Jester awards Drama department up for 18 awards Page 2D
The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th Street Pittsburg, KS 66762 Vol. 99, Issue 10 www.boosterredux.com
Friday, May 13, 2016
Making their way to
Nationals Nine debate, forensics students qualify for tournament MADDY ROBISON @maddyrobison19 tanding in a practice room, freshman Hannah Casper spends hours perfecting her oration for the upcoming national competition. “[Qualifying for nationals] is really exciting, but also kind of nerve-racking because not a lot of freshmen get to go,” Casper said. “I’m eager to see what it’s like and hopefully prepare myself for the future.” This year, the debate and forensics team qualified nine students to compete in the National Speech and Debate Tournament at Salt Lake City June 12-17. This is the largest group in school history. Students include: senior Sebastian Johns; juniors Morgan Burns, Caleb Dial, Isaiah Harris, Zach Uttley; sophomores Meghan Hess, Justice Lankford, Gina Mathew and freshman Hannah Casper. “This is an opportunity that they will never have the chance to experience unless they go to nationals,” speech and debate coach Julie Laflen said. “To qualify for nationals you have to place first your second, which makes it extremely competitive.” Uttley, who attended nationals last year, enjoys debate and forensics despite the extra practice outside of school. “I really enjoy the people you meet, the trips you take and the competition you face,” Uttley said. “It takes a lot of time in and out of the classroom, but it’s worth it.” Along with Uttley, Burns is excited to gain an unique experience and other life skills that will benefit her outside of the classroom. “[Since joining forensics], I find that it’s a lot easier to get up and talk in front of judges or to people I don’t know,” Burns said. In addition to having a sizable group of students traveling to nationals, a milestone was set in the program. “Having Hess and Lankford qualify in
S Karate What it takes to be a black belt Page 4D
Continued on Page 2D At the annual forensics ice cream social, juniors Caleb Dial, Zach Uttley and senior Sebastian Johns receive award certificates. They will travel to Salt Lake City in June with six other students to compete at the national debate and forensics tournament. PHOTO BY DEVON COULTER
In-Depth Enrollment procedures
Clark retires after 27 years MOLLY GRAHAM @molllygraham hen coach and teacher Merle Clark was 12-years-old, his father gave him advice that became his lifelong mantra: if a person is going to pay an employee a good wage, that employee goes to work every day and gives a good day’s work. And in his 27 years of teaching coaching at the high school, Clark has done just that. “I have been very proud to work for USD 250 for 27 years,” Clark said. “I am very proud I have missed very few school days, but I think I am most proud of getting up every day and wanting to come to school to hang out with the kids.” This year, Clark made the decision to retire. “I feel like this is really the right time, from the coaching aspect, because the guys who are coaching football are young, they’re aggressive and they do a good job,” Clark said. Before he began teaching and coaching, Clark was a dentist for nine years. “It was something I just did not want to do. I’d always wanted to teach and coach, and I just thought, ‘You shouldn’t get up in the morning not wanting to go to work,’” Clark said. “So I decided to teach and coach, and I’ve never regretted any of it at any time.” Clark is an alum of the high school and the football team and being a part of the teaching and coaching staffs was what he knew he wanted to do, although he did not ever think he would receive an opportunity to do so. “I did not know if there would be an opening at PHS, but it turned out there happened to be. It just worked out very well for me,” Clark said. “I was proud to wear the purple when I was at PHS as a student, and I’m still proud to wear the purple now.” To head football coach Tom Nickelson, Clark is the epitome of a Dragon. “He played here, he helped established some of that winning tradition. He was an assistant coach for several years, then a head coach for 15 years. He is Dragon football. To a whole generation of people, he represents Dragon football,” Nickelson said. “He has been a fixture [at the high school] for a lot of years, he is just someone we all give respect to and look up to and go to for advice. There will be a big hole [without him]. He’s Pittsburg born and raised.” Not only have Clark and Nickelson coached and taught together for 15 years, they have developed a close relationship. “[He is one of three people] I respect the most and go to the most for advice. He’s a really good coach, but he’s a better man,” Nickelson said. “He’s been a second father to me for the last 15 years.” According to Nickelson, Clark offers a positive attitude and a plethora of advice to every person in the high school. Just one person who has experienced this firsthand is junior Noah Vaughn. “I feel like I could go up and talk to Coach Clark
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Making history logan benham qualifies for state all four years Page 8D
After four years of counseling at high school, Powell returns to PCMS KALI POENITSKE @kali_poenitske
Teaching health, Merle Clark has a discussion with his class. PHOTO BY SHERRICK ROGERS
about anything at any time of the day and he would drop everything he’s doing just to listen to me,” Vaughn said. However, Clark has provided more for Vaughn than a confidant. Clark has given him the confidence to excel in not only sports, but academics. “Coach Clark has really pushed me to be the best I can be,” Vaughn said. “He has always let me know I am capable of anything I want to do, whether it is on the field or in the classroom. The school and the football team just won’t be the same without him.” For Clark, what he will miss most about the high school are his developed relationships; with his fellow teachers and coaches, as well as his students. “We’ve spent so much time together we have become like family,” Clark said. “I am not going to lose total contact with those people, but it won’t be the same not being [at the high school] every day.” For Clark, in his 27 years spent at the high school, there has not been anything better than to continue his career at the same school he in which he graduated from. “I have had opportunities to go other places and teach and coach, but I really didn’t ever want to, because I wore the purple and I’m still proud to,” Clark said. “What I’ve enjoyed most is being able to teach and coach at the same school I went to.”
After counseling high school students for four years, counselor Burl Powell is going back to the middle school. “I [decided] on a whim,” Powell said. “I saw the job open in March, so I called them and [asked] about it. They told me what it was and I thought that was something I had never done and it would be challenging. I thought it would be cool.” Powell has counseled in the district for five years. Before his time at the high school, he was a counselor at the middle school for a year. He is looking forward to the opportunity to work with a different group of students. “The cool thing is, I am not only on the regular ed side,” Powell said. “I’m also on the special ed side. It [will be challenging], but I will get to help in a [new] way.” While Powell is ready for a change, he will be missed by many once he leaves. “He always helped me through any problems I had,” sophomore Taylor Redd said. “He is considerate to everyone. No matter who it was, he always tried to be as helpful as possible [because] every student matters.” Powell’s fellow counselors will feel his absence as well. “I will truly miss his smiling face and enjoyable, lighthearted attitude coming in everyday,” counselor Gina Ulbrich said. “We never knew what funny thing he was going to say. I loved that, and I am really going to miss it. I have loved working with Mr. Powell. I wish him the best of luck. He will be fabulous at the job he has taken down there. Those kids are really lucky they are going to be able to work with Mr. Powell.”