January 2016 The Booster Redux

At time of press, bond issue results were not finalized.

Read our february issue for in-depth coverage of the final decision

seniors students utilize flexible scheduling Page 2D

softball team adopts morning practices to prepare for season

The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th Street Pittsburg, KS 66762 Vol. 98, Issue 6 www.boosterredux.com

Friday, Jan. 29, 2015

meeting the basic needs School provides resources for all students ALLI BADEN AND NICOLE KONOPELKO @AlliBaden @PHSStudentPub aving the bare essentials was the ordinary for junior Peter Howard.

“I was struggling in eighth grade. I always got made fun of for my shoes and the way I dressed,” Howard said.

Due to the privacy of the subject, Howard chose to remain anonymous.

Howard, coming from a low-income family, had trouble getting basic items such as shoes or clothes, until he received help from Communities In Schools (CIS) site-coordinator Deanna Miller. “[My freshman year] I met her [during school], but then I came to her and asked her for help with shoes because mine fell apart.” Howard said.

Miller presented Howard with a free pair of brand new shoes.

“Honestly, it makes me overjoyed inside knowing that she’s willing to take money out of her budget to do this for kids. It warms my heart,” Howard said.

Miller has worked in the school for seven years. She started out as a coordinator of GEAR-UP, a program catered to helping students in foster care succeed. Now for the past three years, while being apart of the faculty, Miller is employed by CIS, a national program that focuses on keeping students in school and helping them succeed in life.

The basic needs closet, located in the Career Service offices, is a schoolwide resource created and monitored

by Miller. Items in the closet range from snacks to clothing items to school supplies, and even prom dresses.

According to Miller, it is one of the outreaches of the school to ensure students are being taken care of. “[The needs closet allows students to be] better prepared to learn,” Miller said. “When a student’s needs are met, students can concentrate on learning.”

Miller created this closet three years ago when CIS was first implemented at the school. At that time, the closet was shelves in her office.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK BRUMBAUGH “[I started with] some sweats, shirts, shoes, socks, all school supplies and closet, has felt an impact because of notebooks,” Miller said. “The items Miller said.

The items stocked in the closet the help he has received from both continued to be used quite a bit.”

As the need for more items rose, are readily available to students and Miller and the basic needs closet.

“It boosts [my self confidence] to Miller decided it was time to expand the have been utilized daily. In the past shelves to something with more space. three months, the basic needs closet know that someone actually cared “When they remodeled the [career has served an average of 26 students about the way I looked,” Howard said. service] area, I asked if I could have per month.

Howard, a frequent visitor of the The items in the closet are not a larger closet to put more items in,”

H

funded by the school. Instead, they are made possible through outside donations or out of Miller’s budget, which is funded by CIS. Miller spends half her budget on items for the closet.

“It is a combination of me buying and me trying to find other resources

continued on page 2d

debating their way to the top Johns, Uttley qualify for nationals debate in Utah GINA MATHEW

Caleb,” Laflen said. “[I’m] not going to lie, I cried. This was the one scenario I Wanting to win is a typical feeling was dreading, and there it was in front for competition. At the 2015 South of me.”

Kansas National Qualifier Policy Debate Instead of three strikes, the tournament tournament, however, senior Sebastian ran on a basis of ‘two losses and you’re Johns and junior Zach Uttley were met out’. As both teams had already suffered with a difficult decision. a loss earlier in the day, the winners Johns and Uttley competed alongside of the round would advance while fellow team members senior Josh Lee the losing team would have to drop and junior Caleb Dial. Placing among the completely out of the tournament and top two teams at the district competition lose eligibility for national qualification. would qualify debaters for the national This circumstance is not an uncommon competition. one to the debate squad. This isn’t the “The tournament itself lasted for two first time Pittsburg teams have been days and, by the end of the first, all of matched against each other at the our teams seemed to be doing well,” national qualifier tournament.

Lee said. “By the “This is the fourth year end of the second that this has happened,” day, there were Laflen said. “[In past only four teams years], I’ve always remaining, three of been able to take age, which were from experience, performance Pittsburg.” and dedication into The national consideration. I did not qualifier have that this year. Both tournament runs [teams] had the same JULIE E LAFLEN Preparing for a tournament, junior Zach Uttley differently from record, consisted of a participates in a practice debate round. PHOTO typical invitational competition. Teams four-year senior and a three-year junior, were matched using a computer software were dedicated to the program, and were BY MADDY EMERSON. program. capable of competing at the national team.”

“Basically, the [program] can match level.”

Leaving the qualification up to chance was any team against any other team, Laflen usually makes the decision also not a favorable choice, so the boys agreed irrespective of their record, school, or concerning who advances. This year, to reach a verdict themselves. any other warrants,” Johns said. “It’s however, it was just too close to call.

“No matter what decision was made, it completely randomized.”

“When she looked at our two teams, would be hard on all four of us,” Lee said. “At At that point, it was understood there was not a single deciding factor the same time, we are all really close friends two Pittsburg teams were bound to be that she could base her decision on,” Lee and we didn’t want to ruin anything between matched against one another. said. “So, she left it up to us, which she’s us.”

Unfortunately for Pittsburg, it was the never done before.”

Deciding who would advance was not an two teams with seniors who would never Due to her indecision, Laflen provided easy feat for any of the debaters. have the chance to nationally qualify for the teams with three options. They could “At the beginning of the conversation, we debate again. decide to flip a coin, debate each other, didn’t know what to talk about,” Lee said.

Debate and forensics coach Julie or reach a unanimous decision regarding “It was just so tense. The decision itself came Laflen took this news harshly. who would advance to become National down to me and Sebastian because we’re “When the computer told us who Qualifiers. seniors and it was our last qualifier. Zach and was to be debating, it was really hard “Mrs. Laflen has always stood by the Caleb would have next year, but Sebastian and for me as a coach because the teams fact that we don’t debate each other,” I wouldn’t.” they had debating against each other Johns said. “It’s just something that we After nearly two hours of alternating silence were Sebastian and Zach, and Josh and don’t do. We work together and we’re a and discussion, a consensus was reached. @GMMathew13

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theater students take international stage in june Page 7D

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they worked so hard and were so deserving of this achievement

”

continued on page 2d

2 NEWS

Friday, Jan. 29, 2016

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

During Senora Pallares’ planning period, she helps senior Dante Menghini with his AP Spanish. PHOTO BY DEREK BRUMBAUGH.

seniors utilize flexible scheduling Work, college class opportunities prepare students MORGAN PLANK @momoplank When senior Kaylee Spangler got the call in the middle of December, she had one week to decide her future for the next four years.

“I am going to a college that has a seven percent acceptance rate. The fact I got in at semester was a huge deal I couldn’t pass it up,” Spangler said. “Also, considering my college is free and anyone who attends gets out debt free.”

Spangler currently attends College of the Ozarks near Branson.

She is one of the 21 students who graduated after the first semester.

The amount of seniors with reduced schedules has declined by over 50 percent in the last two years. This year there

are a total of 183 seniors, 52 of those remaining have reduced schedules and 48 are working a part-time job or attending Pittsburg State University (PSU).

“We have a handful of kids who are actually working on their careers, working in the job they want to work in while they are still attending high school knowing there are some opportunities down the road for them to elevate their certificates,” Principal Jon Bishop said.

These students are able to do this because they have already obtained the required credits for graduation.

“There’s some kids that when they get to that second semester they only need maybe four or five classes. We can offer them a reduced schedule to either go to work earlier, or get more hours in, or to

take college classes,” Bishop said. “If they need five classes they’ll take the first two hours off and take a college class then come to school. Or, they’ll work first through fourth hour, then go to work after their done.”

While Spangler decided to graduate at semester, other students decided to only have a few classes. Two of these students are seniors Dante Menghini and Ailie Foresman.

Menghini had the opportunity to graduate at semester, but decided to enroll in one class at the high school this semester in order to play tennis this spring.

“I decided to take classes at PSU because I wanted to do something new, and I figured it would be nice to get some of my college classes out of the way

early,” Menghini said. “I enjoy the change of pace my new schedule has given me, and I think it’s going to help me in the long run to get used to college classes without a full schedule.”

For Foresman, she balances work, classes at the high school and classes every other day at Labette Community College (LCC). Depending on the day, Foresman will either go home after her classes are over to work on other homework, or she will head straight to work.

“It’s nice to experience class off high school campus,” Foresman said. “Senior year is traditionally supposed to be pretty mellow, but my senior year is anything but. I am constantly busy.”

advocating for underclassmen debating to the top Thomas, Montes mentor students for post-high school KALI POENITSKE @PHSStudentPub While she works at her desk, freshmen advocate Kristin Thomas contacts parents to schedule their family’s next meeting. Thomas and sophomore advocate Gloria Montes meet twice a year with students and their parents to discuss the student’s plans after high school.

They also help inform the parents and students.

“I want to make sure they are aware of clubs and activities. The ultimate goal is for every student to be as successful as possible so that, when they leave PHS, they can go straight into the career they want or straight into college,” Thomas said. “[That way] there is nothing holding them back. My ultimate goal is to prepare them and help eliminate some barriers that may come up along the way.”

According to Assistant Principal Rhonda White, the advocate program was started to help establish a connection between the school and the students and their families.

“It was necessary to help make sure we have a good support base for our freshmen and to improve the communication we have with the families,” White said. “I think it greatly improves the services that we have for our students. It connects them with another adult in the building and it helps them become more successful.”

The advocates helped freshman Madison Nagel visualize her plans for life after high school. “[Ms. Thomas] makes me think about colleges I want to go to, career paths I want to take and other aspirations that I may want to pursue,” Nagel said. “I’m torn between two career paths, so she is helping me prepare for both. I am very thankful that she is here to point me in the right direction.”

Both Thomas and Montes agree scheduling appointments is one of the biggest obstacles they face.

“Everyone is so busy with their jobs,” Montes said. “It is difficult for some families to make it here.”

Advocates have provided a link on the front

Freshman advocate, Kristin Thomas, meets with student during progress meeting. PHOTO BY KAITLYN KIDD. page of the high school website, phs.usd250.org, to schedule appointments. Families can also email the advocates at any time to plan their meeting.

Despite challenges, Thomas and Montes enjoy their job.

“I love what I do because [of the] students and getting them to think about the future,” Thomas said.

“Just to see those connections between the parent and student makes it worthwhile.”

Nagel believes Thomas has positively impacted the freshman class.

“Without [Ms. Thomas], the majority of the freshmen wouldn’t be thinking about their futures and goals that they want to reach. Most of them would probably walk out of high school with a career in mind but, with the help of Ms. Thomas, we are preparing for our careers now,” Nagel said. “With that head start, we can ultimately go into a field that we have a passion for and make a stronger impact.”

continued from page 1d

“It was a really hard decision to make for both teams,” Johns said. “Eventually, we all wrote down on paper who we believed should go to nationals and all four of us said that Zach and I should [qualify]. Everyone had a different reason for deciding what they did, but I respect [Josh and Caleb] for that. They have much more character than I will ever have for making that kind of decision.”

“It was a very difficult sacrifice to make,” Lee said. “I’ve been a part of the debate program since my freshman year, but I have no regrets because I made the decision I felt was right and appropriate.

In the end, that’s more important to me than something I’ve wanted for my entire debate experience.”

Once they made their choice, the debaters informed Laflen.

“To make that decision as a high schooler isn’t fair,” Laflen said.

“But they were very mature, responsible and just so selfless.”

Ultimately, Johns and Uttley were deemed National Qualifiers and will travel to Salt Lake City for the 2016 National Speech and Debate Tournament on June 12-17.

Despite feeling guilty about another team’s loss, Johns was proud of his own achievement.

“Personally, [qualifying] was something that I’ve wanted to do every year in debate,” Johns said. “I made that my goal as a policy debater, so it feels really good to have accomplished something that I set out for my freshman year.”

Just like his partner, Uttley is excited to attend the national competition, though this will be his second time competing.

“National qualification is the highest level of debate competition that you can achieve in high school,” Uttley said. “Qualifying for nationals is definitely a really big honor for Sebastian and I as a team, as well as our debate squad.”

Lee and Dial’s chance to attend the national competition is not lost. They were named first alternates, meaning if Johns and Uttley are unable to attend or if they each qualify in a forensics event, Lee and Dial would be eligible to compete in policy debate.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to watch your team qualify for nationals, especially when they’ve worked so hard for it,” Laflen said. “But it’s not nearly as simple as just being happy because, at the same time, I have another team that is equally as devastated that they didn’t qualify.”

Despite the mixed feelings, Laflen feels the program has flourished because of her experienced students.

“I think the dedication gets stronger every year,” Laflen said.

“It’s the kids who make the program and I’m just so proud of all of them this year.”

Pittsburg also claimed the title of first place in Sweepstakes, which ranks the schools’ overall performances.

“From a coach’s standpoint, it was a proud moment to hear that,” Laflen said. “They worked so hard and were so deserving of this achievement.”

meeting students’ basic needs in, out of school continued from page 1d buying and me trying to find other resources [to supply items],” Miller said. “It is one of my responsibilities as site-coordinator [to find donations] in our community to provide [for students] because my budget could not continue to stock the closet by itself.”

Miller, however, is not the only faculty member aiding students with their basic needs. School nurse Lisa Schwob has been providing, through donations, hygiene products for students for approximately 21 years.

“Honestly, hygiene has always been an issue with high school students. We have special situations where kids do not have access to running water or there is a good reason as to why hygiene is an

issue,” Schwob said. “We treat each case individually, I try to talk to the kid and get to the bottom of what is going on, and we try to help them with it.”

This year, for a philanthropic project, retired Family and Consumer Science teacher Susie Dalton and the Phi Kappa sorority put together and donated approximately 100 hygiene bags each filled with shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and combs.

Schwob has given away 60 of those bags.

“It was a service project through her sorority,” Schwob said. “We are thankful that they thought of us because we are putting them to use.”

Schwob also collaborates with Miller in using the clothes portion of the needs closet.

Sophomore Henry Samuels, who also chose to remain anonymous due to the privacy of the matter, is another student who has benefitted from the aid of others. “[Schwob] has offered me a few jackets.

Last year [she noticed] that I did not bring my jacket to school and she gave me a new jacket,” Samuels said.

Schwob has also offered Samuels hygiene items as well.

“At first it was kind of uncomfortable,” Samuels said. “But I became more accepting [of her help] and not being judgemental of what she was trying to do to help me, especially when she was going out of her way to help me.”

While aiding students is an aspect of their

careers, both Miller and Schwob take the time to build a relationship with the students they are working with.

“People can be very self-conscious about very personal things,” Samuels said. “I was that way, but with getting help from Lisa and others [in the school], it has been easier to cope with.”

Howard also believes receiving the help he did has benefitted him.

“My freshman year, I went from having nothing to having most stuff that other kids have,” Howard said. “That is the way it is now [because of Miller] and if I need anything else I can ask her and she will get it for me.”

SECTION D

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

Managing Editors Kali Poenitske Journey Jaramillo Trina Paul Gina Mathew

Design Editors Kailey Curtis Jake Webb

Copy Editor Katy Brown

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

Adviser Emily Smith

www.boosterredux.com

OPINION

Friday, Jan. 29, 2016

Pick pitt

3

Blythe advises seniors to attend Pittsburg State for affordable tuition

JUSTIN BLYTHE @ jdblyt As college application deadlines are approaching, the question of where your future will take place is one present in the minds of many highschool seniors.

When looking for universities to send your perfected application essay to, look at what fits you and your needs, because this decision is one that bears heavy weight on us all.

The importance of where you go is less important than how you choose to take advantage of the educational opportunities of your future university.

Whether you’re going to the University of Kansas or to Pittsburg State University or whatever the case may be, you want to get as much as you can out of your college education. You need to learn and improve upon the skills that you acquire at your university in order to be prepared for the workforce after attaining a degree.

Employers are more likely to focus on what skills you can exhibit rather than where you earned your degree from when considering you as an employee.

You want to focus on what university offers the most appealing programs for what you aspire to become in the future, and whether those programs will further your current skillset.

When determining what college to attend, it is also important to consider the cost of tuition.

The cost of attending various in-state universities varies significantly.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the average annual cost of attending Pittsburg State University is around $12,000, while the University of Kansas is just under $18,000, and Kansas State University sitting at just under $16,000, all of this not including the added cost of living expenses.

Attending PSU is a cost-effective, smart choice because the option of living at home is still avail-

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

able, saving you thousands of dollars that would otherwise be spent on living expenses at an away-from-home university.

With this massive burden that college tuition and living expenses throws upon you, you are certain to wonder whether going to the “better”, away university will pay off.

According to a 2011 study by economists Alan Krueger and Stacy Berg Dale that covered 19,000 college graduates from various universities 20 years after graduation, job outcomes were unaffected in terms of earnings.

The U.S. Department of Education also provides information on the salaries earned after graduation,

with the average PSU, KU, and K-State graduates’ salaries varying insignificantly.

This means that regardless of your university choice, after job placement, your salary will not reflect what in-state university you attended.

This is certainly something to consider when choosing what university to attend because you will be obligated to pay the higher debt acquired from choosing a university away from home.

When filling out your college applications and thus preparing for the next step in your life, remember these two things: what matters the most is that you are going to college, not where you are going to college, and do not let anything get in the way of choosing what university is most logical for you.

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.

Wilson approves of bond issue kaylah wilson @PHSstudentPub As I am typing this, the bond issue is undecided, but when reading this, the decision will already be announced.

I would say a fair amount of people in this town don’t really know much about the bond issue, they just saw the middle school is going to be torn down in the front and decided to go on a rampage.

If they truly knew how bad of a condition it is in, they would probably rethink their opinion.

Since it is a historic building with many memories, people feel like they should save that sacred, castle-like building.

Do not get me wrong, the front part of the school does look really cool, but on the inside it is a nightmare. Remember that it was built in the early 1920s, when cars and telephones were still a new thing. Right now, the only part in the front being used is the old entry hall, which is a weight room. The rest of the front building sits empty and blocked off, locked up for safety.

Some people wonder why we don’t just renovate it, and that is a good question. The answer is that renovating it would cost more than the cost of knocking it down and building a new building. Think about the middle school, this was built before air conditioning, modern electrical systems, the internet, and (very important), the Americans with Disabilities Act. When they built the newest section of the building a few years ago, it was because it had to be done so that the building could have an elevator. Before that, people with disabilities had to be carried up stairs (there are a lot of stairs in the old school). I know this because my grandfather, Robert Wilson, was the principal back in 1994-1997, before the new section was added, and he told me about having to do this.

The school district’s job is to teach us and give us a safe place to learn in. Right now, it is not as safe as parents or staff would prefer, such as being protected

when severe weather comes.

When the tornado sirens go off in a school day at the middle school, all the children pile off into the old gym. This is a small and dangerous place, mainly because once we are already down there the tornado could have already hit The middle school needs new and improved storm shelters, just like the other schools in the district.

But let’s be honest here: one of the many reasons the majority of people want to ‘save the middle school’ is not because they want to save the middle school. The real reason is that they do not want to pay more taxes. I totally get if you are in a situation where paying more taxes is a problem, but if you think about it, even if you do not have a child attending USD 250 schools, you are still paying for education. Investing in this will be helping the people who are most likely going to be taking care of you.

I know Pittsburg is not the richest town in America, but we are now in a place where we really can not wait anymore.

Third world problems in a first world country Student expresses opinion towards first-world problem JULIE WILSON According to Lebanese-Economy-Forum, most @jl_wilsonn countries have more cellphones than people, even There is a humorous or ironic saying these days. in countries that we typically label as third world To describe such situations like a car breaking countries. In India, Apple is projecting sales of down or a cell phone glitching, and someone com- 1.3 million iPhone 6’s in three months. Some plains about it to friends or on social media. Then countries don’t yet have the iPhone 6, but that they say “#firstworldproblems” because they doesn’t mean they aren’t waiting for it. know it’s not a real problem compared to what To me, this means that first world problems are other people suffer in poorer countries. not even problems. They happen everywhere. I Normally when people use this phrase, they think the problem is that America has mean, “my problem seems pretty bad, but you third world problems. We have have to remember people in other places have it homeless people. We have hungry worse.” Sometimes when they say “first world people. We have people begging problems” they are trying to make a on the streets. We have peojoke. Maybe they are trying to tell ple who cannot get proper someone else that they have it medical care. easy.

These problems are When I started thinking happening right here, about this topic, I felt “first right at home. America is world problems” show the richest country on the how much we sympaplanet(according to...), but we thize with what other have a poverty rate of 15%. This people suffer by is about the same as Morocco, making fun of our Albania, and Thailand. own problems.

When your stomach is The more I think full and the lights are on, it about it, the more seems hard to think about ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT wrong problems that are so close I feel. Not about how foolish the problems are, to home. It is easier to but about how I automatically think that people think that real problems elsewhere are living in poverty and have bigger are far away in other countries, and it is even problems than what I have. They do have other easier to think that they are happening in some problems but they have first world problems as tiny, poor country. well.

Let’s stop thinking about first world problems Angry you don’t have the latest iPhone? They as silly or unimportant. It seems to me that first are also angry about it in India, Russia, Brazil, world problems can be found anywhere and we Nigeria and many other countries. It sounds should really be talking about real world problems strange because Americans actually know very lit- that are also everywhere. We need to stop ignortle about the world, and about their own country. ing these issues, and we need to deal with them.

Staff editorial:

Staff commends school for provided resources THE BOOSTER REDUX STAFF @PHSstudentPub In room 103 C there is a closet.

This is not a closet like in any other classroom. This closet contains shoes for P.E. classes, pants for cold days and socks for rainy ones. This closet is filled with products that cater to all and any students’ needs. Any of these items, for any student, are available at a moment’s notice.

This is the third year this resource has been available. As seniors who did not get this opportunity our freshmen year, we feel this is a necessary addition to our high school. We believe it is easier to adjust to high school when you feel better about yourself and feel comfortable in their surroundings.

This is becoming a new trend in high schools with other local schools offering similar amenities.

Schools offer an environment in which students have a safe place to be healthy and clean and not have to worry about their next shower or their next pair of clean clothes.

Each student has different needs.

Some students may not know when their parents will be getting their next paycheck. They are able to rely on these needs that are provided when they have nothing else to fall back on, such as food for a long weekend or replacing a broken backpack.

Because of this closet, students have every opportunity to be and feel more successful.

This proves there are people in the building ready to help students and able to better their welfare.

Nurse Lisa Schwob and Community in Schools Site-Coordinator Deanna Miller take time to shop for these products, organize them, find space to keep them and distribute them.

Even when prom season comes around, there are still resources available. In the basement there are stored prom dresses available to any student.

While meeting basic needs, the high school has also implemented an advocate system for underclassmen. These advocates help ensure their involvement in school and activities, in addition to monitoring their grades and helping them think about their future after graduation.

For upperclassmen, there are options available for college credit classes, reduced academic schedules, attending college and the ability to be in the workforce.

In the past four years, there have been many different support systems added to ensure the success of students and help them plan for their future.

4 A&E

Friday, Jan. 29, 2016

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

UP AND COMING ARTISTS IN PHS Students spend free time making popular music Josh Lee @Iamthejoshlee Kicking off their rap careers and planning to continue following their passions, senior Chiantia Allen, junior Braxton Beachner and sophomore DeMarrio Herring have more than just rainy days ahead of them.

Just a month after being uploaded, Allen and Herring’s original single, Rainy Days, now has over 3,000 plays on Soundcloud, an achievement Beachner is hoping he can top.

“I feel like that is a nice amount of views.

Even though it is not enough for [producers] to start looking at our stuff or anything, I feel like when Chiantia and I really make our own music together, because that’s what people are actually looking for, then maybe we’ll get even more than 3,000,” Beachner said.

For their friends, Allen, Beachner and Herring’s recorded music is something new.

“I knew they were good at rapping and were capable of dropping music, but they never had the equipment to record or drop their music,” senior Adrian Scroggins said.

Scroggins, along with a number of his friends, enjoy listening to the tracks the three students create. And though it has been a little over a month since the first collaboration between the Allen and Beachner has been released, the remixes and songs Allen and Beachner produce are well-known and enjoyed among their friends.

“I listen to their songs at least 3 to 4 times a week. I listened to them on replay when they first came out,” Scroggins said.

However, creating music like this is not a simple task. Though Allen and Beachner often practice their freestyle rapping skills in groups of their friends, composing a more permanent track takes more devotion and effort.

Because of this, a single track takes much time fine-tuning and finalizing the music to their standards.

“It is a lot different from freestyle. Usually when [we are freestyling] we are just trying to make each other laugh, honestly. But when we are writing lyrics, I have to get my head completely

Listening to beats in the library, junior Braxton Beachner and senior Chiantia Allen come up with new lyrics for upcoming songs. PHOTO BY SHERRICK ROGERS

cleared,” Beachner said. “I can’t have any distractions messing up my bars. It’s kind of like writing a story.”

The work does not end there; once Allen and Beachner have isolated themselves from distractions, their next step is to dive into the process of creating the background music.

“It takes hours of listening to the same beat, and when I find something I like, I have to write it down and keep it in my head,” Beachner said.

While the music and track itself can be time-consuming for Allen and Beachner, they face a completely different issue when writing the lyrics for their tracks.

“I have to hear the beat first. Once I’m feeling it, I sometimes don’t have to think.

I just listen to the beat and let the words come out,” Allen said. “But most of the time, it just depends on the beat and how I approach it. Sometimes I get stuck for weeks and sometimes I just write a song in days.”

Once that process is completed, Allen and Beachner upload their tracks onto Soundcloud, which is then open for anyone to listen to.

At this moment, both Allen and Beachner each have solo tracks and collaborations on their respective Soundcloud pages.

Beachner’s page sports his top single, “Hannah Montana Remix,” while Allen has recently released two tracks, “Whatchu Sayinn” and “BALLIN.” In addition to “Rainy Days,” the two rappers also have a collaboration titled “They Say I’m Gone Freestyle.”

And although this may have started off as a hobby for Allen and Beachner, they hope to someday make this passion of theirs

A comeback for coldplay

about something more than creating fun beats for their friends to listen to.

Their first step is to release their music on a medium beyond Soundcloud.

“We’re considering making a whole album, and I am pretty sure it [doesn’t cost] that much to put it on [iTunes],” Beachner said.

However, while Beachner believes his friends prefer the collaborations more than their independent works, he also believes the two of them won’t necessarily stay a permanent duo.

“Chiantia and I work really well together, but we’re still our own independent [artists] and have our own styles,” Beachner said. “I do not feel like we could be a rap group together, because we have to do our own thing.”

Together or not, both rappers want to someday extend their work beyond - ADRIAN SCRO SCROG SCROGGINS audibly pleasing tunes.

“Right now, it is just about catchy lyrics so people can kind of jam out to it,” Beachner said. “But someday I want to get more into it. I want to make my music more about touching people, so they can actually feel for it.”

Their friends believe this has merit as well. While they agree that the music itself is catchy, they support Allen and Beachner’s passion for the music.

“I like that they put a lot of time into their music and care about the quality of their music,” Scroggins said. “They do not just make a song and drop it because they have the equipment. It is a dream they are chasing.”

“” It’s a dream they the aree chasing

Surviving the 5th wave

patrick sullivan @PHSstudentpub Coldplay has worked their magic in the music industr y once again. They have not failed to produce art that inspires and leave tunes in my head for days on end. A Head Full of Dreams certainly follows suit.

A Head Full of Dreams is a different style for Coldplay. Their general slower style of melancholy music completely vanishes in upbeat tunes throughout the album. This change in tempo and attitude was a bold and drastic modification to what Coldplay fans are accustomed to.

The first track on the album, A Head Full of Dreams honestly blew me away. I could not have ever expected for this British rock band to produce this amazing sound is amazing. I listened to it twice before continuing to feast my ears on the next tracks.

After listening to a few more of the songs on A Head Full of Dreams, I came to the assumption that Coldplay has definitely made some adjustments their style of music. The lead singer for Coldplay, Chris Martin, now leads the way with a positive tone opposed to the somber one many listeners had been used to.

Another aspect of this album that I really enjoyed was the new beat to the songs. Adventure of a Lifetime was on of my favorite songs on the album.I had listened to it previously, so I was anxious to hear it again.

Everglow was another one of my favorites on the album. It left a warm glowing feeling as I believe the name suggests. I think the length of each track complemented each song ver y well. Overall, I thought that A Head Full of Dreams exceeded my expectations.

Which were already exceedingly high, due to Coldplay’s previous success. The upbeat and happy tone of this album really changed the pace for the better. I can’t wait to watch Coldplay perform at Super Bowl 50 this year, at which A Head Full of Dreams will be performed. I enjoyed this album and encourage ever yone to listen to this album or any of Coldplay’s truly outstanding legacy.

Julie wilson @JL_Wilsonn Don’t let the name deter you, it isn’t about rainbows, trust me. “Rainbow Six: Siege” is a multiplayer focused first-person shooter that has been cautiously anticipated for well over a year now. Many people, myself included, were worried if this game would deliver what it was advertising. “Rainbow Six: Siege” ended up being exactly what I was hoping for, a tactical, slow paced shooter that is extremely intense and teamwork based.

Out of the three main modes in “Rainbow Six: Siege,” two of them really aren’t particularly interesting.

One of the game modes, “Situations,” is essentially a glorified tutorial. The other mode, “Terrorist Hunt,” is very similar to situations, except that it can be played with other people. While it is nice to have variety in the game, “Terrorist Hunt” and “Situations” aren’t viable options.

The multiplayer in “Rainbow Six: Siege” is five players versus five players in all multiplayer modes. The multiplayer modes include hostage rescue, in which five players must attempt to rescue a hostage from a room defended by the opposing team. Another mode is Bomb Defusal, in which there is two bombs in the map that you must locate and defuse or defend, depending on if you’re with the attackers or defenders. The last one is Capture Area, where one room in the map contains a biohazard container that you must either capture or defend. To end any game mode, you can eliminate the entire enemy team.

One of the first things I noticed is the extremely low health, compared to other first-person shooters such as “Call of Duty” and “Battlefield”. In “Rainbow Six: Siege,” the weapons inflict much more damage than most other games. On top of that, a headshot is a oneshot kill. While the high damage can be frustrating at first, it does add to the realism of the game.

Before a round of the game begins, there is a preparation phase. In this phase, the attackers use remote control drones to search the building and

look for the objective. The defenders spend this time fortifying their location and do their best to keep the attackers out. Defenders are given different materials to defend themselves, such as: wooden door barricades, reinforced wall barricades, barbed wire, deployable shields, and more.

One of the most interesting features in this game is “Operators.” “Operators” are different soldiers that can be unlocked in-game and they each have a unique ability. The “Operators” are grouped into CounterTerrorist Units (CTU) that each have two attackers and two defenders, which can be unlocked using in-game currency earned after matches. The CTU’s are; SAS, FBI Swat, GIGN, Spetsnaz and GSG 9. With there being 20 operators in the game, it can be overwhelming to try and choose which one to unlock from which “CTU.” For people that are just beginning, I recommend unlocking either “Thermite,” “Sledge,” “Rook,” or “Castle.”

“Thermite” is an attacker carrying a special breaching charge that can destroy reinforced walls. “Sledge” is another attacker that carries around a sledge hammer to break through all walls with the exception of reinforced walls. “Rook” is a defender that has a duffel bag that contains armor for other members of your team to take.

“Castle” is equipped with bullet proof barricades that are much more effective than the normal barricades, which are wooden and can be broken easily.

When it comes to gameplay, one thing I hadn’t anticipated was how balanced the attackers and defenders would be. While the defenders normally stay in a small area where the objective is and the attackers can come from all directions, the defenders are given two reinforced walls and an unlimited amount of wooden barricades. The attackers can also rappel up and down the side of buildings and use breaching charges to enter in windows.

While this game was anticipated to do very well, many people were still very cautious. If you’re thinking about picking up this game, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Rainbow Six: Siege Multiplayer Impresses Connor balthazor @PHSstudentpub Don’t let the name deter you, it isn’t about rainbows, trust me. “Rainbow Six: Siege” is a multiplayer focused first-person shooter that has been cautiously anticipated for well over a year now. Many people, myself included, were worried if this game would deliver what it was advertising. “Rainbow Six: Siege” ended up being exactly what I was hoping for, a tactical, slow paced shooter that is extremely intense and teamwork based.

Out of the three main modes in “Rainbow Six: Siege,” two of them really aren’t particularly interesting. One of the game modes, “Situations,” is essentially a glorified tutorial. The other mode, “Terrorist Hunt,” is very similar to situations, except that it can be played with other people. While it is nice to have variety in the game, “Terrorist Hunt” and “Situations” aren’t viable options.

The multiplayer in “Rainbow Six: Siege” is five players versus five players in all multiplayer modes. The multiplayer modes include hostage rescue, in which five players must attempt to rescue a hostage from a room defended by the opposing team.

Another mode is Bomb Defusal, in which

there is two bombs in the map that you must locate and defuse or defend, depending on if you’re with the attackers or defenders. The last one is Capture Area, where one room in the map contains a biohazard container that you must either capture or defend. To end any game mode, you can eliminate the entire enemy team.

One of the first things I noticed is the extremely low health, compared to other first-person shooters such as “Call of Duty” and “Battlefield”. In “Rainbow Six: Siege,” the weapons inflict much more damage than most other games. On top of that, a headshot is a one-shot kill. While the high damage can be frustrating at first, it does add to the realism of the game.

Before a round of the game begins, there is a preparation phase. In this phase, the attackers use remote control drones to search the building and look for the objective.

The defenders spend this time fortifying their location and do their best to keep the attackers out. Defenders are given different materials to defend themselves, such as: wooden door barricades, reinforced wall barricades, barbed wire, deployable shields, and more.

One of the most interesting features in this game is “Operators.”

“Operators” are different soldiers that can be unlocked - CONNOR BALTHAZOR in-game and they each have a unique ability.

The “Operators” are grouped into CounterTerrorist Units (CTU) that each have two attackers and two defenders, which can be unlocked using in-game currency earned after matches. The CTU’s are; SAS, FBI Swat, GIGN, Spetsnaz and GSG 9. With there being 20 operators in the game, it can be overwhelming to try and choose which one to unlock from which “CTU.” For people that are just beginning, I recommend

“ ” Rainbow six: siege Rain ended up being exactly what i was hopingg for

unlocking either “Thermite,” “Sledge,” “Rook,” or “Castle.” “Thermite” is an attacker carrying a special breaching charge that can destroy reinforced walls. “Sledge” is another attacker that carries around a sledge hammer to break through all walls with the exception of reinforced walls. “Rook” is a defender that has a duffel bag that contains armor for other members of your team to take. “Castle” is equipped with bullet proof barricades that are much more effective than the normal barricades, which are wooden and can be broken easily.

When it comes to gameplay, one thing I hadn’t anticipated was how balanced the attackers and defenders would be. While the defenders normally stay in a small area where the objective is and the attackers can come from all directions, the defenders are given two reinforced walls and an unlimited amount of wooden barricades. The attackers can also rappel up and down the side of buildings and use breaching charges to enter in windows.

While this game was anticipated to do very well, many people were still very cautious. If you’re thinking about picking up this game, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

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Feature

www.boosterredux.com Friday, Jan. 29, 2016

5

Photo Illustration by Katy Brown & Macy Frasco

questioning faith Student’s account of mother’s religious journey MADDIE BADEN @MaddieBaden

F

eeling a loss of connection with God, sophomore Nora Brown witnessed her mother experiencing a period of strife to find the right religion to suit

her.

Brown requested anonymity to protect her family’s privacy due to the sensitivity of the topic.

In 2010, Brown received a life-changing announcement from her mother. She proclaimed she was beginning to practice Islam.

Brown’s mother had been involved in the Christian faith all of her life, and the entire family was shocked.

“I did not really look much into [Islam],” Brown said. “From what she told me about it I [came to the conclusion that] it was not a bad religion if that is what she wanted to practice.”

Brown’s mother, still married to her father, started talking to a man at her work who was Muslim. He introduced her to the religion of Islam. Her mother continued asking the man to tell her more about the religion, and she was drawn into it.

Brown’s mother and father divorced when Brown was ten; during the divorce process was when her mother announced the start of her practices of Islam. Brown’s father is a Christian, and Brown feels her mother and father’s divorce was a result of her mother discovering Islam.

Three years after her parents divorced, Brown’s mother remarried to the man who introduced her to Islam. He was the one who educated her mother all the way through.

“I remember asking her one time, ‘Do you think you will go to heaven?’” Brown said. “[My mom said,] ‘if I thought I was not going to heaven, I would not be in this religion.”

Following her mother’s announcement, Brown had to adapt to new daily life. Brown’s mother started participating in different Islamic customs, one of which was wearing a hijab, a head covering worn in public by women. According to whyislam.org, women cover up because their hair is considered part

of a woman’s physical attractiveness. There- heated discussions or he would get flustered fore, the covering of hair for the woman is and try to tell her that she should go back to considered essential for modesty.

Christianity,” Brown said. “My other family, Modesty became a concern for Brown’s [including] grandparents, cousins, aunts and mother. uncles, were all shocked. They are all ChrisBrown’s mother came off not as easy- tian and they became more distant from going, and requested Brown and her siblings her.” to cover up by not wearing shorts around her Even though part of the family did not and stepfamily. agree with the adjustment, two of Brown’s “My mom would ask me to be more mod- sisters explored the religion closer. Her oldest est,” Brown said. “I could not wear shorts sister took Shahadah, which is accepting the around my stepbrother or stepdad, just out Islamic faith, but backed away from it shortly of respect for them.” after. Brown’s middle sister practiced and Brown respected the request from her was involved in the religion, but after a few mother and even covered up in a hijab to months she abruptly stopped practicing and attend Islamic events with her mother. She Brown does not know why. visited the local mosque, the Islamic place After being involved in the religion for apof worship, to be proximately six a part of celebrayears, Brown’s tions. mother started Islam was a to display some new religion for particular signs the whole famthis past Christily to explore mas that did not and figure out. fit the religion.

According to “[My mom] Brown, the main stopped coverdifference being publicly, but tween Christianshe still covity and Islam is ered in front of Muslims do not my stepdad for - NORA BROWN* believe Jesus was his sake so he the son of God could have some and died on the cross. Brown did not have a peace of mind,” Brown said. “I also heard problem with the religion at the start of her her talk on the phone with my cousin, [who mother’s transition, but later on did not 100 is a Christian], a couple of times and she said percent agree with the beliefs. certain things to them that gave me hints.”

“I [stood with her] more at first, then The signs that her mother had been exhibI learned more about [Islam] and I grew iting turned out to be a shift in her religious stronger in my Christian faith,” Brown said. beliefs once again. Brown feels that the spiri“Then, [after a while], I did not really support tual time of Christmas influenced her mothher, but I did not discourage her because she er’s outcome. had always felt she was closer to God in Is“My mother was questioning some of the lam, so I was not going to protest against her things in [the religion], thinking about how believing it.” a religion that came 600 years after ChrisNot everyone in the family was willing to tianity could completely disregard the fact approve of Brown’s mother practicing Islam. that the Bible says Jesus died on the cross,” “My brother was more upset about it Brown said. “My mom believes that the Bithan any of us were. [They] would get into ble is a historical book so everything in it is

“

I remember asking her one time, ‘Do you think you will go to heaven?’

”

true.”

When Brown approached her mother one day, her mom had exciting news that would change her life once again.

“I got in the car with her one day and she told me that she had just gone to one of her friend’s houses,” Brown said. “[Her friends] are strong Christians and she then [proceeded to] tell me she converted back to Christianity and I was very happy for her.”

When the family heard the news, they were just as happy as Brown was. According to Brown, the family responded with saying “this was the answer to our prayers.”

Telling everyone she was back to Christianity may have been an amazing and fun surprise to tell all of her friends and family, but according to Brown, one person that her mother was afraid to tell of her transition back to Christianity was Brown’s stepdad, who was still a strong Muslim. According to Brown, her mother put off telling him for the first couple of weeks, but then eventually had the nerve to speak up and say what she believed was true. “[My mother said] he was in a bit of misbelief, and he could not really understand why or how she could think the way that she does,” Brown said. “[My mom] said that she came into the house one time without covering, and [my stepdad] could not even look at her, so it is tough for him to try to understand why [she converted back to Christianity]. They are trying to work it out between [the two of them], but they will need to try to understand each other if they want to still be together.”

Through all the wild obstacles that went through Brown’s life in the the past six years, with her mother converting from Christianity to Islam and back to Christianity, Brown is ready to have a strong bond with her mother once again.

“I am so excited for [her religion change again]. I felt like I had to hide things from her whenever she was a Muslim, so I feel that we will be able to be more open with each other,” Brown said. “I also feel we will be more at ease around each other.”

Apple Watches PROS vs. CONS Graphic by Kailey Curtis - Info compiled by Caleb Dial

Will Jewett senior

Rhonda Willis teacher

Dakota Moback senior

“It tells me how many calories I’m burning and stuff like that. On the back of it, it has a heart rate monitor so I can test my heart rate at anytime I want to.”

“I don’t know if it is fragile and I have dropped it a couple of times and it hasn’t broken. I just ordered a glass screen protector for it. There are no cons really.”

“I can quickly read notifications and so forth.

I can also answer my phone from it. It’s kind of neat.”

“The con is that I have to be careful with it because it is not waterproof, it’s water resistant so I just have to be careful with it because it is expensive.”

“You can control your phone from your watch. You can control your music, look at your notifications, and take notes.”

“Whenever you get a phone call or texts your wrist buzzes.

Photo by Savannah Jones

Hallway etiquette Graphic by Mataya Cook

DOs Walk on right side of hallway Walk at a steady pace

DON’Ts Stand in the middle of the hallway Have excessive PDA with partner

Pay attention to oncoming traffic Walk slowly Be polite to others

Walk in the middle of the hall

6 feature

Friday, Jan. 29, 2016

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

Senior Shatters Mileage goals Sumner achieves aspiration of running 1,000 miles Meghan baker @meghanbaker11

M

aking a goal to run 1,000 miles in a year is not a goal anybody would expect. It is approximately one third across the United States. Senior Derrick Sumner just happened to achieve this goal.

Sumner made a goal to run 1,000 miles by the end of 2015.

His inspiration came from his freshman cross-countr y coach in Las Vegas.

“My coach was really inspirational. He died last year, but using what he taught me helped a lot,” Sumner said. “I made my goal for 1000 miles because I wanted to set a high goal that my recently deceased coach would have approved of.”

Sumner runs ever y day immediately after school and takes, on average, one to two hours out of his day.

“I generally run five to eight miles daily, six days a week,” Sumner said. “I use an app called Running Log. It is like a calendar that you can plug your daily mileage into.”

Track and cross-countr y coach Gar y Ausemus assists Derrick in his training.

“Derrick puts in a lot of mileage and time,” Ausemus said. “I give him the workouts that he needs to do to help him achieve

his goals, but he does a lot of things on his own.”

For Derrick, running has become an outlet.

“It gives me inspiration for ever y thing else, it helps me through stress, and it helps me through a lot,” Sumner said.

Ausemus believes that Sumner’s persistence helps him succeed.

“He will do whatever it takes to be as good as he can. Derrick won’t settle for giving less than his best effor t, whether it is in practice, a contest or outside of school,” Ausemus said.

Junior Connar Southard, Sumner’s fellow runner, said he shows immense dedication to the spor t.

“Running is ver y impor tant to Derrick,” Southard said. “The adrenaline he gets when he runs is his motivation.”

Sumner is optimistic about his future plans and wants to continue running no matter the circumstance.

“I would like to run in college but it isn’t my priority to run for a team,” Sumner said. “If I’m not on a team, I will star t doing half and full marathons competitively.”

Sumner was proud that he was able to reach his goal.

“I feel pretty accomplished,” Sumner said. “Most people that make annual goals usually quit and I didn’t.”

Running at a cross country meet during the fall season, senior Derrick Sumner included cross country meets in his mileage to achieve his 1,000 mile goal.

PHOTO BY MADDY EMERSON.

Upperclassmen Guide Baseball workouts Open gyms prepare players for season

Focusing on the ball, sophomore Mitchell Light practices catching at the baseball team’s open gym. PHOTO BY MADDY EMERSON

Kali Poenitski @PHSstudentpub In order to prepare for the upcoming season, sophomore Mitchell Light traveled to Tampa to attend the Under Armour Baseball Factory camp.

Light was evaluated in Kansas City at an Under Armour clinic, he was then invited to attend camp in Tampa.

In addition to camp, Light is active in the offseason. “[I play] football and baseball, [and when I am not in a sport I] usually play long toss and take batting practice throughout the year,” Light said. “[I practice] about five or six days a week for an hour or two.”

Along with batting practice, Light attends the baseball preseason workouts at the high school. Baseball players attend workouts Wednesday mornings at 6:15 and Sunday nights at 5.

Light is not the only one attending, about 15 players work out. According to Head Coach Keith Matlock, basketball players are not expected to attend.

“Some basketball players come on Sunday,” Matlock said. “We encourage them not come on Wednesdays. We want them to remain focused on their basketball season.”

Due to KSHSAA regulations, the coaches are not able to run these workouts, so several of the upperclassmen are in charge. One of the main reasons for this is to help the older players become better leaders, but also to be more prepared for baseball season.

“We want to get the baseball muscles in shape,” Matlock said. “We also want the older

players in the program to show the young ones how the program works.”

Senior Connor Spresser is one of the two returning seniors, so he helps run the open-gyms.

Most of the time the players break up into groups to work on fundamentals.

“We break up into [three] groups,” Spresser said. “[We] play catch, hit and do individual work such as grounders for infielders and pop flies for outfielders. Then we do a small workout, abs and run.”

Several players believe these open-gyms will improve the team.

“Baseball isn’t a sport where you can walk out on the field the first day and expect to be any good,” Spresser said. “We have open gyms to get ready for the season, open gym for baseball is like summer weights for football.”

Light agrees and thinks it is beneficial.

“I do think they are [helpful],” Light said. “The players can get some extra repetitions in and [they can] be better prepared for the season.”

Vaughn also believes it is helpful to have open-gyms before the season starts.

“Not only will it allow us to get better for the season,” Vaughn said, “but it will also show the coaches [which] kids are dedicated enough to show up on their own time.”

Vaughn is grateful for the opportunity he has to be one of the leaders on the team.

“It’s an honor to know that not only the coaches think highly of you as a player, but also as a leader and an individual off of the baseball field,” Vaughn said. “My favorite part of baseball is having that feeling of a team and that you have others around you all working for the same goal.”

Softball team utilizes early mornings to improve Maddie baden @maddiebaden While most students are sleeping in, several softball players are up and moving at 6:30 in the morning.

“I do not necessarily like waking up,” senior softball player Abby Harris said. “I like playing softball so much, though, that I am okay with going and getting up to practice because I know it is going to make us better in the long run.”

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, players have the chance to improve their ability and prepare for the upcoming season in morning workouts at open gyms.

Workouts are not mandator y, but softball coach Sarah Wall encourages ever y girl who is not playing basketball to attend in the mornings.

This is the first year for Wall to be head coach, as well as being the first to do morning routines. Also, Wall decides to start the workouts in order to give a chance to put in extra work.

Softball players sophomore Madison Vogel, junior Caitlyn Burdick and Harris also feel that the open

gym will increase the team’s skill.

“I feel like it will help me for the season because it will get me back in the groove of things,” Vogel said. “I think it will also help my team, especially the ones who have not picked up a ball since our last game.”

“

sponsibility to organize what is going to focused on each open gym. “[The athletes] are working on footwork patterns with ladder drills and conditioning,” Wall said. “The girls do their own thing.”

Along with conditioning together as a team, the girls have the ability to work on certain areas of softball they feel they need to improve in.

“I like going because I pitch most of the time with Abby [Harris],” Burdick said. “I feel like the open gyms help in improving with my pitching.”

The softball season kicks off with the first practice on Feb. 29. With all of the morning workouts behind them both, Wall and the players feel they will be more prepared for the season.

“We have a couple more weeks to keep going with [morning open gyms] and we have had about a total of 16 morning workouts,” Harris said. “Having the [open gyms] will have been beneficial because the more practice we are putting in, the more experience we are going to have as a team.”

I’m okay with going and getting up and practicing because I know it is going to make us better

”

-ABBY HARRIS RIS Wall believes the workouts will be a chance to get closer to the team and allow upperclassmen to run the workouts.

“We feel that they need to work with each other and it is great for our seniors to work on leadership skills.”

While Wall has input on the workouts, it is the juniors and seniors re-

Senior Amanda Hoffman and Junior Karen Campbell practice footwork with a speed ladder.

PHOTO BY SHANNON O’HARA

SECTION D

www.boosterredux.com

In-depth

Friday, Jan. 29 2016

7

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

Jack and the giant peach Warring, Commons’ all-state performance selected for international conference josh lee @Iamthejoshlee n the heart of America, seniors Jack Warring and Jon Commons will be putting on James and the Giant Peach, a play centered in the literal core of, of course, a giant peach.

On June 20 to 25, Warring and Commons will be at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, performing the musical at the International Thespian Festival (ITF).

One of ten productions chosen across the country to perform at the conference, James and the Giant Peach, co-directed

by Blue Valley North theatre director Max Brown and Blue Valley Southwest theatre director Dan Schmidt, boasts carefully selected thespians from all across the state of Kansas.

The auditions for the musical were held at the Kansas State Thespian Conference in January of 2015. Because the production would be performed the following year and had to consist entirely of a high school student cast, only freshmen, sophomores and juniors who attended the state conference were eligible to audition.

“For the audition itself, you had to prepare a presentation of yourself. The performers had to prepare a song with sheet music for a pianist at the audition.

But as a techie, I presented the work that I’ve done in the past few years,” Commons said. “For the musical, I was the head of the fly rail, meaning that I called all the shots that had to do with the fly system.”

While being in charge of such a task puts the responsibility of handling the backstage functions on Commons, he has been involved on the tech crew in the high school theatre program for all four of his years and he is happy to be in that position.

“I am very proud to be a part of this show,” Commons said. “I was in two shows at the state conference, but

I

having one of those shows be selected to go to [ITF] is a pretty big deal for me.”

However, while Warring is also proud of the state of the musical, because Warring has been involved in the theatre world for nearly his entire life, he believes he has reached a new high with this achievement.

“I attended my first show when I was three days old. I got a lot of early exposure to theatre with my mom.

She’s been stage managing and building sets since before I was born,” Warring said. “I just really enjoyed theatre, and while [being on] Broadway would be my ultimate goal, I would say I have already achieved my high school goal. I would be content if [a show I was in] had made it to the state conference one year, but this is just the next step up.”

According to theatre director Greg Shaw, the achievement of a production making it to ITF is not something to easily dismiss. “[Jack and Jon] were a part of the all-state show, which is a huge honor to be selected from that, because they had to compete against kids from all over the state in an audition setting in order to be put into the show to begin with,” Shaw said.

The process of getting to perform at ITF, however, is not a single-tier process.

The road to ITF begins with a high school production. The director of a show can decide to have his or her show adjudicated, or judged, to see if meets a standard high enough to be performed at a state conference.

“You have to feel like you have a product that is something to be

adjudicated. From our high school standpoint, if we make it to State, we will then adjudicate for Internationals because that’s kind our litmus to, ‘well, we must have a pretty good product if we made it to State,’” Shaw said.

“The adjudication process is a lengthy deal. It’s three or four pages, it’s very detailed, and it gives reasons why or why not [the judges] believe a show is of a certain quality.”

Pittsburg High School’s most recent musical, Band Geeks, was one such example; while it made it to the State Conference, however, it did not pass the adjudication process to perform at ITF. However, James and the Giant Peach followed a different path. Because it is a musical with an all-state cast, it did not have to go through an adjudication process to make it to - GREG SHAW the State Conference.

“They knew that they were going to perform at state, so there wasn’t really any qualifying for state, but it’s still prestigious, it’s a big honor, and they should be extremely excited,” Shaw said.

Once at state, a director can submit a show to be judged for an opportunity to perform at ITF. The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), the organization that hosts ITF includes chapters in the Western Pacific Islands, China, and all 50 states.

Out of all the programs and organizations that are members of EdTA, around 40 to 50 productions were submitted for judging at the national level. “[The national adjudication process] is a little costly, and it’s a little cheaper

“ ” From a performer’s standpoint, it’s about stan as good as it getss

to get adjudicated when you go to the State Conference,” Shaw said. “Also, certain states are more involved than other states. It became a little tough for the rest of us to get a slot at nationals because we have the all-state show from Kansas and an Olathe school is taking their show, and I know [EdTA] didn’t want to have it be an all-Kansas festival.”

Despite the other competition in Kansas the cast of James and the Giant Peach had to face, it emerged on the other end of the judgment process ready to perform at ITF in front of an audience of thousands.

“There will be, I’m guessing, 20,000 students at the festival, so they’ll have a packed house,” Shaw said. “I think they’ll seat a couple thousand people at the venue.”

And for Warring and Commons, while having the opportunity to perform in front of thousands of audience members is an honor in itself, being able to be a part of ITF’s performances is, in Shaw’s opinion, a remarkable achievement.

“From a performer’s standpoint, it’s about as good as it gets. It will be a wonderful venue, and every kid there would like to be in the performers’ place,” Shaw said. “It’s a well-earned payoff for a really successful career in theatre, and this is a huge honor. [Jack and Jon] both are excited and should be very excited. Very few students across the country will have this experience during their four years of high school.”

And the Warring believes his work in high school so far is, indeed, paying off. He has had the lead role in multiple productions at the high school, and he will be playing the part of Shrek in the next upcoming musical in February.

“This is just a next step up from my biggest expected high school goal,” Warring said. “I mean, my glass was already full, but now it’s overflowing.”

James and the giant peach: by the numbers

2,000 1,560 630 80 Audience Members

Miles traveled to KC for rehearsals

Miles to National Performance at University of NebraskaLincoln

Cast Auditons

2

PHS Students

1Peach 20 Members Cast

8 SPORTS

Friday, Jan. 29, 2016

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

Aiming for wins

Former state champ joins PHS archery JOURNEY JARAMILLO @JourneyButcher

A

s she draws back her arrow senior Elizabeth Workman takes a deep breath and focuses on her target.

Workman began archery four years ago when she lived in Sarcoxie, MO, and has been a competitive archer ever since. Although this is her first year here, Workman is already a co-captain of the archery team.

After three years on the Sarcoxie team, Workman is looking forward to the benefits, as well as the challenges, that come with competing with a new school and team. She anticipates assisting the group in moving forward and getting better.

“I want to help get this club [on the map.] That is a big goal for me,” Workman said.

“When I found out [there was] an archery team here, I [thought,] ‘I need to know the coach, I need to know when practices are and I need to know as much information as I can.’”

For the past few years, Workman has qualified for state and national competitions. When she began competing her freshman year, she made it to the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) World Championships, where she was ranked 11th place.

“All the work and focus I put in

an finally paid off in the end,” Workman said. w Seeing Workman come to a new y, school and join archery right away, gs coach Mary Packard feels she brings something new to the team. on “Liz adds experience in competition that we do not have,” Packard said. “It tiwill be interesting during our competitions to see how she can help.” ve Having had the chance to observe oWorkman’s efforts, teammate, sophoes more Tatum VonWinklepleck agrees that Workman is an above average arm. cher and a good addition to the team. “[Elizabeth] helps bring the score up at [since we have] the newer people that er have yet to improve. She brings another ull female to the [club,] which makes a full eteam for competitions,” VonWinklepleck said. ng After joining archery and realizing an how much she enjoyed it, Workman fe claims that archery became her safe place and she never wanted to stop. e] “Usually, in Sarcoxie, [practice] ol, would be only two hours after school, ,” but I would stay four or five hours,” hWorkman said. “Afterward, the coachp, es would say, ‘okay, you have to stop, y] you have to go home now.’ But, I [only] wanted to get better and escape. It m really helped me to [get away from ly everything,] and made me feel really good. That is why I love it.”

Photo illustration by Kaitlyn Kidd and Brooklyn Rhue

PHS

ARCHERY

club

stats

20 ARCHERS

18 2

RIGHT-EYE DOMINANT LEFT-EYE DOMINANT

30

arrows make up each final score

300

HIGHEST score possible

WINTER ATHLETE HIGHLIGHTS

Photo by Derek Brumbaugh

Abbie CASPER LEXI PALMER @LexiPalmer1022

To fulfill a childhood dream of being a professional basketball player, sophomore Abbie Casper practices more than 15 hours a week on improving her skills.

“I started playing because all I ever wanted to do was play basketball.”, Casper said. “It’s my favorite sport. Growing up, I wanted to play basketball at KU and play in the WNBA.” Casper appreciates the company of her father, who works with her on growing stronger as a player.

“My dad is always there for me, cheering me on and giving me advice about life and basketball,” Casper said. “He is my biggest fan and rarely ever misses a game. I am so grateful to have such a great supporter that teaches me about the game.”

Out on the court, Casper feels she is supported not only by her team, but by her friends. According to Casper, one of the major components in basketball is having a team you can trust and work well with.

“I like how we are all friends on and off the court and care so much about each person that is a part of the team,” Casper said. “The intensity and chemistr y between the players has really helped us become better as a team.”

By playing basketball, Casper has learned that failure is something players have to face.

“The hardest part is dealing with failure, and not being afraid of it. In sports, you are going to fail,” Casper said. “But the most difficult thing is learning how to make something of it and move on to make the next play better.”

Photo by Derek Brumbaugh

Dylan Untereker IVAN WALTER @ivanthehoss56

Basketball has always been a big part of senior Dylan Untereker’s life. Having to start the season on the sideline was not what Untereker was expecting.

“It was hard to adjust, having to get back in shape and into the basketball rhythm was very difficult for me,” Untereker said.

Untereker missed the first two games of the season due to a severe turf toe and a small fracture in his foot.

The team started its season 0-4 even after Untereker’s return.

“I struggled the first 2 games; it was nerve-racking,” Untereker said.

However, a win against Joplin started a different kind of streak. Untereker had a team-high 28 points in the victory.

The team has then won four consecutive games, two of which came against Chanute and Parsons, who were previously undefeated in the SEK. During this streak, Untereker has averaged 21.8 points and 10 rebounds per game.

“We are rolling right now. We have been playing good basketball because we play as a team,” Untereker said.

Dylan is open about his reasons for playing the game “I make sure I play for my family and my teammates,” Untereker said. “I want to do everything I can to lead us to victory.”

At the end of the season last year, Untereker was awarded Second Team All-SEK and All State Honorable Mention.

“My goal for this year is to get first team on both lists,” Untereker said. “I want to win the SEK and then qualify for the state tournament.”

Photo by Hazel Harper

Deveron Duncan

MADDY ROBISON @maddyrobison19 Despite being in second year in wrestling junior Deveron Duncan discovered his passion.

“I enjoy the self confidence that comes with it, even though you are by yourself while you are [wrestling], the team work is nice,” Duncan said. “The atmosphere is also great, you meet new people, make new friends.”

Duncan feels wrestling has helped him not only in academically but also socially.

“Becoming a better athlete has made me a better person. I have learned a lot of discipline and patience,” Duncan said. “People always expect me to do well in sports, but I really expect myself to do well academically, also.”

Exceed standards on the mat and in the classroom is an ultimate goal of Duncan’s.

For most wrestlers, weight is a concern during wrestling season. Unlike most wrestlers, Duncan doesn’t need to make alterations to his daily life to maintain his eligibility in his weight class.

“My everyday routine is pretty normal because, by the end of practice, I probably lose 2-9 pounds, so maintaining my weight is pretty easy,” Duncan said.

“Everyone else has a weight bracket. I am in heavy weight which is 221-285 pounds.”

Since Duncan doesn’t have to focus solely on his weight, his dedication is not shaken.

“Going to state in my first year, and seeing my potential are really big motivators,” Duncan said. “Last year, I went to New Orleans to wrestle and that just built my confidence, and my technique, and that has helped me a lot this year.”