December 14

rape culture students opinion on medias take on rape occurences

Page 4D

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,

A

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.”

2 NEWS

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

flirting with disaster: A public look at a private life JOSH LEE & ALLI BADEN @iAmTheJoshLee & @allibaden

NEWS STORY A trail that could follow into all aspects of life. The sending and possessing of nude photos could be more consequential than students think.

While sending nude photos has become a common trend in high school, the mere possession or distribution of a sexually explicit image of someone under the age of 18 is enough to be accused of child pornography or sexual exploitation, even if the sender was willing to send the photo.

Despite the conditions for such charges and the potential consequences of child pornography or sexual exploitation of a minor, District Attorney Michael Gayoso sees these cases five12 times a year. “[If you are charged] as a juvenile, you are looking at out-of-home placement, potential in-home placement with probation, an outof-home placement with probation, potentially the youth correctional facility in Topeka. Or if it’s not in a foster care setting, it could also be in a secure detention location somewhere in the state,” Gayoso said.

However, this crime does not only deal with those under the age of 18. If charged as an adult, this offense has the potential to have even more severe consequences.

“As an adult, you’d be dealing with a presumptive imprisonment offense, which means it is presumed that you go to prison but the judge can give you probation if the court wants to,” Gayoso said. “So If you have no criminal record whatsoever, you are looking at anywhere between 31 to 34 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections.”

In addition to jail time or out of home placement, once caught, the violator is required by Kansas law to register as a sexual offender on the juvenile registry or adult registry, depending on age and circumstance.

Once registered, a minor remains on the juvenile registry for five years as mandated by law. But for high school students, the sentence does not stop there.

“A lot of people have a misconception that [the offense] was in juvenile

court so it will be sealed, but it is an offense that can never be expunged,” Gayoso said. “Even though it was a juvenile conviction and even though the registration wasn’t public because you were a juvenile, once you turn 18, [the record] becomes public and your address, any tattoos, your age, anything and everything will be placed on the adult offender registration.”

In other words, the offense stays with the offender for the rest of his or her life.

“You would have to list the offense on your college application, for potential scholarship and grant applications and it has a huge impact,” Gayoso said.

However, the laws that are prosecuting these teens for the sending, receiving or distributing nudes are the same laws that prosecute sexual relations between an adult and a child.

Because these issues occur frequently among teens, Gayoso has had a lot of experience dealing with these cases.

According to Gayoso, when it comes to prosecuting teens who sent nudes to other teens, he has multiple leniencies depending on aspects of the situation.

“I appreciate the fact that the penalties are extremely serious,” Gayoso said. “That being said, I have a duty to prosecute crimes that I feel should be prosecuted. I weigh my duties and responsibilities with the potential outcome in a case. So I try to be as fair and just as possible, while at the same time having people accountable for their actions.”

There are many different scenarios in which students may be held accountable for their actions, each with its own distinct story and potential consequences.

KYLE THOMAS*, THE COLLECTOR Eighty girls. That’s how many photos sophomore Kyle Thomas* admits to having naked photos of in his possession.

Thomas received his first naked photo his freshman year, and has been actively sending and receiving nudes ever since.

pitsco donates money for tennis complex New courts to benefit future tennis players NICK POWERS @Nick_Powers7 This past month, Pitsco donated another check towards the new tennis complex. This check was in honor of Kaleb Konek, a 2013 graduate.

With this donation, the committee has acquired a total of $504,835. Only $95,000 more dollars remain to be able to break ground.

With Pitsco’s check, the committee have acquired a total of $504,835. The committee needs just $95,000 more dollars to break ground.

“A large portion of the money gained so far has come from private donors and businesses,” said Zach Fletcher, USD 250’s Public Information Director.

“The committee in charge of the funding for the complex includes members of the community, City of Pittsburg, Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and USD 250 leaders. The courts are projected to be done by the fall of 2015,” Fletcher said.

The courts may not be available to current seniors, but Micah Hashman agrees it will benefit the program substantially.

“It’s a little disappointing knowing I won’t get to play on the courts, but I know it will help the team in the upcoming years and lure more students to come out and play,” Hashman said.

Junior Logan Benham will be one of the first players to play on the new courts next year.

“It’s exciting that people are taking notice of the program and helping us out with the new complex,” Benham said. “I think practices will be much more focused now because the team will definitely be looking to deliver with some wins for the community.”

Head tennis coach John Seal says the courts will be great for his teams and also for the community.

“These courts will allow Pittsburg to host USTA, United States Tennis Association, events, which will bring money to many businesses in the area,” Seal said. “This is a dream we’ve had for years and now it’s becoming a reality.”

“Sometimes you’ll get a bunch in a week, and sometimes you’ll get none in a month,” Thomas said. “It just depends on what’s going on in the school and what drama is happening.”

However, Thomas does not necessarily exchange nudes with girls because of his interest in the other party.

“It’s kind of a game to guys. It’s not so much getting the actual picture or what the picture is,” Thomas said.

“With guys, you’re with your buddies, and someone goes, ‘oh, you got pictures of so-and-so’ and it’s kind of like bragging rights. It’s just a game, to see who can do better.”

As an active player of this game, Thomas found justification for his actions in his friends. Seeing how frequent i t

Because of this, many of the nude photos Thomas owns have not been sent to Thomas by the girls in the pictures.

“A lot of them were sent to me by the girl, but I’d say about half [were not sent by her],” Thomas said.

But even in an environment where photo sexting happens so much, Thomas has found that having this collection is not as satisfying as he thought it would be.

“I didn’t feel guilty for a long time, but after a while I did, so I deleted a lot of them,” Thomas said. “It does weigh on your conscience, and you’re constantly thinking about it. You don’t want to get in trouble, and you don’t know who knows about it.”

However, Thomas

was for other male students to take part in this photo sexting culture, he decided what he was doing was not all that bad.

“Just from knowing my friends, I would say about fifty percent [collect and send nudes]. Fifty percent of my friends or more than that.

Not as much with guys that have girlfriends, but even guys with girlfriends do.”

And nude photos of girls get exchanged between Thomas and his friends as well. Group messages, Snapchat, and other media supply the opportunity to send one item to many people at the same time.

Thanks to group messages, Thomas and his friends can easily send and show off their “trophies” to other guys.

“Sometimes, you just can’t help it if you’re in a big group chat with your guy friends,” Thomas said. “I don’t ask, they just send it to you. I don’t always save them, but I’m still receiving them.”

remains comfortable with his collection in the confidence that they’re inaccessible by anybody other than himself.

“You wouldn’t be able to find those pictures, even if you look through the phone,” Thomas said. “There are so many apps and stuff in the app store. You can hide any gallery you have and you can have them hidden.”

Despite the potential punishment, however, Thomas still receives group chats involving photos of naked girls.

“They pop up a lot between guys. They pop up all over the place,” Thomas said.

Although Thomas is not the only participant in such activities, he

Grace Martin*, the proud sender Whether it is for pure entertainment, embracement of the body, or personal satisfaction, junior Grace Martin* believes that

sending nude photos is not a bad thing.

“I think that if someone is comfortable enough with their body and they feel comfortable enough with the person they are sending them to, then I just don’t think in that aspect it is a big deal,” Martin said.

An active sender of nudes herself, Martin does not send the photo just to impress the person she is sending it to, she also sends them to take pride in her body.

“It kind of is making a statement that [people] shouldn’t be ashamed of the body that they have had their entire life and that they are going to have,” Martin said.

Martin is cognizant of the legal trouble she could be facing when pressing the send button of the nude photo. However, she believes it has more to do with the person who is on the receiving end of the photo.

“It has a lot to do with the person you send it to,” Martin said. “You are putting this intimate and super personal thing into the hands of somebody else and it is based a lot on trust and how much are you willing to trust this person and trust that they won’t tell or show anyone and, without it, really bad things can happen.”

However, Martin has had issues of her photos ending up in the wrong hands.

“It was the first time I had ever sent one to anyone.

I just did so I could get attention from that person and it is really sad that I did that. I don’t like that I did that,” Martin said. “I sent it to them over snapchat and they had that SnapSave app and I didn’t know [about that app] at the time and I sent one picture to them. Then, a few months later, one of his friends told me that he saved [the photo] and he had been showing people in the locker room and whenever I asked him he said, ‘no, I didn’t do that.’”

But while that incident did not prevent Martin from sending nude photos, it did cause her to be more cautious.

“If you have to sit and think about [sending it or

Same-sex couples legal to be married in kansas Students mom and her girlfriend first to be recongized in southeast Kansas MOLLY GRAHAM

them because it shows how far along our @molllygraham society is coming but how much farther it has On Nov. 12, 2014 Kansas same-sex couples to go,” Phillips said. “Seeing them married the had a reason to celebrate. That reason being first time was very emotional because I knew the legalization of gay marriage. how happy they are together.”

Even though same-sex couples have been Junior Natalie McCloskey, who is an avid officially allowed to get married, according Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) to The Huffington Post, there are some state supporter, believes that all couples, no matter clerks refusing to grant marriage licenses. the gender or sexual orientation, deserve the But, for the family of senior *Allison Phillips, right to be married. this was not an issue.

“There are other benefits to marriage other “My mom expected to face problems herself than just being married,” McCloskey said. but she didn’t, and I hope that [the state “There is all the health care and insurance clerks] know that they benefits and that really won’t be able to prevent helps people. I do not know [gay marriage],” Phillips why anyone would be said. “It is now legal and against it. No heterosexuals change is approaching.” were harmed in the making On Apr. 27, 2013, of this gay marriage.”

Phillips, her family and McCloskey believes family friends held a that the hesitation for ceremony in Eureka legalizing gay marriage in Springs, which was, at Kansas was the result of the time, recognizing the blurred lines between same-sex couples. But, the church and state. In the on Nov. 22, Phillips and eyes of sophomore *Joseph JOSEPH ADAMS* her family were finally Adams gay marriage is able to celebrate her mom and her mom’s something that goes against church teachings. girlfriend being able to legally get married after “There are ways that you can get into it being together for 11 years. [politically and religiously],” Adams said. “I “It is a dream come true for my mom,” personally do not think it is okay because, Phillips said. “She once mentioned to me that in some ways, when you are around it it is she never thought she would be around to see awkward, but then again it just feels like it is the day gay marriage would be legalized.” not right or religiously correct.”

Even though gay marriage had been While their personal viewpoints on same-sex previously deemed illegal in Kansas, Phillips couples varied, Phillips, McCloskey and Adams said that her mom was not going to allow a law believe that marriage is a right all people get to keep her from marrying her girlfriend. to have.

The legalization lead to Phillips’ mom and “In the end, love is love, and anyone should her girlfriend being the first same-sex couple to be able to spend their life with the person they be married in southeast Kansas. love,” Phillips said. “Girl and boy, boy and boy, “Being married was important to both of girl and girl. It shouldn’t matter.”

“

In the end, love is love, and anyone should be able to spend their life with the person erson they love.

”

not] then you probably shouldn’t do it,” Martin said.

Mitchell Sullivan*, the passive observer Casual.

That’s how senior Mitchell Sullivan* describes the exchange of nude photos.

Although not an active participant of sending and distributing nude photos, Sullivan witnesses firsthand the exploitation of these photos.

“The passing around of the photos is extremely casual, with sports, in the locker room, or on the bus.

There are kids who have phones full of everybody,” Sullivan said. “Boys are sharing or trading pictures like, ‘oh hey, you have pictures of this girl? Alright.

I’ve got pictures of her, let’s trade.’”

Sullivan states that he has never sent or asked for nude photos and that he believes it is wrong to do so. However, that has not stopped his friends from participating in this crime.

Even though Sullivan is aware of the legal consequences that could surface from his friends’ possession of these photos, he does not feel he should intervene.

“I never speak out against it mostly because it’s a lot of my friends that do it and it’s really not my job to tell them what they can and can’t do,” Sullivan said.

Over time, Sullivan has seen close to 15-20 different nude photos of girls on his friends’ phones.The photos were obtained from a form of Snapchat, called Snapsave, where the user can save photos without the sender receiving a notification.

Because technology has granted receivers the ability to save nude photos without the sender’s knowledge, according to Sullivan, the girls who send pictures to one person are probably aware that they are going to get passed around, but sometimes they have no idea.

“Two girls were talking about how another girl in the school had sent pictures of herself and were gossiping and really ragging on her, tearing her down, when she wasn’t there. I know I saw pictures of both of them on other people’s phones the same way,” Sullivan said.

News briefs written by adia johns

debate On Dec. 12th and 13th, members from surrounding debate squads gathered at Pittsburg High School for the national qualifier tournament.

The teams of Haley Uttley and Zach Uttley and Ethan Hawn and Joseph Mathew both qualified for nationals in Dallas this June. The first alternate team is Jason McDonal and Sebastian Johns.

encore Encore is currently having auditions for the next semester class. Anybody who wants to audition should meet with Mrs. Laushmen and set up a time to do so. The song you will audition with is “Over the Rainbow”.

spanish club Recently Spanish club went to Webb City, and attended the Ennio Emmanuel concert.

If you ordered any Salsa and/ or Jam from a spanish club member, they are in and the person you ordered it from should have them.

key club Key Club hosted a pancake feed on Saturday, Dec. 6, and had 10 volunteer helpers. On Dec. 9 they went to PSU and packed meals for the people of the Wesley House.

SECTION D

www.boosterredux.com

OPINION

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014

3

Booster Redux staff and policy Editors-in-Chief Alli Baden Josh Lee Morgan Plank

Managing Editors Molly Graham Miranda Moore Coral VanBecelaere

Design Editors Reagan Rink Kailey Curtis

Copy Editor Megan Munger

Online Editors Kailey Curtis Kylynn Collins

Staff Katy Brown Maddie Baden Meghan Baker Alivia Benedict Morgan Burns Ashley Henderson Ethan Hawn Journey Jaramillo Josh Jarvis Adia Johns Joseph Mathew Trina Paul Rachyl Russian Erica Seal Ivan Walter Jake Webb

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.

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ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

Is attention Earned by Gender?

Opposing perspectives on what should receive more recognition Morgan Plank @ @momoplank After almost two and a half years of high school, it dawned on me that there is unequal recognition of all programs in our school. This includes sports, academics and extracurricular activities.

The problem of unequal recognition within the school has never been addressed, but it should be.

It is not necessarily a problem in terms of boy vs. girls, sport vs. activity or even sport vs. sport, but sometimes it feels as if it might be.

This year’s soccer team earned a playoff game in addition to winning SEK and had several players that received All-State honors. A vast majority of students and staff, including myself, had no idea because it was never announced.

Another individual, senior Joseph Mathew, was never recognized for being a semifinalist for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship.

It is obvious that the culture of our school is focused around football. Not only is this the culture of our school, but it is the culture at most high schools and the collegiate level, in both D1 and D2.

This inequality at a higher level sets a negative example for high schools that look up to these programs.

Don’t get me wrong, I love football just as much as the person next to me, but football gets praised more than any other activity.

This year, some academics were recognized at the winter pep rally. I believe that pep rallies should not just be a way to pump up sports; they should also be a motivator and supporter for academics and extracurricular activities.

My point is that there needs to be a systematic approach of recognizing all events, activities and sports. Our school does not have a systematic way of acknowledging success.

Because of this, many great achievements slip by noticed.

The school needs to find a perma-

nent way to address the successes of all activities, academics and sports.

I suggest having display cases for all programs, in addition to using the TV in the commons area for broadcasting the successes.

With the way it is now, between the announcements, pep assemblies and hallway displays, something or someone is bound to be left out.

As a three-sport female athlete who is also involved in dance, newspaper and AP classes, I have had success in each area that have gone unrecognized.

With basketball season beginning, the inequality of numbers at the boys and girls basketball games are apparent.

When the JV girls basketball team plays, the stands are fairly bare, for the most part. By the time varsity takes the court, those who do come to the game, as far as students, are constantly on their phones.

When the fourth quarter of the girls varsity game rolls around, the student section is packed solely because the boys’ game is about to start.

From when the varsity boys tip off, until the very last second of the game, there is hardly a dull moment. The entire student section is screaming and hollering the whole game, no matter what the score is.

Another example took place a little over a month ago.

Most recently, our school newspaper and yearbook placed fifth and eighth place, respectively, in the nation. In addition to this, 15 students earned individual awards. At the same time, football earned its first playoff appearance since 2007.

The difference between these two is the fact that everyone knew about the football team, where as no one knew about the journalism awards.

Students put forth equal amounts of hard work regardless of the activity or sport they are involved in, and everybody deserves to be celebrated.

REAGAN RINK @ReaganRink1 MLB, NFL, NBA and the NHL. Most people watch at least one of these on a weekly basis and what do they all have in common? They are men’s sports. Today’s societal norms have come to dictate that women’s sports are in no way equal to men’s.

Since today’s society has praised men’s sports, women’s sports have gained little popularity throughout the years. You can see this definitely taking a trend at PHS for the fact that thousands of people come to watch the football games while maybe a hundred people come to watch a volleyball or softball game.

It may seem unfair that other sports and activities get less community support and popularity than football, but that is just the American way of life.

Football is clearly more popular than any other sport not just at our school, but also in professional sports.

According to NBC Sports, 205 million people watched at least one NFL football game for the 20132014 season.

I’ve accepted the fact that guys’ sports are more appreciated than girls’ sports and that it shouldn’t be fussed about.

As a captain of the 2014 varsity volleyball team, it’s apparent that I support girls sports and am not denying all the effort and hard work that any player (whether it be a girl or a boy) put into his or her sport during the on and off season.

To me, the amount of time put in during the summer for both football and volleyball are relatively equal.

During the winter off-season, football starts weights two weeks after the season ends. Now I’m not saying that each sport doesn’t put in enough time or any of that, because

I’ve logged plenty of hours in the gym and the weight room over my four years here, but football has definitely deserved the recognition they received. Not just for the effort, but also for the success.

Society has denoted that most men’s sports are more popular than women’s and I find that to be very true. Whether we women find that offensive or not, the moral of the story is that that’s not going to change any time soon and there are other battles to be fought for women equality.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge supporter of female empowerment and equality, but when it comes to some issues, I know which battles to pick and choose.

While some may feel like the football team gets more recognition with decorations, bonfires and pep rallies than other sports or activities.

However, what it comes down to is the parental support and effort they put in.

Some have expressed they felt unappreciated because they didn’t get the tunnel walkway decorated for them like the football team, but it’s not like they weren’t allowed to decorate. It’s just that the parents on those booster clubs did not do so unlike those of the football booster club. The booster club and parents of the football players chose to decorate the school, just like any other organization or sport could have done for the success that they have.

Whether or not the team or activity has had success shouldn’t determine the amount of recognition received. That seems to be the case at our school, but the bigger picture is that we shouldn’t focus our time on complaining that we don’t get enough recognition and just be supportive of our fellow classmates.

Staff editorial:

Academics Should take precedence over extracurriculars Admin sets new guidelines on grades and activities THE BOOSTER REDUX STAFF @PHSstudentPub Students participating in sports, clubs and other school activities have a responsibility to maintain their grades.

In order to ensure that students’ grades and academics are taken seriously, many schools require a minimum grade point average or a certain letter grade in each class before a student may partake in these extracurriculars.

With the new activity grade policy, students will be held more accountable for their grades beginning in January.

The KSHSAA guidelines set low standards for participants of activities by allowing students to fail every single class they are currently enrolled in as long as they passed five of their eight classes the previous semester. If those baseline conditions were met, then all was well.

The new policy presents the idea of students maintaining at least a 60 percent or above in order to play an instrument in the band, compete in sports or perform in a choir concert or play.

As a staff, we appreciate the administration wanting to hold us at a higher standard than KSHSAA. This new policy, while an improvement from the loose guidelines provided by

“

KSHSAA still has some items of consideration.

The policy is only implemented in KSHSAA regulated activities, such as sports, band, choir, debate and scholars bowl.

This means, that clubs, including Student Publications, do not have to follow these new guidelines.

We believe that all extracurricular activities should fall under this policy in order to hold all students, of all clubs and activities, to the academic standards of that of KSHSAA activities to encourage academic success.

While the administration stresses the importance of academics, allowing students to pass a class with a D is holding these students to a comparatively lower standard than those of more academically rigorous schools.

We feel the foresight displayed with the implementation of this new policy can carry us in the right direction.

While extracurricular activities are a huge part of high-school culture, academics should be the focus of a student’s highschool career.

Although the policy does not take place until January, we commend activities director Brannon Kidd for sending the message that students need to prioritize academics over extracurriculars.

After all, we are students before we are athletes, debaters, or thespians.

With the new activity grade policy, students will be held more accountable for their grades.

”

Dear Booster, As a fairly new alumni of PHS and student publications, I want to congratulate the Booster and its staff for receiving fifth place at Nationals and continuing the distribution of a quality, ever-evolving newspaper.

That being said, I would like to provide feedback regarding the Nov. 21 Staff Editorial and corresponding articles.

After nearly spending an entire semester in college, I disagree with the Staff’s belief that too much freedom has been given to PHS students.

No teachers or administrators help college students to adapt.

College students must choose when and how to seek success using their own judgment.

The jump from high school to college is like a polar plunge it jolts you awake. Suddenly, a student can choose when to study, socialize, sleep, eat, and, most importantly, attend class.

I was still in high school six months ago, I’m the same age, and now I make all those decisions alone.

One of the best ways schools can prepare students for this change in lifestyle is by helping students get to a decision rather than making it for them.

This will provide students with a smoother transition. Holding students’ hands won’t prepare them for what lies ahead. A rude awakening would be more welcome in high school rather in college.

Regardless of the benefits and issues incentive days cause, getting extra days off school isn’t what students should be striving for, but they should be more concerned with earning better grades.

One incentive program I’ve experienced this semester is the utilization of extra credit points, given based on an entire week of perfect attendance. Perhaps teachers and administration will find a beneficial solution that satisfies everyone if they offer potential better grades as the incentive for attendance and effort, not less class time.

Sincerely, Reece Burns

4 Opinion

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014

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THE FREEDOM TO SPEAK OUT The power of the First Amendment in the classroom, students’ every-day lives Miranda Moore @mirandamoore24 During the course of my time on the newspaper staff we have covered a number of controversial subjects: sex, drugs, body image, suicide, relationship abuse, just to name a few.

All were topics we, as a staff, felt were relevant to the student body. From an unbiased perspective we were able to inform readers about the legal aspects of a situation, give personal anecdotes and allow students in unique situations a chance to tell their story.

The Booster Redux has a unique situation for a high school newspaper because it is distributed in the community paper, The Morning Sun, so all com- are not heard about.

It is vital that students across the nation have the same munity members have access to it. With this wide First Amendment rights guaranteed to other citizens. Just readership comes extra responsibility from the staff because we are high school students does not make us less to verify facts, be objective and accurate. of a citizen or our work less valid.

We have been fortunate with each difficult topic As said by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1969 during the because when edgy content is discussed, the adminTinker v. Des Moines Independent School District case, “It istration is open-minded and supportive of story can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed ideas when the reasoning is justified. their constitutional right to freedom of speech at the schoolAfter traveling to four different JEA/NSPA house gate.” The Tinker case solidified students’ freedom National Fall Conventions across the country, I have of speech in public schools, also guaranteeing freedom of heard of astonishing stories of how not all adminispress for student journalists. trations are so cooperative.

However, almost 20 years later in 1988 decision during While in Washington D.C. this November I listhe Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier case, admintened to Justin Turner, an adviser at Sheridan High istration of publications sponsored by their schools were School in Ark. discuss an the ordeal he and his yeargiven more authority over content. book staff went through last year. The staff wrote I am proud to say that seven profiles over Kansas is one of the few various students in states, according to the the school, one of Student Press Law Center, which was about to extend students free a gay student who expression under the Tinker felt that his peers standard. With the paswere very accepting sage of the Kansas Student within the school.

- MIRANDA MOORE Publications Act in 1992, Turner’s principal school officials are legally informed him the restrained from censorship, but with this freedom, an extra profile of the gay student could not be printed. sense of responsibility is extended to the staff.

Eventually the dispute gained national attention.

School officials are not held legally responsible for the All seven of the profiles ended up not printing and content that is published, nor is the adviser; the editors and the staff had to work overtime to staff are held responsible for the content they choose to rework the yearbook.

At Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pa. their publish because all decisions are made by the them.

Our administration has shown time and time again over newspaper, The Playwickian, is also currently going the years they trust students to tackle what could be considthrough a battle of extreme censorship. ered controversial and certainly tough material.

The student newspaper’s editorial board voted This trust doesn’t just extend to the Student Publications to not use the word “Redskin” in its entirety of the program either. publication because they felt it was an offensive Every year the drama department tackles issues such as racial slur. bullying, eating disorders, drug usage, relationship abuse, After receiving a letter to an editor from a school and most recently, the acceptance of mentally challenged board member’s son, where the slur was used students in its annual social issue play. numerous times, the staff opted to censor the word Without the trust our administration has in its students, to “R-------” but administration demanded they print neither program would have these options. the whole word.

Compared to other schools in our area, this is a progresInstead, editors chose to not publish the letter, sive stance and I am thankful for that. instead leaving a blank space with a note from the The tackling of this material fosters a supportive, open editor explaining their stance on usage of the word environment that cultivates intellectual conversations over a and their rights as editors to make this content decivariety of topics related to challenging issues students face sion. every day.

The editor was suspended from her position by More schools across the country should worry less about the administration and the adviser was suspended for silencing their student’s voices and instead actually listen to two days without pay. what they have to say.

These are just two cases that received national They just might be surprised at what they hear. attention out of hundreds that occur every year that

“ ” The tackling of this material fosters a supportive, open environment...

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

Ethan Hawn @ethanhawn888 About a month ago, after two days of traipsing through different governmental buildings and monuments throughout Washington D.C., it was time to attend sessions at the National High School Journalism Convention. Sessions offered a great opportunity to better writing and photography skills, as well as high school publications as a whole, even though they weren’t the best escape from classes at school.

However, after several hours of listening and note taking, I entered a class on law and ethics and became absolutely enthralled by the speaker.

The one-hour session explored the legal ramifications of high school publications, and discussed the importance of newspapers and yearbooks not being filtered and censored by administration.

The message did not stop there. It should be the objective of every student to make sure that their voice is heard, and it should be the goal of every adult and educator to ensure that they are not stifling students’ voices without cause.

Adults or administrators should not feel that it is inappropriate for students to speak on tough topics. It should be encouraged that students push the envelope, and converse with no bounds, whether topics are considered taboo or not.

If you are a student that feels unheard, you need to speak a bit louder. Whether you are upset with your school lunch program, disagree with spirit day themes or just feel that you

have something to contribute to the academic conversation, it is imperative that you participate and speak up.

Additionally, it is only within this environment of student participation that students create an atmosphere of responsibility and learning. If student opinions are conveyed with respect and a concerned attitude, instead of as complaints and whines, voices are far more likely to be recognized.

A crucial part of this is using the correct channels. In high school, there are a group of elected STUGO representatives whose job it is to listen to your concerns, and convey them to school officials. Writing a letter to the editor is another effective way to vocalize your interests, and if those do not produce results, you can always talk to a counselor or administrator.

Our nation is a participatory democracy. If people become too apathetic to respond and critique governing bodies, then bad things happen without consequence.

If students have reasonable suggestions for the administration, or if they truly object to the way they are being treated, they should not be disregarded by the only people with the ability to make the situation better.

Most importantly, if students are ready to have intellectual conversations, it is within their right to do so, and it is obscene that they should be quieted just for rocking the boat, or to spare feelings.

Student perspectives are important, and despite certain limitations, no student with a reasonable objection or concern should be turned away.

Rape Is not a single gender issue A male perspective on the sensitivity, importance of awareness Joseph Mathew @jmath06 As Bill Cosby, the beloved actor and comedian, grapples with more than 15 different sexual abuse allegations, the issue of rape has been thrust into the public spotlight yet again. Opponents are up in arms on both sides, rehashing their same questions. Was it really rape?

Whose fault was it? What qualifies as consent?

Hopefully, I can provide a new perspective.

Let’s start with the semantics. According to Marshall University’s Women’s Center website: Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture.

Now, this definition got me wondering. Why is it that rape culture only focuses on sexual violence against women? Women rape men, too, right? Of course they do, and that should never be discounted nor trivialized.

However, according to oneinfourusa.org, 98% of rapists are men. So it might be unfair that we guys are stuck in this perpetrator paradigm, but that’s the world in which we live.

If you haven’t noticed, this is a pretty big change of pace for me. I’d been more than content writing about the ACT and school spirit, both of which are hardly controversial issues. But in light of the Cosby scandal, I felt compelled to take a stance. Rape culture has become so ingrained in our minds that it sickens me.

For example, when someone boasts to me how badly they “raped that chemistry test” or how “Fort Scott’s basketball team got raped last night”, I try to build up the courage to call them out. Why? Because in this context, rape is seen in a positive light, as if raping anything could ever be positive.

In this context, raping is synonymous to conquering or dominating, both of which are heavily valued masculine traits.

The flippant apathy surrounding the word gives high-schoolers the drive to rape as many tests or teams as possible, to exert their dominance over these other issues. And when they are taught that it is acceptable to “rape” those things… Well, let’s just say it sets a dangerous precedent.

Obviously, our discourse matters. But our anti-sexual assault programs aren’t any better. Instead of teaching women how not to get raped, why don’t we tell men not to rape? Because if we only do the former, we’re telling ourselves and the rest of society that the latter is inevi-

table. Men will just keep on raping, so the women might as well start defending themselves. Boys will be boys, right? (I really hate that line. It seems like a never-ending Get Out of Jail Free Card for men.)

Maybe I’m taking this too far. Maybe I’m just getting “butthurt” over the issue (see what I did there?).

Or maybe this is exactly what you need to hear so you start speaking out. As a society, we need to change our attitude towards rape. Not only that, all of us need to start being more sensitive to rape in all contexts. And I mean all of us.

Just because rape is perceived as a women’s issue, that doesn’t mean men are excluded from fighting for what they know is right. Nowadays, men struggle against speaking out against rape because they see it as a betrayal to their fellow men.

High schoolers, especially, fear losing their reputation with their friends. But the Huffington Post words it best: “It’s not about cultish approval from others -- it’s about being ‘your own man’ and doing the right thing.”

In Oct. 2012, Angie Epifano published an account of her rape at Amherst College. Throughout the graphic article, she repeats one particular phrase from a fellow survivor. “Silence has the rusty taste of shame.”

So wake up and smell the patriarchy. We’ve been sleeping on this issue long enough.

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

5 A&E

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Far Cry meets expectations of sequels

What are you Game delivers big on graphics, continues story line listening to?

JOSH JARVIS @jjarvis52 n 2012, Ubisoft released one of my all-time favorite games in Far Cry 3.

The epic tale of Jason Brody being stranded on Rook Island, staving off pirates, struggling to survive and rescue his captive friends was unforgettable. Now, in 2014, Ubisoft released the sequel to a classic in Far Cry 4 on nextgeneration consoles.

The very first thing I noticed was the stunning graphics on the Xbox One. Far Cry 3 looked fantastic on Xbox 360 and there is no doubt Far Cry 4 only looks sharper and more beautiful on next-gen.

The story follows soon after the conclusion of Far Cry 3 with Ajay Ghale, an American with parents of the fictional Kyrat, a very Indianlike country. Ajay has returned to his true birthplace in order to spread his mother’s ashes by her request.

Instantly upon arrival, Ajay is greeted by this game’s villain, the king of Kyrat, Pagan Min, who makes it very obvious that he is the villain from his grand introduction.

The story begins very slowly as you are drafted into the Golden Path, gradually discovering A

I

TREVOR KENT Guitars and Cadillacs Dwight Yoakam Take Me Home Country Roads - John Denver Hella H**s - A$AP FERG

COURTESY PHOTO PROVIDED BY PLAYSTATION.COM

jay’s family’s past and the true intentions of Pagan Min and the Royal Army. About midway through the story, probably after 10 or so hours, is when the story really picks up.

Each mission afterwards is full of action and expands upon the previously unknown.

Pagan Min becomes a very colorful character towards the end. Unfortunately, he is rarely seen in the first half of the game, though he is often heard speaking directly to Ajay through radio chatter.

Far Cry 3 had two amazing villains is Vaas, the pirate captain, and Hoyt, the grand overseer of all operations on Rook Island. Far Cry 4 has one decent villain in King Pagan Min, and a couple of lesser, far

from soldiers, saving less interesting villains in Min’s generals, Yuma, civilians from slavery, Noore and Paul de Pleur. among others. One of These people show up the best side activities for an hour at a time and is visiting the magical Shangri-La. There, you don’t provide interesting background or really discover the history of advance the plot of the ancient Kyrati legends story. and battle mystical deThe mass amounts mons that have invaded Shangri-La. of activities are what makes A more Far Cry interestFAR CRY 4 4 imposing part of the sible to put down. single player The campaign campaign missions alone account is the cooperative option that allows for a for probably 20 hours.

Some of the numerous friend to join and cause double the destruction. enjoyable distractions are Adding another warrior liberating outposts, to the already chaotic world makes for even delivering Golden Path more fun to be had. supplies, taking down The newly designed fortresses, finding your father’s journals, sav5v5 multiplayer is a nice ing civilians from wild change of pace, though animals, saving civilians I’m sure most would

««««« ««««

play Far Cry 4 solely for its campaign. Playing as the Rakshasa, the bow wielding assassins much like the demons in Shangri-La, is the more exciting of the two groups. Sticking to the bushes and turning invisible while stalking the members of the Golden Path is intense.

Leveling up and unlocking new animals to summon and new perks, like teleportation, gives you a reason to keep playing.

While Far Cry 4 doesn’t exactly meet the high expectations that Far Cry 3 set in 2012, it still delivers with a fantastic campaign, with an added co-op feature, and a new multiplayer that can be thrilling at times.

This game is a must play because the story is something that needs to be experienced.

Grace Palmer Blank Space - Taylor Swift Style - Taylor Swift Lips Are Movin’ - Meghan Trainor

Dwila Swain Not For Long - B.O.B. Animals - Maroon 5 7/11 - Beyonce

Devon Coulter Hakuna Matata - The Lion King Let It Go - Frozen Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

A stellar movie hits theaters IVAN WALTER @ivanthehoss56 Space. It’s a vast place with many secrets. It goes on and on forever with no one knowing where the end is. Not unlike this movie. Honestly, this movie is way too long. There are a bunch of useless facts thrown at you for the first hour that don’t really matter.

Then, they take a bunch of time to talk about the farmers and the farming but don’t ever explain how the problem started. Although the plot is very intricate and rather interesting it takes too much time to get into.

The beginning of the movie is about how humans have destroyed the Earth through our own overproduction and overpopulation. It is an hour long rant on global warming and the dangers of not paying attention to our surroundings.

Society has collapsed in

America and it seems that is vast and to travel across it everyone, despite their tal- takes a lot of time. Once the ents, has been made to farm to space travel begins the movie’s keep up with the high demand pace picks up and I started to for food. The story is about enjoy it more. The visuals were Cooper, played by Matthew epic. The rotating space staMcConaughey. He is a single tion/rocket that they travelled dad trying to raise his two kids, in was believable. The travel Murph and Tom, on his plagued through space was astonishing.

I was convinced dustbowl farm. that the way they Cooper discovINTERStELLaR travelled through ers a NASA type outer space was organization and possible. becomes the pilot The crew that will be sent on a mission to find another planet reaches the first planet to find that it is covered in nothing for humans to inhabit.

Cooper is joined by three other but water. The way that the crew members, the most impor- filmmakers created the visuals tant being Amelia Brand, played of this planet were amazing.

by Anne Hathaway. The crew Setting up this desert of water is sent through a wormhole to with mountainous waves. Upon a different galaxy to search out learning that this first planet three planets in hopes of being was a failure, I felt like the able to find one for humans to journey was only going to get start over. But like I said, space worse.

««««« «««« «

The crew barely escapes the first planet and have to make a decision at this point.

I won’t give it away here but it seemed obvious which choice they would make. I’m going to stop here, as I don’t want to give away too much. But let me leave you with this: go see the movie. Aside from the length and the amount of times that I had to go “What?” to myself, I did like the movie.

While the twists and turns in the story were challenging, I felt that it came together quite well.

And visually, I was impressed.

The power of the storms, the crushing mile high tidal waves and the disturbing beauty of the black hole are just a few of the reasons to see this movie.

I would like to see it a second time so that I can try to pick up on some of the facts and details I have missed the first time.

SAGE MAHNKEN Chicken Fried Zac Brown Band Check Yes Or No George Straight Day That I Die Zac Brown Band

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TRADITION?

Branon Thompson “Going around with my family on Christmas and looking at Christmas lights around town. It’s my favorite because I get to spend quality time with my favorite and to see at the wonderful colors of lights on people’s houses!”

ABBIE CASPER “My favorite Christmas tradition is building gingerbread houses. Then we go to my grandmas house and have a competition to see who built the best gingerbread house.”

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Feature

www.boosterredux.com Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014

6

A magical gathering New club experiences large membership MOrGAN PLANK @momoplank Before Planeswalker Club, junior Casting spells and summoning crea- Tanner Lange would have to make the tures to battle against one another is the trek across town to play the game. basis of the newly formed Planeswalker “[I decided to join] because I play it Club. This new club consists of using anyway and I don’t like going all the way cards, which act as spells, to play the to Broadway to play,” Lange said. game “Magic: The Gathering.”

This is the only club Lange is involved “The reason it’s called that is because in and this in the game the gives him an people who opportunity to cast spells and interact with his the people that friends while you technically playing. are, in the lure “[My favorof the game, ite part is] the are called communication Planeswalkers,” and just hangjunior Sebastian ing out with Johns said. people,” Lange The idea to said. “It’s really - SEBASTIAN JOHNS create this club fun.” came from Planeswalker Club meets every Johns.

Tuesday and Thursday after school.

“I just started playing Magic and it’s Meetings consist of talking about deck a new hobby for me,” Johns said. “I styles, color coordination and practice noticed the huge number of kids that playing the game. already play, so it just made sense to No other schools in the area have clubs make a place where kids could come and that play Magic, so in order to compete, play.” the club must travel or host their own Johns created a petition for the club tournaments. and presented it to Activities Director “We are looking into tournaments here Brannon Kidd. After a number of sig- and in Joplin,” Lackey said. “We are natures and paperwork, it was officially also talking about doing a tournament considered a club. through the club.”

English teacher Caleb Lackey has had The idea of being able to compete and prior experience with Magic and is the travel is exciting for Johns. club’s sponsor.

“That would be awesome to attend “[The goal is] involvement, and getting tournaments and go to competitions,” people in after school playing,” Lackey Johns said. “It would be cool to see even said. other school do it, because it is such a As of now, there are 61 students signed popular game, and have inter school up for the club. competitions.”

“

I noticed the huge number of kids that already play, so it just made sense to make a place where kids could come and play.

”

Organizing his deck of cards, junior Alex Madl stayed after school to participate in the Planeswalker Club, which plays Magic the Gathering. PHOTO BY MACY FRASCO

Redefining the traditional concept of family: more than Different types of adoption provides children, families with opportunities MEGAN MUNGER @DragonsTwirler Throughout the years, adoption has been a solution to many problems: a child that does not have a good home, family problems, a couple who cannot have children, a teen pregnancy.

Adoption has most definitely evolved in the past few decades and it is always an open option for anyone. It provides an opportunity unlike any other and every single adoption story has a bigger, more elaborate one behind it.

Adopting: An adult’s perspective

I

t may not seem like adoption affects many high schoolers but, in reality, is does.

According to ccainstitute.org and the U.S. State Department, adopted children make up roughly 2 percent of the total child population and in 2012, U.S. families adopted more than 7,000 children alone.

“Adoption is near and dear to my heart,” Stockard said. “I think [that adoption] is a wonderful option and I’m glad that it is available.”

Stockard has a brother, Charlie, who was adopted by her parents when he was a freshman in high school. He was adopted after Stockard and all of her other siblings were adults. “[My parents] met him through me and my work here at the school,” Stockard said. “He was in the foster care system. My parents were just going to be his foster [parents] and then they decided after getting to know him and understanding how the system works that they would rather just adopt him.”

Their adoption process was easy because Charlie’s rights had been severed through the system, meaning that he was never going to transition back to his birth parents.

“He’s a wonderful blessing and addition to our family. He’s 24 now and [is going to college] at Pitt State,” Stockard said. “I feel like parents are the reason that Charlie is going to be a success story.”

Along with Stockard having an adoptive brother, she also adopted a little boy, Gabriel Luke, who is currently four years old.

“I have had two children by birth and after my second child, I was told that I could not have anymore children due to health issues that I have,” Stockard said. “We had always wanted more than just two kids so we started telling people to consider us if they heard of foster care children that might need a

child, there are some hard decisions permanent home.”

Stockard wanted to stay local and involved. Marley knows, to the best of did not go with international adoption her knowledge, that she is adopted.

“We’re open with [it]. We’ll talk to because she and her husband wanted to her about that and the circumstances help someone in the community.

“We hadn’t heard anything in years, for which she need to be adopted [as so we had just kind of given up hope she gets older],” Shaw said. “We want that an adoption would come our way,” it to be as natural as possible, but we are Stockard said. “Then we got a call on also not going to hide the fact that she May 12, 2010. A little boy had been had some circumstances that allowed born in Joplin that needed a direct her to be in our family, [either].”

Along with Shaw, Stockard agrees placement.”

In addition to Stockard, theatre direc- with telling the child, which is exacttor Greg Shaw has a daughter, Marley, ly what she has done with Gabriel. who was adopted around the same time However, Shaw and Stockard also believe that it is up to the parent to Gabriel was.

“We had gone through the process make the decision and they respect the and spent about a year with it. We ones who choose to wait.

“I think that [adoption] it is a wonwere part of an adoption agency where the family puts up their information derful experience,” Stockard said. “My husband and I feel and then the adoptive very blessed that mothers, or adoptive we had the opporcouples, get to [help tunity to have our pick] the families for own children and to their adoption,” Shaw also experience the said. “It’s not necesjoys of adoption.” sarily an open adoption but, there is an Adopted: Staying in the open aspect to it. The family mothers of the infants get to have a hand in hey call their choosing their adopused-to-be tive families.” aunt and Shaw’s wife, uncle “mom” and Angie, has two adop“dad,” and they - BETH STOCKARD tive sisters so she was could not be more already familiar with thankful for that the adoption system. privilege.

“We were selected by a couple from “Both of our parents died,” junior Seattle and we made a lot of arrange- Jeri Scholes said. “I was eight when my ments to go out there,” Shaw said. “It dad died and I was 12 when my mom was a little boy and then two or three died.” days later they changed their mind.”

Jeri has a little sister, freshman Even though it did not go as planned, Charley Scholes and an older brother, they did not give up. alum DJ Scholes.

“We went back into the pool, and Their father died of kidney failure this time, instead of going through a and four years later, their mother comwhole process and all of that again, it mitted suicide. just happened that Marley was born “We were taken away and foster and there was some circumstances that care was not very good,” Jeri said. allowed her be adopted right away,” “We went to a lot of [different homes] Shaw said. “We had the ability to do before we were adopted and there are that so, she was born in Philadelphia bad memories in every one of them.” and Angie and my daughter [went] and They went into the foster care syspicked her up.” tem shortly --- their dad died and they Shaw’s birth daughter is currently 12 spent four long years in the system, but and is eight years older than Marley. eventually their dad’s brother decided “Marley is awesome [and McKenna] to adopt them. is awesome with Marley. They get “[I] was really excited [when I found along great [and] two sisters couldn’t out],” Jeri said. “There were all kinds be closer,” Shaw said. “[McKenna] of thoughts like ‘this is going to be our understands what took place, how it home’ and ‘we’re not going to be stuck took place and why it took place. She with strangers anymore.’” has been completely involved from the However, for Charley, who was six very beginning.” years old at the time, her feelings about When it comes to raising an adopted the situation were contrary.

“

I Think [that adoption] is a wonderful option.

T

“It was kind of scary [for me] because I didn’t really know them and I was trusting them,” Charley said. “I felt like ‘well I want my actual parents’ and ‘this is going to be different.’”

The process that they went through, from what they remember, was long but, it was well worth it.

“It’s pretty much the same as if we had our real parents,” Charley said.

“They are really helpful and are just like a real family [to us].”

Adopted: Internationally and Locally doption stories are just as diverse as the people behind them and one student who proves that is junior Clara Wehrman.

“Initially, I was found on a street corner and was taken to an adoption agency,” Wehrman said. “Then, several months later, my [adoptive] parents came and got me from China.”

Wehrman was adopted when she was only a year old and has always known she was adopted. However, something that is different about her adoption is the situation with her birth parents.

“I don’t know who they are. I would like to have a relationship with them but, I don’t think that is realistic or possible because in China there are laws against putting babies up for adoption,” Wehrman said. “If I ever did find them and people found out, they would be arrested.”

In addition to Wehrman, sophomore Tatum McManis is also adopted.

“I went to [my adoptive family] when I was five months, but I wasn’t actually adopted until I was three years old,” McManis said. “Growing up, I always knew I was adopted.”

When McManis first entered the home of her adoptive family, it was only a foster home. Then, they decided to adopt her a few years later.

“I [know that I] had a case worker and had to go to court a lot,” McManis said. “[I also] had to have visitations with my birth mom [for a while].”

Unlike Wehrman, McManis knows her birth mom.

“I know her but I don’t have a relationship with her,” McManis said. “At one point, I tried to have somewhat of a relationship with her, but she didn’t really want it so I just [backed off].”

Although McManis knows her birth mom, she does not know her birth dad.

For both girls, there are no differences between them and their families besides for race.

“It’s pretty cool [to be adopted],” Wehrman said. “I’d much rather be in America than in China.”

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6 feature

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

BY MIRANDA MOORE

The weight of success An inside look into the world of high school wrestling JOSH LEE & MIRANDA MOORE @iAmTheJoshLee @mirandamoore24 Outside perspective on the sport he culture of wrestling and emphasis on weight often carries a negative connotation to the outside viewer, but within the world of wrestling, it is viewed as doing what needs to be done in order to be successful.

“I’m going to know that because I gave that [cheeseburger my family had for dinner] up, I have a shot of winning this tournament, winning regionals and going on to a state championship,” wrestler Joshua McCormick* said.

Yet, wrestlers are often frustrated with the negative perspective of their sport due to weight loss methods.

“People look down on [wrestlers] and talk about how we starve ourselves. But if you just bring a salad to lunch instead of eating the school lunch, you’re not starving yourself,” McCormick said. “It’s still food, and you’re still eating. Everybody thinks we just don’t eat and starve ourselves every day, but if you just hold yourself back from eating candy and pop, you’d be amazed at how much weight you could lose.”

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38 athletes, 14 varsity positions owever, according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), an individual is only certified to lose 8 percent of his or her natural body weight, measured by an initial weigh-in at the beginning of the season, known as an “alpha weigh-in”.

This process was put in place to attempt to monitor and protect athletes from taking measures to lose an excessive amount of weight.

KSHSAA outlines 14 different weight classes in the 2014-15 Wrestling Handbook, which states “the high school wrestling weight program is designed so that all individuals will have an opportunity for competition against someone of similar size and weight.”

A single wrestler is allowed to compete per weight class, so wrestlers in the same weight class duel for each spot. The total team consists of 38 wrestlers, though only 14 can travel to varsity tournaments.

“Kids are having to drop some weight on this team just to make the team work where they can compete against other schools,” head coach Scott Rieck said. “I’ve got some pretty decent kids bunched up [in the same weight class] and you have to get them spread out.”

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The weight of competition ccording to McCormick, being the heavier opponent in the ring is advantageous so wrestlers attempt to descend a weight class to be the heavier athlete.

“The [Gardner Edgerton tournament] that we start out the beginning of the year with is tougher than our state tournament,” Rieck said. “A lot of [the athletes] that weekend realized they are awfully small for their weight class and that they need to go down a weight [class].”

Because weight is a cornerstone for wrestling, some wrestlers have choose various measures to meet weight expectations.

“How I cut my weight is I’ll wake up in the morning and go run a couple of miles with a sauna suit. Then I’ll rehydrate, go to school, go to practice, and then sometimes after practice I would go run a few more miles in a sauna suit, and then rehydrate,” wrestler Doug Jefferson* said. “Some people think sauna suits are dangerous and stuff, but I feel like they are okay

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as long as you rehydrate and don’t kill yourself with them.”

For some wrestlers, preparation for weighins begins before the start of practice in November.

“Over the offseason, we have to lose a lot of extra calories. Drinking chocolate milk versus skim milk, it’s just things like that you always think about,” McCormick said. “I’m always checking calories and stuff on labels. Just kind of losing extra stuff. When it comes down to wrestling season, just everything goes.”

Policies in place efore wrestlers are allowed to make an official alpha weigh-in or participate in practice, they have to pass a hydration test. The test is required by KSHSAA to ensure athletes are losing weight in a healthy manner and maintaining proper hydration.

According to KSHSAA, the test is not allowed to be conducted by a wrestling coach, but should overseen by a community health care provider, a certified athletic trainer, a school nurse and/or a building-level administrator. At PHS, the test is monitored by a buildinglevel administrator.

Brannon Kidd, who is finishing his first semester at PHS, is the activities director (AD).

Previously, Kidd was the AD at Hargrave High School in Huffman, Texas, which did not have a wrestling program. Instead, it had a power-

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gitimately,” McCormick said.

According to McCormick, tactics such as turning in a urine sample of a hydrated wrestler in place of their own have been used to pass the test.

However, this year, Kidd stated that only one wrestler was allowed to take the test at a time and the athletes were monitored through the entirety of the process.

Jefferson has also manipulated hydration tests, but in a different way. He claims he hasn’t honestly taken a test since the first time his freshman year.

During that time, Jefferson submitted a urine sample and failed. His sample was at the lowest level of the chart.

He then had to drink water before retaking it.

Because of this, he almost did not make weight.

“In the middle of wrestling season [freshman year] I was just like, ‘I’m not going to do that again,’ so I poured some water in the cup, peed in it, and handed it to him,” Jefferson said.

“It was a P1, which is the best level it can be.”

This year, Jefferson repeated his tactic.

“Whenever we took it last month, I just dipped [the cup] in the toilet and I gave it to [the administrator]... I was going to take a legit one, but when I realized how bad I was going to fail it, I turned around and saw that no one was looking and I just did it really quick,” Jefferson said.

However, if wrestlers choose to cheat, they

Wrestling itself just makes kids tougher.

-DOUG JEFFERSON

lifting program, which was not sponsored by the University Interscholastic League (similar to KSHSAA).

However, with powerlifting, up to three athletes are able to compete in each weight class.

“I did take part in the hydration testing before meets started, which is the first time I have ever been associated with that, so it was a new process for me,” Kidd said.

First, wrestlers urinate in a clear cup provided for them. Then, when they are finished, they hand the cup to the administrator overseeing the hydration testing. The administrator then places it over a color chart provided by KSHSAA. The chart consists of eight levels which determine the hydration level. The top three levels on the chart confirm the wrestler is hydrated.

If the wrestler passes, then they proceed to make an official “alpha weigh-in.”

Since in wrestling only one athlete is allowed to compete in each class, some athletes may resort to certain techniques in order to reach their desired weight and pass the hydration test.

“I’ve heard stories of kids not eating lunch or dinner to cut weight, wearing trashbags, going to saunas, that type of stuff, which doesn’t make sense to me, because if you are doing all this to cut weight, you are losing body fluids.

Therefore, you are never going to pass the hydration test,” Kidd said.

Although the hydration tests were put into place by KSHSAA with the intentions of keeping wrestlers healthy, the tests don’t always work.

“I’ve never actually done a hydration test le-

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do so at the risk of being caught.

“We do have administration in the room doing the hydration test, and if [wrestlers] do get caught they have to redo the hydration test,” Rieck said. “That’s a chance they take if they are doing things like that.”

A medical perspective r. Jacqueline Orender, a local family physician, addressed areas of health concerns.

“The safest way to lose weight is to try and lose about 1.5 percent of your body weight a week,” Dr. Orender said. “If you go anything beyond that, it is probably not a safe weight-loss method.”

Potential effects of losing weight in an unhealthy manner or not maintaining hydration could be long lasting.

“Obviously...We worry about teens still growing,” Dr. Orender said. “If you are starving or dehydrating yourself, you put strain on vital organs like your heart, kidneys, or brain and [potentially] have delayed puberty, impaired growth, increased risk of infection...”

And not only are the weight loss methods utilized by some wrestlers unsafe physically, they have can also have negative mental effects.

According to Dr. Orender, the body needs fuel, and it not only needs fuel for energy, it needs fuel for your mind. “[Athletes] may not perform as well academically if they are not getting enough calories,” Dr. Orender said. “They can have moodiness, they can have depression, they can have anxiety. They can have anger from trying to cut

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the weight too fast, not having enough calories on board and being dehydrated. All of those can affect their mood.”

Irritability and impatience were characteristics wrestlers claimed they experienced during season.

“We have our school life where we go to school, go to all of our classes, just go through it, and then wrestling practice is completely different,” McCormick said. “You’ll put on your sweats, get in the wrestling room, it’s like 90 degrees in there, it’s burning hot, and you’ll start getting really tired and irritable since you didn’t eat lunch that day and you just get mad.”

Malcolm Sanford*, a former wrestler who decided not to participate in the sport this year, despite having wrestled since third grade, also speaks of the lack of emotional control he felt during the season.

This change in mood during the wrestling season is also often noticed by people outside of the team.

“I definitely did have a [major shift in personality] last year. My mom could especially tell.

After wrestling season, I started to eat more and my mom could just tell that I was happier and brighter. I would go and actually talk to people,” Sanford said.

Persevering through adversity ead wrestling coach Scott Rieck acknowledges the difficulty of the sport.

“To compete, they are going to have to make sacrifices to be varsity,” Rieck said.

And sacrifices are something that wrestlers have to live with.

“There’s been times when I just want to quit, say ‘I’m done’ and just leave, but then I think ‘Well, I’ve already put in ten years worth of wrestling so why should I give it up now?’”

McCormick said. “It doesn’t make sense to me to have to push myself through all of this just for nothing.”

Although wrestlers push themselves for the sport, it comes from dedication and the desire to compete.

“Bottom line, it boils down to how bad do you want to wrestle,” Rieck said. “Those that [cut weight] are the most dedicated guys and those are the guys you want at the varsity level competing for you because they are putting in the extra time. They are working hard and you know they want to be there.”

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Life outside the ring efferson was positively transformed by wrestling.

“I was a pretty bad kid in middle school and kind of elementary. I got suspended and in trouble outside of school,” Jefferson said.

“But wrestling, I liked it so much and I knew if I got in trouble in school or outside of school I wouldn’t be able to [wrestle], so it changed my character. I kind of stayed out of trouble. Wrestling itself just makes kids tougher.”

In addition to the character building and hard work, wrestling creates a bond among athletes and their coaches.

“On the way to wrestling tournaments we are joking around, slapping each other, and yelling stuff,” Jefferson said.

But the bond extends beyond the circle of wrestlers and out to the coaches. “[Coach] Rieck is really open to all of us. Not only is he a coach, but he’s also a really close friend. Not everything we talk about is wrestling oriented... All the things I’m interested in, he is, too,” McCormick said. “It’s like having another friend there to talk to you, but at the same time, he’s going to make you the best wrestler he can.”

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Katy’s Viewpoint: A sister’s personal experience with wrestling KATY BROWN @katylady22 It’s no secret that some wrestlers choose to lose large amounts of weight.

They talk about it in the hallways and during class. They discuss from how they cheat on the hydration tests to how much weight they have to lose and how they lose it.

Before my brother graduated, there was a noticeable difference in him during wrestling season. He was grumpier, constantly weighing himself and eating small meals. On top of that he was also running in trash bags and three or four layers of clothing .

My mom tried to speak to him about it and how he needed to be careful with how much weight he was losing, but he played it off as it just being for wrestling. He said that other wrestlers used worse ways to lose weight so his wasn’t that bad.

Even after wrestling season, he would still weigh himself at least once a day. As track season would start he would focus on that and not be so obsessed with his weight and he would returned to his normal self.

I have heard classmates who wrestle talk about how they lost 12 pounds in one day like it is a normal thing. I wish I could talk to my brother about this, but he is out of the country and I am not able to text, call or email him in a timely manner.

In middle school, I once saw a classmate keep a trashcan by him all day during class so that he could spit into it. His goal was to lose two pounds by the end of the day. The teacher didn’t even know what to say.

Wrestling season doesn’t only affect wrestlers. Parents, friends and siblings are impacted by the eating, exercise, and behavior habits. They start to worry about their athlete and their well-being.

Freshman Savannah Jones has experienced this with her brother, alum Jeremiah Jones.

“I was always scared something bad was going to happen to him because he dropped weight so much and that’s not healthy,” Savannah said.

You can see the difference in wrestlers during wrestling season, from their outward appearance to the way they act.

“When he wasn’t in season he always seemed a lot nicer,” Savannah said. “He’d always talk to us more. He’d always invite me into his room and we’d play video games or something. But when he was in season he’d always be so grouchy and rude,” Savannah said.

Sports are like a full-time job for many people and it definitely was for Jeremiah Jones.

“He was always in season. He always was fit. I don’t remember a day he didn’t go out running,” Savannah said.

8 SPORTS

Tuesday., Dec. 16, 2014 www.boost-

SECTION D

muff reigns over multiple courts Athlete takes on club volleyball during basketball season JOURNEY JARAMILLO @JourneyButcher School activities and sports are passions of sophomore Taylor Muff and play big roles in making her who she is.

Muff realized her passion for sports at a young age.

“After going to all my sisters’ and dad’s events and just being around it all the time [made me realize] that this is what I wanted to do.” Muff said.

She participates in school activities such as volleyball, basketball and track. In addition, she plays club volleyball in Kansas City every Sat. This is Muff’s second year playing club volleyball, tenth year playing basketball and sixth year running track.

As a freshman, Muff broke school records in the 100 meter hurdles and tied for the 300 meter hurdles. She began to gather notice for these achievements. “[Receiving so much recognition] was awesome,” Muff said. “I love to be noticed for doing things I love.”

Muff reveals that when being involved with so much, at the same time, it is good to be prepared.

“I haven’t experienced [the difficulties] yet, but it isn’t too hard. When I go up every Saturday [for club volleyball] I can do my homework on the way there,” Muff said. “Basketball hasn’t been a problem yet, but when games start I will expect it [to] become more difficult, but I’m prepared.”

Going out of town to play a sport is why Muff enjoys club volleyball so much. When she plays sports here, she plays with people goes to school with. When she travels, she has the opportunity to play with people

from different places.

While being involved in different sports outside of school, she also thinks about her current sport.

“I think about teams we are playing and how the season is going to go,” Muff said. “I think of all the different sports [I play], and basically all my priorities.”

Kim O’Bray, head girls basketball coach, expresses her feelings toward Muff and how involvement in so many activities affects the team.

“I feel that Taylor is one heck-of-an-athlete, and, in her case, participating in these extra activities outside of school is helping prepare her to make it to the next level,” O’Bray said. “She is in the prime of her life athletically, and she might as well make the most of it.”

O’Bray thinks that Muff participating in club activities, in addition to school activities, could help the team.

“If Taylor is learning new skills, becoming more advanced individually and learning to play with different personalities, that can only make her a better player, teammate and leader for our team, which helps our program overall,” O’Bray said. “Taylor is one of those athletes that has something about her. I am confident she can handle it.”

Muff’s involvement allows her to meet new people and become closer to those she knows. Sophomore Logan Lord is not only a teammate, but a friend.

“Taylor is always so positive, and she’s not only a leader, but a role model,” Lord says. “She is always there for me and is just an all around good person.”

After stealing the ball against Louisburg, sophomore Taylor Muff goes up for a layup. Muff ended up the night with 16 points, helping the Dragons win the home opener 49-35.

PHOTO BY DEREK BRUMBAUGH

rising to expectations Jajo overcomes negative first impressions of small stature JAMES CLARK @James_Clark16

“My season starts when the last one ends,” Jajo said.

Jajo accumulates over 900 hours yeartanding at only 5’2”, senior Montana Jajo doesn’t look like a typi- round in the gym.

“I put in about 3 hours ever y day.” Jajo cal basketball player.

As the season approaches, so said.

Complimenting his gym workouts, Jajo does the words. Jajo’s height is repeatedly denounced on a daily basis. From also plays summer ball with his family. the announcers to the opposing team Jajo, along with his family, competes in members, his height is a main topic of a Marshallese tournament ever y year in Springdale, Ar... The Marshallese tournadiscussion.

“I hear a lot of ‘why are you so short ment attracts teams from all around the bro?’” Jajo said. “It doesn’t really matter countr y. The tournament has become a to me, there are other people in this world tradition for Jajo and his family.

“We have that are short just been team Kanlike me.” sas in the tourThe words nament since make him seem the first year we smaller than what had played,” Jajo he really is. But said. “We comwhen matched up pete against over to taller players, 20 teams from his 5’2” height all around the consumes all of United States.” the attention of As for school the crowd. workouts, Jajo “People see attends open him as a guy that gym and scrimrises above chal- MONTANA JAJO mage nights lenges,” head playing against coach Kiley Roelfs said. “I think a lot of people really be- surrounding area schools. All of this come a fan of his quickly because of the preparation leads up to the tip-off of the opening night. way he plays.”

With strong support from family and Game after game, Jajo is matched up with players that tower above him. These strong faith in God, basketball is more matchups can often pose disadvantages than just a game for Jajo.

“God put me in this world to show my for the team. After all of the summer preparation and practices, teammates skills and my family has supported me were nothing but confident in Jajo’s abil- all of my life,” said Jajo. “I play for God and my family.” ity.

The love for the game runs deep in his “For how strong Montana is, he can handle anything,” junior Kyle Smith said. veins. All of the criticism Jajo receives “He just has to know that he can take on only pushes him to get better and it shows out on the court. anybody.”

“It matters about who loves the game The basketball season never stops for Jajo. Jajo is constantly faced with his the most,” Jajo said. “It doesn’t matter about how big or tall you are.” height disadvantage all year long.

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It doesn’t matter about how big or tall you are.

Bringing down the ball, senior Montana Jajo dribbles down the court looking for an open man.

Even with Jajo’s contribution, the Dragons would fall short to Louisburg 57-52.

PHOTO BY DEREK BRUMBAUGH

Leading the team: Captain selection Teams, coaches utilize different methods MADDIE BADEN @MaddieBaden Leaders, hard workers and stand-out athletes. All are traits and actions of being a team captain.

Each spor t has different methods of choosing team captains. With winter spor ts star ting, boys and girls basketball and wrestling select captains.

Boys basketball utilizes both players and coaches to select captains. Kiley Roelfs, head boys basketball coach, chooses captains towards the end of the season.

“It gives our players and coaches a chance to see leadership throughout the season,” Roelfs said. “It lets them see the consistency of who is a leader when things are going well and when things aren’t. This way it gives us a better picture of who the captain or captains were.”

The girls basketball team has a different way to picking captains.

Identical to the boys, the players help in the process, but coaches have the final decision.

Kim O’Bray, head girls basketball coach, picks prior to the first game.

“There are times when it seems more like a popularity contest. Plus, sometimes the new people coming in, freshmen in par ticular, don’t always know enough about the people they are voting for,” O’Bray said.

“More often than not, our players are on track with who they end up voting for, so it feels good when the top picks matchup.”

O’Bray believes that her captains should lead and have a major impact on the team.

“It is impor tant that captains be good role models for the team,” O’Bray said. “Any and all captains should lead by example, on and off the cour t, in and out of the seasons, during practices, as well as games.”

Some players have different election processes that they favor more than their spor t determines. Logan Lord, sophomore girls basketball player, voting.

“Coaches don’t see ever y thing. Players get to interact with potential captains more than coaches do,” Lord said.

On the other hand, head wrestling coach Scott Rieck has an entirely different policy.

“We don’t pick captains, they pick themselves. To be a captain is a natural-born leadership skill. If you don’t posses it, then we can’t give it to you,” Rieck said. “In the wrestling room, over time, captains will evolve and lead by example.”

Rieck feels that this is the best way for his team.

“I don’t have an impact or inf luence on that decision, it materializes on its own. I have always done it this way,” Rieck said. “From a kid you have those skills, and as a coach it would not be right for me to pick individuals to be captains. They might not want the role.”

Even though each spor t chooses a different way to fit their standards, they are pleased ever y season with each new captains per formance.

“I know that activities elect captains a different way; I don’t think there is any right or wrong way to do it,” Roelfs said. “I think you need to find out which way works best for your program.”

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SPORTS BRIEFS wrestling Paola dual JV: Pittsburg 51, Paola 40 Varsity: Pittsburg 40, Paola

Springdale nwa duals 3rd Place

Girls basketball Louisburg @ Home

AT CARL JUNCTION

Frosh - LOSS - 30-29 JV - WIN - 27-25 VARSITY - WIN - 49-35

Frosh - WIN - 24-18 JV - LOSS - 39-31 VARSITY- LOSS - 60-37

AT GIRARD

MT.VERNON @HOME

Frosh - WIN - 7-4 JV - WIN - 47-21 VARSITY - WIN - 61-39

Frosh - NO GAME JV - WIN - 43-9 VARSITY - WIN - 53-47

BOYS basketball Louisburg @ Home

AT GIRARD

Frosh - WIN - 72-45 JV - WIN - 65-50 VARSITY - LOSS - 57-52

Frosh - WIN - 60-9 JV - WIN - 29-27 VARSITY - LOSS - 57-54