The Booster Redux BR The Booster Redux
Stepping in to fill a need
Teachers get certified to drive buses in driver shortage
Words by | Noah Mowdy
All around the United States, communities are struggling to find people to fill job openings as bus drivers.
“What we’re seeing across the nation right now is that a lot of our baby boomers, or those that are getting ready to retire, are retiring from positions and there’s really not a lot of people out there to fill those positions,” Tom Stegman, USD250’s chief operations officer, said.
This problem arose after the Covid-19 pandemic, as fewer people began to apply for the positions.
“It’s really easy to notice that there’s a shortage when we start having difficulty completing our routes,” Stegman said.
USD250 provides transportation for anybody who needs it that lives at least one mile from the building they attend school at.
“Daily routes are a priority for us,” Stegman said. “We try to assist those folks who may not be able to drive or have someone drive them to school by picking up those students at certain bus stop locations and bringing them to school.”
According to Stegman, one of the biggest issues the lack of bus drivers causes is getting students to and from extracurricular activities.
“When you don’t have enough drivers, you just can’t pull a driver from a route to go to an activity and expect those kids, on the daily route, to get home somehow,” Stegman said.
This problem affects students participating in activities in multiple ways.
“What it could do is cause you to have to leave school earlier, which means it could be a loss of academic time, number one,” Stegman said. “Number 2: it means that our bus driver has to either go do a route and come back and that means that you may not get home as early from that activity because you may have to wait for them to return.”
It also affects the students that ride the bus to and from school.
“We have to add more students to the bus and so instead of us having a bus that maybe has 40 to 50 kids on it, you’re gonna see
a bus that has 60 to 70 kids,” Stegman said. “That definitely does affect our students because they have to ride longer on a bus as we have more students and more stops.”
Stegman, along with others, have been working hard to advertise for more drivers in multiple ways.
“I have gone to four different job fairs. I’ve been on The Morning Sun about two or three times discussing bus driving and bussing as a larger issue. I have even been on TV with KOAM,” Stegman said.
“If you go to ball games right now you’re gonna see a ticket booth with a pamphlet on how you can apply for bus drivers and it kind of tells you our mission.”
During the search for job applicants, many teachers have stepped in to temporarily fill positions.
“They have helped us drive activity trips after school,” Stegman said. “Mr. Elliott, the USD250 superintendent, and I have both assisted in driving buses to aid in driving bus routes when we are short drivers.”
Mary Packard is one of the teachers helping drive buses. She got her class B CDL license with passenger endorsement during the summer of 2023.
“I thought about it as being a great opportunity,” Packard said. “It’s pretty expensive to get it on your own but the state of Kansas and the school district paid for my fee.”
According to Packard, getting this specific license creates more avenues for part-time employment.
“I believe it will open up opportunities for me when I retire,” Packard said. “I have added a seasonal summer job and for retirement I would love to work at a National Park where I could be employed as a shuttle bus driver.”
At the district board meeting on Sep. 9, board members voted to raise the starting salary of bus drivers to $20 an hour to make it more competitive and appealing.
“We’re always looking for good people and that’s the most important thing we can talk about,” Stegman said. “We want good people for our kids. We want the right people.”
The best in her field: Root receives award for her hard
work
Words by | Chloe
2-D Art teacher
Rolanda Root has received the “Outstanding High School Art Educator of the year” award for her work in the Pittsburg
High School art program.
This is Root’s 20th year teaching and fifth year teaching at PHS. In order to receive this award Root was nominated by PHS teacher Rebecca Lomshek. Lomshek was last year’s “Outstanding High School Art Educator of the year” award winner.
“The people who played big roles in achieving this award are of course myself, Mrs Lomshek with the nomination and her helpful assistance on all things needed in art education, all of the students who work so hard in art, as well as all the awards, time, and talent they have put into our program,”
Photo by | Perla Canalas
Graphicby|HeatherMowdy
Representing our school
Two students become HOSA state officers
Words by | Heather Mowdy
For the last several years, our school has had a state representative in the Future Health Professionals (HOSA) committee. This year, seniors Sahara Garcia and Grace Cho continued that legacy, occupying two out of the six state officer spots.
According to the HOSA website, it is a global student-led organization that empowers future health professionals to become leaders and actively promotes career opportunities.
“With the roles and positions that I carry in HOSA, I have become a better leader and will continue to grow,” Garcia said. “More than anything, HOSA in itself is an opportunity for anyone who is interested in the healthcare field but to me it is one that opened my eyes and solidified my career choice.”
Garcia is the President of PHS’ HOSA chapter and she is also the Representative of Information and Recognition at the state level, where she will be upholding the recognition program set in place last year as well as making a monthly newsletter for the HOSA members.
“Being a State Officer comes with a lot of planning and responsibility,” Garcia said. “There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes, and that is something that not everyone understands.”
Cho is the Vice President of PHS’ HOSA chapter. She has also taken the role of Representative of Relations at the state level. In this role, Cho will work with external partners to strengthen those relationships along with handling some events and managing social media.
“These positions are meaningful to me because they allow me to contribute significantly to the growth and improvement of Kansas HOSA,” Cho said. “I will be enhancing communication and collaboration among members.”
This is Garcia’s fourth year in HOSA, starting out as
just a regular member, but wanting to do more.
“To me, becoming a State Officer and President of our schools’ chapter was a grand accomplishment,” Garcia said. “I wanted to become a leader because of how helpful HOSA is to students. You get so many opportunities and learning experiences that you would not get elsewhere unless you were taking a class through healthcare or shadowing around town.”
The positions that the two girls hold have provided them chances to expand their skill sets.
“[These positions] have provided me with invaluable opportunities to grow as a leader, both at my school and on a state level,” Cho said. “It allows me to develop my leadership skills, build professional and personal relationships, and ensure that our members experience a supportive and successful environment.”
After being elected in March, the officers attended monthly meetings starting in May and attended a Career Technical Student Organization event in Topeka to learn how to lead the state HOSA organization.
“[We do this] so that our members can trust us with whatever they need,” Garcia said. “Because at the end of the day, all of us on the team get elected to represent our members and we try to find ways to make learning fun and exciting.”
These events help all the officers learn how to use their positions to better their state chapter and individual chapters.
“I am dedicated to making HOSA better for current and future members, and these roles embody my commitment to smoothing the path for others, showing that leadership is about responsibility and service rather than control,” Cho said. “By serving in these capacities, I am able to represent my peers and my state, working toward a positive impact that reaches beyond our immediate community and elevates the overall HOSA experience.”
Appreciation for other cultures
Students are able to learn about latin cultures Ronda
Words by | Addi Foster
After being inactive since the 2022-23 school year, Pittsburg High School’s Spanish Club has evolved into the Latin Culture Appreciation Club.
Spanish teacher Jessica Mildfelt has assumed the role of club advisor. She was a sponsor for Student Council and Spanish Club at her previous school, but this is the first time she is actually sponsoring a club at PHS.
“I was looking for more ways to get involved at the school this year so when two sophomores approached me about the club, it was the perfect opportunity,” Mildfelt said.
After having its first meeting, Mildfelt claims her expectations were exceeded. There were 77
students that showed up to the first meeting. “I’m looking forward to the diversity within the club,” Mildfelt said. “We have students from all over the world getting together to share their cultures.”
Sophomores Ashley Batres and Haylie Salas-Perez were the ones who started the Latin Culture Appreciation Club.
“I just thought it was a great idea to have Latin and non-Latin students gather together and learn different things from each Latin culture,” Batres said.
This year the main goal for LCAC is to get a lot of people involved and get everyone to know each other. There are many plans in place to make this goal possible.
“We want to give out candy
to the students on Halloween,” Batres said. “We want other people to try food from different Latin cultures.”
This year LCAC is trying to get some of the events to become yearly staples that students know about and look forward to.
“I hope that the Latin population finds a place where they feel a sense of belonging and acceptance and that the entire school community can learn from them and create a general appreciation for the cultures within the club,” Mildfelt said. “I think students should join the club because we have many fun events planned where they can share their cultures and learn from others through things like food, dance, language, and more.”
“I
PHS students participated in the HOSA international conference over the summer. Photo provided by | Sahara Garcia
Photos by | Isabella Silva
Editors-in-Chief
All voices are important
Mowdy talks about getting to vote for the first time
Words by | Heather Mowdy
This year is election year. Many people go out and vote for their favorite candidate. Due to the 26th Amendment, 18-year-olds get to vote. This year, I will be one of those. But should 18-year-olds actually get to vote?
Voting is a big milestone in young people’s lives. Ever since I was a little girl, it was one of the many things that I looked forward to when I got older. So do lots of little kids.
I have always heard from a young age how important it is to vote. History classes stressed this, many commercials growing up talked about it, my parents always went to vote (and I always wanted their “I voted” sticker).
I think this is one of the reasons why I wanted to start voting when I was younger; because I thought that it was important.
And this is true. Voting IS important. It is what our country was built on. Voting allows everyone to have a voice, no matter what your age is.
Lots of people may argue that 18-year-olds are too young to vote. Maybe they aren’t educated enough, haven’t lived enough, are simply too young. But I don’t think that this is true.
Now, I can definitely say that not all 18-year-olds necessarily are very mature, but that doesn’t mean that all of them aren’t or that they shouldn’t be able to vote for what they think is right.
I know a lot of very mature people, who are my age, that have very valid and educated opinions on politics. For this reason, I think that it is totally fair for 18-year-olds to vote.
Little kids are always watching, always observing, always learning. For the most part, this just continues as they get older, and they get even more observant.
So by the time that someone turns 18, there is a good chance that they have a fairly good idea about what is going on in the world.
Social media has also facilitated this as teens now have more access to information about politics and issues in our world than ever before.
This all allows teens to actually know more than you might think, and allows them to start forming their own opinions. So in reality, they probably are educated enough to go vote.
All of this to say, I do think that young adults should be able to vote.
More importantly, I think that they NEED to vote. Young voices are just as important as older ones, especially since they are the future of our country.
All voices matter, young and old. Everyone should be voting whenever they can.
So I will be voting on Nov. 5, will you?
Ready for all things pumpkin spice Nickelson compares two popular coffee spots in town
Words by | Chloe Nickelson
For the past years, Starbucks has been unparalleled to any other coffee chain in my mind when it came to fall drinks. But could this all change? With the addition of the new coffee chain, 7-Brew, that came to Pittsburg in February of 2024, Starbucks gained some competition. But which coffee chain reigns supreme with their fall drinks? The classic Starbucks and their Pumpkin Spice Lattes of which white girls everywhere have been feigning over for generations, or 7-Brew which “was born from a desire to change drive-thru coffee into a fun, mindblowing experience for everyone.”
Before 7-Brew came to town I wouldn’t have even said there was any competition as to which coffee chain had the best drinks. But now that 7-Brew is here, an iced Blondie has become a staple in my life.
Of course I love 7-Brew, but I have to be real, I do enjoy Starbucks fall drinks more, and there are many reasons as to why I think this way.
Now while I do love some pumpkin spice from time to time it is nice to switch it up and both Starbucks and 7-Brew offer just that. 7-Brews fall menu includes flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon roll, and various flavors of RedBull.
On the other hand, Starbucks offers a variety of fall flavors including the classic pumpkin spice, pecan crunch, pumpkin cream, and apple crisp. The overall variety of flavors to choose from at Starbucks just makes it better in my opinion. With more flavors than 7-Brew, Starbucks is able to appeal to a larger number of people which I believe keeps it at the front running of fall drink sales.
Something that also gets my point when it comes to fall drinks is how much coffee you can taste. Starbucks drinks are more coffee forward while 7-Brew has stronger fall flavors, now I prefer to be able to taste the flavor of the coffee or espresso in my drink which is why I further prefer Starbucks fall drinks in comparison to 7-Brew’s.
Overall, it all comes down to opinion. While I would typically choose 7-Brew for a normal drink, when it comes to fall drinks there’s a reason why Starbucks has the notoriety. In the season of colder weather, pumpkin carving, and falling leaves, you will probably see me with a Starbucks fall drink.
Don’t let the democracy collapse Zurek explains how you can save our nation by voting
Words by | Hadrian Zurek
Right now, the odds are good that you and your family are contributing to the collapse of our democracy. Now that may sound like an impossibility, you aren’t promoting the monarchy, committing terrorism, or just furthering the aims of an oppressive upper class to the detriment of your peers, but you are contributing to this decline by not voting. For example, school board elections whose candidates oversee the futures of around 50 million children, only get at most 5-10% voter turnout from an estimate made by the National School Boards Association. In America, these local elections are the most important votes you can cast during this election cycle.
The first and most noticeable difference in local elections that makes them so much more important is the level of connection with candidates. In local venues and meet and greets candidates can discuss more in-depth policy issues, and you can have the chance to cross-examine them and find understanding. To find these events all you have to do is go to local Facebook groups, show up to forums, or meet and greets, and talk to the candidates personally. In contrast, someone like Kamala Harris, you would be lucky to get the chance to shake her hand, let alone have an hour-long discussion about policy issues.
Another difference is winnability. Federal elections are held in every state, they are influenced by more than 350 million people
whereas in local elections such as Kansas’s House of Representatives District 3, there are only 780,000 people, and much fewer in individual counties. This makes organizing more a matter of finding family and friends to knock on doors and buy signs, not hiring teams of door knockers.
Some argue that Federal Elections are more important because of a sense of scale, but this is blind to the actuality of policymaking. To go back to the example of School Boards, influence directly, your curriculum, your school policy and handbook, and school staff. A lot of the issues that matter to local, hardworking Kansans are decided at the local level.
So don’t destroy democracy. Remember the importance of local elections, and how they affect your family. Find your local candidates, and go to their events. Talk to people you know, make sure they’re registered to vote, and if you aren’t sure, go to ksvotes.org to check voter registration.
Graphic by | Heather Mowdy
Graphicby|HeatherMowdy
4 SPORTS
Sharing a passion Groff uses her talents to coach
Words by | Hailey Gray
History teacher Soli Groff was appointed the new head coach for the girls tennis team last spring. This will be her first year coaching tennis. Groff has played tennis since she was six-years-old. In Independence, Kan., where Groff is from, tennis is a huge deal. She grew up around it her whole life, which invigorated her passion for tennis.
“I have always had a passion for tennis,” Groff said. “But I felt pressured in high school because of my sister’s excellent record, and I ended up not reaching my fullest potential. In recent years, I have further developed a passion for the sport and I like coaching tennis more than I like playing tennis competitively.”
This season, Groff has really focused on team-bonding activities and rebuilding the team. According to Groff, she knew it was not going to be easy, but she finally feels satisfied with where they are.
“A great attitude was a big non-negotiable in the girls this season,” Groff said. “I have enjoyed building this community of excellent girls who build each other up and always have a positive attitude.”
Athletic Director Jeff Staley posted that the position was open on the schools website in spring of 2024. However, Groff had already expressed to Staley interest in taking the position if it were to ever open up, and in Groff’s favor, it did.
“What intrigued me about her is that she’s a good teacher, which usually makes a good coach,” Staley said. “She has a passion for tennis and that’s what I was looking for; somebody who has good relationships with the students and has a passion for the sport, and Coach Groff had it.”
Along with Groff being hired as the new head coach, a new assistant coach Cat Lumley was also hired. Lumley also teaches history and current events, so the two new coaches have worked together for a while now.
“I’ve been very pleased with how Ms. Groff has done and also Coach Lumley,” Staley said. “They both have done a great job and I’ve enjoyed working with them.”
The coach for the last two years for the girls tennis team was Mary Grimes. Senior AnaSofia Moss played tennis her freshman, sophomore and is playing her senior but skipped out on her junior year. Moss mentions that the overall atmosphere of the team was enhanced because of Groff.
“The team is not as toxic and you can see how the coach really affects the environment for the better,” Moss said. “She, as well as our other coaches, encourage us to be supportive, positive, and they push us to be great.”
At the start of the season, Groff stepped up and made cuts for the first time in the years of Moss playing tennis in high school. According to Moss, her and her teammates were not sure what that meant for them and were unsure of how the season was going to go, but now the team is doing better than ever.
“Now that we understand why she does things and now that we are used to how she is organizing the team, things are going a lot smoother,” Moss said. “The team is closer than it has ever been in my three years of playing and a lot of that has to do
with the coaches.”
Groff says that she hopes to keep building a team full of strong and supportive girls. She has been doing this by participating in fun community events to get the younger tennis generation more involved.
“I would like to bring a new atmosphere to the tennis team and tennis community in
Groff said. “This is something I want to keep going for a long time.”
Last season, best season
Volleyball seniors look to improve on last season
Words by | Mason Deringer
The PHS Volleyball team lost a couple seniors last year. They look to build on last year and lean on the seniors to improve.
The team finished last year’s season 8-26. Although this was an improvement from the year before, the team was still looking to improve. Seniors Heather Mowdy, Hailey Gray, Haylee Ingerson, and Alycia Cosens helped propel the squad to begin the season 5-0 with leadership from coach Ashlyn Riggs.
“I think everybody’s excited and fired up,” Riggs said. “We’ve got four seniors, lots of returning varsity players, and I think it’s going to be a good season as a team.”
Mowdy is a returning starter for
the team. She believes that as a veteran on the squad, she holds a certain responsibility within the team.
“I think as seniors we need to set an example,” Mowdy said. “It is important to show the younger girls how to act when it comes to volleyball. This includes not getting upset if the game isn’t going your way or if you make a mistake. I just want them to all look up to me.”
After being on the team for four years now, Gray believes that team chemistry is important this year.
“When I look back on last year, I see that team chemistry wasn’t a strong factor in our season,” Gray said. “We finally have been playing together enough and are meshing really well, but we also just have more experience and IQ
all around. The team is closer than it has ever been in my four years of playing, and that has helped us tremendously.”
According to Riggs, it is important that the seniors take on leadership responsibilities to help the team improve.
“I think they lead in a really good way,” Riggs said. “They work really hard. They come to things over the summer. They’re positive. They’re good teammates. I think that they own that role really well.”
The Dragons hope to maintain their winning record and continue to improve the rest of the season.
“This year we all want it badly enough that we are really fighting and battling for it,” Mowdy said. “We are at a point where we are consistent in what we’re doing and it is working really well for us.”
All D.A.T. Football gets new coaches
The football team had some changes of coaching this year.
“In regards to high-level coaches at the high school level and collegiate level that are known, I have been very fortunate to have good coaches,” Josh Lattimer, head football coach, said. Lattimer has a certain criteria when it comes to hiring new coaches.
“Our motto is D.A.T.: discipline, accountability and toughness,” Lattimer said. “Each one of these coaches that we look at are all on board with that.” Meeting those high standards requires someone with experience and “all D.A.T.” Jonathan Stark, new assistant coach, fits that role.
“To be a good coach, the most important thing is, especially at the high school level, you do have to care about the players,” Stark said. “You must care about the school and the community. If you care about the players and the school and the community, then you know your priorities are in the right place.”
Stark has five years of experience as a head coach.
“One thing about being a coach is you have to work hard. So if you care about the program more than you care about yourself, it’s a lot easier to work hard when you don’t feel like it,” Stark said. “Part of being a good coach too is you have to be able to balance, and it’s hard during the season, but you gotta be able to balance your family and your job.”
Tom Nickelson, the former head coach, is working with the organization again.
“The good thing about young coaches is the energy they have; terrific energy,” Nickelson said. “I feel like we’re pretty fortunate. They are willing to do anything.”
According to Stark, this season is exciting and he is looking forward to what it will bring.
“The school district has a lot of really good things going for it, and there’s a lot of teachers I’ve worked with, or that I know of who work in the district that think highly of the district,” Stark said. “It’s got its reputation for a reason, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Graphic by | Heather Mowdy
Pittsburg,”
Soli Groff instructs Alexa Salas during tennis match. Photo by | Camden Huffman
Senior Heather Mowdy (left), senior Haylee Ingerson (middle back), senior Alycia Cosens (right), and senior Hailey Gray (middle front) document their last season. Photo by | Isabella Silva
Words by | Hadrian Zurek