Bearing News

End of high school prompts reflection, exploration of memories

Nora Crutcher-McGowan, Editor-in-Chief • May 19, 2022

The global COVID-19 pandemic framed much of my high school stint. When I try to sort memories or events from the past four years of my life in my brain, I categorize everything into the “before times''...

Future HHS principal Mary Grupe reflects on time at RBHS, education journey

Nora Crutcher-McGowan, Editor-in-Chief • April 27, 2022

RBHS assistant principal Mary Grupe is set to be the next head principal of Hickman High School (HHS), after an announcement from Columbia Public Schools (CPS) in March and subsequent approval by the Columbia...

on Global Village

Nora Crutcher-McGowan, Editor-in-Chief • March 18, 2022

After a week of Global Village festivities, including cultural art and poetry day Tuesday and an international fashion show Thursday, students concluded a week of celebrating the many represented cultures...

RBHS students walk out to demand return of masks

Nora Crutcher-McGowan, Editor-in-Chief • January 13, 2022

RBHS students walked out of classrooms at noon Wednesday, Jan. 12 to call for the reinstatement of a district-wide mask mandate. The CPS mask requirement ended Jan. 4 after a ruling from the Board of Education...

Two editors-in-chief try photography: Unfamiliar journalistic medium inspires creativity

Anjali Noel Ramesh and Nora Crutcher-McGowan • December 21, 2021

On a particularly chilly day in November, editors-in-chief Nora Crutcher-McGowan and Anjali Noel Ramesh set out downtown with the purpose of trying photography for the day, under the guidance of photo...

Fall musical “Bye Bye Birdie” closes with success

Nora Crutcher-McGowan • November 17, 2021

The annual fall musical hit the stage Thursday, Nov. 11, and proceeded with three more performances on Friday, Saturday and a matinee Sunday. This year’s production, “Bye Bye Birdie,” followed a...

“The French Dispatch” effortlessly blends striking visuals with maniacal humor

Nora Crutcher-McGowan • November 11, 2021

Wes Anderson’s latest undertaking, “The French Dispatch,” is—if nothing else—charismatic. Doing what he does best, the filmmaker and writer effortlessly blends striking visuals with maniacal humor in one of 2021’s most anticipated films, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival July 12 and released to major cities Oct. 22 after a yearlong delay because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Climate change spurs journalistic awakening

Nora Crutcher-McGowan • November 4, 2021

or members of Generation Z, the threat of climate change is a life-long presence. Junior Brooke Novinger, co-president of RBHS Conservation Club, said she first heard about the issue in late elementary school while reading National Geographic “articles about glaciers melting and rising average temperatures.”

Halloween fosters self-expression with limits

Nora Crutcher-McGowan • November 4, 2021

America has its fair share of stuffy rules and social norms, but “Halloween is the one time of year a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girl can say anything about it.” Cady Heron from “Mean Girls” was sort of right. Maybe not about the “slut” comment, but more so about self-expression and the costume aspect of the holiday.

That’s debatable: Should colleges require COVID-19 vaccines?

Multiple Authors • September 30, 2021

The widespread use of COVID-19 vaccines since last spring and recent full FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine calls into question whether government, state and higher education entities will and can use their power to require COVID-19 inoculations.

RBHS clubs reinstate Black Lives Matter Flag

Nora Crutcher-McGowan and Zay Yontz • September 14, 2021

Various RBHS clubs reinstated the Black Lives Matter flag in the activities office hallway Friday, Sept. 10. Senior Mikayla Nelson, leader of Student Equity Coalition, along with seniors Ariah Stevenson, Kelsea Myers, sophomore Art Club President Olivia Rollison and senior president of Young Democrats Charlotte Ries lifted the flag back up to its former spot.

British royal family drama exemplifies flaws of monarchy governments

Nora Crutcher-McGowan • June 2, 2021

While plenty of modern monarchs are not as oppressive as these textbook figures, we see similar ludicrous externalities from present-day monarchies that shouldn’t exist in the first place, such as the British royal family’s recent coverage regarding their family drama. Some argue that monarchies such as the United Kingdom’s are important to sustain because of tradition and glamour, but why should lower-status citizens even attempt to preserve this exclusive culture?