HS Boys Basketball LES students participate in pregame warm-ups at home games. Sports 8
What do other schools do? Learn about how other schools make time for MTSS & KESA. Features 3 Find us on FacebookLincoln Journalism
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The
LeopardProwl Student Newspaper of Lincoln Junior/Senior High School Printed in Partnership with the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican
Volume 4 // Issue 4
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
An in-depth look at mass shootings in America
Pgs. 4-5
Kansas teens seek statewide offices
Dylan Babcock @Dylan_Babcock99 Editor-in-Chief
Can you imagine running for governor at age 16? Jack Bergeson, now 17-years-old, of Wichita, Kansas announced a candidacy in May of 2016 for the 2018 Kansas Gubernatorial Election. Bergeson realized that the state of Kansas didn’t have any set age-limit to run for the position and he made the decision to file as a democratic candidate. “I decided to run because I saw a lack of youth engagement in politics,” Bergeson said in an email interview. “I felt a serious young candidate in the race could change that.” More than a year after Bergeson’s announcement, Aaron Coleman, 17, a high school dropout and college student at Johnson County Community
College, announced his candidacy as a write-in independent candidate. Soon after Coleman, four other teens joined the race: Tyler Ruzich, a Republican from Prairie Village; Ethan Randleas, a Libertarian from Wichita; Dominic Scavuzzo, a Republican from Leawood; and Joseph Tutera Jr., a Republican from Mission Hills. The six teenagers are a part of the field of nearly two dozen people who have announced a run for the race; they hope that they receive the same amount of respect and attention as the adults running for the position. “Kansas voters should view me in the same light as everyone else,” Scavuzzo said in an online interview. “We all fit the same legal requirements to run. We are all talking about the same issues. What harm does it do for a Kansas voter to listen to fresh ideas not coming from a career politician?”
In addition to the governor candidates, 17-year-old Lucy Steyer, a democrat from Lenexa, has put her name in the run for Kansas Secretary of State. Steyer attends Notre Dame De Sion High School in Kansas City, Missouri and has kept in contact with the other teen candidates running for an office. “I don’t personally know the other candidates, but we have been corresponding,” Steyer told The Hutchinson News. “I ran for Secretary of State instead of governor because all of us teenagers running agreed we wanted to bring attention to all the elections.” Kansas, a state with a youth voting rate that is even worse than the national average, is one of two states in the country that doesn’t have an age limit on those who can run for a statewide office; Vermont being the
BOE learns of LJSHS handbook addendum Dylan Babcock @Dylan_Babcock99 Editor-in-Chief
The USD 298 School Board of Education (BOE) had their regular January meeting on Tuesday, January 2. At the meeting, the board heard about a youth entrepreneurial challenge happening in the county, new football uniforms being purchased, a drafted addendum for the LJSHS Handbook, and the USD 298 Foundation meeting again. The board was given information about a four-day workweek and analyzed the results of a three-year-old preschool programming survey. In other business, the board voted on a number of action items, including the approval of the resignation of a junior high head coach. The January 2 regular meeting minutes:
The Meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. by President, Monty Breneman. Jeana Eckhart wasn’t present at the meeting as she was ill. The agenda was adopted. Breneman brought to the attention of the Board Members that the BOE meetings will be videotaped and posted to YouTube. The minutes from the December 4, 2017 regular meeting were approved. The Clerk’s and Treasurer’s Report was approved. The bills were accepted for payment. A presentation from Nikki Flinn about the Youth Entrepreneurial Challenge was given. In October, Lincoln County Economic Development Director, Kelly Larson, met with Flinn, LJSHS Principal Christi Walter, and Sylvan-Lucas Principal Jeff Starkey to
other. With the six teens running it’s created a nationally recognized viral movement that could, in theory, make a high school student governor. The Kansas State Legislature is however trying to prevent this from happening. State Representative, Blake Carpenter, a Republican from Derby, introduced a bill in January that would prevent anyone under the age of 18 for a statewide office. The bill, which passed out of a committee last week, wouldn’t affect the 2018 election if it becomes law. But in the future, Carpenter said that there needs to be changes. “If you are an adult in the eyes of government at age 18, you can serve in the military, you can do just about anything you want,” Carpenter told the Kansas City Star. “As of right now, inmates can run. I also saw reports of people saying that cats and dogs could
run.” The 2018 Kansas Democratic and Republican Primary Elections will be on Tuesday, August 7. Candidate filing deadlines for the primaries are Friday, June 1 at 12 p.m. and Monday, August 6 at 12 p.m. is the deadline for independent nominations. The 2018 Midterm General Election will occur on Tuesday, November 6. The deadline to register to vote for any election is 21 days prior to that election. You must be 18 years or older to vote in an election. Persons who are 17-yearsold are allowed to register to vote if they will be 18 by the next election. Learn more about some of the teens, as well as other candidates, who are running in the 2018 Kansas Gubernatorial Election in future issues of The Leopard Prowl.
WeKan campaign coming to an end
see BOE page 2
Student council opens coffee bar Hunter Meier
News Editor/Layout A year ago, StuCo purchased two new vending machines to increase fundraising for them to accomplish more things around the school. To pay for these new machines, StuCo borrowed $5,800 from the National Honor Society. Along with the money coming in from the vending machines, StuCo was also forced to find another fundraiser to make up for the loaned money. So they decided to open a coffee bar. “We got the idea from Minne-
apolis when we saw a flyer at a forensics meet and decided it was a good idea for a fundraiser,” StuCo Co-President Dylan Babcock said. “We sold about 15 cups just on the first time and that was just about for 15 minutes.” The Student Council started out with selling coffee only before school on Wednesdays but then began selling during advisory (which is a free time for students to work on homework and other activities) as well. StuCo added the advisory time since many students don’t get to school in time to have a cup and
get their morning energy. Students can go and buy a cup of coffee from StuCo for $1.00 per cup of black coffee or $1.50 for the K-Cup coffee. The coffee bar is located in StuCo Sponsor Nikki Flinn’s room. StuCo plans to continue their coffee bar all school year. For now however, StuCo is working on other activates for the student body. “We are currently planning some school-wide events for the month of March,” Babcock said. “We hope the students come and support our coffee bar.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
FEBRUARY
In the end of February, the winter sports seasons will start coming to an end. High school sub-state basketball will take place from February 26 to March 3. Junior high wrestlers will finish off their season on March 1.
LHS basketball takes on St. John’s Beloit/ Tipton at home.
INDEX
Games start at 4 p.m. Senior Night festivities will take place.
Features.......................2-3
23
Lincoln USD 298 and Project WeKan have teamed up to raise money for a LED sign that will benefit both the school and community. The sign will promote school academics, activities, athletics, and accomplishments of the USD 298 students, staff, and patrons. The online donation period ends on March 8, 2018. To build the sign, the school will need $37,450. So far, $617.00 has been raised. To donate go to http://projectwekan.com/projects-usd-298-lincoln-led-sign-project
State Wrestling at FHSU. Lincoln wrestler, Tra Barrientes, will compete.
23-24
Centerspread.......................4-5
The first day of spring sports practice.
Practices will begin for students participating in spring sports. Those still participating in winter sports will finish up their seasons first.
One hour late start.
Students will start school at 9:00 a.m.
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Opinions.......................6-7
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Sports..........................8
Features
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
LP
The Leopard Prowl member KSPA, JEA The Leopard Prowl is published by Lincoln High journalism students approximately eight times during the school year. The Leopard Prowl is primarily an educational tool, with its first goal being the training of staff members in newspaper production. Its second obligation is to its readers, the students of Lincoln Junior Senior High School. Efforts are made to meet the needs of community members. School and local events will be covered as possible by staff members. Due to the limits of staff time and the fact that The Leopard Prowl is produced by students, some events may not be covered as thoroughly as mature readers would like. National and international news will be part of the publication as related to LJSHS students. The Leopard Prowl is an open forum for student expression. Opinions printed in The Leopard Prowl do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the student body as a whole, nor of the staff, faculty or administration. Editorial topics will be chosen by the staff members. Letters to the editor should not exceed 250 words. Unsigned letters to the editor will not be accepted by the staff. The editorial staff withholds the right to publish letters and to edit letters as needed to prepare them for publication. The staff will not publish materials which are obscene, libelous or invasive of privacy of others. Community service projects will be sought and undertaken by the newspaper when possible. Staff members are journalism students. Students are encouraged to learn responsibility, cooperation, self-reliance and dependability in a supervised school situation. Letters to the editor can be sent to: journalism@usd298.com
QUESTION OF THE ISSUE FOR THE STAFF If you could go on a Valentine’s Day Dinner date with anyone (living or dead), who would you go with, where would you go? Dylan Babcock - Editor-in-Chief @Dylan_Babcock99 “I would go with Melissa McCarthy because I think that she’s a great actress. I would probably go to the Cheesecake Factory with her because they have great food and amazing cheesecake...Who doesn’t like cheesecake?!?!”
Hunter Meier - News Editor “I would go with Bill Gates because he’s rich. We would go to an expensive restaurant where he will pay the pill and give me a million dollars for college.”
Carson Walter - Features Editor/Layout @CarsonLeigh10 “Ransom Riggs. He wrote the trilogy Miss Peregrine’s House of Peculiar Children. (Sorry Dylan, you could come along but I doubt we would talk about farming) I would like to go to Olive Garden because of their endless breadsticks.”
Zach Obermueller - Sports Editor/Layout @obermuellerzach “Can I take myself out on a date? And I’d definitely go to whatever restaurant Salt Bae works at.”
Joseph Foulke - Photo Editor @joey_gm “I would go with myself because literally I hate everyone. I would take myself to the movies and then I would go to dinner at an expensive restaurant because I can.”
Cassandra Aleshire - Extras Editor @aleshire_cass “If I could go on a date with ANYONE it would be Maruby McQueen. Why? Because she is so chivalrous. We would go to the vending machines at Salina Regional Hospital because they have a million of them and it would be cheap.”
Emma Corpstein - Copy Editor @ECorpstein “I would go on a date with Beyonce because who wouldn’t want to go on a date with Beyonce? I would want to go on a shopping date instead because maybe she’d buy me something.”
Kathryn Detmer - Cartoonist/Layout @kdetmer2000 “I’d like to go with Bruno Mars because he’s cute and he’s super talented. Not to mention, he’s funny! :) I’d like to go to Applebee’s because I really like their steak. I’d also take Birta with me because she’s ugly and would lighten the mood.”
Amanda Wollesen - Reviews Columnist @ALWollesen7 “I would go with Matthew McConaughey because I feel like he’s lived a very interesting life and also because he was in my favorite movie, Dazed and Confused. I’d take him to Buca di Beppo’s in Seattle because that was such good Italian.”
Allison Crist - Advanced Reporter @alicrist11 “Dylan and Cody because we have every class together so why not just go out to dinner; we would go to Freddy’s because I guess Dylan has a gift card.”
Brianna Emmert - Advanced Reporter @bailey23 “I would go by myself in my brand, new, red Challenger to the Dairy Queen on Ninth Street in Salina because I like ice cream.”
BOE (from page 1)
talk about the Kansas Youth Entrepreneurial Challenge. The event is hosted through the K-State Polytechnic School. Several schools in the state compete in it. K-State Polytechnic asked Larson if Lincoln County would be interested in hosting a county competition. In the challenge, students will come up with a business and go through the steps of creating a business plan, presentation, elevator pitch, and a trade-show booth. The county-wide challenge will be held March 6 at the Finch Theatre and Lincoln Art Center. The event will be open to the public. Lincoln is planning to have 26 students participating in the event; Sylvan-Lucas is planning on having 20 students participate. Students will be able to do the challenge by themselves or on a team of up to three people. The executive summary for the students’ businesses will be February 23. On the presentation day, the students will have a time slot for when they give their four-minute presentation in front of three local judges with a question and answer session from the judges that follow. Altogether, students will be judged on their executive summaries, four-minute presentations, and trade-show booth with an elevator pitch. The scores from the three events will be tallied and prizes will be given to the top three places; first place will receive $500, second will receive $300, and third place will receive $200. First place will also move on to the state competition to represent the county. The first place winner’s school will receive $250. Students will go to the theatre at 8 a.m. and should be done with their presentations by noon. Athletic Director, Nate Naasz, informed the BOE of the new junior and senior high football uniforms that are being purchased. Lincoln football currently uses Russell uniforms and the company has recently decided to discontinue manufacturing uniforms. In the rotation, the football teams are up for new uniforms. Russell Hake from BSN Sports and Mitch Harris from GTM approached Naasz on quotes for new uniforms. The school district spent approximately $10,000 on the last purchase of football uniforms for both junior and senior high allowing for the uniforms to be interchanged between the programs. The companies offered customizable sublimated Nike jerseys or Champion screen-printed jerseys which is what the teams currently utilize. The current jerseys’ letterings are becoming cracked because of contact and being dried. The Nike uniforms are the recommended style offering a high-quality product; they are offered under a buy one top and a bottom - get one top and a bottom free promotion. The school district chose the Nike uniforms for purchase. Breneman, Jonsson, and Superintendent Kathy Robertson spoke to the BOE about the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) Annual Conference. The conference was informative. There were breakout sessions, information on state rules and regulations, and opportunities to visit with board members from across the state. At the conference, a new KASB President-Elect was elected; Shannon Kimball, the board president of the Lawrence school
From the Principal’s Desk Why Career Cruising? I have been asked several times by students: “Why do we have to do career cruising when I already know what I want to do?” My answer is…let’s look at the stats: 71% of all jobs in Kansas require some level of 2-4 year post-secondary training...71%. That is almost threefourths of all jobs. According to the 2017 National Student Clearinghouse Data, on average 50% of Lincoln Jr/Sr High School students over the past 6 years have enrolled in a 2-4 year school (94% of colleges nationwide report to National Student Clearinghouse). ~ about 45% of that group will stay in college the second year. ~ about 30% of those who do not enroll in college following high school graduation will enroll one year post high school. So, let me put numbers with those percentages: Out of this year’s senior class of 25 students about half will go to some sort of post-secondary school right out of high school, about 12-13 students. Of those 12-13 students who go to college or technical school, there will be about 5-6 of them who stay in college the second year…..5 or 6 of the 25 stay in college/ training the second year. Think about it…25 students and only 5 or 6 will stay in college the second year when in Kansas 71% of all jobs require a 2-4 year degree. Wouldn’t it be a good thing to have your skills/interest assessments available to you after high school to give you other options? Okay, let’s take the same senior class of 25, the other half will not go to a college or technical school, about 12-13 students. Of those 12-13 students, about 3 – 4 students will start post-secondary training one year out of high school. One year after graduation, 3-4 of those 25 students will begin college or technical training. Wouldn’t it be a good thing to have your career cruising information stay with you to help you figure out what you will do next? My question to you: why wouldn’t you take advantage of something which gives you direction and options for your future? A future which is un-certain. Why wouldn’t you take the time to ask questions, research careers, and schools which best suit YOU? The stats are very clear: YOU need some help. We are all here to help inform you of your choices, interests, and skills to better your chances at success after you leave here. And in the end, that is what we all want for you: a better chance of success for your future designed by you and for you. Please take the time to think seriously about your future and give yourself the best chance of post-secondary success! We are only here to help!
- Janeen Feil -
Seniors, all local scholarship deadlines are March 1! All local scholarships are listed on the 2017-2018 Scholarship Drive and Scholarship Calendar. Several of these scholarships only require a scholarship application and little else so please start applying! I would also like to post pictures to the school facebook page of all seniors, individually. I will specify your post-secondary plans and major. Enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year starts this week. Please be thinking about what classes you need or want to take. If you have any concerns or questions, please come and see me or contact me through email if I am at LES. For those students who have yet to take the ACT, if enough students sign up, we will have the ACT here on April 14 and June 9. If there are not enough students, the ACT will still be offered at an alternative location. If cost us a concern, students on free/reduced lunches are available to use two fee waivers. Amazingly, we are on the downhill slide for the 2017-2018 school year. Please be aware of your grades. I recently read that students who are involved in school activities are generally more successful in academics... something to think about! - Mrs. Feil
-Mrs. Walter
Catching up with the Clubs Club:
President and Vice President:
What we’re doing:
What we’re planning to do:
Student Council
Co-Presidents Dylan Babcock & Maruby McQueen
Running our coffee bar
KAY Club
President Lainie White Vice President Maruby McQueen President Amanda Wollesen Vice President Dylan Babcock
Reviewing what we learned at the KAY Club Conference
Planning some school-wide events for before Spring Break Working on some more seatbelt safety activities
Selling Krispy Kreme Doughnuts to raise money
Getting the academic banquet ready
Kaile Young - Advanced Reporter “I would go with my dog because I hate people and I don’t like it when people watch me eat. I would just buy a whole bunch of junk food and chill at home.”
the district’s insurance package instead of hiring someone like the past. The district will not be piecing out the insurance policies; this will instead go out to local people or vendors. Robertson told the board that she would have a list of vendors for them to look over at the February regular meeting. Walter shared the draft for an addendum of the LJSHS Handbook. In the past, LJSHS has exempted students from taking finals if they earned A’s, B’s, and C’s, missed only seven days or less in each semester, and must not have earned an OSS/ISS at any point in either semesters. This information is no longer in the LJSHS Handbook. Walter discussed what she drafted up for an addendum to the handbook. With the addendum, all students who attend LJSHS will have to take finals in all classes the last two days of each semester unless the student is exempt. In order for a student to be exempt from finals, they must have only missed seven days or less in each semester, excused or unexcused; the student must have earned A’s and B’s for each semester; the student must not have earned an OSS/ISS at any point in the semester; the student must not have served any detentions for tardies at any point throughout each semester; and the student must participate in 5 verified hours of community service per semester either through a school activity or outside of school. If a student is determined to be exempt from finals, a signed parent permission slip must be turned into the office a a minimum of two days prior to the first day of finals. Students will be allowed to take finals in any class to improve a grade with parent consent. The intentions of the changes in the exemption policy are to improve attendance and make the exemption more rewarding to the students. Walter planned to make changes to the draft of the addendum and present it again as a discussion item at the regular February meeting. Of these changes were adding that students who take college classes will still have to take their college finals. Robertson announced that the school district contacted Greenbush about a consortium for food. Greenbush will do a free cost analysis of the district’s food purchase. The district is to submit one month’s worth of food purchases receipts and menus to Greenbush. They will in turn analyze the district’s expenses on food through their cooperative agreement with U.S. Foods. Once the analysis is completed, they will meet with Robertson to explain the estimated expenses and/or savings that the school district would have by using their program. Since it is a consortium, the district will buy from their vendor at a 70 percent discount. The district will still be able to buy up to 30 percent local foods. Robertson also stated to the BOE that the district’s food service audit would take place during February. Robertson brought to the attention of the Board of Education that the USD 298 Education Foundation had a second meeting on Wednesday, December 20. There were more people in attendance of the meeting than the first one. The foundation is requesting that there be more young fathers that are a part of
The Counselor’s Corner
- Christi Walter -
“I would go with Ross Geller from Friends because he’s my because I love foooood. (I would possibly bring Logan too).”
district will take on the position in January 2019. The new KASB President is Patrick Lewis of the Topeka BOE. Breneman encouraged BOE members that have not attended the conference before to do so. Robertson shared an update on the 2018 Kansas Legislature. The Special Committee on Comprehensive Response to Finance Decision has been established. Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis reported that statewide school enrollment is up for the 201718 school year with most growth in the suburbs. Last year’s Legislative infusion resulted in average statewide teacher salary increase of 4.5% and 100 new employees were hired. The need for additional funds for counselors and social workers had been highlighted; SB 367 was enacted in 2015 which has required more support from these two groups. School district expenditures are increasing more than state aid due to districts reducing their cash balances. The excess cost for Special Education has dropped from the 2016-17, 81.8%, to a 2017-18, 78.4%. The excess cost should be paid out by the state at 92%; Robertson pointed out that this is why the Lincoln school district’s Special Education costs are rising each year. The four equity issues that were identified by the courts are an expanded use of capital outlay funds, reinstatement of protest petition to reach maximum Local Option Budget (LOB) of 33%, use of prior year BOB percentage to determine supplemental state aid, and establishment of an arbitrary 10% of atrisk weighting. The Kansas Supreme Court’s adequacy concerns are in relationship to three separate base state aid recommendations. The Three-Judge Panel’s Base of $5,055 equals the cost of $625.9 million; the State Board of Education’s Base of $5,090 equals $659.9 million; and the Plaintiff’s Base of $6,539 equals $1.65 billion. There has been a drafting of a constitutional amendment to Article Six to keep the court from enforcing its funding mandate; it will take a two-thirds majority vote (84 members in the House and 27 members in the Senate) to do so. Oral arguments have been set by the court for April 20, 2018. There has been a request by a member of legislature to hear testimony of cost savings that could be achieved by a school district merge or consolidation. KPERS will continue to need major increases in state funding to meet its long-term obligations; this will complicate the Legislature’s response to the Gannon v. Kansas Supreme Court case. KPERS payments for school district and state employees are to increase over $220 million in 2020. This would be in addition to any increase in school funding. Kansas legislative leaders have hired Dr. Lori L. Taylor of Texas A&M University to conduct a new study on the cost of providing constitutionally adequate funding. The 2018 legislative session was to begin on January 8. Robertson informed the BOE about the request for proposal of the USD 298 Commercial Insurance Program. Information that was shared with the BOE will be made available to local insurance carriers to bid on USD 298’s commercial insurance. The school district will be having the board office determine
see BOE page 3
Payton Emmert - Advanced Reporter @PaytonEmmert1 favorite character on that show. I would go to Applebee’s
Page 2
Jason Curtis - Adviser @curtis_jason “The safe answer is Pam Curtis because I don’t want her to divorce me. If Pam allowed a third person it would be Ellen Degeneres and we would eat at Old Chicago. I would choose Ellen because I believe having a sense of humor and not taking yourself too seriously is important.”
Intro Reporters: Shea Bell - @SheaBell5, Jack Cagle - @HighSpeed410, Chaz Edmundson, Birta Hauksdóttir - @birtaarut, Ashley King, Landon O’Hare - @landonohare, Derrick Perez, Josh Rees, Makenzie Ringquist - @kenzieringquist, and Kaleb Russell
National Honor Society
Features
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
What do other schools do? Dylan Babcock @Dylan_Babcock99 Editor-in-Chief
At the regular November Board of Education (BOE) meeting, the district calendar committee asked the BOE to allow teachers and staff more time to be able to work on Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA). The committee and the board discussed potential options that would allow for the extra time; of the options, were releasing students from school early on one or two days each month. The item has been a discussion item since the November meeting. Across the state of Kansas, there are school districts that give teachers and staff extra time to work on KESA/MTSS-related items or school building items. The Osborne and ManhattanOgden school districts are of those who do allow the extra time. “In Osborne, we release students at 2:15 on Wednesdays,” Osborne Schools Superintendent and Elementary School Principal, Keith Hall, said. “This provides an hour of collaboration time for teachers. It is not just time for teachers to get together and talk. We do our best to structure it around data.” In addition to time allowed on certain Wednesdays throughout the year, before each school year starts, the Osborne district has a “data day” where teachers come together to look over the data and then split up into groups that will work on specific projects to address
student needs. Hall said, “There is a structure to the system and a protocol we use to talk about the data, to form groups, to set norms for the meetings, as well as provide written logs of the conversations. We call our learning groups a Professional Learning Community (PLCs), which is a name coined by Richard Defour.” The Osborne School District has been working under the PLC method for eight years. During this time, they work on student needsbased items and incorporate things related to MTSS and KESA. “It is not always simple, but with a little flexibility it seems to fit,” Hall said. “We also have a separate leadership team, like you (the Lincoln School District) have to guide our KESA work, but they do overlap. For example, I would assume social and emotional health, which is part of KESA will become a topic for one of our groups next year.” Similar to Osborne, the Manhattan-Ogden School District gives time throughout the year that allows for their staff to work on professional learning and collaboration items. “We have eight days per year that are set aside for professional learning and collaboration among staff,” Manhattan-Ogden Schools Superintendent, Marvin Wade, said. “These days are spread out throughout the year and provide important extended time for us to work together to strengthen our curriculum, instruction, and interventions.” Before moving to full days, the Manhattan-
Why aren’t we respected?
When a person turns the age of 18, they are no longer classified as children, but are now classified as adults.. Up until that moment, those “children” are treated like, well, children. That sounds like common sense, but it shouldn’t be that way. Would you treat a 15 year old the same as you would treat an 11 year old? Or a 17 year old the same as a 13 year old? These ages aren’t far apart in years, but that 17 year old is definitely wiser than the 13 year old. After high school, students are expected to behave like adults. But if we try to join in on debates that are considered adult topics, no one listens to our opinions because we either don’t know what we are talking about or are too young to understand. If we are expected to behave like adults, we need to be taught how to. We need to be able to learn from listening and joining in on conversations. Our own opinions are created from the conversations we choose, or grow up, listening to. A child is listening to conversations the moment they start to comprehend words. They hear conversations from their parents, friends, teachers, even the cashier at the grocery store who was especially chatty with the customers that day. Everything we say is heard by someone. We learn from example. If we are expected to behave like adults Carson Walter @CarsonLeigh10 after high school, we need good examples when we are young. Carson’s Questions I am not saying that should be treated completely equal. Us, high school students, don’t have to pay taxes, we don’t have as much experience, and most of us can’t buy a lottery ticket. But, I do think we need to be treated more like adults if we are expected to become one in a few years.
Ogden schools used early releases to allow extra time for their staff. Wade said, “A few years ago our district moved away from having early releases about once every six weeks where students would leave around 1:30. Staff and families seem to prefer a smaller number of full days over a larger number of partial days.” In the Osborne schools, Superintendent Hall has noticed the need for even more time for their groups to meet. Hall said, “I would advise that a district not move forward without training teachers in the process. I won’t go into more detail for this response, but for our district, twice a month is not enough for sustained growth, if you are working under the PLC theme.” Both the Osborne and Manhattan-Ogden school districts agree that it has been difficult to try and convince community members why they need extra time to work on student needs and MTSS or KESA items. “It can be a hard sell for the community and parents,” Hall said. “The obvious question is how is my child going to improve if he or she misses school four hours a month? It is a reasonable question. Our response to that is we have to build capacity for staff. Again, if we want to grow and improve as a district, we need time to work on it.” Finding a place for students to go on the days where there are early releases or no school have also been an issue in both districts. Osborne schools struggle with determining where
Page 3 student-athletes that live out of town can go before having to be back at the schools for practice at 3 p.m. “We offer supervision, but it is rare that parents take us up on it, so we are assuming everyone has a plan,” Hall said. In the Manhattan-Ogden districts, there are community partners like Boys and Girls Clubs, faith based organizations, home care and others that allow places for students to go on days that there are no school (due to the staff meetings). Superintendent Wade said, “Admittedly, some students may not receive adequate supervision during this time. Which most likely also occurs before and after school on other days as well.” Overall, the two districts (Osborne and Manhattan-Ogden) believe that taking the time to work on student needs issues or KESA/ MTSS items can be a difficult task, but it can be done if it is properly executed. “It is hard work - not everyone wants to collaborate,” Hall said. “Not everyone wants to change. Not everyone likes each other enough to want to sit down with them, even if the work is important. It is hard to convince the community that it is valuable. A school board has to be willing to take a chance and teachers must publicly support the effort. It takes quite a while to see results. Districts are encouraged to be innovative and ‘think out of the box.’ Unfortunately, failures in the name of change are not always treated with kindness and understanding. So, it takes courage.”
NHS conducts fundraiser for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Mackenzie Ringquist @kenzieringquist Intro Reporter During the Morris/Stephens Tournament Lincoln’s National Honor Society (NHS) held a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Students sold raffle tickets during the basketball tournament along with the annual Pennies for Patients Fundraiser which is just free will donation. With the addition of the raffle this year, a lot more people participated and it went over much
better than the coin fundraiser. “I enjoy doing this fundraiser because it’s a good cause and this year it was a lot more work setting up the two fundraisers but it was worth it.” NHS President Amanda Wollesen said. Lincoln High School made over $300 from the raffle and an estimated $50 from the penny fundraiser. The National Honor Society will be donating an extra $100 to LLS in Plainville’s name because they won the competition between schools participating in the tournament. “We have been participating in
this for 5 or 6 years now, it is a good cause,” NHS Sponsor Cody Wolting said. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission is to cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease, Myeloma, and to improve the lives of patients and their families. “I think it had good participation and it was good for all of the schools to come together for a good cause.” Maruby McQueen said.
LJSHS Students of the Month
Wrestler to go to state
Libby Huskey December
Amanda Wollesen January
Dylan Babcock February
LJSHS faculty vote monthly for the student of the month. Tra Barrientes (far right), a Sylvan-Lucas Unified freshman wrestler for the Lincoln wrestling team received forth place at the 3-2-1A Hoisington Regional Meet. Barrientes will compete at the state meet at FHSU on February 23-24. (Photo courtesy of Nate Naasz)
TF
Kae Hayworth
TEACHER FEATURE
Where did you go to high school? Clay County Community High School Where did you attend college? 4 years at Marymount College of Kansas. I
Libby was nominated for being extremely hardworking and very nice to everyone.
BOE (from page 2)
it. During the meeting finances were discussed. Currently, the foundation has just under $15,000 earning an interest of 1.85 percent in a Certificate of Deposit at Citizens State Bank. Dan Metz suggested that the foundation work with the Post Rock Community Foundation to combine funds in order to increase the interest earnings for the foundation. Robertson is trying to organize another meeting and is planning to have the foundation meet on the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. Robertson is still calling community members and is also planning to look for representatives from each the elementary and high school to join the foundation. The foundation is wanting to change their brochure and adopt a new mission and goals. In the future, the foundation is also planning to meet with the Alumni Association and change their by-laws. Breneman asked member David Bell, whom is a part of the foundation, to give a report at each meeting to keep the BOE updated on the progress of the foundation. Bell agreed to the request. Robertson stated that she has asked Greta Obermueller to take notes at the meetings that the foundation has held to date; however the foundation is planning to nominate and select a secretary to take over those
Cassandra Aleshire @aleshire_cass
What is your degree in?
Extras Editor
B.A. in Art Education K-12
This year is my 28th year of teaching.
How many years have you taught?
What made you want to be a teacher?
My high school art teacher.
What’s the best part of teaching? I enjoy working with students and giving them new knowledge.
Fun Fact:
My family and I like to go camping and do sports activities.
Something people don’t know about me: My kids and I like to watch Dr. Who and Once Upon a Time.
Death (noun), the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of life of a person or organism. Have you ever wondered what happens to your body after you die? Body farms help scientists study the decomposing body to help further our knowledge. You are most likely asking yourself What IS a body farm?. Body farms are research facilities where decomposing bodies can be studied in different areas. Some bodies may decompose outside touching the ground with exposure to a certain kind of fly larva. Other bodies are put into essentially trash bags and studied like that. The main purpose of body farms is to have a better understanding of the changes that occur after we die. The first body farm started in the United States is in Knoxville, Tennessee at the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility. Dr. William M. Bass first started the so called body farm
Dylan was nominated for being a very serviceminded person and always going above & beyond in his classes and in his extra curriculars.
duties and potentially a president, vice-president, and treasurer. Superintendent Robertson gave her report. Robertson stated that the 2017-2018 property tax notice was published as it was required by law due to the increase of LOB mils caused by a decrease of carryover from the 2016-2017 to the 2017-2018 school year. The state requires school districts to maintain the same funding levels from year to year in order to receive the same amount of money from the Kansas Department of Education. If the LOB carryover continues to decrease the districts mils will continue to increase as the school district has to have the same amount of money. Robertson informed the BOE that the LES boilers were running well and that there have been no problems with the cold weather. District maintenance employee, Dennis Pittenger, has brought to Robertson’s attention that the LJSHS gym lights have been left on overnight by community members. LJSHS Principal Christi Walter has put up signs to remind community members to turn the lights off before they leave the building. If this does not work, Robertson and Pittenger have decided that it would be best to install timers on the lights. The LJSHS weight/wrestling
What are body farms?
got my degree at Kansas Wesleyan.
Amanda was nominated for going around and stacking chairs after lunches without being asked to do so.
in 1981. Dr. Bass was an official state forensic anthropologist for Tennessee and often was consulted about police cases that involved human remains that had decomposed. After many cases he decided that we needed to be able to study decomposing bodies in different situations to have a better understanding when these cases arise in the legal world. Being able to study decomposing bodies in a controlled environment would allow us to calculate many thing such as time of death. If you are thinking that a body farm is essential a field with a hundred bodies lying around on the ground in various stages of decomposition, you’re not completely wrong. The body farm in Knoxville is a 2.5 acre wooded plot with razor wire fence. Here you can see bodies that have been left in the trunk of a car, much like Casey Anthony’s daughter was for a period of time, and others that are submerged in water. Records of how fast the body decays and insect activity are kept. As a result of these farms we have gained a tremendous amount of data and
see BOE page 6
knowledge to help us with forensic cases. In total there are seven body farms located in the United States. At Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, their body farm studies the decomposition in a mountain habitat and helps train cadaver dogs. At Texas State University they have had a problem expanding their research facility due to a public concern of circling vultures. Since this concern the facility has decided to embrace the vultures and allow them scavenge on human remains so they can further their studies. At Sam Houston State University they have a building that is very similar to a morgue. It has cooler and freezer units with equipment like you would use in a morgue. Here you are once again able to see how bodies decompose with different climates. In Colorado Mesa University many of the remains go through the desiccation process fast. Mesa received their first body in November of 2013, 32 years after the first body farm was opened. Every year over 100 bodies are donated to body farms. There are currently over 1300 pre-registrations.
TIMELINE: FATAL SCHOOL SCHOOTINGS SINCE COLUMBINE Jan. 3, 2007 Henry Foss High School
April 20, 1999 Columbine Feb. 29, 2000 High School Buell Elementary Littleton, Colorado School
March 21, 2005 Red Lake High School
Flint, Michigan
2000
March 5, 2001 Santana High School Santee, California
Deming Middle School
Lake Worth Middle School
Nov. 19, 1999
May 29, 2000
Deming, New Mexico
April 24, 2003 Red Lion
2002
Sept. 27, 2006 Platte Canyon High School
Red Lake, Minnesota
Oxnard, California
Nov. 13, 2008 Dillard High School
Bailey Colorado
Jr. High School
2004
Red Lion, Pennsylvania
John McDonogh High School
Lake Worth, Florida
Feb. 12, 2008 E. O. Green Jr. High School
Tacoma, Washington
2006
Campbell County High School
New Orleans, Louisiana
Jacksboro, Tennessee
April 14, 2003 Rocori High School
Nov. 8, 2005
2008
Weston High School
SuccessTech Academy
Sept. 29, 2006
Oct. 10, 2007
Cazenovia, Wisconsin
Cleveland, Ohio
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Central High School
Knoxville, Tennessee
Aug. 21, 2008
Cold Spring, Minnesota
Sept. 24, 2003
West Nickel Mines School
Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
Oct. 2, 2006
Q&A “I don’t know what I would do until the situation was upon us.”
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THERE WAS AN ACTIVE SHOOTER IN THE SCHOOL?
“I would get as many people away safely.” Hillary Holeman
Kenzie Romburg
“I would hide.” Angelina Vazquez
“Lock the door, turn the lights off and get people away from the door.”
“I would find a way to get out of the school and to my pickup.” Sean Obermueller
“I would run and hide.” Dalton Cooper
Cody Wolting
“Stay in one spot under a table.”
“I would hide.” Kohl McBride
Aubrey Barleen
Paige McBride
“I would “Try to leave out a probably window or hide some door.” place.” Sarah Cagle
“Listen to what the teacher tells me to do.”
“Run out the door.” Samual Huehl
Marissa Winters
Mass Shooting Quiz 1. How many people have died from mass shootings in 2018 from January 1st to February 15th in America? A. 10 B. 18 C. 58 D 45 2. How many mass shootings have there been from January 1st to February 15th in America? A. 10 B. 41 C. 38 D. 32 3. On an average day about how many Americans are killed with guns? A. 96 B. 100 C. 50 D. 25 4. How many children and teens (age 19 or under) are killed with guns in the U.S. on an average day? A. 2 B. 6 C. 10 D. 7 5. How many people in America are shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, and police intervention? A. 315 B. 215 C. 115 D. 35 6. In America, in one year, on average; how many people die from gun violence? A. 20,230 B. 10,485 C. 33,880 D. 46.468 7. True or False There have been more than 1,500 mass shootings since Sandy Hook in December of 2012. 8. True or False States with tighter gun control laws have fewer gun-related deaths. 9. True or False On average, there is more than one mass shooting for each day in America. 10. True or False Police are more likely to be killed in homicides in states with more guns 1. C, 2. B, 3. A, 4. D, 5. A, 6. C, 7. True, 8. True, 9. True, 10. True
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United States Mass Shootings In 2018
N A
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24
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Nov. 29, 2010 Marinette High School
May 18, 2009 Larose-Cut Off Middle School
March 6, 2012 Episcopal School of Jacksonville
2010
Discovery Middle School
Madison, Alabama
Feb. 5, 2010 Millard South High School
2012
April 10, 2017 Jan. 23, 2018 North Park Marshall County Elementary School High School
Oct. 24, 2014 Marysville Pilchuck High School
Centennial, Colorado
Jacksonville, Florida
Marinette, Wisconsin
Larose, Louisiana
Dec. 13, 2013 Arapahoe High School
San Bernardino, California
Marshall County, Kentucky
April 10, 2017 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Parkland, Florida
Marysville, Washington
Oct. 21, 2013 Sparks Middle School
Sept. 9, 2016 Alpine High School
2014
Sparks, Nevada
2016 Alpine, Texas
Chardon High School
Reynolds High School
Independence High School
Feb. 27, 2012
June 10, 2014
Feb. 12, 2016
Chardond, Ohio
Troutdale, Oregon
Glendale, Arizona
2018
= 1 fatality
Freeman High School
Rockford, Washington
Sept. 13, 2017
Omaha, Nebraska
Jan. 5, 2011
Antigo High School
Aztec High School
Antigo, Wisconsin
Aztec, New Mexico
April 23, 2016
Sandy Hook Elementary School
Timeline consists of only United States elementary, junior/middle, and high schools. Injured survivors of each shooting are not incorporated in timeline.
Dec. 7, 2017
Newtown, Connecticut
Dec. 14, 2012
What if your child didn’t come home? Joseph Foulke @joey_gm Photo Editor
Every night Brian Cope laid his son’s socks out for the next day which he had always done. On January 23 of 2018, this routine was forever broken. At 8:57am, 15 year old Gabe Parker walked into Marshall County High School and started firing, killing two of his classmates, Preston Cope and Bailey Holt. Preston’s Parents got to the scene just as he was being taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. They had to bear witness to their child lying motionless on a stretcher with his head wrapped in bandages with just enough time to tell there son that they loved him and that he was a good son. This was the last time they would see their son alive. In route, 15 year old Preston Cope succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head and hand. Bailey Holt’s parents were not so lucky, when they arrived to the scene all they saw was their daughters lifeless body. They were too late to say goodbye. During the chaos Bailey called her mom but all her mother could hear were the cries and shouts of the fleeing and wounded. She couldn’t hear her daughters voice. Bailey died trying to call her mother. She laid there dying on the cold tile floor trying with all her last strength to call her mother one last time.
Gabe Parker was a monster that ripped flesh and families apart. In his rampage, Gabe Parker took the lives of two 15 year old classmates and injured 18 more in a school with the words “Respect”, “Humility”, “Fairness” plastered on the walls. How could something so atrocious happen in such a virtuous place? The thing is, it barely broke news. Two children were savagely murdered and all they got out of the president and politicians were a couple tweets sending their condolences. As of February 1st of 2018, there has already been six school shootings. In the past three months the only federal bill passed regarding firearms was to loosen restrictions on concealed carry permits. We have the highest gun violence rate of any developed country in the world. This is why we are the laughing stock of the world. They look at us and see our children being slaughtered in school, the one place that’s supposed to be safe if not anywhere else, and they watch as we sit back and do jack about it. Have we completely lost our common sense and decency? How many children do we have to bury before we decide enough is enough? I’m sure if your kid was the one laying on the ground in a puddle of their own blood, you would probably be outraged as to how this could happen; so why is it any different when it is someone else’s child. There are still mothers and fathers out there that are hurting because we keep turning a blind eye to their tragedies. We sit here and do nothing and wonder why shootings
are still happening and why they are becoming more and more common. We watch as shooting after shooting flashes over our screens and we don’t even flinch anymore because we have become so accustomed to them, that it is just second nature to us. We sit idly by as our shopping centers, schools, concerts, and any other place of gathering becomes ground zero for mass shootings. We see children dying every other day and don’t even think twice about it.We have lost what makes us human. We have lost empathy for one another. We don’t care if someone’s child gets killed. After all we didn’t know them so why should we care? We just keep giving hollow condolences and do nothing to solve the issue. What will it take for us to wake up to the fact that these shooting aren’t going away; we need to fix the problem before more children suffer the same fate. We need to think about saving our children first and worry about having our guns later. No innocent person deserves to be gunned down let alone a child. We need to face the facts. We have a major gun problem. Yes there is other things at play such as mental health issues but nonetheless there is a problem in our country when children can be gunned down and nobody gives it a second thought. Someday it might be you that sends your kid out into the world and they don’t come back. Are you really willing to gamble you own child’s life?
LJSHS, sheriff proactive with active shooter procedures Libby Huskey For The Leopard Prowl In 2018 alone, there have been more than a dozen school shootings. A total of 14 shootings have occurred on school campuses across the United States, as of February 1. The sound of gunfire in American schools used to be shocking and rare. Now it seems to be happening all of the time. As more and more shootings occur, school administrators and law enforcement across the country are taking steps to prepare citizens for the worst situations. “I think it’s always good to be proactive in any circumstance,” Superintendent Kathy Robertson said. “I think it’s just good for people to know. The more you can be in a proactive stance, the better off you’ll be in any situation.”
As often as we hear about school shootings, this news tends to lose its capacity to shock. Many have the mentality that in such a rural community, these kinds of situations never occur. This is hardly the case. Less than a month ago, on January 23rd at 7:57 a.m., a school shooting occurred in the small town of Benton, Kentucky. Two students were killed and 18 others were wounded when a 15-year-old boy armed with a handgun opened fire. This all happened in a town with a population of 4,300. This only goes to show that shootings can occur in any size of school and in any type of community. “A plan is crucial,” Lincoln County Sheriff Mike Weigel said. “Law enforcement trains and has a plan on how they will respond and it is important to work with school
administrators and staff to understand how that response will be handled.” In Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School, we have lockdown procedures for active shooting situations. This plan allows for students to be in a secure area, away from the violence. As for stopping the perpetrator, that is left to law enforcement. “In the last 18 years, Law Enforcement and the public have witnessed an alarming rise in mass and school shootings,” Weigel said. “I have never been involved in an active shooter situation, and I hope I never will be. We train, prepare and hope they never happen.” USD 298 will be working with the Lincoln County Sheriff during the Feb. 19 inservice to update the districts active shooter procedures to match current standards and trends.
Different perspective: Guns don’t kill Cassandra Aleshire @aleshire_cass Extras Editor
Have you ever seen a gun get up by itself and just shoot someone? No? Neither have I. Going off the logic that “guns kill people” is nonsense, as the famous saying goes “People kill people”. I’m sure you have heard about all the reasons that guns are horrible, that not having a more strict gun control causes mass shootings. I wish it was that simple, that taking away guns from everyone would eliminate school shootings like
Columbine and Sandy Hook or mass shooting like the Las Vegas shooting back in October of 2017; but that simply is not the case. In rural Lincoln County Kansas most families have guns, I know my family does. With living out in the country you never know what’s going to happen. Oftentimes thieves think that houses in the country are easy targets to rob. Because of this, I feel much safer having a gun to protect myself and my family. Who would win, a five foot six girl with a baseball bat or a six foot four man with the intent to rob, kill and stay out of jail? What about all the wild animals that roam
the county? How will I protect myself from a rabid coyote running full speed towards me? I have often heard people ask “Well why does one person need so many guns?” It’s like clothing, you have clothes you wear to dress up, you have clothes to wear when getting dirty, and you have clothes you wear when working out. Different guns are used for different purposes. Could you imagine going dove hunting with a handgun? Your family would starve if that happened! Many of those with a large number of guns collect them; my grandfather is one of those people. Guns can get fairly expensive depending
on the type and the year it was made. They are also great collateral. Though I do feel that we should be allowed to have guns, I do respect the fact that sometimes the wrong people get guns. No law can prevent someone from getting a gun when we have the black market. Just look at drugs, they are illegal yet so many people are arrested on a daily basis for possessing drugs. To end this controversial topic, be responsible. Make your children take hunter safety and if you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or others, get help.
= 1 Mass Shooting 12
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Opinions
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
LEOPARD VOICES
From Iceland to Lincoln
Students speak their minds on current events.
Should recreational marijuana be legal in Kansas?
“Yes, because it has good medical uses..” - Paige McBride, 9
Birta Hauksdottir @birtaarut Adjusting to America Since September 7 I have been in Lincoln, Kansas, it has been like a rollercoaster ride. It hasn’t been as difficult to adjust
“No, just no.” - Derek Feldkamp, 9
“It should be because it can help with depression and help with cancer.” - Amber Hackett, 9
“No, because it doesn’t help with anything.” - Dillon Baxter, 9
“No, because it causes problems with people’s heads and the way they react.” - Jordan Lyne, 10
“No, because people would use it for the wrong reasons.” -Yani Wolfe, 10
“Heck nah. It being illegal doesn’t stop anyone anways.” - Chantz Vath, 10
noticed between Iceland and the United States is how nice the people are here, it’s amazing how many little acts of kindness can make a difference in society overall. Also, the food here is different from Iceland, of course Lincoln doesn’t have as good of fish as we do, but they have good meat instead. There are not as many fast food places in Iceland as in America. I love McDonalds and Applebee’s, and we don’t have either one in Iceland. The school system is different. We have different classes everyday not like here when you have the same classes everyday every hour. It took me a few days to get used to that but I think having the same classes everyday is better than
the system in Iceland. We also don’t have the same grades. We are in kindergarten for 4 years, elementary school for 10 years and then junior college of some kind for at least three years if not longer. Junior college is not required and neither is university but if you want to expand your education, you go to both. There are not a lot of things I miss from Iceland, mostly just my family, friends, the Mountains and of course the ocean. Since the first month of being here I have always gotten really sad when I think that I have to leave this place one day, although I’m leaving in the end of June. I think that it didn’t take me a long time to adjust because of all the nice people in this town and I am really thankful for that.
Children should get their vaccinations
Cassandra Aleshire @aleshire_cass Extras Editor
Remember when you were younger and almost every time you went to the doctor you got a shot or two? Inside those shots were vaccines that prevent us from getting illnesses that are almost obsolete like whooping cough, mumps and polio. You are also vaccinated for other diseases like hepatitis (A & B), influenza, human papillomavirus and tetanus. Less than a hundred years ago, the life expectancy was less than 50 years. Now the life expectancy is around 80 years old; that’s 30 more years than before. You may be asking yourself why this has changed so much in a relatively short amount of time. There is truly a simple answer for this, vaccinations. What are vaccines? Vaccines are a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular disease, according to Wikipedia. To break this
down, vaccines are made of a very weak or dead germ that can causes diseases. These germs are injected into the body to allow antibodies to form so if you ever come in contact with the flu, HPV or even hep B, your body can fight back so you won’t get those things and even if you do get them, it won’t be as severe. As a parent you have many decisions to make that will impact your child’s life. To some, the cons of vaccines outweigh the pros. The biggest argument anti-vaxxers have is that vaccines cause autism. Anti-vaxxers claim that there is no proof that vaccines have not caused autism. Though we can never be a hundred percent sure about anything, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a list of over 40 studies proving that there is no correlation between vaccines and autism. The next biggest argument anti-vaxxers have is the right to decide. Anti-vaxxers believe that they should have the freedom to choose if their child is vaccinated or not. When it is the parents’ right, is it truly
the best thing to do for your child and the well-being of millions of other children? A child who is not vaccinated could harm many other children that are. If a five-yearold child goes to school and gives a child who has been vaccinated a disease, that child could then take the disease home and spread it to his or her younger siblings that have not yet been vaccinated due to age and cause them great danger. The child’s younger siblings could become deadly ill because they were exposed to a disease they shouldn’t have been at such a young age. The child who was not vaccinated broke what is called “herd immunity”. With so many children not being vaccinated diseases that have been almost nonexistent are coming back stronger than ever. Many children who have been vaccinated are getting sick because of those who aren’t. Vaccines have been proven to work and prevent 2-3 million deaths per year. “Vaccines are the tugboat of preventative health” William Foege said.
Keep net neutrality; save our internet
Amanda Wollesen @ALWollesen7 Reviews Columnist
“Yes, because it could be used as a perscription drug in some cases.” - Cheyenne Perez, 10
to Lincoln as I thought it would be. Before I came I had to take a course about what to expect and there, I was told not to have any expectations and just enjoy my time here because it’s going to change my life forever. So I tried to come here open minded and I think that it helped a lot. Also in this course, I was told that foreign exchange students go to different countries to teach people about our culture to try to make the world a better place. I feel as though I have tried to do this the best I can, and hopefully some good has come from me being here. Lincoln, Kansas has been like a dream. Thanks to all the teachers, kids and people in the community. The main difference that I´ve
Page 6
You may not know what net neutrality is, but you should, and you should care about it being gone if you care about having equal speeds and access to websites or apps across the internet. Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers must treat all data on the Internet the same, and not discriminate or charge differently by user, content, website,
platform, application, type of attached equipment, or method of communication. On December 14, 2017 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal the Open Internet Order which granted net neutrality. This change is important because it means that internet service providers (such as Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast) are now able to speed up, slow down, and filter what you get to see on the internet or in your app store. For example, if you have
Netflix, which streams movies and television shows from the internet but is not owned by an internet provider, you have internet from Comcast. Comcast, which owns NBC, can now slow down your access to Netflix and speed up your access to an NBC streaming service. For a company like Netflix, this isn’t that big of a deal, they can pay Comcast to stream their service equally but for a new startup company, they won’t have that financial stability to pay these huge companies.
If you’re asking, “Well this vote was in December, why haven’t I noticed anything different?”, these changes are not immediate, many will take years to have an effect on you, but by then, it will be too late. Unless you voice your opinions about this issue now, congressmen and women will view net neutrality as a non issue when in reality, it will affect much of our day-to-day lives. Please act before it’s too late.
BOE
(from page 3) “No, even though some may think it is safer than other drugs, it can still impair your judgement.” - Eileen Beckmeyer, 11
“No, because it’s a drug.” - Connor O’Hare, 11
“Yeah, it doesn’t affect alcohol.” - Bristol McBride, 11
“Yes, because THC has been proven to help cancer patients.” - Dalton Street, 11
“Yes, for medical reasons.” - Jonathan Ahring 12
“No, it can cause more problems than solutions” - Mackenzie Lyne, 12
“Yes, for medical because it can calm people.” - Baily Zachgo, 12
“Recreational shouldn’t but medical should..” - Kenzie Romesburg, 12
JUNIOR HIGH JIVE
Do you care if you get good grades or not? Why or Why not? "Yes, because if I don’t "Yes, because my I won’t be able to play parents would not like sports." it if I had bad grades." - Brayson Y. - Gabe F.
"Yes, because of sports." - Zach R.
"Yes, I do so I can get "Yes, because I would "Yes, because I don’t a good job." die if I didn’t." - Jaxson R. want to get yelled at by - Reagan S. my parents." - Sydnie N. "Yes. If I didn’t, my parents would take my phone away." - Alyssa B.
"Yes, because in this day in age, without good grades, you go nowhere in life." - Cody B.
"Yes, I care because I want to have a good future after highschool." - Addie W.
Tales from the Inside
room will be closed until April 2 and the LJSHS gym is closed for Lincoln Recreation basketball practice on Sundays until 7 p.m. starting January 14 through February 18. The LJSHS gym will also be closed on Saturdays until 7 p.m. for Lincoln Recreation basketball games starting January 27 through February 24. This information is all located on the districts website. Walter has put the sexual education curriculum on the LHS Site Council agenda for the meeting that is to occur in February. Street Plumbing Heating and Electric’s quote to remove the existing LES boiler that is leaking is $30,710. However their bid did not include a new burner assembly. The other bids that the district acquired included the replacement of the burner assemblies. Since the boiler is currently working, the district will not proceed on acquiring a new boiler. The annual Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Dinner is Saturday, February 17. PhD Rick A. Bright, Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Preparedness for Response for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be the guest speaker. Robertson stated that she will not be able to attend the meeting and asked that if there were any BOE members that were able to attend, to represent the district, to let her know. Prior to the February board meeting, all newly re-elected board members have to go to the county clerk office to be sworn in and sign the new oath; if not completed upon the february meeting the member(s) will no longer be able to participate in executive session. January 2018 is School Board Recognition Month. Robertson thanked the board for what they do. LES Principal, Steve Koch, presented his principal’s report. The LES Christmas music program was held on Monday, December 18, 2017. Vocal teacher, Jennifer Feldkamp, directed the concert. Some extra time was given to students to practice their music in the classrooms. Koch pointed out that the sound system is becoming weak. The AR Fall reward party was held on Wednesday, December 20, 2017. 32 students from the third through sixth grades earned
see BOE page 7
Opinions
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Urge doesn’t equal consent
Why can’t we work together?
At a young age, boys are taught that if you want it, you can have it. We are taught that we don’t need permission in order to have it all. Consent is a option; an essecive, trivial obligation that is more or less a moot topic. We are raised with the belief that we are superior to our female counterparts. We are taught that the female body is nothing more than a playground that is ment for our enjoyment. Boys are raised to sexualize the female body. This mindset is what leads many men to believe that they are entitled to a woman’s body even if consent is not given. Why as a society do we continue to think that this way of thinking is acceptable or even tolerable. At a young age women are taught to hide themselves. To cover themselves with cloth to protect their body from prying eyes and predators. Women are forced to hide in order to protect themselves. Why do we tell females that they need to hide their bodies so that men, (who for some reason can’t keep their hand to themselves and mind their own bodies) don’t attack them? We don’t tell boys in school to cover their shoulders and collarbones and legs so that they don’t “distract” our female peers from learning. We tell women that they need to protect themselves from men but why aren’t men taught to keep their hands to themselves and to self control? Joseph Foulke One in four women and one in six men will be sexualy asaulted in their lifetime. One in six women and one @joey_gm in thirty three men will experience rape in the lifetime. Really America? Why have we as a society made it ok for someone to rape or sexualy assault someone and just get a slap on the wrist? Brock Turner, a Stanford student who sexually assaulted an unconscious 22 year old women after a fraternity party, was given a 6 month sentence for a crime that usually carries at least a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. Not only did he defile an unconscious female be he also had the audacity to appeal for a lesser sentence as if the lenient sentence wasn’t good enough. Why have we built a culture that thinks that it is ok to take a person’s body against their will and get away with it? For those of you who think that many of the reported cases of sexual assault and rape are false, of all the cases reported only 2% of them are found to be false. That is the same percent as other major violent crimes in the US. Sexual assault is the least often reported violent crime in America. A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that only 28% of sexual assaults are reported. 43% of which were not reported because the victim thought that nothing would be done. We have created a rape culture that makes it socially acceptable to rape and sexually assault people and get away with it with very little to no repercussions. We need to build a culture that teaches boys that they aren’t entitled to everything. No is a valid answer and if the other person is incapacitated in any way, that they don’t have free will over their body. Women shouldn’t have to live their lives hiding under clothes, protecting themselves from people who can’t control their desires. Clothes don’t rape; rapists rape. If a person doesn’t have the willpower or the decency to mind their own body then they have no place in today’s society. Victims didn’t ask to have their bodies violated. They didn’t provoke their attacker. They shouldn’t be scrutinized for what they were wearing or how intoxicated they were. There should be no more “well they were drunk” or “they we asking for it”. No means no. “Rape is one of the most terrible crimes on earth and it happens every few minutes. The problem with groups who deal with rape is that they try to educate women about how to defend themselves. What really needs to be done is teaching men not to rape. Go to the source and start there.” - Kurt Cobain
The federal government shutdown that occurred in mid-January caused much controversy between both the Democrats and Republicans. While I can understand the reasoning behind January’s shutdown, I believe that Congress should have to forfeit their pay for the many problems that happened because of their unwillingness to work together. Shutdowns cause national museums, parks and monuments to close down; government employees (other than the president, presidential appointees, members of Congress, the Postal Service, the TSA and Air Traffic Control) are told to go home, some without pay and some with delayed pay; the government loses economic activity (money); members of the military potentially lose pay, even if reporting to duty; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is closed down, which means gun permits cannot be given out until the shutdown is over. The border security issues and problems with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that were stressed by Republicans and Democrats in January (the issues that caused the shutdown) were items that needed to be discussed. Our Congress needs to develop a compromise that will allow for additional border security in order to decrease the Dylan Babcock number of undocumented immigrants that enter our @Dylan_Babcock99 country; in turn, the children affected by DACA Dylan’s Deliberations should be allowed to stay in America, as they can’t help that their parent(s) brought them to our country illegally...they were too young to have voice in that decision. However, it should be highly encouraged for them to gain their citizenship status. To get back on track though...those issues that were stressed so much shouldn’t have gotten in the way of Congress’ decision on the budget and how to keep America “open.” It was selfish of the Democrats to demand a solution on DACA before voting on a government funding bill. I feel that the Democrats did this just so they could blame the Republicans for the shutdown. This is disgusting...our government shouldn’t be so divided that it has to be shut down just because “they did this” and “well, they did that.” Our politicians are being so childish ‒ pointing fingers at each other ‒ and they need to stop. Sadly, another short government shutdown occurred a few weeks ago because of arguments between the two parties. If their rebuttals continue, our country could very easily face more shutdowns throughout the year. Not only are these government shutdowns affecting many people and entities with our country, it is also sending a message to other countries around the world. You have to admit that we are living in a scary world right now; there are countries in this world that could easily attack America if they wanted to. The message that we are sending to those countries are that we are at a point of weakness. This is an awful message to send to the rest of the world. The United States should be one the strongest countries and should be seen by all others as “the greatest nation in the world;” however, we can’t uphold to that unless we find a way to compromise.
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Why is college so expensive? Carson Walter @CarsonLeigh10 Features Editor
No matter how much knowledge you have or don’t have on college, we all agree on one thing: it is expensive. The cost of college tuition has risen tremendously from the late 1900s. In 1980, the average cost of tuition, room and board, and fees at a four-year-post-secondary institution (a four year college) was $9,438. The average cost of tuition and fees for the 2017–2018 school year was $34,740 at private colleges, $9,970 for state residents at public colleges, and $25,620 for out-of-state residents attending public universities. Why has the price risen so much? There are many different reasons.
BOE (from page 6)
the swimming party at the YMCA in Salina. Over 70 students from kindergarten through second grade earned the ice cream party award. The sixth grade Christmas assembly was held on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. The assembly went well and the band was directed by band teacher, Quenana Liggett. Annie Dohl, instructor for the Post Rock Dance Academy, invited JR Liggett from the Salina Community Theater to look over the LES stage, make suggestions, and provide the school with contacts for up-dating the stage. Koch invited Mark Warner from Great Plains Theater in Abilene to look over the stage as well. Warner is putting together some information and quotes for updating. The LES stage projects would be a grant-funded project. The Lincoln County Spelling Bee was to be held on Wednesday, January 31 at the Sylvan-Lucas High School gym. The elementary school was to be gaining at least eight new students with the possibly of 15 new students. Koch stated that Dennis Pittenger discovered that the 120-gallon hot water storage tank was leaking on Saturday, December 31. The tank is only two years old with a five-year warranty. Pittenger called a couple service men. Bruce with B&B came to the elementary school on Monday, January 1, took the information and called Salina Supply to have a new tank installed. The new tank was installed on January 2 and it will pick up the remaining three years of the warranty. LJSHS Principal, Christi Walter, presented her principal’s report. The winter sports seasons are in full swing. The junior high basketball season was to be ending after their league tournament in Mankato at the end of January. The high school Morris/ Stephens Basketball Tournament was a success in December. Walter thanked all of those who helped with or organized the tournament. The high school boys basketball team players are reading to the LES kindergarten students on game days; Walter stated that this has been a wonderful experience. High school wrestling did not have many meets in December but were to be having a busy January. LJSHS band and vocal took students on separate occasions to the Lincoln Park Manor to perform Christmas music to the residents. The last day before Winter Break, students were let out at 1 p.m. During that morning students volunteered to go to Lincoln Park Manor to make crafts with the residents. Some high school students delivered Meals on Wheels on that day. Students on the last day before break were split into three groups to rotate through watching movies, doing a downtown Christmas carol scavenger hunt, and playing games in the gym. With donated funds, Walter was able to purchase blue t-shirts through Paw Print for all the LJSHS students. The front of the t-shirts have “We Are” printed on them and the backs have “Lincoln” printed on them. The shirts were wrapped and handed to students after lunch. All students then took a photo with the shirts on. BOE Member, Debora Zachgo, gave the Lincoln Recreation Commission report. The commission was to next meet Wednesday, January 3. The last day to enroll in youth basketball was Friday, January 5. Joe Biggs was helping Rec Director, Jessica Clay, host a kindergarten through sixth grade basketball camp on Saturday, January 6. The first Lincoln Rec youth basketball games were to be held on January 27 and the high school’s Paw Print made the t-shirts for the teams. This year, there’s little dribblers for the younger kids on Sundays. Zachgo stated that Clay was moving forward with the frisbee golf course project. The
One of the mains reasons is loss of state support. As the years have passed, there has been less and less support (money) from the state. Even though states budgets have risen since the 1960s, amount spent on each student has dropped. The college’s have to compensate that lost money through the cost of tuition. Another reason is the availability of student loans and scholarships. If a student has decided that they want attend college, it has become almost a requirement to earn loans and scholarships so they aren’t in debt their entire life. Along with the scholarships students receive from many different places and people, they also receive scholarships from the college itself. They might be using a tactic when they offer a student a scholarship. For example, if a college tuition costs $50,000, and that college offers a student a scholarship that will pay
baskets have been purchased and Clay was planning to meet with City Superintendent, Jesse Meyer, to outline the paths of the course. Robertson shared information to the board about a KASB policy update. The 2017 Kansas Legislature made changes to the Kansas Open Meetings Act and House Bill 203 The BOE learned that Fred Malicoat, an engineer hired by the district, will be at the February board meeting to make his recommendations for the LES HVAC. BOE member, David Bell, requested information about a four-day workweek at the December board meeting. Information was handed out to the board members. The calendar committee is going to send out a survey to the staff with two options. One option is for a half day each month and the other option is for one full day per month. The time would be spent for workday time and it is not for cutting costs. The request is for time to address all the requirements and needs that the schools currently do not have time for. The two main concerns are MTSS and KESA. The board did not have any questions at the meeting and the topic was to be brought up as a discussion item again at the February board meeting. At the board’s request, Koch had two surveys about three-year-old preschool programming distributed by the kindergarten to second grade teachers, through the Parents-As-Teachers program, and at the Lincoln County Health Department. Results of the surveys showed that parents seem interested in a three-yearold preschool program more than a daycare service. Since the program would have to be self-sufficient financially, at this time, a three-year-old preschool is not possible. The district does not have the funds for a building and the current buildings do not have enough additional space available. The district would need funds for hiring additional staff, utilities, and food service. On December 13, 2017, the District Leadership Team spent all day meeting to complete the KESA year 1 and 2 notebook requirements. The building staff and/ or Building Leadership Teams had to come up with two goals and plans for the goals before the end of January. The date of the LHS Academic Banquet (to be held on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 ) was approved. The 2:30 dismissal for the Lincoln High School Forensics Invitational Meet on March 12, 2018 was approved. The acception of a $500 donation from Insurance Planning was approved. The maintenance job description was approved. The custodian job description was approved with the elimination of the wording “Full Range of Motion.” The acception of restitution funds for USD 298 of $43.55 from the District Court of Lincoln County was approved. The increase of the mileage reimbursement rate to the new IRS level of 54.5 cents per mile from 53.5 cents per mile was approved. The board went into executive session with Superintendent, Kathy Robertson, and LJSHS Principal, Christi Walter, for 25 minutes to discuss personnel matters. The board extended the executive session by 10 minutes to include LES Principal, Steve Koch. Following executive session, the acception of the resignation of Mindy Wiebke as Lincoln Junior High Head Girls Basketball Coach was approved. The meeting was adjourned at 9:18 p.m.
off 50% of their tuition, the college will then receive $25,000. That is still quite a bit of money while “flattering” the student with that scholarship, and helped sway their decision in their college choice. Giving a student a scholarship isn’t the only way they try to convince them to enroll. They also do that through advertisement. The current recruitment for higher education is $10 billion a year. You can infer where they get their money from. Incoming students. Colleges require a lot of staff members. Not only professors, but janitorial staff, coaches, ect. Not only do they have to give a paycheck to lots of staff members, the paychecks have expanded.
Things to help you procrastinate
Page 7 Hoorays There is only one semester left until I graduate and get to move on to college where I’ll have much harder classes yaaaaaaayyyyyyyy. We didn’t have school on the 19th of February, but I would trade that for the 4-day weekend we had from the 13th16th of January anyday. So I just finished watching Stranger Things 2 last week (almost 4 months after it was released, I know I’m trash), and now I just want another season!!!! p.s. you reallyyyyy need to watch this show. I’ve had my phone for more than a year and a half and I have managed to not break it!!!!! Not saying I haven’t dropped it, I mean, I’ve definitely done that…..a lot. Sooooo scholarships ahahaha, those are fun to think about when you wanna be super stressed about deadlines and completing things on time. I’ve been going to physical therapy for almost eight months now and I gotta say, even though they’re super nice people, it’s gonna be nice not having to go there and see their faces 2+ times a week :)..........p.s. Note the correct uses of they’re, there, and their ;)
Boo-hoos It’s 2018 and this year kicked off with our President tweeting about how he has a bigger nuclear button than Kim Jong Un….. happy new year everybody. I have waaaaaaay too many t-shirts. Don’t get me wrong, PawPrint is doing a good job making shirts but I just need to stop thinking that I need every single one of them.
Amanda Wollesen @ALWollesen7 The Binge List 1. Superstore - This is a TV show on NBC that began airing in 2015 but had its midseason premiere on January 4, 2018. This comedy features the day-to-day lives of a group of employees that work at Cloud 9, a superstore similar to Walmart, but a fair amount of unusual events take place in this store. Superstore is in its 3rd season and will hopefully have many more seasons because it’s a hilarious show, and you need to watch it. 2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi - For those of you that don’t know, and I can’t imagine someone that wouldn’t know, Star Wars is a movie franchise and Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the 8th and newest movie in the series. I am not an avid Star Wars fan and I won’t pretend to be but I enjoy the movies and I thought this one was very good as well, it was action-packed and had a fulfilling plotline that left some problems for the next movie but also solved issues from the past. 3. Black Mirror - This is a TV show on Netflix that just released a new season December 29, 2017. There are currently only 19 episodes but they’re each about an hour long. Black Mirror is a series but its episodes are not connected, however, they do have a similar theme throughout, the future of modern advances in technology, both good and bad. This show makes you think deeply about the woes of society as a whole and why things that you want may not turn out the way you think they will. Black Mirror is incredible and if I can get you to watch just one thing that I review, it would be this show. 4. Revival by Eminem - This is Eminem’s long awaited new album, Revival, Eminem had not produced a new album in four years. Revival was officially released December 15, 2017, but the album was leaked on Reddit two days prior. There are 19 songs on Revival, and a couple of them are politically-charged songs in which Eminem criticizes Donald Trump. You need to listen to the album because it shows a different perspective about what is happening in this country. 5. Grown-ish - This is a new TV show on Freeform that is a spinoff of the TV series, Black-ish. The first episode of Grownish aired January 3, 2018 and by the time this newspaper comes out there will have been six episodes aired and another one coming out the night of this paper being printed. This show is about Zoey Johnson’s first year at college and adjusting to adult problems, class schedules, and new relationships. You should watch Grown-ish because it’s a great “coming of age” story about a girl beginning her life away from her parents.
One of the only things I’m looking forward to after basketball season is not having to dress up at least once a week, I just get annoyed with having to pick out a very specific, dressy thing to wear as opposed to just finding a t-shirt and jeans or sweatpants to wear. So good news, I figured out that my windshield wipers don’t work before it rained or something. Bad news, I figured it by pushing the button that sprays wiper fluid on my windshield, so I had to drive home at night, in the fog, with wiper fluid on my windshield. So just recently I saw what the South Carolina flag looks like, I gotta ask…. what’ going on there? For those of you that don’t instantly know what’s on it, there’s just a crescent and a palmetto tree?? Kansas is the sickest state in the country and the second sickest is our neighbor to the east, Missouri, wooooooooo, how exciting.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
AMGS tourney isn’t for us
Sports
Page 8
LES involvement, support important to boys basketball team
Zach Obermueller @obermuellerzach The Extra Point With the end of the basketball season just around the corner I can’t help but wonder how this season could have turned out differently. What if we didn’t have to start off our season against Bennington? What if we didn’t have to play in the Morris/ Stephens Tournament? It is hard to start a season losing games by 30 points. It does something to your mind. Now I know there are certain people who would argue playing good teams makes you better, losing teaches you something and improves your game. I can personally attest to the fact that losing by 30 points doesn’t make you better. It makes me consider homeschooling. The good news is next season we got Bennington off our schedule. We will now start our season against Little River. Little River is a very good team but is 1A and with the possibility of Lincoln being 1A next year, this is a smart decision. The really good news is there is a strong possibility that this year was also our last year in the Morris/ Stephens Tournament. Lincoln is considering the move to the Thunderbird Invitational Tournament. With this year possibly being the last year in the Morris/Stephens Tournament, let’s review our success or rather lack of success in the tournament. Since 1996, the girls have a record of 28-38, a 42% win percentage, and the boys record is 19-47, a meager 28.7%. A Lincoln team has never won the tournament. The Amos Morris George Stevens tournament began during the 199697 school year when two different round-robins, one ran by Russell, and the other by Lincoln, merged together into a single, larger tournament. Russell took charge of getting other teams to join the tournament, which are normally schools with much larger basketball programs than Lincoln. Before that, we would play a round-robin against Sylvan, Lucas (The two schools were still separated at that time), and Southern Cloud. In the last 5 years, Lincoln has won 5 games, 4 of those won by the girls. That’s a record of 5-10. By starting every year with a losing record, Lincoln puts themselves at a lower seed in the NPL tournament, which obviously leads to us playing higher seeded teams. If Lincoln was to change to a pre-season tournament against smaller schools, more like ourselves, Lincoln could both gain experience against similar teams and win more games. Here is hoping we make the correct decision and leave the Morris/ Stephens Tournament.
Throughout this basketball season, the high school basketball boys have had boys from the grade school take part in their pregame warm-ups at home games. The grade school boys have also sat with the players on the bench during games. Head Coach Joe Biggs started the tradition this year to introduce the grade school boys to the sport and give them an experience that could inspire them to play in the future. (Photos by Joseph Foulke)
Landon O’Hare @landonohare Staff Writer
If you have been to a high school boys basketball game this year, you might have noticed more than two coaches sitting with the players on the bench. Boys Head Coach Joe Biggs has started a new tradition this year by asking boys from the grade school to sit on the bench during the games and being with the team during halftime and pregame. “My original thought of having the elementary kids sit with us during our games was to generate some excitement in our youth about basketball,” Biggs said. “So many of our kids are waiting until
junior high to experience their first form of basketball. My ultimate goal would be to get our younger kids out shooting baskets at a young age.” Biggs sees many positives for all the students involved. “The main positive is that the elementary kids are involved and hopefully having fun. A lot of high school kids don’t realize the positive impact they could have on the younger grades,” Biggs said. This will not be the only year for the students to join the team during games. This tradition will continue and possibly grow. “I hope the community understands what we are trying to do and gets behind it. I really think they will. In our first year we had over 20 kids sign up
so we will look to increase that number next year” Biggs said. “I will plan on including the youth in our program as much as possible.” This is not the only way that the boys team is including the LES youth in their team. Every game day, team members travel to LES and read to students. The goal for involving as many LES students as possible will continue. “My hope is that whatever kid that sits with the team will become excited about basketball,” Biggs said. “Whether it is a kid who goes out and shoots all the time or its someone who has never really been around basketball.”
KSHSAA classifications to change Zach Obermueller @obermuellerzach Sports Editor
When the 2018-19 school year begins, there will be a new formula for assignment of schools to the current six KSHSAA classes. Class 6A, 5A and 4A will be comprised of 36 schools each, Class 3A and 2A will each have 64 schools, while Class 1A will have approximately the remaining 117 schools. The change earlier this year on re-classifing by KSHSAA member schools also resulted in the future elimination of two divisions of 4A and two divisions of 1A for basketball and volleyball. In the last year of the cur-
rent classifications, the current counts for each class is as follows: There are 32 schools in both the 5A and 6A divisions; 64 3A and 4A schools; Currently there are 63 2A schools; and 97 1A schools. To compare LJSHS enrollment numbers to potential classifications a year from now, if the numbers this year are the same in 2018, LJSHS would become one of the largest 1A schools. If Lincoln were to become a 1A school next year, postseason for basketball and volleyball would change. A regional tournament would be added with the top two teams in each regional continuing on to sub-state. There will be 16 regional sites, 4 in each quadrant of the state. For
each quadrant of regionals, 3 regionals would consist of 7 teams with one having 6. If Lincoln would stay as a 2A school, the postseasons for each sport would not change. Football Classifications: For the 2018-19 football season, the new district was announced last fall with LJSHS continuing in the 8-Man, Division 1 Classification. LJSHS will be in District 7. Football districts run for a two year cycle with the upcoming schools in the Leopards district: Clifton Clyde, Hill City, Stockton, Victoria and Washington County. The football team fills out the rest of their football schedule with the following teams: Tescott, Wilson, Sylvan-Lucas and an unknown
team from District 8. District 8 consists the following 6 schools: Atwood-Rawlings County, Hoxie, Leoti-Wichita County, Oberlin-DeCatur Community, St. Francis, Wakeeney-Trego Community. The final regular season football game will be a matchup, based on record, against a District 8 opponent. This ninth and final regular season game will be the start of the football playoffs. The 5th and 6th place teams in each district will match up against each other with with our district, District 7, being the away team and traveling to the District 8 team. For example, the 5th place team in District 7 will travel to the 5th place team in District 8. The
6th place teams will do the exact same thing. The top four teams in each district will match up as follows: The top seed in District 7 will host the 4th place team from District 8. The second place team from District 7 will host the third place team from District 8. The third place team from District 7 will travel to the second place team from District 8. The fourth place team from district 7 will travel to the top seed from District 8. The winners from these four games will move to the next round of the playoffs.
Leopard Prowl Pick’em Game Competition
- The class (or faculty) with the best record after the last newspaper issue will win an ice cream party Seniors: Juniors: Sophomores: Freshmen: Faculty: Olympics February 7-25
Which country will win the most medals? College Basketball February 14 - 6 p.m.
Kansas State @ Oklahoma State NBA February 14 - 7 p.m.
OKC Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies College Basketball February 17 - 5 p.m.
West Virginia @ Kansas HS Girls Basketball February 16
Lincoln @ Ellsworth
HS Boys Basketball February 16
Lincoln @ Ellsworth
Record:
Sidney Hendrickson
Bristol McBride
Brett Mahin
Evelyn Garay
Mr. Long
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
Oklahoma State
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
Memphis Grizzlies
OKC Thunder
OKC Thunder
OKC Thunder
OKC Thunder
Kansas
Kansas
Kansas
Kansas
West Virginia
Ellsworth
Ellsworth
Ellsworth
Ellsworth
Lincoln
Ellsworth
Ellsworth
Ellsworth
Ellsworth
Lincoln
10-8
12-6
9-9
8-10
7-11