Volume 1, Issue 1 Rumor Has It
Transcript of Volume 1, Issue 1 Rumor Has It
The following account allows CVPA a look at the truth
of how
the great flood came to be. “So this is what hap-
pened,” she began,
“So, I flushed the toilet that was actually working and
I hear this gurgling sound from the ones next to it on
each side - the toilets
with no doors. And I would expect to see the actual
toilet I flushed
start to spill but no. So, it started overflowing and
running onto the floor so I ran out of the bathroom
and there was a girl sitting outside on the floor and I
was like, ‘these bathrooms here!’ and in the next min-
ute the water started flowing under the door into the
hallways and the classes!” The victim was lucky to
escape the clutches of the toilet’s wrath, but perhaps
her main offense was neglecting to inform anyone of
the problem she witnessed but, it is quite clear she
did not intend for the consequences to be as disas-
trous as she displayed a personable and surprised
tone.
One of the worst things about the flood is
how far the dirty toilet water surged through the
school. It continued past the classrooms, and even-
tually began cascading down the stairs like a water-
fall. Certainly, if the anonymous victim had acted
immediately, the disgusting toilet water leaking out of
the toilet bowl would not have been a newsworthy
issue.
The lesson to be learned from our wayward friend is
most likely problems will often grow into regrets if left
to snowball into terrible crises because, believe me,
she regrets causing The Great Flood at CVPA.
It was a peaceful September
day, just like any other at CVPA, when it
was suddenly shattered by a horrendous
toilet overflow-
ing. It crept out
the bathroom
and continued
down the hall
like Dracula or
Grendel or some
other infamous
creature, and
proceeded to
claim its victims
as it went down
the hall.
The first victim
was spotted out-
side of Mr. Mat-
tler’s door. Ac-
cording to the teacher, “I heard a student
scream for help to a security guard out-
side in the hallway. Going outside to in-
vestigate, I saw it had already ruthlessly
moistened one of her shoes. It was a like
a river running down the hallway and so I
shut the door for protection and went
back to teaching.”
This attempt at protection would not, how-
ever, stop the creeping of the toilet’s
march. As with any monster, simply clos-
ing the door would not halt its progress.
“It’s coming in the door!” said one of the
students in his class, and by then it was
all the way to the middle of the room. In
desperation, all the class could do was flee.
“Okay kids pack up your stuff we’re leaving!”
said the teacher, fearful for their safety, and
the class tried to avoid the creeping menace
beginning to take over their room.
Mr. Mattler was quite shocked at the ap-
pearance of the water in his classroom. His
room was not the only one invaded by the
delinquent’s flood, though; quite a few other
classrooms were bombarded with the vile
liquid.
This flood, as it is now being dubbed,
caused a great uproar as it was clear some-
one had caused it and ran away leaving the
mess to increase in dreadfulness. However,
yours truly happened upon a witness to the
events leading to this disastrous act. In
respect to our frightened victim, though, she
will be anonymous.
For those of you who don’t know,
one of the new teachers in the
building is Mr. Jenkins. He has
come to our school and is part of
the arts programs. I took some
time to get to know the
teacher who will be directing
our fall musical Footloose,
and thought you might like to
get to know him too.
Q: What is Footloose and
what is it about?
A: Footloose is a musical that
was created in 1998. It is
based upon the 1984 film of
the same name. It is about a
young man and his mother,
who move from Chicago to a
small town where dancing
was not allowed.
Q: Why did you choose Foot-
loose for a musical?
A: I liked the movie, and
watched it as a youth.
Q: Where did you work before
coming to Central?
A: I started off here at Central,
and worked from 2007-2009.
After that, I went to Carr Lane
Middle School. From there I moved
to Los Angeles to direct and choreo-
graph a children’s theatre company.
I have also worked for COCA since
2006 doing musical theatre, and
have recently returned to Central.
Q: Can you tell me about the danc-
ing in Footloose?
A: The dance department will han-
dle the dancing in the musical. I
have the utmost confidence in the
dance department, so I know the
dancing will be great.
Q:What do you plan to change in
Footloose?
A: Some of the scenes call for
outdoor scenes. I’m chang-
ing those. The most roman-
tic part of the musical is the
bridge scene when the cou-
ple is below the bridge.
Q: What do you expect from
the students?
A: I expect them to give 100%
commitment to the musical
from the beginning rehearsal
all the way to closing night.
Q: Is dancing important in
your life?
A: Yes. I’m a trained actor,
singer and dancer. All three
of these are very important,
especially for a musical.
T h e G r e a t F l o o d
b y A s h l e y M e r e d i t h
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Art News 2
Student Profile 2
Advice Column 3
Fashion 4
Love 4
Puzzles 5
Horoscopes and Comics 6
G e t t i n g F o o t l o o s e w i t h
M r . J e n k i n s b y A l i y a h A z i z
Rumor Has It Volume 1, Issue 1
The Newspaper of
Central Visual and Performing Arts
High School est. 2013
The year has just begun, yet Mr. Perry already has his work
cut out for him.
First, he's working for the Oktoberfest. They are paying him
to paint 1,300 yards
of cloth. Every year
the Oktoberfest com-
mittee rents a place
which they decorate
for their guests. In the
past, they used to
rent a park, but now
they are renting a
parking lot across
from Soulard which
they will decorate with
his art.
All the money for this
commission will be
contributed to the art
department, so in
order to get the pro-
ject completed, Mr.
Perry got creative. He
took his art classes
outside and rolled
out along strip of
cloth (about 210
yards at a time). It went from
the school alley to Kingshigh-
way. Next, he gave students
buckets of paint and had them walk along and splatter the
paint on the cloth. They used red, yellow, and black paint
because Oktoberfest is a German festival and those are the
colors of the German flag. He figured that splattering was
an easy way to get all of the cloth done in a timely manner.
It was also very inexpensive.
Another project that Mr. Perry is helping out with is a fund-
raiser for the Tower Grove Art Fair. This year CVPA get its own
booth! He is going to set the booth up with artwork from for-
mer seniors who left
pieces behind, and sell
them for reasonable
prices. The artwork will
be priced between $5
and $20. The booth will
be run by students, fac-
ulty, and parent volun-
teers.
Do you want to help?
Get involved! It is on
October 5th and 6th.
Anyone who wants to
participate should talk
to Mrs. Sponsler. If you
volunteer, you will get a
letter for your service
hours and a t-shirt iden-
tifying you as a Duck
Duck Goose team mem-
ber.
Mr. Perry is also working
with the Historic
Neighborhood Association in
a contest to be able to paint
the front gates at Tower
Grove Park. The gate stands 12 feet tall and is a 30 foot
wall, and whoever wins gets their design on this amazing
gate. The contest is already over and he is waiting on the
judges for the results. Thousands of people see the gate
every year. The result of the winner will be announced soon.
That's all the news I have for right now. I’ll keep you posted.
A: I’d say my grandma because she like doing
a lot of art and she likes to inspire me to do
more art. She’s always getting me to try new
things like woodworking and clay, and show-
ing me what different things can do with
painting and watercolors.
Q: What is a quote you would like to say?
A: Unless you have a lot of patience, art is
going to be very boring. I love dragons. I love
drawing dragons.
Q: How did you make the dragon? (she shows
me her drawing)
Q: Did you grow up in St. Louis?
A:No I am from Baltimore. I spent
like half my life there.
Q:What inspires you?
A:I like watching other people do art,
a lot of media, video games, and
such...a lot of fantasy stuff.
Q: What is your favorite art?
A: Drawing, because you can be very
precise. Like with painting if you
make a bad mark, you cover it up
but you can’t erase it entirely. With
metal working you can’t incorporate
as much color.
Q: Why did you come to Central?
A: My mom was like, “Hey let’s go to
Central” and I was like, “Okay.” My
other school was closing and I
wanted to go to an art school to
expand my skills.
Q: What do you want to be when you
grow up?
A: I want to be an artist.
Q: What type of artist?
A: I’m not quite sure.
Q:If you don’t become an artist,
what would you do?
A: I would probably do landscape
design
Q: Who has been the biggest influ-
ence in your life?
A: At first it just started as the head,
then we decided to elaborate on that
and add the neck and painting behind
it. Look into the dragon’s eyes.
Q: How did you feel when your dragon
was displayed?
A: I was very excited. I thought it
would be a good opportunity to share
my artwork.
How do you feel about being in the
paper?
A: I don’t know...ecstatic!
Lena displaying her artwork
A r t N e w s b y C i e r r a M o r g a n
P a g e 2
S t u d e n t P r o f i l e b y A s h l e y M e r e d i t h
Mr. Perry posing with his cloth of many colors
R u m o r H a s i t
other accountable and help each other
stay on track while having fun and catch-
ing up. Use this method carefully,
though, because it has a high probability
of failure.
The most commonly overlooked method
also happens to be one of the simplest:
just go and start! In the immortal words
of Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender,
“You've got to stop thinking like an air-
bender. There's no different angle, no
clever solution, no trickity trick that's
going to move that rock. You've got to
face it head on.” This quote means that
you have to stop trying to think of an
easier way to solve your problems and
just do it. Instead of spending time
trying to figure out how to do your
homework you
could get a lot
done simply by
starting it.
There are plenty
of other methods
to make doing
homework less
difficult but I
don’t have the
space to write
them all. Get
creative, though,
and try multiple
approaches.
Some things
might not work.
If you still need
ideas ask your
teachers; after
all, their job is to
help you! I hope
this makes
school a little
less painful.
If you have a question for La’shey, write
me! My box is outside Mr. Mattler’s
room in 220.
Until next month,
-La’shey
enrollment which exceeded over 1500 stu-
dents, and in 1955 the school began enroll-
ing its first African American students.
In 1976, The Visual and Performing Arts
school was created, and by 1984 it had
merged with Central to become the school it
is today
In 2004, (that’s the year that the song “Drop
It Like It’s Hot” came out) Central decided to
drop the old building it like it was hot and
move to its present location on Kingshigh-
way.
Did you know that your high
school is the oldest public high
school west of the Mississippi
River?
Try using that fact when bragging
about your school.
“Oh, when was your high school
founded? Well ours was founded
in 1853.”
Believe it or not, the first Central
High School was founded over
150 years ago. Back then, it only
had 70 students, but it grew and
soon needed a new building. A
few years later, a new one was
constructed in the downtown
area.
The popularity of the school con-
tinued to grow, prompting the
need for another new building,
which was built in 1893. This
new building did not last for a
long time, however, since a trag-
edy was about to befall it.
In 1927, the school was destroyed by
a tornado which had cut its way
through the city. Five students actu-
ally died during this event. (It kind of
makes you think about taking the
tornado drills a little more seriously,
doesn’t it?)
The destruction of the building forced
the school to be moved again, this
time to a location on Garrison where
it remained for a long time.
During the 1930’s the school in-
creased in popularity achieving an
It has been a long journey for this school, and
the tradition continues on with the students
who attend the school today.
It’s humbling thinking about how old our
school is, so take some pride in your school
and say with pride when someone asks, “I’m
from Central VPA!”
L i s t e n t o L a ’ s h e y
D o Y o u R e a l l y K n o w Y o u r
S c h o o l ?
P a g e 3 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1
Students from Central School in 1882
Homework. For most of us it’s the bane of
our existence. Often, it’s simply too hard
to stay focused long enough to do our
long, boring work. The bright side,
though, is that it’s
totally within our
power to fix the
problem.
One of the best
methods to stay on
top of homework
and better your
grades is to con-
vince yourself it’s
fun. I know, “It’s so
not fun,” right? and,
“I don’t want to look
a fool!” Believe it or
not though, it’s
proven that if you
pretend long
enough, eventually
you start to believe
what you are pre-
tending to like. If you
believe homework is
fun it makes it a lot
easier to do. Plus,
nobody else can see
inside your head so it’s not like anyone
has to know. For the actors out there,
think of it as a drama exercise.
Another thing which can make homework
easier is to start study groups with other
people in your class. Now this might not
work if you spend the whole time chatting
it up with a good friend but often if you
have another person working toward the
same goal as you, you can hold each
Natasha McKinnies doing her homework
Kelly Sykes
Kelly Sykes says George Jetson
was her inspiration for her “Out of
this World” outfit. “I try to wear
really weird patterned, bold shirts
with solid color pants,” Kelly
stated. “Wearing cool patterns with
solid colors makes the pattern
stand out. You don’t want your
outfit to be too busy.”
Ms. Russell
“Shirley Jackson in the story ‘The
Lottery’ inspired my outfit,” Ms.
Russell says. She finds something
that looks decent and creates a
whole unique outfit for herself
that is just fit.
Jake
Jake says Fluffy, his cat (a stuffed
animal) and best friend, inspired
his outfit. You can follow them
both on Instagram.
Fluffy @ Its_ Fluffy_ 69
Jake @ Jakejustmadeyourday
Darriona Quarles Did you know that Darriona is a
senior and a dance major?
Couples! You see them everywhere, right? However, there is always that one couple who always carry them-
selves in a loving and respectful manner.
Couples don’t necessarily have to be physically attractive, couples that catch the human eye typically tend
to reflect the respectful side of the couple! Be aware of P.D.A. though, that’s not cute or fair to others.
For this month’s Cutest Couple, I have decided to highlight one of Central’s best known couples, Darriona
Quarles and Marquece Lomax.
Darriona and Marquece have been dating since freshmen year and they met at Central in 2010. Unfortu-
nately, Marquise left St. Louis to go to California for the 2011-2012 school year and left Darriona here
alone. The distance was too much and they realized how much they missed each other. Luckily, Marquece
came back for the 2012-2013 school year and is here to stay. Now we see this couple all over school and
just realize that high school romance does exist.
Marquece Lomax Did you know that Marquece is a
senior and a dance major as well? I guess they have danced their way
into each others’ hearts!
T h a t F u n k y T r e n d b y X a n i e l l e r o d g e r s
C u t e s t C o u p l e b y A l o n d r a C o r n e j o
P a g e 4 R u m o r H a s i t
Mr. Robinson
“I feel like you can express your-
self through clothes and shoes.
Not only can you show your
moods, but it can show your per-
sonality also. I try to keep it sim-
ple but bold at the same time. I
also love to wear loud socks no
matter what I am wearing. I am a
RECOVERING ‘Sneakerhead’ so I
enjoy Fridays when I wear differ-
ent sneakers. I feel like if you are
not comfortable in it, then you
should not wear it. Keep it simple,
and do not overcomplicate things
when it comes to clothes. That is
my way of thinking.”
Fall is here, so dress appropriately. Now dressing appropriately doesn't mean you can’t be stylish, here are some tips…
- When it gets cooler out, wear a jacket, blazer, cardigan, or other warm clothing.
-If you’re going to wear bold patterns, don’t mix your entire outfit with them, you don’t want your outfit to be
too busy. You should wear a solid color with the patterns, to have your outfit still awesome but not outrageous.
Here are some few stylish students and staff…….
6. Dr. White’s first name
7. Featured on MTV’s Made
9. This teacher likes to salsa dance
11. The picture next to room 222 says
13. Principal’s name at Cleveland
15. First two words on the soldier’s plaque in the lobby
17. The southern street bordering our building
18. Teacher who has a son named John
19. How many doors are at the entrance to the theatre?
20. The last assistant principal
21. Recently renovated room
F u n S t u f f !
A c r o s s
P a g e 5 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1
D o w n
1. Color behind the 6 on the clock in the lobby
2. The new World History teacher
3. How many steps does it take to get from the 4th floor to the 1st, including
the landings?
4. Which water fountain has the coldest water?
5. You might catch this staff member playing football
8. Staff member from Florida
10. The blue condiment in the lunch room
12. Musical from 2011-2012 school year
16. What side of the building are the odd numbered rooms on?
Riddle of the Month
A bus driver was heading down a street in Colorado. He went right past a stop sign without
stopping, he turned left where there was a "no left turn" sign and he went the wrong way on
a one-way street. Then he went on the left side of the road past a cop car. Still - he didn't
break any traffic laws. Why not?
He was walking
Joke of the Month
Where do you learn to make
ice cream?
At sundae school
Puzzle of the Month
The shape above is made with one continuous line. Starting anywhere, can you complete
the shape without lifting your pencil? Oh, and your path cannot cross over itself.
Newspaper Contributors
Ashley Meridith - Editor
Alondra Cornejo - Director of Photography
Xanielle Rodgers - Fashion Editor
Rainbow - Artistic Director
Aliyah Aziz - Reporter
Deja Jackson - Society Reporter
Capricorn - Good news! This month has a high likelihood of good fortune, high energy, and financial success toward the end of the month. Aquarius - This month, events in your life will begin to pick up, but your energy level could fall. This month is likely to be tough, but keep going and you will reap the benefits. Pisces - Keep the bad vibes away and you will find happiness.
Aries - Don’t be so competitive; it leads you into bad habits.
Taurus - Be positive. Things are looking up. This month brings money and for-
tune.
Gemini - This month your knowledge will prosper. Use it widely to achieve what you need. Cancer - Be aware of your surroundings, both for good and bad.
Leo - This month you will find something very important to you, whether it be friendship or a physical object. Virgo - Pay attention to the family this month. The home is where the heart is.
Libra - This month will run a progressive and gainful period in which friends are high on the agenda. Enjoy this month because your stamina is likely to fall to-
ward the end. Scorpio - When it rains, it pours, but for you that means opportunity. Make lem-onade out of lemons. Sagittarius - Keep your options open. New and better things await. Go for it, but find a balance with your work. A great balance brings great success.
C o m i c s B y R a i n b o w Zodiac Attack
Where arts and academics share center stage