The Blazer | Vol 38 | Issue 1 by GEHS Adviser

the Issue 1 | Volume 38 | October 2016 | Gardner Edgerton High Scool | Gardner, Kansas

b MEET THE STAFF: EDITORS IN CHEIF JACYLN ADAMSON BROOKE BOYER COPY EDITORS SAVANNAH COX NIKITA DRAKE

STAFF WRITERS JAQUI CAREY CHUCK CLARK LILLI CLARK JEWELL CARTER JESSE HENISS MADELINE OWENS MALYNN PIERCE SAVANNA RENNER HAYDON WYANT

CONTENTS:

4 5 7 NEWS

Building a new tomorrow

Election Standings

OPINION

Take a knee Why fitness trackers are bad for you

EDITORIAL

New Schedule a bust

IN THE KNOW:

Current local, world news in brief By: Jaqui Carey

Presidential candidates square off in their first one on one debate

District receives SME student sexually assaulted academic honors

Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton participated their first head to head debate Tuesday, Sept. 26. According to NBC news, 52 percent of people who watched or followed the debate on social media said that Clinton won the first debate, 21 percent said Trump won and 26 percent said neither of the them won the debate. Both candidates shared their points of view on the topics of immigration, national security, domestic terrorism, economy, health care, crime, race and trade. Trump and Clinton, often butting heads, disagreed with one another on many topics According to NBC News. During the debate, there were many insults thrown around from both candidates. “Trump was explaining his position on the issue thoroughly and respectfully, while Clinton was caught up with personally

On Sept. 20, a 14-year-old female student at Shawnee Mission East was sexually assaulted by another student in the boys’ bathroom. According to Fox4, the incident started out as horseplay between the female student and two male students. One male student stood outside the door to keep it locked while the other male sexually assaulted the female. SME senior Katie Kulhman started the movement #WearBlackToStopAttacks on social media to spread awareness and it spread across the state. “We were thinking [of ways] to show the student body we support both this victim and every other unnamed victim,” Kulhman said in an interview on Fox4. In an email to the parents, the principal of Shawnee Mission East said “I want to assure you that there is nothing more important to the Shawnee Mission School District and Shawnee Mission East than the safety of our students.”

attacking Trump,” senior Blake Rhoney said. While there are many issues, immigration is Trump’s top issue according to NBC News. Trump supports building a physical wall on the nation’s southern border, forcing Mexico to pay it, NBC reported. “I think that what Trump is planning to do is more beneficial and safe for the U.S.,” Rhoney said . On the opposing side, Clinton says she will continue with current president Barack Obama’s executive orders to protect some undocumented workers from being deported. “I think her plan could be improved, but it is definitely better than Trump anything,” sophomore Kylie Adden said. “What Clinton is doing to improve our country is not a perfect picture but it will get us to where we need to be.” The second presidential debate will be on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 8:00 p.m.

U.S. Secretary of Education, John B. King, Jr, announced that Wheatridge Middle School has been chosen as a National Blue Ribbon School on Sept. 28. Only four of 329 school nominated were from Kansas. The National Blue Ribbon program honors schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap and have dramatically improved student performance according to a press release provided by the district. WMS is not the only school to experience academic success this fall. Last year’s seniors’ 2016 ACT composite score of 23. 6 once again outperformed the state average of 21.9 and was the highest score in more than 16 years according to a press release provided by the district. Our goal at GEHS is to make sure our students are college and career ready, and these numbers prove we are on the right track,” principal Mark Meyer said.

8 12 14 FEATURE

Kickin’ it in the United Kingdom Slush-obsession

ENTERTAINMENT

Shiny, sleek, new, iPhone7

The art of makeup

ACTIVITIES

KC bids farewell to the rally mantis ‘Suessical the musical’

Building a new tomorrow: By: Jaclyn Adamson

The construction has been a bit of a disruption to the normal flow of life at GEHS, but there is much progress to show for it. The foundation for the Special Education building has already been laid and they are starting work on the addition to the fine arts hallway. “I am really looking forward to the new fine arts

The construction of another high school is years in the making as it would cost millions of dollars. So, the district has taken steps to expand GEHS. “It has been a bit of a hassle with all the construction,” sophomore Riley Buck said. “But I am excited.” The new additions will be a building for the Special Education students that have graduated from the school already. They will be able to learn a trade and receive assistance on how to eventually take care of themselves. There will also be 18 new classrooms, a new culinary center, a revitalized auto tech department and an addition to the fine arts wing. The kitchen and cafeteria will also see improvements.

Construction began on the newest additions to GEHS during the summer. The school’s population has been expanding in the past few years and has needed more room. The MAC that was added in 2015 provided enough room for our required physical education classes, but did little to aid in overcrowded classrooms. According the US Census Bureau, the city of Gardner has grown by over 6,000 in the past ten years. Most of that growth has been young families and the school system has had to accommodate. The arrival of another elementary and middle school has lessened the strain on lower grade levels, but the high school still has to fit all the students in one building.

High school grows with new building classrooms,” Buck said. “It’s nice that we are getting more room to do what we love.” All of the new additions will be completed by the start of the 2017-2018 school year. Some of them will be finished before then, but the majority of the work will be ready for next year’s students.

Bulldozers clear the way for the new space attached to the fine arts hallway. The addition will house 18 classrooms. Photo by: Jaclyn Adamson

Election Standings as of September

Who is more likely to win the 2016 presidential election? Hillary Clinton

50%

Donald Trump

40%

30%

20%

Gary Johnson 10% Jill Stein 0%

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NEWS

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By:Savannah Cox

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Poll results as of Sept.. 26 from popular vote Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/

By: Nikita Drake

Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers quarterback, refusing to stand during the national anthem has been a successful way of protesting. According to the First Amendment, exercising the right to peacefully protest is a basic right that comes with being an American citizen. Time and time again protesters such as Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela have proved that simple nonviolent protests are effective. Those who do not support Kaepernick believe that he personally has no reason to protest, that he does not suffer any hardships that constitute a need to protest. They believe that this act is an insult to veterans of the United States and the basic principles it was founded on. The fact of the matter is, people of color are systematically repressed in the United States. The racial biases built within the judicial system and kept up in social groups are able to restrain their influence in society.

“It’s sad we shame him,” junior Sammy Wahome said. “We should be worrying about the bigger picture.”

People of color make up only 30 percent of the population; however, they make up 60 percent of those in jail according to Center for American Progress. The group also states that one in 15 black men are incarcerated compared to one in 106 white men.

Along with the disproportionate imprisonment rates, the Washington Post wrote that black Americans are two and a half times more likely to be shot and killed by police than their white counterparts. When looking at pure numbers, more white people are killed by police; however, based on statistics African Americans have a higher chance of being killed by the police. As of July, at least 136 people of color have been killed by cops according to the Guardian, which keeps track of police brutality in America. The more popular cases like Michael Brown in Ferguson, and Eric Garner in New York brought to light the lack of media coverage over the majority of these murders. Media only covers the cases that get the most controversy, ignoring the lesser known cases. Black Lives Matter is a group that advocates for the lesser known and more mainstream cases.

“The BLM group identifies several things that need to be changed and what we can do to help,” sophomore Tae Alcorn said.

According to their website, Black Lives Matter is an activist group that combats internalized racism within society. This important group is meant to rebuild

the Black liberation movement, which empowers African Americans to stand up against police brutality and backlash from white supremacist groups. “#BlackLivesMatter is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society,” the Black Lives Matter website said. The group has gained support from many celebrities, including president Barack Obama, singer Beyonce and actress Zendaya. These influential African American celebs brought the movement into the pub-

lic eye, but other groups were created to combat it.

“Not only does the Black Lives Matter group support the people of color, it supports the unity of everyone as a whole,” Alcorn said.

Still, in response to Black Lives Matter, White Lives Matter was formed. This white supremacy group is lead by a neo-Nazi named Rebecca Barnette. This group was declared a hate group by the Southern Poverty and Law Center due to their racist values. “Its main activists, to put it plainly, are unvarnished white supremacists,” the Southern Poverty and Law Center said. Kaepernick has every right to kneel during the national anthem and based on the violence and oppression that people of color face, kneeling is exactly what people should be doing. The anthem says “liberty and justice for all” but that is not being abided by.

Photo Illustration By: Nikita Drake

OPINION

Take a knee

Racial tensions spike after football player kneels during national anthem

Why fitness trackers are bad for you

By: Jewell Carter

You feel your wrist buzz as your fitbit notifies you that you’ve met your 10,000 step goal for the day. Because of this, the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and pride consumes you and the fitness addiction begins. Fitness trackers such as the Fitbit, Garmin Vivofit and the Microsoft Band are all wrist-wearingmechanisms that are traditionally thought to promote a healthy lifestyle for its users. Taking a closer look, the technology changes the way in which the brain processes physical activity. Users argue the importance of reaching a 10,000 step goal every day because it creates a healthy body; but using a fitness tracker daily can mentally damage users as it changes

the way the brain perceives workout. What the users fail to realize is that you don’t own your fitbit; your fitbit owns you. Rather than help the user, the device can make users feel as if daily activities are only worth value when wearing the tracker. Forgetting to wear the device can make users feel as if the extra steps aren’t even real because they don’t stand for anything. Everyday activities like getting out of bed, walking to the fridge, or taking a stroll through the parking lot become useless in the minds of everyday Fitbit wearers. While the 10,000 step goal could help an overweight person get into shape, active Fitbit users will not experience much physical change. According

to research published by Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 10,000 steps is more than the average person walks in one day. This amount of exercise alone will not necessarily help a user lose weight, but rather just maintain their body type. Not to mention that the Fitbit does not track your activity while using the elliptical, swimming, or the activity you do during your yoga class. As Americans living in a first world country, we have become technological cyborgs who need an artificial reward to make us move. Cell phones and Fitbits all contribute to this need, but we should be able to exercise without any praise or reward except for bettering our bodies and minds. Instead we all live for that pat on the back

from our devices. For some it is the most exciting part of the day. The business of selling new technology is all about improving the old, outdated and obsolete methods of the last device; meaning that unless you spend hundreds of dollars per year tracking your daily activities and keeping them up to date, then your step goal might not be as accurate as you think.

Seniors Dylan Schneider, Kennedy Meyer and Junior Korah Calvin sport their fitness trackers that they wear every day to school.

Clinton: a modern scandal By: Maddie Owens

OPINION

The topic of the Hillary Clinton email controversy has blown up across the nation. In March 2015, it became publicly known that Hillary Clinton had used her family’s private email server for official communications, instead of official State Department email accounts maintained on federal servers. Clinton, the Secretary of State has been questioned by thousands of investigators, and it has been declared that there is not enough evidence to prove she was guilty. However, this is not the first time Clinton has been known for her lack of thought. The people of America are catching on to

her little game; a lot of us already have. Even the Black Lives Matter organization does not like her. “We are not satisfied at all with what we’ve seen from the candidates,” Asa Khalif, an activist for BLM who was in a recent rally, said, “I think black people are waking up and realizing the Clintons can’t sway us with delusions of grandeur.” Many people disliked Clinton even back when she was the first lady from 1993 to 2001, mainly because of her morals. She is a horrible leader for women. She is still married to Bill Clinton, who has cheated on her several times. To me, that says that women should stay with their husband just to get publicity even though he

cheats on her. “She’s a traitor to America and should be in prison for all the scandals her and her husband Bill have been involved with,” sophomore Holden Carney said. That is not a great way to represent the women of America. And again, I am not really agreeing with her morals either. “Her political status is basically just built on lies and it’s pretty crazy and astonishing actually that voters would actually believe what she says after all she’s done,” sophomore Jonah May said. Supporters for Clinton believe she has accomplished quite a bit in her life. Clinton has served as U.S. senator from New York, first lady of the United States, first lady of Ar-

kansas, a practicing lawyer, law professor, an activist and secretary of state. “I think she is a very strong and smart woman. I think she is brave for running for office and I applaud her for that,” sophomore Blake Burns said. I think that all politics are liars and quite frankly I don’t think either Trump or Clinton fit the criteria of presidency. They both have too many flaws to count. You can find more information on Clinton on her website and decide for yourself if Clinton is who she says she is. It is important to make good decisions about dealing with Clinton, because after all, she may be the next president of the U.S.

The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Blazer staff.

Agree 11

Disagree 2

It was decided last year that manic Mondays were to be cast out. This year, the high school finally made the change to a new schedule that alternates between Blue and White days. This is not that different from the old schedule but it has not been well received by the student body or The Blazer news staff. For example, each week students only go to certain classes twice. Even though students are getting the same amount of class time

in a two week period, it is difficult to get focused in a class you are only in twice a week. “I don’t really care for the new schedule,” senior Mary Trompeter said. “I liked the old one better and would have liked to have that schedule for my senior year.” Teachers are getting behind because they are not seeing their students as much. Even touching base on a Monday is better than not seeing students for several days. Another variation from last year is the changing of seminar time. While the earlier lunch times are a sweet treat, the later seminar times do

Blue, White Days not well received among students, teachers

nothing to help students. People are not getting the opportunity to study for their upcoming tests. Seminar needs to be at the very beginning of the day. Early seminar would give students a chance finish up their homework and study for upcoming tests. “People can get work done more if they have seminar in the morning,” Trompeter said. It could also be at the very end of the day. This would make leaving for sporting and school events easier. But will students try and leave early or show up late? Well, they already do that. If they really do not want to be in school, they will leave whether during seminar or

To be or not to be friends Social media should not be restricted between students,teachers By: Savannah Cox

The issue of whether or not teachers and students should connect on social media has been a debate since the platforms became available. Social media has come a long way in the last decade and if it continues to be a large part of society there is no reason why teachers and students can not be friends as long as they are appropriate with it. “I do not seek out students to friend on social media, but if a student requests to follow me, I usually allow it,” AP U.S. History teacher Walt Cochran said. “My rationale behind that decision derives from the following--I do not use social media to talk about politics, and I am pretty boring--usually posting pictures about my family, Blaz-

er soccer, and my photography business.” However, there are others who do not think it is acceptable to be friends with their students. “When I was a new teacher it was simply a professional boundary I didn’t feel comfortable crossing,” U.S. History teacher Andy Weber said. Many accounts are public, so there is nothing stopping the students and teachers from being friends, unless their account is private. Even with private accounts, though, everything on social media is technically public. If the account is not private then there is no reason why the student and teacher cannot be friends. On Facebook, everyone has the option to accept or decline “friend” requests

from each other. They do not have to accept people and they can choose who they have as friends. On Instagram and Twitter, students and teachers have the option to make their account private or keep it public. If they keep it public they are saying it is okay to follow each other. At least if it is private they are saying that they do not want to be friends. Most of this debate depends on the opinion of the student and teacher. “I’ve always said ‘not until you graduate’. I want to see news about my family and friends more than I do previous students,” Weber said. Regardless, information on social media is out there for everyone to see, so whether friends or not students and teachers should be mindful when posting.

in the middle of math class. While we applaud the administration for trying to update the schedule, the result is not what students and faculty would have wanted. The new schedule and seminar time are not what we want from our day. There will never be a schedule that every single person in the school likes. People will always think the classes are too short, they are too far apart, they do not work, etc. While teenagers will find a way to complain about anything, it is the general consensus of The Blazer newspaper that the new block schedules have very little improvement over last year.

2016 Editorial Policies The

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publication of Gardner Edgerton High School, printed by Osage Graphics in Burlingame, KS. This is a student publication and may contain controversial matter. Gardner Edgerton School District No. 231 and its board members, and employees disclaim any responsibility for its content; it is not an expression of school district policy. Operating as an open forum, students and editors are solely responsible for the content of this student publication. Opinions represent the views of the individual writer, not the staff as a whole, with the exception of the editorial. Letters

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welcome and must be no longer than 300 words, typed and signed by the author. Letters will be considered and published on a space-available basis. The Blazer staff reserves the right to edit all submitted material for content and libel. For advertising or other

information, please contact: The Blazer 425 N. Waverly Road Gardner, Kansas 66030 (913) 856.2640 rossl@usd231.com

OPINION

New schedule a bust

Kickin’ it in the United Kingdom

Two students spent a portion of their summer playing soccer over seas By: Jesse Heniss During the summer months several students traveled to other countries for educational reasons. Likewise, over summer break juniors Rees Taylor and Vika Ploetz had the opportunity to travel to Chester, England and Dublin, Ireland to play soccer. Taylor travelled through KC Legends and Ploetz travelled through Super Clubs National Team. However, once over seas they competed for the same club. “All of my teammates were from the US, five from Kansas, including me, two from Texas, and six from Virginia,” Taylor said. Although Taylor had a

coach from Ireland he was still playing alongside players from the United States. Ploetz said his coach was recruited from Virginia and he had teammates from Ohio, Kansas, Colorado, Texas and Alabama. In a span of 12 days the team played five friendly games against teams from England and Ireland. Although they lost four games and tied one, Ploetz said he is not mad about it because he was playing in Europe. “I don’t think I could narrow it down to a certain thing about it that I enjoyed,” Taylor said. “The whole experience was incredible,” While soccer is becoming 4.

more mainstream in the US, it has yet to reach the level of popularity here than it experiences in Europe. “Soccer is a lot different [in Europe] because it is their main sport and practices are more technical,” Taylor said. According to Ploetz competition in Europe is known to be more creative with plays and more aggressive. “Everyone is way better technically developed and more intense,” Ploetz said. “I had to work 110% harder.” In addition to games, the players had mandatory yoga every morning and one to two practices a day. Each practice would last up to two hours.

While they were not playing soccer, Taylor and Ploetz toured London, the Manchester United Stadium and went to Wicklow Mountains National Park in Ireland. Ploetz said they also spent time in the towns going to different shops. “My favorite place to visit was Old Trafford,” Taylor said. “It was cool to visit a place I see on TV every weekend.” Taylor had this opportunity presented to him by his club manager while Ploetz was selected after being watched. “I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Taylor said. “It was fun making new friends from all over.” 6.

FEATURE

Photos courtesy of: Vika Ploetz and Rees Taylor

1. Junior Vika Ploetz and his teammates visit the Manchester United soccer stadium. Ploetz said his favorite part of the trip was being able to meet “fun guys.” 2. Junior Rees Taylor and his teammate stand ready for kickoff. Taylor and his team went 0-1-4 while playing over-seas. 3. Taylor and his team pose for a picture after playing their last game together. Taylor said he loved making new friends from all over. 4. Ploetz takes a selfie while touring the Manchester United soccer stadium. 5. Taylor poses in front of the stadium where he played five games. 6. Taylor chases after a ball during a match. 7. Taylor and his teammates pose for a picture while visiting Wicklow Mountains National Park in Ireland. 8. Taylor poses with his teammates while touring the Manchester United Stadium. Taylor said touring the stadium was one of his favorites parts of his trip.

Slush-obssession

Student challenges herself to drink 100 slushies during summer Junior Rylie Lawrence has a unique obsession for slushies. She challenged herself to drink 100 of them over the span of the summer; she wanted to see if she could drink that many in a short time frame. Lawrence is lactose intolerant which limits her cold drink and cool down options. She does not like icees, snow cones, or smoothies. Along with this, she avoids pop because it hurts her stomach. “To get that extra filler since I wasn’t drinking pop or anything else, I would drink slushies,” Lawrence said. On one hot summer day, she bought a slushie from QuickTrip and came up with the challenge idea herself. She had not bought a slushie in a while and had forgotten about her love for them. This was her first slushie purchase of the summer challenge. Lawrence took pictures each time she would purchase a slushie during her challenge and put it on Facebook or Instagram so that she could keep track of how many she had purchased. “I would sometimes tag QuickTrip or Sonic and they would like it,” Lawrence said. At first her parents thought the idea was stupid but once she reached about 50 they wanted her to keep going with it and reach her goal of 100. Her friends were supportive too, and according to Lawrence the challenge

basically turned into a form of bribery for them. “My friends would be like ‘want to hangout’ and I’d be like ‘no’ and they’d be like ‘I’ll get you a slushie’ and I’d be like ‘oh okay’,” Lawrence said. She typically buys slushies from QuickTrip, but other contenders are Sonic and 7-11. Her favorite flavors are blue raspberry, coke and watermelon. “The guys at QuickTrip all know me,” Lawrence said, “They’ll ring me up when I walk in before I even get one.” Midway through her challenge, Lawrence went to Super Summer--a church camp in Salina--for a week where she was unable to purchase slushies. She admitted she was going through a phase of withdrawals during that time period. “Our youth pastor had to stop the whole bus on the way home so that I could get a slushie,” Lawrence said. Lawrence fell slightly short of her goal of drinking 100 slushies; finishing the summer with a total of 92. “To see how close I was and I didn’t accomplish it, yes, I was upset,” Lawrence said. “But now my goal is to see how many I can get by the end of the year.” During the school year, Lawrence still tries to buy slushies whenever she gets the opportunity. She buys one about every week or every two weeks. “It’s gotten to the point where if I’m upset or if I

had a bad day, my mom asks if she needs to bring me home a slushie,” Lawrence said, “Or she’ll surprise me with one if I’m sick.” Considering that a small slushie is a $1.19 at QuickTrip, Lawrence thinks she has spent about $300 on slushies in the past six months. Meaning that about $110 of that was from this summer alone. She does not regret spending that much money on slushies because it “is just pocket change,” but as it adds up now Lawrence realizes thats a lot of money. She recently attempted to do 7-11’s challenge where you buy seven slushies in seven days and you 11 free, but it was hard for her to get there and back since there is not a 7-11 in Gardner. Lawrence has also tried creating her own blue raspberry slushie at home with snow-cone flavoring but it did not turn out well because she could not get the ice exactly right. “It’s not like the real deal,” Lawrence said jokingly. Although she couldn’t see herself opening a Slushie-Shop or anything like that in the future she admits she will continue to buy slushies when she can. She strongly believes she will never get tired of drinking them and that her life would be very different if she had not discovered

her love for slushies. “It has honestly made me grow relationships with people because they want to know about it,” Lawrence said, “And it’s forced me to talk to and meet new people.”

FEATURE

By: Brooke Boyer

‘The Mexican Mustang’

Senior Angel Santander shares his boxing story By: Charles Clark

FEATURE

The word boxing brings up images of two grown men fighting for twelve rounds until one of them goes unconscious; on the other hand, amateur boxing consists of large headgear, sixteen ounce gloves and three rounds that are no more than three minutes long. But do not let the word amateur and the safety precautions fool you, the people who compete in amateur boxing are real boxers. One of Gardner’s own who has had his name put out there is senior Angel Santander, or as he’s known in the ring, “The Mexican Mustang.” Santander is now a titled world champion, but it wasn’t always that way. Every story starts somewhere, and Santander’s started when he was a child. His mother, Kat Santander, recalls that he had always had an interest in the sport even at a young age. Santander just needed a little push to get started, and that came from his mother. “We were out one day, and I saw this place that was offering lessons. I went in and asked them about it. I looked at Angel and said ‘Do you want to do this?’ and he said yes,” K. Santander said. That’s where Santander first met his coach, Lucas S. Gorton, and that would be the beginning of Santander’s boxing career. “Angel was almost a high school sopho-

more, 230 pounds, about the same height he is now, kind of slumped over, bad posture, pretty unassuming young kid, and I met him at a boxing gym here in Gardner where I was, at the time, coaching a youth boxing class,” Gorton said. Although Gorton came from a mixed martial arts background, he knew the basics of boxing. In this class, Gorton saw many kids come and go, but Santander stood out from the rest to him. “I probably thought ‘Well here’s another kid who will give it a shot for maybe 2-3 weeks and will probably go back to video games and pop-tarts,’ but what I learned real fast about Angel was he wasn’t like the rest of the majority of the kids that came through there,” Gorton said. Santander’s dedication to the sport caught Gorton’s attention. “He was an endless worker and the hardest working kid I had ever seen and I knew that in about two weeks that there was something different about him and his determination and his drive,” Gorton said. Initially Santander and his trainer started in a larger gym, but they had to move to a place where they could take boxing to the next level. This is what led to the creation of Halo Training Center, also known as Halo TC. “It’s about a 20 by 18 foot building, that we built out in the back of my yard. It all came from coaching that

kids club,” Gorton said. Eventually, Gorton and Santander left to pursue a more competitive aspect of the sport. “I told Angel ‘I’m leaving in two weeks and you’re coming with me. He said ‘Okay, but where are we going train?’ I said ‘Good question, we’re gonna build a gym’ So that’s what we did,” Gorton said. With a new gym, named Halo to match Santander’s first name, and a new nickname based on the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa’s nickname, “The Italian Stallion”, they got Santander into real competitions and matches. When Santander started fighting, he started winning. “My first tournament was Ringside World Championship in 2015, I got second in that one. Then in 2016, at the same tournament, I got first. I also won Kansas Golden Gloves and I qualified for the Sugar Belt Title,” Santander said. While Santander has been on a winning streak for a while, it is nothing without the overwhelming support of his trainer and his moth-

1. Angel Santander punches his opponent during a match. He later went on to win the match. Photo By: Charles Clark 2. Angel Santander and his coach Lucas Gorton posed for a picture at Halo TC. Gorton has been coaching Santander for over two years now. Photo By: Charles Clark

er. “I support it 120 percent. He’s good at it, he loves it, and I try to make every fight that he has,” K. Santander said. Through all the progress Santander’s made and all the matches he has won, he will continue to box, and he will always have the support of his trainer. “If Angel never fought again, or never won another fight, I’m always going to be proud of [him],” Gorton said.

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Shiny, sleek, new: iPhone 7 By: Lilli Clark

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were released on September 16. Many people may say that the iPhone 7 is no different than Apple’s iPhone 6s that came out in September 2015. However, the 7 has been modified in numerous ways. The iPhone 6s comes in rose gold, gold, space gray, and silver. However, Apple came out with two new colors, black and jet black to add to the 7’s line up. The designers at Apple removed the headphone jack. If you want to listen to music you will need to use the lightning adapter headphones that come with the phone, or you can purchase the AirPods which are Apple based bluetooth headphones that you can buy for $159. You can also use the adapter to plug in three and half millimeter headphones into. You can still use the old Apple headphones if you do not like the new ones. The iPhone 7 comes with an adapter that plugs into the charging port of the phone, allowing for headphones and axillary cord to

be plugged in. Where the headphone jack used to be they added another speaker. The iPhone 7 is now two times louder than any other iPhone. The removal of the headphone jack is the most inconvenient feature; you can no longer listen to music with headphones and charge your phone at the same time. The best improvement of the new iphone is arguably the new camera, consisting of a f/1.8 aperture, and a six lens camera, according to Apple. It is now possible to take better pictures in low light. The front-facing camera is now seven megapixels to allow better selfies. “The new camera is amazing, I’m like a professional at taking pictures now,” Junior Parker Guffey said. Along with the camera, the iPhone itself has an A10 Fusion Chip which is the most powerful chip in any phone out there. The chip provides the longest battery life in any iPhone, and the 7 is two times faster than the iPhone 6. Along with the new

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1. phone, Apple also released iOS 10. The new update provides a complete makeover of your photos, messages, news and many other apps. iOS 10 has changed text messaging in many ways, and it is the best part of the update. In messages you can now write in invisible ink, add a personal touch to your photos, tap words to replace them with an emoji, and the keyboard now has GIFS and stickers. “iOS 10 is definitely more futuristic and cooler, but only on a few apps,” Guffey said, “It still feels like iOS 9 in most ways.” “It’s a great phone and I love having the newest version of the iPhone” Guffey said.

2. 1. The biggest change in the iPhone 7 is the removal of the headphone jack. Users will now have to use wireless headphones if they wish to charge their phone while listening to music. Photo by: Lilli Clark 2. Apple’s completely redesigned iPhone 7. The phone’s new features include additional color choices, a new speaker and a more advanced camera. Photo by: Lilli Clark

Favorite brand: Too Faced or NYX

Senior shares her passion for makeup By: Savanna Renner

Sitting in her sophomore English class, Lizzie Crawford picked up a talent many girls strive for in today’s culture; the art of makeup. “There was this girl in my sophomore English class and I thought she was so pretty, she was the first person that I actually took notice of the contouring and highlighting technique.” Crawford said. After school that day, Crawford searched the internet to see what kind of information she could find on makeup and techniques. “I went home and googled how to do makeup and I binge watched so many makeup tutorials on Youtube that year. That’s how I got into the makeup cul-

ture.” Crawford said. Crawford starts every morning with a set routine. “I first start out with moisturizing my face, and then I do my eyeshadow/eyeliner, then I prime my face and apply foundation.” Crawford said. “After all of that, I set everything with powder and then I bronze. Next thing I do is contour, apply blush, highlight, and then do my brows. I then go back and apply my falsies/put mascara on.” Crawford said. Crawford finishes up her look with two last things. “The last thing I do is apply lip liner/lipstick and set everything with a setting spray,” Crawford said. It takes about forty minutes to an hour for Crawford

to finish her look of the day. Makeup prices have continually been rising as the makeup society continues to grow. To keep from spending too much money, Crawford limits herself to buying only every few months. “I buy makeup every 3-4 months and spend about $200 in total, sometimes more if a new makeup palette comes out,” Crawford said. When it comes to the makeup lifestyle, there is often common questions tied into do’s and dont’s. Crawford shared her favorite stores and makeup products, exclusive tips and tricks, and additional advice she has for makeup newbies.

Favorite Youtuber: Dulce Candy

Q: Which is better Sephora or Ulta? A: Ulta is Crawford’s go to place because of their reward system and the employees are always nice. Q: Is name brand makeup really better than drugstore makeup? A: The only noticeable difference Crawford sees in drugstore makeup and brand makeup is the foundation. As the day goes on, sometimes drugstore foundation makes her skin look blotchy and it does not last as long. Q: What’s the best makeup remover? A: Garnier’s Micellar water with a cotton pad works best for Crawford. Q; What Inexpensive brands do you recommend? A: ColourPop, Makeup Geek, Morphe, NYX, Milani, E.L.F.

Photos Courtesy of: Lizzie Crawford

Q: What is your biggest piece of advice? A”: “PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! Anybody can become an expert on winged eyeliner if they keep trying a new technique if it doesn’t work the first try!”

Makeup tips, tricks, and favorites from Lizzie Crawford

Q: Does primer make a difference? A: Yes! Primer makes makeup last longer and make it go on much smoother.

ENTERTAINMENT

#1 Product: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

bids farewell to the Rally Mantis

By: Haydon Wyant On Sept. 5, the team finally retired the little Rally Mantis Jr, to a nature center, where he will live out the rest of his months in luxurious comfort according to Mike Swanson, Vice President-Communications & Broadcasting. The original Rally Mantis joined the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 6, when they were losing to the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. At the end of the fourth inning, right fielder Billy Burns noticed a praying mantis in the trashcan, and thought it would be a good idea to put him on his

hat. He let him sit there for a couple innings, but the mantis refused to move. This little guy, would soon become what MLB.com would call a legend. The Royals came back to beat the Blue Jays 4-2 and then, the next day, the little mantis was still in the Royals dugout. The Royals defeated the Blue Jays 7-1 that day. The little Rally Mantis would continue to make headlines all throughout the baseball world, especially as more and more teams suddenly started finding their own mantises at their respective ballparks. For six days the Rally Mantis worked miracles for the Royals, but when they took their lucky little mantis with them on a road trip to Minnesota to face off in a three game series against

the Twins, the mantis had stopped moving. Burns, the self proclaimed caretaker for the mantis, spent the whole night looking up mantises on Google trying to find anything to keep him alive. The next day, things seemed to only get worse. “He’s dying!” designated hitter Kendrys Morales said according to the Kansas City Star. That night, the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 7-3, as the Rally Mantis worked his, what fans would consider magic, one more time. The Royals knew they had to say goodbye, but it did not make things any easier. Under the Rally Mantis, the Royals went 5-1 (a win percentage of .833%). Burns made a tribute video to the Rally Mantis, and tweeted it out on that Friday morning.

Although the Royals mourned the loss of their good luck charm, it was not but one week later when the Twins came to Kansas City for another series that yet again, Burns found another mantis in the dugout. He would soon be named, to no one’s surprise, Rally Mantis Jr. “I want to take care of him,” Burns said. “He’s apart of the team now.” Fans began to adopt their new mascot, with the support of Rally Mantis Jr, the Royals had 12 wins while only losing six. What caused the Royals to go on their winning streaks? Was it the mantis, or rather the idea of him? Whichever the case may be, the Rally Mantis Jr and his predecessor, Rally Mantis, will be something the fans will not soon forget.

‘Seussical the Musical’: not the average musical By: MaLynn Pierce

ACTIVITIES

The theatre department is at it again with another play coming to the auditorium. The members of the theatre department would like to present to you, Seussical the Musical, inspired by the works and writings of Dr. Seuss. This school has never shied away from doing multiple musicals a year and yet this one is said by cast members to stand out for parents and kids of all ages. Audience members of all ages have always been allowed into every play that has been presented. However the universal part about this

play is that it is focused around Dr. Seuss, and people around the world have heard his name. Sophomore Nate Sawchak, has been in only one play and one musical before. However, he says that this one is a lot more energetic than other ones, and anyone can understand.” “It’s a whole bunch of characters from your childhood and all of your books you used to read, and it is all put together into a musical pretty much,” Sawchak said. “Everything is really fun and it’s just a really energetic musical.” Sawchak is going to be playing the role of JoJo, or “the boy,” who is featured in both the film, and book,

Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss. Cast members of the musical each have their own opinions about what the play is truly about. “It is about becoming someone you’re not,” Olivia Hogue said. “But also making yourself that person” Sophomore JJ Briscoe, who plays Cat in the Hat, gave a sneak peek on what the audience can expect to see. “The whole storyline of it is you have this kid JoJo who is thinking these crazy things, and basically he thinks of this amazing world where an elephant hears Whos,” Briscoe explained. “You have Gertrude, kind of the love in-

terest for the story who is trying to just get Horton’s attention from the egg and from the speck. And then you have JoJo watching this story, but he is also in the story, by getting sent to Cadet School because he thinks too crazily.” Briscoe also says that it is just a story showing how important you are, it doesn’t matter who you are, how big you are, or how small you are. So whether you’re a red fish, or blue fish, one fish or two fish. Perhaps maybe you heard a who or you are in need of Thing One or Thing Two. The cast has requested that all come to see, what this musical has transpired to be.

A leap into fall sports

By: Jaqui Carey

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ACTIVITIES

1. Senior Hunter Skeens attempts to rush the ball, but is brought down by Bishop Miege’s defense. Skeens would later score a touchdown. Photo By: Jaqui Carey 2. During the Blazer Invitational, senior Sarah Ulmer tosses the ball up to serve to the opponent. The all day tournament against eight schools. Photo By: Jaqui Carey 3. Sophomore Kyla Shappell and junior Haylei Bell jump to block and defend the ball Bonner Springs’s spike. The Blazers defeated the Braves 25-11 and 25-13 . Photo By: Jaqui Carey 4. Senior Dylan Mars defends during the first half of the game versus Mill Valley. This was varsity’s first game of the season. Photo By: Brooke Boyer 5. Sophomore Sophia Pogue runs down hill preparing to trudge through the swamp-like conditions of Lone Elem Park. Both the girls and boys teams placed 8th at the meet. Photo By: Katherine Newburg 6. On hole 8, senior Alexis Bailey prepares to put the ball. Bailey and her scramble partner Taylor Snell shot a 44. Photo By: Jordan Schaeffer

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