Lately, Lancers have been rapidly raising money and working on other projects to help make a difference. The Well Wishers community project is just one example of students’ efforts. Started by Mariah Christ, Well Wishers aims to provide clean water. The Well Wishers organization had a goal of 3,000 dollars, but the Lancer family raised a little over 3,200 dollars. All of the money was raised over the course of just four days. A large portion of the money donated was nickels, pennies, and dimes, but Mrs. McGarrity spotted a student donating fifty dollars during lunch one day! This money was presented to Bob Holloway, president of the Sparta Rotary Club on Monday, October 15th. Mr. Holloway drills wells in Malawi and will use the proceeds to do just that. Hopefully, Belleville East stu-dents will be able to Skype with the village that received the wells sometime in November.

The Belleville East com-munity also raised money for The Robert Colmeyer Chil-dren’s Education Trust recently.

All of the proceeds from the faculty play were donated to the trust for the daughters of Belleville East’s late guidance counselor, Robert Colmeyer. The play made a little over 2,300 dollars. Cast members said they were pleasantly sur-prised by the massive turnout. Over 300 people showed up on opening night. Mr. Schmidt stated that Facebook was a great way to get the word out about the play. When describ-ing the experience, Mr. Schmidt said that he wanted to perform the play more because the entire cast and crew put so much work into it. Mr. Rogers, who is the head of the theater program, was the technical director of the play and Ms. Svehla was the cast director. The cast agreed that it was a fun adventure getting to know staff members from different departments.

Over the summer, many of our teachers taught summer courses at Belleville West and saw that West had water bottle fillers attached to the basic drinkingfountains. Mr. West, science department chair, set out to find the water bottle fillers at

a decent price and with the help of Recycling Team leaders Mrs. Becherer and Olivia Renkins, two fillers were purchased with money saved by recycling on campus. The current fillers are located in R-node and H-node.

Lancers Make a Difference

Photo by Logan BrayBelleville East junior, Mariah Christ presents a check for $3,202.73 to Mr. Bob Holloway. This money will be used to drill wells in Malawi.

Photo by Jacquelyn CrockettBelleville East Recycling Team members Chris Richardson, Logan Bray, Miles Sulentic, and Rusty Williamson pitch in during 5th hour.

News 2-3Entertainment 4-5Choice 2012 6-7Features 8-9Sports 10Activities 11

October Dates26- National Mule Day 27- National Make A Difference Day 28- Bring Your Jack-O-Lantern to Work Day 29- International Internet Day 30- Haunted Refrigerator Day 31- Halloween

Contents

52Semester 1

Countdown

Products:With 25 years and count-

ing, the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is celebrated nationwide dur-ing October. Throughout the duration of the month, public service organizations, medi-

cal agencies, and government associations work to promote breast cancer awareness by sharing information on the dis-ease, and by providing greater access to a wide range of ser-vices. Although style conscious shoppers may be drawn to the oranges, reds, plums, yellows, and browns of the classic fall color scheme, pink pays hom-age to NBCAM. Students are encouraged to put their dukes up to help beat cancer one purchase at a time by selecting charitable goods.

Avon.com offers breast cancer promotional products at prices ranging from 3 to 8 dollars. Compared to other

organizations, the Avon Cancer Crusade’s (ACC) donation per-centage seems generous. Out of an 8 dollar purchase, 6 dol-lars and 2 cents is donated to the ACC. The ACC product list is a one-stop shop for shopping and donating.

Those wishing to make a statement are encouraged to purchase an item from the Save the Ta-Tas Foundation. In many cases, 40 percent of the net pro-ceeds go towards breast cancer efforts. With 850,000 dollars worth of donations to date, the Save the Ta-Tas Foundation is one of the top manufacturers supporting the fight against breast cancer.

Warriors Wear Pinkby Jacquelyn Crockett

by Arkayla Tenney-Howard

$8.00 ($6.02 donation) ribbonsbackpack available from ACC

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Events:Local and national events

that promote breast cancer awareness are hosted every month, year round. Listed below, are St. Louis events with high turnout anticipation.

What? • 2012 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. When? October 27, 2012. Where? St. Louis, MO, Forest Park/Upper Muny

Parking Lot.What?• Komen St.

Louis Race for the Cure. When? Saturday, June 15, 2013. Where? Downtown St. Louis, MO.

What? • The Color Run. When? August 2013. Where? Downtown St. Louis, MO.

East students may have noticed changes in the school cafeteria. The changes are due to new government regulations on health, children’s diet, and children’s dietary needs. Some changes are minimal and some are larger, affect-ing more people.

First off, all bread in school caf-eterias is now required to be wheat bread instead of white. This ensures that students who are eating bread are getting the whole grain nutrition they need. Sec-ondly, all students are required to have either a fruit or vegetable with their meal to qualify it as a meal. This regulation promises that students are receiving vi-tamins and minerals from these essential foods.

Another big change is food prices. All healthier items such as a la carte fruit and vegetables have their prices lowered, and unhealthier foods such as nachos, chips, or cookies have had their prices increase. That change was put in place

to persuade students to opt for healthier snack items and extra sides.

Furthermore, the drinks from the fountain machines are no longer part of the meals provided by the school and will cost extra if students wish to purchase one. Fruit juice such as orange juice and apple juice are provided and will also serve in place for a serving of fruit in a meal.

Lastly, the meat in some food items such as pasta, has been switched from ground beef to ground turkey. Turkey is far healthier for people than beef, be-cause of its lower fat content. Students who order the foods with turkey have a healthier option than students who can only choose beef.

All in all, the changes in our school’s cafeteria may be major to some, and unnoticeable to others. How-ever, these changes were made to create a healthier environment for student.

Cafeteria Changes: Keeping Kids Healthy

Jacquelyn CrockettEditor in Chief

crockettj13@students.bths201.org

Section Editors

Quinn Heimann, News Editorheimannq14@students.bths201.org

Lindsay Smith, Features Editor

smithl15@students.bths201.org

Laura Kern, Entertainment Editorkernl15@students.bths201.org

Audreyana Brown-Nash, Center Editorbrown-nasha14@students.bths201.org

Felesha Lee, Sports Editor

leef13@students.bths201.org

De Robinson, Art Editorrobinsond14@students.bths201.org

Logan Bray, Photography Editor

brayl13@students.bths201.org

Staff Members

Abi Agne, Brianna Batson, Taylor Benton, Madison Bradshaw,

Ari Brown, Jeremy Bruno, George Chen, Mariah Christ, Katherine Cooper, Nic Ellison,

Angelina Goodman, Andi Harris-Sullivan, Rebecca Humphrey, Peyton Kaercher, Asmaa

Khalid, Chandriss McAllister-Lang, Meghan McGarrity, Amoni McNair,

Jacob Rayl, Lela Roach, Timyrica Sherrod, Arkayla Tenny-Howard, Thema Thomas,

Erin Tippit, and Amy Warren

Mrs. J.J. Stallcup, Advisor jstallcup@bths201.org

The Lancer is the official student publication of

Belleville Township High School East2555 West BoulevardBelleville, IL 62221

618-222-3740 thelancer@bths201.org

Photos by Quinn HeimannKeona Moore,a freshman, enjoys a healthy lunch in the East Cafeteria.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is a club whose vision is to see the world impacted by God through the influence of coaches and athletes. The FCA club on our campus had an event September 26, 2012. The event was called See You at the Pole (SYATP). See You at the Pole is a global day for prayer. Even though it was a rainy day, students and FCA sponsor, Mr. Patton, did not let a little water keep them away. See You at the Pole brings students to their school flagpoles to interact with other students. FCA students ask God to bring them a moral and spiritual beginning. See You at the Pole takes place on the fourth Wednesday of every September. Overall, the students appeared to enjoy the event. Deaven Beck, a freshman, said, “It was inspirational and great to go to. It was

also emotional and great for the school.” Abby Hawthorne, also a freshman, said, “I felt that it was a great experience and that everyone should go to it.”

FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in the world. FCA has been around since 1954. The FCA huddle dates back to 1970. Mr.Patton said “ SYATP, the global day of student prayer, was started in 1990. Belleville East has been partici-pating for the past 15 or 20 years.” This is Mr. Patton’s 12th year sponsoring FCA.

According to Mr. Patton, the FCA’s Mission Statement is “to present to athletes and coaches, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church.”

See You at the Poleby Taylor Benton

Responsibility is our character word of the month. Responsibility is defined as the burden, obligation, and reliability that a person has. We as stu-dents at Belleville East High School have responsibilities around campus. Our primary responsibility is to be productive and responsible students in and out of our classes.

We should hold our grades, stud-ies, and homework highest on our plates. Part of being responsible is doing our homework, paying attention in class, keeping up our commitments, among other things. We also are responsible for our actions. We must stand up for what we do, even if it is hard. We as students have big shoes to fill and that will require a lot of responsibility on our part. Let’s strive to be responsible in everything we do this month and for years to follow.

Responsibilityby Mariah Christ

OPINION

Amber Willman, a senior, helps out the cafeteria by cleaning tables.

The Cafeteria is always packed with hungry students.

by Quinn Heimann

Staff PhotoEast students gather on central terrace for SYATP, a global day of student prayer.

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The Senior Olympics open and close their games at the homecoming assemblies every year. This year’s four teams were the Bear Necessities, The Killer Pink Dolphins, The Wild Thangs, and The Hungry Hungry Hippos. Each team introduced themselves in their own way. The Bear Necessities sang the song from the Jungle Book. The Killer Pink Dolphins had a cheer, ending in “Finning” elbows with the audience. The Wild Thangs had a mini dance party, with someone in a wild thing suit. Last but not least, the Hungry Hungry Hippos danced the choreography to “Gangnam Style,” led by LeeAnna Studt. The senior teams helped pass the spirit to freshmen through a series of very unique tasks. These tasks include the Grapefruit Pass, the Wiffleball sling-

shot, and three legged races. In these matches that pitted freshman against seniors, the freshman came out on top winning the Wiffleball toss and the Grapefruit Pass. At the final assembly, each team crowned a most spirited team member. In the end, the winning Senior Olympics teams were The Hungry, Hun-gry Hippos tied with The Killer Pink Dolphins.

Another exciting event at the as-semblies was the arm wrestling com-petition. The winner of the guy’s arm wrestling was Ignacio Jones. The win-ner of the girl’s arm wrestling was Anna Gailius. At the Homecoming dance, everyone voted for king and queen. This year’s king was Austin Ward, and this year’s queen was LeeAnna Studt.

Homecoming Recapby Erin Tippit

Photos by Erin Tippit(Top)The Wild Thangs dance to popular music hits. (Bottom) The Hungry Hungry Hippos perform the dance to “Gangnam Style”

The Student of the Month pro-gram is sponsored by Renaissance. A privilege bestowed upon few students, Student of the Month requires a stu-dent to show model behavior and ideal character traits. Any teacher may nom-inate a student they feel has exhibited excellent character, whether it be for the trait that month or just for being a model student in general. For being selected as the Renaissance Student of the Month, four students, one from each grade level, go to a special lunch with a selected teacher in a limousine

where they receive a certificate. For the month of October, the Students of the Month were Freshman Daniel Kellmeyer, Sophomore Garrett Hayes, Junior Miranda Procasky, and Senior Alex Hinkle. These students went to Marco’s on Main accompanied by Dr. Phil Short of the Science Department. This was only the first luncheon, how-ever. Teachers will continue to nomi-nate students for this honor through the month of May. Congratulations to the Belleville East Students of the Month for October.

Students of the Monthby Audreyana Brown-Nash

Staff Photos(Top) October Students of the Month pictured from left to right: Garrett Hayes (sopho-more), Miranda Procasky (junior), Daniel Kellmeyer (freshman), and Alex Hinkle (senior). They were chaperoned by Belleville East science teacher, Dr. Phil Short. (Bottom) Students take a limo ride to Marco’s on Main.

Photos courtesy of Laura Sauerwein(Top-Left) Katelyn Budnicki and Anna Gailius square off in the Girl’s Arm Wres-tling Championships.

(Top-Right) Anna Gailius was named the Girl’s Arm Wrestling Champion.

(Bottom-Left) Antonio George and Ignacio Jones compete in the Boy’s Arm Wrestling Championships.

(Bottom-Right) Ignacio Jones was de-clared the Boy’s Arm Wrestling Champion.

Photo courtesy of Laura SauerweinDarvonte Green edges out the competition in a friendly game of musical chairs.

Senior Olympians proudly display their banners as they enter the gym for the final homecoming assembly.

Pitch Perfect, directed by Jason Moore, introduces you to Beca (Anna Kendrick), a loner with a talent for audio mixing. On her first day of college, she meets the only two members of the school’s all-girl a cappella singing group, the Barden Bellas. Aubrey (Anna Camp) and Chloe (Brittany Snow) are the only “Bellas” left after their fellow members gradu-ated; however, the once-popular club is now searching for singers after an embarrassing mishap at last year’s national competition.

From the advertisements, Pitch Perfect looked a bit like an unoriginal knockoff of Glee, but this assumption couldn’t be more

wrong. Though they both feature music heavily, Pitch Perfect is far funnier, with the hilarious Rebel Wilson as “Fat Amy” stealing scene after scene. The film’s dialogue is amazing; it balances perfectly on the line between insanity and seriousness. The mu-sical mash-ups of Pitch Perfect are spectacular, and as embarrassing as it may be, one may find them-selves bobbing their heads or even lip-syncing to some of the more popular songs in the film. Some of the sharp-witted exchanges will have you rolling in laughter, especially the few quips of idiocy from Elizabeth Banks (Hunger Games), who plays a competition announcer and is also an execu-tive producer for the film. The romantic tension between Beca and Jesse (Skylar Astin), though slightly cliché, is heartwarming; much like the rest of the movie, it leaves you feeling good.

Overall, Pitch Perfect de-serves a solid two-and-a-half out of four stars. Though its hilar-ity and soundtrack is fantastic, it remains shallow in plot and fairly

predictable. It doesn’t prompt much thought or discussion, and certainly isn’t the most memo-rable film of the season. A person searching for a mind-bending movie may want to look else-where. Pitch Perfect is more for entertainment than for expansion of film knowledge. This doesn’t make it a bad movie, per se-- but it isn’t anything new or ground-breaking.

Pitch Perfect is a happy film. It won’t leave viewers ponder-ing the meaning of life, what a particular bit of symbolism meant, or what work the director was referencing. However, it will most likely leave every moviegoer laughing. Male viewers may feel slightly out of place watching a movie about a cappella singing groups, but the appearance of Workaholics’ Adam DeVine as the lead singer of a rival group is so absurd that it’s hilarious to anyone who has seen Workaholics. For a fun Friday-night flick, Pitch Perfect is right on key.

Pitch Perfectby Laura Kern

This comedy hits all the high notes

“When a dog has a bone, the last thing you want to do is take it from him.”

The much anticipated film in which an angry father hunts down kidnappers for the second time has finally been released. Directed by Olivier Megaton and starring Liam Neeson, this sequel packs the punch of the well-known Taken, while adding unique flairs.

Set in Istanbul, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and his daughter Kim (Mag-gie Grace) must save Mills’s ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), from those seeking revenge on Mills. Kim must use the skills her father used saving

her to save her mother.The premise seems simple and

open to what everyone wants: action. But sometimes, this alone can’t pull a movie to a satisfying end.

The story is primarily straightfor-ward and easy to comprehend, which makes it seem undeveloped and even pointless. And during scenes that don’t feature action, the acting is incredibly lacking, even by Mr. Neeson himself. There is a limited use of symbols, all of which seem to be cliche, like the use of fireworks in the background while describing a magical time in Mills’s life.

The action, as expected, is far su-perior to the story. Exhilarating chases and clever use of technology remind the audience why they came. How-ever, the shaky camera work leads to nausea and a lack of focus on the next unimportant plot segment.

With a very lacking plot and a fair action component, Taken 2 earns two roundhouse kicks out of five.

Taken 2by Brianna Batson

On September 22, the classic rock band Rush performed at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis as part of their Clockwork Angels tour.

Clock-work Angels is Rush’s 21st studio album. Fireworks on stage, multiple floating digital screens, and humorous animations projected onto screens over-head added to the magic of the night. There was even a gorilla in a lab coat onstage. The countless jokes during the show were surprising, yet welcome.

Aside from an outstanding show, the song list was a bit different from past concerts; they didn’t play many songs from their classic albums of

the 1980s. Many of the songs were widely unknown, such as “Territo-ries,” “Grand Designs,” and “The Body Electric.” Regardless of listen-

ers’ knowledge of the songs, they were amazing to hear. One of the best moments was when Rush opened with “Subdivisions,” the hit song from their 1982 album, “Signals.”

During the second set of the concert, Rush played mostly songs from their

new album, Clockwork Angels. In the encore, however, they wowed the crowd with “Tom Sawyer,” “Over-ture,” and “The Temples of Sirynx.” They also excited the crowd with their 20-minute hit song of 1976, “2112.” Rush put on an amazing show.

Rush: Back On the Lighted Stageby Logan Bray

Taylor Swift is hit-ting the charts again with her new album, Red, coming out October 22. Catchy tunes from this album include “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “Begin Again.” This is also the

first time in a while she has written an album while actually in a relationship (with Connor Kennedy). Is this going to change the Taylor Swift we love, or is it going to be the top music of the fall? Looking at her past albums and her success as an artist, I think it is safe to say fans have high expectations.

18 Months is the new album being released by Calvin Harris on October 29th. You may not rec-ognize the name of this artist, but his song “Feel So Close to You Right Now” rocked the charts not long ago. Fairly new

in the US, Harris is already releasing songs from that are bound to get stuck in our heads. This art-ist has left me craving more of his catchy dance music, however, he needs to step up his game if he wants America to sing his praises.

Must-Have Musicby Asmaa Khalid

Younger siblings (or personal squeamishness) can often put a damper on a Halloween movie night. Howev-er, not every spooky movie has to be terrifyingly gory. So while Halloween or Paranormal Activity may not be the best choices to watch with a weak stomach, here is a list of movies, both on DVD and in theatres that might satisfy your needs for a spine-chilling movie night without any fear of turning off the lights.

1. Corpse Bride. One of the creepiest (yet most heartwarm-ing) kids’ movies around, this Tim Burton film is about a runaway groom who accidentally summons an undead bride. The pure sweet-ness of this stop-motion film about true love and choosing what is right makes it perfect for babysitting or a date night. Harnessing the voice talents of Johnny Depp and Helena

Bonham Carter, this movie’s careful-yet-simple plot is perfect to evoke a little lighthearted fright on the 31st.

2. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. First aired in 1966, this cartoon featuring the Peanuts gang is a classic. It embod-ies a feeling of holiday happiness, rather than plain, unbridled terror. The animation is perfectly nostal-gic, and the muted color scheme and softly echoing audio make you feel as if you’re watching the cartoon on an old television. Often seen in elementary school class-rooms during Halloween celebra-

tions, this movie definitely warrants another view. 3. Ghostbusters. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Rick

Moranis, Sigourney Weaver, and more pack the cast of this 1980’s flick. Don’t hesitate to break out the sequel, Ghostbusters 2, either. As an added plus, with all the Ghostbusters 3 rumors swirling (Bill Hader and Michael Cera-- can you say “Must-see”?), this is where it all started. Who are YOU gonna call?

4. The Nightmare Before Christmas. The most versatile movie on the list! It’s a Halloween-Christmas-musical, with beauti-ful stop-motion animation and a dark romance underlying it all. The music is absolutely stunning, ballads that range from ecstatic to depressed to in love, all backed by a flowing orchestra. A hero-versus-villain love story, it has creepy undertones, but never crosses the

line. It’s hard to believe that this timeless movie came out nearly twenty years ago. Animation perfection.

5. Frankenweenie. This newest Tim Burton movie has been in the making for nearly 28 years-- the original Frankenweenie was a short film written by Burton and released in 1984. It has since been made into a feature-length film, created in stop-motion animation and featur-ing legendary Burton actors such as Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder. All one can hope is that it lives up to the hype. Go see this one in theatres; it opened October 5.

Family Halloween Moviesby Laura Kern

by Jeremy BrunoGhoul-Infested Attractions

Diggers HaunteD YarD212 Fillmore Street, Mascoutah, IL

Two yards full of some truly terrifying props. Has a spooky feeling at night, but could have benefited from a few live ghouls.

nigHtmare on LakesHire11 Lakeshire DriveFairview Heights IL

A pretty decent yard haunt, a lot of good props and scary decorations. Also has live actors on Halloween night!

tHe Darkness1525 S. 8th St, St. Louis, MO

Definitely worth the wait in line and price to get in, The Darkness reigns supreme once again. This is one of the scari-est haunted houses in America. Tons of horrifying props and live actors, multiple themed rooms, and an all new 3D section. Don't hesitate to go to this haunted attraction.

Lemp BreWerY3500 Lemp AvenueSt. Louis, MO

The Haunting of Lemp definitely rivals The Darkness as the scari-est haunted house in St. Louis. So many haunted houses claim to be the scariest, or the longest, or sim-ply the best. Lemp brewery is the real deal. With 5 flights of truly terrifying haunted rooms, you will experience actual paranormal activity. Expect to get a very creepy vibe, hear some very eerie noises, and get very scared when you visit Lemp.

By visiting hauntedillinois.com, those looking for a scare can find what their heart desires. Below are local attractions, ranging from high budget, to simple yard decorations. Why are you still reading this? Get out there!

Presidential Election Tuesday, November 6

There are actually FIVE presidential candidates. Three are not as well known as Mitt Romney and Barack Obama because they are independent runners. However, those three candidates, although “active” in the presi-dential election and possibly even appearing on the presidential ballot, have yet to appear at a debate or on public television to keep the focus on Romney and Obama. The five presidential candidates are:

Choice 2012!DID YOU KNOW?

Above- Map of Electoral College votes. red shows states leaning towards a Republican vote, Blue shows states leaning toward a Democratic vote, and Yellow for states that could go either way. the electoral College is a select group of electors from each state. Each state gets a certain amount of electoral college members equal to the number of representatives and senators in that state. The Electoral College takes into consideration the popular votes from the state and then places their vote accordingly. In 2012, there are 538 electoral college votes up for grabs.

Barack ObamaWhere does he stand?

Economy• He would not raise taxes on the middle class, but he would on the wealthy. Obama also plans to reform the tax code, lowering the tax rate from 35% to 28% and eliminating tax breaks for businesses.• He plans to reduce the deficit; however, his plan is projected to add $6.4 trillion to the national deficit. He says the deficit will reduce over the next decade.

Jobs• His initiative is to improve manufacturing jobs within the United States. To do so, he has offered up a 20% tax break for shipping jobs back to the United States, making it more appealing to hire within the US.

Health Care• He intends to completely reform health care. His main reform so far has been the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. ObamaCare), which was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court as a tax.

Immigration• He halted deportation for young immigrants (below age 30) who came to school in America and has either a high school diploma/ GED or has served in the US military to focus on talents these immigrants offer the USA.

Education• He intends to build upon the No Child Left Behind law to require all students to be literate and have basic math skills. He also plans to award money to the states who achieve these standards through his “Race to the Top” program.

Social Issues• He is Pro-Choice, believing in a woman’s reproduction rights (abor-tion) and other women’s rights.

Terrorism/Foreign Affairs• He made capturing Osama Bin Laden a top priority.• He ramped up unmanned drone strikes as part of his efforts to kill terrorists.• He plans to take soldiers out of Afghanistan by 2014.

Role of Government• He believes that the federal government plays an important role in shaping the lives of the people. The federal government does this through building infrastructure and regulation that helps businesses grow.

Barack Obama- Democratic PartyRunning Mate: Joe Biden

Mitt Romney- Republican PartyRunning Mate: Paul Ryan

Virgil Goode- Constitution PartyRunning Mate: Jim Clymer

Gary Johnson- Libertarian PartyRunning Mate: James Gray

Jill Stein- Green PartyRunning Mate: Cheri Honkala

Source: CNN.com

*Note: Goode, Johnson, and Stein may not appear on the ballot.

Presidential Election Tuesday, November 6

Choice 2012! Our Voice Matters

Walking around Belleville East and hearing all the opinions and views that students have on others is nearly impossible to ignore. It renders me speechless to think that students can be so attentive to the daily drama, but care less about the well-being of our country. Students seem utterly uninterested in politics, and view the right to vote as a burden. I often ponder ways to convince my genera-tion of the importance of voting, but they all seem to think I am trying to impose my politi-

cal views onto them. I would never force my opinion onto anyone, for my only goal is to get them thinking about their future and our country’s future. Which candidate someone votes for does not matter to me in the slightest; I just wish to see more young people participating and taking advantage of a basic right for American citizens.

Fairly recently in a lunchtime debate, the question of whether the public’s votes re-ally count arose. Almost immediately someone said, “No, because I’m poor and my say doesn’t mean anything.” I was instantly infuriated. The middle and lower classes of America suffer from vicious attacks every day. We make up the vast majority of the country, so to think that our votes do not count is absurd. The only way to improve your financial situation is to speak up. How do we

speak up? VOTE. The only way changes can be made in our favor is if we let our representa-tives know by voting not only in the presidential elections, but also in state and local elections.

Who you vote for is completely up to you. Most students are trained whether to vote republican or democrat by their parents at an early age, but it is our chance to make deci-sions for ourselves now. Educate yourself on the issues; take a break from Twitter and compare and contrast candidate’s platforms. With all the technology that is at our disposal, attaining knowledge and forming an opinion can be done quickly. For months, the election has been discussed on television, blogs, YouTube, and a wide array of other out-lets. Take advantage and let your voice be heard in America.

Above- Map of Electoral College votes. red shows states leaning towards a Republican vote, Blue shows states leaning toward a Democratic vote, and Yellow for states that could go either way. the electoral College is a select group of electors from each state. Each state gets a certain amount of electoral college members equal to the number of representatives and senators in that state. The Electoral College takes into consideration the popular votes from the state and then places their vote accordingly. In 2012, there are 538 electoral college votes up for grabs.

by Felesha Lee

Mitt RomneyWhere does he stand?

It takes 270 Electoral Votes to win thePresidential Election

Economy• He plans to cut taxes, reducing the current top rate paid on income from 35% to 28%. Reductions would be similar in all tax brackets. He has a budget neutral plan that will ultimately reduce revenue by $3.4 trillion. He plans to take a 5 step approach to make America energy in-dependent, get Americans the skills they need to work in future careers, forge new trade agreements, cut America’s deficit, and champion small businesses.

Jobs• He intends to create new jobs by investing in “Human Capital” and continuing to cut corporate tax rates from 35% to 25%. He will also repeal health care reform and continue the Bush-era tax cuts.

Health Care• He plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act, getting rid of Obama-Care, something he considers the biggest tax increase on American citizens.

Immigration• He plans to secure the borders and create a pathway for citizen-ship for those immigrants who have served in the military or came here through no fault of their own.

Education• He has a plan he calls “A Chance for Every Child.” This plan al-lows students and parents a choice in which school he/she attends and ensures that the teachers are well qualified to do his/her job.

Social Issues• He is against same-sex marriage, believing marriage should be be-tween a man and a woman. He does, however, support domestic partner-ships.• He is “firmly Pro-Life” and against abortion.

Terrorism/Foreign Affairs• He is committed to putting an end to radical Islamists attempts to harm Americans. He will gradually withdraw the troops from Afghani-stan, instead of taking them all out by 2014.

Role of Government• He believes in smaller government, lower taxes, and encouraging a free market economy.

Source: CNN.com

State of the SupernaturalAmongst hundreds of UFO

sightings in Illinois, one of the most memorable occurred on July 4, 1997. A multitude of firework watchers reported seeing the UFO at the Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville and later at the Skyview Drive-In Theater.

There are many locations in Il-linois that are considered “haunted” or occupied by ghosts. In Chicago lies Bachelor’s Grove, an abandoned cemetery that is thought to be the city’s most haunted location. Visi-

tors of the cemetery have reported finding remains of small animals that were killed in ritualistic ways which could be evidence of cult-like behavior. Many other visitors and patrolling officers have reported ghost sightings and other paranormal phenomena in Bachelor’s Grove.

It would appear that there is never a dull moment here in Illinois for ghost watchers and anyone else interested in the supernatural world.

Fashion in CodeThe fashion industry is a growing

trade with many different aspects such a merchandising, design, production, etc. Many Art Institutes now offer fashion programs and some colleges, such as LIM (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising) are focused only on fashion. The Art Institute of St. Louis, a new school in the area, also offers a fashion program.

Lancers interested in the field of fashion should not wait until senior year to decide if they like it or not. Try sketching or creating samples or check out the Family & Consumer Science courses available on campus like Clothing and Fashion Design. Victoria Prass, 2008 Belleville East graduate, is currently studying fashion mer-chandising and retail management at

the University of Southeast Missouri State. Belleville East did not yet have a dress code during her freshman year. During her sophomore year, the school district began the dress code policy. Tori and her fellow classmates didn’t initially like the change from jeans and a t-shirt to khakis and polos, but knew it was better to eliminate distrac-tions in their educational environment.

Tori further remarked that “Fash-ion in Code” has come a long way since those early days. Tori is an intern at Talbots and says that “Jewelry is a must,” in terms of fall fashion. Some of the fall trends will include: boots, poncho sweaters, animal print acces-sories, earth tones, and yellow scarves.

Haunted or Hoax?As children, we anticipated the

Halloween season. When younger, we anxiously waited to roam the streets and collect candy until our bags were filled to the brim. With so many places to go, one wonders about the history of the region’s many haunted houses.

One such house is on Goon Road. Once frequented by those dressed up for Halloween, the street has since become an abandoned roadway. Some are fearful to even whisper “Goon Road.” The aban-doned road is near Fairview Heights, close to the bridge on Bunkum Road that crosses Interstate 64. During the day, Goon Road is considered an abandoned roadway. At night, the road can become a terrifying place. This run-down road is considered

to be haunted because of its grue-some, bloody past. Legend says the family that once resided in the home on Goon Road preyed on travelers. The decrepit house was situated in the woods with a pack of hound dogs tied to a nearby tree. At night

the dogs would search through the woods, hunting for trespassers who dared to set foot on the family’s property. Trespassers were rumored never to be seen again.

Another tale explains the story of a different family rumored to haunt their former home. The story begins with the Lemp family who moved to St. Louis and created a thriving brewery company. Little did the fam-ily know that their troubles would begin at the time of their greatest success. The family soon died grue-some deaths in quick succession. With their deaths also came the death of their once thriving brewery company. The Lemp family line soon died out, but that does not mean that they are not around. The original Lemp family home was eventually

renovated into a res-taurant and inn. Dur-ing the renovation of the Lemp Man-sion, many reported strange occurrences, leading people to believe the home was haunted by the Lemp family themselves. People describe feel-ing as though they are being watched, hearing unexplain-

able noises and even catching glimpses of the ghosts of family members who once

resided in the Lemp Mansion.If you would like to experience a

supernatural occurrence or possibly catch a glimpse of a roaming spirit, then you should visit the Lemp Man-sion. It is considered to be one of the most haunted houses in America.

by Abi Agne

Photo by Abi AgneGoon Road greets visitors with “no trespassing” signs, warn-ing of the dangers that lie ahead.

by Chandriss McAllister-Lang

by Madison Bradshaw

ATTENTIONThe Belleville East High School

administration would like to remind students that denim jackets are

considered outer wear. All dress code policies concerning outer

wear apply.

Of the eight foreign exchange students attending Belleville East–from Bosnia to Japan–seven were present at Sharon Voss’ house on October 17th. Voss, who is hosting exchange student Anaїs Yerly, of Switzerland, hosted a banquet in which the exchange students were allowed to “mingle” with both each other and various members of the Belleville East community. Everyone from Mr. Wilder to host parents to our Lancer reporters were present, filling up on food and fellowship.

After sitting for a few minutes, the exchange students were asked a few questions, including what they liked most about America and what they missed most from home. Families and friends were among the most missed, but most students echoed the sentiments of Greta Koch (of Germany) when she said, “It’s not that bad, actually.” Most of the students regularly communicated with their families, typically via Skype. Conversely, host families were among the most liked. “I really love them,” said Emsela Tanjo, of Bosnia. Many of the students and their families shared funny anecdotes about the bridging of two cultures–like Anaïs, who was shocked to see

people at a restaurant carrying out “little white boxes full of food”. Voss quickly explained that they were take-home boxes–not commonplace in Switzerland.

Most noted stark differences between their home country and America. “People are open-minded, unlike back home,” said Melina Schutte, of Germany. Emsela said that “European people have prejudice that Americans are mean… but they aren’t,” she said. “They’re way too polite… sometimes too

polite.” Also well-liked was

American cuisine. “I have lots of favorites,” said Robin Drabon, of Germany. Greta liked chocolate shakes, Chinese food, and the fact that, “everything is fried.” However, Natig Kurbanov, of The Republic of Georgia, considered his country’s food to be the best. “That’s the reason why I’m not impressed with your food,” he said. “I love mine more.”

Aside from their

first language and English, most of the exchange students knew or had at least taken one other language. Robin, for example, was fluent in English and his native German, but had taken four years of French. Greta and Melina had taken Latin, but both remarked that it, as a language, was impractical for everyday use. When Mayu Morita, of Japan, told the crowd that she was fluent in Korean, Natig quipped, “So you understand Gangnam Style?” referencing the

popular Korean song.

It was also revealed during the course of the evening that Mr. Wilder, who taught Spanish at West for 15 years, was a foreign exchange student in Spain while he was in high school. He said that his Spanish host family was very close to his age, and that they “were more like good friends”.

The dinner, however, was very casual. Mostly, the students, parents, and teachers talked to one another, laughing and

joking about everyday life. Robin took on two players at once in a riveting foosball tournament–which he won. While Natig wrote the names of students in Georgian, Anaїs and Mayu talked about classwork over bread and fondue. Often one would hear students quickly conversing in another language, but English typically served as the link between two people who otherwise would not be able to communicate. Host families beamed at their exchange students as they posed for

pictures and watched a baseball game. So many different cultures were represented, but they all came seamlessly together in a true representation of what makes America so great–the fact that these cultures can come together so seamlessly. Regardless of ethnicity or background, each of the people in the room laughed and welcomed one another, and fun was had by all.

by Lindsay Smith

A Taste of America

Photo courtesy of Sharon VossThe Exchange Students enjoy a game of foosball with Sabrina Voss and the Lancer reporters.

Photo courtesy of Sharon VossNatig writes Robin’s name in Georgian.

Photo courtesy of Sharon VossFrom left: Mayu Morita, Melina Schuette, Emsela Tanjo, Anais Yerly, Greta Koch, and Robin Drabon. In front: Natig Kurbanov.

Many students and teach-ers wondered where the Lancer Dancers were this year during the homecoming assemblies. New to the 2012-2013 school year, Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has made changes to the rules

regarding eligibility, physicals, and the number of competitions athletes are able to compete. Now, dancers have a limited number of practices they can participate in before competition. No team can participate in more than five dif-ferent games, contests, or matches during any interscholastic tourna-ment.

Previously, students were only required to be passing four classes, but now must pass five. In addition, physicals only expire after 395 days. This allows stu-dents more time to update them. Coaches also have to meet new guidelines in order to be permitted to coach. They have to be over 19 years old and officially certified by ISBE as a teacher, administra-tor or personnel worker. Coaches can also be retired teachers or student-coaches participating in a college training program.

With the cool weather, comes the winter sports and this winter will bring in much change for the boys’ basketball team. They have a new varsity coach, Mr. Abel Schrader. Both Coach Schrader and the team seem to be excited for the change.

Neither students or players seem to be worred about playing under a new coach. Garland Ed-monds, a junior, says, “It will be fun to see how our players will per-form with a new leader.” Makyra Jones, a senior, is also excited that the players will get a taste of something new. Senior Varsity team members Malcolm Hill and James White are very optimistic that the team will only continue to grow closer and their performance will

improve. James will be a member of the varsity team for the first time this season, and he says, “I’m not worried at all. We all know what’s expected of us, so nothing will be compromised.”

The team has been working in collaboration with their new coach throughout the summer, and even worked on a few community service projects together. Coach Schrader is sure the team is ready to compete under new leadership. Schrader is also optimistic about the team’s pro-gressive chemistry. “We’ve played twenty-five games together. They know what I expect from them,” he says.

Coach Schrader comes to Belleville East from Belleville West to begin his first season as the boys basketball head coach.

Watch your Lancer teams play live online @www.bths201.org/east, Click Live Video

Winter Tryouts

by Felesha LeeWelcome Coach SchraderNew Rules for Athletes

Fall sports are ending, and winter sports are beginning. The first day of all try outs start as listed:

Boys basketball: Nov 5th

Girls Basketball: Oct. 29th

Wrestling: Nov 5th

Girls Bowling: Nov 5th

Boys Bowling: Oct 22nd

Cheer (basketball) and Dance: already taken place.

by Amoni McNair

Girls interested in swimming in the IHSA sectional meet: Pick up paperwork TODAY in

the athletic director’s office!

Miranda Lidisky, a senior at Bel-leville East placed ninth out of 110 girls in the girls’ golf state championship at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur, Illinois. Miranda began at the 10th hole and finished at the ninth hole, where she birdied. In order to acheive such an honor, Miranda has dedicated a bulk of her time to golf.

Miranda participated in her first golf tournament when she was four years old, but was discouraged to continue because of the sweltering heat. She picked back up again around age 10, and made a great comeback.

Aside from playing on the Belleville East team, Miranda competes in national tournaments during the spring and summer and also takes part in Gateway PGA events. When asked

what makes golf the perfect sport for her, Lidisky said, “I like that golf is both an individual and a team sport. I play as an individual in the summer tournaments, but I cannot wait for the school season to begin so I can be with the team again. The girls on the team are great; we support each other and have a great time at matches and travel-ing to tournaments. In the end I know that I am the only one responsible for my individual score which is a great motivator for me.”

In addition to the friends she has made with the Belleville East golf time, Miranda has met girls from several other schools in the area that often compete with her.

Look for Miranda to keep shining.

Lidisky Earns Spot on the All State Golf Teamby Felesha Lee

Photo courtesy of Janet LidiskyMiranda Lidisky holds the flag from the ninth hole at the state tournament.

Photo courtesy of Laura SauerweinMalcolm Hill dunks against Belleville West during last years basketball season.

FIND THE DIFFERENCE by Ari Brown

WORD SEARCH

There are 5 differences between the two drawings. Can you find them?

WHO’S THAT TEACHER?

A. Mrs. FieldsB. Mrs. SternbergC. Mr. PattonD. Ms. Stierwalt

Answer: B - Mrs. Sternberg

Can you guess what Mr. O’Chiu’s hidden talent is? The Lancer interviewed Mr. O’Chiu to find out all the behind the scene information on his hidden talent. Mr. O’ Chiu, a widely known and loved Span-ish teacher is a former competitive eater! He is loved by his students and fellow faculty and staff. Not many students know about his former eating habits. “Eating is some-thing I enjoy doing, and I could always eat more than my friends and I liked doing those chal-lenges at restaurants.”

Competitive eat-ing is something that not many people can do. It involves eating a large quantity in a short amount of time. Things from pizza to hotdogs, to even pies! Mr. O’Chiu’s favorite thing to eat large amounts of is spaghetti and sushi. The Spanish teacher admits to eating seven rolls of sushi in ten minutes during his last eating competition. He won a fifty dollar gift certificate to that restaurant.

When you see competitive eaters on television, you normally see overweight or even obese people. You also might see people getting very sick; vomiting or doubling over and things of that nature. The Lancer asked Mr. O’Chiu if he had ever gotten very sick like that. “The only time I ever got really, really sick was at the Pointasaurus pizza challenge. It’s a

twenty- four inch pizza and my partner definitely did get sick. He threw up, but I definitely had to hold it in”, says Mr. O’Chiu proudly. Another thing everyone

is probably thinking is, how does he stay so fit? “Exercise has always been a big thing, even before competitions I would exercise to get myself hungry.”

Competitive eating is definitely a hard thing to get into. Mr. O’Chiu has a few tips, tricks, and strategies for people who want to get into competitive eat-ing. “Start small. It’s all mental. The first twenty minutes are crucial; that’s when you want to stuff as much as you

can, because after that, that’s what is called the wall. You start to feel full. You have to tell yourself that you’re not full. Just keep eating. Water helps a lot too.

Depending on what you’re eating, you have to eat a lot, drink a little bit, eat, and drink a little bit. It makes it a lot easier.”

If you want to get into competi-tive eating, there are dif-ferent “levels of difficulty”, as you may say, to dif-ferent foods. According to Mr. O’Chiu, pudding has definitely been his hardest chal-lenge. It has a lot to do with

texture. Practicing is a definite no when it comes to this sport. If you practice a lot before, it adds a lot of calories. One strange, but true fact about training for competitions is to eat lettuce. It is very low calorie and fills you up quickly. Drinking a gallon of water also can help test your strengths.

If you are interested in competitive eating and want to learn more, contact Mr. O’Chiu in F102.

Oh, Chew!by Katie Cooper

Photo courtesy of Derek O’ChiuMr. O’Chiu is the last man standing (or sitting) at a sushi eating competition.

On Wednesday October 10th, Bel-leville East High School put on a One Act Play called Durang, Durang. The play was directed by Mrs. Kim Burch, Mr. Ranger Rogers, and Mrs. Kim Stamps. Durang, Durang was written by Christopher Durang and it includes 6 short acts, the first one being Mrs. Sorkin. Mrs. Sorkin (played by Mack-enzie Menn) is a middle-aged woman who was supposed to give a riveting speech on the meaning of theatre but unfortunately misplaced her notes. With nothing but her memory, her speech is peculiar, but definitely interesting. The second act called “DMV Tyrant” is about a stereotypical but very comical incident dealing with the DMV. Agnes James (Daria Spencer) has come to the DMV to ask why she has not received her permanent license yet. The DMV worker (Lizzie Collins) couldn’t care less about her problem and doesn’t want to go out of her way to help her. The third act, “The Actor’s Nightmare” is about an accountant named George Spelvin (Korey Prosise), who finds himself in a series of plays that he knows noth-ing about. He does his best figuring out his lines and behavior that keep getting harder and harder to guess. Suddenly he finds himself facing a beheading by the executioner (Dominique Hill) which doesn’t seem like he will be able to get out of. The second to last act, “Canker Sores and other Distractions” is about a divorced couple who are thinking about getting back together, but thanks to their awful but hilarious server they decide it was a bad idea. And finally, the last act, “Medea” is about a woman named Medea (Paige Grissom) who wants to figure out if it’s acceptable to kill her children to punish her husband.

The talented cast gave a very enter-taining performance.

by Angelina GoodmanOne Act Play

Hidden Talents of a Spanish Teacher