Sept. 2015 The Booster Redux

The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th Street Pittsburg, KS 66762 Vol. 98, Issue 2 www.boosterredux.com

Friday, Sept. 25, 2015

band size band numbers increase to 75, biggest band in ten years

Page 2D

Can donald be trumped?

Blythe voices concern over presidential candidate

Page 3D Prior to their first home football game, senior Will Mengarelli and other members of the Dragons run onto Hutchison Field. Mengarelli, held a sign displaying family. “The team is one big family, just like Pittsburg High School and the community we live in. We are all brothers that have a goal. The bonds we share are pretty tight, everyone plays for each other. There are not individuals on the team because everyone is needed and important to succeed.” Mengarelli’s said. PHOTO BY DEREK BRUMBAUGH

the

bigger

picture

Football team seeks stronger competition for future seasons ALLI BADEN

@AlliBaden

The football game was at a standstill during second quarter against Parsons on Oct. 3, 2014.

The high school was up 56-0, and after another Parsons player was sent by ambulance to the hospital. Parsons’ head coach decided it would be best if the team forfeit in order to prevent more injuries.

This incident led Activities Director Brannon Kidd to believe the high school had outgrown the Southeast Kansas(SEK) league and made the decision to seek larger competition.

“We really started to have long conversations about it after that game. We needed to try and make changes, so [finding bigger teams to play] was the direction we went,” Kidd said.

Along with the game against Parsons that sparked the idea of playing larger schools, Kidd and head football coach Tom Nickelson were informed on

new Kansas State High School state playoffs.

Activities(KSHSAA) football “We are still building the regulations that will take effect schedule, and part of [changing next season. the schedule] has to do with “KSHSAA is on a two-year the size discrepancy,” Nickelson cycle, so on said.

“The Oct. 6 and 7 we other part is will go down to with the new Salina and that state format is when they will for playoffs, start doing the you get redistricting,” downgraded if Kidd said. you don’t play “1A-4A, will at least the [keep the size of your same] criteria where they have district play. But for 5A and 6A, the - COACH TOM NICKELSON whole season will count for playoff seeding and the ninth classification.” game of the year will end up The size differences between being the first playoff game.” the high school and the SEK According to Nickelson, schools is significant according playing 4A schools will lower the to the KSHSAA 2014-2015 team’s chances of making the classifications. Pittsburg is the

“

It is through no fault of their own, or the coaching, or the kids, it is just football is a numbers game.

”

largest of the SEK schools and has 259 more students than Independence, the second largest SEK school, and 446 more students than Parsons, the smallest. At one time, many of the SEK schools were classified as 5A, but Nickelson believes there has been a decline in SEK population except for Pittsburg.

“It is not so much that we have grown, but towns are shrinking so your school size shrinks,” Nickelson said. “It is through no fault of their own, or the coaching, or the kids, it is just football is a numbers game, it takes 11 guys but you are going to have injuries and you have to have the bodies out to practice and scrimmage. We have maintained our population in the school and it is actually going up, whereas most other schools are significantly lower than they were 10 to 15 years ago.”

Playing schools from the SEK

student worries about family’s illegal immigration status Page 7D

continued onto page 2d

TURNBULL earns Joplin Business Journal awards 15 young regional honor professionals, includes PHS teacher GINA MATHEW

Discussing subcultures with her Sociology class, teacher Rebecca Turnbull points for emphasis as one of her students makes an interesting remark. PHOTO BY MEGAN SMITH

living in the shadows

@GMMathew13 Social Science teacher Rebecca Turnbull has been recognized for her strides in educational opportunities.

Turnbull won the 15 Under 40 Award presented by the Joplin Regional Business Journal (JRBJ). The award honors fifteen professionals under forty years of age for excellence in their respective fields.

Turnbull says the significance of the award is not for herself, but for other educators.

“I think the biggest thing with receiving this award was bringing attention to teachers,” Turnbull said. “I wish more people recognized how much [they] really do. This is an award given by the business community so, for a teacher to receive this, it really was an honor.”

The recipients were featured in the JRBJ’s August 17 edition and were honored at a dinner event on August 20 at the Ramsay Event Center.

“It was a pretty neat event,” Turnbull said.

“Each recipient gave a quick ‘thank you’ speech. It was an honor being among them.

They were all outstanding in what they’ve done [and] I kind of felt like I didn’t belong.”

Senior Dillon Williams, a former student of Turnbull, felt this award was incomparable to her teaching style.

“I think this award is barely adequate for [Turnbull’s] teaching,” Williams said. “[She] goes out of her way to help a struggling kid but, at the same time, never seems to be teaching to the lower half. This is something that makes her deserving of this award.

Turnbull is one of the best teachers I have had.”

This is not the only recognition the district has received from the business community.

Along with Turnbull’s award, Assistant Superintendent Ronda Fincher was a 2015 recipient of the JRBJ’s Most Influential Women Award. Fincher was invited to a luncheon over the summer to honor herself and other women leaders of the regional business community.

“Education is often seen as something separate from business,” Turnbull said. “But, I think the view of that is changing and you’re seeing more collaboration between businesses and schools. Seeing more of that connection between the two and having [educators] recognized by the business community is a huge deal.”

Dance team Dance team implements new leadership structure Page 8D

2 NEWS playing with bigger numbers Band size increases to 75, biggest group in ten years

Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

ALLI BADEN

@AlliBaden

B

and Director Cooper Neil never thought that he would have trouble finding enough chairs to seat all his band members.

Due to a small graduating class last school year coupled with a large interest in band from the freshman class, Neil welcomed 75 students into the program, making it the largest band in 10 years.

Neil believes that the sudden increase from a band of 54 to 75 came not only from the mere size of the freshman class this year but also from the atmosphere and the reputation of the band.

“I think the band is growing, not just because of the number of [freshmen], but I think a lot of kids are staying in band when they arrive at the high school because of the culture that we have in this classroom, and it is really an incredible thing,” Neil said. “We have really awesome students in the band that are working nights and waking up early to come in the morning.

I think that is really indicative of the satisfaction with what we are doing here in the band program. So, I am excited to see that continue.”

With this larger number, Neil sees plenty of advantages, especially with the marching aspect of band.

“The more [students] you march, the better pictures you can make on the field and the more versatility you have of drills you can perform. Other than that, [the advantage] is just the amount of noise you can make,” Neil said.

Junior saxophone section leader Kayte Keller, who started her high school band career with approximately 55 members, believes the band had to adapt to not making as much sound individually when they play. “[A challenge of a larger band is] playing too loud. [We have been] used to playing louder but we don’t have to play as loud now as what we had to,” Keller said. “[We had to learn] to tone it down a little.”

To help prepare 75 band students for performances, Neil chose nine section

Playing during the first home game half-time show, freshman Alejandra Cornelio and sophomore Seth Hoffman play trumpets. “Playing at halftime shows makes me feel proud of being in band and it’s good to play because it gets the crowd going and gets the football players ready for the second half,” Hoffman said. PHOTO BY DEVON COULTER

leaders to ensure everyone was getting the help they needed.

“My section leaders and upperclassmen are so great this year. Everything is running very quickly, very smoothly and very efficiently,” Neil said. “This is the first year that during band camp I did not bring in any students from Pittsburg State to work with the band because I wanted to give my section leaders a chance to have total control. They have done an incredible job.

They are teaching music, they are teaching drill and they are setting a great tone for the underclassmen this year and the rest of their sections. So, it is making my job super easy because I have eight or nine teachers on the field instead of just one.”

Because it is marching season now, the large number does not really affect Neil

and the band because they usually have practice outside. However, when concert band rolls around, Neil feels it will be a little different.

“When we get into concert band, and begin permanently rehearsing indoors [I feel] the strain [of 75 students practicing indoors] will be felt and we will have a lot of decisions to make of how we fit in on our stage and things like that,” Neil said. “Hopefully, we can make it to the 80-90 range and we will be looking at having a second concert band and a second jazz band.”

Neil is also pushing the band to execute more difficult pieces this year.

“I think he is challenging us because we are so big, but [we are] all so talented, and he knows that we are,

so he wants to push us to be even more talented,” Keller said.

Senior Amanda Hoffman agrees with Keller. “[Neil] is setting a faster pace and is making sure we are the best we can be,” Hoffman said.

Neil is hoping to see the band excel this year and enjoy the product they produce for the public.

“When I found out the band would be this large, I was excited. A band this size and ability is very fun to work with,” Neil said. “I am pushing the band hard this year. Being a big band is not impressive unless we sound great and march well. The band has lots of work ahead of them and I have every confidence that they will meet my expectations and the community’s expectations.”

the bigger picture Club meetings return Football thinks about future schedule and competition

to morning sessions

continued from page 1d

@PHSStudentPub Due to school starting 30 minutes later this year, club meetings are now held in the mornings.

Spanish Club sponsor Angie Pallares likes the new change in club meetings for multiple reasons.

“If students are really dedicated, they’re going to be there [in the morning],” Pallares said. “When it was at the end of the day it interrupted my Dragon Time.”

Drama Club sponsor Greg Shaw believes the new times are a habit students will have to get into because it is easier to keep students for 20 minutes after school as opposed to getting them to wake up earlier.

“I think it is [going to make clubs better because] clubs will be filled with kids that really want to be involved so that’s a good thing,” Shaw said. “The kids that are there will be motivated and productive.”

Shaw is hoping to organize all clubs so that meetings no longer clash. He hopes this will give students a better chance at being involved

league have also been hurting athletes’ chances of college scholarships.

“When we play in the SEK, our varsity kids mainly get to play a half and then we sub in JV, and our kids are not getting better by doing that,” Kidd said. “For example, [senior] Will Mengarelli is trying to play for a football scholarship and he has half the stats that he would normally have because he only plays half a game, so that hurts his chances as well.”

Nickelson and Kidd have scheduled four new schools to play next year, including Harrisonville, Mo., Webb City, Carl Junction, and Bonner Springs. The average school size of these schools is approximately 940 students.

The only SEK team they will be playing next season, according to Kidd, is Fort Scott because of the longexisting rivalry.

Only playing one SEK school in football also terminates t he team’s eligibility for the SEK conference title, but according to junior Drew White, it is not too much of a loss.

“It is not as big of accomplishment as it was,“ White said. “Coach [Nickelson] says that we should win the SEK every year.”

As of right now, Kidd is unaware of different playing regulations in Missouri but the state does have a different way of classifying their schools size.

For playoffs, however, KSHSAA will look at the school’s enrollment size and translate it

“

to the Kansas classifications.

Kent is looking forward to the opportunity of having tough competition throughout the entire season.

“It won’t be as much as a jump for us when we go to district play because we will be playing teams that are just as good or better than the teams in districts all season long. We will be used to it and [districts] will be just like a regular season game,” junior Trevor Kent said. “I think it is going to help us know where we are at as a team if we are going to be able to compete with those schools.”

Nickelson is also ready to see his team take on new opponents.

“The players are excited.

Anytime you have a new opponent, there is a lot of unknown and more excitement,” Nickelson said.

“Your focus is probably better, your preparation is probably better. So win, lose, or draw, I think we will learn more about ourselves as a team at the end of the season.”

-TREVOR KENT Assistant football coach Merle Clark, who grew up with the SEK league and has coached at Pittsburg since 1989, is ready to see the change as long as it is beneficial for the athletes.

“If it is actually going to be a penalty to play lower classification schools and penalize us to qualify for state playoffs, [leaving the SEK] is a necessary evil,” Clark said. “I hate to see [the SEK league] go because there were so many good rivalries but we have to do what is best for our kids as far as scheduling to make the playoffs.”

It won’t be as much as a jump for us when we go to district play because we will be playing teams that are just as good or better than the teams in districts all season long.

”

ASHLEY HENDERSON

“

with everything that interests them.

For senior Jared Wilde, this new change has conflicted with his early morning seminary as well as other club meetings.

“I’ve had to miss some information while the meetings are in the morning,” Wilde said.

“But in the afternoon I’m able to be there since I’m already at school.”

Like Wilde, junior Kristen Geiger is also involved in multiple clubs along with band which can interfere with attending morning meetings.

Geiger believes she was more alert in the afternoon club meetings as opposed to the mornings.

“Either way, I have to come to school early and I’d rather - ANGIE PALLARES [have the meetings] after school when I’m more awake and can process things better,” Geiger said.

When it comes to the amount of participation, Pallares has not seen a dramatic decline in students attending the meetings after the new schedule change.

“I’ve only had one meeting since [the change was made] and it still had really good turnout,” Pallares said.

If students are really dedicated, they’re going to be there [in the morning]

”

homecoming tradition postponed Powderpuff moved to Spring Fling, mixed reviews from participants IVAN WALTER

@ivanthehoss56 The girls’ Powderpuff game has always taken place during the football homecoming week as a way to get students to participate and foster school spirit for the home football game on Friday Sept. 11.

This year, however, the game will be taking place during Spring Fling.

Last year, Powderpuff was postponed due to severe weather conditions and rescheduled into the spring. The change came after activities director Brannon Kidd decided to try something new, but the change brought out different responses from everyone.

The change was then carried out by Student Government sponsor Samantha Warren who decided having the event in the spring would keep schedules from conflicting.

“The response from the student body and the teachers was that they wanted a game during the spring. It will decrease the chance of poor weather, making it easier on everybody,” Warren said.

While the change may be easier to run in the spring, some players do not want the game to be rescheduled. Senior Rachel Folk believes

that having the Powderpuff game early in the first semester would be the most appropriate time.

“I want to play during homecoming. It gets me excited to play Powderpuff right before the big homecoming game. I enjoy getting into the homecoming experience and playing football is the best way,” Folk said.

Other students, like sophomore Kaitlyn Kidd, will be looking forward to the change in time.

“I am looking forward to the change. It should allow for more people to play and I just like the fact that there will be more to do in the spring,” Kidd said.

The change in scheduling could alter the amount of participation that takes place. While it could increase the chance the game would proceed without facing any complications, some feel they would not want to participate since it is being held in the spring.

“I’m not sure if I will be participating; it won’t be the same. Fall is for football, and if the game is in the spring, it will be too different,” Folk said.

With the rescheduling of the game due to fear of weather, Powderpuff will still be a big part of Spring Fling.

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

Design Editor Kailey Curtis

Photo editor Sherrick Rogers

Copy Editor Dante Menghini

Staff Maddie Baden Meghan Baker Connor Balthazor Alivia Benedict Lily Black Justin Blythe Katy Brown Nic Burk Trinity Butcher Mataya Cook Sophie Graham Ashley Henderson Meghan Hess Journey Jaramillo Josh Lee Gina Mathew Trina Paul Kali Poenitske Maddy Robison Jadyn Stewart Caleb Stradley Ivan Walter Jake Webb Julie Wilson Kaylah Wilson

Adviser Emily Smith

The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School Student Publications 1978 E. 4th St. Pittsburg, KS 66762

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

Please call us with comments at 620235-3200. The Booster Redux’s purpose is to inform, educate, enlighten and entertain readers fairly and accurately in an open forum.

Opinions expressed in editorials or opinion columns do not necessarily reflect views of all members on the Booster staff.

Digital photos have not been altered to manipulate reality.

Photo illustrations are labeled to reflect any technical alternations.

Anonymity may be given in the following cases: the information is unable to be presented another way, the information warrants anonymity, the source’s privacy and/or reputation requires protection and the source must be protected from damages.

A student or faculty member death during the coverage period will be covered with a short obituary.

The Booster Redux is a member of Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Kansas Scholastic Press and International Quill and Scroll. The Booster Redux encourages letters from students, teachers and community members under 300 words and signed with a valid signature only.

The Booster Redux reserves the right to edit contributions if they are libelous, obscene and for length. Any grammatical errors at the fault of the writer will be printed. Corrections of errors printed at the fault of the Booster staff will appear in the appropriate section of the next issue.

www.boosterredux.com

OPINION

Friday, September 25, 2015

3

can donald be trumped?

Blythe voices concerns over Republican presidential candidate JUSTIN BLYTHE @jdblyt f Donald Trump is elected as president, there will be hell toupee. If the rising polls in favor of Donald Trump is not scaring you, then you must be fearless. Trump has been receiving mass media coverage lately for his attacks toward illegal United States immigrants and their children. “[Illegal immigration] is raging and it’s violent. And if you talk about it, it’s racist.” Trump said.

Trump’s agenda includes building a wall on the southern border of the United States, mass deportation of 11 million illegal immigrants, and withholding the right of natural-born citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants.

With this highly offensive and implausible agenda, it is no wonder people across the nation have began to joke about this very serious situation. It may seem ridiculous that a person with such unprofessional character will ever achieve success in a presidential election, but a fall in popularity of Hillary Clinton is just what Trump needs to take the lead.

If this ideology becomes reality, Trump will essentially tear families apart.

In regards to this, Trump states, “We’re going to keep the families together, but they have to go.” Trump is giving no regard to the distress this would cause for the illegal Hispanics in the United States, nor is he thinking rationally about the complexity and expenses associated with such an agenda.

Trump is not stopping with the attacks on illegal immigrants, either. He is now insisting that the children of illegal immigrants not be granted the right to natural-born citizenship, stating that “[natural

I

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT born citizenship] remains the biggest magnet for illegal immigration.”

Trump also responded to the act of two men who attacked a homeless Mexican immigrant by beating him with a metal pole and urinating on him.

Trump said, “I will say that people who are following me are very passionate.

They love this country and they want this country to be great again. They are passionate.”

“Passionate” is not an appropriate

word to use when describing two men who savagely beat a hopeless man and urinated on him. That is nothing less than sickening. If you had any respect for Trump before this was said, I would sure hope it is, by now, out the window.

I plead to anyone who has a voice in the future of America to please prevent such a devious and disrespectful man from taking his throne in the Oval Office. Trump has been tolerated

thus far, but it is now time to look at the situation in a serious way, and try to imagine the reality of Trump being elected as President in the 2016 election. Upon thinking about this, I hope you are as fearful and appalled as I am, because America is running out of time.

The future of the United States of America IS NOT A JOKE, but Donald Trump is.

Finding a church to call home kaylah wilson @wilsonkaylah A crisis of faith is a personal experience where you question your own beliefs.

Probably everyone has a crisis of faith at some point in their life and I am sure that teenagers have them more than older people because we are learning more about religion and the world, and sometimes religion and the world don’t seem to get along. I had a crisis of faith recently, let me tell you about it: I was at church and the pastor talked about gay marriage. He believes that gay marriage is sinful and God will punish those who commit it. He also told us that if we ever saw a gay couple, we needed to tell them the word of God. This made me question my beliefs; do I really want to believe in a God that tells me to shame other people?

At first, it really upset me. I complained to my mom and told her I wanted to change churches, and I did. My new church welcomes anyone who walks through the door.

“Do we allow homosexual couples to come to church here, yes. Everyone is welcome, but we are going to encourage them to change the way they live. Just like if you were a compulsive liar, I’m going to work with you in changing those elements

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

of your life.” Pastor Andrew Stout said.

This is the foundation of my new faith: the Bible tells us not to judge because that is God’s job. Also, John 13:34 says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Even if my personal belief on gay marriage isn’t exactly the same as my church’s, it is not opposed to it.

If you have a crisis of faith, talk to people! Talk to the people who said the things that bothered you because they may have an important reason for saying it. Talk to other people of faith, even people of other faiths. Talk to your family and friends.

Basically, the more people you talk to, the more people share your crisis and the more you learn to help you choose what you will do.

Love is limitless in its capacity. Don’t worry about your standing with God as long as you are doing your best to keep your faith. Just because people, even churches, tell you how to live your life doesn’t make those people or those churches right; their connection to God isn’t any better than yours. Remember, people of faith don’t always agree with each other, otherwise we wouldn’t have different denominations. Just look around and find one that fits you.

Staff Editorial: Football drives increase in school spirit The booster redux staff @PHSStudentPub

As the high school’s population is inching closer and closer to the 900 mark each year, the number of students involved in extracurricular activities is increasing and prospering due to that growth.

Specific activities that come to mind with this are football and everything else that occurs on Friday nights at Hutchison Field. The atmosphere football created at the field has stimulated involvement throughout our school.

During this year’s homecoming spirit week, participation was greater than it has been in the last three years. Seeing the hallways full of tourists, class colors, American wear and the different decades was a way to showcase the school spirit in preparation for that Friday night game against Independence.

Students also took hallway decorating seriously in order to have bragging rights on the other classes.

Another aspect of the football game is that spirit activities have grown. The band has approximately 20 more members than it did last year, making it the largest band in 10 years. The band is the basis of the support from the student section. Cheerleading has also grown.

The cheerleading squad now has only a varsity squad, which means that they no longer have a split team and every cheerleader can excite the crowd every Friday.

During half time, when the band and dance team perform, the high school

ART BY NIC BURK

now has a color guard that performs as well. The color guard was reintroduced to the high school this year.

The dance team has also grown in size, upping their participation to 14 members.

And another big factor for Friday nights: the student sec-

tion. Because of the school’s population increase, the student section has substantially expanded. This year, the student section has made signs, blown up pictures of the senior player’s heads and baby powder has been thrown during halftime.

Overall, the atmosphere of the

Friday night football games has always been one-of-a-kind. But as the school’s population continues to rise and rise, the dance team, the cheerleaders, the band, the color guard, the student section, everything that goes into making Friday nights so special, can only continue to grow.

4 opinion

Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 www.boosterredux.com

SECTION D

STraddling two worlds Student embraces

cultural challenges

Josh LEE @iAmTheJoshLee a Korean by heritage, but I am American by am circumstance and I am both by choice.

My identity crisis started early; living in America as a first-generation Korean-American is not easy.

Right off the bat, I was made fun of in pre-school for sometimes accidentally mixing up my Korean with my English.

After all, how was I supposed to know what I had grown up hearing coming out of my parents’ mouths and out of the T.V. were from two completely separate languages?

The publicly humiliated five-year-old me didn’t know what he was being exposed to as all his classmates laughed at him was racism. I couldn’t begin to imagine the shame I was suffering was born out of the belief I was inferior to others because of the color of my skin and the shape of my eyes.

However, the exclusion didn’t stop there.

When I was seven years old, my family and I moved to Korea to live for a year and a half. I started first grade with the confidence my new classmates, who all looked like me, would be more accepting than the kids I had known so far. My hopes were crushed, though, when I found out that I was just as cast out in Korea as I was in America.

By then, I had already been too immersed in the American culture to call myself solely a Korean.

I was bullied and harassed by my fellow Korean classmates for being able to speak English. The American slang and mannerisms I was so proud to call mine became my worst enemies. And to the seven-year-old me, it seemed as if I could never be welcomed by anybody no matter where I would go.

For eleven years, I was ashamed of who I was. I would look in the mirror and question my identity.

I would wonder why I wasn’t born like any of my friends.

To me, it seemed like being different was the worst possible thing in the world, and every day I would make a tremendous effort to hide who I am.

Middle school was even worse. The bullies became ever smarter and more creative with their insults, and for the first time I felt like I had to confront what was happening to me. I am not proud to say my solution at that time was to voluntarily make myself the laughingstock for all the people who harassed me for being Korean.

My eighth grade student government campaign

I

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

slogan was “Asian Persuasion”. I would always refer to myself in third person as “the Asian”, and rather than tell people that I was Korean, I would explain to them that I was simply an Asian.

I made racist jokes about Asians, pronounced my L’s like R’s, and acted as if I hated my race as a whole; maybe I did. I figured that all the bullying, name-calling and exclusion would hurt less if I voluntarily made myself the center of entertainment for those who wanted to take advantage of somebody else’s differences.

The worst part, however, was coming to terms with who I am.

Because of my ethnicity, I will always face discrimination and racism to a certain extent. I did not want to acknowledge that, though, because I just wanted to be a “normal” part of society.

When I realized I would always be a little different than everybody else and I could never be completely accepted anywhere I went, I had a month-long breakdown. The ever-hammering cacophony pounding

“

away at my brain, created by life and high school, got worse and at the center of it all was this depressing identity-crisis, dripping with self-pity and loathing.

As high school progressed, though, I started to realize that victimizing myself was a stupid and pointless decision. I made it my goal to immerse myself even further into American society as I could and I picked up on slang so modern and trendy that nobody else knew what I was talking about. But at the same time, I forced myself to embrace the intertwining of my Korean and American cultures. I used - JOSH LEE to be ashamed of speaking Korean in public, but now anytime I get a call from one of my parents, I ask any people around me, “hey, do you want to hear something cool?”

And it is cool. I’ve grown up as a bilingual and multicultural beast, and I am currently working on my path to being trilingual.

I take pride in who I am.

I am a Korean-American.

Itt seemed like being different was the worst possible thing in the world, and every day I would make a tremendous effort to hide who I am.

gender labels not necessary Trina paul @trpaul1998 When you walk into a Target store today, you will no longer be guided by signs pointing you to the “Girls” toy section or the “Boys” toy section.

Just last month Target announced that it would be moving away from genderbased signage.

Many were outraged when Target made the announcement for more gender-neutral signs in the bedding area and toy section.

On Fox News, Reverend Graham Franklin went on the O’Reilly Factor to say “God made us male and female.

That’s just a fact, and to think that we’re gender-neutral is just foolishness.”

I, however, believe that Target is taking a step in the right direction. Rather than confining boys to action figures and cars or girls to dolls and dress-up games, we can allow children to choose what they like, regardless of what they should like.

This move, while subtle, is powerful. By merely taking away a sign, we are gravitating away from the gender stereotypes commonly enforced by society.

Why are we teaching young boys and girls that toys like dolls are feminine?

When society imposes these gender ideals on children, they can have harmful effects.

According to USA Today, Grayson Bruce, a nine year old from North Carolina, was banned from wearing a My Little Pony backpack to school because the school said it triggered bullying.

A boy carrying My Little Pony backpack should never provoke attacks from other students. Kids should learn

”

Hess calls for dress code equality meghan hess @PHSstudentPub

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

that their classmates, friends or even themselves, despite their gender, can choose to wear or play with what they want to.

By gendering toys and sometimes even clothing, we create a highly restricted environment for both genders.

In 2011, JcPenney’s was called out by consumers for selling a t-shirt that said “I’m Too Pretty To Do Homework, So My Brother Does It For Me.” This is a critical example of how damaging gender ideals can be.

This t-shirt indicates to young girls that their appearance is important above all else. According to The LA Times, the shirt was pulled off JcPenney’s website after one women started a pe-

“

tition to tell JcPenney to “stop promoting sexist messaging to girls.”

One t-shirt with a sexist saying might not seem impactful, but boys and girls are constantly surrounded by ideals of how they should act and what they should like. JcPenney shouldn’t be promoting sexism, especially to adolescents.

Sexism, homophobia, and transphobia can all be seen as byproducts of societal constructs that - TRINA PAULL attribute certain characteristics to certain sexes.

You might not have noticed the missing signs as you stepped into the Target toy section, but to the girl who likes Hot Wheels or to the boy who still doesn’t know his gender identity, this small move could have powerful and lasting impact.

Rather than confining Rat boys to action figures and cars or girls to dolls and dress-up games, we can allow children to choose what they like, regardless of what they should like. e.

”

Articles, videos and rants have recently surfaced on social media complaining about dress codes at public schools, and students are becoming aware of the effects of our own dress code.

This sudden media flood has made me recall an incident that happened just last school year.

A fellow classmate wore an outfit that was on the fence of the guidelines but was not pursued for being indecent. Although the student might not have seen anything wrong with her clothing choice of shorts and a crop top, other students did.

A conversation was instigated in one of the classrooms by a male student in which he described the girl’s outfit. He came to the conclusion of her being a “slut.”

Upon hearing this degrading comment, I was left to wonder how the handbook’s definition of what is appropriate and what is not influenced his mindset on how he saw this girl.

Later on in another class, I heard other students talking about the supposed “slut” and joking about the incident. One of those involved was a male student wearing a muscle tee, exposing the majority of his torso from the side.

Why was this student laughing about the girl with a revealing outfit when he was displaying just as much?

Why weren’t people joking about him? Why is it when a girl wears this, she’s a “slut”, and when he wears that, it is just his style?

Some of us can agree that it is not flattering for boys to wear their pants to their knees and girls to wear spaghetti strap shirts, considering that school is a place of professionalism and learning, but it is the way the school goes about saying it in the student handbook.

Many of the listed rules seem to mainly be focused on females, which gives off the idea of objectification.

Some even seem to be written specifically to suit the heterosexual male students so they won’t be distracted from their learning by the exposed skin on the female body.

Under the guidelines of the dress code, the text specifies just five articles of clothing that are not permitted on the school premises, which include low-cut shirts, spaghetti strap shirts, short shorts/skirts, sagging pants and hats. Three of those things are targeted toward females, one targeted at males and one for all students, no matter the sex.

The administration may think the wording is subtle, but to most students, the underlying intention is blatantly singling out females. Now, it is evident this sexism is being reflected within the interactions of the student body. Male students at dances think it is cool and acceptable to put their hands on females based on how they perceive girls and their clothing choices.

The seed of sexism has rooted itself into the soil of our school district. But, it is certainly not too late to rip this weed up from the roots before it blooms.

SECTION D

Feature

www.boosterredux.com Friday,Sept. 25, 2015

5

Making it until Dawn Playstation 4 game delivers suspense

Until dawn ««««« «««« Caleb Stradley @PHSstudentpub If I had to pick one game this year to be the Playstation 4 game of the year, this game would definitely be the one.

It is very reminiscent of a game called Heavy Rain, phenomenal game by the way, in which you are provided with many choices throughout the game, except for in the prologue/tutorial, that affect the game in some way.

Your choices decide whether or not a character will live or die. Once a character dies, they’re gone; no game over screen, no way to revive them.

The main goal of the game is to keep every character alive until dawn.

This can be very challenging because

COURTESY PHOTO PROVIDED BY http://www.misslanna.com/

of the fact that not only are there a lot of choices to make that can potentially get you killed, but there are also several quick time events, which are events in which you have to quickly tap the button that appears on the screen.

The story, at first, may seem like a typical horror movie starring a bunch of teenagers, but it soon gets very intense and has many interesting twists to it.

There are also quite a few cool collectibles to find in this game, such as

“

the many little totems laying on the ground.

There are five different types of totems, Death, Danger, Loss, Guidance, and Fortune, and each one shows you an event that may happen in the future.

Some of the most interesting parts of the game are in between chapters in your little ses- CALEB STRADLEY sions with the really creepy and mysterious Dr. Hill.

Dr. Hill will ask you a few questions like what scares you the most or

it ssoon gets very intense inten and has many interesting twists to it.

”

which character you dislike the most.

Sometimes Dr. Hill will believe you are lying to him and get angry which can cause very unsettling moments.

There honestly is not that many bad things to say about this game.

The camera angles can be a little weird, and some of the characters can be really annoying. Also, it can be very gory at times, so anyone that has a problem with seeing a lot of violence should probably not play this game.

Other than those, it’s a pretty solid game. It’s intense, the amount of options is incredible, the graphics are stunning, the atmosphere is amazing, and the overall gameplay is great.

I highly recommend this game for any gamers with a Playstation 4.

Scorch leaves lasting burn Julie wilson @PHSstudentpub The Scorch Trials picks up right where The Maze Runner left off: That would be with Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his friends just escaped the maze, which is a moving labyrinth with murderous creatures inside, to find out it had been a test run by the organization W.C.K.D. (“wicked”) tr ying to find a cure for a zombie-creating plague.

The whole mission is run by Janson(Aiden Gillen), who is there to help Thomas and other teens rescued from other mazes.

There is medical care and the promise of a peaceful life on a farm, just as soon as their name is called during the evening meal.

Thomas is immediately suspicious of being locked down in the new facility.

There is something about Janson that Thomas doesn’t trust. Perhaps it’s the odd restricted area that Aris(Jacob Lof land), the loner kid from another maze, shows to Thomas after lights out. When they sneak into the restricted area, Aris and Thomas notice they are draining something from the teens brains that temporarily makes the zombie-virus stop spreading.

Thomas convinces his friends to escape from the facility to find “The Red Arm”, a rumored refuge that is against W.C.K.D, located in the “Scorch”. Not only do they have to sur vive,

“

they have to tr y and find new friends that can help them understand what’s going on and maybe make some real change.

I liked the movie. It was fast-paced and keeps you guessing. Scorch Trials is a mix of a quest, zombie, disaster and teen rebellion, sprinkled with bits of Mad Max, disease paranoia, and environmental awareness. It seemed as if I was watching a dozen movies in one.

The movie basically tries to keep you and Thomas at the same level, where you’re really not sure what is going on and you have to make decisions based on what you feel is right and wrong. Along the way, nothing is what you think it is, and W.C.K.D always seems to be leading Thomas and his somewhere.

-JULIEE WILSON friends Finally, there is a betrayal that is sor t of obvious and Thomas makes a decision to stop running. But you are left wondering if it is really his decision, or if W.C.K.D. knew this would happen too.

The par t that I found annoying was the obvious morality. In the first movie, Thomas and Teresa were told that “W.C.K.D. is good”. You hear that again in this movie, even though W.C.K.D. did some pretty nasty things. So the question is, is W.C.K.D. really good and Thomas doesn’t know it yet? I guess we’ll have to wait until par t three to find out.

[its] a mix of a quest, zombie, disaster and teen rebellion, sprinkled with bits of Mad Max.

”

COURTESY PHOTO PROVIDED BY TODAY.COM

good reads Manga story delivers nic burke @PHSstudentpub I recently began reading Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki, a manga about a wandering samurai.

With many positive reviews from many different sources, the series, so far, is action-packed, with heart-stopping fight scenes, plot twists to keep you on your toes, and spaces in between filled with enough comedy to keep you laughing all the way through the series.

The main character, Kenshin, is a wandering samurai that settles in Tokyo, making the dojo, a sword arts school belonging to a girl named Kaoru his temporary home. There, he battles inner demons and those who wish to kill him because of his dark past.

Along the way, he meets friends that also make a home in the dojo, and he also saves the lives of countless others.

The skilled art of Watsuki leaps off of the page with amazing detail as you follow Kenshin through the many challenges of living in ancient Japan.

Although I would not recommend it for the faint of heart, it is a great series for people who love action and fighting stories.

The San Francisco Chronicle calls it “one of the best-loved manga of all time.” and Entertainment Weekly says “[Rurouni Kenshin has] fantastically detailed art and fight scenes that leap off the page; a visual treat with belly laughs.”

Japanese history, mixed with the creative talents of an author, Rurouni Kenshin is one of the best stories I have read in a long time.

Drake album surprises, worth a listen Caleb stradley @PHSstudentpub Before I decided to give this album a try, I honestly didn’t expect much.

I am not a big fan of Drake, but I have heard some of his popular songs and I never really liked them. They seemed either very dull, very dumb or very annoying.

However, after listening to “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late,” I can now see why so many people consider him one of the best rappers and R&B artist of the decade.

Drake has an amazingly good flow, a great voice and all of his songs are very different from each other, something a lot of modern-day rappers lack.

The beats in his song are incredible, and lyrically, he has

Drake Delivers

definitely improved from some of his older songs, as far as being repetitive.

To be honest, the album is far from perfect. He can sound very monotone at times, which can make songs boring to listen to, and some of his lyrics make him sound egotistical.

Also, the artists featured on the album did not deliver very well and sometimes even ruined the song for Drake.

Lastly, even though his lyrics aren’t as repetitive as some of his older, popular songs, as I mentioned, there are still times where they can be pretty repetitive.

Despite these issues, it’s still an enjoyable album. The only songs I really didn’t like that much were “Preach” and “Wednesday Night Interlude,” both featuring PARTYNEXT-

DOOR. “Preach” was repetitive, in which PARTYNEXTDOOR repeated the word “preach” constantly and I couldn’t understand anything he was saying in “Wednesday Night Interlude.”

Every other song on the album was not terrible in slightest.

A few personal favorite songs of mine include, “6PM in New York”, “You and the 6”, and “6 Man.” These songs are good examples of how amazing of a hip-hop artist Drake has become throughout the years.

He isn’t quite the best modern day hip-hop artist, that’s still relevant, that title rightfully belongs to Kendrick Lamar, but Drake is definitely up there.

Overall, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” is a great album for all fans of hip-hop and I definitely recommend it.

If you’re reading this It’s too Late playlist 01. Legend 02. Energy 03. 10 Bands 04. Know Yourself 05. No Tellin’ 06. Madonna 07. 6 God

08. Star67 09. Preach (feat.

PartyNextDoor) 10. Wednesday Night Interlude (feat.

PartyNextDoor) 11. Used To (feat.

Lil Wayne) 13. Now & Forever 14. Company 15. You & The 6 16. Jungle 17. 6PM In New York

6 feature

Friday, Sept. 25, 2015

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

finding a unique way to make A PROFIT Senior student utilizes summer, starts business by selling geckos morgan plank “I spray them everyday with water, take care @momoplank of their enclosures and feed them every two As senior Joe Salas was scrolling through days,” Salas said. his Facebook at the beginning of the summer, In two months, Salas and his partner have he stumbled across an unusual way to make sold eight geckos, one of them being to senior money. This idea turned into breeding and Zack Roark. selling geckos.

The average gecko usually costs $75, but “I like the animals; they are really cool. They some can be worth up to $500 dollars, dependdo not take up much room, and they do not ing on where they are from, their patterns and require a lot of [care,]” Salas said. how common they are.

The possibility of “They look pretty sweet. starting a business first They can crawl all over came from a family you, and I just thought friend. they would really easy to “A family friend had take care of,” Roark said. wanted to start up [a “I thought it would be a business] with me, so really cool pet.” we partnered and startRoark first heard about ed [this business,]” them from a friend, and Salas said. then considered buying Salas, once again, one. took to the internet to “I asked [Joe] about it, purchase the geckos. and then went to his baseThey first began with ment to check them out,” two, one of which was Roark said. “It was pretty from Europe, but quickcool.” ly more than tripled According to Roark, their inventory after a this is not the first time he - ZACK RROARK few months. They now has had a unique pet. have a total of 10 geck“Exotic pets are kind of os. my thing. Once, I had a “I breed them now. Every three months, two flying squirrel, a sugar glider,” Roark said. “I more hatch,” Salas said. think it is pretty cool to have something that Currently, Salas has five eggs that could not a lot of other people have.” hatch at any moment.

With the growing success of the business, The geckos are kept in Salas’ basement Salas plans to continue breeding and selling where he checks on them daily. geckos in the future.

“

I thi think it is pretty cool to have something not a lot of other people havee

Senior Joe Salas shows off one of his geckos. Salas became an entrepreneur by starting his own business selling geckos housed in his basement. PHOTO BY MACY FRASCO

A guiding light for students to follow Inside look: A day in the life of a high-school counselor Maddie baden @maddiebaden Everyday is a new and different day, that is how counselors Gina Ulbrich, Jessica Stegman and Burl Powell would describe their day as a counselor.

Students come into the counseling office with different problems that need to be solved, and the counselors never know what they are going to deal with each day.

“We never really know what we are going to experience when we come here, but everyday we are busy doing something with the students,” Stegman said. “Whether it be helping them with personal issues, academic issues or getting stuff ready for testing, there are various things that we work with everyday.”

A school counselor has four main aspects they cover, including personal, academic, career and social counseling.

Each counselor takes a section of students divided by their last name.

Ulbrich takes students A-G, Stegman H-O and Powell P-Z. “We split students by alphabet so that the students can remain with one counselor their entire four years [of high school] without having to remember who it is from year to year,”

Ulbrich said. “We like getting to know our kids and their families.”

To become a counselor, requirements include a masters degree in counseling and 49 master credit hours. It is also considered to be the longest masters program, according to Ulbrich.

Even though every day is busy, the craziest time of the year is the first week of a new semester, according to Powell.

“The first three or four days of a new semester is just chaos,” Powell said. “It is kind of fun, though. We try to prepare for it [by] going over the schedules in the summer and making sure there are no holes.”

For senior Ailie Foresman, her counselor, Ulbrich, has been helping her throughout her high school years.

“

“Ulbrich, my counselor, has helped me tremendously with my schedule and preparation for college and the further education. She is such a great counselor,” Foresman said. “I signed up for an ACT preparation course and I was the only one that signed up, so Ulbrich drove me to it and we spent the day there.

It was a really good day and I thought it was really generous of her to do that.”

Even though counseling can be a rewarding - BURL POWELL occupation by watching kids grow up, it can also be a devastating job.

“The hardest part is [seeing] a student in a crisis or if we know something about a student and/or their family and know that a family is struggling. It is hard not to internalize it and

I li like to help people plan peop careers and get them excited forr what they are doing after graduation

”

take it home to my family,” Stegman said. “It is hard to leave the job at work when there are many times where that is not possible because you know something is going on that is affecting another person’s life.”

All of the counselors love their job and love to help each and every student with every need.

“I like to help people plan careers and get them excited for what they are going to do after [graduation],” Powell said. “The coolest thing is when I see a freshman come in and get to watch them grow and then they are a senior and [I get to] watch them graduate and [see] all the things they had to go through to get there. That is probably the coolest thing.”

Being a counselor can be busy, mortifying, but fulfilling. All of the school’s counselors are always open to visit if anyone needs any help.

“Please come see us if you have any things that you want to talk about or get off your chest. We are really good listeners and we are here to help,” Ulbrich said “We like doing this, we want to be here, everyone in this office chooses to work as counselors. We really enjoy it and please come visit with us whenever you need.”

traveling across the world for education Junior Japanese exchange student adapts to small town, new culture kali poenitske @kali_poenitske As junior Reina Shiroma was walking up to the doors on the first day of school, the only thought going through her mind was what American high school was going to be like.

“I was nervous and excited on [the] first day of school because [everything] was new for me,” Shiroma said.

Shiroma is an exchange student from Okinawa, Japan. She decided to study abroad because of a visit to Houston last summer.

“Last summer vacation, I went to Houston for three weeks in my prefecture program. I studied English at [a] university, and I had [a host family]. I had [a] very good time [and] that experience made me decide to study abroad,” Shiroma said. “I wanted to communicate with people who live in [a] different country, [and] I wanted to have various [ways] of thinking.”

This year, she had only been in the United States for one week before the start of school. So, she had to adapt to the culture quickly because, according to Shiroma, there are many differences between here and Japan.

“In my Japanese high school, we don’t

Junior exchange student Reina Shiroma focuses in Rhonda Willis’s Honors Algebra 2 class. Shiroma is from Okinawa, Japan. PHOTO BY SHERRICK ROGERS

have a cafeteria, [and] we wear uniforms. [Also,] in America, all [grades are] in [the] same class, but in Japan we are divided into class for each grade,” Shiroma said. “In Japan, freshmen [are] in junior high school.

We usually don’t use [calculators] in math class, [and] we can’t have [our] hair dyed, [our driver’s] license, [or a] tattoo.”

Another difference is the living arrangements. Shiroma is staying

with sophomore Hailey Denton and her family.

“Since she is staying in my room, I get to see a lot of how her culture is at home,” Denton said.

Denton and her family did many different things to prepare Shiroma for what lies ahead. “[Before the first day of school], we took her to the school and showed her everything,” Denton said. “We sat her down and said ‘this is American high school, this is what’s going to happen, [so] be ready for anything’.”

Since Shiroma played volleyball while living in Japan, she decided to be a part of the volleyball team at the high school.

There were several reasons she decided to continue the sport here.

“I love sports, and I wanted to make friends,” Shiroma said.

There are some differences between volleyball here and in Okinawa.

“I practiced more in Japan. We had practice on [the] weekend,” Shiroma said.

Despite the differences, Shiroma is enjoying herself in the United States. “[I love all the] food,” Shiroma said. “[And all of the] nice people.”

SECTION D

in-depth

www.boosterredux.com Friday, Sept. 25, 2015

7

ART BY ALIVIA BENEDICT

Living in the shadows Student worries about family’s illegal immigration status MOLLY GRAHAM & JOSH LEE @molllygraham & @iAmTheJoshLee

W

hile students her age were excited about getting new clothes or shoes for the school year, senior Carol Velasquez was excited about coming home to a fridge full of groceries.

Velasquez requested to remain anonymous to protect her identity due to the sensitivity and legality of this topic.

In Velasquez’s life, hoping for groceries and wearing worn-down shoes has become the norm.

Even in all this, Velasquez faces the responsibilities of a high school student, but also bears the additional burden of the constant possibility her family may be discovered. Since her father was sent back to Mexico last October, her family has been faced with numerous obstacles.

Although Velasquez and her little sister are legally born citizens of the U.S., her parents and older siblings are not.

Because Velasquez has a secure citizenship in the United States, she did not, at a young age, feel she had to worr y about any immigration problems or concerns.

“I did not know firsthand what deportation was. I just thought that it was not going to happen to my family,” Velasquez said. “When I realized what was going on, I did not really take it as deportation, I took it as my dad being in Mexico for a certain amount of time and then him coming back.”

For all her life, Velasquez and her family have been hiding from the government under the fake names of her parents because of possible deportation.

Only when her father experienced legal trouble that resulted in deportation did the possibility of any of her family members being deported become worrisome.

But last year, all of the hiding did not stop their worst fear from becoming a reality.

While pulled over for a DUI, Velasquez’s father was caught using a fake identity. He then received a notification from the government and had to return to Mexico to file for residency.

And although he is supposed to be gone for only a year, Velasquez fears he may never return. “[My fear] has been going on for quite a while. It is not the fear of being deported, but it is the fear of losing my parents,” Velasquez said. “I love my parents so much; who would want to lose their parents? My mom and dad are ever ything to me. I would do anything for them.”

However, there was nothing Velas- help Velasquez, either. quez could do for her father when he When issues with the heating system was sent back to Mexico. and other infrastructure with her old “I remember the first time he got that house arose, the family had to move letter and [the government] told him into a trailer with nothing but their that he had to go back,” Velasquez said. beds, clothes and other absolute neces“They said that in order for him to file sities. for residency, he had to go [to Mexico] “I live in [one of] the trailer parks. for a year, but a year seems like an eter- Our trailer has two bedrooms. My mom nity.” sleeps in the living room; she has a twin During that time, Velasquez faced the bed. My mom just bought a bed for me reality of supporting a family with four and my older sister because we did not children, one present parent and a fa- have a bed,” Velasquez said. “My little ther who needs frequent assistance. sister sleeps with either me or my mom “My dad was the breadwinner of my so it is one room for [my older sister family, and it is hard seeing [my] mom and me] and a room for my brother. My cr y ever y night,” Velasquez said. “The mother does not have a room, and we last time I saw [my dad] was in March. [all share] just one bathroom.”

He got so skinny and he had dropped Splitting such a small space among so much weight. He tells me that it is five people, though, can be difficult. Evhard working [in Mexico] and that what er y morning, Velasquez’s mother wakes he made here in the United States was up earlier than ever ybody else in the about a thousand ever y two weeks. family to set the family routine in moWhat he makes there [in that time] is tion. about two hun“My mom dred. It’s not wakes up at enough. And he about 3:30 [has to ask] my a.m. and gets mom to send my brother’s him money, to lunch ready, send him this, to if we have send him that, food.

Then and it’s just reshe wakes him ally hard not up at about 4, having him here then he wakes when we reup and gets ally, really need ready. Then my - CAROL VELASQUEZ him.” mom takes a Vel a s q u e z ’ s power nap bestruggles, however, do not stop at hav- cause she can’t get sleep at night; she ing to financially support her father. can’t sleep because she is always so Because of her current financial situ- stressed. At about 5 my mom wakes up, ation, Velasquez sometimes deals with gets ready and she wakes up my [older] much more than what her family can sister. They are supposed to be out of handle. the house by 6:10 and that is when me With an income provided by her and my little sister wake up and we get mother and older sister, both paychecks ready and leave the house by 7:10.” are combined and because of personal Before Velasquez’s brother leaves the debts and the bills, all income is gone house to go to work, he makes sure to within the day it is received. kiss his mother goodbye, something “Groceries are one of the last things, that her husband has not been able to if we have enough money,” Velasquez do in almost a year. said. “[Last week], we did not have any Though, while addressing her fam[leftover] money because she had to pay ily’s crisis is a difficult trial in itself for a lot of bills. My sister still gave [my Velasquez, to her, it is even harder to mom] her paycheck, and she still could think that it may all be for nothing. not make it, so we could not buy food.”

“I do not know for sure, because noSince groceries come last, Velasquez body knows for sure when he is coming sometimes finds herself waiting for back,” Velasquez said. a couple of days until her mother and Since Velasquez is the oldest child older sister can come up with enough that is a legal U.S. citizen in her immemoney to shop for food. diate family, the pressure and reliance “[Before my sister got her job], it for her mother to be granted a familywas pretty sad, because my little sis- based green card is put on her. ter would cr y to me ever y night asking Her citizenship grants Velasquez the for food, and I could not give her any- ability to be the sponsor for her moththing,” Velasquez said. er should she file for a residency. This Her current living situations do not speeds up the process of her mother

“

It is not the fear of being deported, it is the fear of losing my parents.

”

being granted a legal citizenship compared to the time it would take if her mother would file for it on her own.

“It varies case-to-case, person-toperson, family-to-family, and countr yto-countr y,” said Monica LaForte, USD 250 Migrant/ESOL Education Director. “[It also depends on] how they first came into the United States. There are so many different cases. I have seen cases in which there is a parent and they are sent back [to Mexico] and have come back [to the United States] in a week. Immigration sees [all situations] differently.”

With so much fluctuation with similar cases, it is difficult for families to be fully informed about their respective situations. Nevertheless, it does not change the fact that these situations are common, even in the area.

According to LaForte, in the school district, there are approximately 400 students who are from different countries. Eighty percent of those students are living in the same situation as Velasquez, a child being the only legal tie parents have to the U.S. In other words, in order to obtain citizenship and remove her dependent legal ties, Velasquez’s mother would have to wait until Velasquez herself is 21 years old and has a stable job.

After passing these hurdles, Velasquez’s mother would have to leave the U.S. and return to the countr y she was born in. Then, Velasquez will be able to begin the process of applying for the immigration request. This concludes in consular interviews and a U.S. State Department background check.

This means that, in order for her mother to gain legal and permanent residency, Velasquez has to put her own life on hold.

However, Velasquez feels her sacrifices are worth it.

“Honestly, I would rather put my life on hold for my mom’s safety and for her to go to work and not be scared that immigration is going to come and check ever yone’s files,” Velasquez said.

Velasquez’s parents’ original goal when coming to the U.S. was to obtain the American Dream: a life free of prominent crime and violence, a life with better pay and a life with better opportunities for themselves and their children.

This is the American Dream, but for Velasquez and her family, this dream has not yet been fully fulfilled.

Even though her father was sent back, Velasquez believes it is just a setback in their plan.

“Yes, I am American, but what I want is for my parents to say that they have the American Dream, too.”

anchor baby noun : a child born to a noncitizen mother in a country which has birthright citizenship, especially when viewed as providing an advantage to family members seeking to secure citizenship or legal residency.

-From The Washington Post

300,000 anchor babies are born each year

an anchor baby is born every

93 seconds

only

4,000 unauthorized

immigrants can receive status per year -Info from Politifact.com

8 sports

Friday, Sept 25, 2015

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

Sealing the winning deal Tennis coach John Seal earned 600th victory ALLI BADEN @allibaden

After thirty-nine years of coaching the sport he loves, head tennis coach John Seal has achieved what few others in his sport have. Seal recently celebrated his 600th coaching win.

“It’s not my wins, it’s my players’ wins. They’re my players, and they do it all. It means a lot to the players I’ve had,” Seal said. “They’ve been awesome; they work very hard. I’m lucky. Coaching is the greatest thing I do.”

Current members of the girls team were able to share in Seal’s achievement.

“It is an honor because he has coached so many players and I got to be one,” senior Ashlee Beitzinger said.

However, Seal is not known for touting his achievements.

“He was really excited for 600 wins. He made a really big deal out of it, and Coach Seal is not one to make a big deal out of any type of personal achievement of his, so the fact that he made a big deal meant that it was a huge deal,” junior Abi Felter said.

Seal is a two-time Coach of the Year and has coached 18 state champions, both doubles and singles. For him, coaching is not all about the wins and statistics.

“My best moment as a coach is when I can teach a player that doesn’t know how to play how to hit balls back. I don’t care about winning. That’s the most important moment I’ve had,” Seal said.

Seal contributes all the success he has had to the two coaching mentors he had when he was a player.

“Fred Campbell at Fort Scott and Larry Garman here at Pittsburg High School taught me how to coach. That’s why I’m a good coach, because they taught me how,” Seal said.

“I learned what to do, how to be organized, how to treat kids, how to make sure that they are going to be on time and how to make sure they are going to be focused and mentally prepared for stuff.”

Seal’s style of coaching is positive and his athletes like his support.

“Seal is a really great encourager. He always dedicates

Instructing players during practice, tennis coach John Seal talks to sophomores Alexis Pichler and Maddie Baden. Coach Seal recently obtained his 600th win as a PHS tennis head coach. PHOTO BY DEREK BRUMBAUGH

himself fully throughout the season, and he never gives up on us, even if we’re doing bad,” Felter said. “He really makes us excited to play and he makes us want to win. He always wants us to succeed through academics or through sports.”

Not only does Seal set high expectations for his players, but he sets high expectations for himself as well.

“I want another state championship before I quit.

And, I’d like to have 800 wins,” Seal said.

But, Seal’s ultimate goal is to continue to see the program grow.

“I want to have those courts out there filled with tennis players,” Seal said. “I want to have 40 tennis players on those courts, that’s my goal.”

Seal credits his team for this milestone. To help him tackle his remaining goals, he has current and future returners he considers to have a bright future.

“This is one of my hardest working teams ever. And, we are also one of our deepest. And, we’re young. Ashlee Beitzinger, Sam Bollinger, Abi Felter, Alexis Pichler and Maddie Baden work hard all the time. Alexa Yantis and Madison Vogel have really come around as doubles players, and we’re really lucky,” Seal said. “And, we have some freshmen that are going to make a big impact on our team later on. Nicole Konopelko and Kamryn Kelly, they’re fantastic players for young kids.

Pichler and Baden are sophomores. We are so lucky to have that kind of talent underneath.”

DANCE TEAM IMPLEMENTS NEW LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE KALI POENITSKE

there will be more group work between the team and more The dance team decided to than one person will be able take a different approach this to help with teaching the year. Instead of having captains, choreography. the team will be focused on “It will be different in ways working together more. such as there won’t be two “This year we decided not to people to go to that would have captains in order to give be our leaders.” Daniels said. all dancers the chance to have a “Whoever is in charge of that leadership role,” coach Kelsey dance is who we will go to.

Parks said. “High school is hard So, instead of it just being two with all the activities the girls people the whole time it will are involved in. Splitting up be just everyone.” games not only gives everyone According to Daniels, an equal leadership role but there was a problem with the also relieves the stress off captains managing their time the upperclassman who are to make the dances. involved in multiple activities, “With the captains, there taking AP or college classes, were things not getting done and preparing to graduate.” in time or too much stress on Although there will not two people. So, this way, that be any team captains, it will it is split up evenly,” Daniels enhance the team’s overall skill said. level, according to sophomore Freshman Kyra Ketcham, sophomore Maddie Baden and freshman Leah Brazil perform a kick line during their halftime performance Sophomore Katie Arnold of last Friday’s game. PHOTO BY KAITLYN KIDD Alexis Daniels. believes the dancers on the “I definitely think it will team are hard workers, not improve the performance because having captains. incoming freshmen as well. having captains will not influence different people are working together, “We changed up how we do the the amount of effort put into their “We can all contribute evenly and so different ideas can come together,” the freshmen can get more comfortable dances. Instead of the captains making dancing.

Daniels said. with making up choreography [and] up all the dances, we split up the “I think with or without a captain, our Furthermore, Daniels suspects putting out their own ideas.” dances, like three people for a group team will still be just as professional, not having captains will not only be Junior Kayla Clark has also noticed make up one dance.” Clark said. and will work as hard as we do beneficial to returning dancers, but a few changes that occurred without Along with the dances changing, normally,” Arnold said. @kali_poenitske

setting the pace at an early age Middle school adds cross country program JOURNEY JARAMILLO @PHSStudentPub

Runners now get a head start in their cross country career due to the new addition to the cross country program.

Recently, Pittsburg Community Middle School (PCMS) has added a cross country team of their own.

“When the board approved the position earlier this year, I felt the middle school head cross country position would be a great fit for me,” said Rob Cummings, PCMS cross country coach. “It would allow the program to be an extension of the high school program.”

Cummings was a part of the cross country program at the high school for six years as assistant coach and now has decided to become the head coach of the middle school team.

By adding a cross country team to the middle school it will help the high school to keep pace with other schools that contain students that have been training since they were in junior high.

“The school decided to add the program because they wanted to get kids active and help promote lifelong fitness that will benefit youth, both physically and mentally,” Cummings said.

So far, the program has had 15 consistent athletes and has already competed at two of six meets. The

“

team has to attend meets in Missouri, because there are not many junior high cross country teams in Southeast Kansas.

High school cross country coach Gary Ausemus believes that having a cross country team at the middle school will benefit the high school.

“It will definitely help the high school program by exposing more students to the sport and showing them that it is not as difficult as one might think,” Ausemus said.

“They are learning the basics of a life-long sport which can provide many benefits to them later in life.”

Like Ausemus, senior cross country runner Derrick Sumner believes that the addition of a PCMS cross country team will also be beneficial.

“I think that adding a team to the middle school will make the students more prepared for - GARY AUSEMUS SEMUS the high school,” Sumner said.

“It will rule out the students who are not committed by the time they get here.”

From Cummings perspective, the kids on the team are an impressive bunch and he believes that the program is a great opportunity for them as well.

“They work hard and show up every day and their daily efforts are paying off,” Cummings said. “I believe this will have a huge impact on our program at the middle school, as well as the high school cross country program.”

They are learning the basics of a lifelong sport which can efits provide many benefits ife. to them later in life.

”

Upcoming events Cross Country

Varsity will be traveling to Rim Rock tomorrow for a meet beginning at 9 a.m.

The junior varsity will be hosting a meet on Oct. 1 at 4 p.m.

Football Tonight varsity will host Chanute at Hutchinson Field, with kickoff at 7 p.m.

The freshman and junior varsity’s next game will be Sept. 28 at Chanute starting at 5 p.m.

Soccer Junior varsity and varsity will be traveling to Independence on Sept. 29 for their next games. They will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Tennis The next varsity match will be Sept. 29 in Coffeyville starting at 3 p.m.

Junior varsity’s next match will be Sept.

28 at 3 p.m. in Chanute.

Volleyball Varsity’s next game will be Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. in Chanute.

Junior varsity will be traveling to Independence tomorrow for a tournament beginning at 9 a.m.

The freshmen will be playing tomorrow at 9 a.m. in Parsons.

Golf Junior varsity and varsity will be hosting a home tournament Sept. 29 at 1 p.m.