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Volume 11 Issue 1

September 16, 2011

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R CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRA CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL A NTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL AND L CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL A NTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL ANDOVER CENTRAL AND 603 E. Central Andover, KS 67002

316.218.4413

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Spotlight Staff

Editors in Chief: Grace Kubish Trevor Ledbetter Assistant Editor: Lauren Whiteside Copy Editor: Kylie Bell Business Manager: Jacob Hoepner Cartoonist: Courtney Schwartzbeck Photographers: Melissa Boyd Landon Fruhauf Sports Editor: Greg Schaulis News/Feature Editor: Justyce Perez Opinion/Entertainment: Emily Peer Circulation: Greg Schaulis Emily Peer

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Production: Makenzie Allison Hannah Johnson Elena Joseph Megan Kohman Blair Pullman

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New teachers join Jag staff Seven teachers have joined the faculty. In addition to the teachers, the school has a new principal, Cheryl Hochhalter, and a new assistant principal, Brian Gregoire.

The seven teachers are Genesis Ackermann and Hope Kessinger, English teachers, Chad Gerwick and Elizabeth Ukena, math teachers, Joanne Baker, nurse, Brent Ruggles, study skills, and Lori Zuber, resource.

Genesis Ackermann taught for three years at Russell High School in Russell, Kansas.

“I wanted to be a teacher because I love literature and the power of stories.

I’ve enjoyed sharing the wonders with young people,” she said. “I also have six kids, I adore basketball and I’m addicted to Diet Dr. Pepper.”

Hope Kessinger was a student teacher for English teacher, Mark Fleske.

Kessinger earned a degree in education at Wichita State University; this is her first year to teach.

“Student teaching absolutely helped.

Mark gave me a lot of freedom; he was a very good mentor,” she said.

Chad Gerwick is a graduate of Kansas State University and has been teaching for nine years.

“I wanted to pursue and degree in education because some of the most influential people in my life have been teachers and coaches. I want to have that effect on others as well hopefully,” he said.

Elizabeth Ukena taught for six years, and was a teacher at Derby High School.

She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University and a Master’s degree from Friends University.

“I moved to ACHS because Andover is known for being a good district. I like the idea of a smaller school and walking down the hallways and knowing a

Days Until

Homecoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Next Day Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Halloween . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Thanksgiving Break . . . . . . . .68 Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Last Day of School . . . . . . . 250

Mr. Brent Ruggles, study skills instructor, reads an article with sophomore, Alex Johnson. Ruggles was a student teacher last year. > > E l e n a J o se p h

student,” she said.

Joanne Baker has been a nurse for 17 years. Her degree is from Hesston College.

“I wanted to get a degree in nursing because I like helping people and I have a caring spirit,” she said.

Brent Ruggles earned a degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas and a teaching degree in secondary social studies from Wichita State University.

“I have enjoyed ACHS because I completed my student teaching last year here and haven’t had another school that even compared with my time here,” he said.

Lori Zuber taught for eight years. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Capital University in Ohio, a Master’s degree at Grand Canyon University and an Education Specialist degree from Liberty University in Virginia.

“I previously taught at Pensacola High School in Pensacola, Florida and from 2008 – 2010, I was a teacher at Wichita Southeast High School,” she said. “I’ve traveled to Israel, Bali, Paris, Belgium, Germany and many Caribbean Islands.”

> > E l e n a J o se p h

Upcoming Events

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Spirit Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 19-23 Homecoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 24 Greater Andover Days . . . . September 29-October 2 Band Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 5 Girls Varsity Tennis Regionals . . . . . . . . . October 8 Red, White & Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .October 11

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September 16, 2011

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Exchange students take on new culture

Homesick took on a new definition for the eight exchange students. From all corners of the globe, students will be away from home for a year, while experiencing American culture. Transitioning to a new culture presents challenges such as adjusting to a new school system, developing a different diet, living with a family they do not know and learning to speak English, including slang.

“I’ve been studying English for like ten years. But it is a lot different here. You talk a lot faster, and add more words. At first, being here, I was a little bit confused. But it was cool; everything was new. It was like being a child again,” exchange student from Ecuador, Alejandro Garcia said. “It is also more independent here.

In Ecuador my mom’s

like ‘Okay, you have to eat. Okay, you have to do this.’ Now it’s like, you want to eat? You grab the food.”

School systems in Germany, Japan, Norway, Brazil, Ecuador, Spain and South Korea operate differently than in America. Teachers move between classrooms while students stay in the same room.

“I think the teachers are closer with the students here. They’re almost like a friend. In Germany they are just teachers,” German exchange student, Laura Hoffman said. “Here there are classes that you can pick whereas in Germany it is just the basic subjects.”

Exchange students like the food, housing and shopping in America as well as the high school experience.

“The high school is my favorite part of

America so far. You do a lot of fun stuff. In the Spanish schools you just go, study and go home. Here you do projects and labs and have more interaction with the teachers,” exchange student from Spain, Julia Claveria said.

Extracurricular activities in American schools are also different for the students.

Students who have grown up in Andover are accustomed to the Friday night football or basketball games, going to music competitions with band or choir or being involved in other clubs and sports teams.

Six out of eight of the schools the exchange students come from do not have after school activities.

“In Norway we don’t have sports in the schools, we just have them in the community,” exchange student

“My first week they showed me everything about Andover, took me swimming, and took me shopping.” Laura Hoffman, Germany “I went to a baseball match. It was pretty cool, I’d never been to one before because we don’t have much of that in Norway. The first thing I actually did here was go to Freddy’s.” Mathilde Mjelva, Norway

“The Fox’s took me bowling too, because I had never been. I had a really high average but I’m not sure I’m going out for the team.”

Brian Choi, South Korea “I became an exchange student because I wanted to learn English, meet other people from the U.S. and to meet other foreign exchange students.” Julia Aramburu Claveria, Spain

from Norway, Mathilde Mjelva said. “You have more sports activities at school [and] clubs and assemblies which is different too.”

All of the students seized the opportunity to be involved in school. They are all involved with a sport or the band.

Others plan to play winter and spring sports.

“I’m playing football. It’s like a movie. I’m trying, I don’t know much about the sport.

The team treats me very nice though,” Garcia said.

Students adjusted to American culture after about month.

“This year my goals are to make friends, improve my English language, and pass the ACT test. I

am very excited for the rest of my time in America and what it has to offer me,” exchange student from Japan, Erina Hayashi said. > > H a n n a h J o h n so n

“Everything’s big. It’s like, oh my god. The restaurants, the school, my house. Everything’s big. All of the American celebrities are popular in Ecuador too though.”

Alejandro Garcia, Ecuador.

“I came here on the 15th of August. The first week was the hardest week because I was so often on Facebook, and talking to my friends, so it was really sad. But now it’s really good, and I love it.” Caroline Clemenz, Germany “I can already speak Japanese and Chinese.

Language for me is very interesting [and] fascinating. I wanted to experience American culture, I am very attracted by it.”

Erina Hayashi, Japan

“One of my favorite things in America so far is the fast foods. It’s cheap. In Brazil it’s expensive.” Renan Santos, Brazil

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September 16, 2011

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Huelskamp, Taylor, tie the knot in July

Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Taylor

On July 29, Emily Huelskamp, math teacher, wed Kyle Taylor, former math teacher, at the Church of the Magdalen. Approximately three hundred people attended.

After the wedding, the newlyweds headed to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a honeymoon.

The proposal took place at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

Courtesy photo

Emily and Kyle were planning to attend a party that night to celebrate one year of Kyle being cancer free.

He told Huelskamp that he needed help grading papers. She was scoring assignments when she saw what he had written on the top of two papers. “Will You,” was on one and “Marry Me,” on the other.

“It [the proposal]

totally caught me off guard; I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Emily said.

The bride’s dress was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline, fitted lace bodice and a three-tiered skirt. The wedding colors were K-State purple, with accents of lime green.

Save-the-date cards featured pictures of Emily and Kyle dressed as math nerds holding a chalkboard with the wedding date written on it. Invitations consisted of a white background with lime green and purple detailing at the top and bottom.

When the guests entered the ceremony, they signed a guest book, which was a collage of candid pictures of the bride and groom, with pages left empty for signatures.

Nick Engles, choir director, played the piano for the ceremony.

“The Huelskamps go to the church that I play at, so they hear me play a lot,” Engles said.

“It [the wedding] was a lot of fun, and it was good to see all the family and friends there,” Emily said.

Meg Huelskamp, junior, Emily’s sister, was a bridesmaid in the wedding.

“It was a very interesting experience because it was the first time I have ever been in a wedding I can remember,” Huelskamp said.

“I am glad I was there to share in her special day.”

After the wedding, the reception was held in the Magdalen parish hall. Dinner and drinks were served and the cake was cut.

The couple was then introduced under an arch built by Emily’s father, Terrance.

The first group dance

Herrmann, family, help Haitian victims Port-au-Prince, Haiti, home to 897,859 people, was destroyed by an earthquake on, January 12, 2010. Math teacher, Jesse Herrmann, traveled there for a mission trip this summer. He went with his family on the trip arranged by his wife’s father. The organization was called Men for Missions.

“I found out in May that I was going on the mission trip. We left July 29,” Herrmann said.

Earthquake damage still affects Haiti. The death toll totaled over 230,000 people and thousands remain unaccounted for. Although the earthquake was

over a year ago, there is still much devastation, and help has arrived to renovate house by house, building by building.

“The Haitians don’t have a lot. Hundreds of thousands of people still live in tents from the earthquake.”

The Herrmann family had to physically prepare for the trip to Haiti.

“Weeks before leaving for the trip, our whole family had to take medicine to prevent malaria and other diseases,” Herrmann said.

Shelly Herrmann, and their children, Morgan (11), Ty (9), and Allie

(6), ran a Vacation Bible School for the Haitian Children while Mr. Herrmann helped build a house.

“My favorite part of the trip was interacting with the Haitians at the work site. The language barrier was slowly breaking down as the week went on and we were able to joke and have a good time as we worked,” Herrmann said.

Going to Haiti was important to the Herrmann family.

“My wife spent ages two to six living in Haiti. It was a part of her background,” Herrmann said.

“It was neat to step

was the Grand March, the crowd joined in and snaked through the audience. Blair Pullman,

sophomore, attended the wedding.

“The reception was a lot of fun. There was an awesome barbeque dinner, and the room was packed full. Everyone was up dancing and enjoying the wedding,” she said. “[My favorite part of the wedding was] the dance. I did not know that Emily and Kyle had the dance moves that they did it was very surprising. It was overall crowded and a little hot but it was just one big dance party,” Huelskamp said.

“Me and Kyle had a really good time, it [the wedding] went really smoothly. It was quite the perfect day,” Emily said.

> > Me g a n K o h ma n

back and go to a different culture.

They do not have things Herrmann takes a break from building a that we house to interact with two children that have in live near the work site. Co u r te s y p h oto America would go again if the so life really slowed down for a week which opportunity arose.

“Two things became was nice,” he said. evident as I spent a Herrmann made week in Haiti. First, some observations.

Haitians have learned to “Serving others helps live with next to nothput things that we ing. Second, Americans, worry about in perincluding myself, are spective and we get a better understanding not content with having everything,” Herrmann of what life is about,” said. > > B l a i r P u l l ma n Mr. Herrmann said he

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StuCo Presidents share goals for year Fro m p l ay in g fo u r s p o r t s to vo l unteer in g tim e at ch u rc h , St u d e nt Co un c il ( StuCo ) m e mb ers ma ke tim e to im p rove the s c h o o l and co m m un ity.

Greg Sc h aul is, s e ni o r, h as b e e n in Stu Co sin ce f res h ma n ye a r an d is Student Bo d y Pre s i d e nt fo r 2011- 2012 .

“M y m otivatio n to j o i n St u Co was a sen io r n a m e d Kyle Reyno lds. H e was the co o le s t St u d e nt Bo dy P resident in t h e wo r ld a nd I lo o ked up to him a lot , ” h e s ai d .

S c h aul is is invo lve d i n ot h er activities besides St u Co. He i s a m iddle sc h o o l co un s e lo r fo r E a s t m in s ter P resby teria n C h u rc h a nd helps pl a n weekend ret re at s .

Acco rdin g to Sch a u l i s , St u Co has a lot of p ower to c re ate and plan activ ities such a s ass e mblies an d dan ces. St u d e nt Co u nc i l spo n s o r Melissa Mar i ne ll i re ce nt ly retu rn ed f ro m m ater nity le ave, s o Stu Co h as been o p erat i ng u nd er a substitute tea c h er s i nce s c h o o l star ted Stu Co has lots of p l a ns fo r t h e year.

“We’ve dec ided t h at we want to revam p th e co m mu nity s er v i ce day be cause last ye ar it wa s n’ t as successf ul as we p l a nne d . We als o want to elim in ate t h e “ R ” wo rd f ro m ACH S,” S c h a u l i s s ai d .

S c h aul is h as goo d t h i ngs to say ab o ut th e c l ass p re s i d e nt s an d th e Co un c il .

“If anyo n e ha s a n o p i ni o n o n any thi n g do n’t be afra i d to vo i ce it to the Student Co u nc i l , t h at way we can address th e i ss u e o u rselves. A n d we’re n ot s car y… we’ re ver y n ice p eo ple,” h e s ai d .

Jun io r C l a ss P res i d e nt Evan Stamp co m es f ro m a fa mi ly of t wo boys an d two g irls . Her yo u nger sis ter Ma sen is als o a c l ass pres id ent. Evan’s m a i n fo cu s i s en co u ra g in g p eo ple to s te p u p and help other k ids in ne e d by h e l p in g th em to m a ke f r i e nd s . S h e co ntr ibuted to StuCo by d e s i gnin g t-sh irts a n d came u p wit h t h e idea to cam p a ig n w it h w r i s t b and s fo r elim in atio n of t h e “ R ” wo rd .

“She’s a really h ard wo r ker

Enjoying pizza and cookies, members of Student Council and new students get to know one another at the new student luncheon.

StuCo welcomes new students this way every year. >> Me l issa B o y d

w h e n it come s dow n to it, and I can always cou nt on her to get t h i ngs d one, ” Schau lis s a id.

B e s i de s Stu Co, w he n s he is n’ t b al a nc i n g bas ketball and s occer, Evan e nj oys r u nning and hanging o u t w it h f r ie nds .

J a co b Mu r ray is the s ophomore c l a ss p re s ide nt. Mu r ray is de s c r i b e d by Schau lis a s ha rdwor ki ng and f u nny. “ J a co b is one of the goofie s t k i d s I’ ve ever met, ” Schau lis s ai d . “ W hatever I a s k him to do, h e d o e s it a nd he give s it 110 p erce nt . ” M u r ray pla ns to incor porate mo re s t u de nt involve me nt in s c h o o l a ctivitie s and e nj oys the le ad ers hip oppor tu nitie s Stu Co p rov i d e s. Ins piration come s f rom h i s s i s ter and her s trong fa ith in Go d . He fe e ls this oppor tu nity w ill b e nefit him by giving him a look i nto le a ders hip a nd pre pping him fo r t h e f u tu re. “ I b e lieve that Stu Co w ill give me t h e le aders hip ex per ie nce to b e co mpetitive in the bu s ine ss

wor ld, ” he s a id.

Mas e n Stamp, you nger sister to Evan, re pre s e nts the freshman cla ss . Mas e n wa s inf luenced by Evan to j oin Stu Co and pl ans on s taying involve d. Alon g wit h t he commitme nt to Stu de nt Council , Mas e n plays bas ketball , soccer, volleyball a nd r u ns track . Despite a bu s y s che du le, s he remains focu s e d a nd e nergize d .

“I’ m re a lly crazy, like happy all the time …bu t I ca n be serious,” s he s aid.

Althou gh pos itions St uCo members hold may s e e m int imid ating and competitive – t hey work together to focu s on the one t hing they s tand for, improving t he s chool a nd making the community a better place.

“The nu mber one th ing is t hat we’ re like a family. Everyone in Stu Co, we’ re all re ally close,” Evan s aid.

Schau lis a nd all others encourage a nyone in s chool to approach Stu Co me mbers w ith q uest ions or concer ns they have.

O ther Stu Co me mbers includ e; Mega n Gle nn, Stu dent Bod y Vice P re s ide nt – a nd cl ass repre s e ntative s Pa ige Mat acchiera, Macke nzie H arding, D eMarie Flore s , Eliza beth Chast ain, Macke nzie Wills , B e nj amin Gall man, Tar yn Da nie ls , Ge off rey Cox, K atlyn Stahl, B r idget Minellono, Lind s ey Mile s , K atie K retchmar, Raymond Thar ma n, H e le n S oult anian, K ale igh Smith, a nd Kel sey Dore. > > K y l ie B e l l

Junior Class President Evan Stamp talks with Mathilde Mjelva at the new student luncheon.

“The luncheon was really fun, we got to introduce all the new students to StuCo and just get to know each other,” Stamp said. > > Me l issa B o y d

The aircraft catches on fire from the fuel causing fault in the structural core of the building. People below the point of impact start to evacuate; noone above the impact zone is able to do so.

7:46 a.m.

Flight 11 crashes at roughly 490 mph into the north side of the north tower of the World Trade Center, between floors 93 and 98.

7:52 a.m.

7:46-9:29 a.m.

Flight 175 crashes at about 590 mph into the south side of the south tower, between floors 78 and 84.

Media has begun to cover the events.

Over 100 people on the upper floors, jump out of windows in survival attempts窶馬one of which succeed.

Because of the dense smoke, helicopter evacuation was not attempted.

8:59 a.m.

The north tower of the World Trade Center collapses from the top down. The Marriott Hotel was also destroyed.

Both were viewed and heard on live television and radio.

8:03 a.m.

9:28 a.m.

After 56 minutes and 10 seconds, the south tower collapsed.

Overcoming obstacles, attaining success The football team is two games into the season breaking even with a 1-1 record, beating Goddard and losing to Salina Central.

The team made a comeback in the fourth quarter to overcome Goddard in a 23-18 victory. On the final drive senior quarterback Colton Koenigs threw a deep ball into the back of the end zone to connect with senior Matt Clements for the win. In the loss against Salina Central the Jags were able to match the opponents score for score in the first half, but weren’t able to keep up with them in the second half. Going into halftime the team was down 20-19, and couldn’t put anymore points on the board for the rest of the game finishing with a 41-19 defeat.

The team has a small senior class including only three linemen with junior Derek Honeywell and sophomore Jameson O’Connor stepping up to fill the remaining spots.

Losing all five starting lineman last year, the new line is not only

inexperienced but also undersized.

“In actuality, even though none of us had started we all know the offense very well and are all hard workers. I know we’re probably not as good as the 2010 O-Line but our desire to win overcomes our lack of size.

We fight just as hard if not harder than any other lineman in the state of Kansas. We work hard, we have the drive to win, and we love the game. We’re not the biggest and not the most experienced, but to me, on the field, none of that matters as much as the will to win, which we definitely have,” O’Connor said.

The Jags offense starts with Koenigs and running back Alex Bontz, senior. Bontz came off of last season with 1,500 yards of total rushing. Koenigs is starting for his first time, but provides an aerial attack that won them one game already.

“I have very high expectations this year. I feel that we have a ton of talent and are working hard to be the best

Running through the sign to the first home game the Jags set to kickoff against Salina Central. Preston Solomon, senior, leads the team onto the field with band blaring and the crowd cheering. >>Zac London

we can be. The biggest challenge this year will be keeping a level head. Not getting arrogant when things are going good, and staying calm when things go wrong. I feel like the team this year has a lot of potential to be very good, and it’s up to us to fulfill that potential,” Koenigs said.

The Jags go on the road this week to play McPherson. Last year the team played McPherson twice, losing both times. Looking to change that record the coaches have the team more focused and have them prepared to play.

“They are preparing us physically and

mentally so that we can compete with any team that we face this season. I feel very confident and excited to see what our team has to offer. We have to step up and work together as best we can,” Bontz said.

The Jags play Valley Center a week from Friday. >>G r e g Schaulis

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Editor’s Report Card

A A B F

The administration and teachers chose to honor the tenth anniversary of September 11th through recounts of survivor stories by students, a complete time line of the events that unfolded and multiple videos recounting the dreadful events of 9/11. Kudos to students for being so respectful and engaged during this somber assembly. Let’s do this at all assemblies, not just this one. Show respect to everyone.

Now, I know it is not the norm and I may be the only one to say this but I love starting school on a Friday. I mean, yeah, it kind of ends your summer abruptly, but it gets all of the introductory stuff out of the way. Plus, the weekend is right around the corner. Thanks also for the shortened classes, administration. Keep up the good work.

After failed promises last year, it is good to see the new cell phone policy in tact. Being allowed to text during lunch and passing periods, takes away some of the craving to do it in class. If this policy is revoked, Andover will be a very sad district. So, students, be responsible.

This could be our one and only chance to prove we can handle it.

With all of the videos and surveys on bullying, I think it is safe to say that we know bullying is wrong. And if not, obviously those videos and surveys are not working.

Therefore, either way, we should be done with watching these incredibly cheesy videos as well as filling out the long, boring surveys. Let’s figure out a new method that is more hands on and direct. > > stories by G race Kubish a nd Trevor Ledbetter

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Future for climate looks grim Record-breaking weather disasters have dominated 2011.

The year got off to a seemingly normal start before a punishing snowstorm disrupted much of the North and within months, devastating tornadoes ripped through the South and Midwest as floods simultaneously inundated parts of the Midwest and cities along the Mississippi River. However, this summer is one that much of the country will remember, as unprecedented heat beat down across most of the country. There were massive droughts from Texas to Kansas fueling enormous wildfires across Oklahoma and Texas.

Wichita set a record for the highest number of 100+ degree days in a year at 53, a record which held for 70 years and was set during the Dust Bowl.

Each of these catastrophes dealt a financial blow to the U.S., but more importantly, they are yet another signal that our climate

is changing. For over a century, industry has spewed countless tons of potent greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, changing its composition and how our climate functions.

The U.S. spent the entire twentieth century building its economy and the lives of its people on the use of fossil fuels. The damages caused by these actions were seen long ago, yet the U.S. and other countries continued the use of these toxic fuels out of sheer convenience and interest for big companies.

Today, it is no longer an excuse to say the technology and resources are not available.

This country can become energy independent in a surprising amount of time and eliminate a good chunk of our nation’s crushing unemployment if we just started the manufacture and construction of renewable energy power plants. This nation

needs to stop thinking of energy independence as drilling for oil and natural gas domestically and instead think of it as building solar and wind farms. The nation needs to build up its renewable energy arsenal, not only for energy independence, but also for the sake of the planet.

Greed-fueled corruption in the government needs to be terminated and all subsidies to nonrenewable resource companies ended. It is time to take the country back from oil and lead it down the path to a healthier, green future where the people have control and say over where energy comes from, not the government and companies using politicians as puppets to achieve their every whim.

It is time to stop pretending the powerful force of climate change does not exist; Americans cannot turn a blind eye to the truth. The climate is changing and the Earth is warming.

This is just the beginning of a potential calamity, and if we do not stop our current ways soon, the most intelligent species to walk the face of Earth, will destroy it.

<> Statement of Agreement: Global Warming is too severe of a problem to ignore any longer.

Agree: 14 Disagree: 1 Absent: 0

The Andover Central Spotlight is the official student newspaper of Andover Central High School and makes an effort to supply readers with unbiased stories and accurate detail. The Spotlight is a forum for student expression and not subject to prior review in accordance with the Kansas Student Publications Act. The staff is comprised of Andover Central High School newspaper students. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect upon the views of the faculty, students or community as a whole. Letters to the editor are appreciated. Please note that letters and messages are subject to editing for clarity or brevity. The editorial board reserves the right to reject a letter that is perceived as inappropriate.

September 16, 2011

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New rules prevent heat injury

This summer, Kansas experienced record-breaking temperatures, which extended through the start of school. Fall sports practices started, and sports teams were faced with the issue of practicing in the heat. Teams like cross country, soccer, football, girls golf and girls tennis all have to practice outside. The Kansas High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) put extra rules into place this year to protect athletes from suffering heat related injuries.

These new rules change how long teams can practice during certain temperatures, require water to be available for athletes during practice and at higher

temperatures, require breaks for athletes to cool off. The rules also change how much coaches can require athletes to condition in high temperatures. The rules were enacted to prevent athletes from suffering heat related injuries such as dehydration, heat stress or heat stroke.

Breaks and shortened practices were issued due to the new rules, impacting practices in a negative way.

“On long distance days, we had to cut [practice] back and not run as much,” junior cross-country runner Kenzie Wills said.

“Because of the heat rules we haven’t been able to practice as much. This has

affected our team in a negative way,” sophomore soccer player Shane Pullman said.

Despite the disruptions, the rules were made to help players. The safety of the athletes was the most important factor in initiating the new rules.

“I think they [the new rules] were necessary when it was over 100 degrees,” sophomore football player Nick Fulghum said.

The rules were a good addition, but athletes were frustrated with the changes.

“The rules are helpful, but still the heat has a big effect no matter how many breaks we take,” sophomore golfer Sarah King said.

“It was difficult [practicing in the heat].

The heat definitely does pull you down, I hated practicing in it,” senior soccer player Pat Collins said.

The rules were put into place for a good reason. Students’ lives can be put at risk by excessive practice in extreme heat. Taking breaks from practice may seem annoying or unproductive and cutting practice short may seem unnecessary, but sports teams need to practice to get better, even in the heat; however, the safety and well being of students should always be a top priority.

> > Ma k e n z i e Al l i so n se e m o re a b o u t th e heat on page 16.

Debt deal passes, stops government closure Federal law requires Congress to authorize the government to borrow any money to pay for programs that Congress has passed.

Over the years, the Treasury of the United States has repeatedly hit the debt ceiling and Congress has repeatedly voted to raise it.

On August 2, President Obama signed an agreement to raise the national debt ceiling by up to 2.4 trillion dollars, just hours before the deadline set by the Treasury was reached.

The agreement created enough money for the government to continue borrowing into 2013.

“I think raising the debt ceiling shows the vast fiscal irrespon-

sibility of Congress, and is only prolonging the inevitable,” senior Chase Johnson said.

As the negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over the debt deal slowed down during the summer, it became clear that the disagreements were less over money, but rather a fight between the two parties over the size and role of government. Once again our politicians waited until the last possible second to get a deal done. They did this in April in the same situation because both sides want to hold the upper hand in negotiations.

“Politicians are too worried about their

own reelections to care about what the public needs,” teacher Jodee Hobbs said.

The ridiculous part of the agreement is that many members of both parties are unhappy with it. Democrats dislike it because it cuts spending without raising revenues, while Republicans are against any increase in the debt ceiling. They should have spent more time working on the plan to where both parties could have a common ground, instead of having to rush through a plan that neither side likes in order to avert government shutdown.

The deal also calls for at least 2.4 trillion

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dollars in government spending cuts over the next ten years, The cuts will be made in military spending, education, transportation and Medicare payments to health care providers.

“I definitely think they should not cut education, because we have already had cuts made and we’re already seeing the negative effects of it and if we continue to cut education it will start to lead to academic turmoil,” Johnson said.

I personally do not like the agreement.

While I do think it was necessary to increase our national debt ceiling to keep our government functioning properly, I think in

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Accordi ng to You...

Your favorite energy drink is...

Amp

15.2% Monster

43.9% Rockstar

7.3% 5 Hour Energy

10.1% Other: 4.8% None: 18.7% 289 ACHS Students Surveyed the long run the large cuts in spending while we are still in a time of economic weakness will slow down our nations recovery.

Politicians eventually have to come up with a better solution than to just keep raising the debt ceiling.

>> Jacob Hoepner

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Yogurt shops serve up similarity As Wichita keeps growing, more and more places to hang out are popping up around town. For instance, frozen yogurt shops. Wichita has several new selfserve frozen yogurt places. Customers may believe Orange Leaf is the best choice, it has been here the longest and “everyone” goes there, but what they may not know is that it has some competition.

Peachwave, located in the Waterfront, was once a part of Orange Leaf. Due to company disputes, the organization split and Peachwave became its own selfserve yogurt franchise. Both stores have pros and cons. The atmosphere of each is almost identical. When the old owners of Orange Leaf broke off to create Peachwave, they held on to the original decor, making them very alike.

Really, the only difference between the two is location. Both places are similar and the prices are the same. If one was cheaper than the other that would be a deal breaker but each is 39 cents per ounce. Also, both places offer similar flavors. It is acceptable that they wanted to breakaway, but to get ahead of Orange Leaf, the owners of Peachwave should get a different variety of flavors. Peachwave and Orange Leaf have no discernible difference, so the best choice would be which ever is closest.

Apart from the Peachwave and Orange Leaf, there is another self-serve frozen yogurt store. Yogurt Xplosion is located on Rock Road and is -unique compared to the -others. Its setup is still similar but the theme is different from Orange Leaf and Peachwave. One fact that sticks out above the competition is that if the customer correctly guesses the price of their frozen yogurt, it is free. Neither Orange Leaf nor Peachwave do this, which gives Yogurt Xplosion some definite brownie points.

The biggest problem with Yogurt Xplosion is the taste. It is simply not as satisfying as the smooth rich flavors of Peachwave and Orange Leaf. Yogurt Xplosions’ specialty would easily be the fruit flavors. Flavors like cookies n’ creme and cheesecake at Yogurt Xplosion had a powdery, grainy texture and a not quite as fulfilling taste. Peachwave and Orange Leaf flavors may taste the same, but at least they are both delicious.

It is not a very complicated decision when picking between the three shops.

Yogurt Xplosion is quickly out, due to the lack of appealing taste. Peachwave and Orange Leaf come close but sticking to the initial organization, Orange Leaf is still the place to be primarily beause of its proximity to Andover. > > E m il y Pe e r

What’s your fave?

67% 5% 5% 5% other 17% none

340 students surveyed

contributors

achsspotline.org

what’s on your

mind

>>

“Probably Orange Leaf because everyone goes there. I love the key lime pie with bits of cheesecake.“ Gabby Gentzler

“I would prefer Orange Leaf, simply because I have never been to the others.”

Jaden Strobel

“I prefer Orange Leaf. I like to say orange because it makes my kids laugh.”

Chemistry Teacher Stana Jefferson

What is your favorite frozen yogurt franchise, Peachwave, Orange Leaf or Yogurt Xplosion?

< > < > <

“I like Orange Leaf because it would not be unusual to see your friends there. Most people prefer it.” Austin Stickley

“I prefer Orange Leaf because of the atmosphere.

Peachwave is not much different in terms of the yogurt, but Orange Leaf is a fun place to chill.“ Jason Gazaway

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September 16, 2011

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Beat the heat Coaches, players work to overcome high temperatures As extreme heat spread across the state, coaches were been forced to make adjustments to protect players. USD 385 has a heat precaution policy that instructs coaches of limitations in times of excessive heat.

The policy consists of four different zones all of which restrict coaches to time limits, conditioning and water breaks throughout the time of outdoor practices.

“We have to be a lot more cautious as far as getting our kids water, talking about hydration and giving them the symptoms of heat illnesses. We do an inservice to make sure they’re informed of what to look for, make sure that they watch out for their teammates. If somebody gets sick from the heat they may not know it. The other players will keep an eye on their teammates,” varsity football coach Tom Audley said.

Although temperatures reached into the 100s, it is not until the heat index hits 110 degrees that practices are canceled.

Mandatory breaks instigated by the 1. At the StuCo car wash, Helen Soultanian, Kenzie Wills, and Ryan Menke scrub down cars in an attempt to stay cool.

2. “The heat made camp a lot less enjoyable and it was harder for certain members to focus because it was so hot,” trumpet player Hannah Johnson said.

3. Cooling down during a break, Jordan Webb and Miquel Pascal stop for a drink of water.

district are necessary to protect players but taking these breaks was sometimes inconvenient. “[The heat] definitely made us take more breaks just because in soccer we are constantly moving and using more energy and we need the water that much more. It kind of interrupts the flow of practice because we might be doing something really well but we have to stop and get water,” senior soccer captain Pat Collins said.

Even with coaches and players following district guidelines and taking precautions against the heat, some problems have arisen.

“We had one player leg cramp in our first game, one player with heat exhaustion, which is the next step beyond leg cramps, in the second game, and several more leg cramp cases in our third triple digit game of the week, which went into overtime. A player who missed preseason conditioning and two weeks of practice experienced the worst cramping. We provided towels soaked with ice water

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to cool players at our last game,” varsity soccer coach Greg Hewitt said.

Although precautions are mandatory in extreme temperatures, coaches believe the players need to become used to the heat since this is how they will compete.

“We ran in the morning all summer.

There is however a perspective that they will often compete in the afternoon heat so they should try to get used to it to a certain extent,” cross-country coach Kevin Weibe said.

“The [other] thing is we are going to play football games no matter what the heat is. Unless the administration changes our start time, that is when the game is going to start and at 7 p.m. it still could be a hundred degrees. Kids have to be used to it. The more exposure you have to it the more you become acclimated to it and the better that you can do in the heat,” Audley said. > > sto ry a n d d e sig n b y L a u re n Wh i t e sid e