December 14

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rape culture students opinion on medias take on rape occurences

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The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th Street Pittsburg, KS 66762 Vol. 98, Issue 5 www.boosterredux.com

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014

the naked

truth

Student reflects on consequences for distributing nude photos JOSHUA LEE & ALLI BADEN

FARCRY 4 look into new Ubisoft video game for playstation, xbox, and windows Page 5D

WREsTLINg IN-DEPTH LOOK AT The culture of wrestling in the region Page 6D

MONTANA JAJO 5’2” senior puts in countless hours in offseason Page 8D

@iAmTheJoshLee & @AlliBaden ex Offender. Although this was not the fate of student Bradley Daniels,* it could have been. During Daniels’ freshman year, what was intended to be a private transaction of a nude photo soon became a public affair. Daniels texted the photo to his friend, a football player, who then distributed it to the rest of the middle school football team on the way to a game. “It got caught being drifted around [the school], and that is how the [administration] found out,” Daniels said. “It eventually came back to me.” Daniels was soon called into the principal’s office where he was questioned on whether or not he had asked for the pictures. Daniels confessed to what he had done, and was given out of school suspension. Although it is a crime to send and distribute nude photos, Daniels was not charged for his deed, due to the fact that he had a clean record and no charges were pressed. Even though Daniels received a two-day suspension, he realized that his circumstance could have brought him an even greater punishment. “It could have been a lot worse than it was,” Daniels said. “It hasn’t carried over as much as it could have. If I had done that before, I could have been put on the sex offender list and that could have carried with me for

S

the rest of my life.” “People Yet Daniels’ consequences for who didn’t asking for and distributing nude really know me photos did not end with his suspension. were labeling me Ever since the incident, Daniels has as a sex offender had to deal with family, social and even though I am relationship issues in addition to false not and that is not accusations in regards to his actions. true,” Daniels said. Daniels’ first worry came with Killing the rumors what his parents thought about the wasn’t easy for Daniels situation. but they eventually “Obviously my parents weren’t subsided. But, when going to be happy about it and it was Daniels started dating a struggle,” Daniels said. sophomore Lauren Adams* The disappointment and shock the rumors resurfaced. from his parents took a toll on Daniels. “Her brother decided to “They wouldn’t have expected tell her mom that I was a sex that from me at offender,“ all,” Daniels said. D a n i e l s “They were right, said. “It was I shouldn’t have horrible. But done anything ever luckily, for like that and that is some crazy why it was so hard reason, her for me.” mom took my Daniels soon side and told found out that him to stay the both his family and heck out of it his friends would and that he did forgive him for his not know what actions. was going on.” - BRADLEY DANIELS* “I think I have Fortunately gotten pretty lucky for Daniels, because people A d a m s ’ didn’t really drift away from me as brother eventually stopped spreading much. They very well could have the rumors and the issue between the but they realized I made a stupid two was resolved. mistake,” Daniels said. Adams, however, was not However, Daniels faced issues with concerned with the issue. peers that did not know his side of “It is in the past,” Adams said. the story. “People learn from their decisions.”

People who didn’t really know me were labeling me as a sex offender even though I am not and that is not true.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ABBY HARRIS

he was not thinking about all the repercussions that would form due to his one transgression. However, his experiences stemming from his mistakes have taught him to be more careful of his actions. “People don’t realize how much that can just tear into your life. It is not just school, it is going to be everything you are involved in and people don’t realize that,” Daniels said. “Don’t take it for granted because it can do a lot of damage.”

CONTINUED ON PG. 2: A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK INTO NUDE PHOTOS * indicates name change to protect the privacy of the student

meeting held to discuss future

new grade policy implemented

Administration, community meet about facility updates

Kidd enacts new guidelines to keep students in KSHSAA activities grades higher

MORGAN PLANK @momoplank

ALLI BADEN @AlliBaden cademics first, activities second. This is the basis of the new grading policy that will be implemented next semester. Brannon Kidd, Activities Director and Assistant Principal, first saw a need for a new policy after he realized KSHSAA’s grading guidelines for extracurricular activities was not enough to keep students’ grades up. “The only policy that was in place was the KSHSAA grade policy for activities and that was you had to have passed at least five classes from the previous semester, and you had to be enrolled in at least five classes this semester,” Kidd said. “[The new policy] helps keep students on track of where they need to be.” The new grading policy states, that in order to compete or perform for any KSHSAA regulated extracurricular activity such as band, sports, drama or debate, participants must be passing every class with at least a 60 percent. Which, according to Principal Jon Bishop, should be no problem at all. “We do not feel like kids who are failing their classes are giving their classes their duediligence they should,” Bishop said. “In my opinion, no one should be failing a class.” In addition to maintaining a D or higher, students’ grades will be checked every three weeks. If students do not meet the requirements of this policy, they will be notified that they have a week to pull their grades up. Failure to raise a grade will result in suspension from the next performance or competition. “The biggest deterrent for making sure grades stay up is taking away what someone loves. If [students] are having to miss a game or miss a performance, then they are more apt to keep their grade up,” Kidd said. Bishop believes that the while most students will not be

At the time Daniels was asking for the picture,

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Junior, Jon Commons, member of theatre tech crew, completes a science experiment in chemistry. PHOTO BY MEGAN SMITH

“ ” We feel like we need to hold our kids at a higher standard that we feel is fair. - JON BISHOP

affected by the policy, it will still be beneficial to all. “We feel like we need to hold our kids at a higher standard that we feel is fair but at the same time not jeopardize their playing time due to grades,” Bishop said. Vocal music teacher Susan Laushman agrees that the policy will be beneficial, but in contrast to Bishop feels many students will be affected by this new policy. “I imagine it will impact a lot of students,” Laushman said. “I have seen the numbers the administration sent to us so I know there are a lot of D’s and F’s.” Grades will be monitored through a system in Powerschool where sponsors and coaches will have their own roster of the students involved in their activity. Like many new policies adopted in the school, Kidd, Bishop and the rest of the administration still have a couple of bugs to work out,

especially on the teacher’s side. “There will have to be system put into place for criterias for making sure grades are being put in on a regular basis,” Kidd said. “So, those are some kinks we are still working out.” Laushman believes that the policy will be helpful for teachers as well. “It is going to make teachers’ more accountable for keeping up grade inputs into Powerschool and those expectations are put into place for us,” Laushman said. However, despite the positive feedback from sponsors about the policy, senior Drake Markley feels that the policy will prevent a lot of students from participating in sports and activities. “I do not feel like the policy will be beneficial,” Markley said. “A lot of athletes are so busy with the sport they are in. They do not have enough time to do homework, and every now and then [grades] slip when you are playing a sport.”

Being late to class is not uncommon for a student at PHS. The increasing population and narrow halls make it nearly impossible to arrive to class on time. On Nov. 20, Superintendent Destry Brown led a meeting at PCMS to discuss the future of the USD 250 facilities. The increasing growth of the district prompted this meeting. “A lot of districts are losing kids and we are just growing and growing,” Principal Jon Bishop said. “Kindergarten is the biggest classes we have ever had. The trend is not going away.” The problem that this trend poses is there is not enough space for all the students in the current facilities. The district is developing a plan, with the community’s input, of how to house this large number. “I think one of the biggest issues for our kids is accommodating more room for them,” Bishop said. “We’ve gotten real creative with our space, but we are really starting to fall short of options.” Last semester, both Spanish 1 teachers had to share a classroom due to space. “The hardest part is not having all your resources at hand,” Spanish teacher Angie Pallares said. “You don’t want to go back into your classroom to interrupt the other teacher, and when you are in the teacher work room or library there are a lot of interruptions.” Brown’s main concerns at the high school include the heating and air, cafeteria space, walkway, fine arts space and science classrooms. Since the school was built, which was 35 years ago, there have been no major changes. “The committee has talked about adding a fine arts department on the front lawn that would include an auditorium that would seat the student body. It would have music, choir, band and maybe forensics and debate. Then, convert where the music and auditorium is now, into a new kitchen and dining area,” Brown said. “With the old kitchen, we need a training room for the athletes. We don’t have a place that’s a good place for kids who are injured or need any kind of therapy.” By moving the fine arts teachers, there would be additional classrooms and parking available. In addition, Brown believes the science classrooms are in particular need more attention. “I think science is an area that we need to grow. I would like for us to have a real state-of-the-art science department,” Brown said. “With that front walkway, I’d like to add more science rooms and push the office out closer to the parking lot. I’m thinking we could get by with five more classrooms.”


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