Volume 6
SPORTS
Issue 2
thecometonline.com 1501 W. 36th Street Chanute, Kansas 66720
The SEK title will be on the line when senior Katie Martin and the Blue Comet volleyball team takes on Fort Scott tonight, page 4
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In This Issue
Student life..............2 Opinion...................3 Sports.....................4 Entertainment.........5 Feature...................6
Should schools monitor students’ social sites?, page 3
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
FYI October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month.
GTA 5 review, page 5
McKinney: Comfort, not humidity, reason for cold school
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“We try to compromise to make everybody as comfortable as possible, and yet not have astronomical utility bills.” - Charlie McKinney
Alexandra Gwillim/ Class of 2014 Bundled in a blanket, senior Haley Markham works on homework while aiding in Laurie Ward’s seventh-hour Spanish class. “If I don’t have a blanket I’m basically shivering in class, this school is like a freezer,” Markham said.
BY ALEXANDRA GWILLIM CLASS OF 2014 As students sit wrapped in blankets and covered by multiple layers, numerous rumors float around as to why many of Chanute High School’s classrooms are so cold. Rumors range from the plausible — the school is kept cold to control the humidity, and thus a mold problem, to urban legend — the builders installed air
ducts that were too large for the rooms, to the conspiracy theory — the administrators request the school to be kept so cold so that there are not as many scantily dressed students. USD 413 Director of Support Operations Charlie McKinney, who is in charge of maintenance, transportation and custodians in all USD 413 buildings, said these rumors have no merit and are simply not true. In regards to humidity problems,
McKinney said that was no longer an issue. “Two years ago we had the building sealed, so humidity in the building is no longer a problem. We had a bunch of drainage work done in the courtyard area so we just don’t have humidity issues like we used to,” McKinney. He also said the rumor about oversized air ducts is not true. “We have parameters that were given to us when the building was built that
USD 413 Director of Support Operations
were the most energy efficient. In the past we’ve had issues with equipment being hard to operate within the parameters that we desired,” McKinney said. “We hope that this year we’ve got that under control.” No such luck about the rumor suggesting administrators make sure students are covered by plenty of layers either by keeping the temperature cold. In fact, the temperature in all school buildings is controlled by the maintenance department. McKinney said the school is kept it at the temperature it is to make sure as many people as possible are comfortable. “Maintenance has to try and compromise with students, teachers, anybody that’s in the building. We try to compromise to make everybody as comfortable as possible, and yet not have astronomical utility bills,” McKinney said. McKinney said the heat and air system operate on a baseline of 50 degrees, and when it’s 50 degrees outside the units don’t know whether to go into heat mode, air conditioning mode or just stand by. According to McKinney the average
temperature during “AC” weather is between 72 and 74 degrees. Students question the accuracy of that statement. Sophomore Caleb Durbin estimated the temperature in the classrooms to be about 60 degrees, while fellow sophomore Jarren Lewis estimated the temperature to be somewhere “between ‘freezing’ and ‘I’m about to die.’” Some students claim the frigid classrooms affect learning. “It’s so flipping cold in this school that I can’t even concentrate on my school work. All I can think about is how cold I am,” senior Regan Aylward said. McKinney said he encourages anyone with complaints about the temperature to get ahold of him or Building Maintenance Manger Bob Cummings. “If people are cold, go through the chain of commands and let us know if it’s cold; we can bump it up. That’s gonna save us utility money and make you guys more comfortable,” McKinney said. McKinney can be reached at mckinneych@usd413.org and Cummings can be reached at cummingsb@usd413.org.
Pink out on Friday BY ABBY LIUDAHL CLASS OF 2015 StuGo wants everyone to wear pink to Friday’s football game against Iola in support of breast cancer awareness. StuGo sold blue shirts with pink lettering for the game. Sales wrapped up on Thursday, and the proceeds of $700 will benefit Relay For Life. Last year $600 was raised. According to StuGo Sponsor Karen Graham, there was not a money goal that StuGo was trying to reach. Instead Graham said the organization just wanted to help out however it could. “The students were the ones who wanted to do something for breast cancer awareness,” Graham said. Blue Comet cheerleaders are doing a collaboration dance with the Iola cheerleaders to show support for breast cancer awareness during halftime. After the game ends, the movie “Blindside” will be shown on the field. Students are encouraged to bring blankets and friends to the movie; popcorn will be provided.
Electronics recycling campaign underway BY TALIA RAMSEY CLASS OF 2016 Nearly two million tons of used electronics, including computers and televisions, are discarded each year. Instead of sending these used devices to landfills, National Honor Society is leading an electronic recycling campaign. Anyone who has small electronic devices, such as old cell phones, digital cameras, iPods, GPSs or empty Inkjet cartridges, is encouraged to bring them to Chanute High School and place them in the green bin by the front doors. NHS officers will also be collecting old devices at the home football game on Halloween night. These items do not need to be in working condition to be recycled. There are several benefits that come from electronic recycling. Recycling old devices helps protect the environment and the health of the public. Most electronics contain hazardous materials which cause problems when discarded in the trash. Valuable materials can also be recovered from old devices to be used in new products. For the past three years, NHS has successfully conducted their electronics recycling campaign. They ship the used devices to a recycling company and earn a small profit for NHS.
BY KATIE LAIR CLASS OF 2014
middle of the night, and had to pack in the dark. “I have a lot of friends, (but) it’s just a struggle.” McGinnis explained. “Students just don’t understand.” ophomore Mandy McGinnis describes the foster care system experiWhile non-foster care students may see faces come and go in their classence with one word: Scary. Eight months into the foster care system, McGinnis has already found es without a second thought, McGinnis said it is important to recognize how heavy being in the foster care system can weigh on the shoulders of herself in six different foster homes. This revolving door can be extremely difficult for foster kids trying to fit foster kids. When McGinnis was asked where she considers her home to be there in and find a home at a new school. “All you do is build up friendships and relationships that end up be- was no reply, but instead a sigh. ing ripped away from you,” Smallwood and Steadham’s McGinnis said. experiences were unique in that Sadly, McGinnis’ story is they both consider Chanute to not unique. “I think the kids at Chanute High School be their home even though they Freshman Gabrielle Smallhave only been here for one try to write stories for other people inwood has been to six foster and five years, respectively. stead of letting you write your own story.” homes in six years and foster It has not been an easy transister junior Jade Steadham sition for the two though, as -Mandy McGinnis has been to seven homes in they sometimes feel bullied by CHS sophomore, Foster kid 18 months, with five different classmates who cannot relate homes in one month. to their situations. “Nobody wanted me,” Steadham said. McGinnis felt the same way. Chanute High School currently educates 34 teens in the foster care sys“What we go through is hard and people saying all the other stuff (bullytem with a total of 54 in Neosho County. ing) just adds on to everything and makes it a whole lot worse,” she said. Secretaries Linda Uden and Karen Graham said they enroll new students McGinnis explained that when a new foster kid is transferred to CHS who are in the foster care system at least three or four times a month. On average, children placed in the foster care system are moved 4.7 they are often stereotyped and struggle to shake labels that go along with times before they reach the age of 18 according to the National Resource being a foster kid. “I think the kids at Chanute High School try to write stories for other Center for Family Centered Practice and Permanency Planning. people instead of letting you write your own story,” McGinnis said. Relating to the hardships that foster kids experience can be a struggle Despite it all, McGinnis, like so many other foster kids, tries to stay for most students at CHS, who generally have the luxury of looking into the positive and strong. same mirror every morning. “I have my scars. I have my moments. I have my troubles. I have my McGinnis described her experiences in foster homes, including not befears, but God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. And that ing allowed on trampolines or motorcycles due to safety concerns as well as food being locked away in cabinets. She said she was once moved in the gets me through the day,” she said.
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