February 2015 The Booster Redux

FCCLA RESULTS STUDENTS COMPETE AT conference and qualify for state

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

Friday, Feb. 27, 2015

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jupiter ascending student’s opinion on new channing tatum, mila kunis movie Page 4D

the heart of the matter Students share their stories of overcoming heart conditions MEGAN MUNGER @dragonstwirler he is in the middle of a softball game when she collapses, unable to breathe, and has to be carried off the field.

“It is pretty scary. It knocks everything out of you,” sophomore Caitlyn Burdick said. “After [an episode], you [get] cold and you feel like you’re going to have several smaller ones.”

Burdick has Mitral Valve Stenosis (MVS), which according to heart. org, is a heart condition in which the mitral valve does not open as wide as it should and because of that, can cause fluid buildup in the lungs. The mitral valve is a valve that allows

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student fulfills mothers dreams Page 5D

frosh basketball freshman boys basketball team continues winning streak for three years Page 8D

“” it is pretty scary.itknocks everything out of you.

heart condition.

Durbin has Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW).

According to heart.org, WPW is a condition in which the heart has an extra pathway that allows the electrical signal to arrive at the ventricles too soon. It causes very fast heart rates and an increased risk for sudden death.

“I had surgery when I was eight years old,” Durbin said. “I’m very glad that I had it because now it’s a lot less worrying. It still terrifies me and anytime I get chest pain it freaks me out.”

Durbin gets annual checkups to make sure that WPW has not came back and so far, all is well. She also is not on any medications but,

mathew earns semifinalist recognition

emmanuel

gonzalez

blood to flow from one part of the surgeries for it. heart to the other.

“Sometimes whenever I feel like MVS is not something that is I’m going to have [an episode], I’ll necessarily new to take ibuprofen her or her family. beforehand,” “It is supposed Burdick said. “[That to skip a is all I take] right generation but, now but, if it gets for me, it didn’t,” worse then I’ll be Burdick said. “My put on some sort of great grandpa medication for it.” had it, and then In order to my mom got it, recover from an and then it was episode, Burdick - CAITLYN BURDICK supposed to skip does breathing a generation and go on to one of exercises. The time it takes her to my or my sibling’s kids but, I got it recover depends on the severity of instead.” the episode.

Burdick was born with the Along with Burdick, sophomore condition and she has not had any Aspin Durbin was born with a unique

Senior awaits news for highly anticipated scholarship MOLLY GRAHAM @molllygraham n September, senior Joseph Mathew was notified that he was a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation competition (NMSC), and just this month, was told that he had advanced to the finalist level.

Every year, almost eight thousand college-bound high school seniors in the US are granted one of three different Merit Scholarships through NMSC. This year, Mathew is in the running to be one of those eight thousand winners.

At the high school there are, on average, one to two students who qualify for NMSC every other year, according to assistant principal Rhonda White. In 2009, one of those winners just so happened to be Mathew’s sister, Nina.

According to their website, NMSC is an academic competition that acknowledges high school students who have achieved high scores on their PSATs, as well as strong academic performance.

NMSC recognizes these students by awarding them with scholarships to the universities of their choice.

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National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, senior Joseph Mathew looks at his computer while working in Mrs. Gilbert’s classroom. PHOTO

BY JACOB WEBB

The students who qualify for the NMSC acceptance are either praised of their accomplishments or move on the semifinalist level, which is made up of 16 thousand participants. From that, 15 thousand students are picked to advance to the finalist level. This is where Mathew stands. “[Being a National Merit Scholar] is a huge recognition of his accomplishments in high school, but it also is a scholarship opportunity for him for college,” said Gifted Resource teacher Beth Gilbert.

“I was really ecstatic to hear about [being a semifinalist] because I think it just proved that all my hard

work paid off. I think it’s just recognition, the fact that I became a semifinalist simply just justified all the hard work that I put into this one test,” Mathew said. “It really made it all worth while.”

Throughout his high school career, Mathew has taken many advanced classes and his sophomore year, took over 10 PSAT practice tests.

“Everything that [Joseph] does, he does to the best of his ability. He is the consummate student in that he puts forth his best effort,” Gilbert said. “He’s just intrinsically motivated to do his best and he strives for excellence in everything that he does.”

Although Mathew does

not find out if he is a winner of the scholarship until March, just being a participant at the finalist level has gotten him many scholarships already.

“It means a lot to me to have the chance to have colleges offering scholarship money for me, simply because I’m a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship,” Mathew said. “It’s very important to me.”

While Gilbert has like a mentor for Mathew the past four years, she presumed that all of Mathew’s successes have been of his own accord.

“I can’t take any credit for anything that Joseph has done. He has done it all on his own, on his own merits.

All the accolades need to

THESPIAN’s take it to the next level Student’s write grant proposal for free trip to conference GINA MATHEW & JOURNEY JARAMILLO @gmmathew13 & @journeybutcher he Thespian Program at Pittsburg High School was given the opportunity to attend the National Thespian Festival (NTF) in Lincoln, Neb. on June 22-27. The event will take place at the University of Nebraska with thousands of Thespians in attendance.

Many members of the thespian troupe are enthusiastic to attend. However, advisor Greg Shaw, has voiced concern in the struggles they would

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face financially.

“There have been some students who’ve shown interest in [going] to the National Conference but, it’s quite costly, between $700-800 per individual,” Shaw said. “The money aspect is something that is keeping a lot of our students from being able to attend.”

Rhonda White, an assistant principal, explains that the district does not have funding designated for the NTF. “As with any group, there are budgets that are designed to help fund activities, and going

to a national conference isn’t something that’s budgeted,” White said. “In order for the students to attend, they needed to secure some different funding.”

In order to cover the expenses, the thespian troupe is in the process of obtaining a “Send a Troupe to Thespian Festival Grant” offered by the National Thespian Organization. This grant is presented to a troupe that has not had any members

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go to him because it is his efforts that have got him where he’s at,” Gilbert said.

“He’s outstanding.”

While Mathew is gaining recognition at a national level, White believes that his involvement at the high school is just as important.

“Joseph is one of those students who really has it all; he is kind, diplomatic, athletic, musical, and intelligent,” White said.

“Whether it is designing a business plan, writing a controversial news story, or competing in debate, forensics or scholars bowl, Joseph makes significant and positive contributions for the betterment of the group and the individuals involved.”

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2 NEWS

Friday, Feb. 27, 2015

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

folk, cortes advance to fccla state contest MEGHAN BAKER @meghanbaker11

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hrough all of their hard work, and preparing at school and at home, two Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members qualified for the state conference.

On Feb. 4 FCCLA attended a conference where several students competed in Students Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) Events at the First Church of the Nazarene.

Junior Rachel Folk competed in Focus on Children. Folk works with the Special Ed students, so she knew what she wanted to do. Sophomore Annie Cortes competed in Food Innovations where she had to make a Japanese inspired kids meal in a bento box. Cortes has a Japanese background so she wanted to do something that she already knew about.

Folk felt that qualifying for state was an honor after the hours she put in to prepare for the conference.

“It feels pretty good to know that I worked hard on something and I got rewarded and to be able to go to [state] for it,” Folk said.

For the FCCLA conference, students prepared by coming in after school or completing it on their own time. Some of the participants started preparing before winter break.

“I did a lot of research, a lot of writing and a lot of testing on cooking at home with my mom,” Cortes said. “I started

thespian conference CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D:

Sophomore Kara Adamson and senior Emily Curlee lift senior Catherine McNeely through tied ropes at the 5 Mile Camp. They did this as a group bonding activity to strengthen their problem solving skills. PHOTO BY MEGAN SMITH

my entire idea in late November and I didn’t start cooking until January.”

The students, along with FCCLA sponsor, Susie Dalton were pleased with the outcome.

“If we have people that are going to

12th, 13th, and 14th. Folk and Cortes will be competing in the same STAR events they qualified for state in. Then, if they make it through state, they will advanced to nationals which will be held in Washington, D.C.

new mentor program Five teachers attend conference in Calif. in March CORAL VANBECELAERE @CVanBecelaere

members previously attend the NTF and can demonstrate financial barriers to attending.

The students sent in their application on Feb. 16, and are waiting to hear back.

“The grant that the kids have applied for would pay all of our expenses for those that are interested in going,” said Shaw. “They got some guidance from Mrs. White and she helped them navigate [through] the grant-writing process, but the kids are the ones that decided they wanted to give it a shot.”

This may be the troupe’s only chance of attendance with financial help. If any students take part in the conference regardless, then it deems the program ineligible for the grant.

Junior Will Jewett has shown an opportune view of the situation.

“I think some of us will still want to attend the festival, and [if a lot of us show interest in going], we may do some fundraising [for our students who couldn’t afford it],” Jewett said.

As far as demonstrating financial barriers, the troupe believes they have an edge.

“They’ll send [up to] two different chapters throughout the country to the conference and we’ve got some financial hurdles here in Southeast Kansas that should make us attractive from a standpoint of need-based scholarships and grants,” Shaw said.

The U.S Census Bureau recently named Crawford County as the poorest county in Kansas. The thespian troupe hopes this could work to their advantage.

Junior Jared Wilde thinks the convention would be a positive contribution to their program. “[This opportunity] would just be a great learning experience for those of us that want to go,” Wilde said.

state, that is awesome,” Dalton said.

Being involved in FCCLA has taught the students many skills. “[FCCLA] teaches you leadership skills, and community service,” Dalton said.

State will be held in Wichita on April

Transitioning into the high school atmosphere can be stressful for some students. New classes, new teachers, crowded halls, and the abundance of homework.

Then, of course, there’s the motto to “Get involved.”

All of these things added together can potentially have an overwhelming effect on freshmen.

“It was a big culture shock coming in from the middle school. At the beginning of the year I couldn’t even understand what lunch I had,” freshman Angela Ortega said.

The Boomerang Project Link Crew is a program developed to help ease anxiety of transitioning into high school and increase success.

In this program, upperclassmen are chosen through an application process and trained to be Link Crew Leaders. Leaders are positive role models and will mentor freshmen.

Teachers will help guide the freshmen to discover what it takes to be successful during their high school transition.

“It was overwhelming to come here because I didn’t know anybody or how things worked,” freshman Haleigh Mynatt said, “Once

people showed me around it got easier.”

English teacher Melissa Fite Johnson, one of five adults being trained in the Link Crew program, believes that Link Crew will be a helpful addition to the high school.

“I think high school is an incredibly difficult time for so many people; it was for me. I had very low selfesteem, and I often felt out of place. I was lucky to have s o m e v e r y g o o d friends w h o are still my best friends today.

Without them, I would -HALEIGH h a v e been lost.

I think it’s crucial we make high school as welcoming a place as possible to those who are entering it for the first time,” Fite Johnson said.

Assistant Principal Rhonda White is introducing the program into the school.

White is passionate about making students feel welcome in high school.

“Research studies show that the freshmen year is critical to a student’s high school success.

While

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most students have littleto-no problem during their freshmen year, having a strong freshman transition program will benefit everyone. Pittsburg High School has implemented several changes over the years to better prepare students before they arrive to the high school and then when they begin their first year of high school,” White said.

Five high school employees, including White, Fite Johnson, chairperson for the School Climate T e a m Chrystal L o n g , freshmen advocate MYNATT K r i s t i n Thomas, and math teacher Rashell Yockey will be trained in California over spring break.

Training involves a threeday off-site training for staff members.

Once that training is completed, those same staff members and selected student leaders then attend additional training about the program, which is to be decided in the future.

The training is specific on how to set up the orientation

It was overw overwhelming to ccome here because I didn’t know anybody or how things worked.

”

HEART AWARENESS: STUDENTS SHARE CONDITIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D: she definitely remembers the effects WPW had on her whenever she was younger.

“One way to slow down my heartbeat was to push against a wall or push against my hands, I had to do something to calm myself down. I could be walking through Wal-Mart and it would speed up so I would have to go and be the weird kid pushing up against the wall,” Durbin said.

“It definitely affected me and my friends because they couldn’t scare me or anything.”

In addition to WPW, Durbin is also at risk for another heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

HCM, according to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, is a heart disease that causes the heart muscle to thicken without an obvious cause.

“My dad died from it when I was five,” Durbin said. “I got checked for it last year and I am clear for it but, I’m more than likely going to pass it onto my kids.”

Heredity plays a large role

whenever it comes to heart conditions. School nurse Lisa Schwob is familiar with them.

“We probably see hereditary [heart conditions] more than spontaneous ones,” Schwob said.

“If you look hard enough then there is probably something, but [there are] some things [that are just] completely out of the blue, too. I can say that most of the cases that we’ve had have been hereditary.”

Along with heredity, the rarity of the case plays a major role, at least -LISA for sophomore B y r o n VonWinklepleck who has a rare condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, meaning that the left side of his heart is underdeveloped.

“Whenever I was born, I had something wrong with my heart,” VonWinklepleck said. “They had to do three open-heart surgeries

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within a year.”

For VonWinklepleck, his condition will never go away and he has to take daily precautions because of it.

“I take medicine for it to keep the blood flowing through my heart so that I can stay alive,” VonWinklepleck said. “I [also] can’t do contact sports.

I have a high probability of not living anymore if I do, but I can still do things like golfing and bowling.”

Amidst these rare and diverse conditions of Burdick, SCHWOB CHWO CHWOB Durbin, and VonWinklepleck, sophomore Malayna Brown has a much more common heart condition.

“I have an irregular heartbeat,” Brown said. “I had heart surgery whenever I was two because I had a hole in my heart, which is why [my heartbeat] is irregular [now].”

Brown currently does not take

cardiac iscar sues [are not something] that youu can htly htly. take lightly.

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any medication for it and it does not cause her many disturbances.

“It’s an extra beat every once in a while. It’s constant until it adds in an extra beat every twenty minutes or so. I don’t really feel it but, every once in a while my chest will hurt,” Brown said. “If I do push ups or something that puts pressure on my chest then it will cause sharp pain.

It’s kind of embarrassing whenever I have to stop [what I’m doing] because of sometimes.”

In addition to all of the heart conditions, February is National Heart Awareness Month and Schwob wants to remind everyone of a few things.

“The things that you do now can affect you in your life later on.

The better care you take of yourself now, the better off you’re going to be. So [many cardiac issues] are brought on by our lifestyle: by not eating healthy and by not exercising,” Schwob said. “You’ve got to stay on top of this stuff or else it is going to catch up with you.

This is definitely something that you need to pay [close] attention to.

Cardiac issues [are not something] that you can take lightly.”

day, how to organize a mentor program, what types of activities one can do in assemblies and in classes, and how to develop a year-long program that encourages students to set goals, to focus on steps to achieve those goals and to have a successful first year of high school.

“Link Crew will help provide that structure so that we can better mentor our freshmen students throughout the year and not just through a one-day event. While Link Crew will help our freshmen students, it also offers a tremendous leadership opportunity for our upperclassmen who can become mentors and student leaders in the freshman transition program,” White said.

The application process for students is to be decided in the future once teacher training is complete.

“Link Crew training will help provide our team the foundation to establish our own customized transition and mentoring program for PHS freshmen. I am most excited that our students will be the ones who keep the program running. Who knows more about what our students need during the transition process than our students themselves?”

Thomas said.

News briefs written by JOSHUA LEE

science olympiad February 21, Andover HS Suhani Mendpara, Justin Blythe: 4th place Cell Biology

forensics February 13-14, Southeast of Cherokee

Jason McDonald: 3rd in House 1 Student Congress Joseph Mathew: 3rd in Lincoln Douglas Debate Haley Uttley: 2nd place US Extemp Joseph Mathew: 3rd place US Extemp Jason McDonald: 1st place Foreign Extemp Ethan Hawn: 2nd place Informative Joseph Mathew: 3rd place Informative *3rd place Sweepstakes

SECTION D

www.boosterredux.com

OPINION

Friday, Feb. 27 2014

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Booster Redux staff and policy

AP u.s. history Becoming History

Editors-in-Chief

Oklahoma legislation bans course despite opposition

Alli Baden Josh Lee Morgan Plank

Managing Editors Molly Graham Miranda Moore Coral VanBeceleare

Design Editors Reagan Rink Kailey Curtis

Copy Editor Megan Munger

Online Editor Kailey Curtis

Staff Katy Brown Maddie Baden Meghan Baker Alivia Benedict Lily Black Morgan Burns Ashley Henderson Ethan Hawn Journey Jaramillo Josh Jarvis Gina Mathew Joseph Mathew Trina Paul Kali Poenitske Ivan Walter Jake Webb Kaylah Wilson Lydia Winters

Adviser Emily Smith

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

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

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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.

Ethan Hawn @ethanhawn888

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t is natural for people to have regrets. It is natural for someone that knows they have done something wrong to want to discuss it as little as possible. However, repressing the past is not a sound practice when it comes to matters of national history.

Earlier this month, the Oklahoma legislature voted with an overwhelming majority to ban the AP U.S. History class from public schools.

The saddest part of the story is that Oklahoma does not stand alone in this act. In several instances, states have attacked the AP U.S. History course, claiming that it misrepresents American history, accenting the negative aspects and choosing to ignore the positives.

Oklahoma Representative Dan Fisher, who drafted the legislation, said specifically that the courses failed to teach “American exceptionalism,” because, by goodness, if a history class doesn’t teach you that America is the best country in the world, why should it even exist?

According to Think Progress, the alternative curriculum advocated by Representative Fisher proposes that students study a set of documents that frame our history. As is also done in APUSH, students study documents like the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

Maybe unlike APUSH, students are

government in just the past century. forced to study multiple sermons, the According to The Telegraph, political Ten Commandments of the Bible, and leaders to this day insist that the numerous speeches by Ronald Holocaust be overlooked so as to Reagan and George Bush. not make students think unfavorIf that seems partial to ably of modern Germany. Is this you, it should be noted the correct approach? And should that a speech of Lyndon B. U.S. students be left in the Johnson is included, servdark concerning matters of ing as the most recent slavery, the Trail of Tears speech from a Democrat and other brutal conquests in the entire curriculum. of Native American land, or Did that ease your conthe way that U.S. officials cerns? pressured nations The legislation banlike Spain, ning Collegeboard’s Mexico, and AP U.S. History Russia to give course passed up their despite sufficient own terristudent protest, tory? and a call from the Tulsa World to not ban the class.

As a student American that has perhistory is not sonally taken spotless, and our the course, it is nation is guilty offensive that legisof many mislators would ban it on such an ART BY AILIE FORESMAN steps and poor entirely flawed basis. But even if policy decisions. My time in the class Oklahoma Republicans are correct, and certainly taught me lessons along those the class outlines bad things about U.S. lines. However, much of the history history, does that mean that students that I learned was quite positive and should not be taught them? patriotic, too. For legislators that have For decades, German schools did not teach students of the Holocaust and likely never taken the class to eliminate it on the basis that it may influence the many atrocities committed by their

The fight against senioritis The necessity of taking grades seriously as seniors JOSEPH MATHEW @jmath06 A seasonal virus seems to have taken hold at Pittsburg High School. As the second semester of the school year kicks into high gear, many of my fellow seniors show symptoms of mentally checking out in some of their classes and skipping others.

It’s a classic case of senioritis.

Senioritis is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades.”

With college acceptance letters streaming in (hopefully!) or job offers lined up, most seniors have simply stopped caring about high school.

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we have ourselves fooled that we are already out of it.

But can we blame them? The senior student is in a rather peculiar place now. The minds of most seniors are wrapped up in college--worried about acceptance letters, financial aid, housing and scholarship deadlines.

However, the bodies of those students are still in high school--preoccupied with academic classes, extracurricular activities, sports and prom.

You might be tempted to kick back, relax, and binge on Netflix series until the graduation ceremony in May. You might have already done that. You might still be doing that. I don’t blame you. Yours truly has stared down these same temptations (and fallen victim to a few).

However, it’s important to stay in grounded in high school for just a little while longer.

Why? Your GPA. It’s important to keep your GPA at an adequate level in these final months of high school.

According to the Huffington Post, “Colleges will reconsider their admission decisions if your GPA falls to a certain point, especially if there are financial packages involved with your acceptance.”

That doesn’t mean that one slipping grade will mean kissing your dreams of college good-bye. But if enough grades go underwater, don’t be surprised if a college expresses its concern to you.

Additionally, colleges expect you to maintain your level of coursework. This is because they are judging your capability to fit in at that institution through your transcript.

Martha Merrill, Dean of Admission at Connecticut College notes, “If you can’t maintain that level of success during your senior year, you cast doubt on your ability to succeed in college.”

So we know that senioritis is bad, and we should try to avoid it. But what can be done about this crippling disease? Last time I checked, a senioritis vaccine was off the market.

However, there are still proactive measures we can take without medication.

According to Dianna Blake of Pearson Students Blog, “The best way to combat senioritis is not to predispose yourself to thinking you have it.”

In a nutshell, stop thinking that you have senioritis. Even if you think you do. If you have convinced yourself thus far that you have senioritis, you can convince yourself that you don’t have senioritis.

At the end of the day, the seniors at PHS will be soon be going off to college, the workforce or the military. As we prepare to depart from 1978 E. 4th St., we might find ourselves engrossed by what might occur in the outside world. Until then, relax and enjoy your last semester of high school. But not too much.

forward-thinking students to reject ignorant nationalist fervor is absurd and offensive.

Even more infuriating is the proposal of Oklahoma Representative Sally Kern, who stated that all AP courses, not just APUSH, should be eliminated.

AP courses offer students a very effective way to test out of college classes that they need not take again, as well as promote themselves on college applications. For legislators (that never again have to go to school) to strike down educational opportunities for upcoming generations is disgusting.

Additionally, because the effects of the legislation apply only to public schools, it has become clear that the cuts are simply attacks on those that aren’t educated privately.

Though Pittsburg is obviously not in Oklahoma, and Kansas’ schools have yet to receive these attacks on education, the acts of the Oklahoma legislature are cause for concern no matter where you live. With rumors of similar actions in the future to be taken by the Kansas legislature, we need to take notice to insure that no similar injustices occur in Kansas education (past the already monumental budget cuts we are facing.) And for those that think we should repress the non-exceptionalist U.S. history, I leave you with the words of Edmund Burke: “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”

Staff editorial:

Academic recognition THE BOOSTER REDUX STAFF @PHSstudentPub Our school prides itself with offering a wide range of activities for students to be involved in, ranging from sports to more academicbased opportunities.

All students have something to choose, whether they are more athletically or academically inclined.

Often athletic achievements are rewarded with special recognition or just in general given more attention than other activities.

Teachers, students and administrators ask athletes how the game the previous night went or how their season is going, but rarely do you hear anyone asking how DECA’s Valentine’s Day fundraiser went or if the preparation for HOSA regionals is going well.

Going beyond different organizations at the school, individual recognition is rarely received as well.

Senior Joseph Mathew is a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist, making the cut out of 16,000 other students across the nation.

This is a huge honor that is widely unknown.

Similarly, a team of six students did a research project over the proteins in the Ebola virus and were selected to present their findings to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Boston. Senior Adrian McAfee will travel there in March with teacher Jim Foresman to present their findings and a 3-D model.

Walking our halls we have various students who have attended state and national competitions for their respected academic related activity that never received any awareness of their accomplishment.

This underrecognition is across the board, including students themselves. We need to resolve to take an interest in our fellow students and our school as a single entity, rather than just focusing on the accomplishments of the singular activities each individual is involved in.

Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Abuse How teens are victimized by their intimate partners Trina Paul @trpaul1998 What happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors.

This is how domestic abuse occurs. As high school students, we are not immune to the dire consequences of those who choose to abuse their intimate partner.

In recent events, we have seen prominent athletes and celebrities, like Ray Rice and Rihanna, become victims or criminals as a result of domestic abuse.

It has been over a year since Ray Rice, former running back for the Baltimore Ravens, punched and dragged his then fiancé, Janay Palmer, out of an elevator at a casino, according to Time. This case brought a torrent of messages from victims of abusive relationships around the world.

After Rice and Palmer tied the knot in March of 2014, the hashtags “whyIstayed” and “whyIleft” trended on Twitter and became a medium for people to speak about their own incidents with domestic abuse.

It disheartens me to know that video evidence of Janay Rice being dragged out unconscious of an elevator was needed to begin a discussion on the issue of domestic violence and abuse.

In fact, domestic abuse is exceedingly more common than many of us think.

According to a Commonwealth Fund Survey, a quarter of high-school girls have been victims of physical, emotional or sexual abuse.

Domestic abuse is not limited to a man abusing a woman, men can be abused by women. Abuse can happen in both hetrosexual and homosexual relationships.

However, the Department of Justice notes that women between the ages of 16 and 24 are at the highest risk of suffering from partner violence.

So how does domestic abuse affect so many teens? Well, abuse can take on many forms apart from physical violence. It can be emotional, name calling or shaming. It can be sexual, raping or refusing to have protected sex. It can be digital, intimidating or harassing on social media websites.

Teenagers might view the abuse they receive from their partners as a normal part of intimate relations.

In order to combat domestic abuse, we should take a look at the societal forces that propel it.

When society teaches men that masculinity is respected and dominance and control in relationships is the norm, these ideas embed themselves into a culture where domestic abuse is perpetuated.

A study from Sam Houston State University found that when abuse is viewed at home by a child, the child is more likely to become an abuser later in life, thus continuing a cycle of abuse across generations. There is no single factor that causes a person to become an abuser, instead it is an aggregate of factors that can come from society and even from the abuser’s own home.

Is it possible to be oblivious to a problem that involves so many around us? Yes, and without proper knowledge of what we choose to be ignorant of, it will still exist.

Domestic abuse will not merely go away, it will fester and grow if we are not taught to recognize it in our own relationships or even those of our loved ones.

You deserve a healthy and loving intimate relationship. One without domestic abuse.

Dear Editors: I read with much interest the article on racism written in last month’s Booster Redux. While this is not intended to be a rebuttal contradictory to Molly Graham’s wellwritten article, it is from a different perspective.

I grew up in Texas during the period when segregation was the norm.

Although I never understood the “separate but equal” concept, I was a part of it. I attended college in the 1950’s when there were no AfricanAmericans on campus and played athletics against schools similar to mine. I vividly recall a sign on the courthouse lawn of several towns that read “Home of the blackest land and the whitest people.” It shocked me. While teaching in a central Texas school district, I was reminded that the AfricanAmerican friends I had made in the Army were

not welcome to spend the night in our hometown, and I could have lost my job if they did.

So, while I agree with Miss Graham that racism is still very much present in our society, it must be pointed out that, as a society, we have made progress. Thank goodness that today, most high school students are “color blind.” Hopefully, the next fifty years will see much more tolerance than today.

In summary, all stereotypes have some validity.

Perhaps, globally, racism will still be evident; however, this generation has a responsibility to see that it is not part of their lives. I remain optimistic. By the way, I love Miss Graham.

I’m her grandfather.

Respectfully, Jack Barnett Former Pittsburg High School Principal

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Evolving the gaming world Second-world game hits the charts

Josh Jarvis @ @JJarvis52

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nce in a while, a previously unthoughtof idea for a game materializes and becomes a standout in its genre.

Call of Duty and Battlefield games are released every year and become more stale with each passing title.

Some studios, however, take time to create a new, fresh first-person shooter game that delivers as a unique masterpiece of its own craft.

Evolve was created by Turtle Rock Studios and had been in development since 2010, according to its official website.

The focal point of Evolve is its four-againstone style of competitive play that pits four player-controlled hunters against one enormous, belligerent player-controlled monster.

Evolve utilizes the teamwork of Turtle Rock’s last hit: cooperative zombie survival game, Left 4 Dead.

Each character has a different class, and with them come unique weapons and gadgets specific to each person, along with some that are standard issue.

I preferred the Trapper class because I could control the monster’s movement and genuinely feel like a great aid to the squad. With equipment like the mobile arena I can trap all who are inside its radius to a confined space.

If I used harpoon traps I could lock a deployable base to a spot on the ground and fire a harpoon to rip into the monster as it passes by, restricting its movement.

The Assault class provides the most amount of action because it is directly responsible for damaging the monster with its high power

COURTESY PHOTO PROVIDED BY TURTLE ROCK STUDIOS

flamethrower, rocket launcher or lightning gun.

Whichever class works best, using communication is key, so I suggest grabbing some friends before beginning a life-threatening hunt to bring down an alien monster.

Bringing down a ferocious giant that is determined to kill you is no easy task, and communication is required at all times in order to successfully hunt the beast.

As soon as the team is airdropped in, the intense track and chase of the monster is both exciting as well as stressful.

If we spread out, we can cover more ground and find the monster quicker, but we are vulnerable while separated. If we stick together, we might not find the monster before it feeds and evolves into its third (nearly unstoppable) stage.

When no one communicates, the monster will grow quickly and destroy us one after another. But when the team is on the same page, the monster will spin around in circles, helplessly trying to

defend itself from the constant barrage of fire from each of the four hunters.

Taking down the monster is extremely satisfying in Evolve because the group bested another person, as opposed to the computer in another game, making it all the more sweeter in the end.

However, straying from the script is Evolve’s best feature.

Like many, I was intrigued by the thought of playing as the monster, repelling the threat of hunters coming to exterminate me, as it so often is the opposite in other alien shooters.

The opportunity to be the “boss battle” of standard games is irresistible and needs to be experienced.

Evolving and striking down the hunters one by one as they are thrown, smashed, fried, sliced, abducted and electrocuted into a frenzy is as satisfying as it sounds.

My favorite monster is the last and most effective monster, the Wraith, because it makes the chase of hunter and hunted seem more plausible and interesting. The Wraith is fast, stealthy

Evolve

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Jupiter descending

and deceptive, using a decoy of itself to throw off oncoming hunters. It can also teleport and either create an explosive blast or snatch one of the hunters and separate them to be dismembered all by their lonesome.

The Kraken, the second monster, is deadly with its lightning strikes, making nearing hunters think twice before charging.

As the starting monster, the Goliath, I found myself getting spotted well before I had eaten enough to evolve and defend myself.

Unlike the other two, it does not have a really intriguing feature, being the most simple and straightforward.

Outsmarting four other players all trying to kill me is even more satisfying than slaying the monster.

In either setting, Evolve is extremely intense and feels like a rush of adrenaline when in the action. It is insanely fun on both sides and is worth playing all the way through to unlock each character and monster.

Evolve truly feels like a unique experience and is definitely worth the time and effort.

Different story lines leaves little character development

IVan Walter matriarch of the Abrasax household. (Yep. Told ya.) @ivanthehoss56 The Abrasax family basically owns planets all over Going into the movie I usually assume whatever I’m the universe but things get complicated when their going to see is pretty bad, and usually I am right. mother (Jupiter) gets reincarnated.

Some would call me a pessimist, but I prefer to be Caine and Jupiter then have to escape a mass of called a realist. aliens and go to Stinger Apini’s (Sean Bean) house. It is I can say this movie wasn’t terrible. There were then revealed that Caine and Stinger were once commany good parts in the movie. I really liked the huge rades and now have sour feelings for each other. fight scenes and the CGI was really well done.

But what really got me about this scene is that StingOn the other hand, the story seemed to be a washed- er’s entire property is infested with bees, which by up attempt at a Cinderella love story. It was very hard to itself seems pretty crazy, but it is because of Stinger keep up with, and even after it was all through, I could being a hybrid like Caine, except he is half bee half barely remember who each character was as none of human. them were developed in a way that made much sense.

One thing that did upset me about this scene was In this intergalactic tale of royalty and love, Jupiter that the bees basically obeyed Jupiter because “bees Jones (Mila Kunis) is a Russian housemaid who, along are genetically designed to recognize royalty.” So with her family, wakes up early and there’s that. cleans toilets for nearly no money at all.

And this is all in the first 40 minutes.

Jupiter ascending Jupiter is convinced her life wasn’t It’s as if this movie is an attempt to fulfilling and is constantly trying on take great parts of many beloved movies her boss’s clothes or wearing her jewand mash them into one super CGI based elry, hoping that one day her life will be film. better. Then, one day at work, her boss is confronted The movie pulls from Cinderella, Star Wars, The by aliens while Jupiter hides in the closet, but is soon Princess Bride, Flash Gordon, Dune and some others caught after her phone goes off. my dad told me about that I haven’t seen.

She then wakes up in the closet not knowing what The problem is that it tries too hard to include all of has happened. It is then revealed that the aliens were these things and the story falls on its face because it is looking for Jupiter and were mixed up due to Jupiter too much to include in a two-hour movie. submitting her bosses name as her own on a medical The CGI is quite memorable. There are a lot of scenes record. that were big and beautiful.

Jupiter goes back to her regular life of cleaning toiThe space travel and the depiction of the different lets and gets into a plan with her cousin where she planets we get to visit were cool. It wasn’t on the level ends up at a hospital trying to sell her eggs so that she that was in Interstellar, but still I liked it. may buy a telescope. She is then attacked by the aliens The spaceships were really interesting in the way but then saved by Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), who they were crafted and the first chase scene in the movis sort of a roller blading half-dog half-human. I know, ie was spectacular. this doesn’t really make much sense, but you will soon You can tell that this movie was made by the people come to notice that a lot of stuff doesn’t make sense, who made The Matrix because every other scene had so let’s just go with it. at least twenty seconds of slow motion.

It is then revealed that Jupiter is the rightful owner It became almost unbearable and just pointless very of Earth due to her being an exact reincarnation of the quickly.

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COURTESY PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY WARNER BROS. PICTURES

new Eats in Pittsburg 200 W. Centennial Drive

101 W. 129th Street

716 S. Broadway Street

2909 N. Broadway Street Graphic by: Kailey Curtis

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www.boosterredux.com Friday, Feb. 27, 2015

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more than just a game Gonzalez inspired by mother Morgan PLANK @momoplank aking up at 3 a.m. in a hot sweat. Feeling the need to pray for his family. Sensing something is wrong. That was the day senior Emmanuel Gonzalez lost two family members.

About a year ago, Gonzalez’ mother and brother died in a car accident in Mexico. Since then, he has dedicated his soccer career to playing for his family.

His love for his family and passion for the game of soccer is evident in the success that he has achieved this year.

This past season, Gonzalez received All-State honors. What sets Gonzalez apart though is what he has overcome.

“It all happened way too soon and way too fast,” Gonzalez said. “The accident had occurred around 3 a.m. My brother suffered from a heart disease which made him get really tired really fast. My mother, brother and father were on a bus taking him to a city called Monterrey to test his heart.

When they were leaving, a truck driver fell asleep and hit them. The driver and passengers died, [including my mother and brother.]”

Gonzalez’ aunt and uncle, with whom he had been living with for four years while in the United States, in addition to his cousin senior Robert Bustamente, picked him up during first hour that morning to tell him the news.

“When I found out, I wanted to die,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t want to go to Mexico because I didn’t want to see my dead brother.”

However, immediately after, they made their way to Mexico for the funeral. Seeing his father for the first time after the accident was emotional for Gonzalez.

“It was hard looking at my father because he had suffered a black eye, a broken arm, his arm and face were cut up and he just looked beaten,” Gonzalez said.

At the burial, Gonzalez had decided that he would not return to the United States.

However, his mother’s plan for him was to finish high school.

Gonzalez’ father and older brother told him that they would support him in returning to the United States and that they would help him if he ever needed anything.

“I feel like going back to Mexico, but I always go back to what my mom told me, which was to finish my education,” Gonzalez said. “My mother’s accent is always in my mind and my mother’s words are also there.”

Gonzalez returned to school this past fall in honor

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Senior Emmanuel Gonzalez attempts to dribble past a Fort Scott defender at a home game this season. PHOTO BY BILL LACKAMP Moore

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I believe there is a reason for this, and I don’t know what it is, but I’m waiting for it to reveal itself. -EMMANUEL GONZALEZ

of his mom and brother.

“I started the school year pretty hard because I still have memories of the accident, I am still scarred by it,” Gonzalez said. “I believe there is a reason for this and I don’t know what it is but I’m waiting for it to reveal itself.”

With all the grief and pain he endured, and with his mother and brother in mind, Gonzalez chooses to focus on his goals.

“He plays for his mom and his

30 days of His word Maddie baden & Kali Poenitske @Maddie Baden & @Kali_Poenitske 30 days of being committed to a religious faith is what many students took on to complete The 30 Day Bible Challenge. The challenge began on Jan. 8 and ended Feb. 6, lasting about one month.

“It is a challenge to bring your Bible everywhere you go, not just to school, but [when you go out to eat, or] to work. It is not just to bring around just to hold in your hand, it’s also to read,” senior Keaton Wilber said. “One of the other big things about it is that you take a picture with you and your Bible anywhere you are and you post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and hashtag it to the Ignite Youth and 30 Day Bible Challenge.”

Most students that participated are from the youth group at Pittsburg Nazarene Church.

Dylan Robinson the youth pastor of this church wanted to start the challenge for many reasons. “[I wanted] students to begin to read the word of God more, for students to be bold about their faith, for them to apply the word of God to their [own] life, and for others to begin to ask about the word of God,” Robinson said.

Wilber, along with junior Shelbi Heikes, and sophomore Karen Campbell were three of the many students who were engaged in the challenge.

Wilber believes he has grown in his faith all through out the challenge.

“Everybody says you can be a strong Christian but if you’re not reading the Bible you are not going anywhere,” Wilber said.

“I never realized that until the 30 day Bible Challenge. I was a strong Christian [before] but I wasn’t able to put some of the questions people had for me into perfect words.”

Countless student wondered about this chal-

lenge. Those that took an interest in the challenge tried their best to answer their peers’ questions, helping to spread God’s Word.

Along with growing in her faith, Heikes found that she enjoyed reading her Bible. Even though the challenge is completed, she continues to read her Bible.

“If there were days where I was having a bad day at school, I would just open it up and read. I would flip to wherever, and I would let fate decide what I was going to read,” Heikes said. “It was really helpful and it was just kind of nice to have it with me all of the time. Now I still carry it with me, even though the challenge is over.”

One message that many participants, especially Campbell, wanted to voice throughout the challenge was to show her faith and act faithfully.

“I think that in high school especially, it is really hard to show what you believe. If [Christianity] is what you believe, then I feel like that is what you should be representing and not just saying that. It is really easy to be hypocritical of everyone else,” Campbell said.

“By carrying our Bibles around it is saying that this is what I believe and I am going to act like it. It is so easy to go through the day and act like everybody else, but that is not who God created you to be and that is not who you want to be.”

Although the challenge is completed, various students will continue to be outright with their faith, whether at school or in their daily lives.

“I thought that if I did [the challenge], and set that example, people would see that it is okay not to be ashamed [of your faith],” Heikes said. “It is okay to carry your Bible around because that is what you believe in, and that is what my life is based around.”

little brother,” junior teammate Jose Ayala said. “He even got number eight because of his mom.

She used to play sports and she was number eight.”

Gonzalez plans to continues his education and play soccer at the next level.

He would like to attend Neosho County Community College.

“He told me that his dream is to become a professional soccer player one day, and I am certain

”

that he will,” English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher Regina Winemiller said.

“Emmanuel is a very strong young man who has suffered greatly. No one can go through that experience and remain unchanged.

Nevertheless, he has continued to work toward his goals of achieving in academics and on the field.

He brings the same friendly smile and amazing attitude to everything he does.”

Nazarene church encourages students to take on 30 day bible challenge

Students (top left to right) Ashlee Beitzinger, Logan Lord, Lauren Hurt, Brooklyn Rhue , (bottom left to right) Taylor Muff and Katy Short, pose with their bibles before basketball practice for a picture representing their participation in the 30-day bible challenge. CONTRIBUTED COURTESY PHOTO Moore

(620) 231-6280

DR. Kent J Cooper 2401 South Tucker Street, Pittsburg, KS

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Premming up the perfect prom posal Students think of eloborate and creative ways to “pop the question” for prom Josh Lee @iAmTheJoshLee etting serenaded at school is not an experience everybody gets to have. However, junior Emma Stalnaker can say that she was serenaded by an entire class, including vocal music teacher, Susan Laushman.

When prom season rolls around, sometimes romantic and other times punfilled prom-proposals of all different kinds dubbed as “promposals” become a phenomenon throughout the student population.

Often, it becomes a trend to see who can come up with the most grand and extravagant promposals for their dates.

That’s why junior Derrick Sumner decided to serenade his girlfriend, Stalnaker, in asking her to prom.

“It was in Encore [class] and I saw Derrick step down from the risers. Mrs. Laushman had said that we weren’t finished with class, even though there were [only] two minutes left,” Stalnaker said.

“Derrick came down and grabbed the microphone, and he handed me this box [of chocolates] with balloons on the top and he started singing a song that he wrote, with Mrs. Laushman playing the piano with him.”

But a promposal like this doesn’t just appear out of thin air.

“I had all the boys [in the class] sing with me,” Sumner said. “It was something that I had planned out for a long time.”

And planning, it seems, is an important part of coming up with a promposal.

Senior Daniel Munguia also promposed to his close friend, junior Makayla Bockover.

“She wasn’t expecting it, but I had to think about how I wanted to ask for a while, and it took one or two weeks,” Munguia said. “It was in the commons area after school. I got a whole bunch of balloons, put them in a box, and called her over, dumped the balloons on her, and I asked her.”

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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY DAESHIA TURNER

But while the promposal was planned and intended to be carried out without Bockover’s knowledge, she noticed what was going on before it happened.

“I kind of suspected that [the promposal] was coming, because [my friend Emma] asked to go get a drink from the water fountain, and when I walked out [of the auditorium], I saw somebody sprint

into the bathroom,” Bockover said. “And then Daniel came out of the bathroom [and asked me] with a sign. I was kind of expecting it, because Emma’s a really bad liar.”

And while not all promposals are of what some would consider the romantic type, promposals between friends are a common trend as well.

Senior Robert Bustamante promposed to his friend, sophomore Morgan Grotheer, during Encore class as well.

“I wanted [junior] Will Jewett to record the promposal, so Ms. Laushman was supposed to give me a signal, she would nod to me, at the end of class and I was supposed to give Will a signal. like a little scratch behind the ear,” Bustamante said.

“But I was really nervous, so I was looking at Will, scratching my ear frantically, like I had a little tick. After that, I went over to where I had hidden my poster and Minnie Mouse doll next to the hand sanitizer. So then I asked her.”

And though not all promposals have to be done in a romantic manner, they can still make the recipient of the promposal, even those involved with the asking, feel unique and appreciated.

“It made me feel special. Obviously, [Sumner and Bustamante] picked the choir room, which we call home, and it meant a lot to me,” Laushman said. “It made me feel included, and I’ve just been really impressed. I thought, ‘what a creative way to invite a date to prom.’”

The surprise promposal was also very special for Grotheer, as nothing like this has ever happened to her before.

“I thought he was going to go blow his nose or something so I didn’t even think twice about it. I was focusing hard on my music, but then all of a sudden everybody just turned to look at me. I looked up, and [Robert] was just there, with a poster,” Grotheer said. “People knew it was going to happen, but I didn’t know about it. I wasn’t sure if it was really me that was being asked, because that stuff never happens to me. It took a while to process that I was going to prom. But I really loved the way he asked me, it was cool.”

In any event, asking somebody to prom or being asked to prom can be a fun part of the prom process for many people.

So in the spirit of prom and promposals, allow me to ask my wonderful friend: Molly Jane Graham, will you go to prom with me?

Katy’s perspective: Being promposed to First hand account of being asked to prom using a fun and unique proposal katy brown @katylady22 With prom almost a month away, many students thoughts are focused on this event. Thinking about dresses, corsages, hair, makeup, tuxes, limos, nails and one of the most important things; their date.

Since my boyfriend, Jack, and I were in the play together we saw each other everyday after school and usually on the weekends too.

One Saturday afternoon as I was walking into rehearsal I saw Jack in the auditorium. He waved at me and told me he had something to show me. He was in the lighting booth and I walked down to meet him. Jack walked out of the booth and he had something in his hand. It was a flower pot in my favorite color, filled with suckers; with a sign that said “Prom will suck without you”.

He started to ask, “Will

you go to pr-” before I cut him off and said “Yes!” with a big smile on my face. We hugged and I took the flower pot from him.

We walked out of the auditorium and into the commons where everyone was waiting for rehearsal to start. A few people saw us walking out and were disappointed that they missed it.

I was happy that the way I was asked to go to prom was in private rather than

a big extravagant thing in front of a lot of people, but that’s just me. When asking someone to prom, personality should be taken into account. You should consider if the person you are going to ask would want it to be public, and maybe how they would want it done.

Promposals have become an important part of prom in our school. People plan them days or weeks in advance and getting friends

in involved. Everyone has a different preference for how they want to be asked; whether they want it to be public or more secluded.

While there is all of this hype about promposals and having a unique one, it is perfectly fine to just ask someone. While having a promposal is fun, there isn’t really any need for it. Either way you are still going to prom.

I knew I was going to be asked by the way he kept

taking my friends to the side to ask them something and how he was whispering to them when I was around. I initially found out what his plan was because my friends had convinced him not to go through with it, and it was changed, keeping the surprise exciting.

The idea of going to prom as an underclassmen was always exciting, but I was overjoyed when it became my reality.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR AT PROM? Marti Sinclair-Senior “Uptown Funk” -Bruno Mars

Emma Stalnaker-Junior “Clocks” -Coldplay

vehicle Schedule hair jewelry

Aspen Lloyd-Sophmore “You and Me” -Lifehouse

Katie Arnold-Freshman “I Live” -Coldplay

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children of circumstance

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Divorce affects students in more ways than one

ALLI BADEN @allibaden hen the curtain closes, the cast of Loserville heads out into the commons at the high school to greet friends and family. Junior Jack Warring hopes to find his dad among the crowd, but eventually realizes that he could not make the journey from Sedan, Kan, 105 miles away.

“There are different shows and sports I do that my dad cannot see because of work and the drive it takes to get down here,” Warring said. “He wants to see me active in school but he can’t.”

Every other Friday, sophomore Morgan Grotheer comes home and remembers that she has to spend the weekend with her dad. She quickly packs her bag and readies herself for the weekend.

“It is always a hassle to come home from school and know that I have to pack a bag for the weekend. Or if I have a family event on my mom’s side on my dad’s weekend then I have to work it out with the both of them,” Grotheer said.

Both Warring and Grotheer deal with these situations as a result of divorce. Whether positively or negatively, it has affected them since.

“It did not really seem real,” Grotheer said. “The reality [of the divorce] did not really set in at first.”

According to the Kansas University Institute for Policy and Social Research, the divorce rates in Kan. are higher than the national average. In 2013, 17,328 marriages occurred, but

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9,085 married couples also divorced. “Whenever I think of anything I date School psychologist Beth Stockard it back two years because that is when believes that divorce occurs for many something big happened in my life.

This Feb. was two years since the reasons.

“In my opinion, divorce rates have divorce and I relate everything back risen due to a few key factors. One to that.”

Divorce can have various effects on is convenience, another is the way in which society currently regards students but according to Stockard, marriage. Many couples still view there is one key factor to make the marriage as sacred and a lifetime com- divorce run smoothly.

“Out of everything, the way the mitment, yet a majority of Americans marry knowing that divorce is a via- parents handle the divorce is going ble option if the marriage becomes to be the most important variable,” too difficult,” Stockard said. “Also, Stockard said.

Both Grotheer there is a correand Warring live lation between with their mothwhat one’s own er. However, they parents relationhave good relationship was like [and ships with both their own relationparents and visit ship]. People are their dads often. much more likely Stockard believes to divorce if they that visiting both come from a home parents is a comin which divorce mon feature of occurred.” divorce that many Stockard also students follow. believes that “For some kids, divorce affects stuthey really like dents in many dif- MORGAN GROTHEER [switching back ferent ways, such and forth between as the age of the parents’ houses] and that is when student when their parents divorced.

Warring’s parents divorced when he they have good relationships with was three years old while Grotheer’s both their mom and their dad. They parents divorced two years ago. While like doing that. The proximity of the Warring did not realize his parents homes can make that a lot easier or had gotten a divorce until later in life, harder.”

Grotheer’s dad lives in Pittsburg.

Grotheer felt the effects of the divorce Consequently, she does not have probimmediately.

“It was really weird, it still is lems with seeing him on his scheduled really weird to me,” Grotheer said. days. Warring, however, has to drive

“

the reality [of the divorce] did not really set in at first.

”

two and a half hours in order to visit his dad.

“The hardest thing about it is they live in separate towns,” Warring said.

“We had to drive and work on visitation. So it is trying to see my dad for awhile and then go and see my mom for awhile.”

Along with parents moving to different houses, the possibility of remarriage is also a big change that comes with divorce and can impact students greatly. “[Dating and marrying] goes back to how well the parent handles it. It can be awkward and it can be difficult but if the parent goes about it the right way and does not make a big deal of it, it goes a lot better,” Stockard said.

Both of Warring’s parents have remarried. He has developed fairly good relationships with both of his stepparents, but it took some time to grow accustomed to.

“I was still trying to get used to the new houses and then I had to get used to new people as well as the new houses,” Warring said.

Grotheer experienced some difficult feelings when she found out her dad was getting remarried.

“It is hard to see him with someone else,” Grotheer said. “It is just weird to know that you have a mom and another ‘mom’ that is not really your mom.”

Overall, Grotheer realized that the divorce eventually led to her parents getting along better.

“They do not fight like they used to. They used to fight a ton, and it is better not having that,” Grotheer said.

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Undefeated

Freshmen boys team continues winning streak for three years LILY BLACK

@ @PHSStudentPub

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Freshman Chase Curtis squares up against a Paolo defender during the freshmen boys game. The game went in to double overtime and Pittsburg defeated Paolo 70-69 and was the closest game the team had played all season. PHOTO BY CHRIS WOOD

riendship, time and brotherhood are elements that go far beyond a spor t, especially for the freshmen boys basketball team.

The team is undefeated this season.

It has not lost a game since its middle school career. The majority of the boys have playing together since elementar y school.

“We have played 19 games this season, and have one more left.” freshmen boys basketball coach Jeff Johnson said.

There is only one game left this season and it is tonight against Columbus.

Being as close as they are has given them the ability to predict each others’ movements on the cour t.

“We have a bunch of guys that are willing to fight for each other, work hard, and put in the work during practice.” freshman Chase Johnson said Several boys on the team have been friends since they were young.

“We’ve been playing since first or second grade,” freshman Landon Conrad said.

Over the years the team has been friends, they have grown strong bonds with each other.

“We are all really close,” Conrad said.

Since the members have been playing basketball together since they were young, they have developed a strong team chemistr y.

“I owe my success to my teammates, coaches, my parents and friends for always being there to suppor t me through ever ything.” Chase Johnson said.

Head boys basketball coach Kiley Roelfs and freshman Chase Cur tis’ dad Chris Cur tis have coached several boys on the team since they were in the first and second grade, according to Conrad.

“They made us practice a lot and I think that has contributed to helping us be successful,” Conrad said.

hard work pays off

Team rallies around sophomore strength, six underclassmen advance to state

BY ALLI BADEN

@allibaden

ith the state tournament taking place today and tomorrow in Park City, the varsity wrestling team saw success this year. Six wrestlers, freshmen David Green and AJ Lair and sophomores Deveron Duncan, Kayne Hutchison, Wes Jameson, and Dylan Prince qualified for the state tournament Assistant wrestling coach Kris Mengarelli has been thoroughly impressed with the wrestlers this year.

“I think it is mostly work ethic. Our kids are passionate about wrestling, you have to be,” Mengarelli said.

The team is young, however, with only one senior on the team, leaving the remaining varsity spots to juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. Many of the sophomores, such as sophomore Joseph Tallie, wrestled varsity last year and he believes it gave him an advantage.

“Well for me last year, it was like I was just trying to survive and I was struggling to make varsity, I did not even care how I did at tournaments, all I cared about was being on varsity,” Tallie said. According to Tallie, wrestling varsity tournaments as well as JV tournaments helped him realize the level of difficulty required for var-

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sity tournaments.

Mengarelli saw an improvement from the sophomores as well.

“Just overall physical development; they are stronger than they were [as freshmen],” Mengarelli said. “There is a difference between a kid who is strong as a freshmen and a kid who is same weight, strong as a junior or senior.”

Mengarelli also contributes the wres-

regional tournament at Blue Valley Southwest, competed at state last year and is confident for the tournament this year.

“It is always fun to go to state,” Hutchison said. “I am in a really good position to win [state] this year, I have wrestled all the top people.”

Mengarelli knows that the state tournament will be a challenge for the wrestlers but believes that the wrestlers’ work ethic will get them there.

“We are in a tough region this year for state. With some of the kids, you want them to go out and win a couple matches, other kids you are hoping they can find a way to place,” Mengarelli said. “5A last year was probably one of the toughest classes in the state. It was tough last year, so I expect it to be tough this year.”

Although the state tournament will be a challenge, Mengarelli believes the wrestlers will excel.

“It goes back to hard work,” Mengarelli said. “Wrestlers are probably the most dedicated, hardest working groups. A wrestling practice can be real grueling, so it is that work ethic and the commitment to the sport and the commitment to their teammates, a lot of those kids work because the guy next to him is working.”

“ ” Wrestlers are probably Wres the mmost dedicated, hardest working group. oup. up - KRIS MENGARELLI

on to the

tlers’ success to wrestling almost year round whether it be at a local or at a national level.

“Prince wrestled in the Fargo Nationals and placed fifth. A bunch of wrestlers went to New Orleans and wrestled in a huge duel tournament with 32 teams. The only way to get better at wrestling is to keep wrestling and so we have seen a lot of those committed to it doing wrestling year-round almost,” Mengarelli said.

Hutchison, who placed second at the

next level

The team’s dedication has helped it become undefeated for the past three years.

“We’ve put in the work ever since we were little and we don’t mess around in practice,” Conrad said. “When we are not practicing at school, we go to the YMCA and scrimmage a little bit.”

With only one game left this season, Jeff Johnson believes that the team is putting effor t into practicing and are always striving to improve.

“They work extremely hard. They come to practice and get their work done,” Jeff said. “I’m proud of the guys, they work really hard and it shows on the cour t.”

The team does not just play competitively. They also play recreational games over the summer.

“Ever y now and then, over the summer we go and have games for entertainment,” Chase Johnson said.

The team hopes to continue improving together as well as competing at the state level in the future.

“Our goal is not just to be undefeated freshman year. We want to do bigger things in the future, like compete in the state championship,” Conrad said.

Along with being successful this season, they are also bringing their friendship closer together.

“We all hang out on the weekends, go to the movies, go to each other’s houses,” Chase Johnson said.

“We are definitely a close group of friends.”

Being friends has allowed the team to work together to keep up its winning streak.

“It’s a brotherhood on the basketball team. Ever yone looks out for each other and ever ybody’s always got the each other’s back,” Chase Johnson said.

“There is no question that we are a tight group.”

sports briefs

Written by Josh Jarvis

Wrestling

At the Regional Tournament held at Blue Valley West High School on Sat. Feb. 21, six wrestlers qualified for the state tournament. Sophomore Deveron Duncan was the lone regional champion while sophomores Kayne Hutchison and Dylan Prince placed second. Sophomore Wes Jameson, and freshmen David Green and AJ Lair placed third. The wrestlers will compete today and tomorrow in Wichita.

girls basketball Just over .500 with a record of 10-9, the girls basketball team has won four of its last six games. Lone senior Katy Short and leading scorer sophomore Taylor Muff have accounted for much of the team’s offense. If the team wins the game against Columbus tonight they will secure a home game in the SubState Tournament. The team will finish the regular season at Columbus against a 12-5 girls team.

boys basketball

Sage Mahnken

alex barnes

drake markley

ryan mcneely

dante richardson

Football Pittsburg State University

Football Kansas State University

Football Hutchison Community College

Football Friends University

Baseball Independence

Community College

At 5-13 on the season, the boys basketball team has gone 3-4 in its last seven games. Juniors Kyle Smith and Dylan Unterwrecker have led the team in scoring and rebounding, respectively, over the course of the season. The seeding for the Sub-State Tournament will be determined on Feb. 28 and the games will take place next week.

The team will finish the regular season tonight at Columbus against a 2-17 boys team.