December 2021

WINTER SPORTS Page 16 NON-BELIEVER Page 22

Tired Eyes

Sleep and how it relates to student life Page 10

Maize Career Academy | 1170 W 45th St N | Maize, 67101 | maizenews.com

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 DECEMBER 2021

Contents News

05 | Changes at the top 07 | News in brief 08 | Diving in

Cover

22

10 | Tired eyes

Sports

14 | Very superstitious 16 | Winter sports previews

Features

5

18 | After school weekly

Entertainment

18 | Chistmas comforts 22 | Non-believer 24 | ‘Tis the season 26 | Fry review with Q

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Fusion is the official newsmagazine by Maize Career Academy students. Fusion is published four times throughout the year.

Fusion is a student publication and a forum for public opinion.

The editorials and columns are the sole opinion of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USD 266 Board of Education, the administration, the faculty, or the advisers.

Cover design by Levi Eck, Sydney Endicott, and Izzy Blasdel © Copyright 2021 Fusion Newsmagazine. First copy free.

Additional copies $1. Printed by Hesston Prestige Printing

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10 10

Staff Editors Izzy Blasdel Sydney Endicott Ty Rains Teagan Redinger Design Editor Levi Eck

Designers Quentin Gee Brue Polley Maddy Rhoads Noah Rodriguez Trevor Sites Tatum Steinhoff Gavin Werner

Illustrators Alexis Baty Ty Brack

Photographers Shiah McLain Laney Turner

Reporters Leah Brown Justice Mannie Trey Murphy Sierra Tinsley Brooklynn White Advisers Jodee Johnson Dan Loving Spencer O’Daniel

Changes at the top

5

News

Superintendent Chad Higgins resigns after 7 years; two assistants announce retirement.

T

he Maize school district will experience major changes at the top next year. Superintendent Chad Higgins announced he will resign at the end of the year. Assistant superintendents Gary Lewis and Karen Duling are retiring.

Bearing the title of superintendent is a lot of responsibility on its own. However, with the added stress from the Covid-19 pandemic and the lack of family time and events, Higgins has come to the decision to resign and focus more on his family.

“The amount of time and stress the job currently demands forced me to reevaluate my priorities,” said Higgins, 50, who has led the Maize district since 2015. “I do not want to regret, at this point in my life, missing quality time with my wife, kids and grandkids.”

Over his almost seven years as Maize’s superintendent, Higgins said he has had many enjoyable opportunities to work with students, teachers, parents, and more.

“I have loved my opportunities to work with a variety of stakeholders to collaboratively solve problems that benefit students, teachers, staff and families,” he said. “The best parts of my day were always being in classrooms, lunchrooms, hallways, auditoriums, gyms and stadiums watching students and staff work hard to be successful.”

Not only did Higgins miss his family, but his family missed him just the same.

He and his family look forward to the future in which they get to spend more time and enjoy their lives together.

“They have always supported my professional goals and understood the time it takes to serve in educational leadership,” Higgins said. “The decision to make a change was made as a family, for our family, and we all feel strongly that it is the best thing for us.”

Duling has been involved in K-12 education for 34 years, 29 of which were spent in Maize. With that many years up her sleeve, she was eligible for retirement. Now that she is retiring, she can focus more on helping out her parents and spending time with her five5 grandchildren.

“When I look around at the talent in our district, I am optimistic about the future for Maize students,” she said. “I’m ready to hand off the baton and head into the next season of my life. I look forward to spending more time with my family.”

Even after her retirement, Duling said she hopes to still contribute her teaching experience to the world.

“I’m not sure exactly what that will look like, possibly teaching at the university level,” Duling said. “I’d especially like to teach aspiring

Superintendent Chad Higgins, middle, and assistant superintendents Karen Duling and Gary Lewis are leaving the Maize school district at the end of the academic year. Photo by Sydney Endicott

school administrators.”

Lewis is a Maize veteran. He even went to school in Maize. Following his graduation in 1986, Lewis built his career in Maize from the ground up where he started as a bus driver.

“In addition to my early position as bus driver and para, I have taught middle school and high school courses in computers, technology and broadcasting,” he said. “My career in Maize has spanned 27 years and my experience in public education has spanned 36 years. I can say that I have made a difference in the education of young people over my many years in Maize.”

Planning retirement can be hard for some, but Lewis has his completely planned out. He plans on moving to Ajijic, Mexico, and will continue to teach as “an adjunct professor in higher education.”

“It is a beautiful place on Lake Chapala where the temperature remains the same year-round,” Lewis said. “I plan to spend more time at the gym, learning Spanish, cooking and simply relaxing.”

-Ty Rains

“I have loved my opportunities to work with a variety of stakeholders to collaborativly solve problems that benefit students, teachers, staff, and families.”

-Chad Higgins

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7

News

News in brief French teacher Nitcher to retire Many students have favorite teachers that make an impact on their academic and personal lives. For many students, French teacher Sandy Nitcher is that teacher. Nitcher is special to the students and staff because she tries her best to form long-lasting relationships with them from now into adulthood.

Assistant principal Aaron Leichner was a student of Nitcher’s. Leichner described her as genuine and kind. As a former student and now a colleague, he can still feel how much she loves her students.

“We went on a trip to France,” Leichner said. “I remember on the tour bus I’d get up and sing to the bus. It was iconic. I have so many good memories but this is one I will always remember.”

MSHS French teacher Jennifer Kerr is a colleague and close friend of Nitcher.

Kerr agrees with Leichner and says, “she is also enthusiastic and hilarious.”

“Ms. Nitcher and I always wear our fire chief hats,” Kerr said. “We used to wear them all of the time and I still wear mine.

It was Ms. Nitcher’s idea to do that, and I have loved it ever since.”

There is one specific time Nitcher said will be her worst memory. That was when Covid hit badly and teachers and students had to go remote and hybrid.

“I hated it so much when we had to go from normal to remote to hybrid,” Nitcher said. “It just was not the same and it was more difficult for teachers and students.”

She said she hated it because she couldn’t have a normal interaction with her students and it was hard for everyone.

Nitcher said that she loves many things about MHS. “Maize has always had a strong sense of community and it has always felt like a family,” Nitcher said.

-Leah Brown

Nitcher has taught for 34 years total in her career.

Photo by Leah Brown

Stories on this page first appeared on the Fusion website, maizenews.com.

Turner has been into photography since she was in seventh grade and Wolf has been doing broadcasting since she was in middle school.

Photo by Justice Mannine

O’Daniel said. “Nine times out of 10 she makes the video how she wants and it’s really nice.”

Wolf has won several broadcasting awards including second place in best anchor performance in Kansas.

“She was really good in front of the camera, but what we saw develop was her ability to tell a video story better than anyone in the program,” O’Daniel said.

Wolf suggests to aspiring broadcasters work at the craft.

“Try hard and never give up because the possibilities are endless,” Wolf said.

-Justice Mannie

MCA journalism students honored Maize South’s Lanie Wolf and Maize High’s Laney Turner, both students in the OneMaize Media program, were recently honored by the National Scholastic Press Association.

Wolf finished 3rd in the Broadcast Journalist of the Year competition. Turner finished as the first honorable mention in Sports Feature Photo of the Year.

Wolf is believed to be the first student from Maize South to be a finalist for this national honor. Journalism teacher Dan Loving said Turner is the fourth student in his 11 years of teaching to be a national finalist at Maize High.

“Laney is an extremely hard worker and it shows in the pictures that she takes,” Loving said.

Turner cried after Loving told her she was a national finalist.

“I was just really excited and after I got off the phone I cried for a little bit because it was a cool shock,” Turner said.

“I didn’t even know that Mr. Loving had submitted my photo for it, so I was really surprised.”

Turner’s photo of the MHS boys basketball team celebrating the state championship was nominated.

“I was confident as soon as I saw that photo that it was an award-winner, and I’m glad the judges feel the same way,” Loving said.

Wolf has been doing broadcasting since she was in middle school and started by making videos about the Titanic her freshman year.

Broadcasting teacher Spencer O’Daniel motivates Wolf, she said.

“I feel like O’Daniel pushes me to make the best videos that I can make,” Wolf said.

Wolf said it has always been easy to come up with creative stories and know what and where she wants to go with them.

“Lanie is always ambitious and she always has a vision for where she wants to go and how she wants to finish,”

The Maize amphitheater is currently being built

by Dondlinger & Sons Construction on Academy Avenue. Photo by Laney Turner

City of Maize building an amphitheater The upcoming project in the Maize community is the building of an amphitheater. There will be an opening ceremony in the spring of 2022.

Public works operations supervisor Ross Jensby is overseeing the construction of the amphitheater.

“We plan to hold a ribbon-cutting event or opening ceremony in the spring of 2022,” Jensby said. “A specific date has not been set, but will be selected as we approach the end of construction.”

The amphitheater also includes a park that has two ponds, a skate park, a green room, terraces, art, and a splash pad.

Maize High band teacher Shelby Goss is excited to have the community come together and showcase the amazing talent Maize students have.

“I’m excited to be able to go see any shows that are hosted at the amphitheater and hopefully be able to have a few concerts of my own over there,” Goss said.

One function of the amphitheater is its use for the surrounding schools’ bands and orchestras.

“The options and ideas are endless,” Goss said.

The amphitheater is named after former Mayor Clair Donnelly who served as mayor for 14 years. He was a supporter of the building of the amphitheater.

“We foresee this space serving as a vibrant central gathering space for the community to host a variety of events,” Jensby said.

-Isabelle Blasdel

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News

Diving in

Swimmers say having a pool in the district is motivating. “We are able to have our own lane, like whoa,” said MHS senior Luke Taylor. by Isabelle Blasdel

Swimmers excited to use Performing Arts & Aquatics Center

M

aize USD 266 passed a bond in 2019 that included facility upgrades, new schools, and much more.

Included in the $108.2 million bond issue was a Performing Arts and Aquatics Center located at 1055 Academy Ave, which is directly west to the Educational Support Center in Maize.

The facility, which isn’t quite finished, will be used for choir and band performances, theater productions, and the swimming and diving meets for both high schools. The first event held at the center was a swim meet the first weekend of December.

Swimmers and divers from both Maize and Maize South practice together, but compete for their schools. In the past, the swim teams practiced at the Northwest YMCA. Now with their own facility, the teams are able to have more control over practices.

“Being able to run things our own way and not having to take directions from another entity, and having the time and facilities to do what we want the way we want is the best part about having our own pool,” swim coach Tedd Gibson said.

There are many advantages of having a USD 266 pool, Maize activities director Eric Wolgast said.

“The benefit of having our own pool is that we can host more events, we have

Maize South senior Rylan Bally practices the breaststroke at the new USD 266 Performaing Arts and Aquatics Center. photo by Sydney Endicott

eight lanes to swim, we can have more swimmers practicing, rather than six that we had at the YMCA,’’ Wolgast said.

“Swim meets will go by faster because we’re using eight lanes instead of six.

One of the biggest advantages of the new pool is the diving well, Wolgast said.

“The YMCA didn’t have them so there

was nowhere to practice but now we can.”

With the new pool the team feels motivated to do better.

“I think it motivates them a whole lot more by coming to practice every day,” senior Luke Taylor said. “We are able to have our own lane, like whoa.”

The schools made the best out of not having a pool and the swimmers are excited that it was built as fast as it was.

“I am most looking forward to the practices,” junior Sidney Sheern said before the season started. “I feel like we can improve as a team and have better times with the new pool. I was very excited and I didn’t think it would happen in my time at Maize South.”

With the new pool, the teams feel motivated to do better.

“I think it motivates them a whole lot more by coming to practice every day,” Maize senior Luke Taylor said. “We are able to have our own lane, like whoa.”

The swimmers are excited that the facility was able to get built as fast as it did.

“I am most looking forward to the practices,” Maize South junior Sidney Sheern said. “I feel like we can improve as a team and have better times with the new pool. I was very excited, and I didn’t think it would happen in my time at Maize South.”

—Justice Mannie

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Photo Illustration by Brooklynn White and Levi Eck

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Cover Story

TiredEyes Lack of sleep is a fact of life for many students and has negative effects

I

t’s 6:30 a.m. Time to wake up and go to school.

Bell rings at 2:45 p.m. Off to practice.

Now it’s 5:30 p.m. Get a quick bite and head off to work.

Off work at 9. Time to start homework.

Three hours later, homework is done, and it’s time for bed.

Asleep sometime after midnight.

Do it all again the next day.

The amount of reasons for sleep-deprivation in teens seem endless.

From jobs to extra curricular activities, students are constantly going and don’t typically have enough time for good, quality sleep.

The majority of teenagers suffer from either insufficient quantity or quality of sleep. Sleep is vital for people of any age, but for teens the process of developing positive mental, physical, social and emotional habits requires quality sleep.

The average teenager gets about seven hours of sleep a night when their bodies require nine hours or more, physician Amy Seery said.

“There is a biological shift once teens go through puberty in a teen’s internal clock of about two hours, meaning that a teenager who used to fall asleep at 9 p.m. will now not be able to fall asleep until 11 p.m.,” said Seery, a pediatric specialist with Ascension Via Christi Hospital. “It also means waking up fully two hours later in the morning.”

Not surprisingly, numerous studies have found that teens who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors such as drunk driving.

Mental health diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder have been known to directly correlate with lack of sleep. These diagnoses can stem from beginning symptoms of sleep loss like irritability and exaggerated emotions. The emotions of someone who is sleep deprived will be heightened beyond reason and are more easily triggered.

Teens talk about their lack of sleep a lot

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Cover Story-

“Students are probably overworked already, then when you get done with all of those activities or your job, you have to come home to homework, and rinse, repeat. You do it again, every day.”

Chris Botts, MHS principal

more than people think, but in the wrong ways. They tend to brag about their ability to operate on a few hours of sleep, pulling all-nighters, and even sleeping entire days on the weekends.

“As a society, we have this bravado that people want to brag about how little sleep they get and still quote unquote function,” Seery said, “That’s a really unhealthy thing to brag about, and I wish that culturally we will get to a position when someone tries to explain how little sleep they got that we don’t ever praise them for it but instead ask how we can help.”

What some teens may not realize is that having this sleeping pattern puts them at a higher risk for developing diabetes, long-term cardiovascular issues, and many other problems.

“What I see in students is that they get sicker,” MHS nurse Dana Desjardins said. “They’re not as healthy. You know, common colds, sinus infections, COVID, because their body can’t fight off the infection because it’s just too tired.”

When teens don’t get the sleep they need, it causes not only mental stress but stress on their bodies. Lack of sleep puts a lot of pressure on the human heart, causing it to have to work a lot harder for someone who’s sleep deprived versus someone who gets enough sleep.

Sleep-deprived bodies push people to

eat more to try to compensate, leading to craving a lot more of the easily accessible junk foods instead of fruits and vegetables the body actually needs. It’s common for people who struggle with sleep to struggle maintaining a healthy appetite.

“As your body’s dealing with the stress of not getting enough sleep,” Seery said, “it will often try to deal with it by encouraging you to eat a lot more or if you drink too much caffeine and you will more probably crave those drinks. It’s not uncommon for people who are sleep deprived to struggle with overeating.”

Technology is an outside stimulant and is a big factor in teens’ sleep. The glow of a screen can emit blue light, which stimulates a part of the brain that gets the mind to release different chemicals, keeping people awake and thinking. When someone thinks they’re just relaxing while scrolling through social media or watching a show, they really are not because their brain is still very much awake and active.

The number one cause of this is from smartphones, TV screens, and computer screens. When someone goes directly from being on a screen to trying to sleep, the front part of their brain will probably go to sleep and so they think they’re sleeping well, but the brain is still active and not resting the way that it should.

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Cover Story

“Solid-state white light is typically rich in blue light, and the color composition matters,” Charles A. Czeisler said in his study about how light affects the brain in Nature, “The ipRGCs (intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells) are most sensitive to short-wavelength (blue and blue–green) light, so night-time exposure to LEDs is typically more disruptive to circadian rhythms, melatonin secretion and sleep than incandescent lighting.”

Phones may have a setting to turn on a yellow-ish tint to help with blue light, which does help, but not enough. It is recommended that everyone, regardless of age, turn off screens about 30 minutes before trying to sleep.

There are a number of students attending high school in Maize who are avid participants in multiple extracurricular activities and also have jobs or extra schooling they attend outside of school.

With all these different obligations, it can be difficult to develop a healthy sleep schedule without the support of those around you.

“I feel like my coach is educated about sleep because he always talks about getting enough rest before a race and the science behind it,” said Bhavini Mahapatro, “But not all teachers and coaches are educated about sleep and the effect it has.

I feel like more should because it could change the way students and athletes do their activities.”

Students’ education on their own lack of sleep or even excessive sleep doesn’t solely depend on those around them, though it is a factor. Teens must be willing to learn about how to improve their sleep and hold themselves responsible for the boundaries that need to be put in

place in order for them to achieve a full night of fitful rest.

“It’s just the stress of it all,” said Emma Stout, Maize High School sophomore, “Honestly, because I am in pretty hard classes this semester and next semester, and they’re all a lot of homework. And when I get home I get ready to go to work. And then after work, I do homework, and then it’s 10 o’clock at night. I’m just like, oh, I still need to shower and then relax before I can actually fall asleep. … And it’s probably even worse for people who do sports.

Like, I don’t do sports because I’m already stressed enough. I just don’t have the mental capacity. This is a lose-lose situation.”

Experts, including Seery, say that the best conditions to unwind in include a room that is close to completely dark and silent. This means no excess blue light in the background and eliminating any noise that is non-intentional. Intentional noise includes white noise or soothing music purposefully put on to help one fall asleep.

A nightly routine is extremely important for training your brain to start relaxing for the night. This can include showering, brushing your teeth, and more. A routine helps tell someone’s brain that it’s time to start getting ready to rest after an eventful day.

“It does take a certain sense of valuing yourself enough to take care of yourself and look after your own physical well being,” said Ann Debes, MHS counselor, “And it can be really, really hard. It can be a challenge to get into that mindset.

But it’s doable. There’s a big payoff. People just have to make a commitment.”

—Brooklyn White

“I think there’s a lot of mental health conditions that are exacerbated or made worse by lack of sleep.

And then there’s some mental health conditions that cause people to be unable to sleep when they really want to or they don’t sleep well because of that condition.”

Ann Debes, MHS counselor

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Sports

Very Superstitous Many athletes are known for their unusual superstitions when it comes to their pregame rituals or even during their sporting event. We asked some of our district’s athletes what their superstitions were.

For some, it has just become a routine, and for others there is a specific reason they believe in their superstition.

Zach Johnson Maize High Boys cross country “Listening to what the XC team calls ‘murder music’ (XXXTENTACION’s angriest songs) on repeat for the 20 minutes before the race is the most important. We always do the same huddle chant before our race after we stride out from the starting line.”

Zoie Ecord Maize High Girls cross country “I always listen to the same playlist, usually starting an hour before I race, and I also wear the same pair of socks that say ‘Not Today Satan’ on the bottom of them.”

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Sports

Peyton Wilson Maize South Boys soccer

“Some of my pregame rituals are listening to Polo G before every game and our superstition started because after Raul got interviewed he didn’t score any goals the rest of the season.”

Landon Helm Maize High “Usually I get ready the same way every time from Baseball on deck to about to get in the box it’s the same routine. Once I get in the box I touch the same part of my helmet touch the same part of the plate every time and relax.”

KJ Topping Maize High Softball

“For softball I always put my clothes on in the same

order every time I get ready for a game. If I don’t do this it just doesn’t feel right to me. ”

Piper McCann Maize South Girls basketball “If we are playing in a basketball tournament and are winning games, I have to wear my hair in the same hairstyle I did in the games we won.”

Design by Teagan Rdinger Illistrations by Ty Brack

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Sports

2021-22 Winter Senior Rylan Bally is one of the five top returners. photo

by Sydney Endicott

Boys Swim Last Season: Best was easily the 200 free relay, while crushing not only MSHS but also the state record.

Top Returners: Rylan Bally, Carter Bowles, Levi Eck, Fabrizio Quiroz, Sam White, all seniors, and junior Regan Richardson.

Coach Tedd Gibson says: “Biggest improvement is obviously diving since we’ve not had it before. Many times we’ve lost league to teams with divers so were excited about being able to level the playing field.”

Senior Carter Bowles says: “I believe the team will improve tremendously now that we have our own facility, it allows us to take the time we need and put in the work.”

Junior Avery Lowe goes in for a layup. Lowe scored a total of 15 points in this game. photo by Sydney Endicott Girls Basketball Last Season: Made it third in sub state.

Top returners: Junior Avery Lowe, Jenna Uehling, Alexia Davidson, both seniors, and sophomore Ava Howie.

Coach Ben Hamilton says: “Major keys to our teams succes this year will be controling the reounding battle each night and our abilitiy to take care of the team and excute at both ends.”

Avery Lowe says: “Every day in practive we compete with one another which helps me be a better player, all of my teamates are great people and that helps me see what I should be like and be a good person.”

Senior Britton Forsythe holds to his strength and comes out in fourth at the Lee Summit North match. photo

by Maddy Rhoads Wrestling Senior Shea Seals defends the ball against Andover Central.

Seals had three blocks during the game. photo by Sydney Endicott Boys Basketball Last Season: The Mavericks picked up wins against Derby and McPherson.

Top returners: Senior Owen Clyne, sophomore Jeron Askren, and junior Isaiah Atwater.

Coach Joe Jackson said: “I am genuinely proud of how hard we played these first two games, the effort has been through the roof for both defensive and offensive.”

Senior Owen Clyne says: “The thing that motivates me the most is remembering back to the little kid I was and thinking about about how much he loved the game.”

Last season: Highlighted win from Burlington Invitational, which was won two times in a row.

Top Returners: Corbin Baratti 113, Carter Nguyen 152, Britton Forsythe 170, Eric Berlin 195, all seniors.

Coach Matt Kerr said: “We are much mature.

With the five seniors above we have a team that understands what it takes to win and stay competitive. We have several other returners that are off to a fast start and ready to have a great season.”

Senior Britton Forsythe: “The team is everyhting about MSHS wrestling. Connections you make while going through sweat, blood, and breaking mentality together is unmatched.

Pushing each other and picking each other up is what it’s all about.”

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Sports Previews

Sports

Sophomore Ayden Flores is one of the top returners on the wrestling team. photo by Sierra Tinsley Wrestling Last season: The team took 2nd at state.

Top returners: Senior Keton Patterson-132, Nakaylen Shabazz-126, Connor Padgett-170, both juniors, and sophomore Ayden Flores182 Coach Mike Schauer says: “Our team has gotten better because our younger ones from last year have more experience and can improve on another level now.”

Senior Keton Patterson says: “It would mean alot to me ending my senior year with a championship, and this year we have a good chance.”

Senior Kyle Grill attempts a basket.

The game was held at Charles Koch Arena against Kapaun Mt. Carmel. photo by Dan Loving Boys Basketball Last season: The team took first at state.

Top returners: Mason Belcher, Kyle Grill, Jaden Gustafson, all seniors, and junior Avery Johnson Coach Chris Grill says: “We have a long ways to go before I can say we’ve made improvements from last year.”

Senior Mason Belcher says: “Doing so well last year definitely gives us the want to do it again.”

Senior Kyla Frenchers drives to the basket against Kapaun Mt. Carmel. The Eagles won 55-35 against the Crusaders. photo by Dan Loving

Demitrius Dixon is one of the senior returners on the swim team. Photo by Sierra Tinsley

Girls Basketball Last season: The team made it to the first round of state.

Top returners: Brekkyn Pierce, Kyla Frenchers, Madi Lambert, Jade Martinez, all seniors.

Senior Avery Fillmore says: “Obviously we still have a lot to work on. But I think as long as we work hard throughout the season and work together as a team, I think we’ll do really good.”

Boys Swim Last season: The team placed 9th at state.

Top returners: Luke Taylor, Samuel Broberg, Demitrius Dixon, all seniors, and sophomore Owen Johnson Senior Luke Taylor says: “The team has definitely gotten a lot bigger since last year and we have the new pool which feels like home so that’s good for us.”

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Features

After school weekly

There are many students who don’t feel like they fit in, especially in high school. With different cliques in high school, some teenagers feel as they don't fit in. The numerous amount of clubs both at Maize and Maize South allow students to participate in something unique to them.

One club at MSHS and MHS is an electronic gaming group called esports.

With the club only being 5 years old, the groups have around 12 members at MSHS and 15 at MHS. In esports, the club members compete in several video games against other teams across the country. As of November 2021, they play “Rocket League”, “Call of Duty,” and chess.

However, in the past, they have played “Overwatch” and “Madden”.

The MSHS team is sixth in the nation out of 1,900 teams.

“The team is really fun,” coach William Vinduska said. “Students meet new people and make new friends.

Students work together to have fun and get better at their games. This year the team is really doing a good job at building each other up and supporting one another.”

The High School Esports League awards around $100,000 in scholarships every year to teams that win tournaments in different games.

“Hopefully this year we will qualify because our team has improved,” Viduska said of the tournament.

Another club is the Anime Club. There are 25 members in the club at MSHS, and sponsor Amanda McMillan said. The club had a costume contest in October and an art competition in November.

In the spring, the anime club is super excited about the Anime conventions.

One goal that the club has is to see who is interested, since the club’s reboot. The clubs’ environment is very welcoming to new members, a lot of the members said that the club allows you to form really good relationships with one another who all enjoy anime.

At MHS there is a Dungeons and Dragons club. MHS’s club has 46 members and the club sponsor is Jodee Johnson. The D&D club meets every Monday after school in room D11.

Junior Michael Houseman has been in the D&D club for almost four years.

He started when he was in eighth grade, joining his older brother.

“I think people should join this club because it’s a very fun hobby you can do with anyone. I have enjoyed it for many years.” Houseman said.

—Leah Brown Illustrations by Alexis Baty

Students talk while getting ready to start playing D&D. MHS has a total of 47 clubs.

Photo by Jodee Johnson

MSHS math club poses for a group picture after ending a math competition. MSHS has 35 clubs in total. Photo by Tina Dang

MSHS’s Mu Alpha Theta Math Club competes in math competitions with like-minded numerologists, design thought-provoking T-shirts and meddle in math competitions. The club sponsor is Ishin Kim, and there are 10 members in it. The club participates in annual contests at Emporia State, Friends, Pitt State and battles with other schools online during Math Madness in the fall.

“You should join the math club because of all the new people you get to meet,” said Victoria Weir, a senior member of the club. Senior Nicole Sayler said she has enjoyed math club all four years she has been in it. “It’s a great thing to put on a resume,” Sayler said. The math club members agreed that if you aren’t the best at math, it would be a great opportunity to improve and let others help you get better. “The club environment is welcoming and laid back,” Weir said.

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Entertainment

(Christmas) COMFORTS

Ready for a holiday movie marathon or need some present ideas? Here is your Christmas inspiration.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Holiday Activities 1. Decorate a gingerbread house or cookies.

2

2. Visit Candy Cane Lane.

3. Skate at Wichita Ice Center.

3

4. Visit Illuminations at

4

Botanica.

5. Watch Christmas movies.

5 8

6 9 according to Entertainment.com

Information compiled by Laney Turner Design by Noah Rodriguez

7 10

21

Entertainment

Top 5 Christmas Songs “It’s Beginning To Look Like Christmas.”

- Michael Buble

“All I Want For Christmas Is You.” - Mariah Carey

“Last Christmas.”

- Wham!

“Mistletoe” - Justin Bieber according to today.com

“Santa Tell Me.” -Ariana Grande

Gift Guide Under $20.

Slippers -Amazon ($19.99)

Hot Chocolate Kit -Walmart ($5.98)

Sport Balls -Walmart ($14.95)

Pajamas -Amazon ($16.99)

Fuzzy Socks -Target ($3)

22

Editorial

Non-believer

The story of Santa wasn’t a part of my upbringing

T

he holidays are the best time of the year. From spending time with family and friends, to the atmosphere of the holidays, everything about it is amazing. The gifts, presents, food, and Santa Claus are all what makes the holidays so special, but let’s be real, is telling kids about Santa really a good idea? People love to have imagination and have something to believe in when we are kids, but sometimes the truth can affect us both in a good or bad way. Then again, maybe I’m just sad that my parents didn’t let me believe in Santa.

When I would ask my dad why he never let us believe in Santa he said, “Why would I let someone take all the credit for the presents that I paid for?”

If I ever have kids, they’re definitely going to know Santa isn’t real. Even as a kid, Santa sounded really creepy. For instance, the song “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” made my sisters and I feel like Santa was weird. One of the verses says, ‘he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake.’ That sounds like a stalker to me.. That could scare some anxious kids, so is it the best move just so kids can have an imagination?

Now I can’t lie, Santa gives off a happy and joyful feeling to kids. He makes kids excited for the Christmas season and also helps parents out by using him as a threat for the kids to be good. Although he gives kids an imagination and something to believe in, it can also make it easier to manipulate them. If we can say Santa is real, we can also say the Loch Ness Monster is real, or Bigfoot, or even the monsters under the bed, which can give kids a fearful childhood.

Then again, they believe in anything. I still believe the Loch Ness Monster is real, and for that reason, I will never be getting in a lake.

Also, what about the elves? They are so small and scary and can be anywhere, how are we sure they aren’t watching us right now? Have you ever seen the movie ‘The Christmas Chronicles’? Those elves are scary little fur balls.

One thing I don’t understand is how Santa gets all the credit. From what I’ve been told the elves make the presents all Santa does is deliver, that’s weird.

I am getting off track, but I asked many people how they felt about Santa. They all came to the same conclusion when asked “Is lying about Santa okay?” Their answer was simply, “no.” Santa has one of the largest impacts on children’s imagination, period. He might not be a real person, but he does have a real impact on kids. Then again, who’s to say Santa isn’t real? After all, he is a magical person, we may never know.

-Trey Murphy

Photo illustration by Brue Polley

Fill out the crossword with the correct answers, and email onemaizemedia@gmail.com

by Dec 21 for a chance at winning a gift card!

The answers will be posted on maizenews.com on Dec 22

4. "Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your ____" 5. Little gifts over the fire 7. These light up houses with Christmas spirit 8. You'll probably find one in your living room 10. Santa has eight of them 11. The best tree decorations 14. No two are the same 16. A sweet ribboned treat 17. "His heart was two sizes too small"

1. Have a holly, _____ Christmas!

2. What we all wish for 3. "Bah humbug!"

5. Santa’s Sweet Ride 6. Run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the _____!

9. Jingle all the way!

12. The ones that help Santa all year long 13. A classic winter time snack 14. Who ate all of the cookies on Christmas Eve? 15. A frosty fellow Crossword by Trevor Sites

24

Photo Focus

‘Tis the Season Photos and design by Laney Turner

Every year around December, families come to Prarie Pines to pick out the perfect tree and make memories.

Matthew Light from Wichita carries his family’s freshly cut Christmas tree at Prairie Pines.

Maize graduate Danielle Whiteside carries baby Welsey Whiteside and inspects a possible tree.

This is their third year visiting the farm and they hope to create a tradition for their family.

Zach Johnson Jr. and Zach Johnson from Newtoncut down their family tree. They come every year looking forward to the holiday activity.

Maize assistant baseball and football coach Rob Helm carries a tree to the trailer for a family. Helm and many of his relatives work at Prairie Pines during the Christmas season.

25

Photo Focus

Horses guide a trailer outside the entrance of the farm.

Prairie Pines is located about one block north of Maize South High School on Tyler.

Zachary Johnson decorates a Christmas tree with grass and plays with his truck toy. His family travels from Newton to participate in the holiday activity.

From left, Becca, Brooks and Barrett Verbeckmoes pose for a family Christmas photo. This is the family’s second year coming to the farm.

26

Entertainment

Fry review

with Q

27

Entertainment

Fusion sent one of our reporters out into the Maize community to find 10 of the best french fries in the area. Scoring everything that makes a french fry — saltiness, freshness, thickness, temperature, and crispiness — reporter Quentin Gee rates the local restaurants.