Pittsburg High School's April Booster Redux

our generation student defends millenials

The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th Street Pittsburg, KS 66762 Vol. 98, Issue 9 www.boosterredux.com

Friday, April 29, 2016

Page 3D

phs teams land victories HOSA, archery TSA, Regionals, Choir, band wins

a tale of three lunches

Page 4D, 5D

Overcrowding causes concerns, admin enacts solutions

Freshmen Ace Edwards, Carter Uttley, Paul Worsley and sophomore James Richey eat during first lunch. First lunch has 337 students assigned. “It’s kind of hard to fit everyone in a nice, compact short lunch when we have so many people in school,” Richey said. “There’s not really a way to solve it.” PHOTO BY MADDY EMERSON

NICOLE KONOPELKO

driving a look at accidents on the road Page 7D

@nicolekonopelko Entering the cafeteria, sophomore Cassie Hurt-McLarty easily finds a seat next to her friends.

Hurt-McLarty is one of 128 students assigned to the second lunch period.

“Second lunch is really empty,” Hurt-McLarty said. “There are less people, so I am able to eat in peace and comfortably communicate with my friends.”

Joining his classmates in the lunch line, freshman Tayte Kelsey hopes to pick up his food as soon as possible so he can find a seat next to his friends.

Kelsey is one of 356 students assigned to third lunch period, while 337 students are assigned to first lunch period.

“I have to wait in line for around 10 to 15 minutes,” Kelsey said.

“That’s too long. A lot of kids aren’t getting the food they need in the time they have available. If I’m lucky and my class is nearby, I have 20 minutes to eat, but some kids have less than 10 because of how long they have to wait in line.”

With a large majority of students assigned to first and third lunch and a minimal number of students assigned

to second lunch, overcrowding has been a concern.

“Seating is certainly an issue,” assistant principal Rhonda White said.

“There are long lunch lines, which are a nuisance and inconvenience to students.”

An increasing population is one factor contributing to overcrowding.

“Enrollment has grown,” White said. “We’ve significantly increased [in population over] just the last three or four years.”

According to White, preserving c o r e academic time is a priority.

“Uninterrupted class time is crucial to making sure that teachers are able to have their best instruction and students are able to have their best learning,” White said. “That’s what has caused us to move to a heavy attendance in first and third lunch.”

According to food service manager Terri Feagan, there is inconsistency when it comes to the number of

“

students waiting in line to obtain their food.

“I wish we could equal out the lines so there wouldn’t be such a big difference like there is now,” Feagan said. “If some of those kids from first or third lunch get into second, we would be pretty good for a while, unless we keep getting more students.”

In some cases, students in first and third lunch do not get to sit in their preferred seating location.

“Overcrowding in the cafeteria requires our students to be able to move from where they might have been used to sitting,” White said. “We have enough seats, it’s just crowded.”

For junior Skylur VonWinklepleck, sitting is replaced with standing.

“It’s really difficult for me to sit at a seat next to my friends,” VonWinklepleck said. “Because it’s so crowded, I usually don’t even sit at a table. Instead, I stand [next to] the edge of the table where my friends sit.”

Although the cafeteria is able to

Because it’s so Becaus crowde crowded, I usually don’t even sit at a table. Instead, I stand [next to] the edge of the table.

”

-SKYLER VONWINKLEPLECK

serve a large number of students, there are still issues concerning the current available space.

“Making sure we have enough seating so kids can sit together and spread out is an issue,” White said. “[Currently], this cafeteria and kitchen layout wasn’t designed to accommodate the number of students that we have right now with the scheduling we are trying to follow.”

Oftentimes, school outings contribute to more overcrowding in first and third lunch.

“A lot of times, teachers will send their kids down to eat on a certain line due to a field trip,” Feagan said. “I would like for them to tell me, ‘We’re going to send a certain amount of kids down to eat.’ If they have a few, that’s fine, but if they have 50 or 60 kids that they’re going to send down on a certain line, I would like for them to tell me because we try to cook everything in the morning.”

Additionally, student activities can cause different lunch populations to fluctuate due to early release times or schedule changes.

As a result of this, students specifically in third lunch often miss

continued on page 2d

white ACCEpts new position Assistant principal will take on new role at elementary school KALI POENITSKE @PHSStudentPub

3 sport athletes a look at athletes who play all 4 years Page 8D

After working at the high school for 20 years, assistant principal Rhonda White is moving to Lakeside Elementary.

“It is a bittersweet change because having been at the high school for so long,” White said. “It has felt like home.”

For four years, White was a special education teacher at the high school.

She then became a counselor for 12 years, and she has been an assistant principal for the past four years.

Now, she plans on fulfilling her dreams of becoming a principal.

“I enjoy having a leadership role to help facilitate change, further improve our schools and make sure we are constantly [getting] better at what we are doing,” White said. “I enjoy the challenge to make sure we are always improving. Realizing I enjoyed leadership responsibility has caused me to look at those responsibilities as a principal.”

She will be able to transfer several skills from the other jobs to her new position.

“Having good communication skills, and being able to build trust and positive relationships are some things I have been strong at, especially through school counseling and as an assistant principal,” White said. “Those characteristics will help me be a good principal at Lakeside.”

Along with these skills, her modesty is also admired.

“What amazes me most about Mrs. White is how little attention she wants for everything she does,” freshman advocate Kristin Thomas said. “When interviews need to be given or photos need to be taken, if possible she will find faculty, staff or students to represent PHS, that’s just how unselfish she is.”

Principal Jon Bishop believes White is leaving quite a legacy behind.

“You cannot replace Rhonda White,” Bishop said. “She is leaving an awful lot of knowledge here. It will be difficult to fill her shoes.”

White has written several grants and created programs to improve the school. Some of these programs include the advocates program, Army S.T.A.R. and Link Crew. Besides these clubs, White has also impacted the school through her attitude.

“Mrs. White leads by example through her morals and ethics,” Thomas said. “I don’t know how many times I’ve seen her pushing a mop or picking up trash.

Mrs. White has a way of making every person at Pittsburg High School feel valued.”

Although White will be missed at the high school, Bishop agrees with her decision.

“She absolutely deserves to be a leader in this district,” Bishop said. “She and I have talked about this possibility for the last two years. I knew she was ready. There is no way in the world she could not [apply] for this job.”

Bishop looks forward to seeing White grow as an administrator.

Assistant principal Rhonda White will be the new principal at Lakeside Elementary. White has been in her current position at PHS for four years.

PHOTO BY MADDY EMERSON

“I wish her the best of luck,” Bishop said. “We are colleagues, we are still going to be able to talk to each other. Mrs. White will come out here and talk with me, I will go out there and talk with her.

We have a very special professional relationship.

She has been very good for me growing as an administrator and as a leader. She will make Pittsburg schools better.”

2 NEWS

Friday, April 29, 2016

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

laflen earns teaching distinction Debate, forensics coach recognized as outsanding educator JOSH LEE @iamthejoshlee On April 6, debate and forensics coach Julie Laflen won PSU’s 2016 College of Education Outstanding Secondary Educator Award.

Laflen will be recognized on May 2 and presented the award at an awards ceremony hosted by Pittsburg State University.

According to Laflen, she was nominated by an anonymous individual.

“I got a call from the College of Education’s dean at PSU. He told me that I won, and it caught me completely off-guard because I didn’t know I had been nominated,” Laflen said. “I was just surprised but, at the same time, you feel really excited that other people notice the work you do.”

Laflen believes this award is a representation of the time and effort she has invested in debate and forensics.

“Every year, my standards get a little higher,” Laflen said. “We ended [the season]

with nine national qualifiers, which is more than we had last year. I think it’s just a testament to all the long hours I’ve put in with the kids.”

Senior Jahlannis Jones, a participant in debate and forensics, believes this award is well-deserved. “[Mrs. Laflen] is not just a teacher,” Jones said. “She knows what she’s doing, and she’s also a mentor.

She understands students on a personal level, and helps them become better people both in and out of the classroom.”

This achievement, however, represents more to Laflen than just an award.

“I think [this award] symbolizes all the hard work that the kids put in,” Laflen said. “While this is my award, I think it’s really for all the kids I’ve worked with throughout the years.

Honestly, it’s never about the reward for me. Watching kids excel and achieve something they’ve worked for is the most rewarding part of my job.”

Gorilla Games Mouse Trap Powered Vehicle 1st Dakota Switzer

Rocketry Competition 3rd Lance Bandy, Alan Alonso, Parker Samford

Materials/Processing Challenge Metalworking 3rd Lance Bandy

Knowledge Bowl 3rd Andrew Riachi, Kallie McGuire, Mattie Hellwig, Alex Zellner

During novice forensics, teacher Julie Laflen works with freshman Madison Nagel. ““She’s really helped me find my niche here,” Nagel said, “I never would have thought that debate and forensics would be something that I would love so much.” PHOTO BY MADDY ROBISON.

a tale of three lunches Cafeteria jump: continued from page 1d out on the opportunity of selecting their preferred choice of food.

“Kids who eat third lunch sometimes may not have the same choices,” White said. “They may have run out of one of the items. They never run out of food, but there may not be the two choices that students in first and second lunch might have had.”

According to a study done by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Project Bread, high school students who are given at least 25 minutes to eat lunch are more likely to choose fruits and consume more of their entrées, milk and vegetables.

Due to an extended wait, many students do not get 25 minutes to eat.

“When we have a lot of [food items] to serve, the kids don’t have enough time to finish [eating] their food because the lunch lines are so long,” Feagan said.

In order to avoid the lunch line and have as much time as possible to eat, junior Annie Cortes brings her own lunch to school.

“I honestly hate having to wait in line,” Cortes said. “I’m hungry. I’d rather come [to the cafeteria] and be able to eat immediately.”

Cortes has personally experienced the consequences of waiting in line.

“I’ve been in the line before,” Cortes said. “[The cafeteria staff] was serving one [item], but by the time I got down [to the end of the line], it was replaced with something else because they ran out of it. I was really disappointed.”

Solutions to the issue of overcrowding have been put into effect.

“We have made adjustments to make the lunch experience as pleasant as possible while improving instructional time in the classroom,” White said.

More tables have been added to the commons area to accommodate an additional 90 students. Students can also choose to eat outdoors in the courtyard.

Larger lunch periods have been extended from 25 to 28 and 29 minutes as well.

“That has helped tremendously by offering some space to spread out and more time to eat,” White said.

Administration will be looking at solutions, but there will be no changes implemented for the 2016-2017 school year.

Input and voiced concerns from students are welcomed and are a necessary factor in determining a proper solution to overcrowding issues in the cafeteria.

“Students should be a part of coming up with solutions to deal with what we have and the constraints that we have,” White said. “Voiced concerns are welcomed.”

Although the lower number of students in second lunch has been a key contributor to overcrowding, for some it is a positive.

To STAR teacher Scott Rieck, second lunch is more of a benefit than a disadvantage. “[Second lunch] is a convenience to me,” Rieck said. “It gives my students and I a break in the middle of that class period, [time] to get up, the chance to use the restroom and come back to finish up that last 25 minutes.”

Furthermore, Rieck believes teachers have learned how to deal with having their class interrupted.

“We’ve been going down this road for years now,” Rieck said. “Surely, teachers have figured out when the best time to do a lab or test is. If it’s still an issue after all these years, maybe they need to reevaluate their own strategies.”

The cafeteria staff has adapted to overcrowding.

“Although [managing the lunch lines] is uncomfortable, we’ve honestly gotten used to it,” Feagan said. “We know how many [students] we’re going to serve on each line.”

Additionally, a smaller second lunch is not always a drawback for the cafeteria staff.

“During second lunch, we just serve off of one line,” Feagan said. “That way, we can get caught up in the dish room. It’s nice for us.”

Nevertheless, White believes the cafeteria staff have been contenders in managing and coping with these issues.

“The kitchen staff have done an excellent job of preparing food and serving our students,” White said. “Kids will have to wait in line for eight to nine minutes on average. I think that says a lot about our kitchen staff who make sure that food is ready, equipment is ready and kids move through the line quickly and efficiently. To serve 350 kids in about ten minutes is very impressive.”

The Pittsburg Education Association salutes these 172 teacher members of PEA/KNEA/NEA. Thank you for all you do for the students of USD 250!

George Nettels Elementary Arck, Mandy Dalgarn, Brandi Deierling, Tammy Eckelberry, Dena Foster, Stacy Harrison, Michelle Huebner, Amy Jackson, Diane Lovell, Missy Montgomery, Darlene O‛Brien, Lacey Parks, Kelsey Penner, Brenda Sarley, Sarah Schaub, Kelly Shanholtzer, Katie Vanderbeck, Natalie Ward, Susan Weber, Christa Wilks, Lori Lakeside Elementary Amershek, Lisa Bishop, Mary Brown, Adam Bugni, Haley Burford, Matt Burke, Cindy Casey, Michelle Diamond, Stacy Diaz, Kim Goode, Ellen Grisham, Janice Harrell, Tricia Kiister, Emily Lawson, Linda Lopez, JaNell

McCartney, Courtney McGowen, Carrie Oliver, Cara Perez, Jennifer Ratzlaff, Cathy Robinson, Mary Stahl, Janice Thomas, Sadie Tims, Babs Vacca, Missy Walker, Bridget Meadowlark Elementary Blankenship, Shelby Buck, Abby Buzard, Megan Caldwell, Ashley Clarkson, Jessilyn Cook, Karen Crain, Emily Degruson, Melinda Evans, Neely Finley, Brendan Guiles, Diana Horton, Teresa Jameson, Meredith Kitchen, Melinda Maiseroulle, Tyana Mantooth, Megan Mikrut, Lacy Niederklein, Nathan O‛Ferrell, Jeremy Oertle, Diana Prince, Dustin Runnels, Sandra VanBecelaere, Vicki Winemiller, Kelli Zortz, Sydney

Westside Elementary Anderson, Hannah Ausemus, Veronica Broxterman, Michelle Campbell, Kayla Dixon, Megan Ewan, Gail Graham, Krisanna Graham, Kriztena Hanney, Paul Holland, Karen Hughes, Kathryn Prince, Sarah Schoech, Kasey Smith, Jayne Southard, Rachel Stephens, Sheila Trowbridge, Susan White, Stephanie Womble, Kerstin

Pittsburg Community Middle School Arbuckle, Melissa Barto, Doug Blake, Christopher Blancho, Teri Boulware, Caleb Cerne, Beth Collver, Kelly Darling, Virginia Dunlavy, Mary Beth Foster, Nicole Grotheer, Brandy Hayden, Melissa Hoisington, Kara

Hugo, Joe Hull, Adam Kimzey, Robert Laflen, John Leiker, Lisa Lewis, Angela Lopez, Greg Maceli, Janet Mapp, Taylor Martin, Erica Moss, Dan O‛Bray, Kim O‛Bray, Leroy Pflug, Danielle Polen, Debra Riggs, R. Mitch Rooks, Shauna Shultz, Mashea Sievert, Shay Sutton, Terri Watt, Christy Weaver, Jack Wescott, Lynette Wilbert, Tara Woods, Jorda Pittsburg High School Ausemus, Gary Barberich, Linda Brennon, Andrew Clark, Merle Collins, Monica Foresman, Jim Giffin, Marjorie Henderson, Krystal Johnson, Jeff Johnson, Melissa Laflen, Julie

Lancaster, Bridgett Lomshek, Rebecca Moss, Patrick Neef, Kristi Neil, Cooper Nickelson, Thomas Packard, Mary Pallares, Angela Perez, Stuart Quick, Cassandra Rieck, Scott Roelfs, Kiley Rountree, Emily Ruiz, Ana Schultze, Lyn Schwob, Lisa Shaw, Greg Simpson, David Smith, Emily Stanley, Kyle Stegman, Jessica Susnik, Jason Turnbull, Rebecca Uttley, Kristie Warren, Samantha White, Anita White, Rhonda Willis, Rhonda Winemiller, Regina Wolgamott, Gary Wood, Ruth Elm Acres Malan, Janice St. Mary‛s Fleming, Leann

SECTION D

Booster Redux staff and policy Editors-in-Chief Alli Baden Molly Graham Megan Munger Morgan Plank

Managing Editors Kali Poenitske Journey Jaramillo Gina Mathew Trina Paul

Design Editors Kailey Curtis Jake Webb

Staff Maddie Baden Meghan Baker Connor Balthazor Alivia Benedict Lily Black Justin Blythe Katy Brown Nic Burk Mataya Cook Caleb Dial Sophie Graham Journey Jaramillo Nicole Konopelko Josh Lee Trina Paul Maddy Robison Caleb Stradley Patrick Sullivan Ivan Walter Julie Wilson Kaylah Wilson

www.boosterredux.com

OPINION

Friday, April 29, 2016

3

Generations of Generalizations Student stresses tolerance between two eras justin blythe @jdblyt There is a stigma that floats within the minds of our elders. Our generation, the millennials, are looked down on with contempt.

I am sick and tired of hearing how millennials are the worst generation yet.

Generalizing our generation as narcissistic and lazy is not only incorrect, but incredibly offensive.

Sure, our generation may take more selfies or spend more time on social media, but does this equate to us as being lesser?

According a survey of high school seniors from 1976 to 2006, psychologists Trzesniewski and Donnellan found that, “there were no meaningful changes in egotism, self-enhancement, individualism, and self-esteem.”

The idea of our generation being narcissistic simply attacks our generation’s self-value rather than appreciating it. Snapping a selfie on Snapchat to communicate with our friends isn’t an act of narcissism, just an act the older generations do not understand.

After all, we have a right to be excited about the technological innovations occurring everyday.

Through innovations like social media, we have gained a greater sense of interconnectivity with the world and are therefore more tolerant and accepting toward the uniqueness in every individual.

According to Pew Research Center, millennials are more tolerant of races and groups than older generations (47% vs. 19%), with 45% agreeing with preferential treatment to improve the position of minorities.

Sure, we may consume more technology than past generations, but we are also accomplishing incredible feats with the technology accessible to us today.

According to Blaire Briody of Popular Science, Preya Shah, a high school senior from New York, synthesized a new chemotherapy drug to fight tumors with fewer side effects. Broidy also includes Michael Vawter, a student at Edison Academy in Ohio, who invented a diabetic nasal spray at age 16 that regulates blood sugar levels without injections. These are just a few examples

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

of how our generation, although different, is capable of incredible things.

So, how can any of this be viewed as a bad thing?

Not much unlike us, I’m sure previous generations were ecstatic, possibly even obsessed, with technology such as the car, the electric guitar, or games such as Pac-Man. I believe that the world today is so dynamic due to technology that previous generations are unable to understand the context of our society today.

Those that came before us have obviously forgotten what it is like to be in our shoes. I’m certain the generation prior to us, Gen X’ers, were viewed as

subordinates by their predecessors, the baby boomers.

It is time for this trend to diminish.

I am not denying that our generation is flawed, we are human after all, but one thing I am sure about is that we are not worse, we are just incredibly different and bright.

We, millennials, deserve an optimistic outlook from our elders because I am absolutely certain that, whether it be curing cancer, inventing time travel, or whatever else that floats in the realm of possibilities, we will continue bringing greatness into the world around us.

Adviser Emily Smith

The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School Student Publications 1978 E. 4th St. Pittsburg, KS 66762

PHS Student Publications Department and newspaper class produce The Booster Redux.

Please call us with comments at 620235-3200. The Booster Redux’s purpose is to inform, educate, enlighten and entertain readers fairly and accurately in an open forum.

Opinions expressed in editorials or opinion columns do not necessarily reflect views of all members on the Booster staff.

Digital photos have not been altered to manipulate reality.

Photo illustrations are labeled to reflect any technical alternations.

Anonymity may be given in the following cases: the information is unable to be presented another way, the information warrants anonymity, the source’s privacy and/or reputation requires protection and the source must be protected from damages.

A student or faculty member death during the coverage period will be covered with a short obituary.

The Booster Redux is a member of Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Kansas Scholastic Press and International Quill and Scroll. The Booster Redux encourages letters from students, teachers and community members under 300 words and signed with a valid signature only.

The Booster Redux reserves the right to edit contributions if they are libelous, obscene and for length. Any grammatical errors at the fault of the writer will be printed. Corrections of errors printed at the fault of the Booster staff will appear in the appropriate section of the next issue.

social media impact Staff Wilson expresses power of the like button julie wilson @JL_Wilsonn One summer when it was hard to see my friends I was bored and turned to Instagram to feel connected.

At first, I followed my friends and I posted a few times a day. These posts only got a few likes. I was checking my phone constantly to see if I had gotten more likes.

Some of the people I followed had over a thousand followers and got hundreds of likes. I had few followers and many of the pictures I posted did not get more than 11 likes. I posted a cute picture of my wiener dog, Charlie, and after 20 minutes or so nobody had liked it, so I ended up taking it down.

This happened more than a few times and it made me feel like I was not as good as these people.

Most of the followers I had included some of my close friends and my mother, which I forced my mother to join only to like my posts.

To make myself look better, I resorted to apps to inflate the numbers of followers and likes I had.

So I was set; I got over a hundred likes and had thousands of followers. I felt like my life online was more important than my actual life.

According to Michael Cohn, entrepreneur and founder of Compukol Communications, “All people want to be acknowledged, when it comes to acknowledgment through social media, people want others to recognize that they are thinking and acting in a cutting-edge manner.”

That was what I wanted. I wanted to be

acknowledged for what I posted. I know I am not the only one who has felt this way about getting likes.

Getting likes becomes an obsession with some. What ever can be done to increase likes become activities to make someone feel good about themselves.

The most common term for this is called ‘like addiction’, which is a kind of internet addiction disorder.

In recent cases, an Ohio teenager, Marina Lonina, was accused of livestreaming her friend getting raped using an app called Periscope. She livestreamed it in an attempt to make the rapist stop but that did not work.

According to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, she got caught up in the ‘likes’.

There is not a simple way to stop having ‘like addiction.’ Everyone is on social media, and everyone has a way to access it, so the pressure on social media is immense.

The way to avoid this problem before it becomes an addiction is to stop thinking about social media as your validation.

We all have worth and should have self respect.

Not only did these apps I used give my phone a virus, it also became tiring to depend on these apps all the time, so I deleted them.

After a couple of years on Instagram, I realized that the likes and followers I got did not define who I was.

Eventually, I got real followers and real likes and the fakes apps became useless.

Now I normally get between 45 to 60 likes on a picture no matter what it is.

editorial: Saying goodbye to White BOOSTER REDUX STAFF @PHSStudentPub The seniors will not be the only ones graduating this year.

After four years as an assistant principal, Rhonda White has announced her departure at the end of the year. She will become the new principal at Lakeside Elementary, leaving big shoes to fill in her absence.

White has taken on various roles here which have impacted the overall school environment. Acting as a counselor, special education teacher and assistant principal, her experiences over the past 20 years have aided in her success as a leader.

White paved the way for change by writing and submitting numerous grant application resulting in even more student support.

The success of various grants has helped students afford Advanced Placement exam fees and improve the transition from middle school by implementing a new fresh-

man program known as Link Crew.

In addition to this, new curriculum was purchased to renovate Sophomore Focus to a Freshman Foundations class to ensure student success during the first year of high school.

White accomplished all this and more while fostering a close relationship with both students and faculty.

Even if a student has not personally interacted with White, they have benefitted from her actions.

White has been a vocal proponent of many student activities, including the Booster Redux, throughout the years.

As the school year comes to a close and our graduates leave, we, as a staff, cannot help but thank White for all of her time and contributions.

We would like to extend our appreciation to White for her dedication to USD 250 throughout the years and wish her all the best on her future endeavors.

Technology: consuming one life at a time Stradley battles against temptation for productivity Caleb stradley @ @PHSStudentPub It is 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I just got home from school. I have a ton of homework due tomorrow and need to start working on it as soon as possible.

I get the papers out of my bag and start to work.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, my phone notifies me. It is YouTube telling me a new Vanossgaming video has been uploaded. I love Vanoss, so naturally I start watching the video.

Then I watch another video. Then another one.

Next thing I know, it is 11 o’clock, and none of my work is done. Instead, I spent all day on my phone.

This is a typical day for me, and because of it, my grades are not looking stellar right now. I do believe technology is a wonderful thing, and if used correctly, can be very beneficial.

However, if you are like me and on it 24/7, seemingly unable to stop watching Netflix or Youtube, playing video games, texting or getting on social media to look at what some people are ranting about, then, like me, you may have an addiction.

While I am aware of this issue, it does not make fixing it any easier. I still constantly get on my phone when I should be studying or doing homework.

I always tell myself the same thing, “I can do it later.” I keep telling myself that until I fall asleep and realize the next morning I did absolutely nothing productive the previous day.

There have been many times where I feel withdrawls from not being on some sort of device for a long period of time.

When I am on one, I feel like I will never get off. If I know I must be doing something more important, I find myself still on my phone, even when I run out of things to do on it.

I am definitely not alone on this. According to CNN, a study completed in November revealed teens spend on average approximately nine hours a day using technology. I am not surprised by this. Everywhere I look a student is on their phone.

This has been very effective against my academics, but not just that, it has been hurting my social life and, well, my life in general. It has made me extraordinarily lazy, to the point I never want to do anything except lay on my bed and do practically nothing, all day long.

However, I am working through this. On April 11th of this

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

year, I decided I had enough with all the stress.

I spoke to a counselor and we came up with a schedule for me. Ironically, I am using my phone to keep track of what I need to do.

I have written down in my notes a day-to-day, hour-to-hour basic schedule on what I have to be doing in order to reduce stress and not be on my phone so often. So far, it has been helping quite a bit.

For the first time in years, I took a math test I felt confident about and even earned the highest

score in quite some time.

Like I said earlier, technology can be useful, but only if used correctly. I do not think there is anything wrong with using it for entertainment purposes but we cannot let technology consume us.

With the help of counselors and teachers, I am finally bringing myself out of this deep hole I have been digging throughout the years.

Now, it is 8 o’clock. I have all my homework done, I studied and I am no longer stressing out about the next day.

4 Feature

Friday, April 29, 2016 www.boosterredux.com

SECTION D

student results at r

Tatum McManis by Macy Frasco

HOSA State Contest Winners

Ivan Walter by Devon Coulter

Will Schindler, Caleb Dial, Zach Kunkler, Jon Commons by Ashleigh Galindo

Band

Choir

State Contest Winners

State Contest Winners

Saxophone Solo Ryan Amick - 1

Tenor Solo Ryan Amick I

Violin Solo Derrick Sumner - I

Tenor Solo Ethan Jewell II

Medical Terminology 3rd Justin Blythe

Violin Solo Andres Munguia - I

Tenor Solo Matthew Buck I

Medical Reading 2nd Kelsey Fuchs

Violin Solo Jess Frasher - I

Bass Solo Derrick Sumner II

Flute Solo Kristen Geiger - I

Soprano Solo Cassie Hurt-McLarty I

Flute Solo Reyna Valenzuela - II

Bass Solo Jack Warring I

Percussion Solo Jack Warring - I

Bass Solo Hunter Cress II

Ensemble Flute Trio - II

Bass Solo Ivan Walter

Ensemble Percussion Trio - I

Ensemble Men - I

Ensemble Percussion- I

Ensemble Women - I

Forensic Medicine 1st Justin Blythe and Kelsey Fuchs

Public Service Announcement 1st Morgan Burns, Trina Paul, Zach Uttley and Kolton Darrow Persuasive Speech 1st Morgan Burns Physical Therapy 1st Reese Willis Behavioral Health 1st Kayley Hartman

I

Medical Math 2nd Paul Worsley Nurse Assisting 2nd Tatum McMannis

What does it take to excel?

Ryan amick

Derrick Sumner

Junior

Senior

Senior

“You really have to have an open mind and not limit yourself into thinking one thing.”

“Everyday for the past month in band we just ran our pieces over and over again, becoming more precise each time.”

“All it took was a little more effort than what was required to get a little farther than districts. All it takes is a little more effort than what’s asked.”

Kelsey fuchs

SECTION D

www.boosterredux.com

Friday, April 29 2016

Feature

5

regional, state level

Kolton Darrow by Jhalani Long

ARCHERY State Contest Winners 80 cm Target - Boys *3rd Kolton Darrow *5th Nick Sandberg *6th Corbin Russell *8th Skylur vonWinklepleck 80 cm Target - Girls *1st Jazmin Havens *6th Tatum vonWinklepleck *8th Madison Vogel 80 cm Target Team - 2nd place 3D High School Boys & Girls 1st Kolton Darrow 2nd Skyler Von Winklepleck 3rd Chase Johnson 4th Corbin Russell * denotes National Qualifiers Additional National Qualifiers by qualifying as a team Karis Mengarelli Chase Johnson Crispin vonWinklepleck Elizabeth Workman Shai Morgan

Lydia Winters by Savannah Jones

TSA State contest winners Career Prep: 1st Nicole Konopelko 2nd Mattie Hellwig 3rd Rachel Ruiz Debating Tech Issues: 2nd Madison Nagels and Sebastian Johns 3rd Evie Shawn and Meghan Hess SciVis: 3rd Evi Shawn, Kallie McGuire, Meghan Hess Digital Video: 3rd Cassidy Bayliss and Lydia Winters Future Tech Teacher: 3rd Nicole Konopelko On Demand Video: 2nd Cassidy Bayliss, Rachel Ruiz, Lydia Winters 3rd Meghan Hess, Andrew McCloskey, Kallie McGuire, Evie Shawn

Grace Palmer by Macy Frasco

Journalism Regional Contest Winners

NOA Robot: 2nd Alex Zellner, Andrew Riachi 3rd Sam Kirby, Aidan Harries, Jakob Cupp

Alli Baden Sports Writing, Honorable Mention

Promotional Graphics: 3rd Aidan Harries

Joshua Lee News Writing, Honorable Mention

Essays of Tech: 2nd Evia Shawn

Alivia Benedict Editorial Cartoon, Honorable Mention

Justin Blythe Editorial Writing, Honorable Mention

Desktop Publishing: 2nd Lydia Winters

Jordan Hawkins Yearbook Layout, 3rd place Yearbook Theme & Graphics, 3rd place

Video Game Design: 1st Sebastian Johns, Josh Lee, Alex Madl

Maddy Emerson Student Life photo, 1st place Academics photo, 3rd place

Extemporaneous: Speech 2nd Sebastian Johns

Gina Mathew Feature Writing, 2nd place

System Control: 1st Andrew Riachi, John Sahr Manufacturing Prototype: 3rd Elijah Shiverdecker, Luke Spillman

Grace Palmer Advertising, 2nd place Kailey Curtis Headline Writing & Design, 2nd place Newspage Design, 2nd place Derek Brumbaugh Sports Photography, 1st place

Prepared Presentation: 1st Nicole Konopelko

jazmin havens

Sebastian johns

maddy emerson

Freshman

Senior

“It takes a lot of practice, hard work and determination to be a state champion.”

“Organization, preparedness, problem solving ability, and patience are all reasons we succeeded.”

Sophomore “I think to win you have to have a real drive and passion for what you are doing.”

6 Feature

Friday, April 29, 2016 www.boosterredux.com

SECTION D

‘quantum break’ breaks expectations connor BALTHAZOR @phsstudentpub The most important thing in the world is time, so what happens if we lose that? In “Quantum Break,” a time machine experiment conducted

by William Joyce and Paul Serene ends in Serene entering the machine, going into the future, seeing the end of time, and then going back in time to attempt to stop the experiment.

However, by going through the machine he caused a fracture in time.

The fracture in time is essentially the beginning of the end of time.

The driving force behind what makes “Quantum Break” a fun experience is the story and the acting.

Those are two things that generally are not the focus of modern games, but “Quantum Break” showed remarkable story-telling and the actors did an exceptional job as well. The main character throughout the game is Jack Joyce, the brother of William who was an integral part of the time machine experiment. The story starts with Jack arriving at the time machine lab. Serene greets Jack and shows him to the lab. Once they reach the lab, Serene asks Jack to help him test the machine, and Jack was hesitant to help as time machine experiments generally do not go very well. After Jack reluctantly agrees and Serene is about to enter, William arrives and threatens to shoot Serene if he will

QUANTUM BREAK

««««« ««««

not stop the experiment, citing that it is too dangerous to attempt. Serene enters the machine and he comes out in the future, at the end of time. I will not go in depth into the story as I don’t want to spoil it, but it was my favorite part of the game by far.

Although the plot of the game was outstanding, the gameplay was not nearly

as successful. “Quantum Break” introduces a unique gameplay element with different abilities Jack can use. He gained these powers when the time-machine was activated. Some of the most useful ones are; time vision, which highlights enemies and other useful points in the game; time shield, which can stop bullets; and many

others. However, the third person gun gameplay is less than average, and even frustrating to use at times.

While “Quantum Break” has an excellent story, it leaves much to be desired in the gameplay department. Nevertheless, it was a great experience watching the plot unfold.

COLTON’S SETS THE steaks high pATRICK SULLIVAN @PHSStudentPub

I made my visit to Colton’s on Friday, April 8th. I can say I was thoroughly impressed by the food, wait staff and overall atmosphere. I had my hesitations surrounding the restaurant, mainly due to the fact it is a chain business. I did find some relief in learning the owners are relatively involved people who make visits to Colton’s and bring the small town vibe crucial to a local consumer.

Colton’s is located at 4001 Parkview Dr, just off of Broadway in Pittsburg. You can see the building from a distance as it yields giant Texas flags and a large marquee.

Stating the place did not go anything but all out on the decor would be a crime to Colton’s, as it certainly exhibits a strong Wild West theme.

Upon entering, we were greeted by many of the Colton’s employees who promptly seated us. The restaurant offers free peanuts to any customers, along with some of the best rolls I’ve had at a restaurant, hands-down. I enjoyed the free snacks, but for the sake of trying out the place, we also had the onion string. They were gone immediately. The freshly prepared snack was a huge hit and something I recommend to any visitor.

I ordered a plain cheeseburger with steak fries to try something basic and hard to mess up. The burger was juicy and extremely delicious whereas the fries I found to be lacking a little bit in taste and quality. The thick-cut steak fries appeared not to be seasoned whatsoever and more or less warmed up instead of prepared on the spot. The burger was above par though, which helped make up for the fries.

I did enjoy my time visiting Colton’s steakhouse and will try my best to make it back for the complete western experience. The family friendly establishment is good for date nights, family outings or just a quick lunch break. The atmosphere and staff at Colton’s tops most chain sit-down restaurants and the food follows suit. Colton’s is gladly welcomed here in Pittsburg and will serve the community well.

MORE THAN THE BEAR NECESSITIES Wilson enjoys throwback Disney movie, recommends a view JULIE WIlson @JL_Wilsonn Almost 50 years after the original came out, Walt Disney has remade the classic, animated film of ‘The Jungle Book’ in a live action/CGI form in the same name.

The film is focused on Mowgli (played by Neel Sethi), a boy raised by wolves in the jungles of India. With the assistance and protection of a panther named Bagheera (voice done by Ben Kingsley), Mowgli learns how to live like the wolves, even though he uses a lot of human tricks to live like making tools and the animals don’t like that.

During a drought the animals have a Water Truce, where the animals share the water peacefully until the rains come and cover the Peace Rock, a rock in the water.

The tiger, Shere Khan (voice done by Idris Elba) smells Mowgli and threatens to kill him when the drought is over because humans are not welcome in the jungle.

Mowgli volunteers to leave and go to a village of people to keep the wolf pack and himself safe from Shere Khan.

On his journey, he runs into a python named Kaa (voice done by Scarlett Johansson) who uses her voice to hypnotize Mowgli in an attempt to eat him. Before Kaa can eat him he is saved by a bear named Baloo (voice done by Bill Murray).

After Mowgli uses his human tricks to help Baloo, they decide to team up until Baloo can get him to the village.

Along the way, they have an adventure and learn about the Bare Necessities.

I really enjoyed the movie. My favorite part is the Bare Necessities song, which was my favorite song from the original movie.

It was fun to see a movie that not only I but my parents and even my grandparents grew up watching become something more real.

I liked how this movie was different from all the other remakes. I feel like I’m too old for the original animated movie, which was kind of simple. And the 1994 version with a grown up Mowgli and animals who don’t talk or sing was just too different. This version is like the Three Bears: just right.

This movie had action and danger, fun and emotion.

This was a movie you could take your younger sibling to and still enjoy it.

I saw this in 3D, which I do not normally like but this was an exception. There were not too many things jumping out at me like most 3D movies do.

So I recommend you go see The Jungle Book. It is fun for almost anyone, and it is not another so-so sequel.

Album Reviews Writen by: Alivia Benedict and Justin Blythe

alt

alt

rock

rock

Melanie Martinez

glass animals

the stooges

The guess who

“This album offers a unique, childlife theme with song titles such as ‘Sippy Cup’ and ‘Dollhouse’ but containscontrasting lyrics detailing realworld issues including sexual assault and family dysfunctionality. Certainly a must-listen debut album.”

“‘Zaba’ offers a distinctive sound with soulful vocals and tribal flare that envolves a relaxing, mellow mood. One listen and you’re sure to be hooked”

“Roudy, rebbelious, and raging. 35 minutes of a divergent experience, from rocking your socks off, to groovin soulfully and connecting with your inner self. For a more pleasureable experience try vinyl”

“Starting off with the bands most known song, this album is sure for a grand time. Bluesey and mean, rough and rowdy, a true classic.”

SECTION D

In-depth

www.boosterredux.com Friday, April 29, 2016

7

Art by Alivia Benedict

In the blink of an eye Dangerous driving decisions impact teenagers, adults alike ALLI BADEN @AlliBaden Reaching for her phone on her way to a teacher conference at Greenbush on July 30, Diana Oertle, former cheer coach and Meadowlark reading and math teacher, texts another teacher at the conference three words: “yes, almost there.”

Two minutes later, she is trying to call that same friend to inform her she just got in a car accident.

She does not answer.

As Oertle tries to remove herself from the car, she realizes she is unable to move.

While she was texting, Oertle began to cross the center line as another vehicle was coming in her direction. In order to not hit the oncoming car, Oertle overcorrected and ran her car off the road.

In doing so, she hit an embankment and found herself and her car in a field.

For her daughter, senior Hannah Oertle, the news of her mother texting and driving was a complete shock.

“It really surprised me because she is the biggest stickler about not using your phone at all while you are driving. She is even kind of iffy about calling while you are driving,” Hannah said. “She has never really texted and drove before so she was not used to it.”

According to Resource Office Dave Petrey, texting, Snapchatting, or other forms of distracted driving have become a common trend among drivers. “[Distracted driving] can be illegal tasks such as texting or it can just be normal everyday things,” Petrey said. “Someone who has been driving for their whole lives has at least once been distracted while driving. Probably more than that.”

Diana claims she is not one to normally text and drive, but her actions this one time resulted in multiple consequences.

Diana broke a vertebrae in her back, which caused her temporary paralysis at the scene of the accident. She was then transferred to KU Medical Hospital where she received eight screws and two rods in her back to help heal the broken vertebrae. This delayed her ability to go back to work and left her with several months of physical therapy. The doctors expect the entire recovery to take a year.

By t

s r e b m he nu Distracted Driving Info collected from distraction.gov & enddd.org

“It was such a senseless thing that didn’t need to happen and would not have if I would have just left my phone alone,” Diana said. “Every day I can feel the rods and screws in my back and it is a constant reminder of a stupid decision.”

Diana has found her injury put pressure on her husband and two children as well as herself.

“I’m sure I perceived my family’s hardships to be more than they would say they were. They made many trips back and forth to Kansas City while I was in the hospital,” Diana said. “They had to help take care of me when I got home and until I could do things on my own again.”

Hannah believes her mother has been hard on herself since the accident.

“She got onto herself about [texting and driving], especially the first couple of months,” Hannah said. “We have all told her it was an accident. It could have happened regardless, and not necessarily because of her phone, it could have happened a different way. But, it did happen and all that we care about is that she is better now.”

Petrey believes he has seen an increase in the preoccupation of adults and students while driving, specifically when they are exiting the school at the end of the day.

“Most of the adults that I have problems with are on their cellphones,” Petrey said. “I am trying to get them to stop [at the end of the parking lot] and they are not paying attention, or they stop when I am trying to get them to go.”

Petrey arranges opportunities throughout the school year to promote safe driving to teens. Petrey is the sponsor of the Seat belts Are For Everyone (SAFE) program that surveys how many students

“

Every day I can feel the rods and screws in my back and it is a constant reminder of a stupid decision.

Texting creates a crash risk times greater than not texting and driving

people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes

”

73%

23

the time to ensure he was not late. In doing so, he forgot to check behind him to make sure no other cars were on the road. So when he pulled out, he did not think the gold Ford Fusion in the ditch was because of him.

“I thought they were just there, I did not think it was my fault at first, I just thought it was odd,” McCauley said. “I asked them if they were okay and they shook their heads yes. I drove away, I got into my first hour. Then the phone rang and I had to go to the office.”

When McCauley reached the office, he found a police officer waiting for him.

“I was almost detained because I left a scene of an incident and I had been on my phone. I almost got a misdemeanor and I would have had to fight it off in court,” McCauley said.

Because the two people in the car were not injured, McCauley had to pay $85 for their towing bill and all other charges were dropped.

“I was really embarrassed for myself and I was really ashamed, all because I pulled out my phone to check the time while pulling out,” McCauley said.

Despite his experiences with his phone during driving, McCauley still finds it difficult to stop.

“I do not think of the dangers [when looking at my phone]. I have obviously been reminded a couple of times of the dangers, so I try to be a little more careful,” McCauley said. “But let’s face it, our phones are part of our lives so when my phone goes off, I instantly reach for it. It is sad but I do it. I try to manage myself as I am driving but it is hard.”

Both Oertle and McCauley are thankful they did not harm anyone because of their decision to look at their phone.

“It all happens in a split second,” Diana said. “From the time that I sent the text message to when I tried to call my friend was two minutes of time on my phone. It was so quick that I was across the center line thinking ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to kill someone because of a stupid decision.’ I was fortunate that I was the only one injured or involved in the accident. If I would have injured or killed someone else I do not think that would be very easy to recover from.”

of drivers 18-20 years old admit to texting and driving

In 2014

3,179

In the first half of 2015

16,255

and adults wear their seat belts as they pull into the school drop-off and parking lot.

This year, approximately 95.8 percent of drivers wore their seat belts to school.

While this number is not where Petrey wants the seat belt percentage to be, he recognizes it is better than the 78 percent of drivers that wore their seat belts to the high school in 2013. Through SAFE, students are also allowed to sign pledge cards that state they will wear their seat belts and in return, their name will be put into a drawing for a $25 Visa gift card.

Petrey also organizes the seat belt simulator with the Highway Patrol in order to convince students of the benefits of wearing seat belts.

While distracted driving occurs in all age groups, according to a 2013 survey by the US Department of Transportation, 10 percent of teenage driving fatalities were said to be a result of some type of distraction while driving. This is the highest percentage out of all age groups.

Senior Tanner McCauley believes many drivers do not realize the hazards that accompany distracted driving.

“We all do -DIANA OERTLE it, I have done it multiple times,” McCauley said. “It is something that needs to be taken more seriously. I kind of under-dramatized it in the beginning. I thought, ‘oh I can handle it, I’m a skilled driver, it is just a phone,’ but in reality, it can ruin some things and put people’s lives in danger.”

McCauley also experienced consequences for his distracted driving.

On March 6, McCauley was leaving his house to attend a rehearsal before school that morning. As he started to back out of his driveway onto East 126th street, McCauley grabbed his phone to look at

Seat belts reduce crash related injuries by

50%

people were killed &

431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted driving

5

seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting

8 SPORTS

Friday, April 29, 2016

Spencer Turnbull - Photo by Myla Turner

Mary Garrett - Photo by Chris Wood

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

Dylan Untereker - Photo by Morgan Noe

Living for the game Seniors reflect on high school lifestyle, pride of being a three-sport athlete MORGAN PLANK @momoplank The dismissal bell rings and students fan out in different directions. Six senior three-sport athletes make their way to the locker rooms to get ready for practice.

Everyday for the past four years, this has been their routine.

“I did three sports in middle school and was pretty good at all three, so it just transitioned into my freshman year,” senior Dylan Untereker said. “I knew doing three sports was going to be tough so I looked at it as another challenge that I could overcome, which made me want to stick with it.”

In addition to Untereker, these seniors include Kailey Curtis, Sam Bollinger, Mary Garrett, Sherrick Rogers and Ashlee Beitzinger.

“I enjoyed watching and playing all of these sports when I was younger, so I wasn’t going to stop once I got to high school,” Garrett said. “But, my favorite sport is basketball.”

Like Garrett, Curtis also shares the love for one sport but continues to play others.

“Basketball is easily my favorite. I don’t

especially love volleyball or track. I hate the thought of being a quitter, so I’ve just stuck with it,” Curtis said. “I think I just admired all those kids before me that played three sports, and I wanted everyone to admire me like I had admired them.”

Untereker also utilizes the opportunity to play three sports at this level.

“I love doing all three, and you only have limited time until you have to pick one or two that you want to do in college so I just wanted to be able to get the most out of the sports that I won’t play in college,” Untereker said. “I just love competing with a team. I love being able to work hard and see my progress. I look as sports as a challenge of progression.”

In college, Untereker will be focusing solely on football. Alongside him will be fellow three-sport athlete senior Spencer Turnbull.

Turnbull has participated in three sports three out of the four years. The only sports season he did not compete in was track his junior year.

“I took my junior year of track off so I could focus on putting on weight for my

senior football season,” Turnbull said. “I decided to go back out senior year to get faster as well as stay in shape so I could go into my freshman year of football at Pitt State with a head start on conditioning. Running track senior year kept me in the competitive mind set as I finished out the year.”

To these athletes, sports instill competition.

“I love the adrenaline and working out, and the feeling you get when you beat an undefeated team,” Curtis said. “You get to see all the time and effort you put in paid off.”

In addition to the benefits of being a three-sport athlete, there are also disadvantages as well.

“I got extremely burnt out. It was incredibly difficult for me to get through the last couple seasons, but I’m glad I did.

I got to the point where I didn’t want to play any sports anymore and I just wanted to work because I didn’t see the point since I’m not going to play in college in order to focus on education,” Garrett said.

“I continued because I love sports and my entire life revolves around them. I knew I

would miss it.”

With the time commitment of sports, sacrifices were made. “[It was] really tough,” Untereker said.

“A lot of late nights doing homework and not enough sleep happened all the time.”

Despite the long hours, sports have impacted the athletes.

“Sports have had such a positive influence on my life. Even when things got tough and I wanted to quit, I didn’t, and I’m proud to say that. Sports have taught me determination, patience, how to deal with stress, time-management skills, and how to continue to be passionate about something, even when you’re tired of it,” Curtis said. “I could look back on high school and wish that I wouldn’t have played sports, but I made a decision for myself, and there’s no changing it now.

All I can do is be happy with my choices.”

Not only do sports hone skills, they give athletes a sense of pride and accomplishment.

“I’m very proud of this,” Untereker said. “Some people might not know how challenging it actually is. It’s something that will stick with me forever.”

Spring Athlete highlights Tennis Softball Baseball Track Golf IVAN WALTER @ivanthehoss56 Being a repeat competitor at the state level senior Logan Benham knows he wants to be a leader.

“I feel that I have to put the team on my back and show them how to be better,” Benham said. “I have to show them the path to state.”

Although Benham has qualified for the tournament multiple times, he still feels unfulfilled.

“I train ver y hard to tr y and win state my senior year,” Benham said. “I’m just tr ying to make ever yone proud of me.”

Benham has had a ver y productive year with only two losses on the season.

“It’s been a ver y great year so far, minus a couple of setbacks,” Benham said. “Right now, I’m about 17-2 and I have only lost to a state champion and then a kid who beat the state champion.”

Benham spends multiple hours a week on the cour ts tr ying to get better and improve his game.

“This is what I am best at it,” Benham said. “I am motivated to be the best I can be ever y day.”

IVAN WALTER @ivanthehoss56 For senior Abby Harris, leadership comes from upperclassmen, but when there are only two seniors it makes the job a little more difficult.

“Being one of two seniors is kind of tough,” Harris said. “It puts a lot of leadership on you but it’s very rewarding when underclassmen look up to you and ask for advice.”

This season the softball team hired head coach Sarah Wall. Harris believes to make Wall’s job at Pittsburg successful, it will take hard work.

“I try to lead by example a lot. I hustle as much as possible and try to take practice very seriously,” Harris said. “I am behind the plate and have to be in charge a lot of the time so I need to take my job seriously and show good leadership.”

The team is currently---. This record is not what Harris expected but something she believes the team can work on.

“The team gets better every game. We are consistently hitting the ball well and being smart on the base paths,” Harris said. “Our record may not be what we would hope but the games have been good ones, and compared to the past three years, this is the best team we’ve had.”

IVAN WALTER @ivanthehoss56 Last year the boys baseball team tied for first place in conference play. This season led by senior Connor Spresser, the team is looking to take home the title again.

“I want to win SEK outright this year,” Spresser said. “It would be even better to go far into the postseason.”

Being the only senior on the team, Spresser tries to be an example for his teammates.

“I tr y to be [a leader] because all of the underclassmen look up to me,” Spresser said.

“Luckily I have other guys like juniors Noah Vaughn and Elijah Harris to fall back on and pick up the slack when I’m not around.”

Last season the team ended with a ---- record, career high for coach Keith Matlock. However, the team wants to post a better record this season.

“The team is playing well.

We are 6-3 right now which isn’t a bad way to star t the season,” Spresser said. “We struck out a lot early in the year but we have fixed those errors and we’re back on track.

Hopefully, we can get an even better record this year.”

MEGHAN BAKER @MeghanBaker11 As sophomore McKenzie Wilks gets ready to run, all of her emotions she has before she runs go away.

“Before I run I feel super anxious and nervous and I just want to get started and get it over with,” Wilks said. “Once I step on the track, I feel super determined and motivated until the gun goes off and I just go.”

While running, Wilks thinks about anything that pops up in her head.

“Most of the time I just think of random things. It doesn’t have anything to do with running till the end of my race,” Wilks said Wilks has been participating in track since seventh grade.

“I started it in middle school and I liked it so I decided to keep progressing in it,” Wilks said.

Meeting new people and improving is something Wilks enjoys during the season.

“I like building new relationships with people and pushing myself to just keep working harder,” Wilks said.

Wilks hopes to further her career and skills after high school.

“I just remind myself that I want to run track in college,” Wilks said.

“So I push myself to drop my times to hopefully get scholarships.”

MEGHAN BAKER @MeghanBaker11 As he swings the club back, sophomore Ely Parks feels confident.

“I feel calm and relaxed when I am golfing,” Parks said.

Golfing has been his favorite sport since he started 10 years ago.

“My dad and grandpa got me into it,” Parks said Golf coach Merle Clark recognizes Parks’ background and believes he can contribute to the team.

“Ely is a very intelligent player.

Golf is a cerebral game and he understands the game really well,” Clark said.

Parks has accomplished milestones in two years on the team.

“Ely played in every varsity tournament as a freshman and he shot his personal best score the first meet this year with an 88,” Clark said.

Parks manages his time by focusing and improving along the way.

“I am always trying to get better,” Parks said.

According to Clark, Parks brings skill and enthusiasm to the team.

“He adds experience to the team,” Clark said. “And a positive attitude and an ever-present smile.”