thailand.”She has also tried local foods. Her favorite is the St. Louis Bread Company. Suakrachang also ate at

an American Thai restaurant.“It tastes like [traditional Thai food] but some of the stuff they put in may be different,” she said.

She explained that American Thai restaurants may not be able to get some of the ingredients used in traditional Thai foods.

Another new experience for Suakrachang was sports. In Thailand, students do not participate in school-sponsored sports. She was a member of the swim team this winter and is pole vaulting on the track team this spring.

“I’ve never done anything with pole vaulting. It’s very new for me,” she said.When Suakrachang returns to Thailand, she plans to repeat her sophomore year.“I want to repeat because I want to learn the material,” she said.After high school, she hopes to come back to the United States and pursue her interest in fashion. In

Thailand, there are not a lot of opportunities to learn about fashion. Suakrachang hopes to be a fashion designer some day. v

Photo by Jacob Sharp

Get Ready For PromAlexia McGhee

In return for their corsages, most girls buy a boutonniere for their dates. It is usually a pin-on flower or rose that is traditionally worn on the left side of the chest. Some flower shops will make a slightly cheaper package deal if you order the boutonniere and the corsage together. A single bouton-niere will cost about $5-$15.

Boutonnieres:

Prom Safety Tips:- Make sure there will be a safe ride to and from the prom.

-Don’t pressure your friends into doing something they don’t want to do.

-Try to keep in touch with your par-ents through out the night so they are aware of your safety.

-Don’t let your friends get into a car with someone you know has been drinking, and stop your friends from driving if they have been drinking.

- If something bad is going on or some-thing feels wrong, remove yourself from the situation.

Transportation:

- Be sure to wear your seat belts and be aware of crazy drivers after prom.

- If your friends are doing some-thing that is stupid and dangerous, speak up.

- Carry your cell phone with you at all times in case you need to call for help.

Prom Checklist:Find a date that you will have fun with. Going with a group of friends is always fun.Discuss a budget and how much you plan to spend on the special night.Be prepared to start saving money, and bring a little extra in case of an emergency.Discuss your before and after prom plans with your parents.Shop for a prom dress or prom tuxedo to rent.Consider buying accessories that match your prom attire.Decide on a date and place to have your hair and nails done.Discuss maybe renting a limousine for transportation or finding other transportation.Break in your prom shoes before the actual night of the prom.Purchase tickets to your prom.

If you plan on driving on your own, riding with friends, or renting a limousine, make sure you plan your budget accordingly around your transportation expense. Li-mos are a popular method of trans-portation used for prom nights. The bigger the limo, the more they cost, but the bigger they are, the more people that they will hold. This will help out with the pricing if the cost can be split between multiple people.

Corsages:It is a prom tradition for the guy to buy a

corsage for his date. It can be a pin-on type, or it can be worn around her wrist. It is a good idea to know what color dress your date is wearing so that the corsage you choose will match her attire. Some couples even like to go together and choose their flowers. How much you spend on this item varies greatly and what you want determines the cost. Most people spend $25-$50 on a corsage.

Prom can be one of the most exciting nights for a high school student, and even though it is expected to be a fun night, it can also turn out very stressful if it is not planned out correctly. There are a number of things that have to be completed in order to make prom night a success. Prom night takes a lot of planning from picking out the right dress, to finding match-

ing shoes, accessories, transportation, and more. Since there are so many things to do before the big night, some students may be afraid that they are going to forget something. By creating a checklist, you can make sure that you get everything you need done before prom night, and hopefully making the it the best it can possibly be. The success of the special night depends on how prepared you are. Here is a checklist for students that in need of preparation of prom night:

Kindergarten: the simple days when school was easy. When your day was filled with snack

time, nap time, story time, recess, and of course, only half a day of school. Back then, kindergarten didn’t feel too much like school. Now, kindergarten has changed and there’s no mistaking the learning that takes place in these classrooms.

For one day, I got to relive my kindergarten experience with the class of 2022. I was shocked to find how different it was from what I remembered. The most striking difference: I had to attend kindergarten all day long. For one full day, I was a kindergarten student in Mrs. Buchek’s class at Parkwood Elementary.

Before my day had even begun, I saw a little girl in a pretty purple dress with her dad at QuickTrip. She looked about the age of a kindergartener and I wondererd if she would be one of my classmates. Sure enough, when I arrived at school, I recognized her among the many young faces of my classmates. Her name was Kaili and she was excited about my seeing her at QuickTrip.

The classroom was colorful and decorated with artwork clearly made by the hand of a small kindergarten student. I saw a big circle rug which I immediately took to be the circle time rug. The room was brightly colored and perfect for a kindergarten room.

To keep the students busy in the time between student arrival and the start of school, the students had morning work to do which included writing words and sentences that started with the letter “A.” The assignment was worth 10 points.

Points were also awarded to the kindergarteners for good behavior. They start the day with three sticks in an envelope labeled with their name. Each stick is worth one point which will translate into three pennies to spend in the classroom store on a certain day. They lose a stick for bad behavior and if they lose all three they lose their snack privileges and their privilege to participate in an afternoon recess known as “All Star Time.”

I was surprised by how hard these kindergarten students work throughout the day. It seemed like they were constantly working on something constructive. Even during bathroom breaks they would do work. The students would sit against the wall and work on assignments that they needed to complete or correct while students went to the bathroom two at a time. Students can earn two points for good behavior during bathroom breaks; these points are kept track by the teacher on her clipboard.

We took our first bathroom break after morning work, we gathered around the

Promethean board for “message center.” We read a message from the teacher together and then looked for word parts such as “ss” “wh” and “ea” in the message. Then we did a morning edit where we had to find six mistakes in a sentence. Then we learned the ladder structure of how to tell a story.

I noticed that the teacher sang a lot when she was talking to her students. If she was telling a student to sit on their bottom, she would tell them in a song such as: “Kaili, Kaili, plant your bottom and put your eyes up here.”

Next, we continued our constructive curriculum with centers. The students were split into four groups and rotated to four different stations with constructive learning activities.

The students spent 10 minutes at each center.

We had recess next. All the kindergarten classes went to recess before lunch. I found it odd that recess was before lunch because I was used to always having recess after lunch. Recess lasted for 15 minutes and afterward we lined up to go to lunch.

The lunch at the elementary school was better than at the high school. I had chicken tenders, carrots, cookies, apples and chocolate milk. Unlike at the high school, I got my money’s worth of food.

When we got back from lunch we talked about our class being HOT (Here On Time). This was a special thing for MAP testing. If the whole class is present and arrived on time, their names are put into a drawing to win M&Ms for snack time. Classes that are HOT are entered for a chance to win a pizza party.

Next we had word part practice and poem

time followed by calendar time. This was another area of interest to me. I found it odd that calendar time was in the afternoon instead of the morning. When I was in kindergarten we had calendar time in the morning, so we all knew what day it was before starting class.

The highlight of the day was our science time. We broke down rocks that the class had collected the day before. We broke down one rock by putting it in a jar with water and taking turns shaking it for 30 seconds. It didn’t break much. We broke down a pumas rock by rubbing it on sand paper for thirty seconds. We got a lot of broken rock from that. A lot of the kindergarteners liked to play in the white powder of the broken pumas.

I made a lot of new friends at kindergarten. Shanya sat at my table. She talked to me a lot. Adair and Kayla showed me around at recess. Adair told me that he doesn’t like waking up early for Latchkey. Kayla, Angel, and Sydney played Sorry! with me during All Star Time.

All Star Time is an indoor recess that we had

after our science

experiment. During this time, the students play games and

if they need to make up quizzes, they use that time to do so.

We had music class next. We started the class with an Easter Bunny song. We stood in a circle and sang and acted like Easter bunnies. Then, we listened to a recording of “Peter and the Wolf.” I remembered this story from when I was in elementary school. I remembered the instruments that represented the characters and I was so excited to listen to the story.

Last, we had art. We drew pictures of bugs. Lady bugs, spiders, bees, butterflies, caterpillars and more. The students were going to paint over them with watercolors at the next art class but because I wouldn’t be there, I took my masterpiece home that day.

I was tired after my long day at kindergarten. I hadn’t expected all the work they had to do. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t have a nap time or another outdoor recess. Kindergarten was fun, but it was more work than I expected. Best part about being a kindergartener: Waking up at 7:45 in the morning. v

A Day in a Life of A...

Kindergarten Student

Mrs. Buchek’s kindergarten class at Parkwood Elementary with Brunts pictured top center.

Jesscia Brunts

A Day in a Life of A...

Private School Student Geri Farrell

  A Day  B Day  C Day  D Day  E Day  F Day 

Mod 1  Racquet Sports 

  Personal Finance 

Psychology     

Mod 2  Racquet Sports 

  Personal Finance 

Psychology     

Mod 3  Mixed Media           

Mod 4  Mixed Media           

Mod 5  Personal 

Finance 

Psychology    Earth Science    English 

Mod 6  Personal 

Finance 

Psychology    Earth Science    English 

Mod 7             

Mod 8             

Mod 9      Earth Science  Algebra 3  English  Racquet Sports 

Mod 10      Earth Science  Algebra 3  English  Racquet 

Sports 

Mod 11  Earth Science  Algebra 3  English  Marriage & 

Commitment 

Mixed Media  Personal 

Finance 

Mod 12  Earth Science  Algebra 3  English  Marriage & Commitment 

Mixed Media  Personal Finance 

 

Students enter IWA High School

Incarnate Word Academy’s College-Like Schedule

Sample of an abridged IWA student schedule.

Photo by Geri Farrell

Incarnate Word Academy has a modular schedule. Stu-dents are able to take eight classes each semester. Usually classes are about 2-3 “mods” long. Each “mod” is about 30 minutes with 16 “mods” in a day. This schedule allows stu-dents to have more time to talk one-on-one with their teach-ers because they can seek a teacher’s help during their “free mods”, mods when the students do not have a class.

Also, instead of just having A, B and C days, the students have A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and K days.

In addition, students enjoy senior privileges during their second semester of their senior year, which means that they can leave school early or come to school late if they do not have classes during those “mods.”

Suzanne Hunn, a student at IWA, had positive comments about the unique schedule.

“I absolutely love the schedule because I like how we have time to talk to teachers and get the extra help you need and its helpful for learning and time managment” Hunn said. v

During this Spring Break, while many other Pattonville students were still fast asleep in their beds, I was gath-

ering my notebooks and pencils in preparation for school.

This was because I had agreed to shadow my cousin, Meghan Farrell, 12, for a day at Incarnate Word Academy (IWA).

Incarnate is a small, Catholic, all-girl’s school of about 500 students located just minutes away from the University of Missouri St. Louis.

I embarked on this adventure to find out what made private schools such as IWA differ-ent from Pattonville and what aspects made them the same.

I had met my cousin at her house in St. Peters so that I could get the

experience of traveling all the way from her house to Bel-Nor, where the school is located. The 34 minute commute was startlingly differ-ent from my usual 6 minute drive to school.

When I arrived at the campus, I immedi-ately noticed key differences between the two schools. The campus comprised of three sepa-rate buildings instead of one huge one.

Also, there were no school buses parked idly in the parking lot unloading students. IWA, like most private schools, has no busing sys-

tem. Therefore, the students rely sol-ley on carpooling to get to school, futher extend-

ing their already long commute.

I also noticed the blue

“jumpers” that every girl wore; however, even though the

jumpers are the mandatory uniform, the stu-dents were not without self-expression. Pulled over their navy jumpers was usually some kind of Incarnate jacket or sweatshirt.

I then followed my cousin to her home room, where attendance was taken and the announce-ments were read. Homeroom lasted only 10 minutes and we were back in the hallways by 8:10 a.m.

Her next class was Marriage, Family, and Commitments which I found interesting be-cause after years of teachers tip-toeing around the topic of religion, the teacher and students were talking candidly about religion and God.

Toward the end of the class, the students began to collect their belongings and head out of the classroom. I looked around, bewildered as they were already heading toward their next classes before the bell had even dismissed them.

My cousin explained to me that they did not

have any bells during the day, they just memo-rized the time that each class was supposed to be finished and the times in which the next class would start. There are no bells because Incarnate has a somewhat complicated modular schedule. At IWA, there are 16 modules (“mods”) in a day. Each class is two or three “mods” long. The schedule varies from day-to-day and it is rare to have the same class more than two or three times a week. Because of this complicated schedule, a bell would have to ring a startlingly 32 times a day each time a “mod” finished and began.

“Basically, it (the modular schedule) is a little bit like college,” Jim Johnson, Dean of Students, said.

During one of my cousin’s free “mods” I received a tour of the school. What I found to be the most interesting was the testing center.

“We don’t take tests in class so you sign up during open mods. So if you test better in the morning, you can test in the morning. If you test better after lunch then you can sign up then too,” Stephanie Donnelly, 12, said.

IWA comes with a hefty price tag, however. The tuition for Incarnate is approximately $9,300 per year, which rivals that of many of the colleges in Missouri. Many state colleges such as Southeast Missouri State (approximate-ly $5,900 per year), Missouri State University (approximately $7,200 per year) and University of Missouri Kansas City (approximately $6,500 per year) cost substansially less than IWA.

In the last “mod” of the day, I was in a class with a religion teacher named Meghan Mueller, who commented on the similarities between public and private schools.

“You hear a lot of division between private and public schools,” Mueller said. “I think both have a lot to offer. I don’t think that one should be shorted. One is not better than the other. They are just different. There are good Catholic schools and bad ones just like there are good public schools and bad ones.” v

Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team Looks Toward State Championship

Team hopes to go further than last years 3rd place finishGeri Farrell

and

Elise Moser The varsity girls’ soccer team aims to reach the Class III State Championships this season after finishing third in 2009. Coach Tom Iffrig said that he has “very high expectations” for the team’s

success.Eight starters return from last season’s team that finished 23-5, giving

the girls an advantage in experience. “[Returning starters] are always nice,” Iffrig said. This season, the team is led by players Tiffany Laughlin, 12, Casey Vitale, 12, Sam Zoltanski,

12, Mikala McGhee, 10, and Kailey Utley, 10. Laughlin, one of the teams four captains, is also a returning All-State player.

The varsity girls’ soccer team has won the Suburban North Conference for the past four years. The team has a good chance to repeat last season’s Conference and District champion-ships, with its biggest rival being Hazelwood West.

Playing ToughIn order to prepare for this season, the athletes worked dili-

gently, meeting every day after school and even attended manda-tory practices on Saturdays.

To be successful on the field, the girls must be successful in practice. The team practices dynamic flexibility training, ball skills, set plays such as free kicks and corner kicks and aerobic fitness including both distance running and sprinting.

The athletes are not just working on their soccer skills during the spring season, but throughout the off-season as well.

“Most, if not all [of the girls], play club soccer,” Iffrig said.Iffrig also attributed much of the team’s success to its off

season training.“The fact that they are playing year-round is a big factor

and why Pattonville has been so well known for its soccer,” Iffrig said.“One of our mottos is play hard, play smart, play together,” Iffrig said. The varsity girls know

that playing hard during the game is one of the most important aspects of soccer. McGhee, who plays softball, basketball and soccer, says her favorite thing about soccer is

“contact and getting to hit people.”In order to get into the right mind-set before a game, the girls “visualize” as part of their

warm-up.“We close our eyes and then we think about what we are going to do during the game,”

Vitale said.Team UnityWith so many returning players, a strong bond has been

developed amongst the girls. “The girls get along really well,” Iffrig said. Many of the girls

agree that their favorite part of soccer is the friendships that they make.

“You build such good friendships,” Laughlin said. “At Patton-ville, we can have fun and still get things done. If I could, I would play high school soccer all year round.”

Every season, the seniors get the juniors, sophomores and freshman. This year, in addition to getting tee-shirts for their teammates, the six senior girls did something very special—they decorated the locker room by the soccer field. The locker room had not been used for years but the seniors cleaned it up and even painted the girls’ names and numbers on the lockers.

Another common tradition among the team is the simple phrase, “I love it” which was started by its former coach Joe Halley.

“When we would hate doing something he would just yell ‘I love it’ and we would have to respond ‘I love it.’ It’s the motto,” Zoltanski said. v

SOCCER SPOTLIGHT

Tiffany Laughlin, 12

Miranda Davis, 12

Kailey Utley,10

Position: Center MidfieldLaughlin, a varsity player

since her freshman year, was named 1st Team All-State last year as a junior.

“It was a really big honor,” she said about being selected. “To me, [All-State] is some-thing you do your senior

year. It was one of my goals to accomplish in high school.”

Laughlin signed to play soccer for Missouri State University. She said the recruitment process was “one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done.”

Position: Right-wing backDavis started playing

soccer at age three, on a team coached by her father. This experience inspired her to pursue the sport. She especially likes high school

soccer. “I like being around my team and I just like what it offers,” she said.

Davis is a defender, which she considers a challenge.

“You have to be on your toes all the time because you are the last line of defense besides the goalie, so you have to be prepared,” she said.

Position: MidfieldUtley made her varsity

debut last season as a fresh-man. An all-around athlete, she also plays basketball and softball, but prefers soccer.

“Soccer is my favorite sport because that is the sport I’m best at,” she said. “My favorite part about soccer is build-ing new relationships and winning champion-ships.”

Utley also plays on a club team, which she considers more competitive, but said “it’s nice to have a break from them and play with my high school team.” v

Mikala McGhee, 10, goes for the ball during a game against Marquette on April 5.

Tiffany Laughlin, 12, prac-tices corner-kicks before a game on April 5.

All photos by Elise Moser

The varsity volleyball team is suf-fering from a lack of growth, but is keeping up nonetheless with a

3-4 record as of April 14. The team has a lot of new faces, with

more sophomores on the team than usual and even less seniors.

“We have a lot of young peo-ple this year, I think we’ve got four sophomores on the team,” Dan Johnson, 11, a setter for the varsity team said.

“But on the other hand we’ve got some really good players on the team like Max Browne, 11, Jake Gabbert, 12, and Jordan Pinto, 12. With a little bit bet-ter teamwork we can definitely improve.”

The captain of the varsity team, Pinto,

who started playing freshmen year and advanced to varsity by sophomore year, says the team lacks height.

“Jake Gabbert and I are the tallest on the team, we need more height to live up to our potential,” Pinto said. “We also have

got to work on communication. Pinto says that teamwork and commu-

nication are probably their biggest issues, but they are working to improve it.

“We have so much potential, we just

need to get our communication together and grow as a team,” Pinto said.

“I really think that we can do this, we just have to work to our advantages. We have some good hitters and some good passers.”

Pinto said he’s looking for-ward to the game at Ritenour High School on April 19.

“I’m counting down the days. It’s going be a good game, I’ve actually got some money on it,” Pinto said jokingly.

In the end when Pinto leaves, he hopes the program grows more because this year was younger than usual, but said they have a good base to build off of for next season. v

Volleyball Aims for GrowthVarsity Team Attempts to Build a Good Base for Next Year,

Improve for this SeasonJacob Sharp

With a little bit better teamwork we can definitely improve.

- Dan Johnson“ ”

Boy’s Golf Aims For Conference Title

After big victories over Ritenour, Hazelwood East and Hazelwood Central, the Pirates boy’s golf team has teed off to a high note. As of April 12, the Pirates

are undefeated (3-0) and winning matches by an average of 51 points, dominating the Suburban North Conference in almost every category.

Despite a great start to their season, the Pirates are nowhere near satisfied with what they have accomplished.

“I think we should really contend for this conference championship,” said

senior David McNamee. “We have a strong team this year with both experience from the upper-level golfers and talent in sophomore/freshmen group as

well.”With four

conference matches remaining, the Pirates will look to sweep the Suburban

North Conference and

ultimately try to make a run in a stacked district group. Keep an eye out for seniors McNamee and Cody

Branneky to make a run at districts this year.“We have all the tools to win,” said McNamee. “We

just have to go out there and prove to everyone that we are the real deal in our conference.”

The Pirates will hit the links in the Hazelwood Central Tournament at Spencer T. Olin Golf Course.

“Keeping our concentration and composure will help us achieve our final goals for the season,” said McNamee. v

Alex Amo

UPCOMING MATCHES4/26 Hazelwood Central Tournament @ Spencer T. Olin

4/28 Hazelwood Central @ Old Florissant

Pirate Tennis Team in Search of Conference Title

After a slow start to the 2010 season, the Pirates ten-nis team turned its season around in quick fashion, defeating Hazelwood West 4-3 on April 7.

Led by senior Tim Freebersyser and junior Steven Nichol-son, the Pirates pulled off a major win, keeping the Suburban North title in reach.

“We had to have this win. Hazelwood West is a strong con-tender for the Conference title and we didn’t want to be out of reach from our main team goal this year,” said Nicholson.

At the beginning of the year, the Pirates lost three straight matches to Hazelwood Central, Howell Central and Howell North before ending their losing streak with a 7-0 win over Ritenour.

“We’re a very young and inexperienced team this year,” said Freebersyser. “Those were tough teams we faced in the begin-ning, but we performed well despite all the inexperience we had.”

With four conference matches remaining, the Pirates will look to capture the 2010 Suburban North Conference Champi-onship at its conference tournament at Riverview Gardens on April 30 and May 1.

“With Hazelwood West out of the way, we should still contend for the title, but we must win every match in order to do that. Hopefully Hazelwood Central loses so that there’s at

least a tie for the championship,” said Nicholson. The Pirates will play at home against Riverview Gardens on

April 14. v

Alex Amo

Trevor Howes, 12, backhands the ball.

Stephen Nicholson, 11, sets up his powerful serve.

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Only One World ChampionI n the United States, announcers,

analysts and writers from all differ-ent types of sports call their best

teams “World Champs.”After the Saints, Yankees, Lakers and

Penguins won their league titles, the me-dia called each team “World Champions.” This is an inaccurate statement because they only compete against teams from the United States and parts of Canada.

On July 7, the true “World Champion” will be crowned in Johannesburg, South Africa. Thirty-two countries will be com-peting for one cup; one trophy that truly describes what it means to be a “World Champion.”

Countries ranging from la Côte d’Ivoire to North Korea, the World Cup will fea-ture a team from every continent except Antarctica.

Superior athletes like Lionel Messi (Argentina), Fernando Torres (Spain), Thierry Henry (France), Lukas Podol-

ski (Germany), Didier Drogba (la Côte d’Ivoire), Park Ji-Sung (South Korea) and Tim Cahill (Australia) will battle against each other to claim the most praised trophy in the world.

In the TV ratings category, the World Cup dom-inated the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Fi-nals and World Series by a huge number. According to Sports Business Daily, the World Cup Final between France and Italy in 2006 had a TV rating of about 887 million total viewers.

The 2010 Super Bowl between the In-dianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints

had a total of 101 million viewers, the highest ratings of any Super Bowl.

The highest TV rating in World Cup history took place during the 2002 World Cup Final between Brazil and Germany, which had a total of 2 billion total view-ers.

When our favorite teams from the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL win their league titles, we want to call them “World Champs” because we as Americans have such a broad view of the World and only think of sports from a U.S. perspective.

This summer, on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, watch for the battle between countries, not just teams from the United States. Soccer is not just kicking a ball like most Americans think. Slide tackles, shifty moves, finesse passes, offensive and defensive tactics and powerful shots are just some of the many skills and strategies that go on during a game that normally goes unnoticed. v

Alex Amo

As I grow older, I’m becoming more independent. And with this independence, I’ve found that the

amount of parent conflicts have sharply decreased.

Recently, my dad helped me get a car. It was amazing how big a difference having my own transportation made in my portable life.

One of my big complaints about switching between two households in the week was dragging all of my stuff with me to various places in order to get them to the other house. Having my own car alleviates this problem. I can throw what I need in my trunk and take it with me to school, work, and to my other house.

My newfound mobility makes my two houses seem closer together.

The fact that my parents are divorced and the fact that I have two different houses can never be forgotten. But anything that makes it a little bit easier is very welcome.

It seems like divorce-related conflicts have calmed down in my house lately. There’s no big holiday coming up soon that will mess up the schedule and potentially cause some tension.

However, as I sail toward college and the expenses facing me, I can sense another wave of conflict looming over me.

Discrepancies over money and funding my

college education would be among some of the main conflict. Money has always been a source of bickering among my parents. The biggest expense of my life and their parenthood is surely no exception.

When I come home from college, I’ll have to split my time at home in two so I can spend time with each of my parents.

So while I’m getting older and becoming more independent, I’ll never escape my “human ping pong ball” status.

I’ve gotten used to this status. I’ve had it since I was 7. I prefer it to chosing between my parents. On the occasions where my parents ask where I want to stay for a weekend, I can never decide. How can I chose one parent over another? If I’m told where to go, no one gets hurt by me.

The hardest part about growing up in a divorced familly is when you become old enough to hear stories from your parents about the divorce situation. In hindsight, it sounds like a great idea, you get to know “the truth” about what has been going on for the past years of your life. The problem occurs when your parents’ stories never coincide.

Being fed contradicting stories all the time causes a whirlwind of confusion and a level of distrust in the relationship with your parents. As the child, you don’t have the personal prejudices that your parents have against

each other. You want to be able to believe both parents. But when their stories contradict each other, it’s impossible for them both to be the truth.

Communication is the most crucial element of living a successful, happy life in a divorce situation. Parents have to communicate efficiently. The lack of communication can have many negative effects on the children.

Admittedly, I have a communication problem. I have a difficult communicating with the people I need to communicate with. I believe that this problem stems from the communication barriers in my family.

Similarly, I have a difficult time being open and sticking up for myself. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by stating what I want. I believe this problem also stems from the lack of communication in my situation because I don’t want to hurt either of my parents.

So, while I’ll never be able to escape my status, everything is calm right now and the human ping pong ball is beginning to bounce with more freedom. v

The Human Ping Pong BallJessica Brunts

Italy won the World Cup in 2006.

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America is a superpower in transition. The industries that built our 20th century are changing, breaking, or dying.

The rise of other nations coupled with the decline of our nation is creating a climate of global competition that America isn’t used to. If our generation fails in its duty to our country, we will no longer know America as the world’s greatest power.

We bear the burden of the future, yet possess a great disconnect with the ideals and principles that we have to uphold. As a generation, we aren’t very patriotic, and see ourselves as independent units operating within the confines of a larger whole.

During the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem played on Fri-days here at PHS, our apathy is evident. Few say the Pledge and many sit during the National Anthem, two gestures that paint a picture of disrespect toward those who have served our country.

We are a nation borne out of violent revolution. The idea of a demo-cratic republic was granted to us with the blood of the first Patriots. From Crispus Attucks to the thousands killed in the Middle East, we have always fought to defend our principles.

Patriotism is respect for those who have died in the name of our freedom.

Our Founding Fathers created a nation unlike any other. Men like Washington, Jefferson, and Madison created a country that operates not on a monarchy, but on the will of the people.

Through 230 years of existence, the ideological base represented in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence still represents everything that politics should be.

National pride is not only required to pay homage to our past, but to

show a renewed commitment to America in the future.

Patriotism does not require blind faith in the government of a nation, but does require faith in the nation itself. Our nation’s greatest Patriots have stood in opposition of injustice, and have taken action against an inequitable status quo.

To keep this nation great, we must fight against inter-nal and external corruption. While it is our right and our duty to take action, this action must be performed in the name of America.

Our country’s ideals give us something worth fighting for. While crusading for justice, we must still remember those who came before, and what they stood for.

Saying the pledge or standing during the National Anthem seem insignificant, but they are indicative of a larger problem: diminishing national pride.

To remember our past and show promise for our future, give America the respect it deserves. v

The New American Revolution: Taking Back Patriotism

Guest Columnist

Eli Phillips

A Big Sister is going to show up every time your Big Daddy character harvests or rescues the last Little Sister on a level.

Another new enemy in the game is is the debut of a new type of Splicer, the Brute Splicer, who is basically a super buff man who can throw TV’s and other large trash items at you. While his ‘Brute’ name steals from the popular Halo series, the character is highly comparable to a Tank from Left 4 Dead.

The only difference between the Tank and a Brute Splicer is that the Splicer is wearing a shirt. Their angry mannerisms are the same, their hulking running styles are similar, and they both attack you with masculine war screams.

The Little Sisters have been changed as well. The graphics on the girls have been improved, and their voices have been changed. They don’t sound so distinctive

Walking into a room to find corpses hanging from the ceiling or speared to a wall is not as gory as the exploding blood of the enemis as you cut into them. This game is not for the weak-kneed, as there is a lot more blood and guts than the first one.

Bioshock was a game to creep you out, but the second one takes on the quality of a horror-film, and is not very creepy.

Some parts of the game have been considered annoying. During one level, annoying music that sounds like the Wicked

Julia Wurm 6/10Bioshock 2 Doesn’t ShockBioshock 2, released Feb. 9 for the

Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows had a lot to live up to in

order to match the standards set by the first game, which was released in August 2007.

The game did not measure up to my expectations. The second game is only a new copy of the old first-person shooter.

Many changes have been made to the game; some of them good but most of them bad.

In Bioshock 2, you play as subject Delta, a Big Daddy (a mechanical man) who was knocked out before the fall of Rapture by Sofia Lamb, the tyrant of the new game, who takes the place of the deceased Andrew Ryan from the first game, her old rival, the rivalry which you never hear about in the first game.

For the Xbox, the B button is now a melee weapon, which is a big change from the original when the button was pressed in order to heal your character. Healing is now the right arrow on the D-Pad.

This is a negative change to the game because when in battle, the D-Pad change is an unnatural hand movement, and the control options for this are unchange-able.

New enemies exist in the game alongside the old ones. The main new fightable enemy is the Big Sister, who is a souped up mechanical mix between a Big Daddy and Little Sister. She appears at the end of every level, and is a formidable foe.

The cover art for Bioshock 2 shows subject Delta with a little sister perched on his shoulder.

Usher blasted in at the end of March with his sixth and latest album, Raymond v. Raymond, complete

with his token slow and tight R&B tracks, as well as some captivating and innovative club bangers that won’t be leaving the dance floor for a long while.

That, compounded with the added flair of Ludacris, T.I., will.i.am, and Nikki Minaj, makes Usher’s new release a worthwhile listen, if not slightly uninspired and unoriginal.

The album as a whole isn’t particularly fantastic or jaw breaking, but the majority of the tracks are bound to be hits, and some are a pure genius mixture of a solid beat and creative lyrics. This might stem from the albums hit list of producers, ranging from the recognizable beats of Polow tha Don to the slower tracks by Jermaine Dupri.

The album’s opening track, “Monstar” is rather enthralling, starting with Usher saying: “There are three sides to every story; one side, the other, and the truth.”

A creepy computerized voice follows up next, followed by Usher’s identifiable voice jumping in over violins and an uplifting beat.

Usher: v. RAYMONDJacob Sharp

This is by far the most interesting and creative track on the album, though not the best.

“OMG” fea-turing will.i.am is one of the more well put together tracks on the album, with an inclined infectious beat and intoxicating lyrics.

will.i.am’s electronic tone immediately reminds one of the latest Black Eyed Peas al-bum, The E.N.D.,

specifically the song “I Gotta Feeling.” It’s got that kind of beat that just marches the listener through the track, and surprisingly, Usher’s voice ends up delivering lyrics that both keep up and entertain.

Usher doesn’t stop there with the catchy beats though, as he teams up with Ludacris on

the track “She Don’t Know.” But, as is normal with Usher, he’s always

got his slow, invigorating R&B hits. With Ray-mond v. Raymond, he does not disappoint.

“Foolin’ Around” is basically like Confes-sions III, with Usher saying how much he loves his girl, but then apologizes because he’s always fooling around with other girls. Its got the same idea, but the piano in the background is a bit more up-tempo and less depressing than in the previous two Confes-sions.

Raymond V. Raymond is an album that lacks focus. The tone of the album is constant-ly shifting, rolling from upbeat songs talking about how much swag Usher has to slower R&B tunes that show his soft side.

It’s like he can’t decide whether he’s happy being a player or he’s sorry for cheating all the time, which, consequently, the title represents.

This makes the album seem more like a compilation of songs rather than a cohesive album with an underlying theme.

However, even though it lacks unification, it doesn’t take away from the high quality of the bulk of the tracks themselves. v

Witch of the West is coming for you plays incessantly, and when your character walks under a stream of water, an annoying clunking sounds from the speakers.

While most of the changes to the game are negative, there are a few changes that put a positive spin on the game. A new move, the Drill-Dash, is so much fun to use. Using the drill attached to your arm, you press the melee buton and your character shoots forward and bashes your enemy, killing many splicers immediately.

Having been a huge fan of the original game, I’d have to say that Bioshock 2 is great for only the biggest fans that want to delve deeper into the game and the history of Rapture. However, with a $60 pricetag, this game is not a good investment for many gamers to buy. I suggest that if you are interested in the game, rent it. v

7/10

Usher’s sixth album was released on March 30 entitled Raymond v. Raymond.

RAYMOND

A Variety Of MemoriesThe dads take after their

Varsity Drill Team daughters on the stage

as they show off their dance skills.

Tyler Elder, 11, strums his

guitar strings in sync with

his band.

Brittany Freeman, 12, challenges the senior boys to a dance-off.

The Varsity Drill Team moms mimic all of

their daughters’ dances of the season.

Alexia McGhee

Varsity Cheerleaders

Meagan Walsh (front),

12, Audrey Masek, 10,

and Taylor

Jokerst, 11,

show their team spirit.

Jazz Ensemble plays under the

direction of Dennis McFarland.

Melynda Lamb leads her choir on

the piano

Joey Hakanson, 10, and Clayton Stillman, 10, play along with the Jazz Band.

The Holman Middle

School’s Step Team breaks it down on stage.