TROJAN the
Park Hill High School Kansas City, MO December 2014 Issue 4
Mr. Park Hill A look into the candidates who fill this year’s annual male beauty pageant at PHHS.
School Safety With various incidents that have put safety in school in question, we take a closer look at PHHS policy
Acceptance An in-depth look into LGBT acceptance at PHHS.
TROJAN
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Amanda Battmer
CONTENTS
Graduating
16 Humans of PHHS
Design Editor:
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We highlight the recent revival in success of sports who do not receive the same attendance as others.
While most seniors are just starting to look into their future, a special few are getting ready to graduate.
Copy Editor:
Delaney Noland Andrea Tenney Keeley Myszka Pierce Klempnauer
School Saftey
12 Underrated Sports
Matt Eblen
Reporters:
Religion
With various incidents that have put in question safety at school, we take a closer look at PHHS policy.
14-15 STAFF
Story Editor: Jerron Archer
Acceptance
Many different religions cross paths in the halls of PHHS.
Editor-in-Chief:
Photo Editor: Hattie Saltzman
A look into the candidates who fill this year’s annual male beauty pageant at PHHS.
An in-depth look into LGBT acceptance at PHHS.
the
Ally Buchberg
Mr. Park Hill
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We spotlight those people making a difference at PHHS.
ABOUT THE COVER
Photo by Jerron Archer Ending with a record of 12-1, the football team made it all the way to the semi-final game down in Springfield. With this recent up-tick, the 2014 Trojan Football team revived a once powerful program. The picture was taken after beating Fort Osage 21-20 on November 14th 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.
ABOUT THE BACK COVER
Photo by Matt Eblen PHHS’s fall musical ‘Once on this Island’ opened. The musical was lead by Senior Victoria Handford,
1- Photo By Jerron Archer, 2- Photo By Matt Eblen, 3- Photo by Keeley Myszka 4-photo By Delaney Noland , 5- photo by Jerron Archer 6- Photo By Ally Buchberg
LETTER FROM THE EAR READERS EDITOR
D
Recently, while I was sitting in my AP Gov class, I got angry. My anger was directed at a Fox News ‘interview’ over a recent topic. The topic of the interview was not what infuriated me, but the way the interview was conducted. The correspondent screamed questions at her subject and gave her interviewee no ability to answer. I have a love-hate relationship with the current trend of 24 hour news. The ability to easily access information is a feat that has been able to revolutionize the way people consume news. Long gone are the days of people relying on Walter Cronkite to tell them how to think, and I say that as a huge fan of Walter Cronkite. Yet, with this crazy turnover cycle, the negative effects of the media has become extremely apparent. Fox News and CNBC verge on propaganda. With the sheer amount of polarization, the old belief news should remain impartial is considered old fashioned. People actively search out those who will match their opinion, no matter how much the supposed facts must be twisted and turned. In the Fox News world, we are living in a “communist tyranny” where the minority is consistently taking rights from the majority. In the CNBC world, we are living in a perfectly run society in which evil corporations are consistently trying to bring down the little man. In real world, neither of these are true. CNN has avoided any type of party identification by avoiding reporting any news what so ever. CNN emphasizes what may be the worst trend that has come out of the 24-hour news cycle. Historic Supreme Court cases are ignored in favor of a magical missing plane. CNN is a step away from reporting on re-runs of Lost. With every day, CNN stories grow a slightly brighter shade of yellow. The truth has become diluted. But the truth is almost never been pure. Everything must be filtered through perception. There were days in which Walter Cronkite was the voice of America, offering an often accurate, yet singular voice. Nowadays, you are offered a wide variety of various voices, yet you must put up with Nancy Grace screaming about what ever current court cases she believes she can spin into the most ratings. I care about truth, I truly do, but every time I turn on to the TV to watch the news, I’m horrified. On a seperate note, vote for me for Mr. Park Hill. I’m hilarious, and great. So, do it.
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MATT EBLEN
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44CAMPUS CAMPUS
Surviving By Ally Buchberg
Every winter, ten budding debutants come together to show off their various talents. This year, the 27th annual Mr. Park Hill, includes candidates from T.A.R.K.U.S, Senior Exec, Choir, Band, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Journalism, Human Rights, FCCLA, Math Club, and National Honors Society. After 15 years of putting on the pageant, Student Council sponsor, Jennifer Paschall, is stepping down from her position. “I continue to do it because it is a tradition at Park Hill High School, and a program that many students look forward to each year. We don’t have a Homecoming King, so this seems like a good trade-off,” said Paschall.
MR.PH
It has all the elements of a regular beauty pageant, with the exception that it is performed by guys with no prior experience. “[Mr. Park Hill has acts including] swimsuit, formal wear, club skit, and talent,” said senior Nicole DeMarco. A valued part of the experience is bringing all the clubs together to put on a show for the entire student body to enjoy. “It is a way to support your school and show school spirit. Your club is represented and you get to know other clubs,” said DeMarco. Come support your club on December 4th at 7pm.
Michael Weaver MR. CHOIR
If you won a million pesos in a lottery, what would you do with it? I would probably go buy a franchise for Church’s Chicken.
Who is the most influential person in your life? Dr. Curington, because he pushes me to new levels.
Jacob Cowley MR. MATH CLUB
What is your spirit animal? What can be your greatest A giant river otter. They are two contribution to the community? meters long and found in the Amazon My hair. Rainforest. They are majestic creatures.
Tyler Holmes MR. FCCLA
How would you describe your personality? Business in the front, party in the back.
What is your spirit animal? The Loch Ness Monster. No one ever sees it coming, but when it attacks, it’s ferocious and quick.
Matt Eblen MR. JOURNALISM
What is the last movie you were ashamed you cried at? It wasn’t a movie, but a Google commercial.
How would you describe your personality? Better than yours.
How would you describe your personality? Outdoorsy.
How would you describe your personality? Better than yours.
Ethan Hayes MR. TARKUS
If you committed a crime, what would it be? Arson.
If you won a million pesos in a lottery, what would you do with it? There’s not much you can do with pesos. I’d buy a ’95 Chevy Corolla.
Barry Chang MR. BAND
What is your spirit animal? Morgan Freeman, because he is the voice of God.
What can be your greatest contribution to the community? Becoming a whale.
If you won a million pesos in a lottery, what would you do with it? Invest it in a rodeo index fund.
If you committed a crime, what would it be? Stealing sour Skittles.
Raj Mehta MR. NHS
What can be your greatest contribution to the community? I volunteer at North Kansas City Hospital.
What is your spirit animal? A beaver because I’m hard working.
Isaiah Carter MR. FCA
What is your spirit animal? A dire wolf because of the House of Stark in Game of Thrones.
What is the last movie you were ashamed you cried at? Where the Red Fern Grows.
Tom Klender MR. SENIOR EXEC.
Will Hemphill MR. HUMAN RIGHTS
6 FEATURE
All We Need Is Love
People are becoming more accepting of the LGBT community as times change.
By: Andrea Tenney
Last year, Dr. Kincheloe’s signature statement at the end of announcements every day was “be kind to one another.” In high school, the words to be kind may hit a bit closer to the hearts of those who don’t fall directly into the social norm. High school students are on a search for their identity, and in that search some are comfortable enough to confess they are different - especially with their sexual orientation. As students grow up, the phrase “land of the free” is used to show how the United States grants many liberties to its citizens. In recent years, the goverment has had a game of tug-of-war with a common debate; marriage equality. 32 of the states in the U.S. have legalized the marriage of same sex couples, but the remaining 18 states have yet come to the same terms. At PHHS, acceptance is something that is voiced by administrators every day, whether that be indirectly such as Dr. Kincheloe’s final words to be kind, or directly, such as the GayStraight Alliance club. “We’d like to provide lots of outlets for students so that there are many ways students can get engaged with peers and supervised and in productive organizations so that each student can find some niche that fits them well. Where we’re most successful in that, sometimes we have students that feel like they do not belong with their high school. We’ve worked on that for several years and made some real concerted efforts and additional efforts this year. But we still don’t have every student involved in activities. And that’s our goal. For every student to be involved in an activity or an organization in which they can feel safe, at home, comfortable. And so when we are able to get there, then we will know that Park Hill has achieved that portion of the goal,” said Dr. Brad Kincheloe. Acceptance from your peers in high school is commonly considered a dividing line between coming out or not. Freshman Ben Tuimaunga has known for a while that he was different, but it was coming to terms with acceptance from his peers that was the biggest strugle. “I’ve known for a long time, but I started telling people in sixth grade. At first it was a big no for me because I didn’t know if I wanted to come out with this. But after I told someone, it felt good and felt like I could be myself and that felt nice,” said Tuimunga. Though sometimes students in high school are accepted, others
receive the opposite reaction from their peers, leading them down a very negative and emotional road. One of the leading causes in the U.S. for bullying is the adolescent identification of being LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). In the past year, nine out of ten LGBT teens in the country have reported being bullied at school. Bullying rates and negativity against these alternate relationships are definitely not uncommon, with 92 percent of LGBT youth reporting to having heard negative messages about their sexual orientation. “I think it depends more on the person. There’s obviously some people here that don’t accept gay people so that obviously makes it challenging, but the people that are really my friends are still there for me and still accept me for who I am,” said junior Derek Reynolds, who decided to come out this year over Facebook. Gay acceptance is slowly becoming a more widely accepted thing, as more and more states legalize gay marriage. Dr. Kincheloe’s signature statement of “be kind to one another” is a statement that he used with the intentions of getting it across to people that of all behaviors, kindness to everyone has to be the top priority. “I think of all the human characteristics, kind may be the most important. Kind goes beyond fair. Kind goes beyond honest for me. Kind may be the most important public condition, or characteristic one can exhibit. Kind is hard though because kind isn’t just a matter of commitment and desire; kind has a requirement of understanding,” said Kincheloe. Dr. Kincheloe’s past signature statement is still something he uses when he feels it is necessary. Over the announcements recently, he signed off with it after informing the students and staff about an emergency situation here at PHHS. The words still sometimes are echoed through the halls over the intercoms when he feels the obligation to remind people that though they may be different, kindness is what must be shown to everyone.
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“ Have the
courage to be kind. � Brad Kincheloe
1-Ben Tuimunga expresses his support for NO H8
2-Maya Kincheloe stands 3-Tabitha Williams is proud 4-Derek Reynolds proud to say she will not to say that we are all one. confidently shows that change for you. he is happy with who he is
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8 COMMUNITY
something on the internet about it. And they try to tell me that I’m wrong,” said Cowley. The argument on whether or not a slightly fringe sect of Christianity is actually that does not end with Mormonism. Jehovah’s Witnesses are another group whose validity are consistently challenged. Freshman Christion Green explains Jehovah’s Witness to the uninitiated. “Well, it means that we are people who read the Bible, and we live our lives by the Bible. That means we really don’t participate in any holidays are any secular affairs like that,” said Green. Jehovah’s Witnesses have a different viewpoint on some of the more festive aspects of their father religion. “Christmas for example, we don’t do that. People think that it’s Jesus’s birthday, but since we read the Bible, and in the Bible it says that his birthday was on a time when the shepherds were out. So, if his birthday was at Christmas, which is winter time, it would have been too cold for the shepherds to take the sheep out. So it couldn’t be his birthday. We use that type of reasoning,” said Green. Despite the barrage of Christmas that happens in the twilight of the year, Green has gotten over the more commercialized aspects of the holiday. “It’s a little annoying, but it doesn’t really bother me now. I’m used to it. And the whole gift thing. My parents give me gifts all year round so I don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff,” said Green. While some student’s religions fall outside of what is statistically the norm, some however do not. Senior
Shiva Felfeli is a believer in Zoroastrianism. “Well, Zoroastrianism is a Persian religion and is basically good thoughts, good words, good deeds. We believe that there is one God, and all Gods are just different aspects of this one God. The others are just different personalities or aspects of the one God. And that you make decisions on which path you take,” said Felfeli, “It is never pushed as the only religion, it’s not the only path that you have to follow. It’s a lot of free will. Use your knowledge and choose what’s best for you.” Yet, the American culture has still percolated into Felfeli’s life. “It’s different, because not a lot of people understand our culture, and our culture is very different. But when it comes to something like Christmas, we still celebrate it, we just don’t celebrate the religious aspect on us. Sometimes people try to force their beliefs on us like at school people are like no, you have heard this about Jesus, or you’re going to go to Hell for doing this, that gets annoying sometimes, but it doesn’t bother us, especially because we grew up in this culture,” said Felfeli. However, as with anything that does not fall into the mainstream, there are certain misconceptions that come with having a religion that not everyone has heard about. “[People say] We worship fire. We do not worship fire, it’s a symbol in some ceremonies, but it would be like telling a Christian they worship a tree,” said Felfeli.
Jehovah’s Witness
While most students practice the more commonly known sects of Christianity, some students beliefs are harder to find in the Anglo-Saxon filled Midwest. Which in turn leads to confusion surrounding these lesser known religions. One of the fastest growing Christian sects is Mormonism. Due to its more recent founding, Mormonism has revived its share of flack, yet its popularity is growing. And this has been shown in the increase of PHHS students who practice the religion. Senior Jacob Cowley is a practicing Mormon. “[When people find out] they ask a broad range of questions, that I usually find very funny most of the time. They are usually very far off base. Many people ask whether it’s Christian or not, the answer being yes. They ask if we have multiple wives, the answer being no for the last 200 and some odd years. Just a broad range of random, ridiculous questions,” said Cowley. One of the main confusions when it comes to Mormonism is whether or not is considered a Christian sect. “It’s kind of weird to me. I think a lot of people [don’t consider it a Christian Sect] because they don’t have a lot of exposure to it. I mean everyone knows their Protestant and Catholicism is kind of the OG, so people know it’s Christian. Because Mormonism isn’t as exposed to other people some assume that since they don’t know it, it must not be Christian,” said Cowley, “I find it funny when people try to tell me facts about my religion, even though I have done it my entire life and they have probably read
Jehovah’s Witnesses report approximately 1.2 million active publishers and 1.8 million that self-identify with the religion in the US The religion was founded in 1879 by Charles Taze Russell
Zoroastrianism
By Matt Eblen
A Unique Perspective
About 11,000 Zoroastrians live in the United States Zoroastrianism is a preIslamic religion
Commercializing Christmas
By Delaney Noland
Christian 78.4% of adults 18 and up in the US identify themselves as Christians. There are approximately 41,000 Christian denominations and organizations in the world
Mormon With 6 million members, Mormonism is now the fourth-largest religion in the United States The average American spends 48 hours volunteering while the average Mormon spends 427.9 hours in volunteer efforts each year
Every year around mid-October, Americans mark the season of love and giving on their calendars as it quickly hits every shopping mall in the country. Stores soon overflow with people in bubble coats and stocking hats as they rush to find the perfect Christmas gifts for the right price. Christmas shopping, along with many other festivities, give a warm and cheerful feeling for all who choose to partake in it. However, some believe the credit card debt and never ending Christmas lists are unnecessary ways of celebrating the holiday. Christmas is the holiday in which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The most popular festivities include nativity plays, special church services, singing Christmas carols and exchanging gifts. Many households have their own traditions tied to the holiday because it is often defined as a time for families to be together. An increasing number of non-Christians also celebrate the holiday with secular traditions such as the figure of Santa Claus and artificial trees alone. Sophomore Matt Hayes does not consider himself religious and sees Christmas instead as an opportunity to spend quality time with family that may only be visited during this time of year. “I celebrate Christmas mostly because I enjoy spending time with my extended family that I do not see very often. My family and I don’t really acknowledge it as a religious celebration,” said Hayes. While spending time with loved ones is a staple factor in the holiday season, some people tend to look forward most to receiving gifts. “My favorite part of Christmas is just spending time with family, and of course getting gifts,” said Hayes. This celebration is the largest economic stimulus for many countries around the world as sales increase dramatically in several retail areas. According to the National Retail Federation, It is expected that American sales during the months of November and December will increase by 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion. “I think people have lost the true meaning of Christmas. It’s not about receiving gifts, it’s supposed to be about giving back to others. I think that people have forgotten that because now everyone makes these super long Christmas lists and always are expecting something and get upset if they don’t get what they want,” said senior Marissa Ballard.
Ballard is doing what she can to remind the people around her what the real reason for the season is; giving. “I told my family that I am not participating in the traditional way. I am instead asking for the money that my mom would normally spend on my presents, and I am going to give all that money to a charity. I’m thinking about giving it to Micah Ministries. They are a church organization and they have a café for the homeless. They give out food, clothes and hygiene products and they always need all the help that they can get,” said Ballard. The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is traditionally marked as the first day of the Christmas shopping festivities. The season starts earlier and earlier every year as many consumers spend their Thanksgiving holiday camping out in parking lots to get the best sales on big list items. Junior Salsabil Daud is an employee at Bed Bath and Beyond. She along with every other employee are required to work the Friday after Thanksgiving to handle the overwhelming amount of holiday shoppers. “I’m excited to work Black Friday but I’m also anxious because we’re going to have a lot of really big sales so a lot of people are going to be there and the customers can sometimes get ridiculously crazy,” said Daud.
10 FEATURE
SCHOOL
SAFETY By: Amanda Battmer
Safety will always be a priority for schools. Whether a natural disaster prowls the area or an intruder roams the halls, PHHS makes sure it’s ready no matter what happens. “The key [to having a safe school] is having everyone on board, and having a good program set in place, and also practicing drills regularly, so that you are prepared when it happens. You won’t have to think about it, you’ll just react to your training,” said PH Resource Officer Brian Hill. Hill has worked at PHHS for three years now, in conjunction with the Platte County Sheriff’s Department, to provide the best forms of training possible for the staff. Every year, the PHSD holds an hour to two-hour active shooter training session, which will possibly lead to hands-on training for active shooter drills. In many cases, there is no pattern to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are usually unpredictable and evolve quickly. Active shooter training aims to better prepare the staff to deal with these kinds of situations if they were to happen. “The biggest threat is the unknown. You don’t know what’s going to happen. There could be weather changes, natural disasters—you might have an intruder come in the school. So we always plan a drill for the unknown, so that we’re prepared if that happens,” said Hill. One method for creating a safer school is the issuance of photo ID badges to every student and staff member. Photo identification is meant to distinguish school intruders from those who are supposed to be there, and would serve the most importance in the event of a fatal school shooting. “I don’t think they’re effective [IDs]. You can easily walk through some hallways without your ID on. They’re starting to enforce it a little bit more, but I mean, it’s so easy to get an extra ID or get a lanyard and tuck it into your jacket and not even be wearing an ID. I don’t think they help like they’re trying to make them,” said senior Margot Robison. “I know some other schools, especially in Kansas City, Kansas, will have their students walk through metal detectors before they come to school. While I think that’s a little extreme, I also think it’s necessary in some cases. I don’t think Park Hill needs metal detectors, because I feel like generally, people aren’t bringing stuff they shouldn’t be. I think they handle it pretty well here.” Though PHHS hasn’t had to deal with a major safety violation in recent years, rumors of such infractions have recently flooded the school. Fortunately, none of these rumors were able to prove themselves true, although minor events have aroused some concern. “[A while ago], we had a group of young men from another school drive into our parking lot and they got out and they were
all going in as a group. They were just picking up a friend, but we didn’t realize it. They could’ve been meaning to do harm to one of our students. And I asked them, ‘what are you doing, do you go to school here?’ and I said, ‘where’s your ID?’ because they said they went to school here. No IDs, they didn’t go to school here. So we were able to escort them off the property. So [IDs] do help,” said campus supervisor Nancy Gonzalez. The school takes the students’ safety very seriously—ID badges, security cameras, and even just locks on the doors can make a big difference in the security of the building. “I’ve never felt like I wasn’t safe coming here. I just think there’s possibilities where a student will like, hear a door-knock, like somebody knocking on the door and will open it for them, because I know people do that. Some people go out by the doors by the new gym and have people stand there and let them in and everything,” said Robison. Stuffing a rug in a door as you run out to your car or opening one for whoever knocks is definitely a common occurrence throughout the building, which can provide easy access for anyone who want it. However, safety can be threatened from the actions of students just as well as intruders. Many upperclassmen recall the gun scare that occurred two years ago, when a student was in possession of a firearm on school property. “The kid had the gun with him in the morning and then he brought it on the bus and had it all day at school while he was in ISS. He showed another kid at the end of the day, and that kid came forward and told administration. He was trying to find me but I was doing training at another school, so he was taken off the bus, and they removed his jacket, and then I was called and I recovered the firearm. He was placed in custody, and then he was taken to a detention center after the investigation,” said Hill. The student at the center of attention that day felt unsafe about a situation outside of school, and gave that as a reason for ending up with a weapon on school property. Since the comfort of students at their homes is out of the school’s control, the PHHS staff does all that they can to provide their students with a safe environment during the school day. “School safety is important because we want the students to feel comfortable here at school. We want them to feel safe when they’re at school, and that way it’s a good learning environment for the students. If they’re not concerned about their safety, they’re able to focus on their studies and do extracurricular activities. And just keeping children safe I think is the number one priority as far as law enforcement, staff here at school, and also the parents,” said Hill.
but incidents of theft and violence are
on the rise.
in 2012, students between the ages of 12 and 18 experienced more than
1.3 million
nonfatal victimizations. The most recent data shows that the crime rate is at about 52 incidents per 1,000 students at school, compared with 35 incidents per 1,000 students in 2010.
in
2011, about 77%
of students between the ages of 12 and 18 said they observed security cameras in the school, compared with about in 2003.
48%
The rates of victimization in 2012 were greater for males than females, as well as in urban or suburban areas than rural areas.
2011, high school 20% of students were in
decrease,
bullied at school, and reported being involved in a physical fight.
33%
In recent years, assault by weapon, cases of intimidation and bullying, and alcohol possession have all more than doubled on school properties. More than 1/4 of schools report having security staff present on campus routinely carrying a firearm.
The most recent data available shows that there were 31 violent deaths on school campuses in the 2010-11 school year, which is a
parking lot DILEMMA
the
The number of school-related deaths are starting to
Morning rush hour on the way to school is a hassle, no doubt about it. To avoid getting trapped in a long line of traffic, some students create new, even dangerous, ways to get around it. On the north side of the school (in the parking lot by central office), the daily traffic jam has especially resulted in these innovative tactics. On Barry Road, instead of taking a left turn meant for their desired entrance into the school parking lot, many students keep going to the next median, make a U-turn, and turn right into the parking lot. Senior Harrison Thomas attempted this one fateful day earlier this school year, which resulted in significant vehicular damage and a hefty fine. “Someone was letting me in, and as I was going, look right, look left, it was clear. Then the guy who hit me was flying down and as I was getting on the other side of the road, hit me. And the rest is history. I got a huge ticket and had to pay that off and everything else, even his car. I was just unlucky there in that whole situation,” said Thomas. PHHS takes student safety seriously, even when it comes to the short drive in and out of the parking lot. “The campus supervisors everyday watch the parking lots after school and I also sit out there across from the parking lot and monitor traffic and make sure everyone’s getting out safely,” said SRO Brian Hill. As far as the whole U-turn issue goes, PHHS is doing what it can to avoid more accidents in the future. “We are aware and we’re actually working with the city of Kansas City to get new U-turn signs in place so that can be enforced,” said Hill.
decrease from
a nearly 20-year high of 63 during the 2006-07 school year.
In the year since the incident at Sandy Hook, there were 17 other schoolassociated violent deaths, according to media reports.
“The biggest threat is the unknown. You don't know what's going to happen.”
12 SPORTS
Started from the Top
By Jerron Archer
but you didn’t notice.
Cross Country
You probably see PHHS’ cross country team running after school, whether on the track, or around the Park Hill area. What most don’t know, is that PHHS has multiple state contenders within the cross country team. “I wouldn’t say we’re under-appreciated for how good we do, more so for how hard we work,” said Pudenz. “If the reason you’re doing your sport/ activity/hobby is for recognition from your peers, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.” “It’s just kind of a norm for certain sports to get more attention, and it hasn’t ever been a huge complaint of mine. Swim team doesn’t get much love and look what they’ve accomplished,” said Pudenz.
Cheer We see them on the sidelines at the most important sporting events, doing exactly what most would expect them to do: cheering. PHHS’ cheer team did the unexpected this year, winning their first state title in 12 years. PHHS’ cheer squad seemingly worked harder than they ever have before. “We had tryouts in April last year, and we woke up every morning at 5:30 a.m. this summer to practice for regionals. We came back and worked almost everyday leading up to go to state,” said senior and cheer captain Lexi Smith. “When we won state, we didn’t get a lot of hype like the football team did for winning conference, and we are just kind of the underdogs.”
Swim “We came in to state having a really good opportunity to do something that we’ve never done in the history of our sport at Park Hill, which is bring home some hardware from state,” said junior Jered Weger. As far as being under-appreciated, Weger feels like since the success the team had at state, their hard work has not gone unnoticed. “I used to feel like the team wasn’t at all important to Park Hill, but it felt really good to get paraded around the school [after state]. People started to realize that we’re more than just guys who swim down and back.” said Weger.
Tennis PHHS’ tennis team seemingly has little meaning to students at Park Hill. “I definitely think tennis is underappreciated at our school. No one comes to matches and I hear people say all the time that tennis isn’t even a sport, but it takes a lot of physical ability and fitness to play tennis,” said senior tennis player Sydney Moyer. It’s easy to say that the more talented a person is at their sport, the more recognition they receive from peers and coaches. “The more time people put into a sport, the better they become and get noticed. If you’re not the best, you don’t get noticed,” said Moyer.
Rather Be At the Club By: Pierce Klempnauer The pinnacle of achievement for a high school athlete is receiving a scholarship to play their respective sport in college. The journey to earning any scholarship is long and filled with blood, sweat, tears, and many other obstacles. One of those obstacles is getting recruited by colleges. One of the most important aspects of getting recruited is being noticed from the other thousands of athletes that are competing for the same scholarship. The soccer community has been developing a way to weed out the best athletes from the rest of the pack. Around the country and the world more and more club or academy soccer teams are starting to develop. Lady Trojan head soccer coach Brandt Bell gave his expertise to clear up some confusion on what the club or academy teams mean for both boys and girls soccer. “The current situation is different for boys and girls (soccer). With the boy’s academy teams, the kids that play for the sporting academy team are not allowed to play high school soccer,” said Bell. “The girl’s academy system hasn’t developed to the point where those coaches or clubs are saying that you cannot play high school soccer. It really just impacts the boy’s side.” The movement of more and more kids deciding to go to the academy level can be attributed to the fact that colleges recruit academy or club teams more than normal high school teams, and with the number of high school athletes growing and the number of college athletic scholarships decreasing, the need for exposure has only increased over time. “We do what we can, but the high school teams don’t have maybe the same prestige of some of the academy teams,” said Bell.
Coaches at PHHS recognize that getting their athletes noticed and recruited can be a challenge, but they do what they can to assist in the process. “We invite college coaches to come watch our games, we certainly contact coaches, and hold workshops for our players to show them the things they need to be doing to get noticed by college coaches. That can mean calling them, e-mailing them, sending them game tapes, and things like that,” said Bell. From an athlete’s perspective, playing on a club or academy team can be a good opportunity for exposure. Juniors Madison Massa and Isabella Catano shared some of their own insight on the academy team vs. high school team debate. “Most of the coaches that have recruited me have been through my club team. I love playing at Park Hill, but I’ve noticed that more colleges recruit club teams than school teams,” said Massa. “College coaches come to see you more for club than they would for high school,” said Catano, “I would say that colleges respect club soccer more than high school soccer.” With more kids deciding to play on club or academy teams the trickledown effect could possibly change the overall landscape of soccer at the high school level. “It’s good in some ways for the growth of soccer at the highest level, but it does certainly hurt schools like Park Hill that have some kids that would play for us but end up going the academy route,” said Bell.
14 LIFE PHHS seniors can feel graduation rapidly approaching, and students have begun to feel the stress of walking across the stage on time. While finishing by May 17 is a feat in itself, this year 23 PHHS students are choosing to have their last day of high school at the end of first semester, 150 days early. In order to graduate early, 2014-2015 seniors must have completed required classes like P.E., health and government, while also fulfilling the 28 credit requirement. “I took all of my classes and [the credits] just accumulated. I didn’t even know I had enough until the beginning of this year, which is when it all came together,” said senior Arlett Castaneda. For the class of 2017 and below, the credit requirement has been raised to 32 which could make it much more difficult to graduate early. Graduating early can be good for many people who feel that high school has given them all the experiences it can. “I was just really over the whole high school thing,” said Castaneda. “I had looked at Concord Career College for Dental Assisting for a while and wanted to start as soon as possible.” Some students use the option of graduating early to get a head start on their careers. “I plan on getting a job and starting my dental assistant course at a career college at the end of January,” said Castaneda. There are other reasons why one might choose to graduate at semester. One student’s family has moved to Boston, and she plans on following them once she is finished with high school. “My nana passed in November of 2013 and left her house to my dad, my sister and I. If one of us didn’t claim it then it would be sold, so my dad and I packed up and moved last summer to Boston,” said senior Bianca Mathi. “I came back and am currently living with my mom here in Kansas City. My dad and I made a deal that I would finish off my senior year here, but that I would graduate early and then go to college in Boston.” Choosing to graduate early also provides a way to escape the infamous senioritis that many students complain of. “I think I’ve had senioritis since freshman year. I have a ‘bigger picture’ image in my head. I’m looking at the journey. Something bigger and exciting is waiting for me outside of these high school classroom walls,” said Mathi. “I also work almost 30 hours a week and that also makes me really not want to do my homework as well. For me, senioritis isn’t being lazy, it’s me being exhausted from working so much and being excited about my future plans.” Despite all of its benefits, graduating early isn’t without its downsides, especially for students who have found their place in various activities. “The biggest disadvantages [of graduating at semester] would be not being able to participate in what would have been my third year of track, not being able to compete in events for DECA and just not seeing my friends at school anymore,” said Castaneda. There are some students, however, who feel as though there are no disadvantages. “I’m excited for the journey ahead of me, and December 19th couldn’t come faster,” said Mathi. “I’ve enjoyed the part of my senior year that I’ve had with my peers but I feel as if there is a bigger world out there waiting for me.”
The Road Less Traveled by Hattie Saltzman
Highway to Health by Keeley Myszka
Healthy eating isn’t the only thing an athlete does to stay in shape, some athletes cut foods out of their diet depending on what they are trying to strengthen or train for their upcoming sports season. Some athletes eat their food according to the sport that they are in. They will cut out specific food groups and may add more of one into their diet. Junior Sam Erneste fights MMA, does jiu-jitsu and wrestles for PHHS. She practices seven days a week and plans out all of the meals she eats. “I do a lot of meal planning. Since it’s wrestling season it’s a lot of cutting weight so you can get to the weight you want to be at. Right now I am droppings fats and carbs, so you make those lower so you lose weight faster. During the summer I was doing muscle building so I raised up my carbs and my protein. It just depends on what you are wanting to do,” said Erneste. “Generally any sport should be eating close to the same diet. It just depends on what you want to do. Like football boys; they are trying to get bigger therefore they need to stick to a mainly protein diet. Wrestlers are normally trying to get smaller so they should be on a low carb, low fat diet.” Junior Malik James plays for PHHS varsity football team; he also eats healthy in and out of season. “In the off season I’m getting ready by eating healthy for football and during season I’m eating healthy trying to stay in shape. They [coaches] hint out that eating healthy is important,” said James. For breakfast James usually has a protein shake and he eats a lot of fruits and vegetables, but not all athletes plan their meals. Some just choose to eat healthy. Sophomore Madison King runs for the PHHS cross country team and the track and field team. She mainly worries about eating healthy foods and staying away from junk foods. “I’m a pretty healthy eater in general, you lose your ability to like it [junk food] anymore,” said King. “I don’t really worry about counting calories. It’s more making sure you’re eating healthy foods and keeping a balanced diet.”
Helath Facts
More than 15% of the students were overweight. More than 1/3 of adults and over 12.5 million children and teens in the US are obese. One can of regular soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and the average American adult drinks 500 cans of soda every year, estimating about 52 pounds of sugar consumed in soft drinks alone.
HUMA of Park
16 SPOTLIGHT
Teacher of Park Hill For the past 20 years, anyone that has gone through the PHHS Attendance Office has been greeted by the always cheerful, Marlene Tillman. Her voice has been heard throughout the school not only through the intercom to dismiss students early from classes, but by rapping over the announcements to cheer on the team for their upcoming sporting event. She is loved by all at PH and will be dearly missed as she takes the next step in her life to retirement at the end of this semester. She has made friendships to last a lifetime within the school that have helped support her through both the good and bad. Tillman battled breast cancer over 12 years ago and is thankful to have had her PHHS family in her corner especially during that time. She has been known to write and perform several different raps and songs for the school. “I’m one of those people that finds it to be kind of fun. I want to be an active part of this school and I guess this is just my way of being involved with the students and having fun,” said Tillman. Tillman is a spirited Trojan football fan. Her favorite memory from working at Park Hill was when the football team last won
By: Delaney Noland
State back in 2003. Working in the Attendance Office is not an easy job. Although Tillman loves her job dearly, there is one thing she would like to change if she could. “I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years and I think we are headed in the right direction with attendance, but I think that what used to be one official Senior Skip Day is now becoming three, four or five skip days. I think that I would probably put some type of consequence for that because I work in attendance so it makes my job that much harder and it affects our school’s daily attendance,” said Tillman. The decision to retire this year was not an easy one, but after the last few difficult years, Tillman decided now was the time. “It was a hard decision to make but with different things that have happened the last couple of years in my life I felt like I should direct myself in other ways,” said Tillman. Tillman does not yet have a definite plan of what she will be doing to start the new year, but she would like to work a part time job and of course spend a lot of time with her grandchildren.
ANS f Hill
By: Hattie Saltzman
Student of Park Hill
Senior Mrudula Gandham, despite still being relatively new to the Park Hill district, has already left her mark on the staff and students of PHHS. She transferred in August 2013 from Jenks High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and did not hesitate to get involved in the clubs and activities offered at PHHS. “I’m president for NHS. I also participate in debate, student council, and symphonic orchestra as a violinist,” said Gandham. “I’m also a part of human rights club and math club. I’m going to be participating in DECA this year too, so I’m really excited for that.” Just one example of her responsibilities in this school is her place in student council. “In student council - that was actually the first club I joined at PHHS and it’s how I met a lot of the people I’m friends with now but right now we’re doing Mr. Park Hill which is one of the biggest student fund raisers and I’m excited for it because I’m going to be an MC this year with Maddie Smith and Nicole DeMarco.” said Gandham.
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Gandham’s first impression of PHHS was positive despite initial difficulties in transferring. “The first person I met was Dr. Kincheloe and he was really nice about getting me situated. There was a problem with my transcript and my courses transferring over. He made me feel better about that and introduced me to the counselors.” Since getting settled into PHHS, Gandham has noticed a different environment than her previous school. “I really like the engaging atmosphere [of PHHS]. Everyone, including your teachers and peers, encourages you to take harder classes and achieve more. You find yourself pushing harder to be more successful,” said Gandham. “Although, and it’s pretty funny now - the school is kind of small. I honestly thought that the football field was the practice field when I first got here.”
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Park University 2014-15
CAMPUS VISIT DAYS
Discover and explore all we can offer you at an exciting Park University event or a personal campus experience.
SPRING PIRATE PREVIEWS
Get hooked. Stay hooked. Join us for one of our Spring Pirate Preview events. 1 Juniors starting college in Fall 2016 are invited to one of these special days to help you get a jump start on your college decision. The visit will begin with light refreshments along with an introduction and welcome to our campus. You will then have the opportunity to mingle with our devoted faculty and staff. We have representatives from every department eager to speak with you and help you decide where you fit in as a Park Pirate! Then, an admissions counselor will provide you with a fun and informative presentation about the admission process and the various scholarships Park offers. Following the presentation, you will receive a guided tour of our historical, charming campus from one of our Student Ambassadors. Please join us and take advantage of this opportunity to explore all things Park U! •
MARCH 21, 2015 • APRIL 25, 2015
1-ON-1 WEEKENDS
JUNIOR OVERNIGHT EXPERIENCE
These special weekend dates are for students looking to get details one-on-one with an admissions counselor. RSVP early for these dates as space is limited. • Jan. 17, 2015 • Dec. 13, 2014 • Feb. 21, 2015
PERSONAL CAMPUS EXPERIENCE
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Make any day your visit day. Tour the Parkville Campus, meet faculty, talk with current students and discover historic Parkville.
High school juniors are invited to experience the life of a Pirate during an overnight visit at Park U. During this visit you will spend the night on campus with Park student hosts and experience life on campus “after hours.” The overnight experience begins Friday afternoon and concludes Saturday after our Pirate Preview Day. • Apr. 24, 2015
To RSVP or for more information please contact Admissions: (816) 746-2533 or
parkvilleadmissions@park.edu. You can also visit us on the web at www.park.edu/visit
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