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District hires all female principals for next school year
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The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School
Pittsburg, KS
1978 E. 4th Street
Vol. 103 Issue 2
Curtain Call
Pittsburg High School finds a way to honor Greg Shaw 2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
Words By | Mattie Vacca ormer PHS theater teacher Greg Shaw passed away due to brain cancer after teaching at the high school for 13 years. As a tribute to his time spent at PHS, staff members designed a March Madness activity in his memory. The “Greg Shaw Memorial Oreo Tournament” tribute was sourced from Shaw’s passion for Kansas University basketball as well as his love for Oreos. School psychologist Kenda Fischer teamed up with Librarian and Student Council sponsor Samantha Warren to organize the oreo bracket. COVID- 19, has prevented any event honoring Shaw. “Since we haven’t had any service for him or any kind of celebration of life, as a staff, I felt like we needed to do something.” Fischer said. “I’m not saying this oreo tournament is closure, but it’s definitely a way to say that we haven’t forgotten him.” Forensics and Debate teacher Julie Laflen taught alongside Shaw for 12 years. “He did a lesson on sense memory and it was a lecture about the proper way to eat an Oreo.” Laflen said. “He would go into this huge elaborate production on how to hold an
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Oreo and how to dip it in [the milk]. He had this big booming voice and his eyes would get really big.” Shaw’s love for Oreos was contagious to those around him. Laflen still associates Oreos with Shaw. “Anytime I am around Oreos, it just reminds me of him because when you’re around him that much, his stories feel like they’re your stories in a way,” Laflen said. “In the fall, his brother had asked for people to make videos for him, so my husband and I made a video about how to properly eat an Oreo and we called it the Shaw method.” The enthusiasm he projected into all aspects of his life, including theater, stuck with junior Mallory Womeldorff. “I lost the first adult who saw potential in me,” Womeldorff said. “I lost more than just a teacher and a director. I lost a friend, a parent, a mentor, and I know that that applies to everyone else too.“
w ha has Although Shaw ople passed, many peo people eg gac a y say that his legacy will live on att PHS. t ught ta “He taught me a lot ut about just never losing e your voice ys and always ng advocating elf for yourself and your kids.” Laflen said, “And if you felt like something was wrong, to just not accept it and to ngs challenge things el like until you feel e heard.” you were
Design by | Francisco Castaneda
2017/18
Celebration of Life “Greg’s Curtain Call” 2018/19
2019/20
May 22, 2 p.m. @PHS auditorium Family, friends, former students, and classmates of Greg’s are invited *Angie asks that you consider getting vaccinated before May 22* Please contact his widow Angie @kushaw2021@gmail.com
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NEWS
May 2021
Ann Lee
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Laur aE
ardt e H l nn
Women taking charge: Words by | Kaley Mussa
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he 2021-2022 school year will be the first year in USD 250 history where all six of the district’s principals will be female. Next year, Laura Earl will join Kelynn Heardt, Ann Lee, Diane Jackson, Becky Bedene and Kelsey Boulware in head principal positions. According to NCES (National Center for Education Statistics), 76 percent of public school teachers are female and 24 percent are male. For female public school principals, the percentage was 54. In SEK this school year, there were only three female principals at the high school level. “In this position and in this area of the state, you don’t see as many females in secondary lead or highschool lead principal roles,” Heardt said. Expectations for next school year will be no different than previous years. “I don’t anticipate it to be any different than what it has with anybody else,” superintendent Richard Proffitt said. “They are selected as the best candidates and they are gonna be expected to do the job.” The candidates were chosen based on ability to fulfill the position. “Each one of them has impeccable character traits and they are just good people,” Proffitt said. “They care about people and that carries over into their work. Which makes them great candidates to be lead principals.” Having an all-female leadership team is uncommon. “I see it as a great opportunity for the community to see female leadership,” Boulware said. “This is a unique situation that does not happen often.”
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Ge Design by | Kaley Mussa
For the first time, all USD 250 head principals are females.
With Earl moving up to principal next year, she is glad to have a supportive team beside her on this journey. ”I know they will be there to answer any questions I have and support me in any way,” Earl said. ”These ladies are some of the best people I have ever worked with so I am looking forward to teaming up with them to ensure students get the best experience possible in our schools.” Earl’s middle school team was vital to her success. ”Mr. Smith has mentored me through many situations since he came to Pittsburg and Mr. King and I have worked together for 10 years,” Earl said. ”I am excited to move forward with Mr. King and our new addition, Adam Hull.” Between the six principals, Bedene is the only one who has ever experienced gender discrimination. “I have come across a couple of parents before that have made comments. But obviously they didn’t get very far with it,” Bedene said. “They tend to say things out of anger when a decision is made that they don’t agree with.” Problems regarding gender are handled like a normal situation. “Unfortunately, every once in a while it gets ugly and we just address it,” Proffitt said. “The fact of the matter is that these ladies are in charge and they are the ones making decisions.” However, Lakeside principal Ann Lee has never experienced an issue in her position of authority. “We have always had a team that has been very respectful of ourselves, our experiences that we bring, and the education that we provide,” Lee said. “That has never been an issue or anything that has entered into my mind.” Growing up, Earl was raised with the mindset to not allow
discrimination to bother her. ”My parents taught me that I could achieve anything I put my mind to if I worked hard and continued to grow and learn,” Earl said. ”I want to set this same example to all of our students.” Although there have been issues from parents regarding gender, the principals have never experienced discrimination from the staff or district. “I am just thankful USD 250 is a place where it has never been an issue [for me],” Heardt said. “I’m just here for the kids and to do my job and I’m very thankful that most professionals in education have that same mindset.” George Nettels principal Diane Jackson said she is excited to be a part of such a dynamic team. “We all work together well and regularly collaborate regarding the needs of our district,” Jackson said. “Each level of schooling builds to ensure success at the next level, from elementary to middle school to high school.” According to Lee, it is a special thing to be a part of. “It is special when you get to break that tradition or break the mold,” Lee said. Unlike the high school, the elementary schools do not have an assistant principal position alongside the head principal. Establishing a bond between the women was an easy task. “I know for the elementary level, the four of us are in our own buildings. We don’t have assistance,” Meadowlark principal Becky Bedene said. “We all have the same vision in terms of what we want for our students and what we want in our district. We really rely heavily on each other and lean on each other. We have just been a really tight group since day one.”
Leaving behind a legacy Teachers share their experiences with retiring Words by | Sarah Alcantar Physical Science teacher Karen Curran has taught at Pittsburg High School for her last four out of 31 years of teaching. “I wasn’t looking to leave Fort Scott but then thought why not check out the position,” Curran said. “It was a gut wrenching decision. I reminded myself that I’ve never backed down from a challenge and maybe that’s what I needed in my last few years of teaching.” Since her first year at PHS, Curran’s career has come full circle. “My very first educational pre-lab experience at PSU was here at PHS and 35 years later I am ending my career here,” Curran said. “I feel I’ve been able to establish myself here in four years at PHS with the students and staff as if I’ve been here 27 years. The relationships that I have been able to build with my students is what makes me enjoy it here at PHS.”
Owen Miller stands with Allen Eichhorn, adjutant for the Pittsburg American Legion Post 64. Photo provied by | The Morning Sun
Good under pressure Junior Owen Miller earns state scholarship Words by | Seth Loudermilk and Josh Ozbun
After receiving his teaching license in December of 1982, Ben Bernhardt started teaching a keyboarding class at Pittsburg High School in January of 1983. Since then he has taught many other classes at PHS. “I’ve loved something about each class that I’ve taught,” Bernhardt said. “All the things I’ve been able to teach have been fun and challenging for me at the same time.” This year, Bernhardt is concluding his 38th and last year of teaching by instructing a drivers’ education course. “I didn’t want to be a teacher that hung on too long. I didn’t want to be the teacher that was only here for the money,” Bernhardt said. “I still enjoy being around the kids but it’s time for something different.” Overall, Bernhardt says his years at PHS have been time well spent.
Director of Activities Secretary Karen Odgers has been working for Pittsburg High School since February of 1999 and has gained experience from when she first started working at PHS 21 years ago. “When I first came I had to be taught computer skills,” Odgers said. [Since then] it has been a matter of perfecting and organizing my skills so when I pass it on to somebody they will have something to go by, like a manual and examples to see, which I did not have.” After retiring, Odgers says that she is looking forward to spending more time with her family. “My husband and I have two children and five grandchildren. They live in Kansas City and Topeka so we are hoping to spend more time with them,” Odgers said. “Our kids would love for us to [live] in one of their towns or halfway in between but that has not been decided yet.”
Photos by | Francisco Castaneda
As the state American Legion Oratorical speaking contest progressed, high school students prepared to test their knowledge of the constitution. At the end of the competition, the winner was announced. Owen Miller won over 6,000 dollars. According to Allen Eickhorn from The American Legion, every year The American Legion hosts a national speech competition for high school students to have the potential to get a boost on future college scholarship money. This year, due to COVID-19, the National competition was canceled. Instead, they sent money out to individual state competitions. Junior Owen Miller ended up getting first place in the PHS contest, the district contest, and the state competition. Achieving this type of pursuit earned him a total of $6,250. “It sounded like fun,” Miller said. “[The] kind of thing that’s right up my alley.” Every year, oratorical contestants talk about the constitution. Competitors had to give two speeches. First, an eight to ten-minute speech, of which the competitors can decide what they talk about regarding the constitution. While the second speech is a three to five-minute speech, the competitors are given five minutes to make their speech from an assigned topic. “There’s no real way to prepare holistically for the assigned topic speech. I did some outlines for it, but the vast majority of my time was spent tinkering with my memorized speech,” Miller said. “I did, though, enjoy talking about the Constitution and government and all those sorts of things.” Miller won by default at the PHS competition due to a lack of awareness that this event was happening. “I kind of automatically won here at Pittsburg since I was the only person who entered, so not a lot of people at our High School were aware that this was happening, which to me was kind of disappointing,” Miller said. Miller encouraged anyone who’s interested in joining next year’s oratorical competition saying this year was a lot of fun. “This is just another way to get comfortable talking in front of people,” Mary Geier said. “We’re very proud Owen,” Eickhorn said. “He is fantastic, he did a fantastic job and is a very good orator.”
FEATURE Booster Redux Staff & Policy
A step in the right direction SEK sees diversity in head coaching staffs Words by | Hannah Gray and Mattie Vacca
Editors-in-Chief Joseph Lee McKenna Hodges
Managing Editors Hannah Gray Ashlan Brooks
Online Editors Ashlan Brooks
Social Media Manager Hannah Gray
Multimedia Editor Lane Phifer
Staff Andrea Bandy Braden Benson Joy Lee Laikyn LeFever Seth Loudermilk Kaley Mussa Josh Ozbun Keith Perkins Kate Poling-Cummings Natalie Ruiz Ian Sullivan Mattie Vacca
Adviser Emily Smith
The PHS Student Publications Department and newspaper class produce The Booster Redux. Please call us with comments at 620-235-3200. 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.
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hen LC Davis moved to Fort Scott from his predominantly black Kansas City school, he was met with a wave of white coaches, white teachers and white peers. Growing up, he never had a coach that resembled him. Now, as a wrestling coach and person of color at Pittsburg High School, Davis hopes to give AfricanAmerican athletes a role model who looks like them. On Dec. 9, Davis posted on Facebook the ratio of African-American high school head coaches to athletes in the surrounding areas. In total, there are six head coaches of color in the area, including Pittsburg’s Davis and boys basketball head coach Jordan Woods. Alongside Davis and Woods, are Fort Scott’s Gary Floyd, Pechone Stepps and Bo Graham, as well as Darvin Willard from Paola. “I grew up in Kansas City where I went to mostly all black schools. But then, I went to school in Fort Scott and that kind of spurred the post that I made,” Davis said. “Most of the black coaches in the area graduated from Fort Scott High School.” Davis believes having racial diversity in coaching could benefit young athletes. “It is awesome that in this small community of southeast Kansas, where there isn’t a high black population, that we still have quite a good representation of black coaches,” Davis said. “That speaks volumes of USD 250, that speaks volumes of our community and it is great for our younger generation to be able to see that and to strive for that.” Davis has been coaching wrestling for 15 years, and this is his third year as head wrestling coach at PHS. Woods, on the other hand, has been a coach at PHS for 11 years, with this being his first season as head coach. Like Davis, Woods also grew up lacking African-American coaches and role models. “I never had a coach growing up who looked like me,” Woods said. “Hopefully, I inspire a few kids along the way. I always try to do the right thing for them so they are successful in the future, with sports and with life.” The other African-American coaches in the SEK graduated from Fort Scott like Woods and Davis did. All but one, wrestling head coach Darvin Willard of Paola, now coach at their past high school. “I’m not even sure how many minority coaches there are in wrestling, but having different skin color in whatever you do is good,” Willard said. “It only educates you about the other race. In today’s society,
I believe that is what we need.” In addition to a minimal number of black high school coaches around SEK, statistics prove that the lack of diversity is a trend in the modern sports world. According to Forbes, people of color makeup 69% of players and 35% of assistant coaches in the National Football League. Yet, only two head coaches are black. Similarly, in the National Basketball Association, 82% of players are black, but there are only five coaches of color, according to Interbasket. Davis says, this is a depiction of modern-day racism. “I think minorities in general have a little harder time just because of the things that we have had to overcome,” Davis said. “Some people may be naive and think that [racism] isn’t still somewhat there, but I think it is still prevalent, it just isn’t near as bad as it was.” In his sport, Woods strives to create a safe, all-inclusive atmosphere and sets reasonable expectations that any athlete can meet as long as they work hard. “Just because you come from a different situation, the expectations and behaviors shouldn’t be any different. This gives equal opportunity to be successful when expectations are set high and there is an accountability piece with it,” Woods said. “I feel that with love and high expectations, all kids can be successful and want that in their lives.” Although these coaches strive to create a welcoming environment, Davis realizes the obstacles some athletes still face. “I do want to be realistic, there is a difference. There is some gap that we need to fill, and not just for minorities, it’s in everything,” Davis said. “Anything where someone is at a disadvantage should be addressed. I think everyone should get a fair shot.” With more diversity in the athletic world, Davis thinks our society can become more educated and unified. “Right now, there is a lot of separation of race and I would like to see people come together and not worry about skin tone,” Davis said. “Let’s spread more love. It’s just skin, it’s just a color. We’re all the same on the inside.”
Desgin by | Kaley Mussa
Signing Off:
Seniors make their college decisions official.
Seniors Sam Maceli, LJ Butcher, Joseph Lee, Sarah Stebbins, and Natalie Talent take the next steps in their academic and athletic careers. Maceli plans to continue her golf journey at William Penn University. She has qualified for state all four years at PHS, and placed second at her last tournament as a Dragon. Butcher signed with Washburn University to play football. He is one of the four three-sport athletes at PHS. He participates in football, basketball and track. Lee recieved an appointment to the United States Naval Academy to study medicine and serve. He served as the President of the Kansas chapter of Health Occupational Students of America (HOSA). Stebbins will attend McPherson College to run track after being recruited even without having a junior track season. Talent will continue her soccer carrer at Tabor University , despite having to undergo surgery after a senior season ending knee injury.
Design by | Joy Lee
Upgrading from Boy Scout to Eagle Scout Junior Dakota Reese earns his position as an Eagle Scout. Words by | Andrea Bandy Junior Dakota Reese is a member of Boy Scout Troop 151 and officially became an Eagle Scout on Dec. 30, 2020. “I’ve learned a lot of valuable life lessons, and a lot of the merit badges have definitely taught me a lot of useful information,” Reese said. “The life skills I’ve learned and obtaining the rank of Eagle were very rewarding.” For the past 11 years he has surpassed five ranks to ultimately earn Eagle status which only 4 percent of scouts obtain this distinction. It was not an easy journey either. “I put a lot of effort into obtaining this rank. I spent many hours earning and preparing myself for for the responsibility of being an Eagle Scout.” Reese said
The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School Student Publications 1978 E. 4th St. Pittsburg, KS 66762
3
May 2021
Reese poses in his Eagle Scout uniform. Photo by | Athennah Jones
Reese had to complete a special project in order to be promoted. “In many ways, your service project reflects who you are as a youth leader. Your result should be of significant impact in your community to be special, and should represent your very best effort,” the Boy Scouts of America website explains. He selected the Farlington Cemetery for his project. Reese, with the help of about 20 people, cleaned over 40 headstones, cleared brush, and built 2 new benches. Reese is thankful for the influence Boy Scouts has had in his life. Looking forward, he feels that his experience has undoubtedly helped prepare him for the future. He plans to join the Navy after graduation, and, through that program, begin his welding education and career. He is open to keeping the Boy Scouts a focus in his life.
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FEATURE
May 2021
A place to call h me
Sophomore Hayden Murphy shares his experience with being in non-parental care Words by | Lane Phifer brainer,” Bryce said. “I knew if he could connect himself “You know you’re not doing something right if you’re not to something bigger than himself, then he would make willing to die tomorrow,” sophomore Hayden Murphy says to something of himself. Basketball was his way out of the bad himself as he gets out of bed like he has every morning for the and his way to free himself.” past two and a half years as a reminder to make a list of things he would accomplish for the day. Because of Hayden’s love for basketball, he decided to join The first thing on his list is to go to school, the second is to the Neosho Youth Basketball Association-Boys Division his spend time with his friends, and the third is to go to the Young third-grade year, where he was mentored by Bryce’s previous Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) to do what he loves football and basketball teammate, coach Logan Stuart. most — play basketball. Hayden was a member of the traveling team for roughly Since the age of eight, Hayden has spent most of his life on four years and during that time, his relationship with Stuart the basketball court. Whether it was at practice, a game, or grew. simply because he needed to clear his mind. Once Stuart was informed of Hayden’s home life, he According to Hayden, the sport has aided him in distracting decided to offer Hayden a safe place to live the summer himself from his life at home over the years. leading up to his freshmen year. For the past eight years, Hayden has been in non-parental “When my coach offered me a place to live to get out of care, which is when a child is in the care of an adult other than my current situation, both he and I knew it was a good idea a parent for half a day, more per week, or regularly. for me to move in with him because of how my life was at According to the National Survey of Children in home,” Hayden said. “At the time, I saw it as an opportunity Nonparental Care (NSCNC), there are for a better life and didn’t want roughly 2.3 million children in the U.S. to pass it up. I’m glad I had the that live with neither their biological or support system I had to get out adoptive parents, but rather with relatives of the situation I was in.” or nonrelatives in foster care or less Prior to moving in with formal care arrangements outside the Stuart and his family, Hayden “Sometimes all I would eat was foster care system. had been couch surfing and ramen, and it had gotten to the “Every day after school, I immediately worried about when his next point my eigth-grade year where I go to the YMCA and play basketball. It’s meal would be. was eating raw spaghetti what I got like a video game, you’re in an alternate “Hayden has been in a very home. ” reality where real-world issues don’t difficult situation that no kid matter as much because you’re so caught should go through Hayden Murphy 10 up in the game,” Hayden said. “When I’m and I knew I playing basketball, I don’t have to think wanted to about my life at home. Time just flies by.” get him As of Dec. 2020, Hayden has been in out his older brother, Bryce Murphy’s custody after several years of it. He had been couch surfing of being in the care of his relatives, a previous coach and for several weeks at some of friends. his friends’ houses, I was In a survey conducted by the NSCNC, 63.1% of children 19 and still lived with my in nonparental care lived with grandparents, 14.7% lived parents at the time and with foster parents (some of whom were related) while the when I asked them if remaining 22.3% stayed with other relatives and nonrelatives Hayden could come to such as aunts, uncles, godparents, or friends. stay with us, they were When Hayden was eight, his mother was sent to prison and happy to welcome him as a result of his biological father being absent, he fell into into the home,” Stuart Bryce’s father’s care until his eighth-grade year. However, over said. “When he came to time, Hayden’s experience in the home became unsteady. move in with us, he came According to the article, “Children in nonparental care: to our house with a can of health and social risks,” the parent is a threat to the safety green beans because of the child, incarceration, deployment, death, or the he was so parent is lacking resources to care for the child. “When I was living with Bryce’s dad, he was never home. We always fought and there wasn’t food in the kitchen a lot of the time. Sometimes all I would eat was ramen and it had gotten to the point my eighth-grade year where I was eating raw spaghetti when I got home,” Hayden said. “I was always worried as to where my next meal was going to come from and because of that, Bryce would sometimes have to buy us groceries to make sure we had something to eat.” By the time that Hayden was in the second grade, he resorted to sports such as football and basketball in order to avoid being at home. “I fell in love with sports and it gave me a way to free my family from their situations. For me to pass the love and one of the only things I’m good at in life to Hayden was a no-
r hife
Other relatives and nonrelatives such as aunts, godparents, or friends
22.3% Grandparents
Maternal substance abuse
12.3% Children in non-parental care General population of children
13.0% 5%
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Maternal child abuse
26.6%
0%
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Reasons children live apart from both parents include:
27.1% 16.5%
Common current physical health conditions
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Common current mental health conditions
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Get the facts
Children in non-parental care were less healthy than children in the general population: populat
worried as to where his next meal would come from. Seeing a 14-year-old have that kind of mindset made us realize he needed unconditional love and help to get him on the right track.” Throughout his time with the Stuart family, Hayden’s grades and health began to improve as a result of his dedication to basketball. “For me, if it wasn’t for basketball, I would probably be a high school dropout or not doing well in my classes. Before my eighth grade year, I had terrible grades on and off, but no one cared. I didn’t care. Dad didn’t care,” Hayden said. “But then sometime during eighth grade, I was getting A’s and B’s because I wanted to do well in school so that I could play basketball.” However, towards the end of the year he stayed with Stuart, his behavior began to change and because of this, Hayden took it upon himself to move back into Bryce’s father’s house. Shortly afterward, Hayden received an offer from his cousins to stay with them, which only lasted for four months. Hayden eventually began to feel out of place with the household and as a result, he spent two months couch surfing at his friend’s houses. When the stress of finding somewhere to stay began to affect Hayden’s grades, Bryce decided to take him in. “One day I got a call that Hayden’s grades were slipping and that my dad and one of the people Hayden was living with decided he was going to go to boarding school. With no hesitation, I said that I would rather have Hayden than anyone or anything else,” Bryce said. “The school principals and counselors told me that that would be a bad decision and that it would ruin my dreams and hopes for life, but I knew they would be wrong.” Since Hayden moved in with Bryce, their relationship has strengthened and his academic career has improved. “Hayden was in a bad situation, but he has improved in almost all aspects of life. His grades have gotten better and he has a support system here. Hayden has gained good weight and from what he’s told me he likes being around me and my Pittsburg family,” Bryce said. “Seeing Hayden grow and hearing his teachers love Hayden as a person, and having the counselor call and tell me how glad she is that Hayden moved into town.” While Hayden’s journey has been challenging, he prefers to think of it as something that has benefited him. “Everything that’s happened to me is who I am and what I’ve been all my life, but I’m always improving,” Hayden said. “Throughout the past several years, I learned that a lot of people put me before themselves and that I have a huge support system. I’ve taken it all in as an opportunity for something better.” A
10 %
15 %
20 %
25 %
30 %
14.7%
63.1%
63.1% 63.1% 18.9% Paternal substance abuse
Foster parents
14.4% 14.7% Paternal incarceration
Who did children in non-parental care live with?
Approximately 3 out of 4 children living with relatives who had some involvement in social services had court involvement.
Design by | Joy Lee
5 FEATURE Scaling over new challenges May 2021
Sophomore Ethan Rosensteil finds sanctuary from leukemia by playing his clarinet Words by | Lane Phifer
A
Regardless of the struggles that have come with Ethan’s diagnosis,
s the sun begins to set over Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, sophomore Ethan Rosensteil gets out of bed, grabs his clarinet from its case and prepares to play for the first time since he was admitted into the
hospital. Although his lungs struggle to play, Ethan perseveres and finds himself getting lost in the music. While rehearsing, Ethan thinks about the first time he played the clarinet, the first time he stepped onto the football field to perform the star-spangled banner and tripped, along with how at home he felt being in the band room. For a moment, Ethan forgot his latest challenge — his battle against acute myeloid leukemia (AML). According to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, AML is a type of cancer in which the blood and bone marrow have excess immature white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets. Three days before he was admitted into the hospital, Ethan developed a sore throat and bumps on his neck. Frightened that he was possibly showing symptoms of COVID-19, Ethan went to the clinic only to be rushed to Children’s Mercy in an ambulance on Christmas Eve several hours later. Ethan’s first admission took place between Dec. 25 to Jan. 23. “When I went to the clinic to find the information I was looking for and found out it wasn’t good information at all, it was stressful and I honestly didn’t know how to deal with the diagnosis because the possibility of having cancer was the last thing on my mind,” Ethan said. “For the first few days, weeks really, it felt like a roller coaster of emotions.” The day after Ethan’s diagnosis, he began his first round of chemotherapy treatment. When Ethan first started on IV chemo, he gradually became weaker and had difficulty eating or drinking. “While in my first admission and my first round of chemotherapy, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t eat, and I couldn’t drink anything. I was hooked up to fluids and nutrients on an IV. I lost 25 pounds within the first week,” Ethan said. “My energy levels were at zero so I was sleeping a majority of the time and it was difficult to do anything. Being able to get through it one day at a time was an achievement for me.” Throughout Ethan’s recovery, his mother, Jamie Rosenstiel, has been by his side and continues to remain hopeful despite the challenges that come their way. “We’re going about it one day at a time,” Jamie said. “This isn’t something that any parent wants to see their child go through, but he’s been pretty positive for the most of it and because of that, I know I can be positive, too.”
Art by | Lane Phifer
he remains persistent and has discovered that he is able to have a smoother recovery by playing the clarinet. “The first few days that I had my instrument with me, I was struggling to play, but it helped my lung capacity from day one,” Ethan said. “Anytime I saw or played my instrument, I thought about the people back at home who were praying for me and showing support. It reminded me that I’m not alone.” Since the news of Ethan’s diagnosis became public, he received a large amount of support from his peers and teachers. Throughout the past several months, the Rosenstiel family has received $1,595 worth of donations from the community that will go towards Ethan’s recovery. When Instrumental Music Director Cooper Neil was informed by Jamie about Ethan’s diagnosis, he decided to take the news to the PHS Band Booster Facebook page by sharing Ethan’s GoFundMe link to encourage others to donate or show their support. “Ethan’s mother contacted me over break to inform me of his
Fighting back:
Terri Blessent fights leukemia with her daughter’s support fit the typical cancer patient stereotype. “It’s weird to me to tell people I have cancer because I don’t feel sick now. I feel like me,” Terri said. “A few pounds lighter and a few issues I have to deal with, but on the outside I don’t look the part. I don’t look like the stereotypical person who has cancer.” It’s now been a year since Terri began her treatment. When she went in for a checkup in March, the cancer was still .9% traceable. Based on this, her care team anticipates her to be in remission by June 28, which is her next appointment with Dr. Mathew. “This is just something I have and will always have to deal with,” Terri said. “In the beginning, it was different, but now it’s just a part of my life.” Once in remission, she will be monitored for a couple months longer. If her white blood cell count stays level, she will go back every six months to a year for the rest of her life. As long as her medication doesn’t cause her any further complications, they will leave her on it. “Never once in my journey was I scared for my life,” Terri said. “I might get sick and I might get tired but I’m damn sure not going to wither away. I’m going to fight and I’m going to win. I am strong and I am going to do this.” tb y| L an eP
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Terri was officially diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. About 15% of all leukemia cases are CML and roughly 1 out of 256 people will get it in their lifetime. This type of cancer affects mainly adults and is rarely seen in children. Although it wasn’t an aggressive type of cancer, her numbers were skyrocketing quickly and they had to get her on medication as soon as possible. “The whole time she was explaining this to me I just sat there thinking, ‘oh my god.’ I didn’t know what to think,” Beth said. “When someone tells you something like that what are you even supposed to say? I couldn’t say sorry, and I couldn’t not say anything, but I just couldn’t find any words.” *** One month later, Terri took her first pill. “They told me that if I didn’t get on medication, it was going to become acute and that would mean I would have to go to the hospital and I’d have to start a whole different realm of treatment,” Terri said. “Thank god though I didn’t have to do that.” Soon after Terri started treatment, she began noticing the effects of the medication, and so did her family. “Sometimes she would be too tired to do anything so we would have to stay home. We would have to get her pills for her sometimes because she was too weak to get up. She would take one, two and sometimes even three naps a day,” Beth said. “She wasn’t eating either.” Among the side effects Terri experienced, the most impactful included nausea, weight loss and loss of appetite. “I didn’t eat anything for a long time,” Terri said. “I would go hours, sometimes even a whole day just eating a single cheese stick because otherwise I felt horrible and nauseous. I just quit eating.” According to Terri, although she is diagnosed with leukemia, she doesn’t
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Words by | Hannah Gray Sitting on her bed, junior Beth Blessent listens to a podcast for her world history class. She’s taking notes, when she hears her mom, Terri Blessent come in the front door. She calls to her from the bedroom, but gets no response. Not thinking much of it, Beth pushes play on her podcast and continues with her notes. After Terri returned home, she sat on the couch. On a usual day, she would go in and talk with Beth. Today, she was quiet. “I figured maybe she wasn’t having a good day,” Beth said. “I kinda brushed it off because when your mom comes home and seems like she’s in a bad mood, usually you think she just had a bad day.” When Terri walked in the room with tears in her eyes, Beth knew something was wrong. “She got teary eyed and I thought I had done something wrong,” Beth said. “She assured me that she was fine and told me that she got some really big news.” *** The day before, Terri had a doctor’s appointment. Her checkup consisted of routine tests with blood work, and a mammogram, which was scheduled for the following day. After getting her blood drawn, she went home. After she completed her mammogram, she stopped by the grocery store. At home, she was putting away her groceries when she answered a call from her doctor. “I thought it was strange that they wanted me to come back to review my blood work because I had never done that before,” Terri said. “But she asked me to come in right then so I finished putting up my groceries and left.” Terri’s primary care provider is Holly Cranston, M.D. “When Dr. Cranston came in with tears in her eyes, all I could think was ‘what the hell is going on,’” Terri said. “That’s when I realized that this must be serious.” Her white blood cell count was 139,000, which is a key indicator of leukemia. Her previous lab results from the year before had been just above the high range, which cuts off at 10,000. “I started tearing up and she asked if she could give me a hug,” Terri said. “I just remember knowing I was going to bawl my eyes out right there.” Mere moments later, Terri and Dr. Cranston were already discussing how to pursue treatment. “By this time I’m a blubbering mess and sitting there by myself thinking “Holy f--- what am I going to do?’” Terri said. “I knew what leukemia was, but I didn’t really know what leukemia was. I had no clue what I wanted to do.”
devastating diagnosis,” Neil said. “It was gut-wrenching. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like for Ethan and his family to have such horrific news amid the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Facebook and email were the best ways to let the PHS Band Community know what was happening with one of our own.” After science teacher Karen Curran found out about Ethan’s diagnosis in January, she decided she wanted to send him a care package. “With him being in the hospital and not being able to do a lot with his friends and family, I thought that he probably needed some things that would make him feel more comfortable during his time in admission,” Curran said. “When preparing his care package, I asked him what he would like most, so I made sure to get everything he needed or wanted. As a surprise, I asked some of our students to write him notes, sign their names on the box, really anything I could to show Ethan how much support he has.” The next step in Ethan’s recovery is to undergo a bone marrow transplant within the next several weeks, for which Jamie was found to be the donor. The procedure will replace Ethan’s unhealthy blood-forming cells (stem cells) with healthy ones. “I’m glad to be Ethan’s bone donner and we’re hopeful that this will work,” Jamie said. “The doctors have been assuring me that it’s not a super painful procedure, but I don’t know any parents who would care about that part because, at the end of the day, we got to do what we got to do for our kids.” The recovery process takes two to three weeks. Once healed, Ethan, Jamie and the remainder of the Rosenstiel family will remain close by the hospital for one to two months in case Ethan has a negative reaction. If Ethan’s health does improve, he will be able to go home and have bi-weekly appointments, which will then turn into monthly and eventually, every six months. Ethan will also be referred to take chemotherapy medication for at least a year to prevent the mutations from coming back. “We still have a long way to go,” Jamie said. “But the doctors are all super hopeful, so we’re going to do what we can now.” While Ethan’s recovery isn’t nearly over, he continues to remain optimistic for the future. “This came as a huge shock to Ethan and he’s handled it extremely well. I could only hope that if something like this were to happen to me or a family member, that I could have a great attitude towards getting through the hard times,” Curran said. “I know that there are times where he’s not feeling great at all and struggling, but he always bounces back and knows that there’s a brighter day tomorrow.”
6
SPORTS
May 2021
Juniors on deck 2021 softball team plays without seniors
Ahead of the game b Photo
Javon Grant wins KSHAA’s 5A Player of the Year Award and plans for the future
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655 5.2 points this season
Junior Molly Garzone swings during softball game. Photo by | Kate Poling-Cummings
assists per game
5.7 29.8 2.8 rebounds per game
average points per game
steals per game
Story by | Braden Benson The 2021 girls softball team is absent of seniors, but not absent of leadership. With a young team, the junior class is forced to step up and fill the seniors’ role. “We’ve been playing softball for so long,” junior Caroline Haake said. “It’s kind of just natural.” Moving forward into next year, not having any seniors will end up benefiting the entirety of the softball team. “Those juniors are going to be seniors next year so it's gonna be great to have them as senior leaders next year,” Head coach, Karen Curran said. “It's just great that they're having an opportunity to learn how to be a team leader.” Stepping up as a leader hasn’t come down to one individual person, but the team as a whole. “We’ve all filled the role by stepping up and helping people during practice. [Whether it be] critiquing people [or] making sure everyone knows what they’re doing,” junior Cheyanne Hunt said. “We all feel like we’ve been really good leaders.” The focus of this year has shifted in comparison to last year when it comes to growing as a team. “This year, we've focused on being positive,” Haake said. “Hopefully, [the freshman] take what we've been doing and keep the positivity.” According to Haake, not having the best encounter with seniors when she was a freshman has helped her avoid making the same mistakes toward the current freshmen. “I don't think I was very welcomed,” Haake said “So I wanted to make sure the freshmen didn't feel [the same way I did],” Looking into at least the next four years, the team has nothing to worry about when it comes to leadership. “Our freshmen are extremely mature and they are good followers, but in a way they're good leaders themselves because they're so mature,” Curran said. “They understand their role and I think they're good leaders for others in their class.” Curran contributed towards the preparation, in order for the team to be successful to be successful. “I wonder who else was bleeding at 6:30 a.m on the gym floor in February, getting ready for their season?” Curran said. “We were, and it’s paying off now.” According to Curran, the team hasn’t ran into any problems regarding the lack of seniors. According to Curran, lacking seniors has only brought positive impacts. “We've had nothing but good things come about without having any seniors,” Curran said. “I'm happy to see them experience some success, build their confidence, and be recognized for their hard work. I just hope we have more good things to report on later on.”
Story by | Ian Sullivan ittsburg High School Basketball’s all time leading scorer, senior Javon Grant, capped off his impressive season by winning KSHSAA’s 5A Player of the Year Award. Grant played varsity all four years of high school and averaged 29.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game in his final year. Head Coach Jordan Woods, who coached Grant for the last four years, commented on Grant’s season. “Javon had a great season and was a great leader for our team this year,” Woods said, “He prepared himself in the offseason and it showed, he reaped the benefits of all of the time he put in.” According to Woods, Grant’s skill set was refined on the court. “On the court Javon got a lot better at shooting, that only happens by putting in a lot of work and time,” Woods said. Woods also said that Grant improved his game off the court. “It was great seeing him mature not only on the court, but off the court as well. He became a leader and held himself and his teammates accountable and it made everyone better,” Woods said. Senior LJ Butcher, who has been Javon’s teammate since the 7th grade, attested to Grant’s improvement as a player and leader.
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“He has improved a lot in all aspects of the game because he’s in a gym all the time,” Butcher said, “He is a good teammate who tries to bring out the best in everyone.” Grant led his team to a 17-7 record and substate championship, but ultimately lost to De Soto in the state tournament. “I wanted to win a state title with my guys, we ended up not getting there but we had a crazy run. I know a lot of people were shocked by how far we made it.” After his historical season at PHS, Javon was awarded the Sports In Kansas 5A Player of the Year Award on March 25. “I felt really good just knowing that I was given an award that only one person gets in the 5A class, it showed that a lot of my hard work paid off,” Grant said. Following the loss to De Soto, Grant has hAad to focus on his plans for the future. “At the moment, I’m talking to some schools that want me for the class of 2021, but I'll probably reclassify and go Post Grad for a year and then hopefully D1 after,” Grant said. Although Grant is unsure of his plan, he is certain that he must improve his skill set to succeed. “Wherever I end up, hopefully I'm better, stronger, and whatever else at the highest level,” Grant said.
Girls take the field:
Story by | Kate Poling-Cummings stories about how he was the Pittsburg has one of the few “star player” on his team. Sadly, he girls’ soccer teams in the SEK area. has passed on. According to Sophomore Daphine “I know that he loved watching Samayoa, she wishes there were me play when I was young,” more soccer teams in the area and Samayoa said. “So even though he hopes that other schools will start won’t be able to watch me now, new soccer programs for girls soon. I want to keep his passion for the “It definitely sport alive in our feels family.” empowering,” Noches is starting Samayoa said. mid-center for the “I feel special “I feel special knowing that we are team. According one of the few [teams] in southeast knowing that to her, Coach Kansas. I’m also very thankful that we we are one Bockover decided were given this opportunity.” of the few who was on varsity in southeast by determining who Daphine Sama Samayoa oa 10 Kansas. I’m also actually wanted to very thankful that we were given play soccer and wasn’t going to this opportunity.” mess around. This is senior Delmi Noche’s first “I think he looked for girls who year in soccer. had a passion because some girls “Coach Bockover has shown us just wanted to play the sport while how to be tough and to be positive others actually wanted to learn and even if the outcomes are not as we get better at it,” Noches said. expected them to be,” Noches said. Despite having an 0-6 record the “He has taught us to always try our team has enthusiasm when it comes best and to not worry about the to the game. things you can’t control but worry “I just want the community to about the things you can control.” know that there is a lot of passion on According to Samayoa, her dad the field,” Samayoa stated. “All of us inspired her to start playing soccer. are grateful about being out there. I He would tell her don’t think we will give up anytime soon.”
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Junior Sandy Sabria, defends the ball from the opposing team. Photo by | Sydney Roberts
PHS welcomes new girls’ soccer team