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Early in January, I found myself back in school—on the Clayton High School campus, tucked behind Shaw Park, sitting in a classroom with walls lined with Maoist propaganda, a scarf from the Israeli football team, a photograph of a pre-presidential Ronald Reagan in full cowboy gear. (The class: Social Studies.) I was there to talk with Adam Banks, one of the five high-school seniors we’ve captured in “Class Portraits," part of this month’s cover story on high schools.
There was a lot to talk about—Adam’s an honors student, the varsity quarterback, a percussionist in band. But while I expected to hear riffs on his current and past successes, he ended up telling me about the Advanced Placement chemistry class he’s currently battling. “It’s tough,” he admitted, leaning back in his chair with a raised-eyebrow smile of someone who’s sized up his opponent—and respects its size. “It took me a while to realize that this class is not just one I can breeze through. I’ve gotten myself a tutor, and I use the teacher more. I know I’m going to get through it and be successful in the end.”
Two days later, I was speaking with St. Joe senior Lauren Weber—another star, popular and academically proven and at ease with her success. Like Adam, Lauren was quick—without prompting—to forgo boasting about what she’s aced (plenty, I knew from her background), talking instead about what she’s currently up against. “Right now I have to ask for help in A.P. Calculus,” she told me, “because sometimes I don’t understand it as well as I should.” Adam and Lauren clearly know something it took me many years to learn: that seeking additional scholastic help is not simply something you do en route to being successful, but rather it’s a part of one’s success every day—even for, or especially for, straight-A students. It is our staff’s hope that their stories—and the articles that surround them—will help your own family succeed in St. Louis’ vibrant high-school scene.
The scene here at SLM HQ is one of excitement and change: We’ve been working for more than half a year on a complete redesign of the magazine, which will make its shining debut next issue. I’ll use this space next month to give you a full introduction, but here’s a teaser: a sharp new logo; a refreshed, unified look from cover to cover; compelling new features and departments; and a structure that makes it easier to find exactly what you want. Our goal: to achieve the levels of style, substance and sophistication that you’re used to seeing in the magazine, but to make each issue more informative, more beautiful, more fun. We love how the redesign looks—pages cover the walls where I write this—and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Stephen Schenkenberg, Editor
