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By Clarisa Rivero '20 An entourage of 55 energetic Viz girls followed 6 faculty chaperones through the airport, the D.C. metro, museums, monuments, and finally the long awaited March for Life last week. Alongside the Viz girls, over 2,400 students from St. Louis Catholic schools and parish youth groups travelled to D.C. to stand up for life. All of St. Louis stayed in the same hotel, and from the minute each school arrived, a wave of joyful energy and excitement filled the air. To prepare for the march, Generation Life organized programming consisting of inspiring speakers, Mass, adoration, and praise and worship. In these sessions, God’s love was undeniably present. I truly cannot think of anything more powerful than encountering God in prayer while surrounded by thousands of teens who are driven to make a difference in the world. The day of the march began with Mass with Archbishop Carlson, followed by the rally, where we heard several Pro-Life speakers give their testimonies. Whether it was adoption stories or hearing from abortion survivors, each speaker moved me profoundly as they described how they have turned the challenges and suffering they have faced, into brave witnesses to the beauty of the gift of life. The march this year was a historic event as well, as President Trump gave a speech at the rally, becoming the first standing US president to attend the March for Life. As we walked through the streets of D.C. following the rally, I tried to soak in everything around me. It’s difficult to fully understand the emotions you experience when walking alongside seas of people with one mission in mind. That feeling is one of hope and empowerment, because life empowers. I had been on the march my sophomore year with Viz, and it was an incredible experience, but I think my second time going resonated more deeply within me. This past May, I noticed that the pro-life community needed a stronger, more positive voice in the media. The pro-life cause is one that I am very passionate about, so I knew I wanted to do something to stand up for this issue. Feeling compelled to use my voice for the voiceless, I put my love of graphic design to use, and @StandForBoth was born on Instagram. “Stand for Both” promotes the dignity of both unborn children AND their mothers through original, bilingual designs. It encourages others to spread the message of life on social media, while striving to create positive, valuable conversations between people of differing views. Through this platform, I’ve seen civil discussions take place in the comments where people have found common ground despite this being a charged issue. I have received e-mails of gratitude from people inquiring how to help the movement. Friends who do not agree with my side have shared their words of support and encouragement. The pro-life movement does not force women to choose between their child’s life and their own life, and that is what I try to emphasize through my designs: the woman and the child are equally valuable. Since I have started working on this project, I’ve become more educated about its many aspects and more aware of how desperately action needs to be taken for a difference to happen. With this in mind, I went into the March for Life last week with more resolve and more conviction. I am extremely grateful and proud that Viz has given us the opportunity to be a part of a generation that stands up for life. We are called to respect and defend life at every stage. From the defenseless unborn baby in her mother’s womb, to the malnutritioned child suffering on the street, to the abandoned woman facing a crisis pregnancy, to the companionless elderly man in an assisted living facility. Each human life is a gift from God and is intrinsically valuable from the moment of conception. Accompanied by hundreds of thousands of individuals, last week, I marched for those who cannot march for themselves. If we want to make a difference in our world, if we want our future generations to make a difference in our world, we must begin by giving them the most basic of all rights: the right to life.

By Grace Elsner '20 Tickets for the Winter Play are now on sale. I hope you can come support your classmates! Something to point out is that there are a couple of new faces on stage. Possibly the best part, There are also four teachers who are in the play, Mrs. Shortt, Mrs. Benigno, Mr. Hartley and Mr. McKeever. A short synopsis of the show: A group of young actresses experience the ups and downs of trying to make it on Broadway in the 1930s. The amount of shows performed will allow everyone to come see it! Thursday, January 30th, 7:00pm Friday, January 31st, 7:00pm Saturday, February 1st, 2:00pm The link is below, but tickets will also be sold at lunch. Grab your friends and support Viz theater. https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4498822 Contact Mr. Strohmeyer if you have any questions.

By Bella Leonard '21 It's that time of year ladies, temperatures drop and rain becomes snow. This can only mean one thing: snow day. Many old fashioned people think sleeping with your pajamas inside out and flushing an ice cube down the toilet will be sufficient enough, however Viz students know the supreme ritual in order to achieve peak probability of a snow day. To begin, you must go straight to twitter and tweet at Mr. Colon's old Harvard classmate, Barack Obama, and the Pope just to make sure. Then you have to sit patiently with your phone open to your class GroupMe anticipating the first person to text "we have off." If all else fails, peer pressure your STUCO friends into showing the administration screenshots of your class begging for a snow day in the GroupMe. Eventually, if you have done all of this, a snow day is 90% guaranteed. Good luck!

By Bella Leonard '21 The annual Missouri Thespian Conference occurred this past January 9-11th and it is always one of my favorite events of the year! Essentially, you spend three days doing workshops centered around fine arts. For those not in theatre, it is set up very similar to Fine Arts Day, however it is three days long and there are many more options. There are a variety of workshops you can do. Some people broke off and only did dance workshops, others watched student-directed one-acts, and finally some people went into technical workshops, learning how to become a better crewmate. I personally tried to get a little bit of everything this year. I learned how to meditate with the "Bob Ross of meditations", circus tricks with a performer who performed for Offset's son's birthday (and even met Cardi B), a backstage perspective of a Broadway sound engineer, and how to gold leaf. The troupe members of 7280 enjoyed themselves on Saturday night. We had a girls' night filled with laughter and face-masks. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend experience in KC and I cannot wait for my senior year ThesCon in St. Louis!

By Anna Krummenacher '20 2020 is upon us! This is monumental in many ways. Not ONLY is it the year of the rat, it is my graduation year and I feel compelled to somehow leave my mark on Viz. And while I could work towards high goals that will guarantee my legacy live on, such as breaking an athletic record (doubtful) or winning some grand award (also doubtful), I’ve decided to give the masses what they didn’t know they needed: a playlist of my music choices. Here are my top 5 songs I’m listening to as I settle into 2020. I hope these will help you kickstart the new year with a couple of new songs. "Slip Away" by Perfume Genius If I was going to pick any song to BLAST in my car, I think it would be this one. This starts out slow and by the chorus is ramped up enough that you can’t help but crank the volume. I discovered this song this fall I can’t wait to bring it into the summer when I can enjoy it in it’s full glory with the sunroof open. "Anna Sun" by Walk the Moon Though I do have a slightly narcissistic bias towards this song considering the name in the title, this song’s fun beat is unbeatable. Despite somewhat cynical lyrics, this tune will certainly boost leave you feeling a little energized and ready to dance. "Yellow Ferrari" by The Toxic Avenger feat. Mystery Skulls Despite being a “techno” artist, this Toxic Avenger track is surprisingly chill and perfect to listen to on a drive with friends. I often feel compelled to roll the windows down and though that isn’t always an option this time of year, this song still gives me a great feeling! "Annie" by ARIZONA I promise I’m not choosing songs simply because they have a play on my name as the title. This song is the ultimate mood lifter with its intricate electronic beats. ARIZONA was one of the most listened to artists of 2019 and I will most likely continue that into 2020 with their recently released album. "Sleep on the Floor" by The Lumineers Released in 2016, this song isn’t exactly new and is one of the Lumineer’s most popular songs. However, as my favorite song of all time, I definitely couldn’t leave it off the list. With some simple guitar and drums in the background, this song is the perfect way to chill out and just listen.

By Grace Elsner '20 Seniors, I know it is very difficult to not feel the senioritis creeping out now that it is January. If you have felt it since August, that’s okay too! We as seniors have worked very hard on our college applications, and it feels like it may be time to relax. Here are some tips to make sure that you can still do your best, despite fatigue and sometimes exhaustion. 1. Have a plan every night. Even if you do not have a physical planner, you can still stay organized. Before leaving school, make sure you know exactly what work needs to get done when you leave. By visiting the Microsoft Store (search store into the bottom left corner of your computer), you can find different apps that can help you stay organized. Microsoft even has their own program called "To Do List" which can help you as well. If you like something concrete, stores like Michael's have six month/one year planners for purchase. Find what works for you and do your best to stick with it. For me personally, I also find it helpful to estimate how long each assignment will take me. If you have a plan, it will be easier to stick with it. 2. Find the space that works for you. Where can you best study? Can you work in Jane's Place with fifteen other people in there talking? Maybe not. Try your best to find what space works for you, it will be more productive in the end. Can you do your homework on your bed or do you end up falling asleep? It may be time to go to the library or your dining room. The St. Louis Public Library off of Lindbergh is always crowded, but the Chesterfield Library is always a safe bet (off of Chesterfield Parkway). 3. Keep track of college papers, scholarships, and emails. If you haven't made a college folder inside of your email yet, make sure you do so. It will help you keep track of confirmation emails, acceptances, as well as rejections. When it comes time to turn all of these things into the counselors, it will be much more helpful if you have it all organized. 4. Plan out long term projects. Second semester senior year has its fair share of projects. Especially with our second and third step of our Junior Apostolic project, it's very important not to procrastinate and break it down into small pieces. It is important not to feel overwhelmed. 5. Know when to say no. If you are too stressed out between trying to complete homework, dealing with sports schedules, and other responsibilities like clubs and jobs, know when to say no. If you feel too overwhelmed, do not try to do too many things, because in the end you will be doing these things all poorly, instead of doing one or two things very well. I know it is difficult to stay locked in to the rest of the year, but try to make the most of it. Make sure no matter what that you stay well rested, keep healthy habits, take time to relax, but do not give up! Work hard to ensure that college will be great for you! All the best, Grace

By Anna Cichelero '21 "The last week of break I went to New York and met up with my cousins and other family. We stayed in Times Square and didn't sleep until 3 or 4am most days." - Esha Manchanda '21 "I had a very relaxing break and spent a lot of time with my family, especially my sister who came to town because I haven't seen her since June. A lot of my nights were spent with friends or going to the movies. Overall I had a very nice break!" -Grace Franklin '20 "The first week of winter break my family and I made our annual trip to New Orleans to visit family. Of course I spent time in the Quarter, but I also got to tour local universities. The second week I spent at home playing with our new puppy, Mimi and relaxing before my second semester of junior year began!" -Bella Leonard '21 "I had a very fun, but productive Christmas Break! I made sure to spend time with friends I don't always see during school. I also used the break to work on my college applications." -Grace Kalil '20 "Over Christmas break, I babysat for most of the days. I ended up going to Flying Spider trampoline park five times in the weeks we had off with the different children I watched. I also got to spend time with my family and work on some college applications." -Grace Elsner '20 "I had a lot of family come in town so it was a lot of fun seeing my cousins and spending time with my family. I also had family friends come in town from out of the country so I had a lot of fun seeing them too. Overall, it was a very fun and relaxing break!" -Anna Cichelero '21 "This break I spent a lot of time with my friends and family around the holiday season. I went to some of the Viz basketball games and attended the best Christmas basketball tournament! It was great to relax and enjoy the new year with my friends and family!" -Holly Hunt '20 "Over break I spent a lot of time with my family. Most of my family came in town for Christmas so I was so excited to see all of my cousins back from college, my aunt's twin sister from Indianapolis and of course my family that I don't get to see on a regular basis in Saint Louis. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see my sister over the holidays, but we're visiting her soon so my Christmas isn't over yet!" -Katie French '20

By Grace Elsner '20 This past Tuesday during advisory, seniors got the opportunity to talk with four different alums from the class of 2019. They asked about dorms, rigor of classes, and honors curriculum. The current college students talked about their stress and where they enjoy studying. Even though they have been on campus for less than a year, they were still able to provide the seniors with helpful information. The college freshmen headed off to the Alumnae Luncheon hosted at Jane's Place shortly after.

By Jane Miller '20 Apple introduced a program a few years ago called screen time, which allows users to go in and see how much time they spent on their phones, including the breakdown of each app. I used to see the notification at the top of my screen and quickly swipe it away. I was embarrassed to admit the sheer amount of time I wasted on my phone. Despite constantly telling myself and others that I didn’t have time for things like reading and exercising, I was wasting hours of my life staring at pictures on Instagram and sending mindless Snapchats to people I didn’t talk to in real life. One day, I spent 7 hours and 58 minutes on my phone. That's an entire school day! The screen time notification alone didn’t inspire any change in me. It took coming across a video from the YouTube channel Yes Theory and a TED talk from Georgetown researcher Cal Newport, to spark that change. In both these videos, the idea of social media’s necessity was challenged, and there was a call to action for a digital de-cluttering. A digital de-cluttering is a challenge to go 30 days without any form of social media. For me, that meant no Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix or Hulu. The first few days of the challenge were really difficult. I didn’t know what to do with myself, and I constantly grabbed for my phone only to find there was nothing to do on it. I resorted to texting my friends and scrolling through my camera roll. One afternoon, I was so bored that I dusted my entire house. I didn’t see any benefits at all, only increased boredom. Previously, when I felt bored I would simply scroll through Instagram. I realized that I hadn’t felt bored in years. In an attempt to stay occupied, I gradually began to pick up new hobbies. I hadn’t read a book for fun in months, so I headed to the library and picked out a few. Not only did I rediscover my passion for reading in the process, I found myself so much more engaged in the stories when I wasn’t pausing every ten minutes to open a Snapchat. Inspired, I began to focus on going to bed at a reasonable hour and waking up on time. I actually studied for my exams, and found it was so much easier to stay focused without those added distractions. Most importantly, I spent way more time with friends, interacting in the real world. I stopped feeling the urge to post every moment of my outings with friends, and instead focused on enjoying the people around me and being present in what we were doing. After about two weeks, I realized how unburdened I felt without social media. Several of my friends joined me on this challenge and found similar results. Abbie Szewczyk, 12, said “I learned that social media is very draining mentally and physically. My days still consist of the same activities as before, but now I go to bed every night with energy. I believe that the time I created to care for myself rather than scrolling on my phone gave me this.” Social media is not essential to life, as much as it can feel like it sometimes. After this month long challenge, I decided I did not want to return to the way things had been before. This thirty day challenge made me more productive, more engaged in life, and more prepared to enter into 2020. Take the plunge and try 30 days without social media. Your mind, and your data bill will thank you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA5Ilzauebo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E7hkPZ-HTk&t=95s

By Grace Elsner '20 The Wednesday before exams: a bit of stress, perhaps a bit of confusion, and excitement for Christmas Break. I can almost guarantee that in some way you have been taught "how" to study, what kind of studier you are, and that you should not waste time. I have been told that I am an organized person, and I often am asked how I study for exams. Below are things that I do to prepare for exams. See the copies of my notebook attached. I recreated them from my first semester exam schedule from last year. I should start this article noting that I am an extremely visual person. When something does not make sense, I tend to write, draw, or organize. It really helps me. If you aren't that way, it does not mean that you cannot try these tips below. Here is how I prepare for #ExamSeason: Prioritize your exams: It is so much easier to begin to study if you can physically write down the exams in order of "importance". Not to say that not all exams are important, but some people need to study for English more than others. Create a study plan: Now that you have a list of exams that you are taking, it is time to plan out how you are going to study. For some people, it is best for them to judge "progress" by material (Example: review chapters 1 on one day, chapter 2 on another day), but for me I like to judge studying by time, while keeping material in mind. Find your spot: Since you have a plan, you need to find what area promotes the best way to work. For me, I have to study for English exams in complete silence. For math, I can go work at Starbucks. The most important thing is to find what works for you, and that might be many different places. Email your teachers if you have questions: The minute you feel confused, it is time to go either consult a friend or even better, your teacher. Especially if you have a later in the week exam, go find them during the thirty minute break in between and get your questions answers. Sometimes they say it is better to figure things out by yourself, but there have been many times where I have walked into an exam wishing I would have asked my question, but knowing it is too late. Prepare your materials the night before: There is a good reason why we have half days over exam week. Do your studying during the day/evening. But, before you go to bed, make sure that that mandatory printed out study guide is placed in your backpack. Make sure your computer is charging. You shouldn't miss 10% of the grade because you forgot an assignment that went along with the exam.

By Mr. Russell Wow! I actually get to write for the Vivette Times! What an honor to be asked. Really, that isn’t sarcasm…at all…how could you tell, even if you know me? And when I was asked to follow Carmyn Grapperhaus’ music article, I was a bit intimidated. After all, who wants to follow a legend? And the great ones, like Carmyn, make it look so easy. But I decided to take my chances and follow a future University of Nebraska graduate and give you some music to listen to get through finals week. Yeah, finals are a drag, but you will survive. Even teachers that you think aren’t very bright (you better have not thought of me when you read that) managed to make it through their final weeks intact! So, if we, and especially I, did it, you can, too! I chose these songs for their optimism and message. (And no, the “Friday Song” as I call it, is not among the choices. For those of you that haven’t had my classes yet, you are going to love that song!) And, to make Mr. Schweizer happy, I think all these musicians play their own instruments! So here they are, and in no particular order: “Float On” by Modest Mouse (2004). This is about always looking at the bright side when all things around you seem to be crashing. I simply like it’s optimism. I’ve made a bunch of mistakes in the past. We all have. I messed up a final exam or two (or a lot more) yet, I am still ‘floating on.” I try to use this song at the beginning of the year for my AP classes. Unfortunately, I ran into technical difficulties at the start of this year and didn’t use it. I guess I’ll just “float on," okay? “Everything is Gonna Be Alright” by Bob Marley (1980). Well, the title says it all. Regardless, everything IS gonna be alright! Once again, the optimism is outstanding! And, if you haven’t yet, buy the whole Bob Marley and the Whalers “Legend” album (or CD, or whatever they are called today). It really is that awesome! I have it on vinyl. Yeah, I’m that guy. “Suit and Jacket” Judah & the Lion (2016). Don’t grow too old, too fast. I’m getting older, but don’t feel it. Enjoy this time! Plan for the future, but enjoy the day! “So don’t tell me I’m getting older…Don’t tell me I’m growing colder, ‘cause I’ll decide when I do.” By the way, as I tell my students, “I’m living forever…so far, so good.” “Good Time Girl” by Sofi Tukker featuring Charlie Barker (2018). Sometimes you just have to click a song that YouTube “recommended for you.” So, I did, and this wonderful song popped up and quickly became a favorite of my last year’s advisory, or at least it was for scariest senior nominee Abby Quinn! And any song that contains an obvious reference to Viz girls with the lyric: “And here I am playing by myself, me and my superiority complex. And here I am playing by myself, me and my inferiority contest, I'm not winning. But I'm having a very good time.” And for what its worth, the video isn’t bad, either. “Silver Lining” by Mt. Joy (2017). I simply love the vibe this song puts out. Always look for the silver lining. And if you haven’t noticed by now, I really like cool lyrics. This song contains a true gem, and it holds true for teachers and everyone else: “And tell the ones you love, you love them. Teach only what you know, and oh, you better know it well.” So regardless of how great or poorly you do on your finals, always look for the Silver Lining. The song is also about friendship (in my opinion). “Ali in the Jungle” by The Hours (2007). I know it was used in a Nike commercial, but it’s still an amazing song. “Everybody gets knocked down, how quick are you gonna get up?” and “and it doesn’t matter how you start it’s how you finish.” And any song that uses the line: “it’s the greatest comeback since Lazarus” simply begs to be listened too! Also, any song that can reference so many people overcoming adversity is worthwhile. (The people mentioned in the song, if you don’t know who they are, Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest boxer of all time and a champion of civil rights, participated in one of the greatest fights known as “The Rumble in the Jungle.” Nelson Mandela, I shouldn’t have to mention who is! Joe Simpson, who overcame incredible odds surviving a mountain climbing accident, the book in Touching the Void is based on his experience. Helen Keller, once again, no reference needed. Tony Adams, an English soccer player that was arrested for drunken behavior, that’s the “Adams in the Dock” reference, overcame alcoholism to become one of the greatest players ever. And Ludwig von Beethoven, again, no reference needed.) Honorable mention “Oh Sweet Nuthin’” The Velvet Underground (1970). Trust me. And buy their album “Loaded.” Again, trust me. Well that’s it kids! Don’t sweat the finals too much.

By Ava Greiner '20 and Zeladis Duncan '23 Ava Greiner: I cannot believe it was my last Viz/Priory! VP has been my favorite Viz event for the past four years, so I was sad to see it end. The preparation and excitement leading up to VP is stressful but going to the dance and being able to hang out with your friends all night makes it all worth it. I think this year was one of my favorite VP dances yet. I found my dress early, danced the entire night, and there were no broken speakers! VP is the perfect opportunity to have fun with your friends before exams and I’ve had so much fun attending them over the past four years. I will miss VP next year! Zeladis Duncan: Getting to dress up, hang out with friends, and meet new people was an exciting first year VP experience. I think it gives teens a way to forget about stressful things and to let us live a little. Definitely, for us freshman, I couldn’t count the number of times I heard compliments going around throughout the night. The day after, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with all the nice comments on everyone’s Instagram posts. I know many of us spent a long time preparing and couldn’t wait to share our dresses. Overall, I think the VP dance of 2019 for my first year was a success! If I had to advise on how to have a good time at VP, I would suggest just going with a fun friend group and to not stress so much.