May 2018

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The dogs are out Senior teammates reflect on ten years playing together during final season

Spreading too thin Konopelko urges students to find passion in one or two extracurriculars Opinion Following in Dylan’s footsteps Powering through the changes Get Busy Livin’ Club members give Students adapt to a new lunch back to community, school Feature schedule News

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Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th Street Pittsburg, KS 66762

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Friday, May 4, 2018 Vol. 100 Issue 9

Sophomore Trevor Stover, junior Alesha Lawson, and freshman Jordan McDaniels study together for their upcoming final. Photo by | # #

Final s Final Thoughts Schedule ! "

Odd finals: Monday, 5/14 Even finals: Tuesday, 5/15

Sixth Hour 2nd opp Seventh Hour Third Hour Fourth Hour Fifth Hour Lunch Sixth Final Seventh Final

8:10 - 8:50 8:50 - 9:00 9:00 - 9:40 9:45 - 10:25 10:30 - 11:10 11:15 - 11:55 11:55 - 12:45 12:50 - 2:05 2:10 - 3:25

First Hour 2nd opp Second Hour Third Final Lunch Fourth Final Fifth Final Make-up Time

8:10 - 8:50 8:55 - 9:05 9:05 - 9:45 9:50 - 11:05 11:05 - 11:55 12:00 - 1:15 1:20 - 2:35 2:40 - 3:25

First Final 2nd opp Second Final Staff Lunch Make-up Time

8:10 - 9:25 9:25 - 9:40 9:40 - 10:55 11:00 - 12:30 12:30 - 3:30

All students are required to attend review periods. Students who are exempt from finals are only exempt from the class period of the final.

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fter the Building Leadership Team (BLT) discussed the consistent number of tardies and absences, the solution of finals exemption was brought up. “We started talking about tardies being an issue. There were 40 to 50 kids in the hall when the bell rang,� principal Phil Bressler said. As a BLT member, junior Madison Nagel believes the finals exemption policy is effective. “We thought [exemptions] would be a nice incentive for students to attend class and be on time,� Nagel said. “For me, it has worked.� Though math teacher Rebecca Lomshek sees improvement in punctuality, she is concerned about the readiness of students planning to continue their education. “I understand the need, and attendance has been better since we instated that, but I do worry about our students who are going to the college level,� Lomshek said. “The best scenario would be the college bound students shouldering the responsibility to take the final.� For a student to be exempt from their finals, they must have an 80 percent or better with no tardies and three absences or less in the class. The only absences that do not prohibit a student from being exempt are student activities. “Any non-school activity absence counts. Whether it’s a doctor’s note or the flu and you had to spend three days at home because you were sick, those are three absences,� Bressler said. “We felt if we started exempting one thing, we’d end up exempting everything.� When considering what type of absences would prevent a student from being exempt, Bressler said school activities are the only absences that are excused. “This is something we want kids to work for. We are rewarding students making school a priority. Find a way to be here,� Bressler said. “We look at school activities as a conference or business trip. You’re still working, but you’re working there. We’re not sending you to the doctor. There are times when I need to go see the doctor, but I put it off a day or two or try to go after school or on a day we don’t

Subtracting Classes

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For the past seven years, eighth graders have had the opportunity to test out of algebra I and take honors geometry their freshman year. For the 2018-2019 school year, all freshmen will take algebra I, and honors geometry will no longer be offered to students. In the past years, eighth graders were taught algebra I, according to high school math teacher Gary Ausemus. “At the middle school this year they are no longer teaching algebra I,� Ausemus said. “They are taking eighth grade math right now, there is no algebra, so it would be difficult to take geometry then algebra II.� Students with varying ability will be combined in classes, and the question as to whether upper level students will become uninterested arises. “There is always a concern about students getting bored in any classroom with content they pick up quicker than others,� math teacher Trevor Elliott said. “That is where differentiation of instruction comes in. The extension activities with the curriculum, College Preparatory Math, can be used for those students.� After students complete algebra I they will move on to a non-honors geometry class, then algebra II. It is still

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have school because I want to be here. I have things to do. Sometimes you’re going to have to make sacrifices.� Nagel has been attending school with mononucleosis but has been able to work around her school schedule to avoid absences. “It has been rough coming to school with mono. I have only missed a few classes to go to the doctor,� Nagel said. “It would be beneficial if doctors’ visits confirmed with a note were excused, but, rules are rules.� Junior Joel Kafka disagrees with the ease of avoiding absences. “Three is plenty, but you should be able to miss for funerals and doctors’ appointments,� Kafka said. “There is no other time for some busy students to schedule that kind of stuff.� Junior Brooklyn Hellwig also believes doctors’ notes should be excused when it comes to exempting students from finals. “I don’t like the policy because it hurts kids that get sick. It’s unfair since it counts doctors’ notes,� Hellwig said. “It seems our current admin cares more about attendance than students’ safety.� After observing the hallways and talking to students and faculty, Bressler feels the new policy is working. “I think the goal was to get kids to class more often and to get them there on time,� Bressler said. “I think people are getting what they wanted.� English teacher Kristy Uttley has seen the effectiveness of this new policy. “I think students have reacted positively,� Uttley said. “They’re excited about the opportunity to be exempt from the final.� After this semester’s pilot of the program, administration will decide if it has been successful enough to include in the handbook for next school year. “My gut feeling is it’s working, but we’ll have some preliminary numbers after this semester,� Bressler said. “If we decide it’s worth it, we’ll do it again next year. As long as we feel we are getting what we want out of it, I’m thinking we’d continue.� With three weeks left of school, there are 998 tardies compared to the 2088 last semester.

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undecided if honors algebra II will be offered in the future, according to Elliott and Ausemus. For senior Seth Hoffman, who took the honors math pathway, not having an honors program would have left him unchallenged. “The honors math program was beneficial to me. I learned more without spending too much time on a topic,� Hoffman said. “I would have felt I wasn’t learning enough. If I would have felt it was easy, I wouldn’t have tried to improve myself in math.� Senior Taylor Redd met standards to enroll in honors geometry, but decided to take algebra I anyway. She still felt she was challenged in the course, although feels having a mixture of levels would not have helped. “I would not like having a combined math class. It would be hard for the teacher to balance their teaching pace and styles with the variety of kids,� Redd said. “It may be beneficial with non-honor students getting help from honors students, but overall, I don’t think it would be beneficial.� Ausemus, however, sees how combining the different levels will benefit the classroom environment. “With working in teams, the different levels will help

the class, because different viewpoints are shared,� Ausemus said. “But, later on, when students try to get to calculus, they will have to double up taking algebra II and geometry at the same time.� Current eighth grader Abby Painter was planning on enrolling in honors geometry so she could pursue upper level math classes. She is now unsure whether she will get the chance to reach them. “Taking two math classes at one time will be difficult to keep up with. I won’t have room in my schedule for the rest of the classes I would like to take,� Painter said. “The change will not be beneficial because students are at different levels in their learning and are ready for different things.� According to Ausemus, there is a possibility gifted students who are on an Individual Education Plan can test out and take geometry, but it is currently undecided and all freshmen will be enrolled in algebra I. “This change is out of our hands because we are tied to what students come in with, and this is what the state level is recommending now,� Ausemus said. “If students have not even been exposed to algebra I standards, it is hard to move on to the next level.�

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Students eat lunch at tables set up specifically for Power Hour. Students have a 50-minute break to eat lunch and meet with teachers. Photo by |

Powering through the changes Words by | s the lunch bell r ings, freshman Blake Har r ison walk s past the lunch line and makes his way to a classroom. There, he completes his schoolwork while waiting for the lunch line to die down. Har r ison has changed his lunch routine to adapt to a new, recently implemented lunch system. On Apr il 16, the administration changed the lunch schedule. Instead of having a study hall hour in the mor ning and three different lunch per iods, study hall and lunch was combined to pilot a 50 minute academic lunchtime called Pur ple Power Hour (PPH). “It helps students out with their homework. It gives you a lit tle brain break so that you’re not completely stressed with ever y thing,� Har r ison said. “You don’t feel too over whelmed. You can go get help from teachers if you need help.� Har r ison hopes to see more food options next year as well as faster lunch lines. Allowing students to practice independent time management and have easier access to the help they might need were the main objectives in mind when implementing this schedule, according to pr incipal Phil Bressler. “We want to provide oppor tunities for k ids to star t lear ning how to manage their own time within the school day,� Bressler said. “We wanted to give teachers the oppor tunit y to work with students who are most in need and not be distracted by 12 or 13 other k ids who have to be in [the classroom] because we assigned

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them.� W hile implementing PPH, the administration anticipated and faced some obstacles such as space management and the lunch lines being longer than they were previously. “Some of the [bigger] obstacles, though [included], food ser vice. The concer n there about if too many students br ing their lunch and our numbers drop, that [food ser vice] would have to take a loss and we can’t afford that,� Bressler said. “Custodial, how clean are we going to be able to keep the building? How tidy are students going to be tak ing care of their own lunch mess? Both of those have been pret t y positive.� Bressler explains that the results of this year’s PPH pilot will deter mine whether the school will continue with this schedule in the fall. “There are going to be changes. There are going to be k ink s. W hen we open the new cafeter ia in the middle of next year, things are going to change as well. Hopefully that’s going to be a positive change,� Bressler said. “We’re think ing about how [we can] make life bet ter for a student. W hat are some things that we can do to make it easier for k ids?� Since all 900 students now have the same lunch hour, food ser vice manager Ter r i Feagan and her team have been exper imenting to see what work s best to ser ve the students and staff. “We’ve tr ied and figured out we need a lot of stuff ready to go. I think it went a lot quicker. We’re figur ing it out now how to get the k ids through faster,� Feagan said.

Hiring Hanson: Words by | After ser ving six years as the super intendent of the Monet t School Distr ict, 1981 PHS graduate Brad Hanson will become assistant super intendent for USD 250. “Having grown up in Pit tsburg and having family living in the area, I have continued to keep up with Pit tsburg Schools,� Hanson said. “I owe a lot to Pit tsburg Schools for my formative education, and I am looking for ward to giving back to the

Students take advantage of Purple Power Hour to work on assignments in Angela PallarÊs’ classroom. Photo by |

Though the ser ving times have changed, the routine in the k itchen remains similar to the way it was before PPH. “It hasn’t made a whole lot of changes for us. We wor r ied about it a lot more than we should’ve,� Feagan said. “One thing that we’ve wor r ied about is not being able to cook. We cook in bet ween lines so the food is fresh. We’re still doing that so all of our wor r ies k ind of went away.� However, Feagan repor ts that there are some issues. “We don’t k now how much to fix because we never k now when the line is going to end. Our count has gone down some because k ids are br inging their food from home and so it’s just k ind of hard to deter mine that,� Feagan said. “Our biggest problem is get ting in there and wiping counters down because it k ind of bothers us. People are spilling food all over. The milk cooler, we have to stop the k ids from get ting in there and trading out the milk.� Feagan believes the ser ving

process will become much smoother next year when the renovations to the cafeter ia are made. “The k itchen is going to be a lot more open. We should have more [food] choices. We’ll have three checkouts and they can go down both lines so we’ll have six lines instead of just the t wo we have now,� Feagan said. “Plus we’ll have the new cafeter ia where the k ids can sit too and that should seat at least 300 or more k ids instead of all being out in the hallways.� Alongside the food ser vice, social studies teacher Jason Susnik has acclimated to the new lunch schedule. “I’d say I have more f lexibilit y. As a teacher, I like having the abilit y to have my k ids in here for 50 minutes. Thus far I like seeing the teachers in the hallway seeing the k ids walk ing around,� Susnik said. “It’s a nice lit tle break from the nor mal routine. It’ll only get bet ter next year with the new cafeter ia and hopefully k ids can get food quicker.�

school and communit y.� The hire will not be officially approved until May 14, when the Board of Education meets to approve the hire and contract. Upon approval, Hanson’s contract will begin July 1, 2018. Rich Proffit t, the District’s incoming superintendent is optimistic about Hanson joining the team, according to a press release about Hanson. “We are ver y for tunate to have someone of Dr. Hanson’s caliber to help the district continue to move

for ward in a positive direction,� Proffit t said. “The skill set he brings will be ver y beneficial, and I look for ward to working with him.� Hanson ref lects on why he may have been thought of for the job. “I hope that the Board and Mr. Proffit t saw me as a school leader who places students first and is passionate about working with administrators and teachers to discover new and improved means of impacting student lear ning,� Hanson said.

As he jour neys back to Pit tsburg, Hanson is excited to create new oppor tunities. “I look for ward to building positive relationships with the administrative team and teachers throughout the distr ict,� Hanson said. “I am also eager to get reacquainted with the communit y.� As he takes on this new exper ience, Hanson hopes to meet his goal. “My philosophy has always been to lear n and improve each and ever y day,� Hanson said. “This

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s the bell rings, I r un out of school with my textbooks slipping out of my hands, my tennis bag strap bur ning my shoulders and my f lute case handle sliding off my finger tips. My friend suddenly stops me and says, “Don’t forget about that biolog y worksheet due tomor row.� My hear t star ts racing. What worksheet? I can’t remember one. And besides, there’s no way I can do it. I have tennis practice until 6:00 and debate work night after wards. Although I stay up past midnight, my mental fatigue doesn’t let me finish my worksheet. In four hours, my alarm wakes me up, and I go through the same, stressful routine. This daily sequence of events is all I’ll ever remember from my first t wo years of high school. I convinced myself that sacrificing my sanit y for a plethora of extracur riculars was my only ticket to postsecondar y success. High school has become a bat tle of finding time for an overabundance of extracur riculars in an at tempt to impress colleges. A study by Frontiers of Psycholog y sur veyed and inter viewed 128 private school juniors in some of the most competitive extracur riculars and courses in the nation. 49 percent of the students repor ted feeling “a great deal of stress on a daily

Freshman Emma Fischer scrambles to finish her homework before the clock strikes midnight. Photo Illustration by |

basis.� The study cited “the pressure to gain admission to a selective college or universit y� as one of the main factors in high chronic stress. I know what it’s like to sacrifice education — the real pur pose of school — for hours at an extracur ricular activit y. To lose track of time. To question why you’re doing any of it at all. But I also know what it’s like to set aside your time for one extracur ricular and

succeed with it. And that’s the best feeling ever. If you think a college is going to look down on you if you don’t par ticipate in a bunch of extracur r iculars, you’re wrong. Colleges have even addressed this misconception. “We want to know where a student’s passions lie, and genuine interests tend not to appear suddenly in senior year. I’d rather see qualit y over quantit y,� said Sarah Richardson, admissions director at

Creighton Universit y, the No. 1 ranked regional Midwester n universit y in the nation by U.S. News. Colleges will be more impressed if you have a strong skill set in one extracur r icular, rather than average skills in 10. And you’ll be proud of yourself too. Allot t your time toward one or t wo extracur r iculars that you tr uly love, enjoy and have a passion for. When you love what you’re doing, you avoid stress and

increase your productivit y. PHS offers many extracur riculars, whether that be debate, theater, jour nalism or spor ts. Choose one of them and devote the bulk of your time to it. When I dropped the extracur riculars that were over whelming me, I became reunited with happiness. I gained more time for myself. I now tr uly feel like a teenager. Do what you love. And if you don’t love what you do, then quit.

“Vote them out:�

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The phrase “vote them out� could be the strongest call to action for my generation. The March for Our Lives took place on March 24, and displayed the increasing disdain for inaction within our government. Young and old alike gathered in towns from Pittsburg, to Washington, D.C. to show suppor t for those who lost their lives in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Feb. 14. Along with honoring the victims, young protesters gathered to share their stories of gun violence and help give a voice to those who could not speak up before it was too late. Protests such as these unite our generation and show that the people want action to be taken, but mean nothing in the long run if they are not put into law by congress. This is why voting out policymakers unwilling to make changes is the most impor tant thing voters can do. This has no longer become a par tisan issue, both par ties see too far apar t and make compromise. The phrase “thoughts and prayers� has rung from many politicians recently, demonstrating their desire to share condolences but follow with no action. Students have

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Art by | ' ( also shared what they intend to do come election time. “Politicians either represent the people or get out “said Cameron Kasky, a sur vivor of the Parkland school shooting “Stand for us or beware. The voters are coming.� The threat of an upheaval in lawmaker’s seats will make an impact that the ones in control cannot ignore. Our generation has been outspoken and frustrated with the status quo.

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I can say on behalf of many adults that we are making them proud while also driving others crazy. In the end, safety of students is more impor tant than who gets to make decisions in government. When the two become inter twined, the latter must change. Without a magic answer to this problem, inaction is the worst possible solution.

From Dragon Time to Study Hall and now Purple Power Hour, PHS has undergone numerous attempts over the past four years to accommodate individualized learning time in the school day. Earlier this year, a group of faculty members toured various schools that implement a 50-minute lunch and study hall before concluding that our high school should partake as well. Although there were mixed opinions prior to the start of the program, it has now been accepted by the majority of the students. Every newspaper staff member had good things to say about Purple Power Hour during our class discussion. The availability of teachers has been very useful for students, and being able to sit with friends has increased moods. It also adds a nice, refreshing break to recoup ourselves to finish out the day. Purple Power Hour has proven to be helpful in giving us more time to work on homework, interview students and just hang out. Overall, Purple Power Hour has had a positive impact on the school, but it needs to be reconsidered for the space we currently have. If supervision was expanded, the gym would be a good space for students to be able to eat and hang out during this 50 minute period. Currently, the gym is being used for private dining, a lunch detention for students who dismissed a request pass from a teacher. If private dining has been successful, it could be moved to the Megan Mallatt gym in order to free up the space in the main gym for students during Purple Power Hour. While this may not be the solution inevitably, it could be a step in the right direction during the renovations. In regards to if Purple Power Hour should be implemented next year, we feel it should stay in the schedule. For the seniors on our staff, they have been through three different study periods, and all feel Power Hour has been the program which is most favorable.

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Grace Palmer

Kali Poenitske

Lilliana Black

I can’t imagine what my high school experience would have been like if I hadn’t joined yearbook freshman year. I’ve learned so much. Not just about journalism, but also about myself and other people. I’ve made many life-long friendships that I would’ve missed out on if I hadn’t been in Student Pub. Room 604 has been another home for the past four years, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to share it with. I am especially grateful for Smith. Even when she is teasing me about my spelling errors, my “sexy� outfits and my life in general, I love her, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. The memories I’ve made here will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I am grateful to have been a part of something so special.

If I hadn’t signed up for newspaper three and a half years ago, my high school career would have been completely different. I might have gotten more sleep, had more free time and I might have been less stressed. However, I would not trade my time in Student Publications for anything else. When I first walked through the door of room 604, I wasn’t sure what to think. Smith was on maternity leave, it seemed like everyone was already super close, and I didn’t think I’d fit in. I was fairly quiet for my first semester in class, but I eventually became more outgoing and showed my sarcastic side‌ maybe even too much sometimes. I also became friends with people I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise. I want to thank all of the nerds who impacted my time in newspaper. I would especially like to thank Smith for always supporting me, pushing me to step outside of my comfort zone and for laughing at my sarcastic comments. Being a part of newspaper changed my high school experience in an amazing way that I never would have imagined. I will never forget the time spent and the memories made in room 604.

I never thought Newspaper would become such a big par t of my life. I’ve been Design Editor now and I’ve found a passion in design that I will carr y with me forever. I have experienced so many things while being a par t of this staff. Newspaper has been the highlight of my day for so long that I don’t know how I am going to function without it. I can only say that we’ve made memories in this class that will stick with us for years to come and I am so grateful to have been a par t of this staff. PEACE OUT NERDS!

Chase Curtis

I was on staff for all four years of high school. Yearbook was always really fun for me because it was a class where I didn’t have to be quiet all hour and was able to have fun. Mrs. Smith was more of a fr iend than a teacher to me and I really enjoyed the four years I was on staff. Room 604 was always a place I liked to be and I’m really going to miss it. #Cur tDogOut

Kaitlyn Kidd

My time in Student Pub introduced me to people that I never would have known had I failed to join. Not only did I have fun, but I traveled to beautiful places in the U.S. and won awards that I am super proud of. Student publication has taught me how to manage my time wisely and how to be a par t of a progressive, hard-working team. With guidance from Mrs. Smith I was able to challenge myself intellectually and I’ve become a better person because of it.

Journey Jaramillo

Connor Balthazor

1937 words. That is the difference bet ween my first stor y and my longest. Through student pub, I have developed my wr iting abilities and I have lear ned to speak my mind, communicate and stand up for what I believe in. I lear ned how to be myself in any environment and in my wr iting. This exper ience has given me the strength and confidence that show today. Each of my fellow student pub members, including Mrs. Smith, have made an impact in my life and I can only hope I did the same for them.

Newspaper was the first class that I signed up for when I transfer red to PHS sophomore year. I ended up enjoying student pub so much that by my senior year I was in student pub classes for three hours and study hall. Newspaper opened so many doors for me that I couldn’t even count them. Whether it be oppor tunities to improve my wr iting skills, meeting people or oppor tunities to travel, student pub has been invaluable in helping me prepare for college and adulthood. Newspaper and Photoj have been unforget table exper iences and have shaped my memor ies of high school. When I look back on my time at PHS, my first thoughts will be of student pub and Smith. Thanks for ever y thing, room 604.

Teyler Greve

Drew Roelfs

Haleigh Mynatt

I liked seeing my fr iends and helping Mrs. Smith dur ing my time in yearbook and newspaper class. I am going to miss ever yone.

I didn’t join yearbook till my senior year. I joined because my fr iends kept begging me to join the yearbook, but i don’t regret joining the yearbook because of how much fun I have had. It was really difficult to get in the yearbook because I had to beg Mrs. Smith to let me in. I had so much fun with this group, we worked really hard and had a lot of fun. I just want to thank all of my fellow yearbook classmates, and especially Mrs. Smith for being one of my favor ite teachers, I really regret not joining the yearbook earlier.

Doing student pub was one of the best things I did in high school. It was fun, I made many fr iends from it, and 604 became a safe room for me when I was having a bad day. Smith was always there for us when needed and I know I will never forget her.

oodbyes

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I joined student pub my sophomore year and I couldn’t be happier I made that choice. I joined newspaper with only the appreciation for writing but left with much more. I have made countless friends, made relationships with other faculty and community members, and learned skills in journalism I thought I’d never possess. From writing nationally recognized stories to reviewing my favorite music, newspaper has been a fantastic home to me and my fellow seniors. I can’t begin to thank Mrs. Smith and ever yone else that has made newspaper is great as it’s been enough. I’ll hold my newspaper memories for the rest of my life, peace out.

I have been on staff for all four years and it was great experience, it was always a great time in room 604. Yearbook was never boring we were always doing something (even if that meant not always working on the book). I would like to thank Mrs. Smith because she was not only a fantastic teacher but she was also a mentor to me. I would also like to thank all of the students that made my experience so great.

Honestly, I didn’t really have the choice to not be involved in Student Publications. With my three older siblings all being editors of the newspaper I was pretty much forced into it and felt I had to continue the tradition. When I enrolled though, I was super eager to be on staff. I was told Student Pub was a family atmosphere, and I have learned over my four years it most definitely is. From the time I couldn’t get my car to turn off at my very first staff meeting to the late night work nights where many tears have been shed, everyone has always been there for each other, and that is what I love about Student Pub. It’s hard to say what newspaper has been like these past four years, but to sum it up I have to say rewarding. I never thought it would mean so much to me to read my name in the newspaper, but I always perk up when I see my name, knowing people are reading my own words, and in some instances making a change. I love all of the Nerds and Smith with all of my heart. It is going to be so heartbreaking to walk out and say goodbye to 604 for the final time.

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Patrick Sullivan

Dalton Gromer

Maddie Baden

Shelby Smith My freshman year I was in yearbook and the rest I have been in photojour nalism. These last three years have been great in photo J! I have grown so much as a photographer and this year has been the best year. The people in my class are so talented! The only thing is that I won’t be able to talk to Smith about what is bothering me or pet t y girl drama. I won’t be able to jokingly complain to her that Savannah is being mean to me and have her roll her eyes, shake her head and laugh.

I enrolled into photojournalism my freshman year and thought I knew a lot, but boy was I wrong. My freshman year when we went to Washington, D.C. for the fall journalism convention I was the only photographer that didn’t place from Pittsburg. I was discouraged, but quickly got over it and decided to improve and work harder. Through these years I have been awarded at least 25 awards in regards to photojournalism and I have been published. Now, I don’t do it for the awards, I do it because I simply love it. I wouldn’t have had such a passion for photography if I wouldn’t have joined photojournalism. Not only did I grow as a photographer, but this class has helped me grow to be a better listener, worker, and a better person. Student publications has been quite the journey through these past four years. Photojournalism changed my life in amazing ways. Smith has taken me across the countr y several times and I will never forget the memories we made. I am forever grateful to have been a part of this program for four years.

Madeline Emerson

Look ing back on my years on student s pub I have enjoyed my exper ience and the oppor tunities it’s offered me. Joining this class was one of the best things I did because I made a lot of great memor ies and got close to new people that I will miss.

Cameron Ratzlaff

I will never regret joining photojour nalism my freshman year. My high school exper ience would not have been as enjoyable. Photography has t aught me to get out of my comfor t zone and do things I never would have thought about doing, from walk ing into a classroom and tak ing pic tures of k ids work ing, to captur ing student s at Silver Dollar Cit y, to shooting golf. I’m sad to leave, but I k now I have made life-long fr iendships with the people in the program. I hope to continue with photography after high school, whether that be get ting a degree in photography or doing it just for fun.

When I joined newspaper as a freshman, Room 604 welcomed me with open arms. My high school experience would have been much simpler had I not stressed about interviews and fretted over deadlines each month, but I would not trade those memories for all the sparkling grape juice in the world. I want to thank the staff for making my experience as an editor and writer so enriching and impactful. No group is more diverse, more courageous, or more inspiring than the “nerds� who make up the Booster Redux. This wouldn’t be a proper goodbye without expressing gratitude to the woman who made it all possible. Smith, thank you for pushing me to ask the difficult questions and believing in my abilities. Though the staffs and locations may change, your enthusiasm and encouragement remain a constant in Student Pub. I will be proud to call myself an alum in a few short weeks and am eager to see the program thrive in the future.

Student pub has been one of the best classes I have ever taken. I have got ten close to a lot of people in here and made so many memories. I have had so many great oppor tunities in this class and I’m ver y grateful for that. I am also ver y grateful for Smith and ever y thing she has helped me with throughout my years in student pub. I will miss this class and the people in it.

Savannah Jones

Gina Mathew

Harleigh Drake

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#LincolnOrBust Words by |

While the citizens of “Urinetown� must pay for the privilege to pee, the cast, crew and pit band are hoping not to give a penny toward their trip to the International Thespian Festival (ITF) as a result of a major fundraising campaign. Approximately 7,000 theater students, teachers and professionals from the U.S. and Canada will attend ITF, a week-long theater conference in Lincoln, Neb. on June 25-30. The PHS theater troupe made school history when their show, “Urinetown,� earned a bid as one of 11 shows in the nation to perform at the convention. But along with the honor came a hefty price tag. The group, comprised of 47 students and three teachers, aims to raise an estimated $45,000 to cover the expenses for food, lodging, registration and travel as well as on-site workshops, shows and competitions. “The registration for the event is approximately $800 per student and it’s all-inclusive. Unless the [students] want to purchase extra vending stuff or souvenirs, there shouldn’t be any other cost,� theater director Greg Shaw said. “We’ve got to rent a truck to take the set, band instruments and costumes. We’ve got to pay for the hotel rooms of people that are just coming up for the show. We estimated that to be between four and five thousand dollars, so our target was $45,000 for the entire event.� Andra Stefanoni, mother of junior Dominic Stefanoni, was responsible for promoting various fundraisers through press releases and social media. Stefanoni updated the fundraising progress on the “Friends of Pittsburg High School Performing Arts� Facebook page. “I helped organize a core team of parents to spearhead several fundraising efforts since we learned of our selection in January,� Stefanoni said. “My role was to facilitate brainstorming on how we would raise $45,000, then to develop an action plan and marketing strategies for that.�

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because they got to do something they don’t normally get to perform.� Due to the positive response, the troupe will host “An Evening with the Stars: Take Two� at Circle B on May 25. Tickets are $25 each. Shaw envisions the cabaret as an ongoing fundraiser for the future. “I want to do a couple cabarets every year, maybe one each semester, and allow the kids to showcase their talents. Then, any proceeds that come from that will just go toward future [events] and we won’t start at zero. We’ll start at whatever that fund is and raise the difference.� Senior Fayne Speer believes the outpour of community support is a testament to the success of the program. “I’m really grateful for all of the donations people have given,� Speer said. “I think it says we’re dedicated to what we do and the community sees that.� Senior Kaity Rhea realized the fundraising would be a massive undertaking, but she is proud of the outcome. “Raising $45,000 is not an easy task,� Rhea said. “But we’re just about there, Cast members from “Urinetown� walk at the Pittsburg Art Walk on Friday, April 20th so it’s really amazing. We worked very singing along to the soundtrack collecting donations. Photo by | % hard.� In the future, Shaw plans to raise Some of those strategies included here on GoFundMe in hopes people give money in advance. partnering with local businesses, such as what they can, whether it’s $20 or $2,000.� “I’m hoping to start a fund so Chatter’s, Neptune Auto Repair, Piece of In that spirit, the campaign adopted the that, when kids qualify afor state or Cake Nutrition, Root Coffeehouse and slogan “Give What You Can� to encourage internationals, we can help where we can Sweet Designs Cakery, who donated a donations big and small. to either defer or pay in full those fees that portion of their sales on a designated day. “We truly mean it,� Stefanoni said. “We go along with representing our school at At the Pittsburg Art Walk on April 20, tried to structure our campaign so that an extraordinarily high level,� Shaw said. students and parents set up a popcorn and everyone who would like to give could do “That’s my goal.� cotton candy station, along with a custom so in a way that was accessible.� The troupe will offer one final toilet for donations, collecting $585. On March 23, the troupe hosted “An performance of “Urinetown� on June 3 at The troupe also started a GoFundMe Evening with the Stars,� a cabaret-style 7 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium. Admission campaign. At the time of submission, 29 event at the Circle B Ranch featuring will be free and open to the public. donors managed to raise $2,376 for the alumni and current students as performers “[It is] a final dress [rehearsal] of trip. and wait staff. ‘Urinetown’ to get ready,� Shaw said. “I’m “We have planned several local “The cabaret was really successful and hoping we do it free of charge and invite fundraisers such as silent auctions, ice we got a lot of feedback from community the community to grab a seat and come cream socials and so on,� the page said. members saying, ‘We should do this all enjoy this show that’s gotten quite a bit of “For the rest, we’re turning to the public the time,’� Shaw said. “The kids loved it recognition.�

Driving towards success

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In the state of Kansas, 80% of school districts offer driver’s education in some capacity, however some of these schools only offer driver’s education during the summer. According to Joan Peterson, the driver/ motorcycle education director of Kansas State Department of Education, USD 250 is one of 45 school districts that offer driver’s education as a class during the school day, which is taught by Benny Bernhardt. “We have two opportunities for the students,� Bernhardt said. “They can either take it during the school year, which is a semester class or, they can take it during the summer and it’s basically a three-four week class.� Students will pay $20 for the semester class

and $100 for the summer class. Taking the class through PHS offers more than just a financial advantage. “[Students] have to score an 80% on every test and they can retake the test as many times as they need,� Bernhardt said. You may retake a test as many times as you need, whereas at the DMV, if you fail the written or driving test four times, you must wait six months to try again. “It’s way easier than failing the test at the DMV,� sophomore Caine Posa said. “If you get like a 54 the first time and you retake it and you get an 82 then you got it.� Taking driver’s education through Bernhardt’s class can also help a student if they are nervous about driving.

“It was an amazing experience,� Posa said. “It helped me to socialize more while I’m in the car because when I’m in the car I really don’t like to talk and Bernhardt just kept me talking the whole time and it helped me not get distracted while I was driving.� This program will prepare students for an array of different situations and ready for the road. “We do a variety of different things,� Bernhardt said. “We do some Powerpoint stuff where we go through the rules of the road and signage and we talk about different things but we also watch a lot of videos because one of our units we cover is emergency situations and so the more students think about that and run through it, if that emergency happens they are better prepared.�

Saying goodbye to PHS Phil Jay

Melissa Fite Johnson #$

Jay Before Phil Jay was a school counselor, he was a teacher at PHS. “This is my second year [as school counselor,] however previously I taught as a technology teacher at PHS for seven years,� he said. Jay was also a school counselor at Lakeside Elementary. He describes helping people thrive in challenging circumstances as the most uplifting aspect of his profession. “Being in a helping profession is rewarding,� he said. “Helping students overcome barriers that are presented in their lives is what I do.� Jay will move following the end of the school year. “It’s not an easy decision [to the Overland Park/ Olathe area] but its a positive one.� He also recalls his time as a school counselor and is hopeful for others. “It’s been rewarding,� Jay said. “I wish the best for everyone here.� Fite Johnson English teacher Melissa Fite Johnson has been at PHS for 12 years. Before teaching at PHS, Fite Johnson got her masters degree and taught English 101 at a college level as a graduate assistant. Fite Johnson will continue teaching English at Lawrence High School. The decision to leave PHS was not an easy one for Fite Johnson. “I’ve really loved my job,� Fite Johnson said. Though it was not easy, Fite Johnson always daydreamed about moving to Lawrence. “It was the first time I looked at postings in Lawrence. I thought there wouldn’t be anything, but I when I looked it up there was AP job in the town I wanted to

Tracie Newberry ##

Anatolia Ruiz "

live in,� Fite Johnson said. “It felt a little like fate.� Newberry Special education Tracie Newberry has been at PHS for 11 years and considers this her home. Previously, she was a student teacher at PHS and taught at Labette County High School for two years. “I student taught at PHS and was excited to get the opportunity to come back,� said Newberry. “I am contracted through SEK Interlocal 637,� she said. “They contract all of the special education teachers in the district. 250 is just my home.� Newberry will hold an administrative position for SEK Interlocal as a coordinator. “My duties will involve traveling to different districts within in the Interlocal and assisting special education teachers with paperwork issues, supervision of paraeducators, and at times a liaison between special education staff and building administrators,� Newberry said. Ruiz Anatolia Ruiz taught in the English as a Second Language (ESOL) program and was a second grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary for three years before PHS. “I’m going to continue teaching Spanish at the middle school for different grades,� Ruiz said. Ruiz will expand her Spanish courses to four levels. A challenge Ruiz did not expect was the behaviour of teenagers, though her children were teens. “I learned about teenagers, but not too much because I already knew how to deal with my children,� she said. “I’ve never been in an environment in which students misbehave so bad. That’s the experience I’ve learned.� Schultze After teaching here for 12 years, English teacher, Lynn Schultze will not be returning for the next school year.

Lyn Shultze #$

Rhonda Willis !

“I’ve had some health issues and I’m working on those. It feels like the right time for me to go,� Schultze said. “There are some things i want to do in the future that I want to devote some time to.� Schultze plans to travel and possibly teach abroad. “I’m seriously thinking about joining the Peace Corps because has shorters stints,� Schultze said. “I’m also looking into a teaching job in Paraguay.� Schultze began teaching juniors and seniors English courses. Now, she mostly teaches sophomores and Advanced Placement (AP) English. Teaching students has left a positive impact on her. Looking back, Schultze cannot remember a bad experience. “I’m trying to think of what would be my worst experience I’ve had here and my mind just draws a blank,� Schultze said. “It’s all been good. Willis In her eight years at PHS, math teacher Rhonda Willis, has watched her children graduate from PHS and make memories. “I’ve had really good experiences,� Willis said. “I’ve loved working with the students here.� Willis has taught at Carl Junction and Frontenac, and plans to teach at St. Paul High School next school year. “It’s time to have some different experiences,� Willis said. “I’ll be able to teach all courses using the College Preparatory Math (CPM).� Willis will be the only math teacher at St. Paul and anticipates she will teach courses from pre-algebra to calculus. “I am excited to build relationships with students where I’ll have them for possibly five to six years of their careers,� she said. “I will miss it. I will miss it very much.�

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Following in Dylan’s footsteps !

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ast Thursday, junior athlete Joel Kafka boarded a school bus to the Robert Plaster Center’s indoor football field. But this time, he didn’t come to jump over track bars or throw a football across the field. Instead, he stood on the sidelines and high-fived Special Olympic athletes as they threw plastic javelins across the field. “I’ve always had people helping me, coaching me and telling me what’s right or wrong,� Kafka said. “Now, it’s my turn to give back and help these [athletes] out.� Kafka was one of the 18 student volunteers from PHS’s Get Busy Livin (GBL) Club at Thursday’s Track and Field Special Olympics. English teacher Abbey Cummings, weights teacher Tom Nickelson and health teacher Darin Kelley started the community service club last year to share the legacy of Dylan Meier --- a former PHS student, quarterback and substitute teacher who died in a hiking accident at age 26. “Dylan had a lot of wonderful values that would be very refreshing to see in today’s youth,� Cummings said. “We just want to keep his legacy going as friends. He was so important to us.� “Get Busy Livin’� was coined by Meier and inspired the Dylan Meier Get Busy Livin Foundation, started by his parents in his memory. The foundation donates scholarships, hosts shoe drives and supports the GBl Club. The Special Olympics was one of the many volunteer events the club has planned and participated in this year. The club members meet every Thursday morning to plan events. They’ve packaged food for Wesley House, volunteered at Habitat for Humanity’s Spaghetti Feed and cleaned the weights room at the YMCA. “[We’re] trying to reflect Dylan and how active he was in the community,� said sophomore Ethan Weidert, a GBL Club member. “He

Junior Morgan Noe, a Get Busy Livin’ Club volunteer, talks to a Special Olympic athlete before awards “I’ve gotten more experiences with the club. I’ve gotten to help the community and give back, which is what GBL is all about,� Noe said. Photo by |

was a tremendous athlete, great in school and active in the community: all the best qualities that anybody could aspire to be.� In addition to helping the community, the club members have helped their classmates. Back in January, senior Jhalani Long and his family lost their father, Ronald Long, to an illness. At a meeting, Kafka got in front of the club and shared his idea of helping the family. “Jhalani played sports with my brother ever since they were in elementary school, so I just knew there was something we could do to help out,� Kafka, the club’s treasurer, said. The club members brainstormed and decided to host a raffle. They sold $5 raffle tickets during every game leading up to

the Sub-State Basketball Tournament and raffled off the various donations they received, including gift cards, statues and sideline passes for Pittsburg State University football games. They raised over $1,000 and donated it to the Long family. “It was a really hard time for the Longs,� junior Brett Wiemers said. “Being able to raise items and money for them made us all feel really good� Next year, the members plan to launch a new program: Dragons Helping Dragons. They’ll work at four concession stands, which Cummings said will raise approximately $2,000, which will go toward PHS students in need. “Helping out other people helps me out,� said junior Bentley Boekhout, vice president of the club. “We’re

here for anyone at PHS who’s in need and that’s what this club is all about.� Sophomore Shay Mahnken, secretary of the GBL Club and former neighbor of Meier’s, said the club’s emphasis on helping people was ordinary for Meier. “His attitude, no matter what, was always positive,� Mahnken said. “It was always ‘what could you do to help the next person out.’ Even though it’s hard, I try to be like him every day.� Meier also traveled the world. He spent time in New Zealand, Russia and Spain. In New Zealand, he navigated the Tasman Sea, with two elderly sailors he had just met. To commemorate his traveling spirit, the club members who have completed at least 20 hours of community service will be eligible to

attend a day-long “adventure� at the beginning of June. “20 hours is pretty minimal for a person,� Boekhout said. “I wish all people would give 20 hours a year.� Club members will be designing an obstacle course for the foundation’s upcoming 5K race, which will be held on May 5 at Hutchison Field. Kafka said the course will be designed in the shape of a nine, Meier’s football jersey number. Cummings said there is one lesson she wants her students to take away from the club. “I’m trying to teach the kids to be good people,� Cummings said. “Sometimes people don’t need the whole world knowing they need help. Do good to do good instead of doing good to get the recognition or the pat on the back.� View the multimedia story on boosterredux.com

Hitting the target: Words by | ) * An archer since freshman year, senior Tatum vonWinklepleck developed and improved in her shooting skills and was recently awarded a scholarship. “I’ve been shooting competitively since archery started my freshman year. I couldn’t shoot above a 200,� vonWinklepleck said. “But I’m glad I continued with it because I can now say that I’m good enough to take second place at state with a 279. The best someone can shoot is 300.� For vonWinklepleck, shooting has always been an interest and the competition’s appeal comes from its independence and its acceptance of the sports competitors. “Archery is very relaxing to me because I can do what I want without having to depend on someone else, unlike in a sport like volleyball or football,� vonWinklepleck said. “Also I like how anyone can do it if they want to, and pretty much everybody in archery, not just at PHS, is very accepting. At our home tournament, there was this girl from another school who is deaf and it honestly made me happy to see everyone support her instead of making fun of her. Archery coach Mary Packard attributes vonWinklepleck’s skill to her regular practicing and her eagerness to compete.

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“Tatum practices consistently and often, attending almost all practices available. Tatum also has helped the PE 1 classes and Lifetime Fitness classes when they have gone through instruction,� Packard said. vonWinklepleck was awarded the National Archery in the Schools Program Kansas State Senior Scholarship for having the best score at a shootoff that took place at the archery state competition. “At state, the announcer asked for each senior wanting to participate in the shoot-off to go to the table. A range official scored each of our arrows and they announced the names of the boy and girl who shot the higher scores,� vonWinklepleck said. “There was one other girl besides me and I shot 5 points higher than her.� vonWinklepleck recently competed at Bullseye State in Pratt on April 7. She took second place with a score of 253 of 300 and competed alongside archers Crispin vonWinklepleck, Ben Blessent, Beth Blessent, Kole Perez, Caleb Worsley and Bailey Julian. Ben Blessant placed sixth and Beth Blessant took eight place. Bullseye Nationals take place at Louisville, Kentucky on May 12 and the team will be bringing Tatum vonWinklepleck, Beth Blessent, Photo by | ' Jazmin Havens and Caleb Worsley.

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Hard work, determination and consistency are a few of the key points in senior Gina Mathew’s success throughout her forensics career. Mathew is the first to qualify for nationals in forensics all four years in PHS history. “I think it is very humbling,� Mathew said. “I’m honored to know that I am the first to qualify all four years.� Qualifying all four years has been a goal of Mathew’s since day one. “It has definitely been a goal that I have been working toward since I first got that freshman qualification three years ago,� Mathew said. “I told myself that if I dedicated myself to the program enough, that it could happen for me.� Debate and forensics coach Julie Laflen believes that Mathew’s hard work paid off.

“I think that just goes to show that if you really work hard and you work on the goal that you have, you can accomplish it,� Laflen said. “To listen to her give a speech is beautiful. Some of the kids said she sounds like Obama when she is giving a speech and the precision of her words and fluency really comes through when she is speaking.� Though Mathew qualified in both informative speaking and U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking (USX), Mathew chose USX as her event to take to nationals. According to Mathew, USX is a seven-minute speech with thirty minutes of preparation on domestic, social economic and political issues. “It requires a lot of research on current events and the climate of the United States,� Mathew said. Laflen says that Mathew is always

willing to help students out when it comes to preparing for events. “I think she does a good job, if other kids are asking her for help, she is willing to help them, but I think that she has really set a precedent,� Laflen said. “If you really want to be good at extemporaneous speech or informative, look to Gina: what [she’s] doing and what style of speaking she has.� Mathew said the confidence she has gained from speech and forensics will help her for the rest of her life “Using our voices and [being] able to speak eloquently is something that is very dear to my heart,� Mathew said. “I owe so much to the program that I can’t put into words, the only thing I can say is thank you.�

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Running to reach goals # " " "

Seniors Alex Kafka, Chase Curtis, Jhalani Long, Tye Cicero Photo by |

Sit ting on the bus, senior McKenzie Wilks prepares herself for the upcoming track meet. Wilks is leading the state in the mile with 4:58 and the 800 meter with 4:17. She is also second in the state in the t wo mile and four th in the 400 meter. “[I would like to] win at least three more state championships while I’m here,� Wilks said. Wilks has goals the rest of her high school career as well as her upcoming college season. “This season I would like to qualif y for the US juniors team, if I don’t get that then I would like to compete in the New Balance nationals,� Wilks said. “Next year I just want to focus on improving and compete in as many big meets as I can.� With suppor t from her family and friends, Wilks will continue her r unning career at the Universit y of Kansas this fall. “My dad motivates me most, he’s always pushing me and telling me what I need to do to improve my next race. He breaks down ever y competitor and ever y event,� Wilks said. WIlks’ advice to lower classmen is to keep r unning and training even when it’s difficult. “Don’t give up, I’ve put in so many miles and so many hours and I’m definitely stronger than I have ever been,� Wilks said.

The dogs are out Words by | ! "

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t’s the middle of a basketball quarter and senior Drew Roelfs, the guard, has the ball. Though he just got it, he can already sense the location of the player he’s about to pass it to. He throws it to his best friend, senior Chase Curtis. Curtis shoots the ball straight into the basket, and wins the point for the Dragons. “I know what his tendencies are and I know where he’s going to be,� Roelfs said. “We’ve played so much together that we know what each person is going to do.� Curtis and Roelfs have been playing basketball on the same team since they were in third grade. Joining them on the team are seniors Alex Kafka, Jhalani Long, Tye Cicero, Chase Johnson and Mitchell Light. “I know every facial expression of those guys: when they’re focused, when they’re not focused, when they’re mad, when they’re not mad,� Curtis said. “I feel like that’s [contributed] to a lot of the success that we’ve had in high school sports.� The boys’ journey to the PHS varsity basketball court started in third grade. At the time, they were known as the “Raildogs.� The team started off as a basketball team. Chase’s dad, Chris Curtis, decided to start it after noticing Curtis and his friends’ athletic potential. He wanted them to get used to playing as a team, because they were eventually going to when they got to high school. “We just wanted to go other places and play other teams to make us better,� Roelfs said. “We grew closer together, and we got better.� The Raildogs soon became a baseball team, with the same boys. In 2012, after three years of playing with each other, the

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Raildogs made it to the Little League World Championship game. Though they lost the championship by one run, they made it into the top 60 teams. “We really came together. Being that young, it was pretty impressive how we all were being mature and we all came through and helped each other,� Curtis said. The Raildogs traveled to bigger cities to compete against bigger teams, including Kansas City, Branson and Topeka throughout their time on the team. In middle school, the team left the Raildogs and became the Dragons. But they don’t just look at themselves as teammates. They’re also best friends, and they hang out with each other outside of the sports they play. “I would say that we’re just kind of a bunch of goofy guys,� Long said. “We’ve known each other forever. We’re all just really close and we have a lot of fun together.� Keith Matlock, head baseball coach, said that in his 17 years of coaching, he’s never had a team as connected as the boys. “Every bit of [their relationship] translates onto the field and off the field,� Matlock said. “That chemistry has really made them believe in one another. Their comradery will be really hard to replicate, and they just really do a great job leading.� The boys will be parting ways this year and graduating. Though some of them will be playing in college, some will not. Kafka said their relationship, however, will not part with them. “It’s going to be real hard parting ways with the guys that you’ve done everything with for your life so far,� Kafka said. “When we meet up, I am very confident that we will pick up right where we left off and and tell stories from our Raildog days.�

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Siblings on the course

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As the golf game teed off, sophomore Steve Maceli heard his sister freshman Sam Maceli trying to distract him from swinging. They have been playing together since they were young and still have a sibling rivalry. “Sometimes, I get competitive,� Sam said. “It’s hard for me to practice with him because I try to outdo him.� Steve and Sam have been playing golf since they were six and five, their father encourag encouraged them to get into golf at a youn young age. They both played for Pittsburg Middle School. Pittsb “O “Once I got to middle school, when wh I was able to really travel and a go compete I started liking it more, I tried harder at golf,� Sam S said. Steve says that playing in m middle school was easier, while w playing in high school is different and requires more pr practice. “Middle school was a cakewalk,� ca Steve said “in high sc school I have to work for it more�. m

As brother and sister, Steve and Sam play in different golf seasons ----Sam in the fall and Steve in the spring---- they still manage to find time to practice together whenever they can. “I would say [Sam] my sister is a little more competitive than me,� Steve said. “I take practices a little more lightly but, we do practice together and we have fun.� Science teacher Mary Packard, coach for both boys and girls golf, has been coaching the Macelis since they came to summer camp in middle school. A typical practice for them consists of approach shots, working through their golf bag and a short game. The Macelis have different reasons on why they like to play golf. “We work as a team but still, it’s on myself and it’s calm,� Sam said. “Not that many people do golf.� Steve, on the other hand, plays golf because it’s outdoors and he likes having fun with his friends. His freshman year Steve made it to state. This season, Steve hopes to achieve this same feat again. “At state, it was a wonderful experience, definitely my toughest game,� Steve said. Last season, Sam, qualified for the State Golf

Tournament as well. Next season Sam hopes to try to get into top ten for state golf, she also wants to try to shoot a lower score. Sam tied for tenth but ended up losing the playoff and came home with eleventh place. “I was really proud and happy,� Sam said. “I didn’t think that I was going to make it because I was just a freshman and everyone had more experience than me.� Despite the differences in their game, Packard assure the Macelis that they are both valuable golfers. “I’m just glad that at they both chose to play golf, we don’t have thatt many kids but they’re good ood ays good golfers so it’s always to have them on your our team.� Packard said. m having ‘I think with Sam three more years and Steve three more counting ng this season, it makes it very helpful and kind off a bright future for dragon ragon golf.�

May sports schedule

5/7 - 4:30 - Independence - JV (home) 5/8 - 4:30 - Labette Co. - V & JV (home) 5/9 - 4:30 - Nevada - V & JV 5/14 -18 - TBA - Regionals - V 5/24 -25 - TBA - State - V

5/5 - 9:00 - KC Harmon Tourn- V 5/7 - 4:30 - Independende - JV (home) 5/8 - 4:30 - Labette Co. - V 5/14 -18 - TBA - Regionals - V 5/24 -25 - TBA - State - V

, " 5/4 - 3:30 - Chanute Relays - V 5/10 - 3:30 - SEK - V 5/18 - TBA - Regionals - V 5/25 -26 - TBA - State - V

$ , 5/4 -TBA - Regionals - HOME - V 5/6 - 3:00 - Topeka Hayden - V 5/11 -12 - TBA - State - V

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