Fine Arts Assembly

“If nothing else, value the truth” VOLUME LXXI ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2006 ISSUE 15 Attendance quadruples at do-over forum Jim Santel plans to have its homeroom reps ask their are tentative plans for a conference between News Editor constituents to be silent in the halls during student leaders of the five schools in the Metro t. Louis U. High’s Student Council these periods. Catholic Conference (MCC) to discuss ways (STUCO) held its second forum of the Assistant Principal for Student Welfare to improve sportsmanship. quarterS yesterday in the Joseph Schulte H. Eric Clark has recently been asking stu- Troy emphasized students’ roles as fans, Theater, a redo of Nov. 28’s sparsely-at- dents to remain quiet during these periods, saying that “we’re not there to make fun of tended forum, which had only 25 attend- and junior Pastoral Officer Brett DeLaria said the other team.” ees. Yesterday’s meeting was a significant he feels that while “there has been improve- Wehner said that this drop in sportsman- improvement, with approximately 100 ment” since Clark’s first announcements, ship “is not a SLUH problem … This is a students and all STUCO homeroom repre- “there’s always room for more improve- problem throughout the (MCC).” sentatives in attendance. ments.” DeLaria said that especially the “The teams in the MCC have a hard time STUCO President Paul Merrill opened seniors must assume a leadership role and losing,” Wehner said, “and when we start los- the forum by saying that English teachers set an example of silence. ing, then we get personal,” citing examples of Chuck Hussung and Terry Quinn approached Vice President of School Spirit Murphy students taunting other schools about inferior STUCO at their meeting on Tuesday about Troy then took the stage to recap Athletic academics. Wehner said student behavior excessive noise in the corridors during the Director Dick Wehner’s statements at the must improve: “We’re St. Louis University passing periods after freshman/sophomore Nov. 28 forum regarding sportsmanshsip. High School, and people expect more from lunch and immediately before junior/senior Troy said that there has been “a big drop us.” see REDUX, 13 lunch, disrupting classes in session during in sportsmanship” this year on the part of these periods. Merrill said that STUCO fans and players alike. Troy said that there STUCO Talent Show next Thursday Fine ArtsPHOTO BYAssembly ANDREW MUETH Kevin Casey Core Staff Senior Brad Klipfel t’s safe to say that St. Louis U. High students think quite highly of themselves (lower right) recites the (withI good reason), but they get to show story of “Silent Night” off their talents to an audience that is there at last week’s Fine solely to watch them only once a year. This annual event is the Student Council Arts Assembly as the (STUCO) talent show, which will take chorus waits to sing. place on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. This year, though, in an effort to make The assembly also fea- things run smoother, STUCO is breaking tured seasonal tunes the tradition of having the show follow a from the band and a basketball game, as it has in past years. “Originally it was a good idea having tap dancing number the talent show work hand-in-hand with the to Elton John’s “Step basketball game,” said STUCO moderator Brock Kesterson, explaining that the game Into Christmas.” was used to draw people to the show. In re- see TALENT, 13 2 News December 15, 2006 ACSA discusses schedule, drugs, teacher evaluations Charlie Landis professional about it. The last thing you do SLUH. He said that drugs are easily avail- is look at the student’s name.” Aliste noted News Editor able to SLUH students, and that some drug that as a professional it is important to ac- or alcohol related activity occurs on SLUH ssistant Principal for Student Wel- cept criticism and not blame students for it. grounds. Afare H. Eric Clark hosted the second “(Teachers) do go through (surveys) and we “I was told that things are going on on quarterly Advisory Committee for Student do adopt some of what they say. ... Some of our parking lot,” Clark said. He also said that Affairs (ACSA) meeting in the Robinson them say mean things and that’s fine.” rumors of drugs “harder than marijuana,” Library last Monday. The committee dis- Parent James Kemp suggested that such as cocaine, have also been associated cussed the method of mandatory teacher SLUH determine which type of survey—a with SLUH students. Clark asked the students evaluations by students and the ever-pres- free response survey or a 1-10 scale sur- on the committee for advice on how to deal ent problem of drug and alcohol use at vey—is more valid in helping teachers. with the situation. St. Louis U. High. The committee also Senior Tommy Davidson said that open- Clark said, “Students know more than debated the school’s current seven period ended free response questions provide a better I know. ... This is being brought up (now) schedule versus block scheduling. chance for students to give suggestions and simply because ... it is a way of the ad- Clark opened the meeting promptly criticism than a “1-10” survey does. “You ministration, the school, the parents–we’re at 7:00 p.m. with a discussion of student get your chance in writing to more clearly supposed to be a family–trying to solve or evaluations of teachers at SLUH. At the end explain where room for improvement is,” trying to figure out what we can do to help of each school year, students are asked to he said. these young men deal with issues that they fill out evaluations of their teachers. These Art teacher Joan Bugnitz commented, “I may be having.” evaluations are mandatory for teachers, who try to encourage criticism. ... I see (criticism) Clark also said, “If a young man is normally write their own survey. as a tool to make things better, no matter medicating himself during school, after Spanish teacher Myriam Aliste com- how long you’ve been teaching.” She noted school, whatever, then there could be some mented that even if a survey is not anony- that sometimes it is hard to get students to other underlying issues that need to be dealt mous, students should feel free to speak criticize. “I want them to tell me the hard with. And I guess what I’m asking students truthfully and not fear repercussions from stuff (to) make it better for the next guy,” here is if you can let us know, let the parents an angry teacher. “You want students to she said. know, let each other know what can we do be honest,” she said. “As a human being I Clark then moved the discussion to the to try to help our young men here if there is don’t like all of my students, but I try to be availability and use of drugs and alcohol at see ACSA, 14 Timeline takes shape for Student Life Center “We are going to do substantial amounts Zarrick. Christian Ronzio of testing of the subsoil to get as much The firm choices have been narrowed Core Staff knowledge about those subsurface condi- down into two short lists: Hastings Chivetta; ver the past two months, St. Louis tions as we can prior to the design,” said Zwick and Gant; Christner; and Hoener As- U. High has made several important Zarrick. The tests will involve drilling for sociates for architect; and Tarlton Co. (which stepsO toward realizing the end of its Vision multiple soil and rock samples over the next built the soccer stadium), Wilson, Clayco, 2000 (V2K) expansion program with the few months. and BSI for contractors. construction of the Student Life Center, “We definitely want to be able to say “The main things that we are looking including creating a tentative timeline for exactly what we’re facing in terms of con- for in any firm are whether they can capably the project’s ultimate completion. struction before it gets underway,” he said. construct a project with the scope of the “In a perfect world, we’d like to have This extensive testing is meant not only to Student Life Center, whether they can give the Student Life Center up and running by aid in design of the building’s foundations, us the quality we want, and whether they can fall of ’09,” said Director of Facilities Patrick but also to avoid the pitfalls that occurred build it within the budget,” said Laughlin. Zarrick. “If you backtrack from there we have during construction of the baseball stadium The administration hopes to pick both plenty of time (to go through each phase of in ’05. The stadium construction was delayed a builder and an architect by January or planning and construction).” for almost six months as multiple sinkholes February. President David Laughlin stressed, “The were discovered under the site. According to Zarrick, SLUH is also timeline that we have, though, is by no means The other important phase of the Student looking for each firm’s experience with final. We really just don’t know what will Life Center currently taking place is SLUH’s academic institutions and “blending old happen as construction moves along. We just ongoing search for both a contractor and an buildings with new,” which is of key interest have to take the planning step by step.” architect for the building. During the Nov. 8 to the administration.

Load more