Last Updated: 7:28 am, August 27, 2010

Author Archives: Payton Sciarratta

Published:

5/27
2010

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“Robin Hood” recreates legend with some new twists

By Payton Sciarratta

The old Disney movie “Robin Hood” has been altered dramatically. What was once a cartoon targeted toward children is now an adventure movie targeted toward older adolescents and adults

In the newer version of “Robin Hood”, Robin Longstride, an archer for King Richard the Lionheart, plays the hero. He stands up to King Richard and says that it was stupid to murder all of the women and children, so the king locks him up. When the king gets killed by an enemy archer, Robin Hood and four of his friends escape.
The king’s knights take his crown back to London, so that the king’s younger brother, Prince John, can be crowned king. On their way back to the castle the king’s knights get killed by a French spy, Godfrey.
Robin Hood ambushes Godfrey’s troops, finds the king’s crown and dress up as the knights. Robin Hood and his men take the crown back to London for Prince John. After returning the crown, he rides off to Nottingham to deliver the sword to Sir Walter Loxley.
He returns the sword and then Sir Walter Loxley asks Robin Hood to stay and pretend to be his son.  If he stays, he will in return tell Robin Hood about his childhood and what happened to his father. Robin Hood agrees to stay and pretend to be his son.
So he begins to become very popular. He then finds out that Prince John, now King John, has taken the advice of Godfrey to send a small army, led by Godfrey, and gather debts owed to the kingdom. If the people can’t pay the debts, their village will be burned down.
The whole point in doing this was to get the English villages to create a civil war. Once the debt collectors arrived in Nottingham, they locked all of the women, children and elderly men in a building and set fire to it.
The savage boys come out of the forest with Robin Hood and all the villages that were abused by Godfrey’s army, to help to save all of the people. After the villagers are safe, they get the money collectors to surrender, except for Godfrey who escapes.
Then the people of Nottingham convince King John that Godfrey is a French spy. They give him word that French troops are landing on a shore. So the villagers convince the king to gather an army to fight them. The villagers arrive at the shoreline and see the French ships.
They commence a surprise attack on the French and eventually the French surrender and the English win. They go back to the castle and the king exiles Robin Hood and anyone who harbors him. This is where the story begins.
These two movies are not even comparable to each other because they both tell two different stories. Not only that, but they are targeted towards two different sets of people. They are both brilliant films, and should be watched no matter what the age.

Published:

5/14
2010

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Meeting the cafeteria workers

By Payton Sciarratta

Every day we come to school and walk through the lunch line, paying no attention to what is going on around us. All we focus is on what we want to eat. However, the people that may go unnoticed in the commons have a special story to tell about how they got here.
Alvin Northcross, the man who is most likely serving you fries every day, is the jokester in the kitchen. He is the one who always seems to make people laugh. As well as brighten up their day.
Although Alvin has had several other jobs, one being working in construction, he took cooking as his occupation because he has always had a passion for this field.
“I’ve always loved to cook,” Northcross said. “Ever since I was a teeny tiny baby.”
The training to get to where he is today wasn’t so hard for Alvin. In fact, all it involved was a trip to an agency.
“I went to an agency to get this job, and they sent me here,” Northcross said.
Northcross is always one of the first ones to be at school. He works from 6:30 am to 2:00 pm not only serving food, but cooking it and preparing it as well.
Northcross enjoys his job, cooking bacon, sausage, eggs and biscuits every single morning. However, every so often Northcross cooks his favorite food at work, omelets.
But he doesn’t just cook at school. Northcross enjoys cooking at home as well, where his favorite thing to cook is lasagna.
Although cooking is one of his hobbies, Northcross has many others. Some of his favorite things to do when he isn’t in the kitchen are watching movies, playing video games and riding his bike.
Northcross also has a family that he enjoys spending time with. Even though he is separated, he has three children who he enjoys to bond with.
Northcross has been working in schools for five years now, but he has only been in the Clayton School District for two.
Northcross has only been here in Clayton for a short period of time. But it seems that he won’t want to leave for a long time.
He is always able to find ways to make the day interesting. One day, for example, Northcross brought in a piece of paper and asked all of the students “Can a chicken swim?” Everyone’s response to this was obviously no. When in fact the chicken can.
“We are supposed to be one of the smartest schools in the state, and you can’t even tell me if a chicken can swim?” Northcross would say in response.
Not only does Northcross just hand out fries, but he also finds ways to teach us random facts.
He is one of the most interesting staff members that we have at Clayton, and Northcross says he doesn’t plan on leaving us.
“I have fun every day, and I love cooking.”
Payton Sciarratta

Published:

2/24
2010

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Gabe Jacus dangles way to team-high 54 points on ice

By Payton Sciarratta

The Clayton hockey team has been doing pretty well so far this season. One of the main contributors to this is sophomore forward Gabe Jacus.
Jacus has been playing hockey since he was just five years old, thanks to Clayton alumni Max Barron.

Sophomore athlete of the month Gabe Jacus led the team with 32 goals and 22 assists in just 20 games.

Sophomore athlete of the month Gabe Jacus led the team with 32 goals and 22 assists in just 20 games.

“Max Barron used to come to my house and get me to play street hockey and then he eventually got me to play ice hockey,” Jacus said.
Playing hockey as a child paid off in the long run, as Jacus began playing on the varsity Clayton team during his freshman year.  That season, he scored 1.5 goals per game.  Jacus dangled his way through the club season as well, and has now established himself on the St. Louis hockey scene.
Being one of the best players on the team, Jacus tallied a team-high 32 goals and 22 assists, showing why he plays on the top line. He has had three game winning goals this year alone.
So far this season, Jacus has scored half of the team’s game winning goals. Even though the team is 6-16-1, he still has a strong passion for the sport.
Jacus receives a lot of emotional support from his teammates as well.
“He is really fun to play with,” sophomore forward Will Rosenfeld said. “He scores a lot of goals and is tough.”
This season alone, Jacus had 47 penalty minutes, showing his phenomenal toughness on the ice.
In the last game of the playoffs, Jacus managed four goals and an assist in an 8-5 loss to Fort Zumwalt South.
On a better note, the Hounds’ first Ladue game was one of the team’s best because of their dedication and hard work on the ice.
“Our team was able to win without a full team,” Jacus said. “A lot of individuals stepped up their game, and that was fun to watch.”
Even though Jacus is dedicated to hockey, he seems to be very relaxed when it comes to setting personal goals for the season. This year he didn’t make any set goals for himself; however, he did want to score as many goals possible.
Jacus doesn’t have his heart set on any college just yet, but if the opportunity arose he may just take a scholarship.
“If a good offer came up from a school, then I’d think about it, but I have no problem just going to a school and having fun,” Jacus said. “I’ve got a lot of time to think about it, so I don’t worry too much.”
At this point Jacus is exceeding in the sport and may, in time, have an opportunity to make this a profession.
“For a while that was my plan, but a lot changes over time,” Jacus said. “It would be great, but the sacrifices you need to make and the dedication you need to have is just ridiculous.”
Jacus plans on playing hockey throughout high school and may eventually turn his love of the sport into a career.

Published:

1/27
2010

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Junior Christian Thomas carrying Hounds to new heights on hardwood

By Payton Sciarratta

So far this season the varsity Greyhound basketball team has made a major improvement compared to recent years. One of the main contributors to this is junior guard and forward Christian Thomas, who has the highest average on the team at 21.8 points per game and also cleans the boards for the fairly undersized Hounds, chalking up nearly 10 rebounds per game.

Christian Thomas dunks in a recent away game. Thomas finished with 24 points on the night to improve his team-high average to 21.8 points per game.

Christian Thomas dunks in a recent away game. Thomas finished with 24 points on the night to improve his team-high average to 21.8 points per game.

Thomas has been playing since he was only eight years old, and his heart has always been in the sport. He started playing basketball because he wanted to be just like his dad.
“My dad was a big basketball player when he was in high school and he played at Kansas State, so when I was little I decided to try and be like him,” Thomas said.
When he was younger, his father was constantly trying to challenge him in order improve his overall game.
“To get better, my dad had me always play against older kids,” Thomas said. “Also I played with my brother who is six years older, so he always challenged me.”
As soon as Thomas entered high school, all his hard work paid off. He began playing on the varsity team his freshman year.  Thomas actually entered a situation at Clayton that benefited him because it was a young team and not a very high-caliber squad, which allowed him to adjust to the varsity level of play without much pressure.
Many Clayton students fondly remember the shot that Thomas hit at the buzzer in overtime against the rival Ladue Rams in district play to win the game in 2008.  Even as a freshman, Thomas showed that he had nerves of steel, calmly putting back a Greyhound miss in order to extend the team’s season.
With the help of Thomas, the team’s record so far is 12-5, compared to last year when the team finished 18-9.
“I know we will win more and make farther in districts, hopefully even state,” Thomas said.
Each season Thomas sets an expectation for himself. This season he wanted to improve from the last.
“I wanted to average more than 14 points a game because that’s what I did as a sophomore, so I wanted to improve on that,” Thomas said.
However not only did he want to average more than 14 points per game, but Thomas also wanted to get stronger and improve his shooting.
Thomas is clearly improving on his shooting, as evidenced by his performance against Eureka in which he scored 40 points, which happens to be his fondest memory so far this season.
Thomas has a field goal percentage of 52 percent, and a 47 percent average from behind the three-point line. From the free throw line Thomas is shooting almost 66% by connecting on 87 of his team-high 132 attempts.
“Christian has as much talent in his little finger as most of us have in our entire bodies,” head coach, Ryan Luhning said. “He is someone who doesn’t take his talent for granted. He is our hardest worker and that’s why he’s successful.”
Thomas has done a remarkable job of improving his ball handling skills, as well as his jump shot.  The changes have already paid off for the Hounds and Thomas.
In a game against MICDS earlier this season, the opposing Rams were determined to not let Thomas beat them down low, so he easily stepped outside the arc and drained his first five three-point attempts.
As well, Thomas has carried the ball up the court much more this season than in the past.
Thomas hasn’t just improved on goals he set for himself, but he has improved the overall team as well.
“Christian isn’t just someone who plays basketball,” senior forward Preston Burnsed said. “He’s a basketball player who was born to play the sport. His natural talent along with hard work will help the ‘Greyhound pack’ have a very successful season.”
Since Thomas is such a great player, he has already had college scouts looking at him, several of whom came to watch him play over the summer.
Thomas has got his eye on one college in particular, the University of Nevada.
“I like the coaches there and they have a good winning tradition,” Thomas said.
To Thomas, basketball isn’t just a high school thing. His love for the game is something that he wants to pursue in the future.
“I definitely want to play in college and if I get the chance to make it a career, I would love to,” Thomas said. 

Published:

11/30
2009

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Snow Angel

By Payton Sciarratta

Rehearsals for the freshman-sophomore play “Snow Angel” began almost immediately after the fall play “Great Expectations.”

“Snow Angel” is a story of a small group of teenagers on a snow day, who find a lost girl and attempt to help her find her way back home. Throughout the play, the main character, Eva meets each of the other characters and portrays each of them as they appear to others.

After the long process of auditions, the actors soon received their roles and began looking over the script.

The actors tended to show some mixed feelings about the show.

“It’s really abstract,” said freshman Eudora Olsen, who plays Frida.  ”We’ve done more show-tuney productions whereas this is more edgy; the audience has to think so it’s new to me,” freshman Eudora Olsen who plays Frida said.

Freshman Emma Riley, who plays the role of Eva, said she didn’t originally like the play.

“After blocking it and seeing how it looks, and how we act together, I think it’s going to be really good. And we have a good director to pull it off.”

This year’s director for the freshman-sophomore play is Adam Florese.

“I love the director,” Olsen said.  ”He’s such a chill guy.”

Florese tends to make the rehearsals fun for students. Not only that, but he has also helped to improve students’ acting abilities as well.

“The quality of the blocking is so much better,” Riley said. “Beforehand [in middle school productions] it told me just where to go. Now I feel like I’m improving my acting abilities as well.”

This director hasn’t only helped to give the actors better direction, but he has also helped them to develop a better understanding of their characters.

This was done by having each student bring in a song that best represented the character they would be playing, and then having them explain it to the group.

“The director helped us to get a better understanding of our characters,” Riley said. “It really helped because we know our characters better and we know how to interpret them and say their lines.”

Florese has a unique way of doing things when it comes to theatre. One of the rules for “Snow Angel” is that every character must wear one costume piece of their own. They must also lend a costume piece to another character as well.

The drama department puts on a show meant to be mainly cast with freshmen and sophomores because it gives them the opportunity to receive larger roles.  Even though this show is meant to be for mainly freshmen and sophomores, the upperclassmen tend to take part in it as well.

“In case they needed more people, we’ve always implemented upperclassmen into the underclassmen play because of the shortage of parts,” junior John Holland, who plays the character Crank, said.

Since upperclassmen are allowed to audition and because this year specifically all the auditions were done together, the freshmen were a little tense about them.  Riley explained that this was only her second time having callbacks and for her it was a little frightening.

“It was a little nerve-racking because you get experiences with other actors in callbacks and there’s more competition,” Riley said.

The actors have gone through the long drawn out process of auditions, and are in the process of surviving the hard work of rehearsals. They hope that they get a good crowd to come and see the play. Tickets are five dollars, and the show will take place on Nov. 20 and 21.

Published:

9/25
2009

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Internet harassment a threat to teens

By Payton Sciarratta

“I’m going to make your life a living hell,” says the person on the other side of the screen.  At this point in time, Jessie Smith* didn’t know whether to fight back or back out.  She had been conversing with this person on the other side of the screen for several weeks now, but it was starting to get too out of control.  Smith made friends with this person several weeks ago, but now their whole relationship had been turned upside-down.

According to e! Science News, three in four teenagers say that they had been bullied at least once online in a 12-month period.  Many teens who become a victim to online harassment think that they are the only ones, but in reality hundreds of teens are being harassed each day.

Internet harassment can be a very serious matter and it can often harm the victim being harassed.

“Internet harassment is so dangerous because it is much easier to do at a higher rate, a more violent rate,” health teacher Melissa Hobick said. “Calling people names face to face is harder than over the internet.  Who is being harassed and how they handle it can be destructive as well, girls may become depressed and suicidal because they think that people are talking about them.”

Over the past few years, internet harassment has been becoming a more serious matter for teens all over the U.S.  This is because for one, the internet has become much more popular and it has been drawing teens towards it.  Not only has the internet become much more popular though, but also because teenage girls have been committing suicide as an effect of being harassed.

“We have had minor things happen, but we address them quickly,” police officer John Zlatic said.  “RCCEEG who works with the FBI in Clayton, harassment falls under their group.  If something happens we hand it over to them and they take it more seriously.”  The stories about girls killing themselves have affected the choices that people at CHS make when they are being harassed.

“When I was told my life was going to be made a living hell, I went through sort of a depression and it’s hard not to have those thoughts,” Smith said.

Over the past few years many people believe that internet harassment has been getting worse.  “Since it’s not face to face, you can’t see people’s reaction, so it’s easier to do and there are fewer consequences,” Hobick said.  As an effect of internet harassment not being face to face, more and more people are taking part in this.

This problem has gotten way out of control and must come to an end.  However, Smith believes that it won’t be stopped.  “I honestly don’t think it can be,” Smith said.  “The only way that it can be stopped is if everyone uses everything as it was meant to be.”

Because of the girls who have been hurting themselves, we hope that there can be some sort of sympathy that the people who are hurting others will stop.

“I hope it’s making them think twice about what they post on the internet.” Smith said.

*Name has been changed

Published:

9/11
2009

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Drama students audition for fall/winter season

By Payton Sciarratta

by Payton Sciarratta

Students pace back and forth rehearsing songs over and over, repeating the monologues to make sure they get it memorized word for word. Hearts race, stomachs ache, this is all the process of auditions.

This year’s fall productions at Clayton High School, “Great Expectations,” the freshman-sophomore play “Snow Angel,” and the winter musical auditions took place on Sept. 8, 2009. The most unique thing about this year’s auditions was that all three shows had their auditions on the same day.

Students who auditioned for any of these three shows were required to either prepare a monologue and/or a song. The musical “Sweeney Todd” is a very complex show and requires a lot of effort, which is why the winter musical auditions were held so early in the year.

“It is more of a consequence because we are auditioning now for all of the shows until the spring,” Junior Ian Miller said. This was the unique thing about the audition process because it was the first year that the theatre department has had an audition like this.

“We have guest directors with us this year,” said Nick Oliveri, senior and President of Drama Guild. “Zoe VonderHaar, the choreographer of all winter musicals is here with us today.”

This was an opportunity for the students at CHS to have such a wide variety of directors to take part in the audition process.

“I hope to find a good cast and that the shows really come together,” Miller said.
Make sure to keep your eyes open for tickets to see this year’s fall/winter productions.