The Mini Bell This section showcases first semester Journalism 1 students’ spotlight writing
Melissa Koempel By: Lindsey Gercken
Run-off hand layouts. Fulls. Standing tucks. For most people these words mean nothing, but for freshman Melissa Koempel, they mean everything. “I do competitive cheer for Fury on the Black Ice team,” Koempel said. “I’ve been doing
it for over seven years and I love it.” When Koempel moved here from her hometown in New Jersey she never imagined that cheering would be such an important part in her life. Her team managed to come in 1st place in the U.S. Finals and Jam Fest. In another competition in Dallas, Texas they overcame a great feat, coming in 6th place against over 500 different gyms across the nation. Being this successful not only means that everybody on the team is a hard worker, but
Allie Boese By: Allison Schowengerdt
“One sentence to describe Allie is she is a wonderful young lady who is rough, tough, and hard to bluff,” social studies teacher Jeffery Wilkins said. Senior Allie Boese maintains good grades. She loves “analyzing texts” Boese said,
in College Comp. Her favorite thing is to write is sarcastic pieces. Junior year was one of her most stressful years, but it helped prepare her for this year as a senior. She took A.P History with Wilkins. “Allie was a tad shy at first, but not for very long. I believe this is because it did not take her or the rest of the class long to feel comfortable around me,” Wilkins said. Even though this class was a challenge, she loved it.
Koempel is too. She balances her time between practices every day after school, her school work, and time to just hang out with friends. Koempel admits it’s sometimes difficult to come to school if you were up late the previous night practicing and becoming sore, but somehow she does it. “She’s really determined. She knows what she want’s to do, and she’s going to do it,” freshman Haley Ruark said. “If she has goals she’s going to live up to them, like her expectations.” Not only is Koempel hardworking in cheer, but she also does her best at school. “She’s a good worker, she works hard and is always on
task,” sculpture teacher Tammi Kennedy said. “She’s just nice with everyone.” Koempel hopes to become either a physical therapist or an anesthesiologist after she graduates high school. “I want to be a physical therapist because I know all the bones in the body and I want to work with them,” Koempel said. “For an anesthesiologist, when you think about it, giving a shot is not that hard, but putting it in the right spot is what’s important.” But no matter what she does after she graduates, cheer will be an important part of her high school career.
One of her favorite memories from the class was signing Wilkins’ fridge on the last day. “Signing my mini fridge seemed like an appropriate way to end what was a great school year in AP World,” Wilkins said. In addition to being a strong student, Boese is also involved in school activities. She is in the club, Be Kind and Unwind. “We discuss ways to improve the school,” Boese said. They also have relaxing days where they drink tea and listen to music. “It’s basically a hippy club,” Boese said. The only thing she regrets in high school is not sticking
with track, where she did the hurdles; however, with two ACL knee injuries, running track was difficult. When asked what she would like to do after high school, Boese said, “Well dream wise.” She would like to be a talk show host. In real life though she will go to college to study biology and English. Boese said, “Shout out to Ahart,” who is her senior English teacher. Boese wants to strive for her best. “I want to accomplish being better than everyone else.”
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Orrin Donaldson and he’s going for it. He strives to graduate high school with a 4.0 GPA and an ACT score of at least 31. Further into the future he hopes to attend the University of California, Berkeley and become an engineer. He is very bright and enjoys giving a helping hand, which is expressed through his second year in debate, and his membership in Student Council. This student is not all work and no play, “I spend a lot of Many find it hard to find a my time trying to be funny,” he balance between work and said, and it completely works pleasure, but this student for him. Donaldson’s humor is makes it look easy. Sophomore definitely enjoyable, but it can Orrin Donaldson knows be understood why it may get exactly what he wants in life him in trouble. “I cause a lot
Truman Butler
If you’re looking for a creative yet hardworking friend, where better to start than sophomore Truman Butler? Butler works to be an outstanding student and friend to many in this school. He enjoys a wide variety of extracurricular activities, such as speech and debate, theatre, and even things like playing basketball and video games. Butler moved to Liberty from North Kansas City in sixth grade and quickly jumped into the many theatre opportunities it had to offer.
By: McKenna Still
Photo courtesy of Truman Butler Since he started acting when he was very little, Butler has acted in various plays, such as Young Frankenstein, Tom Sawyer, and Shakespeare. “Truman shows great initiative in my class and is always eager to prepare for his performances,” drama teacher Mick Turpin said. Butler is eager to perform, because when asked what one thing he would do everyday if he could, he responded with acting. While journalism isn’t the same as acting, when Butler was asked where he could picture himself in ten years, he answered with writing for GameInformer magazine. This appeals to both his love for writing and video games. When Turpin and sophomore Josh Munden were asked where they see Butler in the school community, they both answered with leader. “[Butler is] a leader in doing the right thing and leading others down the right path,” Munden said.
By: Justice Birdsong of shenanigans,” Donaldson said. “Shenanigans is a good word, he can be kind of goofy,” said previous engineering teacher, Dathan Boden. “He’s a jokester, and he’s a fun good kid.” Donaldson’s best friend, sophomore Jordan Freed, also described him as goofy, funny, and outrageous. “He’s like one of the funniest, outrageous guys I know,” Freed said. “We do a lot of shenanigous things.” Outside of school, Donaldson is laid back and just likes to have fun. His favorite place to be is in his music room where he’s played electric guitar for almost two years. He enjoys watching Comedy Central, the movie, Super Troopers, and
Katie Allgaier
Harry Potter club, the library, and Barnes and Noble are where you could spot sophomore Katie Allgaier sharing her love for literature. Allgaier loves reading so much she decided to start the Harry Potter club. She wanted to start the club because it is her favorite series and she encourages people to do a little more reading, even if they aren’t into Harry Potter. The club meets every Tuesday and Wednesday during Liberty Hour B. There are eight people in the club so far. This isn’t something
listening to all types of music. Most of all he enjoys hanging out with his friends. “My friends are most important to me because they make me feel most at home,” Donaldson said. He admitted him and his friends pull silly and weird pranks, like the time they went to the store to buy grapes at 11:00pm on a Saturday to pour on top of another friend’s car. Donaldson is definitely different from your everyday, average kid. He is intelligent, driven, and yet still full of levity. At the same time, he’s a simple person to describe. “He’s pretty consistent. You get, what you get,” said Boden.
By: Brianna Walker unusual that Katie would do. She is unique. “Katie is Katie,” sophomore Courtney Dodd said. “She is just herself, she doesn’t compare with anyone else.” Allgaier works hard to excel academically. When she grows older, she hopes to be a pathologist. Allgaier believes her dad taught her discipline that helped her in the classroom, along with making decisions in life. On her mom’s side, she got her talent for creative writing. Her great-grandfather wrote short stories also. Allgaier enjoys writing short stories and reading any topic. You might want to read one of her short stories, but Allgaier doesn’t let even her closest friends read them. They are purely for her personal enjoyment. “ I write to relieve stress and forget about the world around me,” Allgaier said. “She is thirsty for knowledge and works well with others and is a great team player,” chemistry teacher Stuart Jorgensen said.
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Courtney dodd
By: Kamryn Hoy
Who knew that a simple tattoo and story could define a person and mean so much? Sophomore Courtney Dodd did. “Courtney is an outstanding student who is eager to learn. She is caring, open and fun. She’s quick with a smile and always a great person to have around,” Dodd’s Honors Theoretical Chemistry teacher, Stuart Jorgensen said. “Courtney does great work and seems to drink in any and all information I can provide her. I love having her in class!” Not only is Courtney known as a good student but also a good friend. “Courtney Dodd is
Ian Whitsitt
Sophomore Ian Whitsitt has many hidden talents, along with his quirky personality and a love for Batman. Whitsitt’s favorite subject just so happens to be Communication Arts. “Math and science are just
the most splendid, awesome person ever and a great friend,” sophomore Holly Laws said. “Her tattoo represents who she is so I support that, and I think it looks wicked cool.” However, Laws pointed out that Dodd has other strong points. “I love reading her stories; they always have great plot lines, and characters and just a joy to read. She is just the best person you’ll ever meet,” Laws said. Laws explained how she enjoys reading Dodd’s stories, but they don’t only give joy to other people but also to her. “My writing is something that keeps me focused and distracted from anything hurtful from me, it kind of brings me to a happier place,” Dodd said.
Her writing has helped her through a lot of tough times she has had, and she is overall so grateful for it and enjoys it a lot, but that’s not the only thing she enjoys, she also enjoys her tattoo. “I got my tattoo just this year in August. My rose actually has a lot of backstory to me, because I write a lot, one of the main characters that I made up is Joselyn Rose, she’s kind of a main character of who I am or who I stride to be, a better version of me. So its always a reminder to myself.”
Along with his choir achievements, he has made some youtube videos with friends! Check out a few of them here! http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=cY46RNFaWCo Whitsitt hopes to go to Iowa State or Iowa University. He wants to study music theory. He’s also interested in being an author. He loves writing, England and he is a huge Doctor Who fan. He wants to go to England because he’s interested in the culture. One of his favorite bands is a British band. He’s been to various places around the United States including Kentucky, where he lived until third grade; Iowa and Kansas, where he has family; Michigan, alongside Ohio, Illinois, Florida, and Alabama. “I have amassed something of a Batman collection recently,” Whitsitt said. His favorite movie of the trilogy would have
to be The Dark Knight. “[He has] good taste in super heroes but doesn’t give Spiderman enough credit,” Accardi said. Debate teacher Tim Baldwin said Whitsitt is an incredibly honest, hard working and selfmotivated student who meets all deadlines. “[He has] placed at every single tournament, which is something else… He’s got his quirks… but we are glad to have him on the team.”
By: Lacy Williams
meh,” he said. In fact, he and his friend Roman Accardi met when Accardi edited one of his papers in sixth grade. Whitsitt is in debate and specializes in policy. If you know anything about debate, you know policy isn’t a typical favorite, but he enjoys writing and debating this topic. “He’s really good at debate.” Accardi said, “They [Ian and his debate partner] were one of the best novice teams at our school last year.” He hopes to be remembered for his achievements in policy debate. He’s taken third place at the first tournament he’s been at this year. Whitsitt is also involved in choir and is in concert choir. He has been to District, State, and Contest with choir.
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Jerome Gipson
The first word that comes to mind when you hear senior Jerome Gipson’s name is determination. Gipson strives to learn more about his interests to the furthest extent. He is always ready to take on a challenge. “He’s a really sharp and caring kid,” debate teacher Tim
David Lamb By: Antonio Northcutt
Junior David Lamb may seem quiet, but that is because he is a quiet kid and has been like this his whole life. He is also a very kind person. He loves to help people. That is what his job is, to help people find parts for the things they need. He works at Microcenter in Overland Park. One of the things he likes to do for fun is competitive go cart racing in North Kansas City. Lamb has been racing since he was 10- years- old. His dad was
By: Brooklyn Balsdon
Baldwin said. “He says some insightful things.” Gipson arrived at LHS two years ago from Independence. He enjoyed it in Independence, but he enjoyed Rome even more. Gipson was born and raised in Rome until the age of seven. “I like the freedom here in building go carts for friends of his, so David thought it looked interesting and he wanted to try it and he liked it. He has been doing it ever since. But this is not the only hobby that Lamb enjoys. He also likes to go camping, because he was in Boy Scouts when he was seven years old. He was a Boy Scout for two and a half years. He wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and wants to be an electronic engineer when he grows up. He could ask his dad questions about electronic homework. According to Lamb, his father is very good with electronics. “He does want to be an electronic engineer when he grows up”, Erik Morales said. According to Mr. Boden, “Lamb likes to go to competitive go cart racing”.
America,” he said. “In Rome there is a set path and way of being. In America, it is more of your choice to be free to be whoever.” Gipson’s favorite part about Rome was the culture and history, such as visiting the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, and the statue of Poseidon, his favorite statue. Here at LHS, Gipson takes part in Anime Club and Zombie Club. He has been interested in anime for three years since his close friend showed him an exciting episode. “[My favorite part about the clubs is] student interaction and finding people who have the same interests as me,” Gipson said. Gipson has a taste for traveling as well. He wants to travel to
Japan and Canada. “I’d travel to Japan because it is the birthplace of anime,” Gipson said. “I’d also travel to Canada just to see if they are actually that polite.” In his free time, Gipson enjoys writing poetry. Junior Jacob Schultze, a good friend of Gipson’s, has read some of the poetry that Gipson has written. “I’ve read some of his poetry about nature and various religions,” Schultze said. “He’s a very talented writer.” “My favorite poem is ‘In Time of Pestilence’ because it symbolizes the beauty of life and how fragile it is,” Gipson said. After Gipson graduates, he plans to move back to Rome; possibly for the rest of his life. “I don’t know yet what I’ll do when I get there, but my options are open,” Gipson said.
Paul Ambrose
“Ambrose is really good at debate, he has been in it for two years, Ambrose does only Lincoln Douglas debate.” Ambrose saw debate as an option, tried and he liked it. The debate style, Ambrose does is Lincoln Douglas, which is about moral issues. This is the only type of debate he has done in his two year career. Ambrose said he wanted to try Public Form debate, which is similar to Lincoln Douglas. “On Thursdays, we do debate prep before tournaments and on Wednesdays, we do mentoring to the novice (for freshmen or new debaters). I haven’t got a chance here lately to mentor because of cross country but now that it’s ended, I should get a chance to,” Ambrose said. Debate teacher Tim Baldwin had lots of good things to say about Ambrose. “Ambrose is a great student who works hard and is willing to do what ever he can to help his teammates. He is doing really good in debate he has improved a lot.”
By: Jordan Prokosch
Sophomore Paul Ambrose is a skilled debater and he runs cross country. Ambrose came from Liberty Junior High, now known as Heritage Middle school. “I like Liberty High School, but it can get crowded,” Ambrose said. Ambrose also said he likes pop music, and for those of you who did not know, his mom is a teacher at Ridgeview Elementary. He is really good friends with Sophomore Ian Whitsitt. They have known each other since sixth grade.
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Abby Hill Sophomore Abby Hill would make Alicia Keys proud, because at one point, she was literally a girl on fire. “When I was, like, five or six, my hair caught on fire at my birthday party,” Hill said. “I was going to blow out my candles and my hair caught on fire.” Fast-forward about ten years, to fall, 2013, where we meet Hill starting her sophomore year strong at LHS. This year, Hill is a varsity debater, involved in Scholar Bowl, the Liberty High School Freethinkers Alliance (LHSFA) and Cupcake Appreciation Club. At this point, her favorite class is Advanced Debate, in which she works on Lincoln Douglas debate and her Original Oratory, which is about people judging other people based on their interests or hobbies. After Hill graduates from LHS, she plans on getting a college education, but is unsure of what she wants to study at this point. While she is in high school, she plans to letter in debate again and get more involved in high school activities. “I’d like to find some more clubs that I like that I could get involved in,” Hill said. She also plans to maintain her 4.0 GPA. Hill’s drive and eagerness has probably caught people’s eye. “Abby is very ambitious
By: Michael McHale and she’s very academically centered,” sophomore Anne Accardi said. “She really cares about getting good grades, and she’s really responsible. She will do her work whenever she feels like she needs to in order to get good grades.” Not only is Hill dedicated to her grades and academic success, but also to debate and her fellow teammates. Having taken debate previously, this year she is in a perfect position to help other debaters, and share her experiences at tournaments with other competitors. “She is a phenomenal teammate. She’s consistently mentoring, really really great with the novice,” debate coach Tim Baldwin said. “[She is a] really really hard worker, and then not afraid to speak up and participate even though she’s a sophomore, which is really exciting.” With a classic combination of charm, wit, dedication, ambition, and poorly placed birthday candles, Hill most certainly is, a girl on fire.
Thomas Connor In the left corner is a sophomore, LHS student, a determined wrestler, future surgeon, and soon to be student of Missouri University. It’s sophomore Thomas Connor! Thomas Connor is a Liberty Blue Jay wrestler. “I’ve been involved in wrestling since eight grade,” Connor said. “I was decent my first year.” Wrestling is one of Connor’s favorite things. “Pre-season wrestling has been my main focus right now.” “Thomas in one word is determined,” Said wrestling coach Michael Hammer. “I expect Thomas to really improve this year and compete for a varsity position.” “I’ve been trying to slim down and get stronger, I’ve been doing a lot of dieting and working out and pre-season wrestling activities,” Connor said. “I think he’ll be a varsity wrestler and he’ll hold his own in that. He’s a well-rounded person,” said sophomore Joe Kinder, “And a good communicator. He’s always trying to help people get jobs done.” “I would say to all the people starting wrestling try hard and
By: Jeffrey Walters
if you don’t get the hang of it don’t give up.” Connor said. Something else that Connor did not give up on was his dream of being a surgeon. Another thing that Connor is very dedicated to is going into the medical field. “I want to be a surgeon because I think I’d be good at it.” Connor said. Thomas is a smart young man who has been working and making parts of his career plan. Thomas plans on going to Missouri University for college to get his medical degree. “If I could go to any college it’d be Mizzou because I’ve always been a tigers fan. But I’d go there to focus on my career” Connor said. “If I couldn’t be a surgeon, I would want to be a head coach football coach at Mizzou.” Hammer had some advice for Connor. “Please keep trying to improve and believe in yourself, the team and your coaches.”
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Ethan Moore By: Teresa Parra
Could you imagine not having a cell phone? Freshman Ethan Moore can; he’s too busy drawing, reading comics, hanging out with friends in Anime Club and doing his own thing to even have one. “Me personally, I don’t really care if I have a phone,” Moore said. “Or the way I think about it is I had a phone once, it was
track phone, and it was in my way. It’s just something in my way that’s a waste of time.” Moore is known for his towering height and red hair. That’s what comes to mind for Moore’s friends and teachers. “His tall red hair,” math teacher Sandra Ragan said. Moore is also a creative carefree student at LHS. His
Mckenzie Still By: Grant Fordyce
Senior Mckenzie Still is a student athlete. She is one of the leaders on the girls swim team. Still has been swimming for two years and has excelled ever since she stepped in the pool. Her favorite and fastest stroke is freestyle. “It’s my fastest stroke,”
Still said. “I don’t know why, it just comes natural to me.” Her best fifty-yard swim time, a down and back, is 26 seconds. Still just loves being around the pool, she is even the team manager for the boys swim team, which also goes to show she cares about her Blue Jays.
creativity comes out when he draws, takes pictures, when he’s in Anime Club, and even when he’s in classes like 2D art, 3D art, or even digital art class. “Ethan’s a hard worker and definitely tries,” Ragan said. “He wants to do well. He is definitely a good artist.” Even though he doesn’t know where he’s going to college, he knows he wants to major in photography. Moore has lived in many different places so far in his life, such as the small towns of Highland and La Belle, which are fairly close together; where some of his closets friends and family are. Moore plans to spend his summer in La Belle rebuilding and fixing up his grandma’s house. He’s also lived in Quince, Missouri for a short period of time. Now that he’s in Liberty he loves how many people are here and how many new friends you can make.
In the future, Moore hopes to go to college. After college he wants to learn martial arts so he can join the UFC or MMA. Other things on Moore’s bucket list include skydiving, BASE jumping, wrestling crocodiles or alligators, learning as much martial arts as he can, and going moose hunting. There are many sides of Ethan Moore; he is definitely original and doesn’t care who knows it. “He isn’t afraid to do what he wants, he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him, he kind of just does what he wants and hangs out with who he wants, just doesn’t care what people think,” freshman Chris Gaddy said.
Still does not plan on swimming in college, though she does plan on going to college. She wants to attend the University of Missouri. “I love Mizzou, I grew up going to Mizzou games, it is a lot of fun, something I always want to be apart of,” she said. Missouri is not one of the easiest schools to get into. You have to have dedication and a strong work ethic but if anyone does, its Still. “I plan on majoring in biology,” she said. According to senior Kaitlyn Clark, Still is always getting her work done and she is open to help others. “If I ever need help with my school work I know I can always go to Mckenzie and she will always be willing to help,” Clark said. “In ten years, I see myself having a family and working a little job that I enjoy,” Still said. Still could see herself opening
a bakery, nothing big, just a little place where freshly made pastries can be enjoyed. One of her favorite things to do is to make people happy. Another one of Still’s close friends, senior Brandon Cardiff, thinks she is always a joy to be around. “I’ve always had a good relationship with Mckenzie, she has the utmost respect and is always smiling, there is never a dull moment with her and she never fails to open her mouth,” Cardiff said.
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Jessi Clark
The Mini Bell By: Teryn Deshler
Some students like to involve themselves in many clubs and school activities, but when junior Jessi Clark arrived in Liberty from Colorado two years ago, she had other things on her mind. Clark spends most of her time working at Papa Murphy’s, while the rest of her time is spent being a student. “I think I was working the whole summer; I work a lot of hours,” Clark said. It seems like all work and no play for Clark, but she loves to spend a lot of her free time at Retro Bowl, with an impressive high score of 120. And despite all the hard work, she always keeps a positive attitude. “I would describe myself as
Haley Hart
Funny, how a word that looks like it’s pronounced “extra ordinary”, is in fact, not ordinary at all. Junior Haley Hart is not so ordinary. The 16-year-old is involved in the school social life and never seems to lose a warm smile. She’s in Student Council, FCA, and the new 2013 program that helps freshmen around the school, Link Crew. “If I was an underclassmen, I would have wanted [Link Crew],” Hart said. You can find her among the
always smiling,” Clark said. Clark’s friend, junior Serina Crumpler, had another word in mind. “I would describe Jessi as amazing; she has always been there for me no matter what happens.” Despite working hard at Papa Murphy’s, Clark’s work ethic also shows in school. “She is a kind and hardworking student and she get’s along well with others,” Communication Arts teacher Brenda Parker said. Clark’s favorite class is Zoology, and she dreams of one day becoming a vet and moving back to Wyoming to spend some time with her family that lives there. If she could have dinner with
By: Maddy Goodwin
many green-shirted Link Crew members around the school. Besides Link Crew, Hart is focused on her studies as well. She is on the advanced track, taking Pre-calc and Human Body Systems. She also loves science classes, especially medical science. “I like applying it to people, it sounds really dorky, I don’t know,” Hart said. One of Hart’s science teachers, Tim Block, was beaming when Hart’s name was mentioned. “She’s a great kid. Comes in
anyone, it would be Michael Jackson. “I love Michael Jackson, I have since I was little. I was even on my way up to his concert and then he died, so I never got to see him,” Clark said. “I was pretty upset.” Even though Clark never got to see Michael Jackson in concert, she has still seen Five Finger Death Punch and some country singers at a music festival. Clark’s time in Liberty is coming to a close. “I’m actually in the middle of moving now,” she said. “I won’t miss the crowd at our school, but I will miss all of my friends.”
smiling everyday ready to work,” Block said. “Haley is one of those students that’s fun to teach because she’s ready to learn. For Haley, it’s not about the points, it’s about the knowledge.” Since Hart is her junior year, she has her eyes peeled for college. “I don’t really want to go to a big college like Mizzou,” Hart said. “I want to stay a couple hours away from home.” She thinks that she would get homesick because she’s very close to her family. Since many colleges offer scholarships for A+ tutoring, Hart will participate in A+ her senior year with special-needs kids. Hart already has her sights on her future. She hasn’t fully decided her career, but she’s debating between working with children who have special needs or being a cardiologist. “I’ve been to a lot of doctors, I want to be able to help other people,” Hart said.
“She’s a great friend, really nice and has a positive attitude about everything,” junior Katie Ellermeier said. Hart enjoys hanging out with her family and friends— going to football games or going to someone else’s house to just chill out. Some of her favorite music is by Florence & the Machine, especially her new release, Shake It Out. “It’s a chill song, but she has a really cool voice,” Hart said. “It’s an interesting voice to listen to, her voice is really relaxing, but you can also jam to it.”
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Byron Arnold
Freshman Byron Arnold is on the soccer C-team, in German Club, and the Robotics Club. He says his favorite subject is history. In his free time, Arnold likes to play video games, hang with
Isaiah Cubit By: Anne Jackson
Compartmentalizing one’s schedule can be a challenge, but Junior Isaiah Cubit manages the problem with ease. Cubit is an avid track runner and a very hard-working student. He has been running track since eighth grade and is still going at it. Cubit started out running cross-country, but quickly realized it was not his niche, although he did realize how much he enjoyed track and short-distance running. Cubit runs the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and relays for both. He runs track for both junior varsity and varsity, along with running track outside of school. He even made it to the Junior Olympic track competition in
08 By: Katie Rackers his friends, draw, read, and ride his bike. “[If I could go anywhere in the world, I would go to] Germany, because my two brothers and sister went and had fun on their trips in high school,” Arnold said. He will be going on the class trip to Germany this summer, along with fellow freshman, Brendan Tournoy. “I’m exited to go on the Germany trip, this summer, and to go to Italy and eat pizza with Byron,” Tournoy said. The trip doesn’t involve just going to Germany, but also to Italy and Austria. [The trip involves] “Spending 24 Texas over the summer. “I like running because it’s very competitive and not everyone can do it,” Cubit said. Although Cubit spends a lot of time running, two to three hours a day to be exact, he still makes time for his family, friends, and schoolwork. When Cubit is not out running he says he enjoys being with friends, eating food, and just hanging out at his friends’ houses. “He always has a big smile on his face, and does his best to put one on other people’s faces,” said junior Kennedy Allison, one of Cubit’s best friends. Another big part of Cubit’s life is his academics. And when taking classes like Pre AP Physics and French III, it can be difficult to balance school, sports, and friends. Yet, Cubit keeps a positive attitude and works hard. “Isaiah works well, is very focused, and participates in class,” said Cubit’s teacher Jessica Lumetta “I enjoy having Isaiah in class. He has a great sense of humor, and he makes teaching a language fun. He’s a good kid and I think he will go far.”
days with over 40 high school students,” said German teacher Cindy Biermann. The trip is over the summer, in June. High school can be tough but if you have that one thing that fuels you to be your best, it can make it a lot easier. For some people, it’s their teachers, for others it’s that they are into the subject. Another reason is for the reward of a good grade. Arnold does it for the freedom he earns. “All the perks of being a good student, and you don’t have a ‘leash’,” he said. Also, being on a sports team is something that helps people to want to be their best and
Walter wilson By: Greg Kolodziejski
Dreams, everyone has them; a specific goal in life, everyone wants to be remembered for something in their life. Meet Walter Wilson, a junior here at Liberty High School. He’s determined to make sure his dreams come true my joining the Marines. He has always been fascinated by the life-style of a Marine, and wants to show he has what it takes to become one himself. “When I graduate high school, my plan is to become a Marine; I wouldn’t have to worry about making new friends either; because most of my friends from LHS are coming with me!” Wilson said. Wilson is also interested in traveling. He visits Colorado and New York in the winter
a great way to make friends. Arnold has made a lot of friends on the soccer C-team. Tournoy said they became friends while on the same soccer team in first grade. After high school, Arnold would like to be remembered for his sense of humor and other positive things; like that he was a good student. Biermann said, “I think Byron is the type of student every teacher would like to have. He does his work, he’s engaged in class, he participates, asks meaningful questions, goes beyond the lesson.” Arnold plans to go to Mizzou for college and plans to be an engineer. because he loves visiting his family and loves the snow. “If I can visit any country in the world, it would have to be China. Everything about it is so nice, especially the Great Wall.” He said. Wilson also said his favorite sport is rugby, he has a true passion for it. “When my friend introduced me to rugby, I instantly fell in love with it. When I found out the school had a rugby team called Liberty United, I automatically stopped playing football to focus on more rugby.” He said. Debra Martin, Walter’s old art teacher also stated some few choice words for him. “Walter is very quiet, and a really good student! He’s mentioned to me several times about his dreams and careers. Even though he doesn’t have my class anymore I manage to say hi to him every time I see him.” Art Teacher Debra Martin said.