Issue 3 December 2017 by Panther Publications

DECEMBER 2017

humor

pictures

gossip

anxiety

depression DMs mood stupidity

twitter

worldwide logosfights

instagram

sadness millienials

vine

exciting

isolation

social

angsty

pintrest

friends

snapchat internet

fake tumblr

google

happy

rude

information

PANTHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TALE subtweets

people

SOCIAL MEDIA

communication

stress

politics

facebook

ISSUE 3 VOLUME 66

CONTENTS

Page 3: Construction and recaps of events at DHS Page 4: What DHS is doing to give back Page 5: Holidays in Derby Page 6: Diminishing privacy/ Circulating Conspiracies Page 7: Technology addiction Page 8: Cyberbullying and catfishing Page 9: Twitter fights Page 10: New collaberations/finals Page 11: Movie reviews Page 12: Winter sports preview Page 13: New additions to the basketball teams Page 15: Editorials by our staff

STAFF

Content Jordan Cornell Editor Design Kayli Marczynski Editor Copy Courtney Brown Editor Photo Caitlyn Dunn Editor

Production Savannah Hidago Editor

PANTHERSTALE.COM @PANTHERPUBNEWS @PANTHERPUBNEWS @DERBYPUB @PANTHERPUBLICATIONS

Other staff

Hannah Berk Temperance Campbell Briantae Crockett Cydney Drees Jillian Jackson Olivia Jones Jacob Karsak Xochitl Lozano Jack McDaniel Karlee Olmstead Camryn Pagels Jessica Perea Summer Reece Regina Waugh Hailey Willson

2017-2018 Presenting sponsor:

Across: 1. Celebrated Jewish holiday in December 3. A green thing decorated with ornaments and lights 4. Candle stand that holds 8 candles; associated with Hanukkah 7. Man made of snow with a carrot nose 10. Song sang in December about riding in a horse-drawn sleigh with jiggling bells 12. A wrapped gift Answers on page 9

Down: 2. “Hot hot. Yeah we got it. Hot hot. Oh, we got it.” 5. Things to hang on the Christmas tree; traditionally round and sometimes glass 6. White, powdery cold stuff that falls from the clouds when cold 8. Guides Santa’s sleigh 9. Seen on the outside of houses during December 11. Santa’s little helpers

Cover designed by Kayli Marczynski

Rolling into Derby

Briefs

Hollyball

With Derby expansion comes new business opportunities Either way, it doesn’t look like the exStory by Summer Reece

pansion will stop anytime soon, especially aution tape, the sound of bulldozers, when considering the massive empty workers with hard hats. A buzz of space spanning from 63rd street all the curiosity floats around the commuway to McConnell. nity, all waiting to hear what’s new. The city of Derby is all too familiar with construction, as the suburb has been a hotspot for both new businesses and existing corporations looking to expand. The evidence is clear. When it was founded in 1867, Derby covered 80 acres. Currently Derby has 6,000 acres. Rock Road is the pinnacle of Derby’s expansion. Now home to countless fast food restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, retail stores and more, it remains one of the busiest streets in Derby. Its connection to Wichita also plays a role in Photo by Jillian Jackson Workers get to construction on Fidelity Bank on why it’s so lively. Rock Road earlier to finish outside of the building. But even with the numerous buildings that already exist, Derby continues to utilize all the space it still has on Rock. New businesses that have people talking include IHOP and the dinosaur theme park planned for 2018. “I’m really excited for IHOP. Me and my coworkers always go to IHOP after work on Saturday nights, so… it would be nice to just go right there,” junior Amanda Beilin said. Then there’s a hospital, the Wesley ER, Via Christi Clinic and Don Hattan Photo by Jillian Jackson On either side of Rock Road in Derby, Kansas, Chevrolet. construction can be seen. Bulldozers make way for There is a certain issue with the the new foundations of a building. expansion, however -- the question of whether these new businesses will bring an end to the older ones, causing certain members of the community to relocate. Freshman Haley Bedigrew believes this is the case. “It’ll probably cause more people to leave… like if the people who own a business get put out of business because the others are taking over,” Bedigrew said. Not all Derby students feel the same, though. Photo by Jillian Jackson “I think that stuff like a new IHOP Consruction workers work on the new Fidelity Bank and a new park would definitely bring coming to Derby. Each worker wears hard hats on people in the community together… I their heads and utility belts around their waist. think it will just bring more people into Derby,” sophomore Starla Batemon said.

Recaps of recent events at Derby High School Stories by Xochitl Lozano

ollyball found its way to Aaron Larson, and freshmen Derby High School. Just were Macey Truitt and Isaac. like every other Hollyball, “Knowing that Hollyball it was Derby’s winter dance is the biggest dance of the and the girls-ask-boys dance. year for all students, the KAY Just like every other year, a Club Board decided they king and queen were named. want to give everyone an opThis year was different, portunity to be a part of the though. court,” KAY club co-sponsor Photos by Caitlyn Dunn Along with the standard Megan MacKay said. “They Seniors Tyler Newbury, Ethan Pinkerten, and Joel Craig at hollyball. Hollyball king and queen who decided including every were voted on by the senior grade level in the court class, the rest of the grades would be the best way to had two class representatives. incorporate that vision.” The junior class representaJordan Renard and tives were Kennedy Brown Addie Parks were named and Cooper Ross, sophomores king and queen on Dec. 2 were Chloe Eyehorn and

One-Acts erby High School’s drama

club held their one-acts show on Nov. 9. “The drama club did three separate one-acts, each being about 45 minutes to one hour long,” senior Brittani Cook said. Each one act was directed by a group of students. “Bad Auditions by Bad Actors” was directed by seniorsErica Doesken, Nyra Brown and Maggie Smith. “The Middle of Nowhere” was directed by senior Cameron Pray and Devon Stone. “Dysto-

Millitary Ball

Photo by Caitlyn Dunn

Sophomores , Nalah Stokes dance at Derby High’s 2017-18 Hollyball.

pia! The Hungry Maze Game of Divergent Death Cast” was directed by seniors Brittani Cook, Mia Pascual and Sydney Bradley. “I think people really liked the onePhoto by Kayli Marczynski acts,”Cook Juinor Angel (TJ) Holt plays as “White” said. in the one-act “Dystopia! The Hungary Maze Game OfDivergent Death Cast”

erby High School’s ROTC hosted the military ball on Nov. 18. The military ball was a great night for the ones serving to spend some time with students and their families. Senior Jordan Renard and junior Natalie Knowles were named military ball’s king and queen of the night. “It was definitely a great night for all,” Knowles said.

Photo by Caitlyn Dunn

(Left) Junior Tanner Morris drinks out of the boot for breaking the rules at military ball on Nov. 18.

Photo by Caitlyn Dunn

(Left to right) Sophomore Yadira Garcia, Juniors Tanner Morris, Robbie __ , And Alexander Abdullayev pose in their ROTC uniforms after dining out at the military ball.

Derby students, staff find way to give back during holiday season DHS gives to those in need around Christmas time Story by Hannah Berk

erby High does a lot to give back to the community year round, but during the holidays Panthers kick it into overdrive. At any time during the school year, student support advocate Gary Meitler, Wichita State University practicum student Nick Montgomery and Pando Initiative case manager Jennifer Heseltine work hard to keep room A5 fully stocked with food and other things a student might need. They keep food, clothes, shoes, prom dresses, school supplies, vouchers for the Woodlawn United Methodist Church’s thrift store and the occasional bike in their room. “We have prom dresses for Military Ball, Hollyball, Prom and Homecoming. We give dresses out,” Meitler said. “We also help the Panther Pals when they have their little prom. They will come up and get their dresses as well.” But these teachers certainly can’t do this alone. The school receives help from several organizations throughout Derby

and Wichita. One of these is Woodlawn United Methodist Church, which puts together food bags to be distributed to low-income families each weekend. During the holidays, extra products are given out. The Pando Initiative and Eastminster Church give turkey dinners to several Derby High School families. In the past, different groups and clubs at the school have gone even further to help a family in need, like adopting a family and providing food or presents, or doing an extra fundraiser to help the food bank. Teacher Turkey is another big holiday fundraiser. Money is collected at lunch and during advisory for a week. Then the money that is raised is turned into gift cards to be distributed to low-income families at the school. Photo by Courtney Brown “Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes Freshmen Ellie Tanner and McKenzie Bell count the money collected during the Teacher might be a traditional Thanksgiving Turkey Championship on the last day. meal, but it may not be for everyone,” Meitler said. “So by giving a gift card, you can buy the turkey dinner if you want or you can buy a meatloaf or whatever you want to fit your family’s needs.”

Deployment intensifies meaning of Christmas Families impacted by separation Story by Temperance Campbell

ith Christmas just around the corner this time of year can be hard for military families. Christmas has deep roots in our country’s tradition and celebration. Christmas Eve of 1914 the British and Germans called a truce and gave each other gifts and sang Christmas carols together before they started fighting the next day. This was known as The Christmas Day Truce. The holiday gives a strong sense of strength and unity throughout all families, with an awareness of the spirit of giving and hope. Some military members can’t come home for the holidays. “When my husband is gone it impacts the

family a lot. When he is deployed our income drops dramatically and it’s really hard for us,” Oaklawn elementary teacher Melissa Turner said. The Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps runs Operation Holiday to help families. “What we want to be able to do is help families be able to have food and gifts for Christmas, because some families really struggle to put food on the table or buy winter clothing, so what we want to do is make sure they have those things and enjoy Christmas with gifts,” sophomore Hannah Koehn said.

Photo by Temperance Campbell Sophomore

Hannah Koehn, who is in charge of Operation Holiday, stands by the donations they have received for families in need.

Charities You Can Give Back To • American Civil Liberties Union • Salvation Army • Farm Aid • Partners in Health

Happy Holidays

How Derby students celebrate the holidays

going sledding with my family.” senior Emily Cleveland said. Hanukkah or “Festival of Lights” is an s the holiday season approaches, more and more people get ready eight-day Jewish celebration that usually falls in November or December. to celebrate This holiday is celebrated and share their celebrawith nightly menorah lighting, tions with others. games, food, family and gifts. There are many “We just basically get tocelebrations this time of gether, we eat food, sometimes year. Hanukkah, Christwe give out presents. It’s not mas, Kwanzaa and many much different than Christmas more. And many are except there is 8 days of it celebrated all over the and we light candles.” senior world. Madelyn Walter said. “We Christmas is held have special songs that we sing annually on Dec. 25 to during Hanukkah and there celebrates the birth of is a Hanukkah party. We play Jesus Christ. Christmas dreidel, you know ... typical is also associated with a jewish things,” fictional being named Kwanzaa is an African Saint Nicholas or Santa American celebration and Claus. Some people who feast, that honors african celebrate Christmas will heritage and is observed Dec. give and/or receive gifts 26 through Jan. 1. There are from Santa, family, or Photo by Regina Waugh seven candles (mishumaa saba) friends. The cit of Derby came together that remind celebrators of the “My favorite part at Madison Central Avenue Park of the season is the cold to watch the city’s Christmas tree seven core principles -- one black for the people, three red weather, especially if it be lit. for their struggle, and three snows. Christmas doesn’t green for the future and hope that comes from feel the same if you wake up in the morntheir struggle. ing without a blanket of white snow on the This celebration was created by Maulana ground. I love drinking hot chocolate and Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966.

Story by Cydney Drees

The Menorah in Hanukkah celebration was designed to resemble the Tree of Life from the creation story. The candles are lit from left to right saving the taller, centered one for last. The Kinara is used in Kwanzaa celebration. Seven candles -- three red, three green, and one black. The black candle is lit on the first day of celebration, then the rest are lit left to right in the following days.

108 Derby High School sutdents surveyed

Photo by Regina Waugh

Santa and Mrs. Claus sit with a child as she excitedly tells them what she wants for Christmas.

A Christmas tree was an ancient symbol of life. It was said that when Christ was born in the middle of winter every tree around the world shook off its ice and snow

Photo by Camryn Pagels

An seven candle Menorah sits in front Congregation Emanu-El.

Photo by Olivia Jones

An ornament resting on freshman Oliva Jones’s Christmas tree.

percent celebrate Christmas

1 percent celebrate Kwanzza 4 percent celebrate another holiday Designed by Hannah Berk

Is technology really listening to you?

Students tests power of technology Story by Hailey Willson

it.”

onspiracy theories have been around for years, pointing out wrongs in the government, schools and even technology. Several of these theories are typically controversial, leading to political disputes and discussions of safety. Panther’s Tale put one of these theories to the test to question safety with social media. “I really don’t think it’s real, but if it works, I might believe it,” junior Sydney Smith said. The conspiracy theory is that Facebook listens to what users say, even when they aren’t on it, and then, based on what Facebook “hears,” puts relevant ads into the person’s timeline. “The Facebook conspiracy theory had to start from somewhere, and there is evidence supporting it,” junior Taylor Chapman said. “I 100 percent believe

In order to see if it is true,, Smith repeatedly said “Alexa” to her phone approximately 10 times a day to see if an ad would come up for the item. Chapman executed a similar experiment with dog food. Instead of using an iPhone like Smith, she used her Android. “I did this on my own before and it worked,” junior Tucker Benson said. Benson decided to use a specific movie for his experiment, choosing the upcoming film “The Disaster Artist” as his test subject. With two iPhones and one Android, the experiment started. After Week 1 of experiments, nothing happened. They checked Facebook frequently for any new ads. Didn’t work. Week 2 was a failure, too. It finally worked in the third week.

Although it wasn’t much, ads came up for two out of the three students. Both iPhones showed an ad of their specific topic. The ad for Alexa showed up on Smith’s app, while an ad for the movie “The Disaster Artist” appeared on Benson’s app. “It seems like an invasion of privacy, and the fact that they haven’t done anything to change it upsets me and makes me feel more unsafe in this digital age,” Benson said. Smith added: “I think I am starting to believe the theory now. It’s pretty scary that they could be listening.” This may not be the strongest evidence, but it seemed to work. Just remember, it’s tough to be truly private online.

Privacy protection: Is it even possible anymore? Many worry about privacy and their personal information Story by Jordan Cornell

rivacy is a topic at the front of many discussions lately. From billion-dollar company data breaches to keeping your sister from getting into your phone, each one of us expects privacy. Privacy, an expectation of not having people privy to personal information, is tough with technology. Technology is the center of most of our lives. We shop online and take several pictures on our phones, which are then saved on our phones and usually in the cloud as well. Keeping information private can take a lot of work, and different people take their privacy more serious than others. Experts suggest changing passwords frequently and using less obvious passwords to help keep your information private. How much information do you have to give away to ensure your privacy? “I kind of have mixed feelings, I feel like privacy and security are almost equally important. With the technology we have I think our phones know more about us than we think, I mean we’re not only con-

stantly on them but we also use them to enter a lot of private information,” junior Camille Pierce said. It’s easy to include your email when signing up on a site, again handing out personal information. “I usually do not read all of the terms and agreements when downloading apps, so I have probably given it a ton of information,” teacher Logan Posson said. Or is privacy just not necessarily as important as some people think it is? Pierce values her privacy. “It kind of depends, but for the most part I’d say I’m a private person,” Pierce said. Serurity guard Paul Burke shares how he feels about students privacy. “I don’t think students value or understand how quickly they lose their privacy on technological devices … as soon as they hit send on Snapchat, Twitter, etc. it is no longer private and it is public information,” Burke said, “…What a student does on their personal cell phone or computer is private until they make it public in whatever form.”

Photo by Briantae Crockett

Sophomore Dan Archer looks over junior Danielle Milligan’s shoulder while she is on her phone.

Social media affects teens daily Are you more addicted to your phone than you think? Story by Courtney Brown

martphones. Snapchat. Twitter. To this generation of teens, phones and social media are part of everyday life. “People can now get lost in something mindless or something totally engaging and mentally challenging,” sophomore Nathan Lamothe said. “It’s the one medium where everyone truly has something they can do or get to that will truly appeal to them.” Freshman Ben Palivan added: “Most of the time (my friends and I) have nothing to do; we just go on social media and watch YouTube.” Spending too much time on social media can have negative consequences and turn into addiction if not managed. “Every day I ended up never getting off of it and my grades started slipping,” junior Jay Anders said. “It ended up really ruining the friendships that I had because I was always on my phone, always on my computer or always doing something else.” Other students also see attachment affecting peers and family. “I just see so many people in class that the moment the teacher stops talking, they rush their work or just don’t do it and get on their phones,” freshman Chloe Simmons said. “In choir, the girls will be on their phones while singing or on (them) the minute he says our section can rest.” Senior Alex McGill said: “(My sister) kind of separates from her friends because I think that if she communicates through text or social media, I feel like you don’t have the same connection you have in-person.” Too much usage can also affect

personal well-being. “Some symptoms that I have seen displayed in individuals are the severe anxiety shown when their phone breaks or malfunctions,” DHS psychologist Jordyn Triboulet said. Social media addiction affected Anders’ mood. “I was always negative, I was always having a negative impact and it wasn’t good for me,” Anders said. “But it wasn’t all because of social media. It was all because of the (choices) I was making.” With society demanding students and employees alike be connected through emails or text, one must learn how to manage screen time effectively. “I definitely think that parents/ guardians should limit screen time and have strict rules of when/how long their children should be on their phone,” Triboulet said. Anders broke her addiction after asking her mother for help, who gave her a checklist to prioritize. “My mom was like, ‘It’s really helping you stay away from your computer and stuff. And it’s really helping you become more positive’,” Anders said. Now, Anders prioritizes on her own. She advises anyone facing addiction to seek help. “And the life lesson if you’re addicted to it, do something, get help for it,” Anders said. “But you’re not alone. Because if I can get through it just fine, you can too.”

“People can now get lost in something mindless or something totally engaging and mentally challenging,” sophomore Nathan Lamothe said.

Photo illustration by Caitlyn Dunn

According to CNN.com, nearly 80 percent of teens in the news survey said they check their phones hourly.

Do you feel like overuse of cellphones/social media is becoming more common? “I don’t think it is becoming more common. I think it’s becoming socially acceptable, thus we don’t mind it as much,” sophomore Brianna Hassell said.

“I believe that it is becoming more common because being on your phone gives many people an escape from situations that induce anxiety or stress... Though, on the other hand, some people just use it to feel like they can be more confident online than in reality. There are negatives and positives, but overall it is undeniable that the habits of cell phones/social media is becoming more and more natural,” junior Dani Conaway said.

8 When someone isn’t

who they say they are Story by Briante Crockett

ocial media has played a huge role in teenager’s everyday lives. Most times when they go on social media, no one thinks about the fact that people lie about their lives and who they may be. Lying makes it easy to be catfished. A catfish is someone who pretends to be someone they are not on social media. Derby senior Alexia Tucker and a few of her friends were catfished by one person posing as three different boys on a website called Quotev, where one can write and read stories and make friends. “We helped each other with our problems and there were boys -- Jamie, Carter and Jason. They all had different faces, different profile pictures. They posted pictures of themselves so frequently, we were like ‘Oh, it’s them,” Tucker said. The boys were older than them at the time, and they grew attached to the boys, talking almost everyday for months. “One person in the group would start noticing things. They would write on paper or post funny drawings, the handwriting was the same. There was two of them in a Skype call, one of them would be typing and the other would be talking with their voice,” Tucker said. They would not show their faces, so one of Tuck-

Even with a picture-perfect profile picture, students can say they aren’t who they really are. Photo illustration by Jessica Perea er’s friends did a reverse image search on Google, which showed that one of the pictures they were using was of a model. The model was not popular, so the group was easily fooled. All of the accounts were shut down, and that’s when they knew that they were not who they said they were. “I couldn’t imagine willingly doing that and hurting a child. This person would want to meet us, and I was just thinking, what would they have done, and what would’ve happened. That could’ve been so dangerous,” Tucker said. The catfisher was a 16-year-old girl. Sophomore Sofiyia Pastukhova was catfished by a girl posing as a boy online.

“We were talking about meeting because we were from the same city, and all of a sudden he says that he’s a girl,” Pastukhova said. Pastukhova started an online conversation with a boy and they talked for two months. The picture he was using was realistic, but she found out it was fake. She tried to understand this person. After finding out that the profile was fake, they met and were on good terms. “After meeting her in real life, she told me she was bisexual, and she was trying to find a girl in this way,” Pastukhova said.

Cyberbullying affects Derby teenagers Social media apps, and games often infected by cyberbullying Story by Jessica Perea

yberbullying is a trend that started when the Internet became a common tool for anonymous users to say what they want without thinking of the consequences to the other anonymous user. Cyberbullying can also occur over text and even gaming. Many websites and apps have been created over the years that have been able to stir up cyber bullying even more. One example is sarahah. com. This website is a good example of cyberbullying all you have to do is type someone’s name and write a message to them and it’s completely anonymous. “I first used this app to see what everyone was talking about, but then I pulled it up and realized how many rude people are willing to say stuff behind a screen then to my face,” junior Diana Diaz said. Cyber Bullying also occurs on

Facebook “I remember going on Facebook and seeing mean things about my friend on Twitter, and he had no idea, but I told him not to worry about it and just brush it off cause little things like that shouldn’t be entertained or it just gets worse,” senior Bryon Clark said. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have long been sites for cyber bullying, where harassment, stalking, flaming and exclusion occurs. Flaming or roasting is a form of bullying where they pick stuff about you specifically to hurt your feelings. Exclusion is when someone excludes a person from something. Like maybe a group of people don’t like someone so they don’t let them be a part. “I use to have a Twitter, but it was just everyone bullying other people. I found no point in it,” senior Kaycee Boone said.

Fighting online becomes common Twitter fights escalte through DHS Story by Jillian Jackson

Identity concealing apps

Wonder @BetterThanYou0_0

Story By Xochitl Lazano

Totally just saw the weirdest person ever… #theywishtheywerecool @CreativeCritter_ Puffball and 1,829 others Retweeted

Yogurt GURU @CreativeCritter_ Could today get any worse? #peoplearesomean #nobodyunderstandsme MagiToad and 2 others Retweeted

ell phones have ushered in a new era of easy Internet access through the push of a button. With that, however, comes a wave of social media and the problems it can create. Twitter, for instance, acts as a bulletin board in which anyone’s thoughts and opinions can be put on display to the public eye. Now more than ever, these posts have harbored passive aggressiveness and a general desire to instigate fights. Senior Mari Cortez has seen her fair share Twitter fights. “...there was a fight between an old friend of the group and my group,” Cortez said. “...she decided to post that (personal information) on Twitter and say how they were fake friends.”

Sarahah allows users to be incognito with questions, comments

Gossip can be common within friend groups, but platforms such as Twitter can take it to another level. What once only concerned the group, now concerned anyone online. This type of public event can stir up negative feelings, not only with the victim but with those who have experienced a similar situation. “It was really stressful for me — a lot of anxiety. I had to see my therapists,” Cortez said. Her involvement in the fight helped shape her opinion about the increase in fighting on Twitter. “I feel like its very petty. If you’re going to fight with someone about a problem you should just talk to them head on,” Cortez said.

However, not everyone has experienced the same type of conflict. “I’ve seen it, but I’ve never been involved in one,” sophomore Jessica Keasey said. For some, like Keasey, it is simply observing the fight, not participating in it. Being a bystander seems to be a common approach to the situation. In addition to not directly participating in the fights, she has gathered her own perspective. “I thought it was dumb… it wasn’t needed,” Keasey said. Whether you’re a bystander or an instigator, the influence of Twitter fighting remains.

eing scared to tell someone you know something with complete honesty is common. Even if what you want to say is a compliment, it does not change the fact that you are being honest and the person knows that it is you. Sarahah is an app that eliminates the user’s fear of being found out. What the app does is allows others to send anonymous comments about you or your stance on something. “The fact that Sarahah is hidden makes things easier to say,” freshman Erica Jernigan said. A user must sign up to create an account with Sarahah. From there, the user can post a link to their profile anywhere. Sarahah is designed so where the user can not respond to whatever is sent to them. “People always post their links to Snapchat,” Jernigan said. Since the app is all anonymous, people are concerned that cyber bullying and harassment can occur. “Also, being anonymous means people can send harmful things and get away with it,” Jernigan said.

Wonder @BetterThanYou0_0 You’re still here. Why don’t you do us all a favor and leave. #go away PDiddy and 4,567 others Retweeted

K-Building Artwork

(Left) Artwork by Jennivy Phu

(Right)Artwork by M’Leigh Palmer

Photos by Summer Reece

Across: 1. Hanukkah 3. tree 4. Menorah 7. snowman 10. Jingle Bells 12. present

Down: 2. hot chocolate 5. ornament 6. snow 8. reighndeer 9. lights 11. elves

Desinged by Olivia Jones

Combination creates live show

Creative writing, drama club combine talents, produce play Story by Camryn Pagels

n Dec. 19, a collaboration between the DHS Drama Club and Monica Swift’s creative writing class will be performed to the public for the first time. The work in question? A live retelling of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” broadcast in the form of a radio show. Drama teacher Richard Shultz’s repertory theatre students will be reading from a script that was written by Swift’s students in the auditorium, and people from Derby are invited to come watch. “The actual play will begin at around 7 p.m. ... there will be some music playing beforehand to mimic a radio station’s schedule. There will be hot cocoa and cookies for all,” Shultz said. The stage will be set up so the actors will be visible to the audience, but this performance is unique in that there are no set pieces or costumes -- just the necessary equipment for projecting audio. “The actors -- or, in this case, technically voice actors -- are going to be sitting in a line of chairs with three mics in front of them,” said junior Nathan York, who plays Ebenezer Scrooge in addition to a few minor characters. “Whenever it’s our turn to speak our part, we walk up to the mic and do so. We’re going to have a sound effects board off to the side, with our sound crew.” York said that the show was cast in class by the students themselves, and that a friend of his suggested he play Scrooge. “We casted in class,” he said. “People said parts they wanted, and we did it that way. It went pretty well.” Shultz is planning on publishing the play on a website where students around the world can order their own copies. “If things go well, we might be able to make a little bit of money for the theatre department,” Shultz said.

How To: Survive Finals Do’s and don’ts of semester finals Story by Jillian Jackson

With winter break just around the corner comes the echoing knock of high school finals. You need to be as prepared as possible to take those last tests of the semester. Just think, it is almost over. Here’s some ideas, pulled from your classmates, on how to kick butt in finals.

“Don’t think, ‘Oh, I’m just not going to go to school’,” freshman Olivia Jones said.

“Don’t think you know it all,” junior Hailey Willson said.

Do’s: Test yourself… see what you struggle with… focus on that,” senior Summer Reece said. “Make sure and study for the test that is most important,” sophomore Courtney Brown said. “Read the questions and read all the options,” sophomore Cydney Drees said. “Eat a good breakfast before coming to school,” sophomore Jacob Karsak said. “While I study, I listen to music. It can help you remember certain things,” junior Briantae Crockett said.

Photo illustration by Summer Reece

Senior Brittani Cook sleeping on her notes instead of studying.

“Study. I’m definitely going to do that,” freshman Olivia Jones said. Don’ts: “Don’t do all-nighters. Be well rested for your finals,” senior Xochitl Lozano said. “Don’t study for the ones you only need, like, 20 percent to keep your grade,” senior Hannah Berk said. “Don’t procrastinate and don’t cram all the night before,” junior Savannah Hidalgo said. “Don’t waste time on studying stuff you already know,” juinor Kayli Marczynski said. “Eat a big breakfast. It will make you sleepy,” junior Regina Waugh said.

Movie reviews Reviews of new and upcoming movies Coco-

Story by Jordan Cornell

This very cute animated movie comes out with a bang. It shows cultural representation and the importance of family with young Miguel, who has a passion for playing his guitar. On the Day of the Dead, he plays his great-great grandfather’s guitar and it does something magical. It takes Miguel to the Land of the Dead, where his mission becomes to escape the Land of the Dead before sunset or else he’ll be stuck there forever. On his way, he makes friends and learns how to follow his dream.

Star Wars The LastJedi- This is the ninth movie in the Star Wars series. It shows Rey, who at the end of the last movie found Luke Skywalker and asked to be trained by him. The rising threat of the First Order grows as Kylo Ren realizes how strong Rey was with the force. The movie hints at General Leia Organa’s death, which makes sense after the real-life death of actress Carrie Fisher, who played Organa. At the end of the trailer, it also hints at Rey possibly joining Kylo Ren in the First Order.

Release date: Nov. 22

Release date: Dec. 15

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - The second movie (following the first “Jumanji” movie) changes up from a board game to a video game-

Photo by Jordan Cornell

as their punishment, they find the game, hook it up and play. What they didn’t expect was to be sucked into the game and be transformed into the characters they picked. Fighting to survive with only three lives, they figure out their special skills while also trying to find a way out.

Photo by Jordan Cornell

When four different students get detention and have to clean out the basment

Release date: Dec. 25

I, Tonya -

This movie follows Tonya Harding, who was the best ice skater at one point. It shows her throughout her life with her demanding mother and her ex-husband, Jeff. At the 1994 Olympic Trials, a hitman that Harding’s ex-husband hired, assaults her competitor Nancy Kerrigan. She is too injured to continue to skate. The FBI arrests Harding for being involved. Release date: Dec. 8

Photo by Jordan Cornell

Girls Basketball Story by Karlee Olmstead

Photo by Regina Waugh Junior Kennedy Brown fights to keep the ball in her possession in McPherson territory.

The girls basketball team, which finished second in Class 6A in March, returns all but Jade Winter. “I am very excited about this season. For obvious reasons. One obvious reason is that we have most all of our players returning from our runner-up state team from last season,” coach Jodie Karsak said. The team has undergone some coaching changes. Assistant coach Marcus Myers left to become Wichita West’s coach, while Jason Miller was named the director of operations for the Wichita State women. Former Wichita State women’s coach Jody Adams-Birch is now the varsity assistant, while Jessica Diamond, who played at WSU, is coaching the junior varsity. “I feel like we have a chance to be really good,” junior Kennedy Brown said. The team hopes to return to the state

Wrestling

Boys Swim

Bowling

The 2017 wrestling season holds high expectations for the team. The team has eight returning state qualifiers and five state placers. Senior Brandon Becker, juniors Triston Wills, Crew Squires, Cade Lindsey and Kobe Grijalva are all returning state placers. Coach Bill Ross is expecting a lot out of the upperclassmen this season. “We gotta get to work and got to have good leadership,” Ross said. Squires is ready to start the season, even though he will be starting late due to the state championship run the football team had. “A lot of us will be cutting a significant amount of weight, so it will be difficult to get to that weight and still function well,” Squires said. The obvious goal for every team each year is to go to state and win. This year the team has a great chance to win it all, being ranked number one in the pre-season rankings.

The boys swim team has 40 boys on the team this year, the most coach Jimmy Adams has had as the swim coach. Adams thinks this year could be the year they take first in league with the depth they have on the team. Juniors Jacob Tanner and Jack Mcdaniel are the most likely to go to state for the team this year. Seniors Tyler Newbury, Ethan Pinkerton and Caleb Strohminger also have a good chance of going to state for the team. “We don’t have a clear number one swimmer this year. Everyone will be able to help out, we’ll have a solid team this year,” Adams said. Juniors Xavier Wright, Christian Tafoya and Evan Boslaugh are all returning state qualifiers and are on track to return to state again. With a number of juniors and veteran seniors the swim and dive team will have a great opportunity to do great things this year.

The bowling team is coming back strong from the boys’ Class 6A championship in March. Coach Alexis Ijams is excited to see what the team will do this season. “No matter what year it is, there will always be a new team dynamic and new team goals,” Ijams said. Seniors Matt Hedden,Shelbie Lindsey, Garrett Bolden and Priscilla Lord are a few of the returners. Ijams hopes to see the eam accomplish whatever goals they set for themselves. “They will determine just what that is on day one,” Ijams said.

Story by Jacob Karsak

Photo by Regina Waugh Senior Tyler Brown dribbles as he pushes his opponent away from gaining possession of the ball. Brown has signed to Hutchinson Community College for basketball.

Story by Jacob Karsak

Story by Karlee Olmstead

championship this season and win it all. “This season I’m hoping to see us succeed, similar to last season, by working hard and doing the little things and, hopefully, this year we’ll come out on top,” senior Holly Mills said. Both Mills and Brown think the biggest change for this season will be the change in the coaching staff and their coaching styles. “The ladies have done a good job at embracing what us coaches have laid out for them to accomplish every day,” Karsak said. Karsak wants to see the five seniors step up and take leadership roles. “My hope is that they will be great leaders in all that we do and to give the varsity team more depth in our games,” she said.

Boys Basketball Story by Savannah Hidalgo

The basketball season starts Dec. 5 in McPherson. Last year the team lost 5 seniors, but they gained two players who scored around 1,300 a piece -- seniors Tyler Brown and Mocaby. “Every year you have to replace good seniors. That is nothing new. Each team is its own team and has to develop its own identity. This team will be no different. Without question, (Brown and Mocaby) will help bridge a gap between last year’s seniors and some of our younger players,” coach Brett Flory said. These players are going to help the team both in the game and in other places. “We have a young team overall still this year, so those guys can hopefully provide great leadership on and off the court,” Flory said. These players and the team are good in many different ways. “Tyler is very skilled and athletic. He can score in about any way. Bryant is a versatile big with a great shooting stroke. Offensively, this team has a lot of individual skill. We have to become much tougher, much better defensively, and develop great chemistry,” Flory said.

TALENTED TRANSFERS Bryant Mocaby, Tyler Brown relocate to Derby for senior basketball season

Flory related how he can see some of the same Story by Savannah Hidalgo aspects of Brown now that he saw in camp all ome find change to be daunting, but those years ago. “You could see even then how skilled and drivnot seniors Tyler Brown and Bryant en he was,” Flory said. “It’s not surprising to see Mocaby. what he has become. It is crazy how things worked Over the summer, Brown and Mocaby out for us to be moved from Valreunited his senior ley Center and year, but it feels like Goddard into he has been here all Derby’s school along really.” district. Brown Mocaby and played football Brown are with a and both are new team and are playing basketthrilled to play. ball. “I am excited for Brown avereach and every day. aged 29.4 points I am excited for the at Valley Center journey ahead. I am as a junior. Moreally just excited for caby, who signed state too,” Mocaby with Northern said. Kentucky, averFlory is also exaged 18.7 points cited for the season, in his three-year but is most excited career at Godfor seeing how it will dard, and both all come together. have more than “Like every 1,200 career season, I’m excited points. to see where the Brown and journey will take us Mocaby have and to develop relaknown each tionships with all the other since they Photo by Jillian Jackson were little kids Tyler Brown (left) and Bryant Macoby (right) get ready guys that will last a lifetime. It’s taken a and played on for their season with Derby. The Dream Team together. “We’ve always been friends,” said Brown, who signed with Hutchinson Community College. And Brown has known coach Brett Flory for years. Flory, who coached at Valley Center from 2005-11 before he moved to Derby, ran some camps that Brown was in as a kid. “I was in third or fourth grade when he ran those camps … it is a pretty cool coincidence that he is coaching me when I was little, and now he’s coaching me my senior year,” Brown said.

Tyler Brown: transferred from Valley Center; averaged 29.4 points per game as a junior; and more than 1,200 career points. Bryant Mocaby: transferred from Goddard; averaged 18.7 points per game as a junior; and more than 1,200 career points.

Derby girls benefit from Adams-Birch’s experience

Former WSU coach joins Panthers Story by Karlee Olmstead

There has been a big change in the girls basketball staff this season. Coach Jodie Karsak hired Jody Adams-Birch as an assistant. Adams-Birch previously coached at Wichita State University for the last nine years. She is the winningest coach for the WSU women’s program. Adams-Birch left WSU in January and had no further comment on the matter. The Derby girls finished second in Class 6A in March, and Adams-Birch is excited to coach them. Courtesy photo “I’m excited about continuing to help and watching them grow every single day,” Adams-Birch said. Adams-Birch said there isn’t really an adjustment for her coming from college to coach high school. “Honestly, you know there’s really not a lot of difference except for these guys are in class all day and players at the college level go and come on their

own. Some have classes before practice and some don’t,” she said. “I think obviously you’re working with different age ranges, so skill development is still moving from freshmen up in college to freshmen up in high school, so you’re seeing the same movements.” The players were thrilled at Adams-Birch’s hire. “My first reaction was just priceless. I didn’t believe it at first,” sophomore Sydney Nilles said. Adams-Birch brings an energy that gets everyone excited about basketball. “I think she brings a positive energy to the team by getting everyone pumped up and ready to play,” Nilles said. Adams-Birch not only brings knowledge from coaching, but also from playing for Pat Summitt, who coached at Tennessee and is the winningest coach in Division 1 history. “Just having the experience of 23 years to share with them,” Adams-Birch said.

“I’m excited about

continuing to help and watching them grow every single day — Jody Adams-Birch

”

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Editorial Page

Those who know, can’t always teach

District erring with Racial slurs not a joking matter computer change

hen I was little, being military-oriented never registered to me. When my parents left for work in camo, I never understood their job. I just thought they were going to work like every other adult. In about kindergarten, we had to do a poster on being in the military. That was when I realized the sacrifices my family and I had made. When I was seven, my dad had orders to a bombing range in Kansas. Surprisingly, I was excited to move to Kansas. I was so little that I didn’t fully understand the chaos of a six person family -- moving halfway across the country -- with a newborn. However, when we got here I understood perfectly. Being from Georgia, the only winter clothes I had were some hoodies from Old Navy. About a week after we moved in, it snowed. When the weather calmed down, my mom registered me for school. I was the shiny new toy of Cottonwood Elementary’s first grade class. Kids were mean. Some made fun of my Southern accent, and the words I said. Every “y’all” was scrutinized by my peers. Finally the day came that someone defended me, and became my first friend. I was thankful for my friends, but wondered why they liked me. I asked a few and they said that they felt bad for judging me. They said they respected my family and me. I never knew what that meant. Then one day when my father picked me up from school in uniform. Only then did I understand that they recognized my “sacrifice.” Except I don’t consider moving a sacrifice anymore. Now I love Kansas and I am happy that I moved here. The move helped me gain experience and grow as a person.

here’s a question that has been buzzing around my mind for a while: is the school hiring quality educators? Now, obviously I’m not going to just sit here and list out every teacher I believe falls short in teaching ability, but if any student in the school were asked, they would probably have a few notable stories of teachers not doing their jobs — or at least not to the standard that they should. t’s not outlandish to think that the school, while employing some undeniably great teachers, sometimes looks at credentials more than actual teaching ability. I know that in a few of my classes, the teacher will write problems on the board with no explanation as to what they’re doing, just expecting that you’ll somehow read their mind and figure out for yourself what’s going on. Some also give no help on assignments and/or make the students feel inferior when they have questions to ask. Needless to say, it’s quite frustrating. Another popular “teaching method” that I’ve heard several other students complaining about is how the teacher is more concerned with the games on their phone than the class. These are just a few of the many ways some teachers fall short. The problem is also not that teachers don’t know how to work with the learning styles of various students — it’s that they hardly make an attempt at teaching at all. Now, there is an argument that points out how some students complain for the sake of complaining, or they don’t care about the class and for some reason think the teacher is out to get them. Those situations do happen. However, when hundreds of students discuss the same issues about a certain teacher, those problems most likely have credibility. The bottom line is, there’s a difference between knowing certain information and knowing how to convey that information in a way that makes sense to others. Sure, you can have a master’s degree, but that doesn’t automatically make you an effective teacher — as shown by some inadequate teachers in the school.

- Olivia Jones

- Summer Reece

Military brat always new girl in town

t’s finally happening. Chromebooks are more than likely coming to Derby High School within the next year. Yeah, you heard it. If you haven’t cringed by now, you will soon. I tested out a Chromebook over Thanksgiving Break and let me just say, I did not like it. It’s slow and difficult to navigate. “Chromebooks require Internet to be truly functional. This is not available to some students outside of the school environment,” teacher Lynn Miller said. On the Macbooks, it’s simple. Open Safari or Chrome and go directly to whatever website with no interruptions. Chromebooks have SO MANY mini log-ins. Want to check your email? Log in. Open Google Forms to make or answer a survey? Log in. Google search how to spell pterodactyl? Log in. Based on a survey of staff, 61 percent of the 31 who responded agreed to Chromebooks being a good change while 39 percent disagreed. I beg to differ because I am 100 percent sure Chromebooks are not user-friendly. “Chromebooks are glorified web-search machines. They can’t support the software and hardware needs of the classroom,” teacher Kathleen O’Brien said. But this isn’t just a personal issue. Business, engineering, biomed, journalism and debate are just some of the programs that will have to take an extra step. There’s a software called Citrix which you have to open in order to open other big programs such as anything Adobe (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Bridge), Apple software, etc. Along with program problems, a majority of teachers pointed out kids not being able to play games as easily on the Chromebooks. “Perhaps students can better focus on academics as opposed to playing games,” teacher Robin Groskurth said. But to be honest, most kids do not play games because all the really fun, common ones are blocked. The only interesting game is when your laptop disconnects from Internet and you can hit the spacebar to have a T-rex hop over tiny obstacles.

- Regina Waugh

’d like to talk about how our generation talks to each other and how we just throw racial slurs at each other like it has no deep meaning. I personally can vouch for this because growing up, people would always call me a bean. People use it to describe a Hispanic person since the stereotype goes that mexicans love beans. Every race has their own stereotype. Words are created all the time to describe a race. A lot of people believe you should only use the slang of your race.

- Jessica Perea

Comic by Camryn Pagles Designed by Briantae Crockett

Junior Jamie Black (left), senior Nathan York (middle left), sophomore Gabriel Almodovar (middle right) and senior Camryn Pagels (right) act as their characters waits for a bus in “The Middle of Nowhere.” Photo by Kayli Marczynski

Panther pal students cheer with the varsity cheerleaders for the Hollyball pep assembly on Dec. 1. Photo by Caitlyn Dunn

Photo by Caitlyn Dunn Photo by Regina Waugh

Junior Madi Young focuses on the opponents ball as she thinks of how to gain possession of it.

Junior Chloe Thrailkill sync’s with other Pantherettes as they perform for the pep assembly on Dec. 1.

Photo by Regina Waugh

Senior Tyler Brown focuses on the hoop before his free throw shot.

Photo by Hannah Berk

Sophomore RJ Llamas warms up for game against Wichita Northwest Grizzlies.

Photo by Caitlyn Dunn

Senior Marissa Stubbs puts cup over her head after drinking out of the grog bowl for breaking the rules of the mess. Designed by Caitlyn Dunn