February 2016

is make up a necessity?

Student reveals use of makeup is a crutch for insecurities Page 3D

The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th Street Pittsburg, KS 66762 Vol. 98, Issue 7 www.boosterredux.com

Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

Laying

down the competition LILY BLACK

zoolander movie review Student has mixed feelings Page 4D

Children raising children in-depth look at young parents, sex education, and available resources

Page 7D

@PHSStudentPub uilding a wall goes far beyond the making of it, and for junior Mack O’Dell, masonry got him national recognition.

O’Dell competed in the International Bricklaying Competition, held Feb. 3 in Las Vegas at the Masonry Madness Arena.

“I really enjoyed being there, and I was confident in what I was doing.

My instructor taught me to know what I was doing when I did it,” O’Dell said.

O’Dell qualified for the International Competition after placing seventh in the SkillsUSA Carpentry National Competition held in Kentucky June 22-26.

“Mack started with me last year.

He stays focused and works really hard during class,” said Nacoma Oehme, Fort Scott Community College (FSCC) Masonry Instructor.

Oehme helped O’Dell prepare for the competition by assigning him tasks each with a varying degree of difficulty.

“Mack started training for the competition in November of last year.

I gave him different projects to build, each one being a little harder than the last,” Oehme said.

After a mix up in the contest categories, O’Dell ended up the youngest in his competition.

“I was supposed to be in the firstyear apprentice, but I got put in second year and they had already ordered the materials,” O’Dell said.

By the time he had figured out he was categorized incorrectly, he was not allowed to change to first-year apprentice. Instead, he had to compete against seven other competitors who were all older than him. “[The other competitors] all had jobs,” O’Dell said. “They weren’t in the certification program, they were working every day, and were sponsored by companies. [The next youngest competitor] was 21, at least,” O’Dell said.

However, despite being the youngest competitor, O’Dell was not bothered.

“I’m the youngest in my [FSCC masonry] class. You just know everyone is older than you, so I wasn’t fazed,” O’Dell said.

After tying for first place, O’Dell was awarded second by a tiebreaker.

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While attending his masonry class, junior Mack O’Dell positions a cement block while applying mortar. O’Dell competed in the SkillsUSA Carpentry National Competition to qualify for the International Bricklaying Competition which was held Feb. 3 in Las Vegas. O’Dell finished second in the competition after a first-place tie breaker. PHOTO BY KAITLYN KIDD

O’Dell spends the first two hours of his school day at the Career and Technical Education Center of Crawford County. O’Dell has been enrolled in masonry since his sophomore year. Masonry is taught

by Oehme and is a dualcredit class.

According to O’Dell, one of the good things about the masonry class is the real-life experience it gives students.

“It’s different than going to a classroom everyday. [It’s a] handson program,” O’Dell said. “You learn one thing at a time, but you see it developing more than you would in a text book. You actually get out, do something and apply it right away.”

In agreement with O’Dell, Oehme believes allowing students hands-on practice is better than having them

sit in a classroom.

“The difference [between a college dual-credit class and a high-school class] is that the students get the freedom of adults,” Oehme said, “They get hands-on training and get out of it what they put in it.”

In addition to competing, O’Dell has been doing construction work for English teacher Lyn Schultze.

With the help of another student, O’Dell constructed a wall, hung oriented strand board and sheetrock and finished with installing insulation in a garage.

Schultze was pleased with the outcome.

“I’d say his work ethic is outstanding. He’s honest, and he is going to be a huge success some day,” Schultze said. “In my opinion, he already is.”

Moving on from the bond A closer look into community concerns over 2016 school bond issue JOSH LEE

Linda Marlowe Senior girl joins wrestling team Page 8D

@iAmTheJoshLee With an 800-vote margin in opposition to the bond issue, District Superintendent Destry Brown is back to the drawing board. In the next stage of the planning process, Brown plans to revisit the bond discussion and process community voices.

According to senior Derek Brumbaugh, the bond was something needed by the district regardless of what the community saw as problems in the proposal.

“With Crawford County being one of the poorest counties in Kansas, it’s tough to have a $67 million bond, but I feel like it is silly that [the bond] didn’t pass,” Brumbaugh said. “The population is not going to decrease and the population is not going to be less of a problem over the next few years.”

Brumbaugh believes the bond faced a roadblock because of its price tag and plans to demolish the middle school. However, these are not the only reasons community members opposed the bond issue.

For community members such as Vonnie Corsini, the proposal to demolish the middle school was the deciding factor. According to Corsini, preserving history and heritage is paramount when considering any community proposal.

“My world view is that there are more advantages in helping our students to understand the importance of sustainability and the part that our

heritage plays in our education and in our ability to move forward,” Corsini said.

In addition to valuing history and heritage, Corsini believes that although renovating the older portion of the middle school may require more money, it will be for the best in the long run.

“I believe that there is nothing that cannot be repaired,” Corsini said.

“And whether or not that may be slightly more expensive, that would remain to be seen. My view is that whether [the cost] is the same or slightly more, the fact is that we have almost a hundred years of energy, educational experience, heritage richness and cultural importance poured into the building.

Those are things that are very difficult to place a price on.”

Amidst all of these sentiments, Corsini has hopes that the community will be able to work together to eliminate any concerns over the potential tax increase.

“I was concerned what the tax burden would do to a community

“

that is the lowest-income in the state,” Corsini said. “But knowing myself, I would have had the faith that we could work together as a community to improve the living and wage circumstances of everyone. It is very likely that were it not for the plan to demolish a community landmark and a part of our history, I would have supported [the bond]. But I never had to think in those directions because to me, the beginning and the end was the demolition of the building.”

However, for senior D i l l o n Williams, w h a t happened with regard to the m i d d l e school was not of much concern for him.

He instead focused on the plans - DENNIS BURNS for the high school when he made the decision to vote no.

“For the high school, which is basically the endgame for someone in the community, the plan didn’t seem anywhere near good enough to me,” Williams said. “If this one had passed and we realized we messed up and still needed this, this and this, I bet it would be years before we got a fix

The bond was full of way too many her wants rather than needs..

”

to it. I feel that, at least for the high school, the plan needed to be perfect before it passed.”

For Williams, the perfect plan does not ask for much; all he believes is needed is more classroom space for the growing population.

“I felt like we needed more classrooms, which were not really specified in the actual plan,” Williams said. “And instead of making the auditorium the storm shelter, you could have designated ten classrooms in the back to be the storm shelters, which would have been more functional. There’s also a lot of dead space in the building that could be used and renovated, but I feel like it needs more than that because every grade below us is bigger than the one before. Ten years down the line, reusing space just won’t be enough, and to me, the bond itself just felt like a temporary fix and not a permanent solution.”

For other community members, however, other concerns surfaced when the time to vote approached.

While Corsini believed the community could work together to alleviate the tax burden, fellow community member Dennis Burns considered the bond price tag a chief concern.

“Why I opposed [the bond issue] was essentially the taxes and the fact that the bond was full of way too many wants rather than needs,” Burns said.

For Burns, the high-school proposal

Continued on page 2D

2 NEWS

Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

ending on a high note Neil resigns as band director to continue musical education GINA MATHEW @GMMathew 13

L

eaving a job does not have to be a bitter affair.

Earlier this month, band director Cooper Neil announced that he would be resigning at the end of the school year.

“I want to go back to school,” Neil said. “I love what I do very much, but I also miss being able to spend all of my time and energy being a musician.”

After nearly five years of instructing at PHS, Neil will be leaving to further his musical education.

“I am going to work on a musical project and, in that time, establish residency for graduate work in conducting,” Neil said. “[I am looking] at either the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign or the University of Colorado Boulder.”

When Neil broke the news to his class, it came as a shock to many.

“I thought it was a joke,” senior Reyna Valenzuela said. “I thought he was just kidding and then we would have a normal day. Unfortunately, that was not the case, so there were a lot of tears after that.”

It was not an easy decision for Neil to make.

“I’ve lived in Pittsburg my whole life,” Neil said. “A part of the decision-making process was that I wanted to get out and experience somewhere else.”

Neil’s teaching has impacted countless students, especially those who share a passion for music.

“He has made me a way better instrumentalist than I ever thought I could be,” senior Ivan Walter said. “I was okay in middle school but, during my freshman year, [Neil] definitely took me

to the next level.”

Neil feels the program will be able to sustain itself in his absence.

“It has always been in the back of my mind, but [now] just feels like the right time to do it,” Neil said. “The band is at a point where the energy and leadership next year will continue to maintain the type of program that I have been working toward.”

As for the future of the band, Neil hopes to find a worthy replacement.

“He was very adamant about the fact that he is going to personally interview [everyone] who applies,” senior Ryan Amick said. “If he likes someone, he will have them come in to try directing the band for a day and make sure they take it as seriously as he does.”

Neil has addressed worries that a major shift in direction may hinder the ensemble’s success.

“There is concern for what the future of the program will look like,” Neil said.

“With the support of such an awesome administration and fine arts team that we have here, as well as the leadership of this year’s junior class, I am very hopeful for the growth and continued advancement of this group.”

Band students shared a similar goal for their last few months with Neil. By the end of the semester, Amick, Valenzuela and Walter hope to make him proud by attaining superior ratings at their upcoming competitions.

“I definitely want to send him out with another superior rating at contests,” Walter said. “I want to let him know that what he has done for me and everyone else will be cherished forever.”

Bond Issue Continued From page 1D only involved one of the two items he considered to be necessary for the building: a new HVAC system.

“They were complaining about not having enough room for classes, but they weren’t adding classroom space; they were just spending money on things that were just extravagant,” Burns said. “Now, the HVAC system: that was the only piece out of everything they listed that I felt was actually needed. A 30-year-old HVAC is definitely inefficient, and they definitely need to spend money to upgrade that system.”

However, the price tag on the bond issue wasn’t the only area of concern for the community. Although the district has seen a change in administration since 2001, the 2001 USD 250 bond led Burns and other community members to have a lingering distrust for this year’s bond process. “[In 2001] they put on this fake facade,” Burns said. “I was involved in a planning process and I was on one of the committees when they had to expand facilities before. The problem is, we spent six weeks going through things and we came up with a proposal as a committee, and then at the final meeting, the guy who was leading the meetings turned around on us and said, ‘okay, we’re going to do it this way.’

We wasted six weeks’ worth of time coming up with proposals and then they just did their own thing anyway.”

Currently, Brown and the school board have continued to listen to community concerns. The board met with the Property Owners Association,

discussed issues with community members, and met with individuals associated with the Finding Yes group, formerly known on Facebook as Vote No. “The demolition of the middle school as well as the size and amount of money of the bond issue in general are probably the two biggest reasons I have heard,” Brown said. “But right now, we are spending a lot of time just listening to people and their thoughts as far as why they voted against [the bond] or what we need to improve on.

But before we do anything, we have to get more in-depth about the middle school, how much it will cost to fix it up, and all those kinds of things.”

According to Brown, the most common voter concerns consist of the overall bond cost, including whether the high school needed an additional auditorium as well as new gyms and storm shelters in each elementary school.

The earliest a new bond can be proposed is this November; if one is not released by then, the board will have to wait until the next general election in November of 2018. Whether that will occur this year, however, is yet to be determined.

“We are going to have to work down the list of items on the proposal,” Brown said. “We have to figure out how much people are willing to pay, but we do not know what any of that will look like. But whatever that decision is, it will not be my decision or the board’s decision. It will be a community decision.”

During a basketball game, teacher Cooper Neil directs the pep band. Neil is in his fifth year teaching but is leaving to pursue music and a master’s degree. PHOTO BY MADDY EMERSON

start your engines Donation helps program build drag car, provides financial benefits NICOLE KONOPELKO @PHSStudentPub

Fuel, brakes, tires, oil and batteries.

These are only the basic components that a car needs in order to function properly.

However, at the heart of any effective street machine is an effective engine.

“An engine is the power-plant for [a] car,” said Adam Nunn, automotive technology teacher. “[It will] power [the car] down the track. A car will not move without [an engine].”

Sophomore Matthew Wood’s uncle, Steven Wood, donated a 5.9 liter Dodge Cummins diesel engine and an automatic transmission to the automotive technology program.

An engine swap will be performed, meaning the original engine will be torn out and replaced with the engine donated by Wood.

The engine will be put into a Ford Fairmont, the project car that Nunn’s students have been working on. “[The drag car that we put the new engine in] will actually be put in the school [for a] race car project.

The engine weighs approximately 1,100 pounds. It makes around 200 horsepower and 400 foot pounds of torque,” Nunn said.

Along with the necessity of the engine, the donated engine also provides financial benefits to Nunn and his students.

“[This engine] saves us the cost of actually buying and building an engine.

To buy an engine and build it to what we would like to have [we would need] several thousand dollars. It saves us a lot of money,” Nunn said.

Senior Hunter Cress has been taking Nunn’s Automotive Technology classes for three years.

“Honestly, [my favorite part of automotive technology] is working on engines. We have a few back there that we can tear down and build back up. [It is] really fun,” Cress said.

The engine will affect students in multiple ways. It will also teach students teamwork and leadership skills. “[The engine] is symbolic. It’s just everything that we’ve learned coming together as a team and a class. I am excited to see how it will turn out,” Cress said.

Cress is not the only one who will have a part in the engine swap.

“I think all of [Nunn’s] classes have some [role] in this project,” Cress said.

This engine will also have a positive effect on Cress’s future.

“It’s a good thing to list on college applications. I can say ‘I had experience building a drag car,’” Cress said.

The engine swap is a process.

“Doing an engine swap is not an easy deal,” Cress said. “It involves a lot of stuff that we’ve been learning about.”

student becomes finalist for national merit scholarship MEGAN MUNGER @DragonTwirler

Filled with a mixture of joy and surprise, senior Amanda Hoffman learned she has made it one step closer to a nationally recognized scholarship.

Hoffman is a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship, which is an award that is given out to 7,400 out of the 16,000 students that place in the ninety-ninth percentile of the PSAT. She took the PSAT in fall 2014, was notified she was a semi-finalist in September 2015, and found out she is now a finalist.

“When I took the PSAT I was not expecting to get this far,” Hoffman said.

“After I saw my score and that I was in the ninety-ninth percentile, I thought there was a good chance of me becoming a semifinalist. Then, I thought there was probably a decent chance that I would become a finalist because only 1,000 students do not.”

In order to become a finalist, Hoffman completed a questionnaire, had someone write her a letter of recommendation, which in this case was her gifted facilitator, Beth Gilbert, and earned a

score on the SAT comparable to her PSAT score.

According to Gilbert, Hoffman is an outstanding student.

“I am very proud of Amanda because she is pursuing her dreams. Amanda’s accomplishments are her own because she has worked very hard academically to maintain her grades and to be involved,” Gilbert said. “She can be very proud of herself when she walks out of this high school because she can know that she has done all that she can.”

Hoffman will find out if she receives the scholarship in April. If she receives it, it will help her pay for college.

However, it has already proven beneficial because schools have offered her scholarships simply because she is a finalist, as long as she lists them as her first choice.

Regardless of how it has helped her, the feelings evoked is what matters most.

“My favorite part of the process was telling my parents that I was a finalist.

They were happy for me and hugged me while telling me how proud they are of me,” Hoffman said. “It feels good just to know that I have made them so proud.”

Playing her flute, senior Amanda Hoffman plays in the pep band at the varsity basketball games. Hoffman is a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship after being in the ninety-ninth percentile of the PSAT. PHOTO BY MADDY EMERSON

SECTION D

www.boosterredux.com

OPINION

Friday, Feb. 26 2016

Booster Redux staff and policy

staff editorial:

Editors-in-Chief Alli Baden Molly Graham Megan Munger Morgan Plank

The importance of discussing unpopular aspects, ensures success of next bond election

Managing Editors Kali Poenitske Journey Jaramillo Trina Paul Gina Mathew

Design Editors Kailey Curtis Jake Webb

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

Adviser Emily Smith

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

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

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

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

Digital photos have not been altered to manipulate reality.

Photo illustrations are labeled to reflect any technical alternations.

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

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

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

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

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The Booster redux staff @PHSStudentPub

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

to wear or not to wear Why applying cosmetics is your decision Trina Paul @PHSStudentPub

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oncealer, brow pencil, mascara, powder foundation and tinted lip balm.

Applying makeup in the morning always provides a sense of comfort for me. I love putting on makeup, and I like the way I look when I have it on.

I would like to say I apply cosmetics for my own personal reasons. That I wear it for me. That I am liberated from the expectations regarding physical appearance. But I am not.

In 2015, Em Ford, a beauty blogger and YouTuber, released a YouTube video called “YOU LOOK DISGUSTING,” the video depicts Ford putting on cosmetics as comments from her previous videos run across the screen. The comments range from “I can’t even look at her” when she has no makeup on, to “this is false advertising” when she has applied all her makeup.

Ford expresses the judgement many women and girls face when choosing to wear cosmetics. When she is wearing no makeup, she is ridiculed for her acne. When she is wearing makeup, she is accused of being fraud and for covering up her blemishes.

With or without makeup, she is unable to escape criticism about her appearance. Even teen girls cannot escape the scrutiny surrounding their physical appearance.

According to a survey by The Today Show, teen girls spent on average almost four or more hours on their appearance than teen boys. It’s okay to care about your appear-

ance, but teen girls invest almost double the amount of time than boys on how they look.

The media adds fuel to the fire by projecting images of flawless, airbrushed women on television and in magazines and advertisements.

Some celebrities like Demi Lovato, Tyra Banks and Cameron Diaz have posted #nomakeupselfies on social networks, shattering the photoshopped and perfect images of themselves that appear in the media. Even celebrities have imperfections.

Women wear makeup for a plethora of reasons. To be more confident. To use it as an art form. To enjoy applying it.

However, some use it for the wrong reason.

Everyone has insecurities about their appearance, yet many women use makeup as a crutch for their insecurities. It’s important to feel comfortable with or without makeup on. You have a right to be confident about how you look, but your responsibility to the world as a woman is not to be attractive.

Whether you wear makeup to cover up your dark under eye circles, or whether you wear it to bring out your artistic side; wearing it is your choice. Wearing cosmetics is not something a woman should ever feel obligated to do.

Although I may not be comfortable enough to leave the house without makeup now, maybe someday wearing makeup will feel like a choice, not an obligation I owe to anyone but myself.

In November, we printed an in-depth, investigative report on the proposed plans of the bond issue However, we as a staff felt the failure of the bond left us with many unanswered questions.

While other area publications covered the bond failure, we felt an obligation to investigate one step further to identify community concerns that led to a no vote.

With a majority no vote, community members felt the tax burden, the ambiguous plans and the distrust from the 2001 bond issue to be key reasons the bond did not pass.

While we realize the article shed a light on the negative aspects, we hope this is a catalyst for conversations that results in a compromise. We wanted to allow the community members the opportunity to voice concerns for aspects of the bond issue the resulted in an unsuccessful vote.

We wanted this issue’s article to provide an open forum to bring to light specific community concerns, such as a vague descriptions or an overwhelming amount of money.

At this moment, USD 250 Superintendent Destry Brown and the school board members are devoting their time to listening to the community, hoping to gather input and fix the key aspects of the plan to propose a new bond in the near future.

This issue, we have covered what we felt were the three biggest concerns voiced by the community regarding the bond: the demolition of the middle school, prioritizing wants over needs, not specifically adding classroom space at the high school.

We understand that the points we have covered are not all-encompassing nor can we be completely comprehensive of every concern and sentiment each community member has.

However, we strive to provide a bit of insight to all invested stakeholders.

As students, and specifically as seniors, we want to see the next bond issue successfully pass with a revised plan the community will feel is better suited to the district’s needs.

world issues are everyone’s issues Blythe encourages students to consume news media JUSTIN BLYTHE @jdblyt ur generation is increasingly ignorant of the world around us, consumed by the latest meme floating across your Twitter or Facebook feeds or wondering what dress you should wear to prom, which happens to be over a month away.

Giving our attention to these unimportant happenings means not worrying enough about what is truly important, such as the threat of ISIS or which presidential candidate should be elected come 2016.

In fact, a 2007 Pew Research Center for the People and the Press study found that Americans aged 50 years and older know more than younger people about the current events that envelope society.

This is bewildering to me considering the accessibility of news today.

By simply clicking the “follow” button on MSNBC or CNN’s social media pages, you gain access to a constant supply of current events that keep you informed about the world around you.

It seems simple, right? Well it is, but you may still be left asking yourself, “Why should I care?”

This is an understandable question, considering that you

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ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

may be under 18 and have no political authority to vote on these issues even if you happen to be informed, but that should not equate to you not caring.

According to Huffington Post, young voters aged 18 to 29 make up just 13 percent of total

voters in recent elections, and those that did vote claimed to have paid significant attention to the election.

Developing an opinion about important political and social concerns in our society is important because when you turn 18

and carry a little piece of democratic power in the form of a ballot, it might help if you had an idea what you were voting for.

Maybe you think you are all set because you assume that since your parents always vote Republican then that is what you are entitled to do.

This is not always the case, it helps to acquire your own opinion through outside, objective sources that allow you to think for yourself.

Through simple tasks such as listening to both the local and national morning news while getting ready for school, or by continuing to read the paper like you are right now, you can gain a greater sense of what is happening in the world around you and develop an opinion regarding it.

We are the future, after all, and some day soon we will have to step up and let our voice be heard in order to maintain the democratic paradise we are privileged to live in.

So, next time you are “chillin” in your room munching on some pizza rolls while watching a marathon of your favorite TV show, consider flipping the channel to your local news and indulge yourself in what really matters, because being aware of how the world around you is functioning can spark a desire for change in the future.

4 in-depth

children RAIS

An in-depth examination of young moms

MOlly graham and josh lee @molllygraham @iAmTheJoshLee

too little, too late

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n the high school, sex education involving intercourse and contraception is first taught freshman year.

“After that, there is a little more information given out on this through the parenting classes and the child development classes,” school nurse Lisa Schwob said.

However, according to Schwob, students in the school district are exposed to some form of sex education in one way or another starting at an early age.

“The district has a comprehensive sex education program that really, believe it or not, starts in kindergarten,” Schwob said.

In kindergarten, children are taught about sex through chickens and their hatching eggs.

As elementary school progresses, students are taught good touch and bad touch, and starting in fifth grade are introduced to ‘My Changing Body,’ which teaches the changes occurring through puberty.

But, according to Via Christi obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Angela Shaw, the intercourse and contraception portion of sex education starting freshman year may be too little, too late.

“I see too often that sex education is being taught too late because we’re waiting for it to be done at home, and people are becoming sexually active younger and younger,” Shaw said. “I think ninth grade is way too late. The youngest patient I have treated who was pregnant was 12.”

In addition, Shaw argues that sex education is something that should not be restricted to a school environment.

“I think sex education in schools is very important,” Shaw said. “I’ve talked to patients in the office and asked them about basic reproductive biology and they don’t understand, so I don’t know how they can properly teach their kids to understand what’s going on with their bodies, not just with sex education, but with reproduction, prevention and everything else.”

Both Schwob and Shaw agree it is important for sex education to be taught in schools.

According to Schwob, students should be learning about everything sex related, and being able to ask any questions necessary in order to make better decisions.

In 2007, Kansas was given $1.7 million for teaching abstinence until marriage, according to National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education, and, in USD 250, students are taught an abstinence plus sex education regimen.

“Luckily, our district is an abstinence plus district, which means we can go into the classroom and talk to students about contraceptives and sexually transmitted diseases and we can answer questions,” Schwob said. “I’m just thankful that knowledge is power when it comes to this, and you’re a lot more likely to make good decisions if you know the facts.”

Shaw also believes an educational environment that encourages students to ask questions is important in keeping students safe and informed.

“It is really eye-opening to us to see what even ‘educated’ kids still didn’t know,” Shaw said. “These are smart kids, they’ve done some reading, but they still don’t understand, and for them to have a forum where they could ask the questions that they couldn’t ask their parents is really important when you talk about sex education.”

For senior Demi Stacey, obtaining birth control and contraceptives was not a problem.

The problem was ensuring she took her birth control.

“I did [use birth control and condoms] but, like they say, it’s not always 100% foolproof,” Stacey said. “I wasn’t faithful everyday, I don’t like taking pills and I thought, ‘Oh it’s not going to happen to me.’ If you can try to refrain [from sex], try really hard. If you’re not ready to become a parent, that’s the quickest way to become one.”

S R E B E NUM

BY TH(un)SAFE SEX

212 students surveyed

You’re not alone

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aving only her best friend to comfort her, senior Demi Stacey was pregnant and did not know what to do other than cry.

“I was scared,” Stacey said. “I tried to hide it, and I didn’t seek help. I thought, ‘there was no way I could be a mom,’ and I asked myself how was I going to do this.”

In the 22 years that Schwob has worked at the high school, not a year has gone by without a pregnant teen.

In 1996, a pregnancy support group was established.

Currently, there are four girls who are already mothers and three girls currently pregnant. Most of whom participate in the support group and utilize resources available.

Stacey sought these resources.

At first, Schwob guided her to the “Mommy” classes available directly through the high school, but then she became introduced to the Becoming a Mom class through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, which is offered through the Crawford County Health Department (CCHD).

According to Ritchell, these programs are offered to help teen mothers overcome their situations and help set them up for success.

“Teen mothers are less likely to graduate high school or get their GED by the time they are 30,” Ritchell said. “So that is one of our goals: to keep the girls in school.”

These classes offer information and advice normally not accessible for young mothers in Stacey’s situation. And even though her baby, Vanessa, is six months old now, Stacey still finds the classes helpful.

According to Schwob, this is because the informational classes are more than just an opportunity to gather information. “[The programs] have gone from an educational program to really a support group,” Schwob said. “[The parents] are all at different stages in pregnancy or trying to raise a baby, so we talk about what they are needing to talk about at the time.”

However, the classes offered through WIC still provide more than just information or support. These classes offer certain incentives to mothers who regularly attend, such as packages of diapers, baby wipes, formula, gift cards and necessities to choose from

120

50% Boys 50% Girls

average age of lost virginity:

Amidst all this, Shaw believes sex education in schools should be purposely taught.

According to CCHD registered nurse Natalie Ritchell, the Crawford County district has a higher rate of teen pregnancies than the state, and, because of that, Shaw argues that the role of sex education in the school district would have a significant impact.

“We try to preach abstinence in schools, but they don’t know the reason they need to be abstinent is because they don’t understand that the first time you have sex you can get pregnant,” Shaw said.

For senior Danielle Clay, whose name has been changed due to confidentiality, being taught abstinence her freshman year did not stop her from having sex until she got married. Just this year, she had a pregnancy scare.

“I was really scared. It was the only thing I could think about. There were so many thoughts racing through my mind,” Clay said. “The idea of even having the slightest chance of being pregnant was beyond scary. If I would have been, I have no idea what I would have done.”

Even though Clay did not end up being pregnant, the incident changed the way she perceives sex.

“I now realize what can happen and the consequences it can have,” Clay said. “I’m not necessarily scared [of sex now], but I just know that if something were to happen [contraception] should be discussed beforehand and both parties should be aware.”

However, for Schwob, it all comes down to the maturity level of sexually active teenagers.

“If you and your partner are not comfortable discussing birth control, you should not be having sex.”

students are sexually active

48 14-15

students believe “pulling out” or the Plan B pill is a method of birth control

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Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

in-depth

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SING CHILDREN , sex education and available resources

Art by Alivia Benedict

including pack’n plays, baby monitors and car seats.

“Originally, I was in it for the information. I had no idea so many benefits came along with it,” Stacey said. “With these classes you get ‘baby bucks’ and you can spend it on diapers and clothes. For every time I go to one of these classes, or I work 30 hours, or we go to the baby’s doctor appointment, I get diapers from the WIC office. I have a rewards card from her insurance. Every time she goes into a checkup I get $10-20 for formula.”

And WIC does not provide support for just infants; through the incentive system, parents benefit as well.

“WIC is an awesome resource for them because they get vouchers for very healthy food, and that helps the grocery budget. The main thing is that they are getting prenatal care, and they get started on all their multivitamins so that they can bring a healthy baby into the world,” Schwob said. “We have to keep mom healthy, too.”

While the programs offer the same base information and incentives to each parent, not every situation is the same and accommodations are made when necessary. “[The programs] are there to encourage and support the things you need to do in order to have a healthy pregnancy,” CCHD registered nurse Lisa Goins said. “It’s not just a one size fits all. It is a personalized plan.”

After a positive pregnancy test, making prenatal care arrangements is essential.

“Prenatal care and delivery are only the first expenses, and maybe the least expensive, associated with pregnancy. A new mom should expect the first year to cost upwards of $10,000 to care for a newborn,” Shaw said. “There’s not a reason teens should go without prenatal care. No one needs to have insurance coverage before beginning care, either. We will treat regardless of insurance or financial status.”

If someone is not able to financially obtain prenatal care by themselves, Via Christi and the Community Health Center offer financial assistance.

Although a majority of the programs are offered through CCHD, The Family Resource Center offers a childcare service at a reduced rate for young parents. “[The parents] need to finish school, and while they’re at school, they need a safe place to take their child,” Executive Director Ann Elliott said.

The parents are then introduced to an Early Steps to Success coordinator. The coordinator conducts home visits and assists parents with word literacy to ensure the child learns to read by third grade.

“It’s a rough schedule and a rough job, but we’ve had girls who have gone on to do wonderful things,” Schwob said. “They’ve gone off to college and risen above their situation, but it takes a tough kid. They’ve got to be strong and really motivated.”

For senior Demi Stacey, the same goal of finishing school motivated her. She is currently working 30 hours a week and graduated in December. She plans on starting classes for a CNA license in March.

“Your baby should be your motivation to push forward,” Stacey said. “So if not for you, do it for your baby.”

Someone who has shared a similar experience and knows the challenges and triumphs of being a young mother is Courtney McCartney, Lakeside Elementary School Principal. She found out she was pregnant with two weeks left in her senior year of high school. She was able to overcome the struggles that came along with her teenage pregnancy and finish her schooling.

“The question I seemed to get a lot was, ‘Are you still going to continue school?’”

McCartney said. “I would step back and be offended because I’m like, ‘I’m not stupid. Yes, I might not have thought through some of the process of it, but I’m still who I am. I still have my goals and I still know what I wanna do, and I still have the drive to be successful.’”

And although becoming pregnant was not something she planned on happening before she finished college, it did not stop her from achieving her goals.

“Even as a young kid your road may change, but you still know your goal and your journey,” McCartney said. “There might be some roadblocks thrown at you, but you still kind of stay on that course.”

38/113 students or partner have had a pregnancy scare

77 135

never or rarely practice safe sex

A saving grace One teen’s pregnancy experience Molly graham and josh lee @molllygraham @iAmTheJoshLee Not only did sophomore Eliana Gonzales have to endure a pregnancy for nine months, she had to do it alone, at the age of 13.

“It was my last semester in eighth grade,” Gonzales said. “I wasn’t using condoms or contraceptives. I wasn’t really thinking about it, and [I got pregnant] when I lost my virginity.”

For Gonzales, it was a terrifying experience. She had to seek a pregnancy test from the KidCare van at the middle school.

It was especially difficult for Gonzales because she did not feel suppor ted during her pregnancy.

“My mom was tr ying to talk me into giving her up for adoption for eight months,” Gonzales said. “My mother wasn’t there for the pregnancy, and [the baby’s] father wasn’t there, so I felt like I was alone in it.”

A month into the pregnancy, Gonzales found someone to suppor t her through the process.

When Pittsburg Community Middle School (PCMS) counselor Terri Sutton first heard about Gonzales’ situation, she approached Gonzales after hearing rumors about her pregnancy to offer counseling. This turned into taking Gonzales to regular prenatal appointments after Gonzales’ mother granted permission.

“Her mother was not there, and that was just how her mother felt,” Sutton said. “I felt like [Eliana] needed somebody at that time.”

Although having Sutton as a motherly figure for Gonzales was something she was thankful for, it was difficult to not have immediate family suppor t.

- ELIANA GONZALES “I am so happy I had Mrs. Sutton because I didn’t think I would have anyone else there with me,” Gonzales said. “But not having somebody in my family [was difficult] and it hur t me a lot. I was just hear tbroken.”

Because of Gonzales’ mother’s stance on the pregnancy, Sutton arranged for Gonzales to meet with different people representing different options available.

They met with a lawyer, who helped Gonzales understand the legal process of adoption. They met with a woman who had given her own child up for adoption and a woman who had gotten pregnant at the same age as Gonzales and who had kept her child.

When Gonzales reached her eighth month of pregnancy, her mother let go of the idea of adoption. Together, Gonzales and her mother decided they would raise the baby.

And although she now has her mother’s suppor t, Gonzales will always appreciate Sutton’s suppor t.

“I’m glad she considers me a motherly figure and for her to know she can come to me if she needs me. I always want her to have that backup in the right situation. I hope she will always have that with me,” Sutton said. “She has a special place in my hear t.”

Currently, Gonzales is a sophomore in high school and a full-time student.

“Before I got pregnant, I was horrible,” Gonzales said. “I got in trouble a lot through middle school and then God stopped it. He gave me my baby to help me realize what I was doing was not right.

To this day, I look back and I realize my baby saved me.”

“

not hhaving somebody in my family [was difficult] and it hurt me a lot. I was just en. heartbroken.

”

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skyrim still making impact Connor balthazor @PHSstudentpub efore I begin, yes, I know that “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” is over four years old, but there are not many games coming out this month, and “Skyrim” is an amazing game that I still play to this day.

“Skyrim” begins with your character in a horse drawn cart, on your way to your execution in the village of Helgen.

When you arrive in Helgen, you will get the chance to create a character. As usual in games developed by Bethesda, such as “Fallout 4” the character customization is very in-depth. You can choose between 10 different races, each having its own benefits. After you create your character, you will be sent to the execution block. As you make your way to the block, you will hear noises echoing off the sides of mountains.

Right as you are about to be executed, a dragon lands on top of a guard tower, and wrecks the whole town, which is not very nice. Later in the story, you kill a dragon and absorb its soul. When you do this, you learn you are something called “Dovahkiin” or “Dragonborn.”

In “Skyrim” the three main attributes you have are; Stamina, Health, and Magicka. Stamina affects how long you can sprint, how much weight you can carry, and how many power attacks you can perform before you run out of stamina. Health is exactly what it sounds like,

B

The ender scrolls ««««« «««« it determines how many health point you have. Magicka is how much magic you can use before it has to recharge.

Some spells you can use are; Healing, which restores health. Flames, which shoots flames out of your hands at enemies. And Sparks, which shoots lightning at opponents. When you level up, you can choose one out of the three to add 10 points to.

Remember when I talked about

“

absorbing dragon souls earlier? Those souls can be used to unlock shouts.

Shouts are words that can be picked up throughout the game, and can be used to your advantage. One of these shouts, unrelenting force, throws anyone in the area of the blast into the air, giving you a chance to use potions to heal up, and give you a rest from combat.

- CONNOR BALTHAZOR However, they take varying amounts of time to recharge. Their

Overall, “Skyrim” Over made a huge impact in the world of games, and continues to be one of the most ost played games

recharge time typically depends on powerful the shout is.

One thing that has normally been poorly done in “Elder Scrolls” games is the combat system. The main melee weapons that you can use in Skyrim are; Swords, Axes, Maces, Greatswords, Battleaxes, and Warhammers. The combat system isn’t bad, but it’s repetitive.

Killing enemies in “Skyrim” is essentially swinging your weapon back and forth until they’re dead, and it can get kind of boring, and it’s one of the only things in this game that isn’t outstanding.

Overall, “Skyrim” made a huge impact in the world of games, and continues to be one of the most played games and one of the most highly rated games of all time.

students welcome new restaurant The Brickyard delivers patrick sullivan @PHSstudentpub As a lifelong resident of Pittsburg, Kansas, whenever I hear the news that a new restaurant is opening, I get a little too excited. I always am eager to tr y the latest cuisine in town.

The Brickyard grill opened Monday, Feb 1. The location of the restaurant is 516 Nor th Broadway, now in the building that was Bourbon Street. The Brickyard is open Monday-Saturday and food is available from 11 to 10.

I made my visit to The Brickyard Grill on Feb 6. I did not take into account how busy it was going to be on the first Saturday is was open, lesson learned.

Aside from the fact that the numerous T Vs make it a hangout for any spor ting event, I felt as soon as I walked in that it was already becoming a family sit-down eater y as well.

It was date night on Saturday and I attended the Brickyard with my girlfriend and another couple. The place was packed. We were sat after having to wave down the bar tender who promptly sat us and took our drink orders.

The shor t description I read about this place was “Fresh Hamburgers, hand-cut fries, wings, gourmet hotdogs, and much more!” That sounded appealing to me before my visit, but as soon as I glanced at the menu, my mouth star ted watering. The menu was

simple, organized and not a hundred pages like some restaurants.

I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries for around $8.00 and, let me tell you (this was the best $8 spent of my life) It was a double patty covered in cheese with ver y crispy bacon. The French fries were golden brown in a good por tion. I ordered my sandwich plain to get the full f lavor of the burger.

The food was fantastic. I devoured my cheeseburger in minutes and finished my fries quickly, too. The freshness was a ver y noticeable quality in the meal. I could easily tell the fries were fresh and my burger was prepared on site. To me, that is a plus because so many places transpor t its food on a truck pre-made.

The atmosphere was also spectacular. The high table seating and T V array made it a spor ts lover’s dream. Plenty of bar seating was also available as well as event space on the other side of the restaurant. When we ate there it was so busy the hosts were beginning to seat folks in that area.

The Brickyard Grill made for an amazing date night. I can’t wait to tr y other items on the menu. I hope Pittsburg welcomes The Brickyard as much as I do. I recommend this joint for a date night or a quick bite to eat at lunch.

I think I’ve found a new local favorite.

I am looking for ward to my next visit.

Dining out, sophomore Harleigh Drake enjoys fries with friends at The Brickyard. A signature dish is the Roy-al with Cheese, which features applewood-smoked bacon, American cheese with a fried egg in addition to lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle for $8.49.

PHOTO BY MADDY EMERSON

Blue Steel is back: Zoolander 2, return of stupid Julie wilson @JL_Wilsonn Fifteen years after the original movie came out, Ben Stiller co-wrote, directed, and starred in the sequel “Zoolander No. 2”.

Stiller once again plays Derek Zoolander, a former male model who is no longer popular.

After a visit from Billy Zane (an actor and model), Derek decides to get his modeling career back together in Rome, where he has been invited to be a par t of a new fashion line. He is also tr ying to get his son Derek Jr. back after losing him years ago when his wife died in a building collapse.

Zane also talks Derek’s best friend Hansel (Owen Wilson) out of retirement.

Derek and Hansel are recruited by Valentina (Penelope Cruz) to help her out when people like Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato post pictures on social media with the famous “Aqua Vite” look on their face before they die. In order to put a stop to it Derek and Hansel need to get access to a younger and different fashion industr y.

Meanwhile, Mugatu (Will Ferrell), the villain from the first movie, gets out of prison and searches for someone who has magic

blood that can provide eternal youth. Since both plots are connected, you know that Zoolander and Mugatu are going to go head to head in a confrontation that is just about as ridiculous and funny as the rest of the movie.

This is what I think the plot is, but to really understand it, I think you have to be as dumb as Zoolander himself.

Along with this there are many cameo appearances (Benedict Cumberbatch as supermodel All and Kiefer Sutherland as himself in a role that will surprise you).

When the first movie came out Will Ferrell was not as popular. Today, he is probably one of the most famous actors.

I thought the movie was great but it was funnier when they were breaking new ground, not redoing stuff from the first film. It is a stupid-funny type of movie that either makes you laugh or makes you wonder why you wanted to watch it. Sometimes you do both.

In conclusion, it was an okay movie and wor th the matinee admission, but if you want to see something that makes you think, you are in the wrong movie. Don’t think about the dumb plot, just sit back and experience it.

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TEACHERS UTILIZE POINTS TO PROMOTE PARTICIPATION Different policies enhance student success Morgan plank @momoplank verything varies class by class: content, classroom policy, teaching style. Some teachers have daily grades and some teachers do not. Whether considered daily points, participation points or professionalism points, the purpose is the same. The points monitor attendance and give students a consistent daily addition to their grade.

In his classroom, theatre teacher Greg Shaw has incorporated what he calls “Absent Recovery,” which allows students to earn missed participation points, which are accepted up until finals.

“This was an attempt to make a very simple across-the-board policy that would address my concerns towards excessive absences. They know from the very beginning every day they miss, they are going to miss 10 points,” Shaw said.

Shaw’s classes focus on group acting activities that cannot be made up by a single student.

A large majority of the Absent Recovery consists of reading a play, or a piece of literature, and writing a reaction paper.

“It is not made to be a discomfort, but in order to place value on the time that we spend in class. Sometimes you have to have a little discomfort outside of class when you miss out on that,” Shaw said.

“It is still a communications class so, we want make sure we are not minimizing the value of group dynamic and having that interaction.”

The only aspect of his Absent Recovery policy Shaw struggles with is how to treat student activities.

“Initially, in my mind, they missed the information. So, an absence is an absence. But, administration encourages us not to treat it that way. I am becoming more inclined for school activities to not penalize the absence and that is hard for me because I know there is still value in having been in class,” Shaw said. “But, I know there is value in participating in sports and other activities as well, so it is tough.”

Another teacher who also has a specific policy is social science teacher Gary Wolgamott.

“I have what I call ‘Professionalism Point Recovery,’” Wolgamott said. “I post on Canvas [an online website] a list of questions along with each unit and what will happen is [students] will complete a question and a form, which basically deals with information they are doing in class.”

The missed ten points are divided into four categories.

“I give them [the points] at the beginning of the week. I have it broken up into two points for being to class on time, two points for bringing materials, three points for following directions and the remaining three points based on whether they turn in assignments on time or not,” Wolgamott said. “The whole process is intended to give them an incentive or build up a few extra points because all of those things are normally required anyway. It has nothing

E

scheme of things I don’t think they matter too much.”

However, for senior Ethan Jewell, thinks a student’s attitude is what will determine their initiative to make up points.

“I had a class I had a B in but was then brought back up to an A because of daily points,” Jewell said. “If you care about school, you will already be trying. If you don’t, you definitely won’t care about five points a day.”

For English teacher Melissa Fite Johnson, participation points vary by class.

In her Advanced Composition course, Johnson begins class by having students journal every day.

“With the journals, I felt really strongly that the journals should not be read. I feel like the writing practice is really important and where they find their voice and where they are not being judged or graded like they are on their essays,” Johnson said.

If students are absent, they are able to journal on their own or else the grade remains a zero.

For students like sophomore Caleb Blansett, a zero can be a motivating factor.

“Zeroes in Powerschool make me cringe,” sophomore Caleb Blansett said.

“If daily points are a big factor on your grade I believe it motivates students to actually give some effort.”

Johnson believes absences should be determined on an individual basis.

“I feel like it is a judgmental call every time, and that is one of the hardest things I think about being a teacher is,” Johnson said. “It’s so important to me to be fair, I feel with every single assignment I am looking into it like ‘okay, was the purpose of this that I want them to practice writing? Okay, - JULIE LAFLEN then, I want them to make it up.

Was the purpose of this just to make sure they were on task of a comprehensive check and very spe- while they were in my classroom? Well, cific to the curriculum and what they’re in that case, they don’t have to make it up doing. I can see what kids know and because they weren’t in my classroom.’” if I need to reteach something,” Laflen To Johnson, class discussions are also said. “Bellwork for speech classes is not vital. as specific; it is more of getting to know “In some of my classes, students are the student better and getting them in a very quiet and it is exhausting to try to routine everyday.” coax conversation out of them,” Johnson While bellwork only accounts for two said. “I find the few times they do a of the five daily points, it is available to Socratic Seminar, and I am actually gradmakeup points for an absence. ing them on making at least two mean“To me, an absence is an absence. I put ingful comments during the class period, a zero in Powerschool and I put absent,” those conversations do tend to be better.

Laflen said. “I want it to tell the student So, I find that the points are very much an ‘hey, you weren’t here, come see me incentive.” and I’ll tell you what you missed to make Overall, these points are for the betterup your work,’ so it helps hold the kids ment of the students. accountable.”

“I think these points serve a purpose, This applies for all of Laflen’s classes. especially in the writing courses I teach.

“Even though participation points can A lot of students are pretty self-conscious help some students get involved in their about their writing. Points like these help classes I’ve never felt they were impor- encourage them and it is just a slight buftant enough to make up, or question fer on their grade,” Johnson said. “I think a teacher about,” senior Will Schindler I just really want to encourage kids to just said. “Participation points make a small write and put thoughts on paper that I can positive difference to me, but in the grand help you turn it into something.” to do with my perception.”

In addition, all of students assignments are online with attached due dates.

“Everything we do in class is on Canvas. I don’t assign work today that is due tomorrow. Students may have three or four days and they know from the very beginning of each week what we are doing for that entire week so they know all the due dates,” Wolgamott said.

“There are no secrets; it is all cut and dry.”

For some courses, the class is solely based upon participation.

“Physical Education (P.E.) classes are activity classes and if you don’t participate, it is impossible to pass the class,” P.E. teacher Kylie Roelfs said.

Students can earn a maximum of 30 points a day, but they can also lose these points for not being prepared.

“If a student is gone from class for a school activity, it is recorded as a no grade so it does not help or hurt the student,” Roelfs said.

This also applies to other absences.

After, and including, the eighth absence, a zero is recorded and those points can be made up through paperwork dealing with P.E. To Julie Laflen, speech, debate/forensics teacher, these points serve several purposes and are completed in the form of bellwork.

“Debate and Forensics bellwork is more

“

“I wan want it to tell the student ‘hey, yyou weren’t here, come see me and I’ll tell you what you missed to make up your work,’ so it helps hold th the kids accountable.””

missing out: Maddie baden @MaddieBaden xcited to teach her favorite lesson, English teacher Melissa Fite Johnson looks around the room and sees empty chairs. Feeling disappointed, she wonders why students would skip class when she has worked hard on her lesson.

“I mainly [feel frustrated] when I have spent a lot of time on a lesson that I am really excited to teach,” Fite Johnson said. “[It makes me upset] when people are gone and especially if they do not have a good reason.”

Assistant principal Chris Garzone feels cutting is a concern.

“There is never a good reason to do it,” Garzone said. “The administrative team needs to continue to stay consistent with consequences for students so hopefully the behavior can change.”

Since August, according to Garzone, there have been 129 unverified absences, which are counted as skips. Secretary Susan Russian performs an attendance audit each day.

“Susan first runs an attendance report that identifies a kid that is absent for just one class,” Garzone said. “Then if she notices that something is a little off [for instance] if a student is here for three hours and gone for two she can then call and see what is going on with that kid.”

According to a survey of 163 students, the top excuse for 42 students was being tired, 28 for sickness, 26 felt the class was pointless. In addition, 40 reported their parents were aware and 22 admitted skipping at least once a

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Excessive student absences impact class performance

month.

One of the consequences for skipping is having truancy filed. After four absences, a letter is mailed home notifying parents of absences.

“After about a month, if attendance has not improved for that student the school then files truancy,” Counselor Jessica Stegman said. “[Students] go to court and the judge either orders informal or formal probation. With formal probation, [students] get a probation

“

“Every class is “Eve own unique its ow experience and you can never fully make itt up. up.”

”

-MELISSA FITE JOHNSON

officer who monitors grades and attendance.”

For junior Audrey Smith, who requested to remain anonymous, skipping school and class was a regular routine.

“The main reason why I skip is because I am bored by school and the idea of it,” Smith said. “Sitting in chairs and learning stuff I do not need because I am confident in my future to where I am positive it is going to be okay if I do not have school.”

However, Smith received a warning letter. She was sent to court after her

attendance did not improve. Smith was filed truant and put on probation.

“I am on probation right now,” Smith said. “It is typically a six-month period, but for me since I am not really a bad person I do not fight and I have pretty good grades, my probation officer is probably going to let me off during April or May.” Fite Johnson is disappointed when a student misses class.

“There is this poem that I really love

by Tom Wayman called ‘Did I miss anything?`’ and there is this part about how every class is its own kind of unique experience and you can never fully make it up,” Fite Johnson said. “You can get the assignment, but whatever conversation happened in class that day, whatever comments people made, whatever laughter went on, you cannot make that up. That was a moment that you missed.”

Ditching school or class may seem the easy way out of situations but Garzone and Johnson feel that if a student ever has a problem with wanting to skip class they should find someone to talk to.

“I love students and I love people even more than I love literature and I care about them. I want them to do well and I want them to succeed to get good grades,” Fite Johnson said. “I just wish that students could talk to my former students who graduated or did not.

They come back and tell me they wish they would have taken school more seriously. I have never had someone come back and tell me they wish they would have taken it less seriously.”

Feature

7

staying positive Family fights diagnosis together Alli baden @ @AlliBaden The urgency in her dad’s voice was obvious to senior Maddie Weidert.

“I was in sixth hour and my dad called me to check out,” Maddie said. “I was [confused] and I didn’t have a doctor’s appointment or anything so I thought I was in trouble at first. I rushed home and was freaking out.

When I got home, my family was packing bags.”

As her family was packing, Maddie could make out that her mom and dad, Lynn and Heath Weidert, were crying.

“Then they told me that Ethan has cancer,” Maddie said.

Maddie’s 14 year-old brother, Ethan Weidert, was diagnosed with stage one Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on Jan. 14.

According to cancer.org, Hodgkin’s disease attacks white blood cells in different organs of the body; for Ethan it is his spleen. In its first stage, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has a 90 percent five-year survival rate.

However, while Ethan’s survival rate is high, according to Heath, the well-being of his son still caused him apprehension.

“The doctor said it best,” Heath said. “She said your world just stops spinning. There is nothing else more important than your child. Work, career, home, finances, nothing else matters at that point. You just want to get your child to the hospital.”

Ethan’s path to his diagnosis started while he was at a doctor’s appointment. He had not been feeling well the previous week so Lynn took him to their primary physician on Monday, Jan. 11. It was there they discovered the lump on the back of his neck. The doctor told the family the lump was a swollen lymph node and was a result of mononucleosis (mono) but ran a blood test to confirm.

“I didn’t originally think something was wrong because they talked about him just having mono,” Maddie said. “I had seen other people have [swollen lymph nodes] so I just thought it was something not as serious.”

But as the week progressed, the bloodwork came back negative for mono and the number of lumps on Ethan’s neck increased. This caused concern and lead to another visit to the doctor.

“On Thursday we took him into the doctor and she sent us to have additional tests done at the hospital,” Heath said. “Our primary physician pulled me, Lynn and Ethan into the office and told us they got the test back and the initial diagnosis is lymphoma. She told us we needed to pack our bags and leave for Children’s Mercy Hospital [in Kansas City] right now. So we immediately went home, called Maddie, told her to come home and we packed. We were at Children’s Mercy hospital about four hours later.”

After multiple tests and a minor surgery to remove his lump for a biopsy, Ethan’s lymphoma diagnosis was confirmed.

“I was actually pretty worried [before the diagnosis],” Ethan said. “Immediately when the doctor told us, she said it was a more curable type of cancer. But I was not nearly as worried as the rest of my family.”

Ethan’s complete acceptance of his lymphoma was admirable to his father and was something Heath had trouble grasping.

“He knew he would be sick for a while and once it was done and then life would be back to normal. He is not comfortable with accepting sympathy or being a victim. He just wants deal with it and get it done with,” Heath said. “We realize however small the risks, there is risk for more serious issues, complications, death, frankly, and we have to deal with that possibility and continue to push through and try to make the world start spinning again.”

But the possibility of death was quickly dismissed by Ethan, however, and was only present in his mind “for a quick instant.” But Ethan understood where his parents were coming from.

“It is cancer so they felt it would be a lot more fatal.

They are parents, they are wishing they could take my pain away and they are just extremely worried and had no idea what we were going into.”

As the initial shock of Ethan’s diagnosis wore off, the family began to adjust to a new routine. Ethan is now being treated with chemotherapy, consisting of four 21-day cycles over the course of three months. Currently, he is in his second cycle. His actual chemo takes place at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Ethan and his parents travel to Kansas City for four days of chemo. While there, they are able to stay at the Ronald McDonald house for free.

The rest of the cycle consists of bloodwork and doctor visits that occur in Pittsburg.

“The worst part of my cancer so far has been the first day of every cycle. It makes me extremely nauseated and makes me feel horrible,” Ethan said.

In the midst of the chemo and trips to Kansas City, Maddie remains in Pittsburg. In the absence of her family, she still finds the situation hard to grasp.

“It still doesn’t seem real and I don’t know if that is how it is for Ethan, too,” Maddie said. “My dad had a fundraiser at work and we had people bringing us food and donating money. Ethan even shaved his head. This feels like it happens to someone else and not you, it doesn’t feel real.”

Before the chemo started, Maddie and Ethan realized he was going to lose his hair. This had a significant impact on Maddie.

“It seems kind of weird, but losing his hair has been that hardest part for me. To me, his hair was a big part of him and I taught him how to style his hair. He would always ask me to help him do it and he always liked for me to mess with his hair, like run my fingers through it,” Maddie said. “Now that it is gone I can’t do any of that stuff. He is still him, but it is different.”

Ethan decided he wanted to do something outrageous with his hair before losing it.

“We were going to dye it an orange color or a green because those are his favorite colors but we were looking it up and found that the color for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is purple,” Maddie said. “So we dyed it purple so he could do something crazy but also have it symbolic before he lost it.”

8 sports

Friday, Feb 26, 2016

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

BUilding bonds while breaking barriers Wrestling team welcomes female athlete JOURNEY JARAMILLO @Journeybutcher Growing up, senior Linda Marlowe had always known she wanted to wrestle. This year, she decided to follow her heart and join the team.

Marlowe had always played many sports but knew something was missing. She stayed athletic and fit with sports like track and soccer.

“I have always wanted to do something that was more out there, more physical. I tried other sports, but I have always been more of [a] physical person when it comes to sports, and I knew I wanted something that fit my personality more,” Marlowe said. “It was just natural that [wrestling] was the sport I was drawn to.”

When she realized she had a passion for wrestling, Marlowe tried to join the team at her former school, New Bern High, in N.C. Unfortunately, the wrestling coach at the school was not open to a coed wrestling team.

With this being Marlowe’s first year wrestling, and being a female wrestler, the feedback she has received has remained positive.

“Most of the feedback is encouraging. Out of all the comments you get, there is [going] to be some that are negative,” Marlowe said. “People are just bound to this gender stereotype; guys do this, girls do that. But, most of the comments I get are positive.”

Many of Marlowe’s teammates, such as junior Christian Hyde and sophomore Zach Kunkler, believe she is a great addition to the team and they admire her sportsmanship.

“She is a good sport. She always picks the optimistic thing out of a bad situation. [Having her on the team] just gives us a boost of inspiration,” Kunkler said. “We think that if she has the courage to come out for wrestling and has such a good attitude, then we should too.”

According to Hyde, and Marlowe herself, the team treats her like they would anyone else on the team.

“We learn something new or get critiqued everyday, so you have to be very [tolerable to be a wrestler], and I would say she is very acceptable to new things,” Hyde said.

The only difference between herself and the male wrestlers, according to Marlowe, would be that she has to wear a shirt under her singlet and change in a different area.

Marlowe believes that any female wanting to play a male dominant sport should not hope for special treatment. She appreciates when her opponent puts up a good fight.

“If a guy goes easy on me, it [is aggravating],” Marlowe said. “If they do that, I feel like they are assuming that I am weaker than them.”

She believes girls should try wrestling because it could benefit them like it did her, or even in a different way.

“It has helped me really get to know myself, know my limits. It helps me really just keep pushing myself a little further,” Marlowe said.

“More girls should come out and wrestle. I think they would enjoy it and they might learn more about themselves.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK BRUMBAUGH

“More girls should come out and wrestle. i think they would enjoy it and they might learn something about themselves.”

A day in the life of a dual play two sports athlete: Students in one season LEXI PALMER @lexipalmer1022

Hours before first period begins, junior Kayla Clark is already at school practicing her dance for the basketball halftime performance with her bag packed for a volleyball tournament. Clark is one of many dual athletes who has to balance her time training for multiple sports at once.

“It can be pretty tough sometimes,” Clark said. “I always try to be prepared for the week in advance and have a schedule set for everything I have to do. After a while, it just becomes routine.”

Junior Taylor Muff enjoys the fact that she is able to play volleyball and basketball at the same time.

“Basketball is important to me,” Muff said. “I’ve been playing ever since I was little, but volleyball is my favorite sport.

I usually have two basketball games during the week, maybe even a volleyball tournament on the weekends, on top of that seven practices all together.”

On top of typical school work, dual athletes must account for numerous practices and games in their schedule.

“As a [dual] athlete, you take on the

responsibility of having homework late at night and maybe not being able to go to sleep until 11,” freshman Vanessa Yaghmour said. “You learn to study a couple days earlier than others so it doesn’t run into your practices.”

These athletes accept the challenge of balancing school with multiple sports all at the same time.

“I think it’s good for them to do more than one sport because, then, they work on different muscle groups, giving them less of a chance to get injured,” Eric Flaton head girls basketball coach said. “The girls do a really good job at not giving up when any signs of being worn out come.”

These dual sport athletes practice for roughly 16 and a half hours a week.

“Other people tell me I am overdoing it, but I love it,” sophomore Abbie Casper said. “I love being busy.”

Regardless of their favorite sport, dual athletes show an equal amount of dedication and passion for the game and enjoy the support of the team.

“I chose to play volleyball and basketball because I am passionate,” Yaghmour said.

“I love being part of a team.”

Driving to the basket, sophomore Abbie Casper bypasses a defender during the first Border Classic Tournament hosted at the high school. Casper plays club volleyball for Star Aquila during basketball season.

PHOTO BY HEATHER MONTANELLI

athlete highlights @ivanthehoss56

Elijah Harris Starting varsity is something normal for junior Elijah Harris. While playing three sports, he has intentions of playing either football or baseball at the collegiate level.

Harris uses these intentions as motivation.

“I don’t worry about recruiting and that makes the game come easier,” Harris said. “I can go out and play without worrying if a recruiter will like what I am doing.”

Harris, while not looking for a future in basketball, cares about the game and the team as a whole. He has goals for the season he hopes to accomplish.

“I [wanted] to win the SEK, first of all, and then I hope to go far into the postseason,” Harris said.

Last season, the team racked up six wins, which led to the Dragons being selected third in the SEK. “The season started very slow, but is going well right now.” Harris said. “After we got our first win, we got on a roll, and now we are number one in SEK.” One goal for Harris was to improve last year’s win total and the team met that mark before even playing half of their games.

“One of my top goals this season was to win more games than we did last year,” Harris said. “It feels good to have already done that.”

PHOTO BY MORGAN NOE

PHOTO BY HAZEL HARPER

PHOTO BY ASPIN DURBIN

IVAN WALTER

Keyth waltrip For junior Keyth Waltrip, wrestling on varsity is what he always wanted to do. Achieving that made him proud.

“One of my top goals coming into the season was to be able to wrestle at the varsity level for my third consecutive year,” Waltrip said.

Some athletes set goals for the seasons, but Waltrip set long-term goals for his sport.

“I want to wrestle in college and hopefully one day win a college national championship,” Waltrip said.

Wrestling is different from most team sports because the goal is to help the team win, but is also an individual event.

But Waltrip is more about the team than anything else.

“I feel that the team is doing very well. We are 18-3 on the year and we won the SEK duals, which put us in first place in the SEK.” Waltrip currently wrestles in the 145 pound weight class.

“My season is going well. I am having no major problems, but my record is just okay. I went undefeated at the SEK tournament,” Waltrip said.

For Waltrip, wrestling has helped improve his character.

“Wrestling pushes me to the limit all the time,” Waltrip said. “It has taught me discipline, trust and to enjoy things in life like spending time with teammates on the bus.”

Sam Bollinger Playing for most of her life and now in her final season, senior Sam Bollinger wants to finish without regrets.

“I give my all because it’s my senior year,” Bollinger said.

“This is it and I want to lay it all on the line.”

For some athletes, the goal of sports is to make it to the collegiate level. However, Bollinger has different goals.

“I want to be SEK champ and I want to make it far into the postseason as well,” Bollinger said. “I am not planning to play sports in college so I hope to have a fun senior season.”

For Bollinger, being close to the team helps them compete well and enjoy the game.

“We are so close to one another on and off the court and it just makes the game so much more enjoyable,” Bollinger said.

Having a new coach was something Bollinger did not plan for but she believes it benefits the team.

“We have transitioned into his game plan with huge success and it’s made us so much better,” Bollinger said.

Despite only one senior graduating, the team has won more games than last year.

“We have had a lot of success,” Bollinger said. “I hope we keep up this level of play.”