The Comet - Volume 6 issue 1 by dustin fox

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

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

[ [

Where’s Abby?, page 5

BY LAMISA CHOWDHURY CLASS OF 2014

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.

The

Comet Entertainment Etc.2 Page

A+

Making the Grade Jared Coltharp Senior

Friday, September 20, 2013

Lookingforward

Student Life Brieﬂy

September

October

What: Homecoming Dance When: 9 p.m. Where: CHS Courtyard

What: Volleyball tournament When: 9 a.m. Where: Erie

What: Golf Meet When: 3 p.m. Where: Quarry Stone

What: Tennis Meet When: 3 p.m. Where: Coffeyville

What: Board of Education Meeting When: 5:30 p.m. Where: CHS

Racing towards family legacy BY EMILY LAIR CLASS OF 2014 BY DALTON WEIGAND CLASS OF 2014 Senior Jared Coltharp is The Comet’s September student of the issue. Colthrap, who lists his favorite classes as AP Calculus and Physics, boasts a 4.0 GPA and an ACT score of 30. Coltharp is involved in Band and Technology Student Association (TSA). Coltharp participates in marching band, pep band and Scholars’ Bowl. In his spare time, Coltharp likes to play video games and spend time on Facebook. Coltharp plans on going to college at University of Kansas where he is interested in majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. One of his life goals is to work as an IT tech.

This THAT

The Comet asks senior Marisa Haynes... taco bell or taco johns Wildcats or Jayhawks sweats or jeans cats or dogs Mexican or Chinese food Mac or pc chocolate or vanilla mountains or beach pulp or no pulp Target or Walmart PB: chunky or creamy wheat or white stripes or polkadots iPhone or Droid tea or coffee

Senior Dylan Allen is following his family’s footsteps and creating his own goals in dirt track B-modiﬁed racing. Allen’s father, John, is a successful racer, and his grandfather, Wendell, also raced. As a result, Allen has grown up loving the activity. “I’ve just been around racing my whole life,” Allen said John Allen has won three national championships in dirt modiﬁed racing and more than 220 races in his racing career. The younger Allen hopes to have similar success. Allen began racing two months ago and participates in races almost every weekend. He enjoys the races and being part of it the racing experience. “It’s just what I love to do,” Allen said Allen said that it is extremely rewarding to be a racer when people come up to him, asking for his autograph and wanting to meet him. “It’s just crazy thinking people would want me to sign something for them, because I’m not really famous or anything.,” Allen said. The King of America race is Allen’s favorite so far. He enjoys it because it is at nearby Humboldt Speedway and pays $15,000 to the winner. He also likes it because it draws a lot of cars and fans. In just two months, Allen has won

Let’s get quizzical

Fall homecoming coronation is scheduled to begin at 6:30 tonight at the Chanute Community Sports Complex, with the king and queen announced before the football game tonight against Parsons. Candidates include A.J LaRocca and Lamisa Chowdhury (football), Molly Ward and Karter Krokstrom (Cheerleading),Alexis Thuston and Lake Lund (Girl’s tennis), and Haley Taylor and Dillon Wolverton (Volleyball) Audrey Bolt and Brandon Swanson(Cross Country) and Kim Berthot and Rory Blair (Band). The homecoming dance will be tonight after the football game in the courtyard. The cost of the dance will be $3. School I.D.s will not be checked.

BY ALEXANDRA GWILLIM CLASS OF 2014 Candy bar sales are wrapping up for Kansas Future Educator’s of America (KFEA). The club also bought birthday gear, such as presents and cake, for kids in the foster care system

FCA to host prayer session Courtesy Photo Senior Dylan Allen has followed in the footsteps of his father, John, and grandfather, Wendell, and is racing cars. Allen started racing two months ago. a heat race and placed ﬁfth in a feature race. Apart from just loving the races themselves, Allen’s friends and family motivate him to race. Their support helps him out a great deal. “It’s really cool to see all of my friends out at the races” Allen said His friends, seniors Noah Kepley and Christian Wiltse are big supporters of his racing. Wiltse enjoys assists Allen in working on his car often. “I like helping out a fellow neighbor,

and I feel like a man,” Wiltse said Allen does, however, feel pressure to follow his family’s legacy. “I feel a ton of pressure. Because of my dad, everyone expects me to be great,” Allen said. Allen’s ultimate goal of racing would be to win every race every night. And although he says you can’t really make a career out of racing, he would like to if he could Allen is racing this Saturday at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland Missouri.

We asked senior kicker A.J LaRocca a series of questions and then asked his sister, Camryn, and best friend Trey Ellis how they thought A.J responded. We tallied the results to determine who really knows A.J. best. The best friend won, but clearly neither of them knew A.J. well.

Camryn LaRocca

Trey Ellis

Spiders

Missing a ﬁeld goal

Spiders

Where would A.J. go to college if he could go anywhere?

UCLA

K-State

If A.J. was an animal, what type of animal would he be?

Golden Eagle

Zebra

Sneaky snake

Milanese

PB&J

Hamburger

Final score

What is A.J.’s favorite food?

BY ABBEY LIUDAHL CLASS OF 2015

KFEA candy sales end, building birthday baskets

A.J LaRocca

What is A.J.’s biggest fear?

Homecoming coronation, dance set for tonight

BY ALEXANDRA GWILLIM CLASS OF 2014 “Meet us at the Pole”, a prayer session held by the ﬂag pole in front of Chanute High School, is scheduled for September 25 at 7:45 a.m.. Meetings are held every Friday morning at 7:30 in room 105. Breakfast is served, and prayers are given.

‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ auditions conclude BY ALEXANDRA GWILLIM CLASS OF 2014 Auditions were held Tuesday night and during comet time on Wednesday and Thursday. for the fall musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Opening night is November 15.

Preliminary planning for Spain trip underway BY EMILY LAIR CLASS OF 2014 Although the Board of Education has not yet approved the class trip, preliminary planning for the trip to Spain are forming. Students interested in being a part of the trip should talk to Spanish teacher Laurie Ward for information.

For more in depth coverage visit thecometonline.com.

The

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Entertainment Etc.7 Page

Friday, September 20, 2013

Quoted

Noted

Opinion

Emily Lair Student Life Editors Alexandra G. and Katie L. Opinion Editor Alexis Thuston Sports Editor McKayla Barnow

How it feels when you have to stay the last fifteen minutes on Friday.

— Bethany Ungles Class of 2014

In regards to spirit week decorating

People get more into CHS’s spirit weeks than at the middle school. I think the days are better as well.” — Elsa Nilson Class of 2017

In regards to spirit week

Our class always manages to pull things together and have fantastic hallway decorations. I’m super proud , and everyone was super creative.” — SIERRA MASONER CLASS OF 2014

In regards to spirit week decorating

Katie Lair

Online Editor-in-Chief

It was just a fun thing to do and bring back, and it was really good bonding time for the senior class.”

I prefer decorating the gym. It’s more controlled, more fun and doesn’t look as trashy as the halway.” —Rachel Debler Class of 2014

Editor-in-Chief

Alexandra Gwillim

In regards to the revived, non-schoolsponsored Senior Lane

The Comet Staff

Managing Editor

I feel like the new seniors are really trying to change the school by bringing it back. That’s something my class never would have even tried. No hard feelings, more power to the class of 2014.” —Matthew Hansen Class of 2013

“ “ “ “

2013-14

How it feels to leave early on Friday.

Entertainment Editor Lamisa Chowdhury Feature Editor Madison Dispensa

Kelsey Tallent/Class of 2015

Abby Liudahl

Editorial

Incentives reward hard work, give new reasons to succeed Chanute High School has adopted a new way of encouraging students to stay in good standing and do well in school. Besides the obvious reasons — like having a good GPA and not being stressed out about back work, students now have extra incentives. Every Friday, students in good standing will be released from seminar 15 minutes early. This incentive speaks for itself; everybody wants a longer weekend, even if it’s only longer by 15 minutes. Open lunch will be offered once a month for those in good standing as well. Open lunch lasts for an hour, and students may leave campus to enjoy the culinary choices Chanute has to offer. In order to qualify for these glorious rewards, a student must be passing all of his or her classes (no F’s, even in non academic classes such as gym or welding), and cannot have any outstanding disciplinary punishments (all detentions must be served).

Teachers can also disqualify students if they are extremely behind in their class and need to make up work. We at The Comet are ecstatic about these new additions. Not only does it reward our hard-working, dedicated students, but it also encourages other pupils to strive for greatness. This is a vast improvement from past years when the incentives to do well were few and far between. Hopefully these new opportunities will aid in curing the apathy that has swept our school. It’s easy to say you don’t care about school, but few can claim that an hour-long lunch and an early start to the weekend aren’t tempting reasons to complete homework and do well in school.

BY ALEXANDRA GWILLIM CLASS OF 2014 FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Has technology resulted in changes for the better or for the worse in classrooms? Laptops, tablets better Technology increases choice than textbooks laziness in students BY REBECCA WENDT CLASS OF 2016

It is time to move into the 21st century and get rid of traditional textbooks. To begin, technology is a much faster way to find reliable information than books. The internet has a wide range of search ability; just about any information that you need is now a click away. With technology, so much more can be accomplished in a short period of time. Students would much rather work on iPads or computers than look through the endless pages of books or write out long papers by hand. Also there are interactive apps like Edmodo or Powerschool that help the students check up on their schoolwork. A study by the U.S. Department of Education proves that attendance rates are skyrocketing at schools which incoporpate more technology because students actually enjoy school. Another positive is that confidence is achieved through technology. Most students already know how to use technology or can learn quickly. Plus, they can do interactive work with technology instead of just sitting through the class. To prepare us for life, technology is necessary in schools. Whatever workforce you choose, expect to need at least a basic knowledge of technology somewhere down the line — whether you are a doctor using the latest technology to diagnose an an ailment or a construction worker working with the latest power tools. Another downside to traditional textbooks is that many are ripped up and written in, but e-books don’t have that problem. E-books are preserved well and always look the same. In addition, portability is so much easier with technology. Everyone knows that carrying books around all day is difficult and strenuous on your back. It is so much easier to carry around tiny jump drives and just open your files at school. A school in Raleigh County, West Virginia has decided to start relying on iPads instead of textbooks. Students get their own iPads to use and personalize for school purposes. In fact, many schools are deciding to forgo textbooks for laptops or tablets. Even neighboring Humboldt High School decided to go paperless and move on to a technology-based school system. In conclusion, technology is very important in our lives. It is almost impossible to live our lives without the use of technology. Technology is a must for learning in the 21st century, and Chanute High School needs to get with the times.

Photography Editor

BY ALEXIS THUSTON CLASS OF 2014

The world as we know it is very steadily changing. Technology is taking over all over the world. Some may lead you to believe this is a splendid thing; the truth is it isn’t. Many of our classrooms across the country are now filled with things like Smart Boards, cell phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops. While all of these things can make students’ lives easier, in the end they make students lazier. Michael Oliveira from the Canadian Press wrote an article all about how people have begun to rely more and more on technology and less on their brains. She says “Many of us often type ‘facebok’ into Google and rather than correcting the obvious mistake, let the search engine fix it.” This is just one example of the laziness people are now showing. Why do we need to know how to spell when we have autocorrect? How many times have you not known how to spell a word and typed it into your phone instead of looking in a dictionary? That is not an example of using your resources wisely. That is an example of being too lazy to look up a word and actually use your brain. If you look back 20 years, students did not have calculators that could graph a polynomial function or tell you what a fraction is as a decimal. Now we have both of those options. It has made it so that instead of calculating what the fraction is as a decimal, we just plug it in the calculator because it is easier. Just another excuse not to really use our brains to their full potential. The other problem with all of this technology surrounding us is that there is less face-to-face interaction. Instead of talking to someone face-to-face, we now text them, Facebook them, or tweet at them. This is occurring increasingly often in today’s society. According to a study by Cambridge University, “Accessibility to knowledge has increased, but inundation with too much information has potentially threatened the ability to process that information and acquire new knowledge.” This means just because we are exposed to so much information does not mean that we fully grasp it all. In a nutshell, society’s critical thinking skills have gone downhill. While technology has its benefits, in the end it has added to our laziness as a society.

Reporters/Photographers Jenny Angleton, Regan Aylward, Audrey Bolt, Macy Flowers, Tara Haight, Katie Martin, Talia Ramsey, Kelsey Tallent, Dalton Wiegand, Rebecca Wendt Advisor Dustin Fox The Comet is published nine times per year by the Chanute High School newspaper staff. The Comet does not accept subscriptions and has a standard advertising rate of $5 per column inch. The paper is available free of charge at Chanute High School, at various locations in Chanute, and can be found online at thecometonline.com. The Comet, a four-time winner of the All-Kansas award, is a member of the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association. The Comet is printed by Kansas Newspapers LLC in Parsons and is composed by the student staff. Editorial Policy The Comet will report on and editorialize about controversial and crucial events in the school, community, nation, and world. School editors and writers will, however, observe the same legal responsibilities as those imposed on conventional newspapers and news media. Thus, The Comet will refrain from publication of material that is obscene, libelous, or creates a clear and present danger of the immediate disruption of the school. In determining the type of material that violates the above restrictions, it must be noted that the discrimination of material that invites or simulates heated discussion or debate among students or in the community does not constitute the type of disruption prohibited. The Comet will not be subject to prior restraints or censorship by school officials, unless material is considered obscene, libelous, or disruptive as previously defined. Commercial advertising will be printed, but items and/or services that are illegal because of age restrictions, etc., will not be advertised. The Comet is a public forum. Since school publications are designed as instructional instruments for students and as a vehicle for student opinion and discussion, the opinions, issues, or articles published shall not be construed as those representing the publication adviser, school administration, or the Board of Education. The contents of The Comet are the responsibility of the student staff. Get in Touch With Us Email: thecomet@chanutehighschool. com 620-432-2510 Ext. 106 Follow us on Twitter @chscomet On the web: thecometonline.com 1. Letters should be emailed to thecomet@chanutehighschool.com no later than the Monday of the week of publication. 2. All letters must be signed, even though the name(s) may be withheld upon request of the writer. Names will be made available, however, to the publication’s adviser, editor-in-chief, and necessary staff members of The Comet. 3. A joint letter should not contain more than ten names. If more than ten names appear on the letter, only ten will be published. However, a complete list of all the other names will be available to the publications adviser, editor-inchief, and necessary staff members. 4. Each letter should be no more than 200 words in length and will be subject to editing and/or cutting. Should editing or cutting be required, the writer will be notified before publication. The Comet reserves the right to refuse publication. The writer, however, will be notified of such decision. 5. Obscene, libelous, or other material that might be determined to cause a disruption of the normal school daily routine will not be printed, and the writer will be notified of such decision.

The

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Friday, September 20, 2013

Sports

School was out, but this summer was anything but a vacation for athletes KATIE MARTIN CLASS OF 2014

[[

Chanute High School sports in brief

Football faces Parsons in homecoming matchup

Summer of Sweat lot to you, you can push through it.” While Rollins’ dedication was certainly impressive, it was not uncommon While most students were in bed sleep- as CHS athletes put in more work this ing this summer, sophomore Madi Rollins summer than at any time in recent memwas wide awake working out. ory. Rollins took advantage of the summer Members of the football team had to improve herself in preparation for her even earlier mornings than Rollins. upcoming sport seasons. Head football coach Jason Feeback “I dedicated most of the summer to led the team in a summer of hard work hard work and getting better at the things with an “all in” motto. I do,” Rollins said. “I want to be better at He challenged the boys to come in cross country and basketball, and if I want every morning at 6 a.m. and lift weights to accomplish that I have to be working until 7, followed by another hour of work outside of the mandatory practices.” An average summer morning for Rol- out on the field. “The immediate impact I’ve already lins consisted of waking up at 7:15 and seen is that our kids are stronger and meeting the cross country team at the old more athletic,” Feeback said. “Our kids high school for a three to five-mile run. After she completed that, she went seem more confident, not a false confidence, but a real home to eat confidence, just breakfast before believing.” heading out to the Senior quarhigh school for a terback Chriscrossfit workout “Our kids seem tian Wiltse also at 9:00 with the more confident, not girls basketball feels that the a false confidence, team. summer’s work but a real confidence, After crossfit, has benefited the she participated team greatly. just believing. in basketball skill “I think that workouts, first all of the work - Jason Feeback with the team that we put into Blue Comet head and then individthe summer will football coach ually. This would pay off because, last until around a lot of us went 11:00. to weights every Along with single day and this daily routine, coach Feeback she also attended made us do a lot of weight so our strength two basketball camps, two basketball and conditioning has gone up a lot.” tournaments, summer league basketball The cheer squad put in the work as every Tuesday, and played noon ball at well, attending both an NCCC camp and Neosho County Community College oca UCA camp where they learned new casionally. “Doing all these morning activities cheers, stunts, and dances. The summer really helped us improve and then later activities does make you reour stunting skills,” cheer captain Molly ally tired,” Rollins said. “But if it means a Ward said. “Learning new and more difficult stunts helps the squad listen to each other and helps us work better together.” The tennis team also took advantage of the summer by putting on tennis nights two times a week where they would play a variety of games such as wipeout and queen of the court. Senior Haley Markham felt that the tennis nights helped the team get acquainted before the season. “It gives us older girls a chance to get to know all of the new girls,” Markham said. “It also gives everyone a chance to improve their hitting and get to know each other a little better.” Rollins agrees with Markham on the team bonding aspect of the summer’s work. “I think most of my teammates and I gained team chemistry,” Rollins said. “We got to be on the court working together. The more we play together the more success we will have.” For athletes to stay motivated, it took a lot of dedication and mental toughness. According to Rollins, the end result is what kept her motivated. “I had to look past what was going to Madi Rollins/ The Comet happen at that workout and look at what I want to accomplish after the workout was Sophomore Anna Bagshaw goes between her legs while focusing on done,” Rollins said. “There were a couple catching a tennis ball during a ball of days this summer that I didn’t feel like handling drill. Bagshaw and her going but every day you don’t go, you basketball teammates were fixtures don’t get better. I just told myself ‘Today I in the gym this summer. am going to get better, so I have to go.’”

The Fastbreak

KATIE MARTIN CLASS OF 2014 Coming off a lopsided win over Labette County, the Blue Comet football team looks to move to 3-0 tonight as it takes on the Parsons Vikings in its homecoming game. The Comets began their season with a 28-21 win over top ﬁve 4A state-ranked Mulvane. The Comets fell behind 7-0 early in the game but rebounded to take a 2821 lead and held on through the second half. Riding the momentum of the victory over Mulvane, the Comets annihilated Labette County 51-7. Kickoff for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Dispensa leading way for girls cross country team

Courtesy Photo Junior Derek Sharp and junior Gus Walker attempt to knock one another off their perch during a jousting event at football camp. New football head coach Jason Feeback kept workouts interesting throughout the summer.

Summer Workouts

By the numbers

40,000 shots

made combined by sophomore basketball players Anna Bagshaw, Paige Kidwell, Madi Rollins and Kaley Umbarger.

350 miles

ran this summer by junior cross country runner Madison Dispensa.

60 pounds

of improvement that senior football players Trey Ellis and Austin Troxell saw on their max in squat.

6 a.m.

the time the Blue Comet football team started lifting weights in the morning.

1 winner

of the Stieber Maker Challenge — junior Gus Walker.

ALEXANDRA GWILLIM CLASS OF 2014 The Chanute High School cross country team kicked off the season with solid results at their first two meets. The varsity girls placed second overall in Garnett on September 5, every team member earned a medal. Junior Madison Dispensa led the way for the girls, finishing the 4K course in first with a time of 16:34, a personal record time at that point. Sophomore Talia Ramsey wasn’t far behind, taking second with a time of 17:11. The team continued their success in Paola, finishing in fourth place. Dispensa placed fourth with a time of 16:16.08. Ramsey was seventh with a time of 16:31.74. The boys, who run a 5K, placed third in Garnett and fifth in Paola. In Garnett, junior Chandler Summers came in eighth with a time of 18:43. Fellow junior Matt Keenan came in 17th with a time of 19:59. Summers was the Comets’ top runner in Paola as well, placing 16th, while sophomore Brady Taylor finished 21st in 19:17.89 and Keenan took 22nd 19:29.92. The Comets competed yesterday at Big Hill. Results were not available at press time. Next up for the cross country team is a meet in Iola on Tuesday.

Tennis excels in Baldwin

AUDREY BOLT CLASS OF 2014 Led by the first-place finish of its No. 1 doubles team, the Blue Comet tennis team placed second overall at the Baldwin Invitational on Wednesday. The No. 1 doubles team of senior Alexis Thuston and junior Abby Liudahl finished first, going 5-0 on the day, including an 8-5 win over Independence in the championship. The No. 2 doubles team of junior Chelsea Bearick and sophomore Jenny Angleton and No. 2 singles player Shelby Stair both went 4-1 and finished third. At No 1 singles sophomore Rebecca Wendt went 1-4 on the day. Results from yesterday’s meet were not available at press time.

Volleyball off to fast start TALIA RAMSEY CLASS OF 2016 With a top-three state ranking, the Blue Comet volleyball team holds an undefeated record as it heads to the Erie Invitational tomorrow. The Comets stand at 13-0, including a 6-0 performance at the Winﬁeld Invitational to start the season. The team has also notched victories against Anderson County, Burlington, Colgan, Eureka, Fort Scott and Fredonia.

Trio of golfers ﬁnding positives in small squad

How do you feel the work you did this summer will beneﬁt you this year?

Kaley Umbarger Sophomore “I think it will make me stronger and a better rounded athlete.”

Brittan Lee Senior “It’ll be harder to quit when it gets hard, because we put so much work in this summer.”

Jaymi Lawrence Junior

Briley Triplett Sophomore

Lexi Kidwell Freshman

“I know it already has beneﬁtted me, because I’m a lot faster than I used to be, and the fact that I did so many weights makes it easier to hit with my (tennis) racket.”

“It will help keep us in shape during our sport and help us become more athletic.”

“It makes me stronger for basketball and volleyball.”

MACY FLOWERS CLASS OF 2015 With only three members on the team, the Blue Comet girls golf team is unable to place as a team in meets. That has not kept the team from some impressive individual ﬁnishes. Sophomore Abbe Funk has led the way for the Comets in their ﬁrst three meets. Also competing for the Comets are sophomore Brittney Palet and freshman Abby Walker. While not being able to place as a team is a negative, the small team size does has its perks. “It’d be nice to have more than three people so the team could place, but it’s nice because the coach is able to help us individually,” Funk said. Next up for the golf team is a meet at home on Monday.

The

Comet Entertainment Page Etc.5

Friday, September 20, 2013

Entertainment

Where’s

Abby?

Hello readers, this is my new article prepared to challenge your minds and spark intrigue into your lives. The objective of this article is to find ME! That’s right, and no you can’t just run up to me and yell “found you.” That’s not how this works. There will be a photo of me hidden in the school. As the year goes on it will progressively become more difficult. If you’re lucky enough to find me, take my photo to Mr. Fox in room 106 and you will receive a prize. Here are the first clues of the school year:

The clues • Webster might know • You deﬁne me • 203 •eecsl n i

Review: Latest Apple update ﬁlled with new and improved features

Lamisa Chowdhury Class of 2014 'Tis the season for Apple to release the latest software update. Apple released iOS7 on Wednesday. If you own an iPhone, iPod, or iPad, iOS 7 is a must download for your device. Apple introduces various new features to make “things you do every day easier, faster, and more enjoyable” as stated on their web site. iOS 7 comes with a brand new feature called the “Control Panel.” You just swipe up from any screen, even the lock screen and the control panel allows you to turn airplane mode on or off, along with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and do not disturb mode. The more the merrier, and with control panel you can also lock your screen’s orientation or adjust its brightness. If you need to play, pause or skip a song, it's all on this handy panel. Apple designed their very own ﬂashlight and allows you to turn it on directly from the control

panel, as well as the timer, calculator and camera. Apple has even created AirPlay, which allows users to wirelessly stream what’s on their Apple device to their HDTV and speakers via Apple TV; it even directly mirrors what is on the device to the television. With iOS 7, users can enable AirPlay through the control panel. It doesn't stop there, iOS 7 also lets users get a debriefing on what is happening throughout the day with the new feature called “Today.” You can swipe down from any screen, including the lock screen and glance at all your notifications from birthdays to weather reports. With the new notification center, you can get a heads up on tomorrow's affairs as well. Multitasking has been taken to a whole new level with iOS 7. Your device will learn what you like and update the content of apps before you even launch them. So if you wake up and check Twitter at 7 a.m. every day, your feed will be up to date for you already. The camera on iOS 7 lets you shoot from every format: still, panoramic, video, and now square, on both the front and back cameras. Filters can be applied to your photos before you take it or after, and if you decide against the filter you can simply remove it from the photo.

Even your photos have a new place in iOS 7, the feature is called “Years, Collections, and Moments.” This feature will automatically group your photos and videos based on the time and place it was taken. iCloud now let's users photo-share easily by creating a shared stream. People can post videos, pictures and comments to your stream and it will appear on every Apple device that your stream is shared with. Airdrop is a quick and easy way to share photos, contacts, videos, and anything else from any app with just a “share” button. Using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, AirDrop sends what you select to any person you want to share with. Buttons, scroll bars and the unified smart search field stay hidden until you scroll to reveal them on iOS 7. This allows you to see more content than ever on your screen. And now with just a swipe, you can go back or forward a page. iOS 7 comes with an iTunes radio, which is a lot like Pandora. Now Siri comes with a new sound, look and capabilities. The features seem never ending with iOS 7. To be honest, I am out of space and there are even more. From the app store, to find my iPhone/iPad/iPod, to even iOS in the car, Apple has thought of everything.

Review: ‘Wrecking Ball’ video a train wreck

Emily Lair Class of 2014 In a “pop-loving” perspective, the heartfelt song, “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus is surprisingly good. The big elephant in the room (and I mean BIG), is the music video. The video for “Wrecking Ball” has received an enormous amount of attention from the whole world. Consisting of Cyrus (not clothed) swinging around on a wrecking ball and licking a sledgehammer, the video has become a “hot topic” and controversial statement. With more than over 10.4 million views within the ﬁrst 24 hours (beating “The Best Song Ever” by 1D), this video has gripped the attention of anybody that pays attention to pop culture. Cyrus explained to the public that those actions had deep meaning behind them. For example, kissing the sledge hammer proved that she “secretly still loves pain,” and she was naked to reveal how her ex Liam Hemsworth made her become “emotionally naked and stripped.” While these bizarre actions may have meaning, I believe that the inappropriate

and ludicrous maneuvers are just plain unnecessary. The actions are extremely loud, and they take away the signiﬁcance and credibility from the song. Cyrus gives the impression that she is way more concerned with media attention and making a statement as opposed to conveying a meaningful song to the world. Cyrus however, is not the ﬁrst popicon to be revealed in her “birthday suit” in widespread music videos. Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga have all gotten away with risqué music videos without all of the “haters”. I do not in any way agree with the actions, but in Miley’s defense, those stars did not receive even a fraction of the neg-

ative feedback as she has. Because of her introduction into stardom as a country bumpkin, the transition has not been easy for Cyrus. Regardless, I would not wish it upon anyone to watch the “Wrecking Ball” video. You will regret it, ﬁnd yourself scrunching your eyebrows together, obtain a dazed look, and wonder: What is wrong with this girl? Whether or not there is something legitimately wrong with this girl — which is a valid argument — it remains obvious that the video is way too over the top and provocative. I will, though, recommend downloading the song. It is actually pretty enjoyable if you enjoy pop music.

thehonestyhour.com We can’t look either, Miley. That video makes us cry and cringe too.

> Feature

The

Comet Entertainment Etc.6 Page

Friday, September 20, 2013

High School:

How it works

AKA: “The best four years of your life” WRONG!The biggest learning experience of your life.

Sophomore Year:

Freshman Year: 1.Meet NEW people. 2. AVOID lingering in the MIDDLE of the hall. 3.You are the

BABIES, BAB

BUT DON’t act like 1.

Senior Year: 1. COLLEGE applications. 2. Why am I still here? 3. SENIORITIS 4. Last EVERYT HING. 5.

GRADUATION....... finally.

1. ACT Prep. 2. Get Involved. 3.You get to DRIVE. 4. More CHOICES in classes. S MI

Y TR

Junior Year:

1.. CHEMISTRY will consume your life. 2. You have to start thinking about college. 3. PLEASE stop asking me what I want to be. I DON’T KNOW.

E CH

ATTENTION TEACHERS!

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Answer: The Chanute Tribune Back to School Subscription Special: New Subscribers, 9 Months for $40.00* To subscribe, call: 620-431-4100

* New= Expired for 60 days or more. Total includes tax

310 W. Cherry • Chanute, KS 66720 • 620-431-4100 or 1-800-794-9392