October 2013 by Sally Beran

IssueOne/October 2013

CORE ATHLETIC The gym that took in two Park Hill teams during their offseason while the school was under renovation. WE ARE PARK HILL The new athletic director is having more influence on the student body than just sports.

LEADERS OF THE PACK Two non-veterans take over the organization they have come to love.

THE

TROJAN

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers,

ABOUT THE COVER:

On Friday, September 20, the Park Hill Trojan football team played Truman High School for their homecoming game. The Trojans dominated over the Patriots with a winning score of 49-14. Starting receiver, Ariyan Trawick, has played on varsity since his sophomore year, and is pictured above running a 74-yard kick return in the opening kick-off. “It’s instinctive. It’s all adrenaline. I was just thinking, ‘don’t get tackled,’ and listening to the crowd roar as I was running down the field,” Trawick said.

ABOUT THE BACK:

CONTENTS

The snare drummers prepare for their performance at the homecoming game. For years the drumline has been a highlight of the football half-time and other PHHS events, bringing modern beats and rhythm to the shows.

The Trojan, published monthly during the regular school year, is the official publication of Park Hill High School, and is printed by Antioch Printers in Kansas City, MO. All unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Trojan staff. Editorials do not necessarily represent the opinion of the faculty or administration including the adviser. The student body receives this paper free of charge to encourage readership, promote awareness of school and community events, and issues, and to showcase student journalistic work. The Trojan welcomes letters to the editors. All letters must be signed to be published, but may be anonymous if the author chooses. Letters may be no more than 350 words and must be delivered to room 350 ten days prior to publication. The Trojan staff welcomes comments, questions and opinions. Send comments to berans@ parkhill.k12.mo.us 7701 Barry Road, Kansas City, Mo 64153, or call 816-359-6238.

News is always changing, updating, and revolutionizing, and we are too. Over the years, The Trojan has changed from newspaper to magazine, and added a website, but we’re not just going to stop there. This year, with a new staff and new outlook, our magazine and online staff has taken on some big challenges. First, as you have probably noticed, The Trojan switched from a thin paper magazine to a thicker gloss magazine. As a staff, we decided to work hard to raise money for this upgraded format to entice our readers and reflect the professional work put into the magazine by our staff. Ask any news buff and they can tell you how the journalism world is merging with technology. Google is the new daily paper, and cell phones are hand-held super computers. To keep up with the growing trends, we took a quantum leap into the technological world and created an app. “MyParkhill” was designed to get Park Hill news out and to be a resource for students, faculty, and parents. With links to stories, daily announcements, Powerschool, the bell schedule, and more, there is something useful for all members of the Park Hill community. My hope is that this app becomes a frequently used resource for Park Hill and draws attention to the excellent writing and work of our staff. I could never have imagined how incredibly proud I would be of my staff and all the amazing things they are already doing this year. The Trojan magazine is looking to make an impact on Park Hill, and we are well on our way. We have worked our way from monthly stories, to updating online stories, to putting stories in the palm of your hand. Go download “MyParkhill” and check us out on myparkhill.com! I hope to soon be walking down the halls and see people checking our app for news and resources. This staff has worked incredibly hard, and we are ecstatic that you all get to experience what we hope to be a Park Hill journalism revolution. Mackenzie Thomas

THE

TROJAN

PARK HILL HIGH SCHOOL October 2013

FEATURE Trojans in Office

2013 is the first year PHHS has had both Girls’ and Boys’ State Governors. Turn to page 6 to learn more.

Core Athletic

Go to page 10 to read about how football and volleyball trained while PHHS was closed this summer.

DEPARTMENT What’s Happening in Syria? Leaders of the Pack

As the war in Syria escalates, the United States must choose whether or not to intervene.

Senior Stephanie Lane tells us how volleyball has made her a stronger person.

Staff Editorial

Should students be able to call their teachers by their first name?

2013-2014 STAFF

Park Hill’s drum majors prepare for another spectacular year of performances.

The Fast Lane

EDITOR-IN-CHEIF: MACKENZIE THOMAS WEB MASTER: MOLLY WEIS ONLINE COPY EDITOR: SHANNON BARRY DESIGN EDITOR: BETH COOPER PHOTO EDITOR: KAYLIN LAKE FEATURE COPY EDITOR: CHLOE LANE DEPARTMENT COPY EDITOR: RYLEE STOULIL BUSINESS MANAGER: JAKE BJORNLIE REPORTERS: AMANDA BATTMER.ALLY BUCHBERG.JUSTIN DORWEILER.MATT EBLEN. HARRISON HOSTICK.MOLLEY MARTIN.ABBY PEOPLES.ANTHONY WUSSOW

“WAVE” OF THE FUTURE By: Molly Weis Microwaves were admitted into the PHHS Cafeteria on Tuesday Sept. 24, as a result of senior Lexus William’s efforts to make home-brought lunches a more convenient and easy process for students. Williams went in front of administrators to propose her idea of cafeteria microwaves in order to make these appliances available to students outside of teacher closets and department break rooms. After months spent talking to other students and getting bids from different companies, William’s plan came to action when Principal Brad Kincheloe bought and presented the microwaves to her during her second block class. “I wasn’t expecting something so extravagant,” said Williams, “I literally just came up and asked him about it in his office, he asked me to research some microwaves, so I went online.” The new microwaves are located in the wrestling gym and are available to all students.

CAMPUS

Check out the full story on myparkhill.com.

POWER

COUPLES

THROUGH SICK DAYS AND HEALTH CLASS, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, TILL PASSING TIME DO US PART. By: Molley Martin PHHS’s power couple count went up to five this summer with the marriage of health teacher Aaron and trainer Lisa Neeser on July 10. Science teacher Ellen and math teacher Rustin Reys were married in July of the previous summer, while science teacher Tara and history teacher Brandt Bell got married in the British Virgin Islands in June of 2011. “Rustin and I met at school through some of our mutual colleagues,” said E. Reys. “But, we didn’t really get to know each other here. Since we don’t teach in the same department, we had to actually get to know each other at dinners with friends.” Some couples were lucky enough to get to meet their future spouses here at PHHS. The Bells also met at PHHS, but got to bond at things like school sporting events. But, these couples don’t get to see each other as often as one would think. They have different plan blocks this year, and all teach in different departments. Along with those things, they all coach sports and sponsor clubs. “Before we got married, it was really difficult. When we were dating we had to actually plan to make time for each other,” said E. Reys. Having a child can add to the difficulty of spending time together, outside of the building. “Having Dash makes it harder than it used to be. I used to be more involved in the school, but I can’t now. Brandt is the head coach for girls’ varsity soccer and assistant head coach for boys’, so a lot of the time during the season, he doesn’t get to see Dash before he goes to sleep,” said T. Bell. Despite the difficulties, these teachers make it work. They always make time for each other, and welcome their ability to be individuals at work. “There’s definitely some upsides to both of us working in the same place. Last year, we had our plan block together, and that was really nice because we could eat lunch together and be able to communicate things if we needed to. And we can carpool in the winter when Brandt isn’t coaching,” said T. Bell. These couples are involved at school, whether it be coaching sports in all different seasons, or sponsoring clubs, they make time for their students and players as well as each other. “Both of us coach fall sports. I coach the freshmen girls’ volleyball team, and Rustin has girls’ tennis this season and boys’ tennis in the spring,” said E. Reys. The Bells are equally involved. “I don’t coach sports, but I do sponsor Stuco, which is a lot of work. Brandt coaches soccer in the fall and spring,” said T. Bell

LEADERS OF THE PACK

By: Shannon Barry When most Park Hill students think of Friday nights, they think of the bright lights on the football field, the red and black painted bodies and faces, and an echo of cheering ringing in the stands. For junior Josephine Choi and senior Alyssa Vasquez, Friday nights are an opportunity to perform and share their love of music with a crowd of hundreds. As drum majors for the Park Hill Marching Band, it’s Choi and Vasquez’s responsibility to be a driving force and cheering section for the musicians. Watching over the crowd, they keep time and conduct as the band marches across the field. “This is the first year in a while that both the drum majors have been newcomers,” said Vasquez, “usually there’s a junior and a veteran senior. This year with just me and Josephine it’s been more difficult than in past years.” In order to become a drum major, students must turn in an application form and conduct the ensemble in the fight song for band directors Ky Hascall and David Potter. “Josephine and Alyssa showed the best combination of the qualities we look for: leadership and the ability to conduct,” said Hascall. With their years of involvement in the music department at Park Hill, Vasquez being first chair flute in symphonic band last concert season and section leader in marching season last year and Choi being fourth chair in symphonic band for trombone, it was an easier transition to a leadership role. “I thought ‘why not try to be a drum major this year,’” said Choi, “I know everyone in band now. I usually just stuck to the brass section, but now it’s like I’m friends with the entire marching band.” Being the right hand man to Hascall and Potter comes with its hardships. The girls can no longer just be a friend to their fellow musicians, but also a mentor. “I always try to keep everyone as motivated as possible. This band is my life; I feel like they’re my children and I would do anything to help them succeed,” said Vasquez. “What’s different this year is how much effort the drum majors have put into their job,” said senior Atiya Spight, a four year veteran flute player in the marching band. “They have a close bond with Hascall and that really helps.” After each performance done by the marching band Vasquez walks down the line and thanks each person for doing their best and applies corrections as needed as well as a nod or high five to her fellow drum major and good friend. “We have to spend so much time together and work together. We get along well and have become better friends during the duration of starting drum majoring,” said Choi. Though the road to the field is never easy, the love for music is what drives Vasquez and Choi forward. While Vasquez plans on attending college in the upcoming months for music education, her dream school being UT Austin, Choi hopes to finish out her high school career as a second year drum major.

TROJANS IN

OFFICE

FEATURE

By: Justin Dorweiler This was a big year for PHHS. For the first time in Boys’ State and Girls’ State history, both governors elected are from the same school. For those who don’t know what Boys’ and Girls’ state is, it consists of multiple events put on by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary respectively who work in veterans affairs and try to get young men and women involved and interested in government. Those two students are Seniors Wisdom Nwike and Katherine Thompson. Students sign up and are chosen to go to the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri for one week of mock government. This year we had four students go to represent PHHS. For Boys State Kaleb Harvey, Wisdom Nwike, and Will Ryan all Attended. For Girls State, Katherine Thompson was PHHS’s lone representative.

Katherine Thompson “I knew when I went to Girls’ state that I wanted to be governor. So, at the end of the week I got up at 5:30 A.M. and I was the first person from my party to sign up. There were thirteen other candidates running against me in the primary and, since I was the first one to sign up, I got the first speech and my name was first on the ballot. Through my political experiences, those were two key things that you had to have to be successful. Mr. Hipp had two posters hanging above his whiteboard; one of them said, ‘Words have meaning,’ and the other one said ‘Ideas have consequences.’ Those two posters became the central message for all of my speeches. At the end of the week, the last three days were me getting to do the governorship. Next year, I get to comeback and lead Girls’ State. I encourage all junior girls who are interested in government and politics to try this because it’s worthwhile and you make a lot of friends who could become contacts later in your life. I would like to encourage the school to get the word out about this program and to actually have a nomination process.”

Wisdom Nwike “It’s basically a summer camp. You’re like, ‘Do I want to get involved,’ but then you really get into it and end up making your own state in a week. If you don’t get involved, you get left behind. It’s really fast paced. So honestly, for me, running for governor was a leap of faith because I didn’t really think I was going to run for governor but I said maybe I’ll give it a try. So I ran for senator and said, ‘Well if I don’t get governor, at least I’ll get senator.’ So I went for it and got it and I thought, wow this actually happened. Looking back, you can’t believe how quickly it went by. It was very nice. The guys that you got to meet and the 60 guys in our city still keep in touch. There were one thousand guys overall and I still keep in touch with a lot of them. It was just fantastic. It was a great way to meet people and connect with people, like former governor Bob Holden. I talked with him about getting an internship and he said to get in contact with me and he’ll hook me up.”

1. Thompson stops her busy schedule to take a photo with a friend at state. Thompson spent the rest of her week meeting many new freinds. 2. Nwike and Ryan take a picture at the event. They represented PHHS well.

Will Ryan “Well, we got together with people from Missouri, like guys going into their senior year of high school, and we create our own state government- from legislators and house of representatives, senate, and all sorts of things that pretty much replicate our state government in Missouri. I was appointed City Attorney, so I handled all court cases in our city and I was an election judge for my district. I ran for athletics director for my city as well, but did not get elected. I went to law school for that week. I saw Wisdom Nwike who was elected governor for the state. Kaleb Harvey went as well.”

Kaleb Harvey “When I got there the first day, a bunch of people were just standing around in the lobby area and I wasn’t sure what it was all about. We sat down until our counselors came in and we started to get to know one of the other guys and found out that where we were meeting, that little lobby area, was actually what we called our city hall. So, that’s where we had our city meetings. Usually cities have 20 to 30 people in them. So, once a night or twice a day, we would meet there and come in to talk about things our city needed to do and stuff we needed to talk about with our counselors. I became one of the city council men; part of the specific group that decided city ordinances set taxes and stuff like that. Then, I moved up to Presiding commissioner. We were in charge of county speed limits and taxes. Then, I ran for governor. I didn’t make that one, as you can see, but I was in the campaign school which was a lot of fun because I got to learn the backstage stuff of what happens in a senator, governor, or presidents campaign and see who all was in it. So, it was a pretty unique experience and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.”

What’s Happening in...

COMMUNITY

By: Chloe Lane

• Syria has been in a civil war for more than two years between forces loyal to the Ba’ath government and those looking to break away from it. • Started on March 15, 2011. • A group of protesters, part of the wider Middle Eastern protest movement known as the Arab Spring, were demanding President Bashar al-Assad to resign from his position. His family has held the presidency since 1971 along with the end of the Ba’ath Party rule that began in 1963. • In April 2011, the government made the decision to attack the protesters all across the country. Developed in an armed rebellion of the protesters. • More than 100,000 people have died since March 2011. • The Syrian government used nerve gas, which shuts down the nervous system and kills the person, on the protesters. This is against UN policy which is why Obama is trying to decide whether or not intervene. France is the only country who said they would fight with us. • Obama announced on television that we were going to

send bombs to Syria to blow up the site at which the nerve gas was being held. But, due to the people of Syria watching the news and hearing what Obama said, they moved their gases to a different location. • Syria and Russia have both warned the US about taking military action. • The current Syrian president is denying the use of chemical weapons on his people. • The Russian president has made the proposition to take all the gas from Syria, but Obama has yet to agree. • The Syrian government decided to put their chemical weapons arsenal under international watch of the UN. This is happened not because of the US war threats, but because of the Russian proposal. • Obama is getting major criticism from the American public for how he has been handling this crisis. • Many individuals in Congress have decided that Obama has struck a bad deal because it requires us to trust the Russians too much.

SYRIA What Fellow Classmates Think • “I think we should stay out of it because we don’t need to be meddling in others peoples business. It’s Syria’s fight, not ours. Russia is an ally of Syria, so if we attack, Russia will come to Syria’s aid. England is our ally, but they aren’t backing us up. Essentially if we enter the war, we will be on our own,” said sophomore Jake Stoulil. • “I don’t feel we should get involved because other countries are threatening us. This could eventually lead us into World War III,” said senior Morgan Stout. • “It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better,” said sophomore Canten Marriott. • “What the ruler of Syria is doing to his people is horrible. But, if we wanted to help, we should have done something two years ago. We haven’t been involved in other civil wars or in other atrocities in the past. We waited too long,” said history teacher Kevin Gorman.

What Obama Has To Say Obama said in an interview with ABC news that his goal is to deal with the chemical weapons problem and if they achieve that goal, then they did something right. He does not believe that the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has the same goal as the United States. He said that he is obviously protecting Mr. al-Assad and has a different attitude towards the alAssad regime.

COLLEGIATE EXPERIENCE By: Ally Buchberg Missouri Scholars Academy is a three week summer camp offered to the top 330 students in Missouri just after their sophomore year. Grace Lackey, Stephen Swett, Annie Chen, and Jacqui Aguirre from PHHS attended and stayed in the dorms at Mizzou. Eligibility is based on GPA, PSAT, and PLAN scores all averaged together along with an IQ test. Once chosen as a representative, you must write two essays to submit as an application to MSA. From there, eliminations began. In Park Hill’s case, all four of our representatives were accepted. Each student selects a major, which meets four hours every day except on Sundays, and a minor, which meets an hour every afternoon. After the minor class, students participated in Personal and Social Dynamics, or PSD, activities. “My major was called ‘Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: Shakespeare Today’. One of my favorite things we did was reading ‘The Tempest’ and then recreating the important scenes with pictures we took while in costume,” said senior Evan Kutz, former MSA student. “Honestly, before MSA I was not a Shakespeare buff, but afterwards I definitely appreciated his works a lot more.” Shakespeare was not the only thing Kutz learned. She also learned quite a bit about mathematics. “My minor was math and problem solving. Every day the teacher would start the class with a riddle or a problem and we would have to figure it out. One day we played 3D tic-tac-toe, which was awesome,” said Kutz. The sense of community that Kutz felt last year in her major and minor classes carried over to this year, according to junior Annie Chen.

“The best part of MSA was the community created by the environment and the people,” said Chen. “Kindness, friendliness, leadership, integrity, and acceptance were just expected.” These values were deeply rooted in the personalities of the scholars. The very reason the scholars were at MSA is what made the bond between each of the people who went. “There were no judgments because we were all the ‘nerds’ of our schools,” said junior Jacqui Aguirre. “You could meet someone at breakfast and know their whole life story by lunch. You could meet someone in the dorms and talk to them for five minutes and feel like you’ve known each other for five years. You could break into song walking between classes and no one would laugh at you, they would join in.” Not only were scholars taught academics in their major and minor classes, but they learned how to deal with personal and social issues and responsibilities that academically gifted students face in their Personal and Social Dynamics course. It was this sense of acceptance that allowed the scholars to thrive. Aguirre focused on her writing during her time at MSA, and acknowledges the help her classes gave her in her writings. “I was in Stylistic Signatures and [I] wrote some of my most moving poetry and was in turn deeply moved by what I read [in PSD],” said Aguirre, “The good parts and the bad, made me feel accepted and comfortable with myself.” Check out MSA’s website for more information, the link is on myparkhill.com

“There were no judgments because we were all the ‘nerds’ of our schools” -Jacqui Aguirre

V A U L T I N G

INTO SUCCESS

By: Kaylin Lake Senior Taylor Cofield lives by the famous quote “It’s not about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward,” Rocky Balboa. The summer of June 2013, Cofield made it to the Junior Olympics in Greensboro, North Carolina for pole vaulting, along with a few other teammates from her club. Cofield had to place in Regionals first, which was just two weeks before the Junior Olympics took place. She ended up placing third and qualifying for the Junior Olympics. “I was kind of surprised I qualified, because I was not a contender to the Junior Olympics, but I was working really hard, and in the end it all came together and paid off,” said Cofield. While Cofield was there, she competed against the top 75 girls in the nation. She was able to reach a new personal record of jumping 11 feet. Since then she has gotten up to jumping 12 feet.

SATURDAY MORNING SUPER STAR

SPORTS

By: Kaylin Lake and Chloe Lane From the age of four, senior Alec Bruington has participated in men’s gymnastics. After just one year, he started into the competitive division to show off his impressive flips and tricks for something bigger than self-satisfaction and fun- the win. As a level ten gymnast, Bruington practices weekly at his gym, Mercury Gymnastics. This level is the highest a person can achieve, the next being the Olympic level. A normal practice for Bruington consists of a warm up, then practicing three of the six events, then ending with conditioning. “I practice Monday through Thursday from 5-9 pm, and Saturday mornings from 7:30-12:30 pm,” said Bruington. He has won a number of competitions and has won state at level 5 and at level 9. “When I was in level 5, I had the last routine to compete on my team. I’d had a pretty good meet so far, so I was pretty confident. So, I just got on P bars[parallel bars] and ended up doing the best routine that whole year. I won all-around and won state for my team. After the meet, my coach realized that we only won by about .2 because of my last routine,” said Bruington. As of now Bruington is planning on going to a community college next year, to continue to work hard training so he can receive a scholarship for gymnastics.

Cofield trains hard every day to get better. She vaults three days a week for three hours. On the days she is not vaulting, she works out for four hours, lifting weights, participating in cardio, and aerobic training. “Having the coaches that I do, there isn’t a single practice that I don’t want to be at,” said Cofield. Currently, Cofield has put her training on pause as she is injured and on crutches. She fractured her foot while practicing her other track event, triple jumping. “It is hard because it is my senior year and I compete year round so it is difficult to not be able to be active and train,” said Cofield. Unfortunately, she does not know how long it will be until she can vault. When she goes back to visit her doctor, they will determine if she has to have a cast or surgery, while other vaulters are training and improving, since competition season is just two months away. “I have had multiple injuries so I have accepted it, and I am making the best of the injury by continuing training with upper body,” said Cofield.

LIFE IN THE FAST

LANE

By: Anthony Wussow Being the only person or the first person to do what no one else has done, can be nerve racking and sometimes a bit odd. For senior Stephanie Lane, it’s one of the best things to happen. Signing to Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, Lane is the only student, so far, to commit to a college in all of PHHS. Lane has been playing volleyball since she was in the fourth grade. “I tried out dance and around dancing, I got into recreational volleyball and I just kind of liked it more,” said Lane. After being in recreational volleyball for a while, Lane just dropped dance and went with volleyball 100 percent. “It lets me get energy out; if I didn’t have volleyball I would be bored,” said Lane. Lane worked hard to get where she is at today, and continues to improve on her game. Head coach Lindsey Hood is part of the reason why Lane has her success. Coach Hood is always pushing Lane to the limits with her workouts. Having hour long conditioning periods and strength building workouts, Lane and the rest of the team stay in shape. “We try to incorporate conditioning into drills. There is never a drill where they are just standing. They are always constantly moving,” said Hood. Coach Hood and assistant coach Jill Jackson preach being a good person. Not just being a great athlete, but to be a respectful, honest, and dedicated human being. Coach Jackson also has made an impact on Lane. Always being there to answer questions and give quality feedback on whatever Lane is doing, Coach Jackson is Lane’s role model. “She helps you grow as a person, not just as an athlete,” said Lane. Lane doesn’t just hit the ball in the court, but she also launches shot-put and discus in track and field. “I will do track if it doesn’t interfere with volleyball too much but I will have year round practices and workouts for volleyball,” said Lane. Going to Graceland to play volleyball isn’t her only priority. Lane also has her sights set on majoring in Publication writing and design. She wants to be a successful publishing editor. Lane hopes to have a successful career in volleyball and in publications, and her coaches and teammates all believe that she will.

Lane gets ready for the serve from the Truman Patriots.

Senior Stephanie Lane serves the ball to Truman H.S.. Monday Sept. 23. Due to her powerful serving, she got the nickname “Fireball!”

Lane and the rest of the Trojan volleyball team huddle for a time out. Lane is known for asking a lot of questions.

E R A E W

PARK HILL

FEATURE

The transition from school spirit to the start of a new era of traditions

By: Abby Peoples “We Are Park Hill” has been seen, heard, and chanted all around PHHS this year thanks to our students, faculty, and Bill Erneste, our new Athletic Director (AD). Most people know Erneste as a math teacher, wrestling coach, and a friendly face around the school, but because of his new title, people are seeing him in a different light. “When he was younger, he had a dream and a plan-- to help make and lead a successful team. Once done with that, he wanted to become an AD for a high school, and help lead other teams to success. He is pretty much spot on with that plan. If he can do all that and fulfill his life dream, I can’t wait to see what happens with him as an AD,” said daughter and sophomore Sam Erneste. When being looked at for this position, several things were taken into consideration by the district. Not only did they look at Erneste’s track record with athletics, which includes several state titles for wrestling, but also his work with the school as a teacher. As an algebra teacher last year, Erneste’s test scores came in at the top for EOC scores in the mathematic department at PHHS. With his love of education and sports combined, Athletic Director was the perfect job match. In our district, the Athletic Director doubles as an assistant principle. As an assistant principal, he has many other responsibilities, including eleventh grade discipline. When thinking about who to recommend, Principal Brad Kincheloe mentioned how much respect Erneste has earned. “I know he can not only earn respect from coaches, teachers, and students, but give it as well,” said Kincheloe. Erneste believes first impressions are important, which is why he not only went to every fall sport tryout on the first day, but also to each team’s first game. Although Erneste’s “first impression” talk was broad, he managed to make an impression on every individual who heard it. Also, Kincheloe was surprised when he heard that the new athletic director took the time out of his busy schedule to not only check up on the teams, but invest his time and interest in them as well. “I expected him to drive by each practice, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he took time out of his busy schedule to talk to all of the athletes and take that extra step,” said Kincheloe. Along with support from our new Athletic Director, fans, competition, and school pride help PHHS kick off the new year of school spirit with its fall sports. This year’s senior class wants to go out strong, leave an impression, and not only have more spirit than the past senior classes, but be remembered as one of the most spirited classes PHHS has ever had. “I want our class to go out with a bang. I don’t just want to have more spirit than the past seniors, I want us all to be remembered as one of the most spirited classes PHHS has ever had,” said senior Jaime Arnold. Arnold isn’t the only one who has that opinion. “I even talk to my family and friends outside of school about how awesome our school spirit is. Everyone has just got the school pumped more than any of the four years. The school is louder, bigger and better than any other year,” said senior James Schold. With the up and coming school spirit at PHHS, fall sports athletes are more motivated than ever for their season. “We love when our school comes to support us. When the stands were full for our game against South, it got the whole team excited and pumped up,” said senior volleyball captain Lyndi Plattner.

“We’ve got a lot of amazing ideas, people, and plans... I’m just trying to point them out.” -Bill Erneste

“Getting everyone involved is awesome, and I think the spirit will keep going in the future.” -Ethan Sloniker

“Even the freshmen are getting into it [spirit], not just the seniors.” -James Schold

“We want to be the class that is remembered.” -Jaime Arnold

“He fills the Bill.” -Brad Kincheloe

u re yo a t r po he fall s ard to t t a h w r “W ng fo looki ” t? mos

Homecoming “Back in Time” This year’s homecoming was one of a kind. Not only was there an abundance of school spirit, but also new traditions. Throughout homecoming week, PHHS made goals for our student body, and offered the “Fabulous Five” deal. It required each student to attend five Trojan sporting events that week in order to be a part of the “Fab Five” and get a t shirt the next week. Although there was a lot of hype about the “Fab Five”, it had to be postponed until the next week due to weather. The “Fab Five” was intended to encourage school spirit and support of all of PHHS’s programs, such as Tennis Senior Night on Thursday, Sept. 26 and the Band Competition on Saturday, Sept. 28. “Every activity is just as great as the one next to it,” said Erneste. “Students will be able to pick up their prize [“Fab Five” t-shirt] on Saturday when they come to watch band.” With this year’s homecoming theme being “Back in Time”, the fifty-year reunion for the class of 1963 was a perfect fit. This event is a main emphasis of PHHS’s homecoming was tradition. Even at PHHS’s homecoming assembly, alumni,who are now teachers, were presented “through the ages” and danced to a song from their graduation time period. On Friday, Sept. 20, the graduating class of 1963 was given a tour of the school, recognized at the assembly by being announced, incorporated into the parade by having the 1963 homecoming queen as the Grand Marshall, and invited to the football game as well. The next week, Kincheloe showed his appreciation to the students, and announced how proud he was of the students’ reception of the class of 1963, along with the rave reviews given to him about the student body. Also, since this year is the ten-year anniversary of PHHS’s football state title, alumni from 2003 were welcomed at the game with open arms. With their starting line-up being announced before the game, the team looked happy to be back on their home field. Another event PHHS added to their homecoming agenda this year involves not only the high school, but PHHS sponsors, faculty, and family as well. Before the homecoming game, PHHS Student Council and TARKUS hosted hundreds of guests for a fun hour of tailgating, yard games, and inflatable fun. All-in-all, PHHS’s homecoming week was said to be a success, with spirit filling every hallway. From the spirit days to the parade, half time to the dance, trojan pride could be found everywhere. “The whole week felt so spontaneous and great, and I’m glad I could be a part of it,” said senior Brooke Hall.

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FEATURE

Creating a

New Look

Around the school, something that can be noticed is the new décor such as the brand new rugs at the doors and the banners in our parking lot. This update in our school look has been well received across the district. “They’re really nice, and a lot better than the old ones. It makes our school look clean cut,” said senior Mitchel Carver. According to Kincheloe, these new looks are meant to focus on the people—students, staff, and the people who drive by on Congress or Barry. “Sometimes we will be driving passed another school, and my dad gets so excited and says ‘oh we need that’, and starts going through plans in his head,” said S. Erneste. “He will

sometimes even run ideas by us, and ask if its awesome or stupid. It’s always pretty awesome.” These new changes made to PHHS have been positively received by the school. “I think the school’s new attire makes us look more sophisticated and spirited as a school,” said Carver. S. Erneste has come to the same conclusion. “It doesn’t just make it look like we have mores school spirit. It makes PHHS look more put together and kind of like a college campus,” said S. Erneste.

A Sneak Peek into What’s to Come Along with the administration and student body, Erneste has many plans for PHHS and he wants to make them traditions— permanent and lasting. “You can have one hundred good ideas, but only the time, energy, and resources for ten,” says Kincheloe, regarding Erneste’s new ideas and enthusiasm. Erneste is positively impacting our student body, staff, and future trojans. With middle school kids looking up to the students at PHHS, they want to participate in school events, such as football games, just like the high schoolers. “Eighth graders are just waiting to be able to be a part of the high school, including games and other fun events. When I was in eighth grade, I couldn’t wait to be a Trojan,” said freshman Ethan Sloniker. Because of this, Erneste has created Spirit Club at Congress Middle School. Students attending the middle school must have a parent or guardian with them when attending a Park Hill football game. By being in Spirit Club, they can get out of this rule by having a permission slip signed by their parent/guardian. Not only do they get to go to football games without an adult, but they also get to own a red spirit shirt and sit in their own student section at

the south end of the football field. Spirit Club aims to pump up the future Trojans so the spirited traditions can continue throughout the upcoming years. “He [Erneste] considers all Park Hill schools and students ‘Trojans’,” said S. Erneste. “He aims to have Park Hill spirit not only reach high school athletes, but younger students and other activities as well.” As a school, PHHS must have a positive outlook and an open mind with this new leadership, and not be doubtful. “There have been great leaders of school spirit in the past, but the people of Park Hill want it to last, not just be a one-time deal,” said Kincheloe. Erneste plans to not only promote PH pride, but make it last, and start a new era of traditions.

Top: Senior Editor-In-Chief Mackenzie Thomas is photographed with substitute teacher Michelle Graves. Middle Top: Senior reporter Abby Peoples poses for a picture with English teacher Dustin Sollars’s children, Beckett, Harper, Perry, while babysitting. Middle Bottom: Senior copy editor Rylee Stoulil takes a picture with speech teacher Tiffany Thomas and senior friends Katie McWhirter and Dianna Swete on 90’s Day. Bottom: Adviser Sally Beran still keeps in touch with 2005 graduate Lauren Payton who has always called her Mama Sals. She even attended her wedding shower in September with her daughter, Claire.

HOW WE SEE IT...

EDITORIAL

With so many students seeing their teachers outside of school, the line blurs as to what is appropriate to call them. We live down the street from our teachers, run daily with our coaches after sitting in class with them, and even babysit their children on the weekends. We have the most respect for the teachers and staff here at PHHS, so much that we choose to spend our extra time with them. With this level of familiarity, is it disrespectful to call them by their first name or drop the Mr. or Ms. when asking a question? It is a known sign of respect to refer to any authority figure by their courtesy title of Mr., Ms., or Dr. However, the transition from personal to school life causes the frequent first name slip or “Hey Coach”. The name drop isn’t meant to be a sign of disrespect, but some teachers feel the title is necessary. Students have had to run laps at practice as punishment for referring to a coach by a first name, while other teachers have encouraged a more personal greeting. We think times are changing. Whether or not we refer to you as Mr., Ms., Coach, or simply just by your last name, we respect you. We know the staff and teachers care about what we do outside of school, which is why they are active in Young Life, supportive of clubs, dance with us at our dances, and coach us in the sports we love. It is this support that brings us close to them. These people are not only our teachers, but they are also our mentors, our leaders, and in some cases, our friends. In or out of school, Mr. or Ms., first or last name; respect is not given with a title. Respect is given through actions. Our actions reflect the admiration we have for you and all that you do. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Mr. Dad?

Most students have a separation between school life and home life. But for some select students at PHHS, that might not be the case. Kaleb Hascall, David Taylor, Michaela Anderson, Derek Reynolds, and Emily Fette all have parents working in PHHS. Here’s what these students think about having their dad as their teacher. When asked if he like having his father as the band teacher, junior Kaleb Hascall said, “Yes, yes, I do. He tries his best to treat me more like a student than a son because he doesn’t want me to feel different than anyone else. To him, I am just another student, which is good. If I ever need help with something, I can just leave my class real quick or ask him during class. I thought it would be awkward having my dad as my teacher in seventh grade, but it wasn’t. The only awkward thing was having people come up to me and say things like ‘Is that your dad?’, because a lot of people try out band in seventh grade, but I got over it. To become a band director, my dad had to learn how to play all the instruments in the band. He has definitely influenced me to become a performer someday.”

Another student who is okay with the fact that they have a parent at school is junior David Taylor. “I like having my dad at school (Coach Taylor). It’s reassuring to know that you can go and talk to someone about school problems. It is also a good way to get to know other teachers in the school. The only downfall is he can embarrass me sometimes. For instance, last year he came into one of my classes and asked for my phone because I was over on my data plan. So, I had to stand up in front of the entire class, reach into my pocket, and give my phone to him,” said Taylor. When asked if he is expected to act a certain way because of his father, Taylor said, “No, not really. For the most part, people respect the fact that my dad and I are different people, but there are definitely some qualities he and I share; we both have a passion for sports and we also love our family so much.” Liking having a parent in the same school, isn’t as scarce of an opinion as one would think. “It’s fun. I had him as a teacher. He treated me just like any other student, but we did mess with each other. It’s nice because I can put my stuff in his back room, instead of the tiny little senior lockers. If I forget money or to get a form signed, I can just go find him and be like ‘hey, guess what I forgot’. So, basically, it’s not a horror story, like some people might think,” senior Michaela Anderson said, referring to dad and science teacher Del Anderson.

On the other hand, there might be students that aren’t necessarily fond of attending the same establishment every day. “It’s good that he makes sure I am keeping on track, but I don’t like it because everyone compares me to him. I just want to be treated like everyone else. I want to be treated like my dad doesn’t work here. Before I started at PHHS, I was excited to be in school with him because I’ve always looked up to my dad, and I still do, but being here is different then I thought it would be,” sophomore Derek Reynolds said about dad and administator Greg Reynolds.

Another student who enjoys having her family in school is freshman, Emily Fette. “It is cool having my dad in school with me, because if I ever get lost or something then I just go to his room, and if I ever have any problems I know he is always there for me to go to,” said Fette. Emily really enjoys having her dad in school and hopes to be in his class eventually, so she is able to call him “Mr. Dad.” “Everyone recognizes me as his daughter and I don’t mind at all, I actually like it,” said Fette.

By: Rylee Stoulil

FEATURE

For most students, summer is a relaxing vacation from school, but for athletes, summer vacation is used to get in shape and prepare for the upcoming season. Because PHHS was shut down all summer due to renovations, football and volleyball were left without a place to train. However, they ended up getting their best off-season yet, thanks to Core Athletic. “No Park Hill team has ever gotten that level of coaching that we got at Core over the offseason. The facility was incredible. It was state of the art, brand new, top of the line. It really helped us to mentally and physically prepare for the season,” junior quarterback Tyler Holmes said. The coach that focused on teaching the athletes speed and agility is a national high jump champion and a 3-time All-American Male Athlete of the year. Chad Drehle worked on teaching the players sprinting form and jumping mechanics. However, that was not his only focus with the athletes. “Chad was the ultimate motivator. He always had something positive to say. He believed in you more than you believed in yourself,” senior volleyball captain Lyndi Plattner said. While Drehle was coaching half of the athletes, the other half were training with a coach who received a degree in Exercise Science after being a multi-sport athlete in track, gymnastics, dance, and competitive cheerleading. Christine Prohaska’s main focus was strength. She helped everyone with their lifting techniques, and a big part of her goal was establishing an inner confidence in the athletes. “Christine had the utmost confidence in you. She would give you a weight and tell you to do it whether you thought you could pick it up or not,” said Plattner. Although the mental part of conditioning is a big part, the physical part is what will make an athlete stronger. To achieve this goal, the Core coaches developed a program that worked all the key parts that make up a successful workout. “Rather than focusing on one strength or jumping component, it’s incorporating all of them to make them

more athletic. We have sport specific stuff but the general purpose behind our training is to make the kids more athletic,” general manager and head trainer Chad Drehle said. The trainers wanted to impact the players’ performance, but only had a short time to do it. They used their time wisely to push the athletes to improvement. “We had eight weeks with them, three sessions per week, and our main focus was to make them more mobile and stronger. So we worked on a lot of flexibility and we worked on a lot of technique drills. We worked with the barbell and the PVC pipes, so that when they get to their season, they are less prone for injury,” strength coach and director of CrossFit Christine Prohaska said. Although the strength and the core training is an important aspect to an all-around great workout, the coaches wanted to dig a little deeper and teach the kids more than just how to run with good form. One of Drehle’s main focuses was to teach the athletes work ethic and how to work beyond their discomfort levels. Not only was the Park Hill athletes’ progress noticeable to their trainers, but it was also apparent to the Core founders. “The kids believe in getting better every day. One of the things we tell everyone is just to come in and try. If you put the effort in and go through the workouts, you will get better,” Core co-founder Ryan Turner said. The athletes put in the effort and got better, physically and in other aspects of the sport as well. “One of the biggest improvements we saw was just a camaraderie and teamwork. The kids were starting to communicate and encourage each other, and that’s the piece that has to happen in the sport that they can take away from here. You learn how to do it here, and it carries over onto the field,” said Drehle. All of these improvements that the football and volleyball team saw over the summer are remarkable, and Drehle and football head coach Josh Hood are to thank for that. They had a previous relationship and decided to team up again over the 2013 summer to improve the physical abilities of the football and volleyball teams.

1. All of the Core trainers attend an open house on Saturday, September 7. The trainers are (from left to right) Doug Prohaska, Ryan Turner, Christine Prohaska, Bruce Benefiel, and Chad Drehle.

Both teams will agree that the coaching they received at Core is greatly appreciated. What most of those athletes don’t know is that the trainers are also grateful for them. “We just really appreciated the kids. They bought into our process. They were very respectful and very courteous. The coaches came down here and sacrificed their time, and we were so happy to be a part of it,” said Drehle. Not only was buying into a new program a first for the Park Hill athletes, but it is also a first for Prohaska, as she had never coached the high school age group before. She enjoyed getting the athletes at a young age and being able to push them. Although the program the PHHS athletes went through was targeted to high school students, Core is open to people of all ages. “The philosophy is that everyone is an athlete. From 60 year old adults to six year old kids, everybody is an athlete, and we feel like with this facility and the training that we offer, we can help everyone improve their overall health and fitness,” said Turner. This philosophy definitely saw success this summer with the Park Hill teams, as improving overall health and fitness is exactly what it did for them. “It’s definitely the best offseason program we’ve had at Park Hill in the time I’ve been here, and that’s going to translate onto the field and court. I think it’s going to be obvious that we are in better shape, both football and volleyball. It should help us get more wins and give us an extra advantage over our opponent,” said Holmes. The trainers have not only invested time into Park Hill teams in the gym, but also are excited about seeing their work coming to life on the field and on the court. Both Prohaska and Drehle plan on attending football and volleyball games throughout this season, and have done so. The two trainers make it a priority to support the Park Hill athletes, and encouraged the football team during their first two home games. Drehle made such an impact on the volleyball team that he was invited to speak to them before their first home game against Lee’s Summit. Not only did their motivation help the teams, but the improvement the two trainers saw in the gym allowed to the athletes to see Core as somewhere that is their own that no other team has. “As time progressed, we really saw a lot of those kids find themselves. They found this as their home,” said Drehle. Visit Core Athletic at 305 NW Business Park Ln., Riverside, MO 64150.

2. Trainer Chad Drehle gathers the teams around him to coach them in the next skill. 3. Below, volleyball player Katie Reichert practices skills and receives advice from trainer Christine Prohaska.

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P ARK H I L L the stories in this U Read edition of The Trojan to help Z you answer the crossword Bring the completed Z questions. crossword with correct answers L to room 350 for a special prize! E S

Across 3. How many PH students work at Smoothie King? 5. What program did Mr. Erneste develop in the Middle school with the help of Mrs. Smith? 6. What is the Bell's new son's name? 8. What was senior Will Ryan's first appointed position at Boy's State? (2 words, put a spavce between) 10. Who is on the front of the Magazine this month? (2 words, put a space between) 11. How many sessions a weeks did the football and volleyball team work out together at the core? 12. Who is the senior drum major? 13. Who is the new freshman mentor advisor?

Down 1. Where is MSA? (3 words, no spaces) 2. What event does Taylor Cofield compete in? 4. What month did 100,000 people die in Syria? 7. What is the new PH app called? 9. What college did Stephanie Lane commit to?

JOB OF THE MONTH

ALL I NEED TO KNOW...

By: Matt Eblen

SMOOTHIE KING

LIFE

By: Beth Cooper Since it’s opening in July 2013, Smoothie King has provided a healthier option as an alternative to fast food. Senior Angela Morelli has been working at the health food store since its grand opening, which is located in the Village of Burlington Creek. “My favorite part [of working at Smoothie King] is seeing people from school come in, and getting to make their smoothies,” said Morelli. Although with every job, it’s not always smooth sailing. “I hate trying to please each individual person when a big rush comes in. It gets really stressful sometimes,” said Morelli. Four current students work there: Morelli, junior Madeline Smith, senior Mackenzie Thomas, and senior Shannon Barry. And an alumni from the class of 2011, Collin Pummill, is an employee as well. “They do a good job incorporating student life into the schedules. If you have any conflicts whatsoever, they try to help find a replacement for your shift, and if you can’t find one they take a look at how many people they’ll need for the night,” said Morelli. For student employees, balancing a hectic schedule of work, homework and after school activities can get difficult. But when employers help, it really makes a difference. “Physically, it’s a bright vibrant store, but underneath, it’s been formed by a lot of hard work. People are really devoted to the store, and the owners are so devoted. It shows in the workers and in our products,” said Smith.

I LEARNED AS A FRESHMAN A new school, with new classes, new teachers, and new experiences, PHHS opens its doors to more freshman than ever before. The transition from middle school to high school is an experience everyone goes through and it can be difficult. However, some students who have already become accustom to the PHHS routines and regulations give advice to the newcomers. Sophomore Madison Fairfield, a thespian and ensemble member in PHHS upcoming musical Hairspray, offered some advice on the challenges of high school. “I wish I would have worked harder in my classes, some of the teachers have different expectations than others and things change a lot. Colleges really look closely into what grades you get in high school, so every grade starts to matter if you want to go to a high powered, special college,” said Fairfield. Between the tougher classes, students have the challenge of high school is fitting in. “Just stay true to yourself don’t let other people’s opinions change who you are as a person,” said Fairfield. Although finding yourself is an important piece, junior Killian Fane, a member of STUCO, Freshman Mentors, Girls Tennis, Junior Executive Council, and FCCLA, stresses the importance of being involved. “I wish that people would have told me to join more clubs, sports, and activities outside of school, because when you’re a freshman you are only in classes with people in your grade, and to meet people who are outside of your grade and meet people who have the same interest as you, you might want to go out [to various clubs],” said Fane. “I was only a cheerleader my freshman year, but now I’m in all of these clubs and I’m so much happier.” Though students have more recent experiences, teachers have the unique perspective on high school life with the ability to view multiple groups of freshman come and go. PHHS science teacher and Freshman Mentor Advisor Jennifer Damti gave some advice. “I think it is better to receive a message from a peer, especially a peer that has a little more experience as someone you look up to,” said Damti. “I think that it’s hard for freshman to wrap their brain around, high school is different, the academics are more challenging, and there are more opportunities, social and extracurricular activities. It’s hard to balance and I think that’s the thing that freshman struggle with most.”

GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS By: Amanda Battmer Miley Cyrus twerking, Lindsay Lohan getting busted for drugs, and Amanda Bynes going off the deep end— with pop culture icons taking a turn for the worse, many Park Hill students are looking to more positive role models. Now more than ever it seems there are more and more public figures that are known for the bad instead of the good. Thankfully, celebrities are not the only ones worth talking about. There are plenty of people within and beyond Park Hill that make positive role models, and for reasons much bigger than fame. Senior Katie Wasicko looks up to two individuals that have been very involved with Park Hill-- drama teacher Jennifer Sandau, and former student Talya Groves. “They are very inspirational in that they work really hard at what they do. They have picked a career/hobby that’s kind of hard to get into, and they never gave up on it,” said Wasicko. Wasicko has been involved in two plays and three musicals, and plans to continue participating in the school productions this year. The people she looks up to share this hobby and work on fulfilling their dreams by spreading it to others or even reaching for super-stardom. A celebrity Wasicko looks up to is Raven Symone, a former Disney Channel star who has moved on to bigger things while embracing herself and staying in a positive light. However, drama is not the only place to find someone to look up to, such as junior Carly Hostetter admires her YoungLife leader, Michelle Graves. “She’s someone I would like to be like because she’s really strong in her faith. She’s a great Christian,” said Hostetter. Hostetter has been a part of the club since the beginning of last year. She appreciates how interactive Graves is with the club, and how often she comes to support the kids.

“[A good role model is] someone who is kind, caring, and knows how to interact with other people,” said Hostetter. Hostetter also Top: Young Life looks up to actor Neil members get Patrick Harris, and together to sing choreographer/dancer along to a song at Travis Wall. Although a recent meeting. being in the spotlight Above: Seniors makes one easy to admire, Katie Wasicko and Cody Van Hooser being a celebrity doesn’t go over paper work always mean being the for the upcoming most worthy of the musical. Left: adoration. A recent online Young Life leader poll by the New York Post Michelle Graves reveals that 68% of parent helps lead activities voters believe that Miley at a meeting on Cyrus is the most negative Sept.11. celebrity influence on children. “I think [Miley Cyrus] got this idea that people have to see her differently as a grown-up, and she thinks that’s what grown-ups do, but not all grown-ups do that. I’m not really feeling that whole vibe that she’s sending off,” said Wasicko, concerning Cyrus’ recent actions and shocking performances. From a famous actress to a teacher, role models can be found anywhere and are different for everyone. “You should look up to someone who you aspire to be like,” said Hostetter.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re everywhere!