Drama club performs ‘Legally Blonde Jr.’
Sinclair retires after 31 years at MHS
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Top ten movies of 2016
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Colorguard places 3rd at championship
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M AY 2 0 1 6
VOLUME 6 | No. 6
M AT T O O N H I G H S C H O O L MHSMIRROR.ORG
Extra! Extra!
MHS teachers add to workload next year because of limited staff
By Mary ZuHone Reporter
The results of Illinois’ budget issues will be felt at Mattoon High School, with most teachers taking on an overloaded schedule next school year. Some teachers have already experienced a busier schedule, while others who have not must adjust to a new way of managing their time. “The state of Illinois hasn’t been paying its bills and has been prorating what we should be receiving for general state aid. In other words, we’re supposed to get $6,119 per year per student, but over the last several years the state has owed the Mattoon School District $5.8 million,” MHS Principal Michele Sinclair said. “The vast majority of our school district budget,
PHOTOS BY MARY ZUHONE
Spanish teacher Amy True teaches, grades assignments and is constantly busy during all six class hours of the day. Starting next year though, several other teachers will be experiencing the same because of an increase in new overload scheduling.
over 80 percent, is people… If our upper-level administrators had not been trying to look at every position and determine ‘Is it a necessity to fill this position,’ ‘Can we fill this with overloads,’ we would have been having to RIF people, [reduction in force].” When adding overloads because of budget cuts, a class replaces a teacher’s preparation period. Teachers have been understanding, yet worried about keeping up with the extra work with less prep time. “Most teachers understand the financial constraints that we’re under; however, many are still concerned with being able to do everything they’ve currently done and keep up with the workload,” Sinclair said. Many teachers in the science department have experienced an overload schedule before and are not planning for much to change. “I think four or five years ago, I used to teach overload…Because I’m already teaching those classes, it really doesn’t change a whole lot. The only thing it takes away is another prep hour, which I typically do before school or after school anyway,” MHS science teacher Michael Carter said. Because MHS science teacher Bob Lockart is retiring after this school year, class size in the science department is expected to be larger than normal, since his position will not be refilled. The school is instead meeting the needs with overloads. “In science…the big concern would be lab space for everybody. When we’re using gas jets, if I wanted to put every-
body in a group of two, not everybody would have a gas jet, so I’ll have to reconfigure groups as far as putting three or four to a group instead of having them paired up as two. As far as classroom instruction, it’s no big deal,” Carter said. While science might struggle with resources for hands-on lab activities because of more students, in other subjects, it may make it tougher to meet the needs of all students. “In general, larger class sizes can make it tougher to manage the class and make sure that everybody’s on focus,” English teacher Eric Sinclair said. Not only does size affect the students staying on task, but it could also affect the type of homework given to students. “I think in the English Department, where they have so much more grading than everyone else, the teachers are going to have to be more selective about the kinds of writing assignments they assign,” Michele Sinclair said. Although the overload schedule may pose challenges regarding assignments and time management, it also comes with a silver lining. “Whenever I have down time in the middle of the day, it’s kind of tough to pick back up in the afternoon. So just for me, speaking from experience of having an overload, it gets me through the day…I like the overload schedule in that regard because I’m so busy and before I know it, the day’s over, and it’s onto practice typically after that,” Carter said. Regarding his teaching and coaching, Carter looks at the overload schedule in another positive way.
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Survey results come back, division among classes about bullying By Derby Roan Co-Editor-In-Chief
In 2014, Mattoon High School’s sophomore and senior classes were given a survey, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Human Services among other organizations, assessing their views of various topics ranging from drugs to bullying. Among other findings, his survey showed a divide in the upper- and underclassmen’s perceptions of bullying. Underclassmen claim to be bullied 10 percent more than upperclassmen, which raises the question of whether younger kids are more commonly bullied, or whether they have a higher sensitivity to it.
Junior B.I.O.N.I.C. mentor Lydia Druin believes both factors can play a role in kids’ experiences with one another. “Yes, [the freshman mentees] are more sensitive because they are younger. Some of the younger students feel that the upperclassmen are so high and mighty, so they get in the mindset that they can’t be that,” Druin said. However, Druin said she believes the underclassmen aren’t unreasonably timid. “Some upperclassmen act on that high and mighty mindset, then underclassmen can get intimidated,” Druin said.
SURVE Y / 2
INFOGR APHIC COURTESY OF ILLINOIS YOUTH SURVEY 2014 SCHOOL REPORT
The survey results show that there was a higher bullying rate among the sophomore class students compared to the seniors.
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THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Victoria Leitch
News
PHOTOS BY VIC TORIA LEITCH
Behavioral survey may inspire change By Gabriel Tomer Reporter
A new survey released by the Discipline Committee at Mattoon High School collected information regarding several changes to the policies concerning backpacks and cellphones. This survey created by the Discipline Committee discusses topics regarding cell phone usage, backpacks, and other questionable policies. The topics in question aren’t
necessarily being changed, just enforced with a strict frame of mind. Spanish teacher Amy True is hopeful on the outlook of the survey. “It’s important that students have input, and it’ll be interesting to see the results,” True said. According to True, the survey may have a serious impact on students. “Sometimes students were negative [about current policies], so seeing what stu-
SURVEY FROM PAGE 1
Guidance counselor Krista Jackley said she doesn’t believe bullying has increased, but that it has become more “accessible” due to social media use. “I haven’t seen a rise in bullying so much as a change in the way they can bully. Social media has made a change in bullying,” Jackley said.
Jackley said more kids have come to her with digital evidence of bullying than with real-life incidents. “I don’t know how many times a day kids will get out their phone and show me, ‘This happened,’” Jackley said. However, sophomore Kate Thomason feels that bullying is “a thing of the past.”
is produced by the students enrolled in the Journalism II and I courses at Mattoon High School.
JJ Bullock Co- Editor-In-Chief Derby Roan Co- Editor-In-Chief Abby James Business Manager Victoria Leitch Design Editor Sophie Collings Photo Editor Taya Quarles Distribution/Promotion Alexa Kimberlin, Mary ZuHone, Reporters Trenton Bitting, Brennan Tomer, Gabriel Tomer Amanda Bright Adviser Mission Statement: We, the staff of the MHS Mirror, strive to be a public forum that evokes individual high-level thinking and sparks conversation in a way that defines high school journalism, while maintaining a high ethical journalistic standard.
The MHS Journalism Program 2521 Walnut Ave. Mattoon, IL 61938 (217) 238-7877 mhsmirror@gmail.com Visit us online! mhsmirror.org
dents want to do will help us,” True said. Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Dave Vieth assured students about the impact of this survey on MHS. “The survey has everything we have in place already. Some policies we wanted to get an opinion on keeping things the same or changing them,” Vieth said. MHS Assistant Principal Michael Shaffer addressed who was selected to take the survey.
“People are maturing faster,” Thomason said. “And some aren’t,” added sophomore Danielle Smith. Still, Smith feels that bullying isn’t an issue as an underclassman. “I think everyone is trying to be better than everyone. I don’t think [it’s a big deal],” Smith said.
The MHS Mirror
The behavioral survey asked teachers and staff which rules they believe should be changed or kept the same. Some topics included backpacks, cellphone usage, head gear, and hallway passes. “The staff took it. We intend to get a very large portion of our student populace to take it as well,” Shaffer said. Even though the results will be considered, the changes aren’t necessarily in the clear for MHS. “Once the results are tallied, we’ll put them back in front of the Discipline Committee, and they can make recommendations for changes to administration which could be acted upon,” Shaffer said.
OVERLOAD FROM PAGE 1 “I really don’t look at either one as work, so if you like what you’re doing, it’s easy to come do your job and do what you’ve got to do,” Carter said. While there are advantageous outlooks that can be taken, there is still hope for the future regarding education budgeting. “I’ve been around long enough to
have seen what things were like in the 80s and early 90s when we had absolutely no money…Things were bad, really really bad. And they turned around. And I truly have hope that this too shall pass, that one day the state of Illinois will get things figured out, and we’ll see a better day,” Michele Sinclair said.
3 News SkillsUSA competes at state Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Mary ZuHone
Members gain valuable experience for workforce
By M ary ZuHone Reporter
SkillsUSA is an organization of students, educators and people in the industry working together to ensure that there is a skilled workforce. Mattoon High School’s SkillsUSA has qualified in several categories and competed at state on April 22 in Springfield, Ill. MHS SkillsUSA advisor Laura Roberts interprets the purpose of the program as teaching students skills that can be applied later in life. “To me, it’s taking what you learn in school and seeing that it actually applies to the industry. What you’re doing is actually useful. A lot of people think ‘How am I going to use this?’ This actually shows you. What you learn in here, you do use,” Roberts said. The state convention is a threeday event with much fanfare from students representing their schools. “It’s crazy. It is like a rock concert. There’s people there with noise makers dressed for their schools. There’s a parade of schools, and opening ceremony is Thursday night. Everyone competes Friday, and then on Saturday they have the awards,” Roberts said. Those who win at state have the opportunity to continue on to nationals in order to get financial support to learn the skills they need for the workforce. “Those that go to nationals, if you’re a gold winner at nationals, you get scholarships,” Roberts said.
Some students who go to nationals get job opportunities when representatives from businesses, such as RR Donnelley, will scout out students they’d like to hire, and will pay for the students to get further education. MHS senior Nate Harper qualified for state by creating a promotional bulletin board. He knows that skills he learns in SkillsUSA will help him in the future. “We learned about job interviews and things like that and how to tell the employer what they want to hear,” Harper said. MHS senior Darien Harvey, who qualified for state in photography, joined the club to be able to improve her skills by competing in SkillsUSA. “If you’re really passionate about something, you should join to better your skills for it, so if you really love to do like an activity, then you should be able to compete in it, so you still have that skill to better yourself with it,” Harvey said. While Harvey encourages students to join in order to follow their passion and develop their skills, Harper urges students who are looking for more school involvement to join. “If they want to get involved but don’t really fit in with the performing arts or the sports, then this is where to go,” Harper said. The opportunity to go to state will hopefully improve the competitors’ professional prospects in the future. “I’m hoping that they go to state and make contacts that will
PHOTO BY MARY ZUHONE
MHS senior Jordan Katz created a chapter display as a part of a state competition and won the gold. The display showcases everything SkillsUSA has done throughout the year. Katz will advance and compete at nationals this June in Louisville, Ky. help them improve their careers in the future. I would love to see if they go to nationals and get a scholarship. Or if they make contacts at state for scholarships or
job opportunities, that would be incredible,” Roberts said. In the SkillsUSA state competition, Harper, MHS juniors Beth Blake and Josh Sewell won the
silver in the promotional bulletin board competition. MHS senior Jordan Katz won the gold in the chapter display competition, advancing to nationals.
MHS Project Life Span benefits community members By Taya Quarles
ney, there are large- and smallgroup activities that help all indiMattoon High School’s FCS viduals involved get to know each teacher Erin Clifford came up with other and learn in creative ways. a program named “This program Project Life Span after makes me feel inreading a book named credible. I am so “I am so glad “Family on Beartown glad to be a part Road,” which indiof the communito be a part of cates love and courwe’ve created, the community ty age. This program is and I feel like we we’ve created, held at Life’s Journey can all learn from Assisted Living Facileach other,” Clifand I feel like ity in Mattoon. ford said. we can all “I thought we needBoth MHS sophed to help the aging omores Chelsea learn from population fight comGraham and Chloe each other.” mon issues of isolation Borders agree that and loneliness through helping the neighthis program,” Clifbors at Life’s Jourford said. ney makes not only There are about the neighbors but five to eight Mattoon themselves happy High School students, as well. 10 to 15 Eastern Illi“My favorite nois University students (connec- part would be getting to interact tors), five to 10 children (buddies) and 10 to 20 neighbors (senior citizens). They all meet at Life’s Journey once a month from 1:30-3p.m. on Saturdays. Clifford also will continue in the summer and somehow next year. “We will be merging with community Bridges, which involves children in Kindergarten and fourth grade working with the residents at the other facilities in Mattoon,” Clifford said. During their time at Life’s Jour-
Distribution Manager
Erin Clifford, MHS teacher
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIN CLIFFORD
MHS sophomore Chloe Borders meets with senior citizens at Life’s Journey Assisted Living Facility to help build a sense of community. Students and senior citizens participate in group activities to get to know each other better through Project Life Span.
with all of the residents and being able to make them happy makes me feel great,” Borders said. “Seeing the neighbors with children and them being happy makes me happy,” Graham said. In the future, Clifford plans on involving Child Care Occupations, Child Development and Adult Living Students in the program by going to Life’s Journey once a month as usual, but somehow during class.
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Sophie Collings
News
‘Legally Blonde Jr.’ provides new upbeat atmosphere for spring musical By Sophie Collings Photo Editor
Many enjoyed the Mattoon High School Drama Club’s performance of “Legally Blonde Jr.” on April 14 and 15 because it was different from productions they have put on in the past. “I think that it’s a modern show compared to ‘Calamity Jane,’ or ‘Wonka,’ or ‘9 to 5,’ or things that have been around for a while. It’s newer that way. For us, being a junior version sets it apart. We’ve only ever done one other junior version of a show. That makes it a little different for us as well,” Nevius said. Along with being more current, the show is also simpler than others they have performed in the past. According to Nevius, they were provided with music and choreography to guide their production. However, the contemporary nature and ease of the show are not the only reasons students enjoyed this musical; they also loved how fun it is. “This one was a lot more upbeat than ‘9 to 5’ last year. It was fun for me to play a character that I’m not like whatsoever, but this one had a lot more upbeat songs,” MHS junior and cast member Mayla Johanpeter
said. “It was fun to do it with so much energy. It felt like Cinderella how we had a lot of energy during Cinderella. And it was fun to just do it for fun, and not doing it for correctness.” MHS junior and student director Brittany Schwanke said the humor in the show is something that really sets it apart. “It is hilarious. There are so many scenes that are so funny,” Schwanke said. The memorable aspects of the show did not come together without hard work. According to Nevius, the cast and crew met for rehearsals Monday through Thursday for three to four hours a night. “We started in February having rehearsals most days from 6-9 [p.m.]. Then we got to tech week and dress rehearsal week and that was 5 to whenever we got done and that could be 9:30, so there was a lot of time spent with this musical, but I think it paid off,” Johanpeter said. Schwanke agrees with Johanpeter that all of the hours of rehearsals proved to be worth the time in the end. “It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve had a few hard times, emotional days, but in the end, it’s always worth it,” Schwanke said.
PHOTO BY SOPHIE COLLINGS
From left to right, senior Matt Etchison, sophomore Maxwell Carter and junior Dylan Miner sing “What You Want” at a rehearsal the week before performances of “Legally Blonde Jr.” The musical was shown April 14 and 15 in the main gym.
MHS alumni create drama club at Lake Land College By Abby James Business Manager
support the new club,” Hilbert said. Tanille Ulm, co-adviser of the club, enjoys learning about the actors and actresses that are in the club. “My favorite memory is having a potluck with the group before
happen in 35 years. [One of my favorite memories was] spending the night in the theater trying to come up with a way to build a set out of pipe cleaners, construction paper and duct tape. There are countless funny moments on the stage that
Mattoon High School alumni are continuing their lives on stage as they create the Lake Land Drama Club and plan upcoming plays and musicals. “Well, it all kind of started when I was ready to start Lake Land, and there wasn’t a theater program or club at Lake Land. So I got in touch with some friends I knew and reached into the community and got started,” Ty Wickline, director of their play, “Figments,” said. Like any new club may face, the Lake Land Drama Club sees some difficulty with getting their program up and running. “I think the biggest challenge is a toss-up between funding and membership. Theater is an expensive activity because there are a lot of costs that people don’t always consider. With memberPHOTO COURTESY OF TANILLE ULM ship, since we are a new The Lake Land College Drama Club bows at the end of their perforclub, not many students know about us, so we mance entitled “Figments.” The students presented their show on have to go out of our way April 22 and 23 for the public. to make the club known,” Alyssa Hilbert, actress, said. Club members hope to overcome our opening night of ‘Figments’… make it all worth it,” Wickline said. these issues by working their hard- it gave me a chance to really get Hilbert agrees that moments on est and performing the best show to know the club members better,” stage make for great memories, possible. Ulm said. but she also believes this club has “I really hope that the audience Wickline and his acting counter- changed her for the better. sees how talented the cast is and parts have had the opportunity to “We have a lot of inside jokes how hard we have worked despite make ample amounts of memories about the unforeseen obstacles with the limited budget. I would also in the club. creating a club. I think my favorite like to see the students come and “Tonight we had the first play memory is when we received the
‘Best New Club’ award,” Hilbert said. “Being a part of any club is socially beneficial because you get to know other people. Specifically with theater, there are so many aspects that you are gaining knowl-
edge of from a variety of areas. Personally, it has proved to me that if you’re passionate about something to pursue it, despite any obstacles that may appear; hard work pays off exponentially.”
Nation
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THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Derby Roan
Illinois risks brain drain
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University students forced to explore out-of-state options
By Elizabeth Campbell Bloomberg News
CHICAGO—As a May 1 deadline looms for high school seniors deciding where to attend college, students are thinking twice about universities in Illinois, where the worst budget crisis in state history has halted funding for higher education. Public colleges haven’t received state aid for the year that started July 1 as Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic lawmakers fight over a budget. The strain has spurred colleges to furlough staff and cancel projects. State scholarships for low-income students haven’t been paid. High school counselors and some state schools say they’re hearing that more students are looking to private, community colleges or out-of-state options, because of the funding uncertainty. “You’re having an upswing in students that just are not going to those schools” that are struggling financially like Chicago State University and Northeastern Illinois, said Amanda Andros, a counselor at Lane Technical College Prep, Chicago’s largest high school. “They’re not sure if the university is going to stay open.” Pensions, bonds and state employees are getting paid during the impasse, but higher education funds are stuck at zero, leaving public universities and poor students who rely on state aid among the hardest hit by the budget standoff. As more students look elsewhere, Illinois risks a long-term loss of residents, further pressuring the economy of the state that ranked 49 out of 50 in terms of population gains in the last three years. This week, the Democrat-led legislature approved $3.9 billion of spending that includes funding higher education and scholarships for low-income students, but Rauner will veto the measure, according to his office. Richard Goldberg, his deputy chief of staff, criticized the lack of revenue behind the bill, calling it “filled with empty promises.” Republicans have pitched ways to pay for higher education like changing the procurement process to free up funds or giving Rauner authority to make other budget cuts. As the state’s leaders bicker, at least one university is running out of time. If Chicago State University doesn’t receive funding by the end of April, it will exhaust normal operating dollars. Without aid, most of the more than 900 layoff notices it sent out in February will be ex-
Panama Papers: Largest document leak implicates government officials By Kevin G. Hall and Marisa Taylor McClatchy Washington Bureau
HAVE YOU READ THE NEWS? By Tribune News Service 1. President Barack Obama issued a stern warning to what country, after its leader claimed to have tested a submarine-launched missile? A. North Korea B. Syria C. Iran D. Russia 2. The U.S. suicide rate has surged to a 30-year high. The rise was particularly steep for what demographic? A. Middle-aged men B. Men and women over 75 C. Middle-aged women D. Millennials 3. The U.S. Treasury Department recently announced Harriet Tubman will be the new face of what bill? A. $1 B. $5 C. $10 D. $20 4. What state recently declared pornography a public health crisis? A. Florida B. Utah C. California D. Ohio 5. A Media Insight Project study found that just 6 percent of people say that have a lot of confidence in the media, putting the news industry about equal to the public view of what or whom? A. Donald Trump B. Congress C. President Barack Obama D. North Carolina’s “bathroom bill”
WASHINGTON—A massive leak of documents has blown open a window on the vast, murky world of shell companies, providing an extraordinary look at how the wealthy and powerful conceal their money. Tw e l v e c u r rent and former world leaders maintain offshore shell companies. Close friends of Russian leader Vladimir Putin have funneled as much as $2 billion through banks and offshore companies. Those exposed in the leak include the prime ministers of Iceland and Pakistan, an alleged bagman for Syrian President Bashar Assad, a close friend of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and companies linked to the family of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Add to those the monarchs of Saudi Arabia and Morocco; Middle Eastern royalty; leaders of FIFA, the international body that controls international soccer; and 29 billionaires included in Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s 500 richest people. Also mentioned are 61 relatives and associates of current country leaders, and 128 ther current or for-
mer politicians and public officials. The leak exposes a trail of dark money flowing through the global financial system, stripping national treasuries of tax revenue. The data breach occurred at a little-known but powerful Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca & Co., which has an office in Las Vegas, a representative in Miami and presence in more than 35 other places around the world. The firm is one of the world’s top five creators of shell companies, which can have legitimate business uses but can also be used to dodge taxes and launder money. More than 11.5 million emails, financial spreadsheets, client records, passports and corporate registries were obtained in the leak, which was delivered to the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in Munich, Germ a n y. I n t u r n , t h e newspaper shared the data with the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Several McClatchy journalists joined more than 370 journalists from 78 countries in the largest media collaboration ever undertaken after a leak. The document archive contains 2.6 terabytes of data.
INFOGR APHIC BY MCCL ATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU
PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS/TNS
ecuted on April 30, said Tom Wogan, a school spokesman. “What we are hearing from recruiters is that high school counselors are increasingly telling students to avoid Illinois public universities,” Wogan said. “That’s a product of this budget crisis causing a loss of faith in the market for prospective college students.” The uncertainty isn’t comforting for holders of university debt. Moody’s Investors Service cut the ratings of three universities in February, dropping Eastern Illinois to junk. “If there’s a perception that the educational system is deteriorating, then I think that will have an impact on potential new employment and on migrants’ decision to move to Illinois,” said Alan Schankel, a managing director at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia. “It’s a real problem.” The state is losing students, said Sherri McLaughlin, a counselor in Jacksonville, Ill. She’s seeing more students going out of state or opting for junior colleges. McLaughlin, who’s been a counselor for 17 years, said she’s even advising students differently in terms of what to ask schools. “Instead of saying ‘how many kids go to school here?’ and ‘what’s your graduation rate? _ now you’re looking at asking the school _ ‘where is your financial stability?’” McLaughlin said. “There’s more difficult decisions being made now when you’re choosing a school than they had to just a year ago.” The budget increase isn’t affecting universities equally. The state’s flagship institution, the University of Illinois, has seen a record number of applications for the year that I A starts in August. President Tim Killeen is projecting at or close L T O to record enrollment. The school’s three campuses serve more F O than 80,000 students and have “very good liquidity,” according to Y E S Moody’s. T Private schools aren’t immune. Last month, the Illinois Institute of TechUR C O nology sent a letter to students asking them to reimburse the school for covering O O T the need-based state aid that Illinois should have paid. Students have the option of a H 12-month loan through the university. If they don’t pay, they can’t register for classes. P The budget standoff has created a crisis of confidence in Illinois education, said Matt Bierman, budget director and vice president of administrative services at Western Illinois University. As more students go out of state, fewer return, he said. “We turn out police officers and nurses and teachers and business entrepreneurs,” said Bierman. The state’s leaders need to “realize they’re causing long-term damage, not just to higher education, but to the entire workforce in the state.”
Answers: 1. A, 2. C, 3. D, 4. B, 5. B
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THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Taya Quarles
Feature
Motivational P.E. teacher by day, sports coach by night By Abby James Business Manager
Whether coaching his football players and track athletes or pushing his students to work their hardest in P.E. class, Troy Johnson finds joy in living to motivate his students and athletes to work as hard as they can. “[My biggest challenges are] convincing students that they can make gains even on bad days,” Johnson said. “Pushing through a workout when you really don’t feel like it can be very rewarding when completed. Trying to convince students their body can do it, but your mind will not let it.” Sophomore Emma Mitchell is a student who has had the opportunity to be motivated by Johnson to do her best work. “He always has us push ourselves in his class, and so I’d say that he’s taught me to become physically tougher, but also mentally stronger,” Mitchell said. Johnson works so hard at his job on a daily basis in hopes to enhance the lives of the next generation. “Hope for the future of our community and country motivates me. Trying to teach students that good work habits will take you a long way in achieving their goals,” Johnson said. Johnson also enjoys teaching high school students for the benefits it provides to him. “Being around young people helps keep me young. I enjoy watching my students
grow into young adults,” Johnson said. Students in this class are able to feel the hardworking, youthful environment every day when they walk into the weight room. “His classroom, whether inside lifting or outside playing a game, is always a fun environment that I look forward to going to at the end of the day. Even though it’s fun, we still work hard in his class, too,” Mitchell said. Junior Drake Smith feels that J o h n s o n ’s c l a s s works hard, but they all are very friendly with each other. “The environment of his classroom makes me want to go as hard as I can. I mean I’m only there for an hour. We all have our laughs with each other, and we have music with a beat that makes you want to keep going.” Smith said. “[Johnson] is more of a friend than a coach. He gives me the feeling of ‘there is a time to work, and there’s a time to play,’ and he makes us work for our time to play.”
PHOTO BY TAYA QUARLES
Coach Troy Johnson uses his humor like any other day while working in the AER room. Coach Johnson also works in the AER room for two hours out the school day.
Humans of Mattoon: By Abby James Business Manager
After living his childhood in India and creating many memories, Yash Patel moved to the United States and began an entirely new, foreign life. “At first I was scared [when I moved to the United States] because I did not know what to expect. At first, I was shocked by how cold it was when I got out of the airport. I was also surprised by how nice people were here and how they were so willing to help,” Patel said. “[I became a citizen] in May 2015.” Moving to the United States was a big change for Patel, as his life in In-
Yash Patel explains experience coming to U.S.
dia was much different than the new culture he moved into. “I moved to the U.S. in November 2008. My parents decided that I would get a better education in America than in India,” Patel said. “In India, life is more family orientated, and you usually spend most of your free time with your family. I loved going to my farm [in India] after I came home from school because I enjoyed all of the green fields and all the animals there.” As a student at Mattoon High School, Patel finds himself trying new things and experiencing new things. “I love getting to know new people through new activities, and also I love making my friends and teachers laugh. I also enjoy trying new activities and new clubs,” Patel said. “I loved being in the musical. I made a lot of new friends and reconnected with a lot of my old friends.”
Sophomore Haley Armstrong was able to help Patel make more memories while being in “Legally Blonde Jr: The Musical” with him and as his date to the 2015 MHS Homecoming. “He’s really funny, and he makes things more fun. It was awesome being in the musical with him, because I really don’t see him that much. Homecoming this year was my favorite memory [with him] because he was my date, and we went out to dinner, and he just made it a lot of fun,” Armstrong said. Sophomore Abbi Hinton was also able to spend time with Patel in the school production. “Yash always made me feel welcome and is a great contribution to the drama club,” Hinton said. “My favorite memory with Yash is when he was trying to teach me to tie a tie, and I was getting frustrated because I didn’t understand which loop went where.” PHOTO BY MARY ZUHONE
Yash Patel gets ready for a tennis match at Lytle Park. Patel grew up in India, but moved to the U.S. in 2008 in pursuit of a better education.
Prevo is new leader of KeyClub
Wiberg: ‘She is overall an encouraging and positive student.’
By Alexa Kimberlin Reporter
Sophomore Mikayla Prevo was chosen unanimously as president for Key Club at Mattoon High School at one of the monthly meetings. She took over for Lexi Kremer, MHS alum last year, and she beat out Yash Patel, a junior, for the spot as president. Prevo describes what this role in Key Club entails. “I organize events, contact people to get service events up and going and I set up monthly meetings,” Prevo said. Prevo also explained how many hours she puts into this extracurricular club.
“I have around 40 hours for community service hours. I don’t really keep track,” Prevo said. MHS social science teacher McLain Schaefer describes Prevo as a quiet leader. “I think she [Prevo] offers a different kind of leadership,” Schaefer said. “You follow Mikayla because the way she carries herself. You follow her because you know she is doing things right.” MHS English teacher Ashley Wiberg agrees with Schaefer on Prevo’s leadership type. She would definitely be a role model to her peers. She shows what hard work and determination bring to success,” Wiberg said.
Schaefer explained that students can trust Prevo, knowing she will do what is asked of her. “She is reliable because anything you tell her she is going to do and follow through on,” Schaefer said. Schaefer said Prevo is a hardworking athlete; she never gives up in her races. “Mikayla is determined and driven and dedicated. All of those can be seen by how she trains, how she races and how she interacts with her teammates,” Schaefer said. “It is proven by her constant improvement.” Wiberg noted that her unanimous vote may have come from how Prevo interacts with her peers.
“She [Prevo] works well with other students. She is overall an encouraging and positive student,” Wiberg said. “Well, I would say she lets other people answer first, and when she finally does, her answers are always meaningful.”
Prevo explained what Key Club is going to do to get more students of MHS involved in the community. “We are thinking of using an app to keep up with hours and service events,” Prevo said.
Feature
Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR
Alexa Kimberlin
M AY 2016
Saying goodbye to Principal Sinclair
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Leader is looking forward to being a grandmother, Lake Land math instructor
By Sophie Collings Photo Editor
Math teacher, assistant principal and principal are all of the titles Michele Sinclair has held in her 31 years at Mattoon High School. At the finish of the 20152016 school year, Sinclair will retire from MHS, but out of sight will not mean out of mind for Sinclair or for her students and staff. “I will miss feeling like I’ve made a difference in someone else’s life,” Sinclair said. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping other people, so I’m going to have to find something that I’m able to continue to do that either through volunteerism or teaching math at Lake Land, whatever that is.” Sinclair has indeed made a difference in many people’s lives, including MHS science teacher Deanna MacDonald’s, who was also a former student of Sinclair. “[She taught me] the importance of knowing your students. She also taught me math,” MacDonald said. Not only did Sinclair pass on her knowledge in class, but she also taught life lessons to those around her. “When assigned a task, to start it and see it all the way through. Learning to prioritize tasks, start them and finish them, and I think that’s very, very important just for your integrity and just in an office overall. If everybody’s doing that, there’s a lot less hassle within an office,” MHS Discipline Secretary Tammy Munyon said. With Sinclair’s advice and guid-
PHOTO BY JJ BULLOCK
Michele Sinclair works in her office during her last few months as principal of Mattoon High School. She leaves the school in the hands of Richard Stuart, former MHS teacher and assitant principal, who was chosen as her replacement in November. ance, the school has seen many changes over the years, which is something MacDonald said she would miss. “I’m sad because she’s made a lot of changes since she’s been here, with B.I.O.N.I.C. and positive incentives,” MacDonald said. The programs Sinclair has
worked hard at to improve student life are not the only major changes she has seen or been a part of. One of the most significant changes, according to Sinclair, is on a much larger scale. “We truly have created a culture in which teachers and staff greatly care about students, not to say that
wasn’t the case before,” Sinclair said. “I think our interviewing process has more clearly defined those qualities in candidates.” Sinclair impacted not only the school as a whole, but also on a more personal level by always keeping the best interests of everyone in mind. MacDonald said she is
“supportive of the staff and always puts her students first.” MHS junior Cassi Dow believes that her success as principal stems largely from her relationships with everyone at MHS. “She takes the time to get to know the students, staff and parents,” Dow said. The feelings of MacDonald and Dow do not go unsupported. Sinclair spends most of her time outside of work ensuring that all goes well at MHS. “In my free time, the vast majority of the time is spent thinking about Mattoon High School, so that is going to be a huge shift, and I’m going to have to find things to occupy my time,” Sinclair said. Although most of her time has been filled with thoughts of MHS, Sinclair said she has plans to keep her busy when her time ends. “If nothing changes, my plan is to come back and sub at least five, 10 days a month. I have plans to teach remedial math at Lake Land College, and I am hoping to keep my granddaughter one day a week. Right now, that’s what it looks like,” Sinclair said. Despite Sinclair’s excitement for the future, she still hopes to leave a legacy at MHS. “I just hope when people, students and faculty remember me that they will say ‘that was a woman that worked hard to make things better for kids,’” Sinclair said. “That’s all I can hope for; that’s my goal.”
MHS retirees Schuler, Lockart look back as they leave Mattoon High School
PHOTO COURTESY OF MHS RIDDLE
MHS Science Teacher Bob Lockart works on a Powerpoint for his freshman biology class. They are working on sustaining life with
Robert Lockart, Science Teacher Q: What do you plan on doing after leaving? A: Travel a little; continue to work part-time. Q: How do you want your students to remember you? A: That I really enjoyed teaching and look forward [to] coming to work each day. Q: What is the highlight of your time teaching? A: When students come back at a later date and you see that they’re headed in the right direction.
Jere Schuler, Guidance Counselor Q: What do you plan on doing after retiring? A: Enjoying freedom from being unscheduled. Q: How do you want your students to remember you?
PHOTO BY TAYA QUARLES
Jere Schuler works in his office during his last year as a counselor at MHS.
A: Always being willing to be helpful Q: What is the highlight of your time be-
ing a counselor? A: Enjoying the opportunity to help students in general
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Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Abby James
Opinion
Bidding farewell
MHS Mirror seniors reminisce on memories they’ve made
By Derby Roan
By Trenton Bitting
I knew everything last year. I knew where I was going to college, what I wanted to study and exactly what I’d say in my final column in the MHS Mirror. That was last year. This year seems to have had a vendetta to prove to me that I know nothing. Growing up has come with a great deal of practicality—I’m in real life now. So, I turned down what I thought was the college of my dreams for an affordable start at community college. I admitted to myself that the career I’d wanted in mortuary science was a dying business, pun intended. And I completely forgot about my senior column until the week it was due. Of course, I have no idea what to say. I’m not sure about much anymore. But, I know one thing for sure. I hate high school. For four years, I’ve been so “inside the box” that I’ve become a square. I’m scared to miss school because I’ll get behind. I don’t see the point in making art, because, logically, it won’t help me to better my future. There are weeks that I don’t leave the house because I just have to do my homework. Right. Now that I’ve been as depressing as possible, I do have to admit that one tiny part of me has really loved it here. It’s a little piece of my heart. It got stuck in Room 216, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to stay there. My fondest memories will always be in the newsroom with my diverse staff and ever-chipper co-editor-in-chief. The shadow of my negativity is also dissolved by the brightness of my English teachers. All four of you were and are magnificent, and just what I needed at just the right time. My friends, you were also excellent, though most of you graduated too soon for my liking. (In other words, thanks for leaving me.) I am so happy to be leaving this place. Remember to make the most of your time in high school, or wherever you may be. The good memories don’t last long, and it’s easy to let the bad ones overpower them. Y’know, I don’t know if I actually do hate high school. I guess I’m really not sure about anything.
I hate talking about myself, but since this is my last year, I’ll make an exception. If there’s anything that anyone will take away while reading this column, it is that if you put your mind to anything, then you will achieve what you set out to get. We all start out with our freshman year. Some already know what they are going to do, while others have no idea what they plan to do throughout their high school years. I was one of those who had no idea. I started the JROTC program freshman year and the Journalism I class during sophomore year, since you need to be a sophomore to join it. I had no way to know that these two things would make the greatest impact on my life. They made me learn that there is more to school than just getting good grades. School is the time to make friendships and to be yourself. The funny thing is that I wasn’t really motivated to do my best my freshman year until I joined the Gladiators Drill Team. Sergeant First Class (SFC) Todd Stokes’s instruction, made discipline and morals major factors in achieving something more than
Co-Editor-In-Chief
Reporter
just average. That’s the drive that made me want to strive to do more. That’s one reason why I am on the MHS Mirror. I made plenty of friends while being on staff. Even though I may be one of the most difficult people to get along with, that’s life. You can’t please everyone, but the people that put up with you, for you, are the ones who will stick for good. JJ Bullock is one of those people. I may give him a hard time, but he never fails to do the same. If he ever tells you that I’m his cable guy, he’s lying. Anyways, everyone else on staff has put up with me, even if they wanted to kill me (Sophie Collings). Derby Roan, Abby James, the Tomers (Gabriel and Brennan), Mary ZuHone, Alexa Kimberlin, Taya Quarles and Victoria Leitch are some of the greatest friends to have, and I wouldn’t trade a moment with any of them. Most of all, one person who has made a major impact is Mrs. Bright. I’m telling everyone this. If you want any teacher, she is the one to get. She makes the classroom so much fun, and her quirkiness is sure to bring smiles across your face. She has made it to where I wish I could take another year of this, but sadly, this is the last issue that we are doing. Thanks for all the experiences throughout my high school career; it has made me who I am today. Looking back at old pictures shows the major improvement from my freshman year to the present. I am not the same as I was back then, and I have everyone that played a role in my life to thank for that.
By Taya Quarles
Distribution Manager I came to Mattoon High School during the second half of my sophomore year. I had so many friends when I first started, and now I’m leaving with the total of three. Some people think you will walk in and leave with the same group of friends, and it is nothing like that. Believe your parents when they tell you that your “friend” is not right for you. Everything was so different than my school in Florida. In Florida, everyone would play music in the halls, dance and make beats; it was always a show the minute you walked through the doors. Although Florida was fun, Mattoon was more laid back. I can say I did not have that much fun here, but I did actually learn a variety of different things. A handful of students and parents say you should get involved in your school in some way in the four years that you have; all I’ve ever gotten involved in was the school newspaper. It really changed me, and some even made fun of me for it. I didn’t care what people thought of me. I went my whole high school days with the mindset of not caring. I feel like we should just do what makes us happy. I paid $20 for basically a T-shirt because I didn’t really fit into Massive like I thought I would. I honest-
ly barely went to any of the games. I believe I went to at least two basketball games this year. Florida is a whole different story; I loved going to the games because everyone got into them. It could just be because my high school in Florida had 2,390 students compared to the 1,006 at Mattoon High school. My best friend in high school was Tierra Bartlett. We literally did everything together; we were more like sisters than anything. She was the only one I really cared about. Tierra taught me how to get through my school years. She graduated last year, and it kind of broke us apart. We are no longer as close as we used to be, but she will always be my best friend. I’ve gained three friends my senior year, Taylor Tuggle, Kyleigh Basham and Mariah Spurgeon. These are the girls that got me through my whole senior year. I’ve gotten so close to them, and I wish them so much luck moving on to college. I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t joined the school newspaper staff. I love everyone that is on staff. They have taught me that no matter who you are, you can do and join anything. I never loved writing as much as I did when I first joined. Although it was tough meeting deadlines, I loved every part of it. I felt like I actually belonged in this group. Mrs. Bright is literally such an amazing teacher. She not only teaches but she also proves to her students that they can be whoever they want, she also pushes her students to do better, and I appreciate her so much. This school has taught me to be who I am and not care about what others think of you. I also enjoyed the little time that we got to learn about college and how to type certain things for not only college but a career also.
“I am not the same as I was back then, and I have everyone that played a role in my life to thank for that.” Trenton Bitting, senior
By JJ Bullock
Co-Editor-In-Chief Its funny how things finish the same way they started. As I sit here a senior typing this procrastinated piece of writing, I can’t help but think of my sophomore self and first my year in journalism. It wasn’t too long ago a tenth- grade version of me was sitting in front of a computer in room 216 frantically typing out a last-second sports story on deadline day. I would eventually outgrow my battle with deadlines, well… for the most part,
which was perhaps caused by forgetfulness and maybe even a pinch of juvenile laziness. However, once again here I am, fighting through an article. Let me be perfectly honest, I don’t want to be writing this article. But not because I am doing it last minute or I am too lazy to do it, which might have been the case two years ago. Writing this article means the conclusion of my time with the MHS Mirror. I don’t want to be writing my last article. I don’t want to have to admit to myself this will be the last issue of the Mirror I help produce. Over the last three years, the MHS Mirror and all the staff members I had the pleasure of working with shaped me as a journalist and more important, as a person, in more ways than any string of cheesy, emotional quotes could describe. I entered the journalism program as a new student from the great state of Wisconsin who had a deep knowledge of sports, and not much else. In the time since then, I have developed
into a writer and reporter who has won a few awards, grown to love journalism and now plans to major in the field at Eastern Illinois University. But that’s enough about me, I have a lot of people to thank from my journey in high school journalism. I’d first like to thank my first two editors Emma Diltz and Sarah Foster for putting their faith and time into helping that sophomore who struggled with deadlines and giving me the confidence and support I needed to succeed as a writer. I also have to thank my second two editors Sydney Edwards and Jenna Butler for pushing me to become a better writer and get closer to reaching my full potential… and of course for always dealing with the antics of Trey Skocy and myself. A huge thank you is also necessary to my newspaper staff, who made my time as editor-in-chief incredibly enjoyable and rewarding; I also want them to remember that “said” comes after the name, and proper story format is lede,
quote, transition, quote, transition, quote… There isn’t enough space for me to thank everyone I want to, so I will round it off by thanking Trenton Bitting, who has been with me in journalism since day one, for always making the newsroom exciting, and for fixing my cable and internet. The first of my two biggest thank you’s goes out to my co-editor-in-chief Derby Roan, whose tireless work ethic and unrivaled editing skills made it appear as if I had any idea what I was doing all year. Thank you, Derby. My last thank you goes out to program adviser Mrs. Bright who has done more for me as a person and journalist than this newspaper has space to print. Thank you, Mrs. Bright. The MHS Mirror has found a permanent place in my heart, wedged somewhere between my beloved Green Bay Packers and cheese curds, which may not sound like much, but believe me, that’s an exclusive club. It’s funny how things finish the same way… oh, wait a minute.
Opinion
Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Gabriel Tomer
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Bringing light to a dark discussion Sexual violence on college campuses needs awareness
April is Sexual Violence Awareness month. But why are we only bringing attention to the issue 30 days of the year? More awareness needs to be brought to the topic. People don’t like to discuss the topic and try to avoid it because they feel as though it is touchy and uncomfortable. But, it needs to be talked about. There is a statistic that states that one in four women will be sexually assaulted during their college career, but if more awareness is brought to the topic, then the numbers could go down. Vi c t i m s m u s t b e h e a r d . I f they tell their stories, then more awareness can be brought to the topic and help can be brought to them. People who are scared or uneasy about the topic of sexual violence could be moved and motivated to spread the word of the problem. Every time more stories are told by victims, there is a higher chance that awareness to the rising issue could become more popular. If awareness for sexual violence increases, new prevention techniques and an increase in prevention groups or strategies could take place. Victims who tell their stories
Victoria Leitch Design Editor could lead people into understanding how to keep the issue from rising. Statistics show that only 36 percent of sexual violence incidents are reported to a higher authority and 98 percent of attackers never get any jail time or punishment. If more awareness is brought to the topic of sexual violence, then the numbers could potentially go down. Every two minutes, another person becomes a victim. This statistic must go down and more attention needs to be brought to the rising problem. Although people are scared to speak about the topic, it is vital to victims that more attention is brought to it. Victims need to be heard, attackers need to be caught and people need to be educated about sexual violence. If awareness for the topic doesn’t become more popular, the number of attacks will not go down and there will be no justice for the victims.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MC T C AMPUS
From left, University of California, Berkeley student Shannon Thomas, 21, former student Nicoletta Commins, 22, and student Aryle Butler, 20, prepare to speak during a press conference at the Graduate School of Journalism in Berkeley, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2014. Thirty-one female students have filed a federal complaint against the university, claiming Cal violated federal anti-discrimination laws by failing to protect them against sexual harassment and assault.
Trenton Bitting Reporter
Did you try? Seniors’ time at MHS drawing to a close Seniors of Mattoon High School, graduation is approaching quickly, and it is one of the biggest events of the year. Yet, there comes a time where students question how specific seniors graduated. This is in no way to belittle people by saying that they can’t graduate; it’s simply just getting a point across. There are students who don’t try with their school career and are still able to graduate with the people who put everything into theirs. It becomes questionable to the people who tried. Why did I put so much effort? How did this person graduate? Where is ILLUSTR ATION BY TAYA QUARLES that person going? Sure, these students have the right to graduate, People get it. There are students who aren’t brightbut they just show that putting in no or little ef- er than others, but that doesn’t make it right to allow fort can have them go through one of the highest someone who completely blew off their school caaccomplishments that a student can get. Many se- reer and did everything last minute to graduate. This niors of last year had complained about students is purely wrong and shouldn’t be allowed. There is who shouldn’t have graduated due to of how much no trouble with people graduating, but to see somethey missed school and how one walk across the stage that little they tried. When graduahasn’t worked as hard as some The MHS Mirror tion came, they were extremestudents may cause problems ly surprised to see students get and even devalue the ones who Editorial Policies the same diploma for which a Opinions in editorials reflect the do. lot of others worked. The only thing that can be consensus decision of the news- said is that for the students who The perspective of those students will show that, yes, paper staff and do not necessarily don’t try: try your best. People they did go through the same understand that not everything is reflect the opinions of Mattoon amount of time, suffer every- High School. Opinions expressed going to be perfect, but put the thing the teachers threw at them effort into attaining the diploma and they do deserve their diplo- in columns are solely those of the and it will show that you do deauthor. ma at the end of the year. That serve it. It makes it look better even though they may not have in the long run if effort was put To submit a letter to the editor, the best grades, they are passing forth. email and get the same opportunity as mhsmirror@gmail.com a straight A student.
Music mayhem in MHS halls needs to stop Students at Mattoon High School play music from Bluetooth speakers while walking down the hallways during passing periods, creating a noisy, disruptive environment in which to travel. It is against the rules to walk down the hallways with headphones in/covering your ears, and it should be even more frowned upon to walk down the halls making it difficult for everyone to hear. The students playing this music believe that it’s simply for their pleasure and it doesn’t affect anyone else negatively. These students feel this way because since they’re playing the music they enjoy, they are blind to the nuisance they are creating for other people. Students shouldn’t be allowed to play music in the hallways on speakers because it creates more unnecessary noise in the school hallways. This is unsafe, for students need to be able to hear announcements over the intercom. For example, if a student is being called to the office, but he/she cannot hear their announcement, the student may very likely be missing out on important information. The MHS handbook states “For safety and communication purposes ear buds and other non-medical ear
Abby James Business Manager canal inserts are not allowed to be placed in the ear canal while in the MHS hallways during student passing times.” In-ear pieces are not allowed to be worn, but students are walking around our halls making it more difficult to hear for an entire hallway, let alone a single person. This is also bothersome if a student or teacher is trying to communicate with another person; it is difficult to understand the conversation. For example, students may be trying to talk to teachers to find assistance with their classes. This struggling student may not be able to plan a time to gain help, for their conversation is too difficult to hear. This is simply inconvenient and discourteous to other students. Whether MHS adds speakers in the hallways to play music at an appropriate volume, or students and staff follow the rules and regulations according to the MHS handbook, a solution to this issue needs to be found. If this issue is resolved, we will have quieter, happier passing periods.
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Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Trenton Bitting
Entertainment
Top Ten anticipated movies for 2016 By Trenton Bitting Reporter
Box offices have surprised many viewers with movies that were and still are absolutely fantastic. Look at “Deadpool”, “Batman vs. Superman” and even “Kung Fu Panda 3”. It makes a movie-goer question what movies are going to be out later that would be worth their money. Here are the top 10 movies anticipated for 2016. 10. “Assassin’s Creed” is set to be out by Dec. 21, and follows the stories of Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender). Through the revolutionary technology, he experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th- century Spain. Just like the videogames, being descended upon by Assassins, Callum m u s t u s et h e i n credible knowledge and skills he learns to take on the Templars in present day. Hopefully this turns out better than “Assassins Creed Lineage”. 9. “X-Men Apocalypse” is meant to be out by May 27, and as the title says, it will show Apocalypse himself. For those who don’t know, Apocalypse was the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel, who amassed the powers of many mutants making him invincible, and was worshipped as a god. Awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it to be unfit. He will recruit new mutants, including a disheartened Magneto, to cleanse the world in which he will rule. It’s up to the X-Men to save the world yet again from one of their biggest nemeses. 8. Who you gonna call? “Ghostbusters” will be debuting by July 15, but with a major twist. The whole crew is made up of females. Erin Gilbert and Abby Bergman are a pair of unheard-of authors who wrote a book saying that ghosts were real.
Gilbert would soon reach a prestigious teaching position at Columbia University, that is, until she is laughed out of the academy. Gilbert soon reunites with Bergman and with a couple other friends to fend off the invading ghosts from the city of Manhattan. 7. A rogue band of rebel fighters are set to unite together to make the new movie “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” appearing to a galaxy near you on Dec 16. Working together, the rogue band will set out on a daring mission to steal the plans of the death star. Since it is Star Wars, expect a lot of action and memorable moments that will more than likely be spoiled after the release date. 6. The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenb e rg , Wo o d y H a rrelson, Dave Franco and Lizzy Caplan) return for a second mind-boggling adventure, elevating their stage illusions to new heights and traveling around the globe in “Now You See Me 2” coming out on June 10. One year after outsmarting the FBI, the illusionists return in hope of exposing the unethical practices of tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Marby, a tech prodigy who makes the horsemen pull off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform their one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all. 5. “The Secret Life of Pets” is
making all sorts of sounds heading into theaters on July 8. Taking place in Manhattan, after humans leave to go to work and school, the pets gather to start t h e d a y. Similar to “Toy
crosses
Story”, the animals’ days consists of hanging out, trading humiliating stories about their owners and helping each other to get more snacks. Yet, when the head hound (voiced by Louis C.K.), a quickwitted terrier rescue, is threatened for the affection of his master when she brings home a Duke. The two will soon find themselves on the mean streets of New York. When they soon encounter Snowball, the adorable white bunny, who is the leader of an army of pets set to take over humanity and every owner-loving pet, the dogs must thwart this fluffball and be home in time for dinner. 4. It doesn’t take a genius to know that the duo of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart will make a bunch of people laugh funny on June 17 in “Central Intelligence.” Johnson plays as the one-time bullied geek who
Loneliness makes sense: By Derby Roan Co-Editor-in-Chief
Charles Bukowski is an author best known for being a lowlife drunk. His writing covers topics from his childhood to his drunkenness, usually with a harsh, disconnected tone. The book with the most intimate window into his life is “You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense.” “You Get So Alone” is a book of poetry, now described as Bukowski’s most tender novel, giving a rare
glimpse into his childhood. Though he retains his outright frustration with the world and overall pessimism, Bukowski opens up a little, showing a relatively soft side. Usually, poetry just rouses bad memories of being forced to analyze stanzas to find some ultimate meaning that may not even exist. That’s the last thing to expect from Mr. Bukowski. Stepping back from cryptic metaphors and flowing verses, Bukowski writes bluntly and clearly with rough, unguard-
grew up to be a lethal CIA agent. Claiming he was on a top secret case, he enlisted “the big man on campus” Hart, (ironic right?) now an accountant who misses his glory days. Along their journey, they experience many shootouts, double
and espionage that could get them both killed in more ways than they could count. 3. A mix of well-known and unknown villains (Deadshot, King Shark, Harley Quinn, Joker, etc.) will be known as the “Suicide Squad.” On Aug. 5, the government will recruit these villains to accomplish a task deemed too dangerous for superheroes. For them to succeed, they must bury their interpersonal conflicts and agendas to form the most cohesive unit to take on one task. 2. We’ve all heard of “Finding Nemo,” but now it’s time to find Dory. “Finding Dory” is swimming its way to theaters on June 17 and will be reeling for more than the average fish. Living happily in the reef with Marlin and Nemo, Dory soon remembers that she has a family out in the ocean that could be looking for her. The trio will go off on a lifechanging adventure to the prestigious California
Charles Bukowski uses poems to express ‘Alone’
ed prose. This change of pace can be overwhelming, but “You Get So Alone” is the perfect entry point into his work. Giving a look at the life of the author himself as well as the world he lives in, “You Get So Alone” is an open door into the world of a young German migrant, growing up in Los Angeles during the Depression. This compilation of poetry is an eye-opening glimpse into a world that seems so foreign to us today.
Marine Life Institute. Making new friends along the way, they discover the magic within their flaws, friendships and family. 1. If they die before they awake, pray the lord their souls to take. “Before I Wake” doesn’t have a set time to be out, but will prove to be one of the best supernatural thrillers. Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) decide to take in an 8-year-old boy n a m e d C o d y. Unbeknownst to them though, C o d y i s t e r r i fied to fall asleep. Without hesitation, they assume it was just form his previous home, yet soon discover the true reason why. His dreams are manifested into reality. Amazed by his imagination and leaving them in incredible wonder of his ability, it soon turns into something so horrific that is caused by his
night terrors. To save the new family, they must find out the truth behind Cody’s nightmares.
Agree with our list? Let us know what you think at mhsmirror.org
Entertainment
Page Designer Brennan Tomer
Doom still a classic By Brennan Tomer Reporter
Very few games today can claim to have the same monumental impact on gaming that Doom did. Doom not only popularized the first-person shooter genre, but paved the way for 3D action games and made deathmatch an industry standard in multiplayer shooter games. But how did a game like Doom get started? And how much of Doom’s influence remains in games today? Doom’s story is simple, yet unimportant; the main protagonist is even less important. The game takes place on Mars in a military base, where the player struggles to survive a horde of demons. The player is not completely hopeless, receiving a pistol at the start of the game. However, it can only handle the lower echelons of demons and nothing more. Big, bad and satanic demons lurk the dark halls of the base, and you are going to need far stronger firepower if you want a slight chance of standing against the demonic hordes of hellspawn. Fortunately, Doom is known for its legendary and outlandishly large arsenal, as the player eventually acquires a shotgun, which is useful for handling most of the demons. But other weapons, like the rocket launcher and the plasma rifle, present themselves as useful additions to the players’ arsenal of weaponry. Doom is known for its demonic cast including: zombies, the brown fireball- shooting Imps, and the Cacodemons, big floating phantasms that shoot fireballs at the player. It’s worth noting that the player is intentionally unnamed; level design-
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er John Romero insists that the player is you, adding a level of immersion to the gameplay. Although the first chapter of Doom takes place on Mars, the game eventually takes place on the shores of Hell, and eventually, Hell itself becomes a location for the player to fight. Doom was released for personal computers in 1993 and was played by 15-20 million people. The game was developed by a company known as ID Software. They already had another successful shooter game under their belt, Wolfenstein 3D, a shooter game where the player shot at Nazis in an attempt to escape from imprisonment. Doom was different than its predecessors. Doom boasted variable lighting, stairs, elevators and windows, all of which were massive advances in PC gaming at the time. The first episode, Knee Deep in the Dead, was available free through mail order as shareware. Doom was also the most installed piece of software in 1995, and was downloaded more times than Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system, which was new at the time. Part of the reason the game remained so influential was because it coined the term deathmatch, which was a new concept back then. The modding community was an important part of Doom’s success, and they helped increase the game’s longevity. Doom was a massively important step for 3D action games, setting standards for other games to meet. Every single shooter game released has some PHOTO COURTESY OF MC TC AMPUS form of connection to Doom. Its simple, yet action-packed Because of Doom’s success, it spawned two more gameplay raised the bar for first-person shooters. With sequels, Doom II: Hell on Earth, and Doom 3. Doom’s release, ID Software carved their names into legends Doom 3 was released on both consoles and PC. and became icons of the gaming industry.
MHS App of the
Month
Infinity Loop is entertaining spin on puzzle game genre By Trenton Bitting Reporter
may seem like nothing, but as the game keeps progressing through Infinity Loop is one of the most the infinite amount of puzzles it trending apps of 2016. Made by In- provides, players will see they are finity Games, it is considered to be becoming faster with solving the a simple, relaxing and all around puzzles. infinite game. This game is literally an eye Puzzle games are fun, short sore. Players are constantly starand sweet. It’s easy to understand ing at their screens, and all sorts of gameplay but extremely difficult twisted figures will cause their eyes to master the infinite loop. Infinity to hurt. It becomes worse whenevloop uses an easy concept of con- er players are stuck on a level for necting multiple lines to form mys- an extended amount of time. There terious shapes and other figures. is an easy solution to this probUsing touch-based controls to ro- lem though. Exit the app and take tate the varia break; it’s ous fragments, as simple as such as single that. or curved lines, The one helps players thing playcomplete the ers will not be main objective able to fix, is of completing the monotonthe image. ic soundtrack. The way Nothing kills it works is the vibe more straightforthan to hear ward. Make the same beat sure every sinplay over gle end is and over, or touching or to hear the meeting somesame bloopthing. To claring sound ify, imagine a when movpoint on the ing a piece to figure. If it was a position. It to move along becomes anthe path it noying really should be movquick. ing infinitely. Other PHOTO BY TRENTON BIT TING Hence why it than the game A screenshot from the game is called Infinistraining the ty Loop and not “Infinity Loop”. Its dizzying level player ’s eyes the disconnect- design and addicting gameplay and the repeted loop. itive beat, Inmake for a unique experience. Having this finity loop is concept is briladdictive and liant because it makes players one of the best puzzle games that use their heads and use pattern the app store has provided. Free for recognition, which in turn will both Apple and Android, Infinity make players more comprehen- games has invented something that sive at recognizing patterns. It is an infinite amount of fun.
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Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
JJ Bullock
Sports
Boys tennis team battles inexperience
Senior Jacob Woodyard returns a ball in a varsity match against East Richland. Woodyard holds the team’s number one slot.
By Mary Zuhone Reporter
The Mattoon High School boys tennis team faces the prospect of building experience for their young team. They plan to focus on going back to the basics and learning the fundamentals of the game in order to get on the level of their competition. “We lost a lot of seniors last year. And this year we don’t have as much experience,” MHS junior
Caleb Borntrager said. The experienced seniors have moved on and left many spots to fill by the younger players. Because the varsity team has only one returning player, the team as a whole expects to encounter new challenges. “The one player we have that’s back is Jacob Woodyard, but he went from five to one, so it’s a brand new experience for him and new experience for everybody and varsity,” MHS head coach Joey Boyer said.
PHOTO BY MARY ZUHONE Playing at higher level of competition on the that come with it. varsity team is one of the new ob“There’s an expectation there stacles the team anticipates for this to win. You’re focused on in dual season. meets and tournaments. You’re try“Our players are skilled, but ing to go to sectionals, and you’re they’ve had less time to prepare for trying to qualify for state. A little the level they needed to be at for more pressure, but pressure’s good varsity competition,” MHS volun- for the kids,” Boyer said. teer coach Randy Krepel said. Krepel agrees that varsity playMost players have not been on ers have more pressure and are exthe team long enough to have the pected to understand the logistics history of playing against varsity of the strategy of the game. competition and the expectations “Varsity players are expected to
kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Many hours of practice helped the team to widen their chances at championships. “Weeks of practices and training and learning the show, and going through all of the different processes of piecing the show together. Learning the equipment work and anything else that we needed to do for the show to bring it all together, so lots of rehearsal time,” Black said. Sherman also said the team had to practice a large amount, up to three times a week, in order to reach their achievement. The necessity of practice comes from some of the more difficult aspects of the sport. “A lot of people I don’t think realize how much we do because we incorporate dance with the equipment work we have with flag and rifle,” Sherman said. The hard work paid off, espe-
cially for Sherman, because it was her final competition with the MHS winter guard. “It feels really good. I was sad at the beginning, and right after we performed, I was really sad and so were the rest of the seniors, but afterwards I was kind of happy that they get to perform without me, and I’ll be able to see them perform and see how they grow after I leave,” Sherman said. According to MHS junior Morgan Hampton, growing is something the team strives for next year. “We obviously want to do better next year, so we always just try to keep topping ourselves and keep moving up in the ranks and keep bettering our team throughout the years,” Hampton said. “I feel like that’s really shown throughout the last two years because we got the best score that we’ve ever gotten last year, and then we beat that by almost ten more points this year.”
be able to carry things out more. They are expected to know the strategy behind it. They’re expected to know why we do the things the way we do versus JV is more we’re introducing the players to the game and you’re trying to teach them more fundamental work,” Krepel said. Although the young team faces the challenges of gaining skill and carrying the higher expectations this year, it may put them at an advantage next year. “They will get a lot of experience, and then they can play to a higher level,” Borntrager said. Krepel confirms this statement explaining how their time on varsity will better prepare them for next year. “There will be an advantage because they’ll be more comfortable with what we’re trying to do. We’ve had more time to work with a larger group of people and not only that, our players will be here while other players at other schools may be leaving. We’ll have that experience in that end as well. So, it’s kind of seesaw that it goes back and forth depending on what you have each year,” Krepel said. Boyer also believes the team could have an advantage next year depending on how much work each player puts into their game in the off-season. “It all depends on how much they embrace the game and they commit during the off season. Play a lot during the summer and with the experience they’re getting this year definitely can put them in a better position next year to have the opportunity to be successful,” Boyer said.
Winter guard places third at Springfield championships By Sophie Collings Photo Editor
The Mattoon High School winter guard finished their season, receiving third place at the championship competition in Springfield, Mo. “Basically, we go against winter guards from all over the country, and they just split us into sections…we perform and then they judge us based on our equipment work and our emotion in the show,” MHS senior and winter guard member Abbie Sherman said. “Out of 12 schools we got third place, so we got the bronze medal, and we also got the highest ever scoring that winter guard has ever gotten for Mattoon High School.” According to MHS winter guard director Angi Black, the teams compete against several states including Missouri, Illinois, Ar-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MHS RIDDLE
Above right: Senior Bre Easton holds a flag over her head during a half-time performance at a Mattoon basketball game. Left: Freshman Alyssa Deremiah sits in a throne during a winter guard performance.
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Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
JJ Bullock
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Baseball team looks to turn around season By JJ Bullock
Co-Editor-in-Chief For many teams, a 9-7 (1-3 conference) record would be considered a solid or average season. However, for the defending Apollo Conference champion Mattoon High School baseball team, playing baseball two games above .500 isn’t quite where they had hoped to be at this point in the season. “Definitely below [expectations],” head coach Mark Jackley said of his team’s record. “Out of our seven losses, they were all winnable games. We haven’t really been blown out of a game yet. We’ve been in every game. It’s just a matter of finishing a game, getting a big hit, making a big play.” The sub-par play from the Green Wave could be the product of a lack of focus and concentration. “We have to show up for every game and show up for every inning,” junior third baseman Rayme Hamilton said. “Sometimes we score some runs some innings, then we put it on cruise control and just lay back. That gets us.” Senior left-fielder Trey Skocy commented on the teams lapses in awareness. “I think we’re not there mentally sometimes at the game. Like we’re not fully focused before it starts. That’s why I think games like that first game against Salem we could have won if we were just there at the beginning of the game,” Skocy said. The lack of mental focus mixed with the team’s struggling offense has led to tough defeats at the hands of small 2A and 1A schools such as Newton and Sullivan. However, for Jackley those
losses are not something he looks too far in to. “You know I don’t really look at who we got beat by, but how we performed. That’s the biggest thing with me, because some of those smaller schools have some good players,” Jackley said. “I mean like we play T-Town (Teutopolis) tomorrow and they’re always one of the top 2A schools. So I’m not that concerned with our opponent, but just more what are we doing well and what are we not doing well.” In addition to poor concentration, a lack of production at the plate has hampered the Green Wave’s performance this season. “The thing I’m most disappointed with is offensively we’re not playing like we did last year. And we’re a better offensive team than what we’ve shown. And we’re striving every day at practice to get better in that area,” Jackley said. “(We’re) just trying to do too much at the plate. And I think we are a team that hits singles and doubles and we’re trying to hit home runs.” The team is hitting .292 this season and according to Skocy that plays a big factor into some of those upset losses. “Offensively we just haven’t been getting it done in games with teams like Newton where they out hit us, (and) Salem where they got two more hits than us,” Skocy said. “We have to be the team that gets down in the dirt and gets extra base hits.” While the offense has been stagnant, the pitching has been a bright spot for Mattoon. The team has a collective ERA of 2.40 “Pitching, for the most part, has
been really consistent this year and our pitchers have kept us in every ball game this year,” Jackley said. “Number one, [the pitchers have had] good command and that’s the biggest thing that we preach to our guys, is don’t walk guys. Are walk to strikeout ratio is very good and we get ahead in the count. We’re not a very big strikeout team. We let the defense do the work.” Leading the staff this season are seniors Sawyer Scott, 1.151 ERA, and Elijah Schlabagh, 4.046 ERA. Both pitchers talked about what has led their individual and collective success. “Pitching to contact instead of trying to strike everybody out,” Scott said. “First thing Senior second basemen Colton Shoot and senior Shortstop Alex Lily trot that comes to my mind in from the field after the close of an inning. Photo by Sophie Collings [while pitching] is just get ahead in the count. Wil Courtney (.345 batting average), repeating as conference champions It’s always easier to pitch ahead in the junior Nick Poorman (.333 batting av- isn’t impossible at this point, Jackley, count.” erage) and Hamilton who leads the Skocy and Hamilton all agreed that the Despite all of their offensive scuf- team in on-base percentage (.483)and team would have to “run the table” to fles, the Green Wave have had good slugging percentage (.417) do so. But that doesn’t mean hopes to seasons from underclassman at the “I am just playing the game,” Ham- turn the season around don’t exist. plate. ilton said. “Always looking fastball, “We talked earlier about the of“I think our top three or four hitters looking for a pitch I can put somewhere fense,” Jackley said. “If we can just are all underclassmen,” Jackley said. in the outfield and get on base.” score a few more runs, we don’t have “So that bodes well for the next couple Although their offense and focus to score ten runs a game, but just a few of seasons.” hasn’t been up to expectations, strong more runs to win some of those close The young players who have sur- pitching and surprise young bats have ball games, we’re going to be in good prised at the plate include sophomore kept this team afloat at 9-7. And while shape for the regional.”
Girls soccer struggling to find success By Darien Harvey Contributing Reporter
For Mattoon’s girls soccer team, the season started off better than players and coaches expected. Although their season may have started out rough with a current record of 4-7-2, Coach Ryan Ghere stated that the team is still young. “[The record is] about what I expected. I’m hoping to do better, but we’re struggling,” Ghere said. Though the team is still new it could be something else that they haven’t gotten. “We’re lacking experience,” Ghere said. Not only is experience missing for these players, the girls could be missing something within the team. “We have scored [more], but we’re struggling with defense,” Ghere said. Despite what Ghere has no-
ticed, senior midfielder Carly Lowry said that the beginning of the season had a lot of good moments. “We started playing harder, tougher teams,” Lowry said. Junior defender Emily Petak said that she noticed that the team needs improvement in relationships, too. “We started out rough,” Petak said. “[We need to improve on] communication and passing better.” Last season wasn’t the best for the girls team ending with a record of 5-16-2, but Ghere noticed the enhancements in this year’s team. “[We’re] scoring a lot more,” Ghere said. Even though this season has been hard for the team, there have been highlights that they have noticed. “Playing Olney, we were down by two, but we beat them,” Ghere said. “We
scored in the last 30 seconds.” Lowry said that the game against Charleston was a highlight for her as well as any time that they score. “Even though we lost, we played well against Charleston,” Lowry said. “Any time we score it’s a highlight.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MHS RIDDLE
Above: Junior Katie Brush kicks the ball away from the pursuing Charleston defense. Left: Senior Molly Nguyen dribbles the ball away from a Trojan opponent in a home game on April 7.
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Sports
Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Trenton Bitting
MHS Athletes graduate Kelsey Farmer Millikin University
Shelby Youngblood Parkland College
Softball
Kyliegh Basham Parkland College
Hailie Bennett John Wood College
l l a b t e k s a B
Volleyball
Mariah Spurgeon Lake Land College Emily Watson Lake Land College
Tennis
Haley Towle Lincoln Trail College
Track
Elle Drake Millikin University
Tayler Weaver Illinois State University
Molly Nguyen IUPUI
LeAndra Webb Eastern Illinois University
Sports
Page Designer
THE MHS MIRROR M AY 2016
Trenton Bitting
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to college athletics David “Trey” Skocy Monmouth
Baseball Alex Lilly Illinois College
Soccer Ryan Rappe’ Eureka College
Chase Vogt Lakeland College (Wisconsin)
Hayden Phillips McKendree University
Football Bryson Colbert Aurora University
Elijah Schlabach Illinois College
Braden Smith Franklin College
MHS SPORTSSoftball team has high hopes Page Designer Derby Roan
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EDWARDS TAKES 3RD IN STATE
Junior Trevor Edwards wrestles a teammate in a practice at MHS. On Feb. 20, Edwards placed third in Class 2A of the IHSA State Wrestling Championships.
Hines:‘From top to bottom, we have a lineup capable of producing runs’ By JJ Bullock
Co-Editor-in-Chief Expectations are high in 2016 for the Mattoon High School softball team. With seven returning starters from last year’s team and a lineup that stakes claim to more than a few powerful bats, a conference championship is a large blip on this team’s radar. “From top to bottom, we have a lineup capable of producing runs,” head coach Amy Hines said. “Our base running is very aggressive which helps to get more runs in. We have a pretty solid defense that consists of those seven returning starters… We are a mostly power- hitting team, but we also have a couple of quick girls that can bring the small ball style to the game.” Bringing a lineup to the table that brags as much power as this one can prove to be quite a headache for opposing pitchers according to Hines. “I think it gets in their head. Especially when we played Casey. They’re a state-ranked team and we shut them out 10-0,” Hines said.
One of the names that frequently comes up when discussing the power in the lineup is that of senior third baseman Kyleigh Basham. Basham, who has X homeruns and X RBIs, talked about her approach at the plate and the depth of the offense. “I’m just looking to cut the ball in half and get a solid hit,” Basham said. “It’s just pretty cool that we have solid hitters all through the lineup. It’s not usually like that.” The Green Wave’s offense is built around more than just hitting balls over the fence, however. An aggressive philosophy on base running as proven to be another run-creating asset. “We just like to take the extra base whenever we can,” Hines said. “Just catch the defense off guard. I have a couple of girls that like to steal on the throwback.” This team can do more than just hit, according to senior catcher Kelsey Farmer. A pitching staff headlined by first-year senior Lesley Swick and junior Cassi Dow has been a nice compliment to the high-volume run-scoring offense. “Pretty solid,” Farmer said of the pitching staff. “A lot of pitching variety and a lot of movement… Lesley Swick, her screwball is wicked.”
PHOTOS BY DARIEN HARVEY
Left: Senior Shelby Youngblood looks on before a run to home base in an MHS softball tourney at Mattoon’s Roundhouse Softball Complex on April 15. Above: Coach Amy Hines gives a morale-boosting talk to her players in a mound visit during a time out. This year’s softball team boasts a talented group of hitters and pitchers.
Nichols scores goals, stays positive: By JJ Bullock
Co-Editor-in-Chief
As the girls soccer team’s leading goal scorer with eight, already one more than her total from last year, Mattoon High School sophomore Jessica Nichols was an easy selection for the May Athlete of the Month. Nichols, who plays forward, has been able to not only demonstrate an elite ability to s c o r e g o a l s o ff breakaway chance, but according to head coach Ryan Ghere “she excels in the classroom” and “has a positive attitude at practice and in games.” Nichols attributed becoming the
team’s number one scorer to a large amount of breakaway opportunities. “We get a lot of breakaways during the game. The midfielder puts it over the defenders line. [I] get to the ball and have one on one with the goalie,” Nichols said. In addition to excelling during the game, Nichols is also sure to be a supportive teammate and keep an optimistic attitude on the field. “You don’t ever get down when you make a mistake. You always try to bring your teammates up; don’t give them a hard time about it, because we all make mistakes,” Nichols said.
‘You don’t ever get down when you make a mistake’
PHOTO BY SOPHIE COLLINGS
Sophomore Jessica Nichols steals the ball from a Champaign Central opponent at a game on April 11. Nichols was selected by Coach Ryan Ghere as May’s Athlete of the Month.