The Trojan Issue 2 November 2015

THE

TROJAN Army Strong PHHS seniors have decided to join several different branches of the military, opting out of the typical plan to go to college immediately after graduating.

WORTH THE WAIT After 30 years, the Kansas City Royals are now once again World Series Champions.

The entire city came together to celebrate the well-deserved victory.

TROJAN

THE

2 CONTENTS

About the Cover:

Issue Two

November 2015

Photo By: Keeley Myszka

Freshman Alexa Lashbrook catches for the PHHS Varsity Softball team. First round at districts, they battled, but lost a long game with the St. Joe Central Indians.

About the back Cover: Photo By: Alec Wormington

Kaufmann Stadium cheers on the Royals at game 6 of the ALCS as Lorenzo Cain slides in for the game winning run. The Royals won the game with a final score of 4-3.

1- Photo by: Delaney Noland 2-Photo by: Kyleigh Conkling 3- Photo by: Delaney Noland 4-photo by: Delaney Noland 5-Photo by: Keeley Myszka 6-Photo by: Ali Ball

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, It is well known that the Kansas City Royals are now World Series Champions. As amazing as that is, what I found to be most remarkable about their victory was that three key players were able to play their hearts out in the midst of grief. Having lost someone close to me, I cannot imagine the strength it took Volquez to step onto the mound in front of millions of baseball fans just days after attending his father’s funeral.

The morning after Halloween of 2008, my mom received the worst possible news over the phone that my grandpa had unexpectedly passed away, all the while my siblings and I traded our candy from the night before.

In my short life, I have experienced deep grief first hand on more than one occasion. I know that many of the students and staff here have had to go through this unimaginable heartache as well, in their own ways. Losing someone can make time stand still.

It seemed like just moments before we received the news we were laughing and dancing and living our lives that we thought we would all have for a very long time. I remember not knowing what to do or say when the shocking reality finally settled in; we are not guaranteed a certain amount of time with the people we love.

So how could the promises and truths that were embedded within my heart possibly be enough to keep me going? Deep down, I knew that he was in a better place, he didn’t hurt anymore, and that someday I would see him again. But my selfish heart still wanted him to be here with me. And even though it has now been seven years since I’ve lost my grandpa, I don’t think those feelings will ever go away.

Whether you just recently lost someone or it has been several years since, I want you to know that while you may not pitch at a World Series game, you will find peace and healing. My mom can finally put out the fall decorations in our house again. We have found a way to carry on. I will never be the same person I was before, but I am learning how to put the broken pieces back together.

That’s not to say you won’t have bad days where you feel you can’t live without them, but I hope that you have more where you find a reason to smile again. Someone who is missed so deeply must have greatly impacted others during their lifetime. I can’t think of a better way to honor that legacy than to live my life to the fullest and continue to be thankful for the people who are walking alongside me on this journey.

15-16 Staff: Editor-in-Chief: Delaney Noland Senior Advisor: Ally Buchberg Design Editor: Keeley Myszka Copy Editor: Andrea Tenney Story Editor: Pierce Klempnauer Reporters: Ali Ball - Lucas Bruce - Kyleigh Conkling Abby Hostick- Chelsee Tirmai- Mia Tyler - Alec Wormington

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.

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army strong

PHHS seniors have decided to join several branches of the military, opting out of the typical plan to go to college immediately after graduating high school.

Worth the wait

After 30 years, The Kansas City Royals are now once again World Series Champions. The entire city came together to celebrate the well-deserved victory.

All shapes and sizes

The “Body Positive” movement is a popular topic circulating social media today. While this movement makes one body type feel good, sometimes it can degrade another.

“No, I’m the favorite”

Studies show that birth order in families can determine character traits.

Sometimes the differing personalities can influence favoritism both in and out of the home.

Producing the Producers

The PHHS Theatre Department has undergone several adjustments and changes to the typical fall musical that is held every year.

4 CAMPUS

producing the producers By: Lucas Bruce The Park Hill Drama Department is back for its annual fall musical, this year titled “The Producers.”

Set in late 50’s New York City, “The Producers” tells the story of Broadway producer Max Bialystock and his accountant Leo Bloom as they attempt to make big money by producing the worst Broadway flop in history. This is an interesting musical in comparison to others done in the past here, in the case that a school version of “The Producers” hasn’t been made before now.

“It’s a really great show, it’s really funny and has a lot of satire, and humor, obviously. But in order to do it, we did have to go through the script and make sure that we changed lines and innuendos and references that wouldn’t harm the story, but make it more appropriate for the audience to watch and feel comfortable. They [the changes] still preserve the integrity of the show and the plot line isn’t affected at all,” said PHHS Theatre Teacher, Jennifer Sandau.

The script isn’t the only thing that’s been changed. This year’s production includes a large amount of tap dancing-much different from most musicals performed at Park Hill. The dedication that goes into it from the dancers and choreographer are proof of just how amazing the dancing in this production will be.

While there may be a large amount of dancing, this is still a musical, and the music has already

captured the heart of senior Eric Mathis, who plays Max, one of the producers. “I like the music; it’s fast, it’s snappy, and it’s so much fun. And especially some of the things that I can do are so funny. I think a lot of the music reflects the tempo of the show in that it’s so fast, and so witty. I really enjoy being able to do this sort of music,” said Mathis.

Casting enough roles for the department has been a challenge that may not be apparent to the audience. Junior Dalton Dishman has been cast as the understudy for three different parts in the musical.

“It’s come as a challenge I’m not only happy to take on, but also am willing and ready to stretch myself to the farthest I am able. I often run lines by myself and I’ll talk to myself while playing each of the different characters. I think it came to be because the theater department wanted to give me a challenge that would stretch the ability to act I have by giving me three completely different personalities and making me grow with it,” said Dishman.

The musical promises to be filled with laughter, great dancing, fun music, and an amazing cast of characters. The production will run from November 19 to November 21.

ADULTING (v): By: Chelsee Tirmai

a To do grownmortgage/rent, up things and hold a car payment, responsibilities such or anything else that as a 9-5 job, makes one think of grown-ups

Taxes, bills, money-management in the most general sense, is enough to make a grown man cry, but some people are more prepared than others. Teenagers are learning to “adult” throughout high school, but the amount of education schools provide may not be enough to carry them through life.

“Adulting” is not a widespread term but can be closely recognized by this generation’s teenagers.

Most teens today claim they are not prepared to be adults tomorrow. High school teaches valuable things such as trigonometry, American history, and biology. However, only a small percentage of those studies are used by every teen nowadays, and it’s hard to know when they will ever use them again.

“They don’t stress how important life really is outside of high school,” said junior Zach Gasca.

Preparation is important for living on your own.

Money management and paying bills are key to surviving as an independent person. People going into college have lived with their parents their entire lives and are then expected to move away and know how to continue on as their own person. The problem is that they often don’t know how.

Taxes and bills are not the first thing that come to mind for students entering college, but they are some of the first things that they have to deal with.

Students may learn how to file for taxes and manage bills, but it can be hard to remember if you don’t go over it enough. It’s possible that high school students claim they haven’t been given the correct tools to “adult”.

“On a scale of 1-10, I’d say 6, for how prepared I feel. I feel prepared for college, having the knowledge that the formula for Pythagorean Theorem is ‘a2 + b2 = c2 ‘, but for the real world, I have yet to remember how to file taxes because I simply don’t remember,” said junior Darleen Hebel.

An important resource of living alone is maturity.

If they can’t buckle down on the discipline, it could cost a person important things such as their education or a job. In high school, students are expected to raise their hands or walk up to the teacher and ask if they can use the restroom or get a drink. Students need a pass to walk down the hallway during class, sometimes even going to the

office to leave. It has been argued that the lack of trust does not help in the process of growing up if teachers don’t give teenagers the room to grow their maturity, especially for those who are graduating and heading into college, where the teachers are less involved in the lives of students.

“Mentally, students are prepared but aren’t prepared to have college time. There is so much more time than strict 8 hour days of high school.

However, parents are partially responsible for preparing their kids,” said AVID teacher Ellen Reys.

“Schools could improve teaching personal finance classes to students because by that time they are getting money and need to know how to bank and save money,” - Darleen Hebel

6 FEATURE

“No, I’m the By: Andrea Tenney and Mia Tyler

Growing up, no matter what they wanted to do, kids always went to their parents to ask for permission.

With siblings, the questions may have been, in a way, repetitive because of the children before asking similar questions.

However, it was the response that the children received back that may have been the game changer as to how siblings are treated differently.

Senior Dalton Bassett has some first hand experience with this, seeing as not only has he grown up seeing the differences in how parents may or may not treat their kids differently, but has seen how his sisters, Sutton and Berrit, have differed in high school.

“I’m the only boy so I’m treated differently. I don’t think I get more things than my other siblings, but in some ways I feel like I’m the favorite. I am the firstborn so I had a head start with my parents. I was a favorite off the bat,” said senior Dalton Bassett.

It is in the parents’ mindset to keep things fair between all kids, never favoring one child over another. Talking to parents, they will never say they have a favorite child, but when raising a kid, some believe a child can figure out if the parent does just based upon how one kid is treated as opposed to another.

When raising multiple children, it is very likely that they will not share the same personality. While certain characteristics in each individual’s personality may be shared, their personalities will still be more different than alike. In a New York Times article, they referenced professors at the University of Virginia and University of Georgia, who both shared very similar information that siblings have very different personalities, and with the small amount of similar personality, it is due to shared genes more so than shared experiences.

“With my two sons they have very different personalities. My oldest he always wants to do the right thing, is motivated to be good. While my youngest one has a very stubborn personality and most of the time has to learn things the much harder way. My youngest one has been much easier because he sees his brother and wants to do what his brother does. So a lot of the time we can teach him through the actions of his brother like you don’t put your finger in the light socket because you’re gonna die,” said psychology teacher Daniel Motta.

It is not just the oldest child that could potentially see favoritism, the younger of the bunch also could see differences in the way they are treated.

“My mom likes Dalton a lot. He gets a lot of goodies and things like that. He also gets away with more stuff. I feel like I’m the least favorite,” said freshman Berrit Bassett.

There is a preconceived notion that the middle child is forgotten about or gets the “short end of the stick”. Urban dictionary has even taken it upon themselves to set a term to this called “middle child syndrome” which they define as “When a middle child - typically of a family of three kids who are close in age - feels left out or neglected.” According to abcnews.com one third of the parents asked even admitted to giving less attention to the middle child.

“I think I would get more things if I didn’t have siblings. I think about all the things that my other siblings get, and I think about that all being morphed into stuff that I liked and given to me. I get less things than I would if I didn’t have siblings. If I could, I would make myself the favorite child,” said sophomore Sutton Bassett.

Every child has a different personality, and on different days, one person’s personality may appeal to the parent as opposed to another.

“It depends on the day. It rotates. I would say that there are different times when different ones are my favorite. Sometimes it will be Jake who’s my ornery one, and he will just be extremely helpful he really loves to dust and vacuum. Or other times it will be Zach because he loves to snuggle. Or sometimes it’s Tyler. It just depends. I do have favorites, but it changes all of the time,” said speech teacher Tiffany Thomas.

The way siblings are raised may differ from child to child, which connects with the relationship the child has with their parent, and may change from parent to parent. The way a mother may treat and raise them.

“I feel like my dad and I have a closer relationship because of sports. They got me into sports growing up and he loves sports so it was easy for us to connect on that level. It’s harder for my mom because we don’t have that much to bond about,” said Dalton.

Favorite”

Research shows that the order you are in your family tree has an effect on your personality and how you may be raised.

“I am very competitive and I try to be a leader in everything I do,”

“Being the second born has taught me that I need to be more independent, relaxed, and I should learn to go with the flow,”

“Yeah, I like to make people happy and stuff,”

8 COMMUNITY

All Shapes and sizes By: Abby Hostick For generations the idea of a perfect body has influenced both men and women in almost all aspects of life. The image of what that looks like has changed throughout the years, but the effect it has on people has not. Family and friends, popular music, television shows, and social media all individually play key roles in having an impact on the way people see their own bodies. More people claim to have a negative outlook rather than a positive viewpoint of their physical appearance. With pressures from social media, many people try to hide who they really are, because it’s easy.

It’s not hard to add an Instagram filter or update your relationship status, even if you aren’t really in a relationship.

“To become more positive about yourself takes a lot of time. I think breaks from social media help a lot, because when you don’t go on social media then you aren’t constantly comparing yourself to others,” said sophomore Lilli Brockman.

Websites and organizations like “Adios Barbie” and “Beauty Redefined” are targeted mainly toward women, but many men feel they should be included in this movement also.

“Sometimes Body Positive movements don’t make you feel positive, sometimes they just make you feel even worse about yourself,” said junior Gracie Meroney.

“While both [men and women] are held to high standards, women usually get it worse, because there’s more to judge”, said sophomore Alec Lamb.

Movement is making men and women of ALL shapes and sizes feel confident, not just a specific group.

“There are a lot of things society wants us to be.

We need to be skinny but also “thick” at the same time. It’s absolutely ridiculous. Everyone is beautiful the way they are. Girls have to wear makeup to feel pretty, and boys need to be a certain height or weight. This isn’t what our lives should be about,” said Brockman.

When people feel like they can’t achieve the “perfect body”, they sometimes result to eating disorders, which, unfortunately, are still common today.

Eating disorders are unhealthy relationships with food that may include fasting, constant dieting, or binging and purging.

According to dosomething.org, 95 percent of the people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25, and only 10 percent of those people seek professional help.

“Our culture glorifies physical appearance more than anything else. It’s more important to be pretty or handsome than to be successful or talented”, said Lamb.

“Our culture glorifies physical appearance more than anything else.

It’s more important to be pretty or handsome than to be successful or talented,” said Alec Lamb

An Assembly to Remember By: Pierce Klempnauer At PHHS students, faculty, and former military members alike participate in an annual assembly on November 11. This one does not have the pep rally-like atmosphere that most assemblies have at PHHS, but instead has a more serious and heartwarming feeling. This assembly brings together multiple generations of former and current military members.

It is a well-known fact at PHHS that the Veterans Day Assembly is held to a much higher standard than any other. The high standard that the assembly is held in stems from PHHS principal Dr. Brad Kincheloe and his admiration for former and current military members.

“My father was a veteran, my grandfather was a veteran, I am esteemed in a lineage of men who have answered the call and have participated,” said Kincheloe.

Kincheloe’s admiration for the military is not solely based upon the lineage of former military members that have influenced him, he also acknowledges his appreciation for the individual sacrifices service members make, as well as the freedoms they protect on a daily basis.

“To put your life on hold in order to guarantee the freedoms for your country and family is a huge commitment to make… If you have always had the benefits of being a U.S. citizen, or living in the United States, then I do not think you can really appreciate what it is like if you were not to enjoy those same privileges. I do not think it is an exaggeration at all to say that we owe our veterans the legacy of those freedoms. I enjoy those freedoms, I enjoy the right to work where I work, worship where I worship, live where I live. I enjoy the freedoms to do all of those things and I get those things because there are veterans that have protected those freedoms, and now there are active duty members that protect those freedoms to guarantee the generations to come have the same freedoms,” said Kincheloe.

The assembly is an opportunity for the students and staff at PHHS to show, first hand, their gratitude towards former and current military members for their commitment to protect and serve the United States. In particular, Band members at PHHS have a unique opportunity to show their gratitude.

“We call it ‘mega band’, the whole concert and symphonic band plays together,” said Senior Dahlby Weidmaier, “It is the entire band together, including people who do [Color] Guard, Symphonic, and Concert.”

“Without question my favorite part [of the assembly] is the student and veteran mutual response to the band playing the different theme songs for each branch of the service,” said Kincheloe.

The experience of preforming for the service members is only icing on the cake for Weidmaier.

Coming from a family that has ties to the military only increases her appreciation for the opportunity to perform. She not only acknowledges that the assembly is more meaningful than an ordinary performance, but also is a celebration of every branch of service.

“Quite a few members of my family have served in the armed forces… [the assembly] is about preforming for people that served our country and the whole school really understands what is going on and they will pay attention and participate… This is really important it is not just another school spirit assembly,” said Weidmaier.

“This is really important, it is not just another spirit assembly,” said Dahlby Weidmaier

10 SPORTS

worth the wait By: Alec Wormington and Pierce Klempnauer

KANSAS CITY, MO --

Kansas City is commonly known for two things, barbecue and fountains. In the late 1970’s to mid1980’s Kansas City was one of the, if not the best, baseball cities in America. Back in the day the Royals were led by Hall of Famer George Brett, and All Star second basemen Frank White. Then the franchise went through a long stretch of losing seasons, totaling only eight winning seasons from 1986 to 2014.

Over the last couple of years the baseball fever has come back to Kansas City. Led by a wave of young talent and adding crafty veteran players, the Royals have experienced back to back World Series appearances, their first Championship since 1985, and have reclaimed the title of ‘Best Baseball City in America.’

“It took us so long to get back to this level that the guys that have been here awhile Moustakas, Hosmer, and Gordon, they [fans] kind of grew up with them and the casual fan started picking up on them over the past couple of years. I think the real baseball fans started seeing them when they were 21-22 years old and knew that they were going to be good players it was just a matter of putting the right pieces together. Kansas City has always been a great baseball town, when we’ve won. Having gone through the Kansas City A’s back in the 60’s, when they were horrible, then have the Royals be so good early in the inception of the team, then go through a 28 year period of not doing very well, it is good to see people excited about baseball again,” said former PHHS Athletic Director Bill Sobbe.

Sobbe went on to acknowledge that the new generation of Royals players have made it a point of emphasis to connect to the community in a way most sports teams are not able too. This is not only reflected by the countless charitable acts the team has done, as well as the hundreds of post-game interviews that include players thanking the fans for their support. The team displayed their appreciation for the fans by dawning sweatshirts that said “Thank You Kansas City” during the victory parade on November 3.

“What makes this one so special is the team and the community have intertwined together so much different than in 1985. The community loved the stars,

George [Brett], Frank [White], Hal McRae, they loved all those guys. For the most part of their careers they were living with the community so they knew them as community people. Now a days [baseball players] get a bad reputation as being rich guys that don’t care about anything, but you can see these kids out in the community doing a lot of different things.

Not only for charity but just in their community talking to people and being more personable with the average joe fan more than they have in the past,” said Sobbe.

The parade was much bigger than the parade in ’85. The parade in ’85 was attended by an estimated 300,000 people, which seems very minuscule compared to the estimated 700,000 that attended the parade on November 3.

PHHS debate coach, Tyler Unsell, attended both the ’85 parade and the parade on November 3.

Unsell, like most parents that attended the parade on November 3, made it a priority to take his child with him.

“My first thought was that is a lot of freaking people. My second thought was hold my hand and don’t get lost. My third thought was he should be enjoying this more but he was kind of freaked out because there was so many people.”

A contributing factor to the massive increase in attendance between the two parades is the fact that school districts all across the Kansas City area canceled school to allow students and staff to enjoy the occasion. That was not the case in ’85. In ’85 the majority of adults went to work instead of the parade, and students went to school instead of going to the parade.

“The fact that every school district in the city let out because they wouldn’t be able to conduct business correctly speaks to the way society is now, not necessarily about the overwhelming feeling of joy, because I think that there was always that overwhelming feeling in 1985 but people had to go to work the next day and now it seemed like it was okay to not go to work, or not to be at school, or not to be on task for whatever was there because we wanted to enjoy the celebration of something that hasn’t happened in a long time,” said Sobbe.

Sign Here By: Keeley Myszka and Kyleigh Conkling For every student athlete, it is their dream to commit to a university to extend their passion for their sport.

They start what they do as soon as they learn to walk, and it all pays off in the end. For three PHHS student athletes, their fantasies have become their realities.

Junior Jenna Winebrenner plays soccer for PHHS and FC Kansas City. She verbally committed to her college of choice on Aug. 17, 2015.

“I committed to the University of Notre Dame, “said Winebrenner.

“I’m relieved mostly; there has been a lot of pressure on my shoulders the past couple of years.

The coaching staff really believed in me there, it’s only 8 hours away, the other two schools, I’d have to fly every time I went.”

Winebrenner’s top three schools were between the University of Notre Dame, The University of Virginia, and Florida State University.

For junior Samantha Paulak, she committed to the college of her choice for not one but two

sports, golf and soccer. She plays soccer on FC Kansas City with Winebrenner, and she plays soccer and golfs at PHHS. “I committed to Drake University,” said Paulak. “I’m excited. I chose it because it’s strong academically, and I felt a click every time I’ve been there.”

Paulak’s top five choices were Drake University, University of Missouri Kansas City, Oral Roberts, Creighton, and Iowa.

It is almost unheard of for a sophomore to commit to a division one college, but sophomore Liam Henry verbally committed to his college for baseball on Sept. 6, 2015.

“I committed to the University of Arkansas,” said Henry. “I really liked the coaching staff and the school in general. It felt like home.”

Henry’s top choices were the University of Arkansas, Missouri State University, and Missouri University.

“It’s great to know where you’re going to go to school it’s a lot of pressure off of my shoulders,” said Henry.

12 LIFE By: Ally Buchberg With the United States military still being present in the Middle East after several years, and more trouble arising with ISIS and Syria, it may be difficult to see why so many young adults are choosing to enlist.

“I’m joining because it’s one of my passions.

I love situations where you have a few people on your team that have your back. It’s all about teamwork,” said senior Alana Mathis.

Decades ago, many enlisted to display their patriotism. However, nowadays, there are several reasons that someone as young as eighteen would consider joining, ranging from experience and discipline to economic stability.

“I’m joining the Coast Guard. I have always wanted to go into the military because of my family background and [I] want to see America’s battles face to face,” said senior Chloe Dailey.

Like Dailey, Mathis also has had family in the military. She is the first female in her family to join. Mathis enlisted in the Army in July 2015.

Because she will be leaving July 2016, she will not be attending college right away.

“I’ll be considering [college after] I leave the military. My ultimate goal is to be on the SWAT team, so if I have to attend college to achieve that goal, then I’ll definitely sign up for it.

The military will pay for it,” said Mathis.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill covers the full cost of instate tuition and fees at public colleges for up to four academic years as a benefit.

“I chose to go in [the Coast Guard] first to give myself a break from school. I wanted to take some time off from school, but also be productive while I did that. Plus if I go in first then my school will be paid for,” said Dailey.

20% of high school students attempting to join the military fail to graduate. Often candidates with GEDs are turned away and encouraged to take at least 15 college credits before reapplying. Nowadays, 99% of the military have a high school diploma.

Recruiters look for students that are in good academic standing. High school graduates with an above average score on the military entrance exam and a clean record are practically requirements. The Pentagon estimates that only one in four of today’s youth are fit for the military. Medical conditions disqualify about 35% of candidates. Previous drug and alcohol involvement disqualify 19% and criminal records disqualify 5%.

ARMY STRONG

OF AN ILL hUM RK H

PA By: Ally Buchberg Extreme weather and accidents damage many ships, often causing them to sink and making them more difficult to access. When this happens, it is necessary to perform ship repairs to restore a safe environment for travel.

In the United States, the Navy employs special underwater welding divers to work to save these ships. PHHS senior Cain Randle aspires to become an underwater welder and is furthering his future plans through joining the Navy. He swore in on September 2, 2015 and is currently scheduled to leave on July 12, 2016.

“This decision is a huge part of my life. I plan on being in the service for at least 10 years and have thought about doing 20 years,” said Randle.

This past summer, Randle traveled to many places, including Arizona, where he prepared for basic training. He is currently taking physical readiness tests consisting of push-ups, sit-ups, running a mile and a half, and swimming 500 yards.

“I am joining [the Navy] to further my education and travel,” said Randle.

Randle plans on gaining more real life experiences through the Navy while also attending college.

“I plan on going to college while I am in the Navy, and if I don’t finish it while in the Navy, I would finish after,” said Randle.

14 FEATURE

Loving THe Life By: Ali Ball

“Y the L not”, a common phrase that is being tossed around the PHHS halls, posted on walls and scattered on Instagram’s tags. But it’s not something that everyone grasps the meaning of. The weekly meeting club is a mystery to many of the students. There are many skeptics and a handful of questions that are still lingering about the Park Hill/Park Hill South Christian youth organization lead by Tom and Bonnie Meyer called Young Life.

Tom Meyer, better known as the math teacher in room 42, recently took on the leader role in the program that incorporates the Park Hill community. He is the organizer and house man, he invites anywhere from 15-35 kids into his home on Sunday nights and leads the boys in bible study while his wife Bonnie takes on the girls in a separate group upstairs “My wife, Bonnie, and I met through Young Life when we were in college and so when the opportunity to speak about Christ to the students we worked around arose we jumped on it, we believe as leaders in the power of presence.

Kids’ lives are dramatically influenced by us working alongside them, sharing God’s love with them. Because their Young Life leader believes in them, they begin to see that their lives have great worth, meaning and purpose to spread the word through leading the youth,” said Meyer.

Another one of the weekly meetings of this group takes place in is on Wednesdays at 7:37 at PHS Senior Tate Summa’s home. This meeting is the less religious side of Young Life where you can become acclimated with the idea of the bible and the things in it without completely committing to anything. There are games, a raffle, a mixer and worship that allow everyone to get to know each other and create a sense of comfort for those new to the ideas. But before dispersing back to homes, after all the fun and games, the congregation takes a more serious note and dives into a brief bible study normally conducted by one of the leaders or worship members, the closing is a short prayer and a safe send off.

The organization has captured the interests of many bringing out even the skeptics and turning them into lovers of YL. Many have even

claimed that this organization has completely changed their lives for the better. A major source of this change came from one the camps put on by YL this past summer. A group of kids went to Castaway Camp in Great Lakes Minnesota and came back with a brand new perspective on life. One of PHHS’s very own, junior Jackson DeKeyser, traveled to the camp and he spoke out about his experiences with and in Young Life during his recent baptism at Restore, community church, and proudly proclaimed his new found life with Christ.

“When I first attended Young Life I went to hopefully have something to make fun of afterwards. But I left wanting more. I’ve gone back ever since and even attended the camp this past summer. The people are now my family and I can really say I’m a different person than I was only a few months ago,” said DeKeyser.

Skeptics believe that club attendees are more interested in the social aspect brought to the table rather than gaining a greater knowledge of religious teachings. Claims of this have even been taken to social media attempting to expose people who have recently taken up the Young Life. But the organization invites everyone, even those who think they aren’t really all about their claims, to join them and see what is fact and fiction.

“It’s not all about who believes what here at Young Life; it’s about the experience and the bigger picture of things, you may not go hey I love God’ when you get there but at least you’re taking in something new, that’s what Young Life is there for, getting to try and learn new things,” says junior Emily Meier.

The group has reached out its arms and taken in so many and are hoping to obtain plenty more goers to keep the word about YL flowing around school hallways everywhere.