STARTING THE CONVERSATION
As a district, many students and staff members have noticed a significant need for more resources and information in order to prepare and care for the student body more effectively.
WHO'S TRENDING? Many seniors at PHHS this year will be exercising their right to vote for the first time. Twitter, a commonly used social media outlet by young voters, has altered their views of Presidential Candidates.
TROJAN
When the high school sports season winds down, many athletes at PHHS jump right into their club season. Here is an in-depth look at the different advantages club and high school sports have to offer.
THE
CLUB GOIN' UP
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THE TROJAN LETTER FROM THE EditOr
Dear Readers, As I was leaving school a few weeks ago, I stopped at the KC Pet Project Donation bin located outside room 350. I was horrified to CLUB GOIN’ UP find that someone had dumped candy wrappers and a sonic drink When the high school sports season winds down, many that spilled all over in the donation box instead of the contents it athletes at PHHS jump right into their club season. Here is was intended for. I was so annoyed and disappointed with what had an in-depth look at the different advantages club and high happened that I took a snapchat of it and posted it to my story. school sports have to offer. Since this incident happened I have felt a strong conviction about my character. I only stopped long enough to snap a photo. Why didn’t I clean up the mess? I tried to convince myself later that it was because I was in a hurry to get to wherever else I needed to be that day. But that didn’t change the fact that I walked on by even though it was upsetting enough for me to stop for a brief moment. STARTING THE CONVERSATION This is a perfect example of something that our society sees so As a district, many students and staff members have often in everyday life. As a culture we often take to social media to noticed a significant need for more resources and vent about a problem or common annoyance. Sometimes to release information in order to prepare and care for the student frustration, but more often as an effort to poke fun and in return gain body more effectively. feedback from others that share the same opinion or had the same WHO’S TRENDING? reaction. Many seniors at PHHS this year are exercising their right This trend is problematic because it has brought up a lot of to vote for the first time. Twitter, a commonly used social complainers and very few world changers. media outlet by young voters, has altered their views of An obituary for the Great Barrier Reef (which was not entirely Presidential Candidates. accurate by the way) recently spread like wildfire over social media and a few news sites. I then saw countless tweets about how horrible humans are for ruining this beautiful planet. But sitting on twitter isn’t going to do anything to help save the Reef or anything else for that matter. Social media is a helpful tool to share ideas and inform others, but PUMPKIN SPICE information only goes so far. It is what we do with it that can make a Whether the fuzzy socks, colorful leaves, or flavored difference or be another waste of space that only causes people to hot beverages, the season of Fall appears to be nearly get angry and ugly towards each other. everyone’s favorite time of year. It is hard to not get wrapped up in the negativity that so many display, or the mentality of the bystander effect, but it helps when there are mentors setting an example already. And I am extremely thankful for the leadership that principle Dr. Kincheloe displayed in the most humble of ways. While I, along with countless other students POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT and teachers walked past the KC Pet Project Bin, he was the one to With the removal of privilege cards throughout PHSD, the actually clean up the mess. The next time you see something less than your liking, I would question has emerged of whether or not rewarding for encourage you to learn from the mistake I made. If you take the time grades is beneficial. to stop long enough because it upset or offended you, you might as well help to clean up the mess instead of walking away for someone else to encounter. Because if it bothered you, it probably has bothered several others before you that either kept walking or couldn’t fix it themselves. I now am more aware of the choices I choose to make MEGHAN SCHMIDT and am striving to do my part to stop the cycle and work towards Junior Meghan Schmidt had the opportunity of a making a difference. lifetime to meet Winter the Dolphin, whom she relates to more than many may realize.
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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.
“Do your duty...and a little bit more.” -PRINCIPAL BRAD KINCHELOE 2016-2017 Magazine Staff: Editor-In-Chief: Delaney Noland
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Visual Editor: Keeley Myszka Copy Editor: Mia Tyler Story Editor: Abby Hostick Business Managers: Kyleigh Conkling Chelsee Tirmai Reporters: TJ Hullaby Judiann McMahon Megan Monroe Kamryn O’Dell Elise Villarreal Joseph Walker Abby Yimer
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1 - Photo By: Abby Hostick 2 - Photo By: Joseph Walker 3 - Photo By: Elise Villarreal 4 - Photo By: Judiann McMahon
ABOUT THE COVER: PHOTO BY: Kyleigh Conkling Senior Parker Sampson takes a knee at the Homecoming Football Game on Sep.16. The Trojans defeated the Lawrence Free State Firebirds 34-21.
ABOUT THE BACK COVER:
PHOTO BY: Megan Monroe Freshman Katy Haug cheers for the varsity football team at Senior Night. The team took away a victory against Blue Springs South 31-10.
4 SPORTS
CLUB GOIN' UP By: Kamryn O’Dell Fall sports are over... time to relax, wait. Club! Even if a sport is not year round, playing for a club team can make it continue for the whole year. Some PHHS athletes feel as if they have to choose between club sports and high school sports. Many student athletes here at PHHS play a sport that they love. “I’m involved in PH volleyball. My sister and mom used to play it, so it’s just been around me my whole life. I have been in volleyball for 7 years,” said junior Kayla Huffman. Once a high school sport is over, roughly 85% of athletes do not rest. They go right into their club sport. “I play softball for Blast, I’ve been on Intensity for the past year,” said freshman Brooke Bouillon. All kids who play a sport in high school and in club have a preference on which they like more. “I’d say club is more fun to play on because, everyone is pretty much at or around the same skill level. But I have more fun in high school ball, because the girls are with each other everyday and get to know each other better,” said Huffman. When athletes have two or more sports to juggle, good and bad things can come from it. “For high school I really like being able to play with all my high school friends. But there aren’t as many tournaments,” said Bouillon. But sophomore, Damon Borrayo went on to say, “ For high school, the pros are that I meet a lot of new people every year. College scouts are more likely to notice you. You also play against bigger players with more experience. The cons for high school is that sometimes you don’t get to play very good teams. There are not as many tournaments. People graduate and you won’t always have the same team.” College Scouts are always looking for the right athlete. “I feel I would rather get a scholarship from my high school team, because more coaches go and recruit kids out of high school. They would also be able to see how I play with older people,” said Borrayo. Club sports can be taken very seriously just like high school. “Since they are in different seasons, I don’t think my club team is pushing me away from high school. I get the same amount of playing time in club and high school sports,” said Huffman. Like any activity, both club and high school sports cause a lot of stress on a player. “I am most stressed in club softball, because I think it’s harder to stay on the team and my club team coach is harder on me,” said Bouillon. “I would say that I get more stressed in high school soccer. I think that is because you are constantly having to prove why it
is that you should be starting instead of some upperclassmen,” said Borrayo. Club sports and high school sports have similarities and differences. “For club, there is less time to put in, there are higher competitions, and it is a long season. For high school you meet a lot of girls, and just having one game and not a whole tournament is fun. The thing that is similar between them is the bond you have with the team and both of my coaches for club and high school are great at what they do,” said Huffman. Money can sometimes be an issue for club depending on what sport you play and who for, but high school sports are much cheaper. “For club, there are 4 payments of about $400(depending on what club team you play for.) For high school there is only a sports fee and food fee of about $60,” said Huffman. Constantly working and conditioning with no break can be a little harsh to one’s bones and muscles, but also it can be a good thing to train and keep yourself in shape. “Some benefits of having no breaks, is that you never have a time to let your skills decrease or to gain bad habits. You’re always working. Downfalls definitely include it taking up a lot of time,” said Bouillon.
COMEBACK KIDS By: Kyleigh Conkling 142.2 decibels. That’s how loud Arrowhead Stadium is on football Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs have become a landmark for Kansas City. “The atmosphere at a Chiefs game isn’t like any other team in the NFL. We have an enormous amount of spirit and pride ourselves with having the world’s loudest stadium record,” said senior Christian Lewis. On every Friday before the Sunday that the Chiefs play, Kansas City and students at PHHS participate in “Red Friday.” Red Friday is where Chiefs fans wear red the Friday before the Chiefs play on Sunday to support the team. “I participate in Red Friday mostly because I want everyone to know that I’m a big Chiefs fan and it’s kind of cool to go around Kansas City and see all the other people dressed in red on Friday. It just gets you excited for the weekend,” said EELA teacher Jessica Grider. This season the Chiefs have a whole new set of goals ahead of them. After last season’s amazing performance many preseason predictions had them going to the Super Bowl this year. Also they will have their star running back, Jamaal Charles, back on the field after he sustained an ACL tear last season. “Starting off 1-5 was a real disappointment. We thought we were done for as a franchise, but we turned it around, won 11 straight in a row, and made it to the second round in the playoffs which we haven’t done in 20 years. So hopefully we can do the same this year,” said senior Parker Young. Other students at PHHS predict a better turnout for this season, “I’m always optimistic for the Chiefs but this year is a little different. The whole NFL is in close quarters, no one is way on top and no one is way on bottom. I would say the Chiefs have a real shot on making it to the Super Bowl this year if we play to our potential,” said Lewis. But the Chiefs are more than just a football team. Kansas City’s strong safety Eric Berry exempts everything that a role model should be. Berry was
diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December of 2014. After going through chemotherapy in the offseason and being declared cancer free, Berry came back for the 2015 season and was named to the Pro Bowl, the AP All-Pro team, and was named the 2015 AP Comeback Player of the Year. Berry established the Eric Berry Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to provide beneficial opportunities and a safe environment for children to participate in team sports and leadership development programs in order to encourage strength of body, mind, and spirit. The unexpected cancer diagnosis formed a new platform for the Foundation. Under his name over $107,000 in donations have been made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The Eric Berry Foundation also raises money to support the children’s hospital Christmas store, which allows parents of patients to shop for toys within the hospital without having to be too far away from their child to buy them presents for the holidays. “I think it’s awesome how Eric Berry is always willing to give back. In fact, a couple years back I noticed this poorer family that goes to my church was wearing really nice clothes, and I asked how they got it, and they said Eric Berry offered to buy them whatever they wanted from the store,” said Lewis. Berry would be touched by one local boy named Landon Jaros. Jaros was diagnosed with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in late March. Jaros would often attend Platte County School District athletic events with his father. As his battle with cancer continued Jaros received a visit from Berry. Landon was also one of the Honorary Coaches for the KC Football Camp. On Oct. 17, Berry asked the Chiefs Kingdom to send out prayer for Jaros and his family as Berry had received word that Jaros had complications with his chemotherapy. Jaros lost his battle with cancer on Oct. 18, due to complications. “I really like that Eric Berry is using his situation of adversity to give back so that people who have similar issues can see that they can overcome things and I like how he’s using that to support Kansas Citians and our whole community and it just makes him a better football player and person and it makes you proud to have him as a part of your team,” said Grider.
6 FEATURE
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PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
TALK TO SOMEONE. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH. SO MANY EARS ARE AVAILABLE AND READY TO LISTEN, INCLUDING MINE.
YOU ARE LOVED; YOU ARE WANTED; YOU MATTER.
”
- Lauren Tinoco
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STARTING THE CONVERSATION By: Megan Monroe, Joseph Walker and Delaney Noland
Studies have shown that more than 1 in 4 high school students reported having symptoms of a mental illness that were severe enough to impair their daily activities. To put this into perspective, PHHS has approximately 1900 students, which means 25% of the student body, roughly 475 students, experience some sort of mental illness or symptoms on a daily basis. Some students go to their school counselors for help with these situations or for advice on how to help friends cope. As a district, many students and staff members have noticed a significant need for more resources and information in order to prepare and care for the student body more effectively. “Don’t get me wrong, our counselors do a marvelous job with what they do, but I feel that there should be follow ups and check ins with students who have known mental illnesses, or they should watch for signs of mental illness like grades dropping, motivation dropping, etc.,” said senior Lauren Tinoco. Because these certain issues are confidential, a lot of what the counselors and staff do appear to not always be adequate to some students. “A lot of things that we do are very confidential and very private, so they’re not publicly known. It may be the perception of the students that the school is not doing enough but they just may also not know a lot of the things that we do because we can’t share those, to keep the confidentiality of the students,” said counselor Janie Smith. “As a climate committee member [an organization formed by teachers, district members, superintendent and two students, for the Park Hill School District] I am making our district aware of these issues and problems that we as students face in PHHS,” said Tinoco. While this topic has been on high radar as of late, the discussion is not exactly anything new. “I think the discussion is ongoing, and has been at some place a part of the annual discussions and periodic discussions for as long as I’ve been a principal, 20 years. Mental illness and depression and anxiety and those sorts of things are not new phenomenon to
the students who are enrolled now, they have been around likely since the beginning of mankind. But they’ve certainly been at the forefront for the entire time I’ve been in education,” said Principal Dr. Bradford Kincheloe. Communication Arts Teacher Sarah McKenna agrees that this conversation has been around for a long time, but also has seen it increase in importance. “Mental illness has been an issue in our society for a long time, and in recent years because of suicide rates, increased awareness of mental illness, and violent crimes often associated with mental illness, it has become a concern of pressing importance,” said McKenna. The district, along with the help of students and staff that are doing many things to aid students. One of which is hiring a new social worker. “We have a new social worker in addition to our previous social worker, so now we have somebody here every day,” said Mrs. Smith. PHHS does has two trained social workers, one of which is here every day specifically for student aid. The social workers are here for anyone who is struggling with school, life, work etc. T As for teachers, they have not yet received formal training. “With all of this in mind, many believe, and I agree, that teachers should be trained to recognize and respond to signs of mental illness and suicide in young kids and teens. Right now there is no formal training offered in our school, and I do believe training will be offered sooner than later, however, I have sought out other resources so that I can be more prepared to identify and respond when I see my students struggling. I want to be able to help, so I am learning how to do that,” said McKenna. When asked what advice she would give to students who may be suffering from a mental illness, Tinoco said, “Please, please, please talk to someone. I cannot emphasize that enough. So many ears are available and ready to listen, including mine. You are loved; you are wanted; you matter.”
8 COMMUNITY
PUMPKIN SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE...
By: Keeley Myszka
The autumnal equinox occurred on Sept. 22, and it’s the season of pumpkins, UGG boots and seasonal starbucks drinks. The leaves are falling off the trees, daylight is growing shorter and the temperature is getting colder. During the fall there are many things available to do outside, like going to a pumpkin patch or going on a hay ride. Many festivals and activities are held in the close to Kansas City Area like the ‘Safe In Sound Festival’ and ‘Haunt’ at Worlds of Fun. This is the time of year that people like Senior Ginna Dammann like to go and enjoy some time in the outdoors. “I like the leaves, the colors of fall and I like the clothes I can wear. Driving down neighborhoods, you can see the trees beginning to change and they are slowly changing to red, orange, and purple. It’s beautiful,” said Dammann, “And since the temperature is getting colder, it’s the time to wear scarves and sweaters.” Autumn has become the most popular season over social media websites like Twitter and Instagram. Generally, every post over these websites is about how exciting it is to finally say it’s fall or the upcoming holidays. People post pictures of all the new clothes they bought and
the pumpkin spice drinks they have from Starbucks. “I don’t think I spend more money in the fall, I think my [spending in the fall] is pretty normal actually,” said Dammann. Fall is the season of many people’s favorite holidays like Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving and the infamous Black Friday. People like to share what they’re doing in the fall over social media. “It’s just a really pretty season that every seems to enjoy. People never complain about fall like they do about summer being too hot and winter being too cold,” said Dammann.
Halloween The autumnal equinox occurred on September 22, 2016 and it’s the season of pumpkins, UGG boots and seasonal starbucks drinks. The leaves are falling off the trees, daylight is growing shorter and the temperature is getting colder. During the fall there are many things available to do outside, like going to a pumpkin patch or going on a hay ride. Many festivals and activities are held in the close to Kansas City Area like the ‘Safe In Sound Festival’ and ‘Haunt’ at Worlds of Fun. This is the time of year that people like Senior Ginna Dammann like to go and enjoy some time in the outdoors. “I like the leaves, the colors of fall and I like the clothes I can wear. Driving down neighborhoods, you can see the trees beginning to change and they are slowly changing to red, orange, and purple. It’s beautiful,” said Dammann. “And since the temperature is getting colder, it’s the time to wear scarves and sweaters.” Fall is the season of many people’s favorite holidays like Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving and the infamous Black Friday.
By: Abby Hostick
9 Community
Kansas City has become a booming center of opportunity for all ages. There’s many differing opinions about KC, depending on how long you’ve lived here. May people who grew up here are itching to get out, while others come here for the diversity and opportunity. From new unique apartment spaces to our very own streetcar, Kansas City is becoming more advanced by the day. “I actually ride [the streetcar] quite a bit. I really like it. It’s free and you can get from the river market to union station really easily. It sure beats having to pay for parking downtown. I think it’s gotten a lot of people to come downtown and take time to actually observe the city. It’s made the city a lot more accessible,” said Junior Riley Peak. Many people are starting to love living in Kansas City now that it’s growing and advancing as a whole. One huge thing
that’s unique to KC is the thriving art culture. Art has made a huge impact on the city and the people living here due to the location of The Kansas City Art Institute. Prospective art students from all over the country come to the school. First Fridays take place in The Crossroads and in The West Bottoms. If you’re looking to embrace the art culture, go to The Crossroads. If you’re looking to check out some old buildings and get some antiques, go to The West Bottoms. Either way, there’s something for everyone. “My favorite thing about living in Kansas City is that our city is just the right size. We have our downtown scene that has something for everyone to do no matter what you’re into,” said Senior Dakota McDowell. One thing that has become a huge fad are unique KC shirts. Small businesses from all over the city are
acting quickly due to the growing demand for people wanting to represent their city in different ways. Some of the big t-shirt places include Bunker, Charlie Hustle, and Normal Wears, but there’s many more. “I really like Raygun which is in the Crossroads. They make all of their shirts at the location and have a lot of unique designs, whether that be a tacky Kansas City phrase or 100 different pictures of Bernie Sanders pasted onto a t-shirt. They’ve got a really nice style that’s fun to wear,” said junior Riley Peak.
10 LIFE
Dolphins and Meghan Schmidt, sounds like two completely different things but really dolphins and Junior, Meghan Schmidt, have way more in common than one may know. Students at PHHS might recognize Junior Meghan Schmidt, as the girl in the hallway with a bright, white cane, but she has a much bigger story. Schmidt was born three months early on June 9, 1999. She weighed in at a only one pound. Because of her premature birth her eyes had not fully developed leading to her being blind since the day of her birth. At the young age of seven, Schmidt began to experience pain in her right eye. This pain quickly grew and the doctors diagnosed her with glaucoma, which is a condition of increased pressure in the eye. The glaucoma got so bad Schmidt had to have her right eye removed and replaced with a prosthetic eye on her 15th birthday. Although she cannot see now, she is free from all the pain of glaucoma. Schmidt is an avid animal lover but her favorite animal out there is Winter the Dolphin. She doesn’t just love the squeals and speaks of Winter but she loves that she can relate to her. For those who don’t know and haven’t seen “Dolphin Tale”, Winter was rescued as a baby when she was spotted caught in a crab trap. Serious damage had been done to her tail fin and she had to have it removed. Sadly though, Winter could not swim without her tail fin so her doctors went to work on creating an alternative. After much trial and error they finally developed a prosthetic tail that Winter could use to swim like any other dolphin. Ever since Schmidt got her prosthetic eye she’s felt a special connection to this dolphin with a prosthetic tail. Schmidt follows Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Facebook, which is where Winter the dolphin is cared for, so that she can keep up with the latest Winter videos and news. Awhile back Schmidt said “ I commented on one of their live videos on Facebook and asked if Schmidt was overjoyed as she received an email back and a letter in the mail containing four tickets, one for each of her family members, for Clearwater Aquarium to meet Winter. Schmidt and her family although were unable to go right away because they needed to save up money for lodging, flights, and a rental car. A few months later on Aug. 19 Schmidt’s mom got a message from a community relations coordinator at Clearwater telling her how touched and inspired they were with Schmidt’s story and her connection to Winter. They continued to email back and forth about the difficulties of flying 4 people to Clearwater, Florida and finding a place for them to stay. Finally CMA, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, came up with a solution. After a long while of Meghan waiting to meet her inspiration she received the news that Clearwater generously decided to pay for Meghan and her families airfare, lodging, and rental car! Schmidt was ecstatic and even more excited when she heard they had scheduled their trip to be over Winters birthday! On October 10th, Schmidt and her family arrived at CMA. As they walked up to ticketing they were instructed to ask for Eileen. Eileen graciously led them around and eventually made it to Dr. Clays office where a little surprise was waiting for her. Eileen showed Schmidt something rubbery and a little sticky. Schmidt was able to feel the thing that connects her most to Winter, Winter’s prosthetic tail. After Schmidt got to embark on the experience of a lifetime.
HUMAN OF PARK HILL By: Judiann McMahon
She got to go interact with Winter and Hope, one of the other Dolphins that CMA takes care of. Schmidt was able to be a part of a little dolphin show that Clearwater was already putting on. Julia, the dolphin trainer helped Schmidt interact with the dolphins. Hope approached her at the side of the pool of water and Schmidt was able to feel her rubbery skin, rough, and wet dorsal fin. Schmidt fed both WInter and Hope. Schmidt stated “I asked Julia if I could do a hand sign and she told me to turn my hands to the side and wiggle them up and down. Hope began to splash me with her pectoral fins and I started to laughing hysterically.” Finally, Julia assisted Schmidt back to her family for the rest of the show. Schmidt said “ I hugged my mom and almost started crying because I was so happy I got to do that!” When the show completed Schmidt gave Eileen a huge hug and a big thank you for everything they did for her. Schmidt and her family all walked out of Clearwater Marine Aquarium with big smiles and happy hearts. It’s impossible to talk to Schmidt about Winter without a smile creeping over her face. Both Schmidt and Winter have faced some difficult challenges in their lives but they don’t let it get the best of them. Their prosthetics are what bring them together now, as friends. Schmidt dreams of going back to visit her aquatic friend soon.
12 CAMPUS
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Positive actions will frequently result from a reward. Rewards are used as an incentive when being asked to complete certain tasks. It can be the push to get people to successfully accomplish something in a timely manner or it can be used as the motive for winning a competition. The word “reward” has developed a positive connotation. Often times, rewards are encouraged and supported by many. However, rewarding students for grades has become a huge topic of controversy. “I get awards from school for good grades, but I feel like I would want to work harder if I was rewarded by my parents. The real motivation for getting good grades is thinking about getting into a good college,” said junior Lexi Reneau. Behavioral psychology divides motivation into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside the person. It’s an internal motivation that pushes the person to do a certain thing. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside incentives or rewards. If someone is intrinsically motivated to get good grades they will work hard inside and outside of class to receive that A because they enjoy the satisfaction that comes from the good grade. If someone can’t find the internal push to work for that grade, they may need help from an outside source. The problem arises when a reward is given for a task that was previously completed through intrinsic motivation. In other words, extrinsic rewards can cause a person to lose the internal interest they once had in that particular endeavor. “Some students are not naturally motivated to do well in school but they are extrinsically motivated so if you reward them through grades it allows them to go through the process that’s necessary to practice and master material. However, research also shows that rewarding students for things they do find naturally rewarding can actually hinder their desire or their creativity. Unfortunately with the system in place, one student can’t be rewarded with a
By: Mia Tyler
letter grade while the other is rewarded with something else. I think rewarding for grades can have a positive or negative effect depending on the student,” said Psychology teacher Marc Harman. The other side to this discussion involves people who believe rewarding for grades has a positive effect. Rewards can help create an interest in something that the student wasn’t interested in before. The only downside to this train of thought, is that the reward is usually only effective for short term goals. Once the reward is taken away, the student will most likely lose interest in the subject again. “The privilege card system that we’ve had in the past rewarded me for my grades. It gave me more of a reason to get better grades and made me more determined. I’ve only ever received verbal praise from my parents for good grades. I think being rewarded for grades is a good motivation to do well, especially if money is involved,” said junior Elena Pelaez. While money is one way to reward for grades, there are also other options that are usually overlooked. In elementary school, kids might get tokens or stars when they do a good job. Then they can trade them in for different prizes. However, this practice generally stops after elementary school. “The gold stars were good in elementary school, but older kids won’t find motivation in them now. Finding something else to motivate high schoolers, such as candy, would probably work better,” said Pelaez. Teachers also notice their students’ lack of interest in the classroom. They’re looking for another way to motivate students that doesn’t include gold stars. “I would say one of the hardest jobs teachers have is trying to motivate students. What makes teachers’ jobs easier is if they can make the students find the material relevant, interesting, and engaging. Then motivation will come with it,” said Harman.
Next Step, College By: Elise Villarreal and TJ Hullaby
Although it still seems early in the school year, seniors, college is closer than it appears. The first college term for our graduating class of 2017 is only nine months away. By being prepared as soon as possible, maybe the impending realization of becoming so much more independent will seem a bit easier to handle. Although, there are steps to take in order to accomplish those needed pre-college goals just in time for a great start to the new school year. The first and obvious choice, picking a school, or various schools to apply to. There are many variables to consider when evaluating the criteria incoming freshman are trying to set for each college they are applying to. Usually, looking for scholarship opportunities and application requirements that match with the student that is applying is one of the leading considerations made in deciding on a college. A large majority of PHHS seniors have already made plans for their incoming college careers. “If sports doesn’t work out I plan to go to Maple Community College for two years off of my A+ credits and eventually transfer to Mizzou,” said senior Zach Suppes. For Suppes specifically, the A+ program requirements at Maple Woods Community College will pay tuition off of A+ hours if all 12 hours are completed each semester before high school graduation. If a student is eligible for grants provided by the Federal/State government then the remainder of the tuition will be covered by the hours earned in high school. After all of this, an A+ student’s only required payment comes from individual course fees as well as books and supplies. Other athletic seniors in that majority have fully committed to 4 year universities on sports scholarships. “I’m going to Northwest because they kind of picked me. They have a great football program and it’s close to family,” said senior Parker Sampson. Sampson’s commitment to varsity football has shown through all four years he has been on the team. Starting as a kicker since his freshman year, Sampson is one of the most sought out players in Missouri. He has been featured in the record book over a dozen times
for Missouri high school football. Within the last three years, the PHHS football boys have had a winning ratio of 30:8, ranking them one of the top 4 teams in the state. “More kids have signed for football scholarships from this team in the last two years than any other schools in the Missouri, Kansas City area,” said head football coach Josh Hood. Sophia Cuni-Mertz has been accepted to Truman State University. Like Suppes and Sampson, she is using her A+ hours for help off her tuition fees. Along with her cumulative 4.0 GPA and ACT score of 25, she has qualified for two automatic scholarships. She is also involved in many extracurricular activities which she hopes will help her get at least one of the competitive scholarships she is up for. “I spend a lot of time being a student and my advice for anyone applying for college is to prepare yourself with work. The key is to stay busy and stay organized,” said Cuni-Mertz. Staying busy is definitely what senior Chelsea Edwards is doing. Accepted to Graceland University in Iowa with scholarships in academics, volleyball, and leadership roles, Edwards has spent her entire high school career staying busy in academic as well as extracurricular activities. She has been involved in track, Student Council, National Honors Society, freshman mentors, senior exec., CASC, and math club. Her commitment to activities inside and outside of curriculum have prepared her well for college two hours away from home. There are many application requirements to consider when deciding on colleges to apply to. Preparation is a huge advantage to the application process and when the letter of acceptance arrives, all the hard work seems to pay off, but there is more to come once that first semester of college begins. Setting up a strong foundation of good time management, organized study habits, and great work ethic will take any high school student to college then further onto professional careers. Students should start early to look for anything and everything that will ready them to take on the responsibilities of college. There is no better time to plan for an excellent education than now, so take that early extra step. “Do your duty, and a little bit more,” 2016 quote from PHHS Principal Brad Kincheloe.
14 FEATURE
WHO'S TRENDING? By: Abby Yimer and Chelsee Tirmai
One big milestone in the lives of people everywhere is reaching the age of 18. By law, this age considers you as an “adult.” Turning 18 comes with exciting privileges and big responsibilities. One of these is the right to vote. Not many teens come out to the polls and vote, but one thing that teens do greatly participate in is social media. The things that teens see and come across on social media about politics affect their stance on different issues and even who they essentially decide to vote for. Especially in this current election, with so many people feeling like they are choosing the lesser of two evils, a lot of teens may take information that they view on their social media accounts with them as they go to vote. Social media is so instant and easily accessed. Candidates are utilizing this by sharing images, videos, and their message with the click of a button. Hillary Clinton has used her social platforms to get many celebrity endorsements from George Clooney to Beyoncé. Donald Trump has gained support from people like Kirstie Alley, Stephen Baldwin, and Tom Brady. Although Bernie Sanders did not get his party’s nomination, he gained a large following, specifically from young people, during his running. His campaign was made up of young interns who were able to connect to the culture of millennials, mainly through the use of social media, to give him an advantage at targeting the group whose voting turnout is the lowest. Social media is a way to allow teens to get easy access to information about all the candidates. “I used to think Hillary was a good candidate but social media made me change my point of view. I didn’t know much about politics in general before social media,” said senior June Guwn. Not only are teens using social media to get their information about the election, but even the candidates’ use of social media has increased over the years. Current president, Barack Obama, used the upwards trend to his advantage back in the 2012 election. Obama spent $47 million on digital campaigning while his opponent, Mitt Romney, spent $4.7 million. Looking at the use of one social media media platform, Twitter, over the course of one month, Romney tweeted 16 times while Obama sent out 404 tweets. In the current election, Trump has the most social media following on either side. On twitter alone he has 12.1 million followers compared to his opponent Clinton’s 9.4 million followers. The other candidates that didn’t get the nomination for their party, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Sanders, have a combined twitter following of 5.5 million people. Although the numbers may be big, it is not beneficial if the candidates do not use their social media campaigning effectively. “I think [the candidates use of social media] could have an impact if they used it in the right way,” said senior Emily Meier, “I don’t think they are right now. They are not using it in a way that will reach out to the people that are undecided.” In this current election, candidates being able to get votes from undecided people, many of whom are young, is essential. Celebrities have a lot of power with the
millennials. What celebs are wearing, watching, eating, or doing is seen by millions of people worldwide, majority being millennials. With that kind of power, celebrities can greatly influence how young people see the candidates and ultimately how young people will decide to vote. “I think that seeing a celebrity such as a favorite singer or actor with a candidate can make the teen feel like the candidate is more trustworthy. I think some teens are thinking if their favorite singer trusts them maybe they’re worth trusting and supporting,” said senior Lauryl Sidwell. Celebrity influences aren’t always positive though. Sometimes a celebrity’s dislike for a certain candidate comes out and that may have an even greater impact on not only how the candidate the celebrity spoke about is viewed, but how the celebrity is viewed. “I’ve seen some funny videos of celebs talking about Trump in a negative light and I think some people will definitely be like ‘oh I’ve seen them in a movie so I’ll go with what they say’ type of thing,” said Meier. Although, there are many statistics on candidates’ social following, in the end it all comes down to the votes. There is a lot of interaction that occurs on social media. People go online to express their views and talk with others who share those views. There is also talk that occurs between people of opposing viewpoints and it doesn’t always go smoothly. “I’ve seen a few people post something expressing their support for Trump and many people responding with how awful he is and other things along that line,” said Sidwell. The same thing occurs when someone posts something supporting Clinton. Another dispute is the use of social media by the candidates themselves, specifically on how, and how often they use it. With candidates getting into “twitter fights” with each other, and sending out controversial tweets, using the different social media platforms may hurt their campaigns. “I feel like seeing other people’s opinions kind of helps add to my own and seeing facts that they post that I wouldn’t see otherwise helps also,” said Meier. For many first time voters here at PHHS, government is a big part of their lives currently. That is in the sense of not only the nation’s government but being that the first time voters at school are all seniors, they are mostly likely enrolled in a government class this year. “My teacher makes it a point to talk about the candidates and their policies, and we have conversations about debates. This really helps to keep everyone up to date and informed. Learning about the government in general also helps understand politics more,” said Sidwell. Some believe that the information they are learning right now feels more relevant to them because it is an election year. “I feel like government is more relevant to me currently, now that it is an election year. Also since it is really advertised because it’s the president and not some senator I don’t really care about,” said Guwn.
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