Volume 6 Issue 1
The
Comet thecometonline.com
SPORTS Senior Christian Wiltse and other Blue Comet athletes got busy in the weight room this summer, page 4
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In This Issue
Student life...............2 Opinion....................3 Sports......................4 Entertainment..........5 Feature....................6
FYI Homecoming coronation will take place before tonight’s football game against Parsons.
1501 W. 36th Street Chanute, Kansas 66720 Friday, September 20, 2013
Is more technology really a good thing?, page 3
A tradition renewed BY KATIE LAIR CLASS OF 2014
One of many Chanute High School seniors to paint Senior Lane, Regan Aylward rolls her mark on her section of the 36th Street in front of the high school. The tradition of seniors painting a city street ended in 2008 when Chanute High School moved from 400 S. Highland to its new location at 1501 W. 36th Street. The Chanute City Commission voted to revive Senior Lane on Aug. 25 after senior Alexis Thuston brought the issue to the Commision’s attention. Thuston became aware of a city ordinance that allowed for Senior Lane. Since the ordinance was non-street specific, the Commission was able to relocate Senior Lane to its new location in front of the high school without conflict. Chanute High School and USD 413 do not sanction Senior Lane. Abby Liudahl/ The Comet
Follow the leaders Crew Leadership program receiving rave reviews than last year; the freshmen aren’t so timid and even the older kids are a lot more social since they know these freshmen,” Hernandez said. Hernandez began training the Crew members to be mentors this summer. Crew members learned the ins and outs of the rules located in the agenda book as well as how the school works so they could pass this knowledge on to their group of freshmen. “ There were a lot of new rules this year that we had to learn, so I was learning as I was teaching the freshmen.” Harrison said. In addition to developing their leadership skills, as an added incentive these
Crew leaders are receiving half a credit, which goes towards their GPA. So far the reviews have been positive. “I think it’s a good way to get freshmen started and learn about the school, they also make a lot more friends with this program,” junior Crew leader Brooklyn Chaney. As one of 54 Crew leaders, Harrison knows she is a part of something special. Helping these freshmen along in their daily lives and getting them prepared for the next three years is no small responsiblitly. “It makes me feel responsible, like I’m a president,” Harrison said.
Abby Liudahl/ The Comet Senior Lamisa Chowdhury discusses how the first week of high school has gone with freshman Caleb Barnhart at the first Crew meeting on August 26. Crew Leaders meet with their freshmen once every two weeks to discuss academics, school protocol and social issues. “In our teacher inservices I was hearing a lot of concern for not seeing enough leadership throughout the whole school, When junior Adina Harrison walked and since I had done this type of leaderinto Chanute High School to help with ship training, I thought that this program freshman orientation she saw the widewould help,” Hernandez said. eyed faces of nervous freshmen. Harrison, Building a Crew a Crew leader for the newly established In the Crew Leadership program, seCrew Leadership program, couldn’t wait niors and juniors who were recommended to help these new freshmen have a great by the CHS staff have the opportunity to first year of high school. become mentors to incoming freshmen. She remembered how it felt being the Crew members are each assigned a new kid and wanted to make these freshsmall group of three to four freshmen. men feel welcome, wanted these freshEach mentor’s job is to help guide his or man to know that, as a Crew leader, she her mentees in the right directions, ofwas there to have their back and to give fering support and advice about grades, them advice on anything they needed classes to take, and activities to get inhelp with. volved in. “It felt good (knowing I was there Just weeks into the program, freshto help), especially men are already remembering how seeing its benefits. nervous I was as Freshman a freshman,” Har“The climate is so Kady Krokstrom rison said. “It was much different than enjoyed having her a very welcoming Crew Leader, julast year...” atmosphere.” nior Tristyn Stan- Maria Leadership islaus, because she Hernandez wanted was able to ask The Crew LeadCrew Supervisor questions about ership program lunch and discuss came from a simple MAP testing. desire -- teachers The experience and administrators has been so positive for Krokstrom, she at CHS wanted to see a change in the has already set her sights on returning the students’ academics and behavior; they favor. wanted to see more leadership from stu“I think I would like to be a Crew dents. Leader as a junior, because I know how They also believed younger students it’s helped me. ” said Krokstrom. would respond better to their peers givMore than anything, most freshmen ing them advice than if it was an adult say the program has eased the anxiety was telling how they should go about that usually accompanies being a freshtheir school life. man. Enter CHS Spanish teacher Maria “This program has really helped Hernandez with an idea. me; it’s made me more comfortable at During her time as a teacher at Iola school,” freshman Savannah Hastings High School, Hernandez completed Link said. leadership training. Hernandez took this Hernandez agreed. training and applied it at CHS. “The climate is so much different
The Comet gets social BY TALIA RAMSEY CLASS OF 2016 The Comet has gone with a more social approach. In an effort to stay on top of the trends occurring in the professional world, The Comet is increasing its online presence. “Part of my goals for the class is to have the classroom reflect what is going on in the professional journalism community,” The Comet adviser Dustin Fox said. “The reality is that print journalism is taking a backseat to digital journalism, and our staff needs to learn how to responsibly take part in this digital transition.” Last year thecometonline.com was launched. The Comet now has several social network sites, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fox said the three social networking sites give The Comet more opportunies to connect with readers and spread the word about upcoming stories and current web content. “The world has become so interactive,” Fox said. “If we aren’t preparing our students to responsibly be a part of that we are doing them a disservice.” The Comet will still publish nine issues per year, but much more focus will be put on the online forum than in the past. The web site includes everything in the print version, as well as additional features such as exclusive stories, videos, alternative coverage and photos. Seniors Emily Lair and Alexandra Gwillim attended a digital publication class at the Kansas Journalism Institute in July and came back with a lot of ideas. “We’re in the process of incorporating many of their ideas,” Fox said. “It’s kind of a work in progress, but those young ladies came back with a lot of cool stuff, and I think people will like the site.” Thecometonline.com is both loaded with information and interactive. Readers can take part in polls, watch videos, listen to audio files, and view photo galleries among other things. Readers can follow The Comet on Twitter (@chscomet), Instagram (CHSCOMET) or join the Facebook group (The Comet).
Band gets homecoming nominees
BY ABBY LIUDAHL CLASS OF 2015
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Where’s Abby?, page 5
BY LAMISA CHOWDHURY CLASS OF 2014
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After livening up football and basketball games for years, the Chanute High School band now has another way to shine. The band is now eligible to select homecoming candidates for the first time at CHS. “Even though our performances dictate that we operate in a uniform, nearly anonymous manner, we do celebrate the diversity of the various organizations at Chanute High School,” band director James Kelso said. As StuGo joined together for its annual lock-in on August 6, members decided the band deserves a homecoming nomination along with the sports teams. “There are a lot of students who aren’t involved in sports who represent CHS well and deserve it,” StuGo sponsor Karen Graham said. The band candidates for this year’s fall homecoming, Kim Berthot and Rory Blair, were caught off guard, yet excited to see how homecoming really works. Berthot said band members are ecstatic about the new changes and are rooting for their candidates. “The whole band wanted me to accept the nomination so I could win,” Berthot said. Blair said he is excited because it’s something new and upcoming in his life. He thinks this journey will broaden his horizons in a social aspect.