The Review - February 2016 by Gavin Wade

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REVIEW ottawa high school | ottawa, kan. | february 2016

Career and Technical Education, CTE, offers a wide variety of courses and classes that cater to every type of student. Read about it on page 3.

REVIEW | Opinion

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The newspaper’s primary obligation is to

inform its readers about events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population. The newspaper, while serving as a training ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. Operating as a public forum, student editors will apply professional standards and ethics for decision making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper. While the student staff encourages constructive criticism of any part of the newspaper, authority for content rests in the hands of the student members of the newspaper staff. Students will not publish material considered to be legally unprotected speech, or libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process, copyright infringement, or unwarranted invasion of privacy.

Editors Gavin Wade Emma Carriger Reporters Anissa Ferioli Chloe Jones Audrey Moore Deedra Zolman Adviser Kara Lynch

Ottawa High School 1120 S. Ash St. Ottawa, Kan. 66067

February 2016

A new focus on bullying Audrey Moore | reporter According to the Kansas Legislature, “bullying” means “any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal, electronic or physical act or threat either by any student, staff member or parent towards a student or by any student, staff member or parent towards a staff member that is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that such gesture, act or threat creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment.” If you go to public school, you’re certainly aware of all of the “stop bullying” campaigns. They range from posters to corny videos, even to assemblies. Each time one of those things is brought to my attention, you’ll hear me mutter, “Yep, those are going to stop those bullies dead in their tracks.” Most students don’t take these campaigns seriously, meaning there’s no point in the first place. People need to look at the reality of the

situation. Bullying is never going to “stop.” It’s been around since the beginning of humanity and it’s not going to up and disappear. According to suicide.org, bullying is still one of the number one causes of suicide. I can say with confidence that this is because people are taught that they should stop bullying rather than being taught how to deal with bullying. Bullying can generally be split into two categories: verbal and physical. Verbal bullying usually consists of insults and things that can’t physically hurt someone. If students were taught to not care about what people say about them, this wouldn’t be an issue. Plus, if you think about it, bullies primarily want a reaction from their victims. If they don’t get it, bullying isn’t fun to them anymore, so bullying will decrease in turn. Instead, they’re plagued with the impossible task of stopping other people from insulting them. I will note that threats are also an issue, but criminal threats are illegal in the state of Kansas and should be reported to

Speaking creativity Emma Carriger | editor All around the world, people have one particular thing that sets them apart from others. It allows them creativity, self expression and communication with other people. This bit of individuality is the language they speak. Here at Ottawa High School, foreign language classes are offered for students to take, but currently only Spanish (which is taught by Michelle Gray) is offered. This class does more than just teach words from that language. The class picks apart the language and the structure of it to give a full understanding of the way it works. It also teaches the culture of the countries that speak the language, and those that take it gain a newfound respect for both the language and the people that speak it. As I have taken Spanish, I have noticed that I have learned even more about English by learning a new language, and that I better understand structure and complex parts of grammar I hadn’t known before. According

to Public School Review, research shows that students that begin learning a new language and stick with it often show “outstanding communication skills, both written and oral.” Therefore, showing that those that learn another language often gain a better understanding of their own language. Another benefit of taking a foreign language class is something that is more visible in the life of those that take it. According to education consultant Kimberly Stezala, “most competitive colleges are looking for applicants with four years of foreign language, in the same language.” So, colleges that see that a student has taken these classes will more likely be accepted. Many colleges don’t require it, but look fondly at those that have taken it. Taking a foreign language is not only enjoyable; it is also beneficial because of the ways that it can help cognitively and in life. I believe that everyone should take it or that it should be required, because speaking and understanding highly used languages like Spanish can help the world.

law enforcement. As for physical bullying, if someone is knowingly causing bodily harm to someone, that’s battery, which is also illegal. In conclusion, current attempts to “stop” bullying are pointless and should be replaced with programs that teach people that what other people say about you doesn’t matter. Better education about the laws involving bullying, criminal threats, battery, etc. would also be more beneficial than what we have now.

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10 On Top

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1 Prom-posal 2 Movie date 3 Flowers 4 5 Netflix & Chill 6 Candy 7 Jewelry 8 9 A puppy

Giant Stuffed Animal

Heart-shaped Pizza

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Feature | REVIEW

Getting

Technical with CTE Classes by Emma Carriger | editor

very day, Ottawa High School students trek outside from the main building to one of the two Career and Technical Education (CTE) buildings for some elective classes. There, they learn valuable skills that core classes cannot teach them, ranging from welding to teaching preschoolers. CTE classes are designed to provide all students with knowledge beyond what a core class can offer, by teaching specific skills pertaining to the career a student plans to pursue after high school, or skills that can be used in college. According to Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), the goal for these classes “is to provide students with relevant contexts for learning through pathways to college and career readiness.” CTE classes start with introductory-level courses, followed by

increasingly sophisticated technical and finally application-level courses. This allows students to learn about their fields of choice by slowly teaching the skills they will need in their future careers. To be a pathway completer, which is the goal, a student must complete 3 credits (one credit is given for a year-long class), two of which must be a combination of technical and application classes. “Career cluster pathways are designed to provide a smooth transition from high school to postsecondary education…, apprenticeship opportunities, the military, and/or the workplace,” according to KSDE. It’s clear from an unofficial sampling of students that many aren’t familiar with pathway options. “I feel like we need to talk about it more [at freshman orientation] because when I signed up for Hu-

man Growth and Development, I hardly knew what it was,” Hayley Ubelaker [9] said. Quite a few students, however, have discovered how much they enjoy classes well suited to their interests and possible career choices. Students like Grace McCalla [11], have been in CTE classes for a couple of years, learning skills that they can transfer to their careers after college.

Take a look at every different career pathway, as well as the order of classes needed to complete them, by scanning this QR code.

“I’ve learned a lot about responsibility and leadership skills,” McCalla said. When the high school renovation is complete, and a CTE building is built that attaches to the main building, getting to class will be more convenient. But with enrollment this month, take a close look at all the pathways available that can enrich your high school and future experience.

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4 REVIEW | Feature

February 2016

Health Science

Construction and Design

Mobile Equipment and Maintenance

After taking Health Science I, pathway completers move on to Human Body Systems (formerly Anatomy and Physiology). Application-level course Health Science III offers a professional learning experience with rotational clinical/shadowing in many medical environments; the Certified Nurse Assistant course requires 90 hours (45 hours theory, 25 hours clinical experience and 20 hours lab), which leads to taking the CNA exam (must be 18 to take exam). The third application-level course, Certified Medication Aide, also leads to certification.

First-year courses in this pathway offer students a solid grounding in construction, manufacturing and an overview of other skills. Drafting/ CAD teaches students how to use computer-aided design (CAD) and software. Woodworking Principles (formerly Cabinet Making and Furniture Design) provides hands-on experience in constructions in wood, followed by more advanced handson work building cases, cabinets and other pieces in Furniture and Cabinet Fabrication. Research and Design for Pre-Construction is the most advanced drafting course offered.

The Mobile Equipment and Maintenance pathway prepares students for automotive-related careers. After introductory courses in industrial tech, business and automotive information, students select technical course options in electronics, brakes, engine performance, steering/ suspension, mobile HVACS and alternative power. Applicationlevel courses include advanced courses in electronics and electrical systems, brakes, engine performance and advanced steering/ suspension.

Visual Arts

AV/Communications (Journalism)

Corrections, Security & Law Enforcement

Agriculture Science

The Visual Arts pathway provides a great many hands-on experiences for students, including photography, graphic design, computer graphics and powerful software programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop. Students provide realworld services for the school and the community including advertising creation, web page design, posters, buttons and t-shirts. In the application-level course, Media Technology Workplace Experience, prepared students have the opportunity to be placed in content-related internships.

Students who take courses in the AV/Communications pathway will ultimately have the opportunity to work on the yearbook, newspaper or video production staff as an application-level class. The technical courses that lead to staff positions teach students about all facets of journalism: writing, editing, design, law and ethics, as well as photography, graphic design, production and marketing. Students who are well prepared and have the interest will also have the chance to be placed in an internship related to their work in journalism and communications.

The Corrections, Security and Law Enforcement pathway provide students with knowledge of occupations available in the Law, Public Safety and Security fields and introduces them to the legal system, professional conduct, safety and types of crimes. The courses also teach skills and knowledge necessary to obtain entrance to the Law Enforcement or Highway Patrol Academy. The application-level course gives students a chance to practice procedures such as handcuffing and fingerprinting, as well as visiting court houses.

The initial course in this pathway, Intro to Agriscience, addresses the agricultural industry. Students are also introduced to the National FFA (Future Farmers of America) organization. Horticulture teaches students about plant nutrition, greenhouse skills and plant marketing, as well as how to find the right job in horticulture. In Animal Science, students learn about major and minor farm animal species, including topics such as breeding, management and common diseases. The final course, Agribusiness, discusses how to start, run and manage an agribusiness.

Pathway

Finding your

For every person, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pathway. Find a pathway that suits you, and read the description to learn more about it.

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Feature | REVIEW

Restaurant and Event Management

Ag power, Structure & Technology Systems

Marketing

Web and Digital Communication

Students enrolled in this pathway will be introduced to many careers from culinary arts and event management to expanding travel/tourism careers. Students will learn basic culinary skills, plan events and run an in-house catering business. Students have the opportunity to be part of the industry by obtaining an internship through our ProStart curriculum. Completed work can lead to scholarship opportunities in culinary programs. Serv Safe training is part of the course and students will have the opportunity to obtain certificates for food handler and food manager.

As in the Ag Science pathway, students will take Intro to Agriscience, which provides an overview of the agricultural industry. Ag Welding and Mechanics will introduce welding. Students will weld using the Arc, MIG, TIG and Oxyacetylene equipment. Students will build a small project after they have mastered their basic welding skills and will also have the opportunity to cut out their own designs using the CNC Plasma Arc Cutter. Application-level course Agribusiness discusses how to start up, run and manage your own agribusiness.

The Marketing pathway is ideal for students interested in business as well as creative work. Course topics focus on market research, the purchasing process, salesmanship, sales promotion, business management and entrepreneurship. Business essentials, entrepreneurship, marketing and marketing management make up the pathway courses. Human relations, computers and economics are covered as well. Additionally, marketing management students this year took on the work of most of the marketing involved with the Empty Bowls fundraising event.

Students interested in web design or digital communication might find a perfect fit in this pathway. Web Page Design includes the history of the internet, browsing, vocabulary, html, xhtml and css. Computer Graphics give students a chance to apply graphic techniques to various fields, such as advertising and TV/video. Animation introduces students to the major features of 3D Max: modeling, animation, texture, lighting, rendering and more. Applicationlevel Media Technology Workplace Experience will allow students to produce functional websites.

Early Childhood Dev. Family and Comand Services munity Services

Business Finance

Travel & Tourism

The Early Childhood pathway focuses on the careers relating to meeting the needs of children (birth through school age), be they providers in home, community, educational or institutional settings. Course work includes child growth and development, nutrition, recreation, planning and supervising learning activities; child abuse and neglect prevention, working with parents and the legal and administrative requirements of the field. Careers range from preschool teacher to child care center manager.

Business Essentials overviews business, marketing and finance careers. Consumer Economics/Personal Finance shares ideas involved in managing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal finances. Topics include savings and investing, budget planning and more. Accounting expands upon the fundamental accounting principles and procedures, including payroll, taxes, debts, depreciation and so on. Banking and Finance teaches students the American monetary and banking system, and Investing emphasizes the formulation of business and individual investment.

The Family and Community Services pathway focuses on services that help the homeless, housebound and infirm cope with circumstances of daily living; counsel troubled and emotionally disturbed individuals; train or retrain the unemployed or underemployed; care for the elderly and the physically and mentally disabled; help the needy obtain financial assistance; and solicit contributions for various social services organizations.

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6 REVIEW | News Construction schedule gains structure Chloe Jones | reporter

Imagine sitting in class while the sound of construction drifts through the hallway. It may be a distraction, but it’s a worthy one. After many steps of planning, the time will come for a literal groundbreaking experience. The bond issue, granted last spring, is aiming to give Ottawa a safer, more comfortable learning environment. “There are going to be some disruptions during construction. I think that the administration and teacher leadership in the building, which is called the Steering Committee, is going to work really hard to make it as smooth as possible, but there are going to be things that are inconvenient. There’s gonna be things that we have to put up with but in the end,” James Deane [science teacher] said, “I think the benefits of getting the vastly improved facilities is worth the inconvenience we’re going to go through.” In January, teachers throughout the building were given the opportunity to create a list of needs they have for their classrooms and how much space is required to utilize them. This gives teachers the chance to make sure they feel comfortable in their new classrooms, and hopefully will enhance the workflow of students. The cost of these changes was originally factored into the $63 million bond issue.

February 2016

In January and again in early February, the administration gave every teacher time to meet with the architects, who then helped design the specific spaces. “I think it is important for teachers to be able to have some ownership and some say in what happens,” Ryan Cobbs [principal] said. The process of planning, design development and construction may be time consuming, but it should be worth it in the end. “I think everybody has the perception that we’re really delivering a much better environment to the future teachers and students and community,” Deane said. “I’ve seen almost nothing but positive comments and opinions about going through this process, even from those that aren’t going to benefit from the end result directly in their own education.” DLR Group has been working closely with the administration to be sure of the success of the new Ottawa High School. “You help lead the team in a direction, coming up with different options for the owner,” Andrew Van Leeuwen [lead designer] said. “And we create an overall big picture that you know, sets up a good game plan that we can execute.” Van Leeuwen’s job is to help understand what the district’s needs are and create a design that will best suit Ottawa. The main focus of DLR Group is on the

schools, as that is what the majority of their projects are for. “The program, the An outlook at the projected dates of construction types of spaces, are pretty 2016 similar from project to September project,” Van Leeuwen Science hallway consaid. “Its how they get struction begins laid out and how they’re organized that’s generally 2017 different in each project.” In this project, the March administration plans to CTE building construcgive the community a tion begins video piece to showcase May the changes made. 100 hallway and media “I think we’re proud center renovation begins November of the changes that we’ve 200 hallway renovations made in our school and begin we want people to see our school for what it is, 2018 which is a great place for students to learn,” Cobbs March said. Performing Arts Center It’s no doubt that the construction begins school will be better for April the community when all 300 hallway renovations the construction is finalbegin ized, but until then, keep May looking forward to the Locker rooms and baseyears to come. ment renovation begins

Planned Progress

2019

Photos: DLR

Prom goes green with dress recycling Gavin Wade | editor

The makeup, the nails, the walk-in and the arm candy are all major details that teenagers obsess over for prom. The decision-making process can become quite meticiulous, but none more so than the most important decision, which often comes with a hefty price tag: finding a dress. Started by Tobie Roberts with the help of her mother, Michelle, the Green Prom Movement allows students who would not normally be able to

afford a dress a chance to find the prom gown of their dreams. The organization takes donated dresses and updates them to the current fashion style. For many, the average prom can cost families upwards of $1600 when the outfit, dinner, transportation and other expenses are factored in. “By the time you’re done paying for dinner, transportation, the dress, the nails, the hair, whatever it may be, a family will spend that on average,” Cassie Myers

[former Communities in Schools site coordinator] said. “The dress is probably the biggest purchase, and if we can eliminate some of that cost, it helps families not have this financial burden of what prom costs.” Students can go into the boutique, try on a wide range of dresses, and find the one they love. There will also be service giveaways for hairdressing, makeup, tanning packages, and more. The Green Prom Movement also accepts donations of dresses. Donations can be taken to The Pink Suitcase at 312 S Main St. The Green Prom Movement’s traveling boutique will be at Ottawa High School on Feb. 13. Once someone has found the dress they love, they can check it out with help

from an attendant, and take it home. “Parents go to these lengths to make sure their daughters and sons have what they want for prom, and if we can have this boutique, that helps alleviate some of that stress for parents to come up with that funding,” Myers said.

April 16, 2016 Walk-in: 7:30 - 9:00 Dance: 9:00 - 11:30

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News | REVIEW

Georgia

forward to learning their official language, Georgian. “I know I won’t be able to learn Georgian..., but I hope to pick up some cultural phrases,” Jenkins said. When Jenkins was accepted into the program, See how one teacher will travel it inspired her to do an abroad to teach other students activity in her classroom about American culture. involving postcards that have been sent to her By Emma Carriger | editor classroom by people around the world. She sent about other countries and cultures in out a Facebook post at the their classrooms. In addition to Jenbeginning of the year requesting these kins, 81 other teachers from the United cards and got a massive response from States proved their attempts to expand people all around the globe. their curriculums, and will travel to “Already, some of the skills that I got other countries including Brazil, the from the class itself… taught me how Philippines, Colombia, Morocco, to plan lessons beyond an American Senegal, and India. And while in these scope,” Jenkins said. foreign countries, these 82 teachers will be teaching about our own culture, instead of those from other countries. “Our goal is pretty much to teach American culture and to immerse ourselves in the culture we’re going to, so we can bring as much of that as possible back to our students,” Jenkins said. Jenkins attended a semester class that was offered which introduced the teachers to each other. Eight of these teachers will join Jenkins in Georgia. Each will teach at a school that offers English as a second language. Even though the students will be able to speak English, Jenkins is most looking

(No, not the typeface)

ll around the world, the way students experience school varies from region to region. Some schools have uniforms while others have loose dress codes. In other countries, there are schools that go from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., schools with two-hour lunch breaks and schools with single rooms. All of these contrast our day-to-day school life. On March 11, Natasha Jenkins [history teacher] will be leaving to teach abroad and experience a culture in contrast to ours. Overlapping with spring break, her trip will last for three weeks in Georgia, a country adjacent to Turkey and Russia. This teaching opportunity was available to any teacher around the country that taught classes from kindergarten to high school seniors and had at least five years of experience under their belt. The lengthy application process, containing multiple parts, required the applicant to explain their efforts to teach

“Already, some of the skills that I got from the class itself... taught me how to plan lessons beyond an American scope.”

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Throughout the spring, Jenkins will be working with these other teachers. And this month, they will meet in Washington D.C. where, according to Jenkins, they will talk about how they plan to bring back what they learned in the other countries to their classrooms and school districts. “Watching and seeing the different cultural cues that a teacher makes in another country is going to make me more aware of the way that I teach,” Jenkins said. “I think that will allow me to reflect more to make changes or to accommodate those changes.” While in Georgia, Jenkins plans to have those in her Ottawa classes communicate with the students in Georgia. At first, Skyping between classes was considered, but the time difference between the United States and Georgia makes that nearly impossible. When we start our school day at 7:45 a.m., it’s 5:45 p.m in Georgia. Instead, students will communicate through blogs that she sets up, but students will still get to experience communication with other students from a foreign country. “I think just being exposed to another culture and being able to have that inspire me... will benefit my teaching and therefore my students,” Jenkins said. Therefore, this opportunity will provide more insight for Jenkins’ teaching in both World History and American History. Students will be able to see what it’s like to learn in other countries, secondhand from this experience, directly benefitting from Jenkins’ opportunity to travel and teach in Georgia.

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8 REVIEW | Activities

February 2016

New OHS mascot creates a cyclone of excitement Audrey Moore and Deedra Zolman | reporters The cheers and roars of a sporting event are never dull when you have this beautiful thing called a mascot. Most dance around, act silly, and do their best to make people smile. Now, Ottawa High School has a mascot of its own. It’s been a while, as the last time OHS had one was in the 1960s. “Mid to late sixties, there was a mascot. I’ve seen several pictures, and it was just a mascot head; a big cyclone head with sort of windy spikes coming out the back,” Ryan Cobbs [principal] said. “When we originally started looking at this, we tried to find enough pictures so that we could do like a retro cyclone mascot, but we couldn’t find enough pictures to get a clear image.” Many companies and designs were looked at before the administration came up with our final product. “I did some searching for some mascot companies and we looked at different designs that they had. The company that we chose had a minor league baseball team that had a mascot that was somewhat similar to what we ended up choosing,” Brent Lane [assistant principal] said. “So we kind of set in on that one and they designed it for us and gave us several options and the multicolored face. All sorts of good things.” Tryouts for the personalities behind

the costume were held on Jan. 13. The identity of the mascot will remain a mystery, according to Denise Hiatt [cheer coach]. Being the mascot takes quite the time commitment. Those selected will be expected to go to all of the same events the dance and cheer teams go to, and then some. The mascot might even learn some skits, routines, etc. Three students were selected to take the role. “It’s tough to ask any one person to go to every sporting event, but we expect them, as a member of cheer and dance, to go to the same events the cheer and dance teams go to. But we also want to see them at the block party when we do those types of things,” Cobbs said. The main importance of a mascot is to give a positive image of our school, promote school spirit, and play to a larger crowd. Many hope that the new mascot will do just that. “The mascot is a chance to show people that Ottawa High School is more than just the place where their kids go to school for eight hours. USD 290 is a part of peoples’ lives for 12 to 13 years when they roll through this place. So I think that the mascot provides a different avenue to bring people in to show them what we do,” Cobbs said.

Cyclone

Sam

Students were asked to give suggestions on the name of the mascot on Jan. 5. The top names were then voted on by the student body. Expect to see Cyclone Sam at sporting events, as well as events such as the yearly block party.

Photo: @OHSactivities

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