Trojan Magazine

Disney Character Disorders.......Exposed Teacher Dating Advice For Students Facts on the Earlier Start Time Rumors

Cover Shot Senior John Harris (also featured on pg. 11) and the rest of the varisty boys basketball team took on Liberty High School at home on Jan. 24. The Trojans will wrap up their season on Feb. 15 at Grandview. They currently have a record of 6-12. photo by: lauraprice

What’s online?

www.myparkhill.com *Brand New Look!* -How to make a circle scarf See these step-by-step instructions on how to turn an old t-shirt into one of the hottest new trends.

- Photo of the day Submit your best photos to be selected as photo of the day.

Email photos as attachments to s26586@parkhill.k12.mo.us.

More info in room 350 -Coming soon: Videos! Once a week, a different student will be highlighted in a video on the website.

the

Trojan Park Hill High School 7701 Barry Rd., Kansas City, Mo 64153

editor-in-chief

graceprose

design editor

heatherkennard

copy editor

camillesmith

photo editor

nickbuchberg

web editor

jessicaswete

web photo editor

coopergardner

business manager

alyssavasquez

reporter

zachhahn

reporter

maddiehemphill

reporter

kaylinlake

reporter

chloelane

reporter

lauraprice

reporter

kateryan

reporter

mackenziethomas

reporter

ninawussow

The Trojan, published monthly during the regular school year, is the official publication of Park Hill High School, and is printed by Osage Graphics in Olathe, Kan. All unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Trojan staff. Editorials do not necessarily represent the opinion of the faculty or administration including the advisor.

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 Rd., Kansas City, Mo 64153, or call 816-359-6238.

Dear Readers, I, although it is hard sometimes, am a hopeless romantic.

Embarrassingly enough, I love movies where two people are so made for each other that they will defy every obstacle just to be together. In the movie “Little Manhattan”, a young boy tries to make sense of his parents’ divorce while “falling in love” for the first time. He said, “love isn’t about ridiculous little words. Love is about grand gestures. Love is about airplanes pulling banners over stadiums, proposals on jumbo-trons, giant words in sky writing. Love is about going that extra mile even if it hurts, letting it all hang out there.

Love is about finding courage inside of you that you didn’t even know was there.” Although I don’t necessarily agree with the part about love being about grand gestures, his idea of love is inspiring. To some it may seem naïve but to me, it seems brave. It’s brave to believe that there is love out there so strong and pure that it’s worth risking everything for knowing you may very well get your heart broken, but laying it on the line anyway. Some may call us the dreamersthose of us who still believe in true love and soulmates and fate, but I feel like we’re the only ones willing to admit the truth. See, the truth is, those who don’t take the risk of falling without being caught can never experience true happiness. Being scared of getting hurt is almost the same as being scared to be happy. Life is all about taking risks, letting yourself be vulnerable, and living life without the fear of being hurt because a life in fear is no life at all.

Grace Prose

Contents Campus

8

“This isn’t the drive-in”

Hear one staff member’s opinion on public displays of affection in our school and how other students feel about these PDA.

Sports

14

Winter sports cartch-up

Community

16

Rumor has it

Life

19

Play

21

Feature

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As many winter sports come to a close, see what our teams have accomplished during this season.

Students and faculty are concerned about the proposed start time change. However, this change affects more than just our high school.

The Great Penny Debate Has the use of one of our everyday coins become wasteful? Go read the story that could put Lincoln out of a job.

Best of the 80s In preparation for the upcoming Courtwarming dance, we’re taking you back to the 80s with all its popular fashions, music, and movies.

Disorderly Disney The whimsical movies we watched growing up may have had some characters with crazy personalities, but did you ever think they had a disorder?

Bachelors Ladies, need a date for Valentine’s Day or Courtwarming? Check out our school’s most eligible bachelors.

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Leading by example Being the leader of a team is an honor. See what these winter sports captains have to say about their jobs’ rewards and responsibilities.

photo by: mackenziethomas

20 12 photo by: ninawussow

photo by: mollyweis

photo by: nickbuchberg

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photo by: lauraprice

photo by: chloelane

5 photo by: kateryan

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DISORDERLY ® Ready to ruin your childhood? by: zachhahn If any of you were snooping on my Facebook page on December 16th (and if you weren’t, no hard feelings), you might have seen this status: Parents are out on date night and Bailey’s out with a friend. It’s Friday night and so far I’ve watched three Disney movies with a crippled Chihuahua and a series of snack foods.

Yes, that really happened in that context. But my lack of a social life isn’t what this article is about. This article is about is probably going to kill your childhood, so if you don’t want that happening, move on to another story.

If you do wish to continue, you’ve been warned.

While taking the paraplegic Chihuahua outside, I started to think about one of the movies I watched, Beauty and the Beast. Why would Belle fall for him? Was it destiny that joined two long-lost soul mates to spend eternity in each other’s company?

I think not.

How many of you have ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome? By the confused looks of the people around you in lunch who are reading this same article, I’d say few. Before I tell you what it is, I’ll give you a little plot summary of the movie. Beast takes Belle captive in exchange for her father’s release. They hit a few rough spots but ultimately fall in love. Sweet love story, right?

Wrong.

Belle is a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, or the psychological phenomenon in which a kidnap victim develops romantic feelings for their captor. According to its definition, Stockholm Syndrome can affect the victim by giving them feelings of empathy, guilt and even love towards their captors. Had Belle had the opportunity to leave by her own free will, the story might have developed differently; however, in this context of this story, the cause of Belle’s affection points to Stockholm Syndrome.

Intrigued, I started thinking about other movies and characters. It turns out that almost every Disney character has a mental disorder.

5 myparkhill.com february 2012

Check it out. (Look at the chart.)

Creepy right? I was totally blown away. I did warn you that your childhood might be ruined.

However, the next question that arose was, why? Why do these characters have these disorders?

“I don’t know why they have these disorders, unless their creators made them have them. I could be wrong, but they may have these disorders to be relatable. They have to get us to identify with characters. I won’t say these characters are diagnosed, but they have these characteristics, depending on the situation, that are relatable,” counselor Amy Reeves said.

Disney’s reason for creating this insanity is unknown. Perhaps they don’t realize the conditions their characters seem to portray. But, now exposed to this truth, what do students who grew up with these movies feel like?

“This has kind of changed my perspective because I’m now constantly looking for it [character insanity] in all the movies. It makes things more interesting,” junior Alyssa Yslas said.

Like a Where’s Waldo book, searching for character insanities is now a hobby of mine that is hard to shake. Perhaps it was for the audience to become more involved that these characters were given these disorders.

“Its just one of those things you don’t put together until you’re older. When you’re older and you know more about the world beyond the basic ‘this is funny,’ you can make the connections. I don’t really see the characters differently since they’re the same characters, but I now understand why they were made to behave in a certain way,” junior Maddie Eiberger said.

Like Eiberger said, we haven’t made those connections until now.

So, what else in our lives have we not made connections to? It’s a deep thought that only a delusional Disney can bring on.

Character

Disorder

Definition

Signs

Similar Characters

Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Narcissism

Inflated selfimportance, egoism, vanity, conceit, and selfishness.

She has irrational hatred towards those who are said to be better than her. She also harbors hatred because she thinks she should rule the seas.

Every villain Owl, Winnie the Pooh Lottie, Princess & the Frog Timon, The Lion King

Simba from The Lion King

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

A severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma.

Simba witnessed his father’s murder, which led him to having nightmares, paranoia, and emotional distance.

Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story Marlin, Finding Nemo Kerchak, Tarzan James Howlett, X-Men

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

An anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, and by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety.

He carries a watch around with him wherever he goes and keeps a rigorous schedule that, if broken, causes him to freak out with anxiety.

Pleakly, Lilo & Stitch Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh Jacques, Finding Nemo Sebastian the Crab, The Little Mermaid

Peter Pan from Peter Pan

ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)

A diagnosis described as an ongoing pattern of angerguided disobedience and hostile, defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior.

While he doesn’t express hostility towards his parents, he does express negative feelings towards the thought of growing up and the group of adults in Neverland, the pirates

Nemo, Finding Nemo Jim Hawkins, Treasure Planet Mowgli, The Jungle Book

Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Hoarding

A disorder where people collect items they perceive to have more value than their actual worth.

She goes through obvious danger to collect items she doesn’t even know the function of, and makes an irrational decision when her stash is destroyed.

Prince John, Robin Hood Jack Skellington, The Nightmare Before Christmas

March Hare from Alice in Wonderland

pages designed by: nickbuchberg

february 2012 myparkhill.com

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Campus

Lessonsof Love by: mackenziethomas February is the month full of cynical singles and swooning sweethearts. Few students think to go ask their teachers for advice in relationships, but teachers don’t live at the school. Many have been where students are now: crushing, dating, and going through heartbreak. From married to single, they all

Tiffany Thomas ”Never think that you’re too good, or someone’s too good for you.” ”A sexually explicit movie isn’t a good idea for a first date.” ”Don’t share too much too soon. Keep a bit to yourself.”

Erich Ostrowski ”Don’t start dating until you’re forty-three, but if you must, academics come first.” ”It’s the small things: it’s the compliments, the flowers, the buying her lunch.” ”Guys think that because they go to the gym all the time that girls will swoon over them--no.”

Jessica Malone ”Don’t move too quickly.” ”Don’t date too many people, especially all at once.” ”Try to plan fun dates that aren’t the typical dinner and a movie.’”

Jennifer Gross “You don’t gain anything if you don’t risk anything.”

Bob Boone

“Going out with someone who’s nice is always better than pretty. But pretty and nice is the cherry on the top of the dating sundae!”

“If you get upset when you break up, the best way to get over it is time.”

“Check his bank account.”

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“Guys need to learn how to be gentlemen. It’s not hard to open a door or hold books for a girl.”

“My move was always to invite girls to my house and cook for them.”

“This isn’t the drive-in” by: kateryan February is a magical time of year for those in love, because of the power of Valentine’s Day. It seems that all of a sudden, love is in the air. Cupid seems to be aiming his arrow even in professional enviornments. The question is, though--is this all right?

Every year in August, students are given a handbook that is usually lost or destroyed by the next week. The school understands that few students will want to sit through and read all the rules in the handbook. That is why they give a seminar over everything in this rulebook. Everyone remembers learning about bladed hand instruments, drugs, and bullying. What students don’t remember is learning the rules and discipline of public displays of affection, otherwise known as PDA. Public display of affection can be classified as kissing, hand holding, touching, or hugging.

The rules on page 43 of the handbook state that public displays of affection are not appropriate to the environment promoted for Park Hill students. Such behavior is not permitted. A student’s failure to

comply with staff or an administrator’s request can be subject to an office referral.

Regardless of the rules, students at Park Hill continue to show their affection for one another, and office referrals are never sent out. Anyone in attendance here, on an average day, might see these displays at least twice or more. And for those who have to stand by and watch such acts--how does it affect them? For the most part, students feel it’s okay to a certain extent.

“I don’t really have a problem with it. I mean, everyone kisses his or her boyfriend or girlfriend in public. I just think that certain things should be kept in private, but I have no problem with people kissing or making out. There are a lot of couples, but it doesn’t bother me at all,” junior Martin Santibanez said.

Others feel quite differently.

“I don't think there should be any PDA in Park Hill. School is a place for business, so we should act professional. Although, I see it so much I've just become numb to it,” junior Brett Stone said.

Where do you stand?

“I feel that people should do PDA by themselves and not show everyone else what they're doing. Sometimes, I think it’s kind of gross and weird walking in the hallways and all of the sudden see people making out around the corner.”

- Freshman Jett Mullendore

“I think PDA is okay to an extent. I feel a quick peck or hug in the hallway isn’t bad, but making out or being very touchy shouldn’t be seen in public. I definitely think there’s an issue of PDA at Park Hill. But, honestly, I don’t think there’s much to do. I think people need to just have a little more respect for themselves, and should be considerate of others.”

“I feel that it’s always going to be around us, but some is just way too much for school.

I do partake and I feel awkward when people stare, but besides that everyone else does it too.”

“I feel like you shouldn’t do it. I know I don’t want to see people making out in front of me, but I don’t think a kiss is bad. At Park Hill, it can get a little out of hand but nothing serious.”

- Junior Katlin Moran

- Senior Brett Strickland

- Sophomore Kenzie Duke

pages designed by: zachhahn & mackenziethomas

february 2012 myparkhill.com

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It’s Not Just You I need help for Valentine’s Day by: zachhahn

The Do’s - Be mature about asking. Doing it in person or through a gift shows you have confidence in yourself.

- Ask your date’s friends what they like. Their friends are the best resource for planning a date.

- Dress casual to business casual. If you have to wear a tux, it probably isn’t worthy of a date.

- Being proper is something that goes a long way. Treat your date nice and pay attention to them.

- Compliments and chocolates will get you far. Utilize them.

Drop a compliment at the beginning of the date, “You look great,” and one at the end of the date, “I had a lot of fun tonight. You’re amazing.”

“Dinner and a movie. I’d want it to be fun.”

- Freshman Sophia Palmerin

“So, it was two days before Valentine’s Day and this girl asked me to come over to her house. When I got there, she gave me a Valentine’s card. It was nice, but when I opened it and saw two tickets to Loveland, this ski resort in Colorado. I couldn’t believe it. They were amazing and she asked me to go with her. Valentine’s Day came and we were driving up there. I lived in Colorado at the time so it wasn’t that far. Anyway, we were snowboarding all day. Well, I snowboarded and she skied.

It was really cool.

Later that night, she called lot of people and we had a party up in this cabin. It was like a private party and it was a lot of fun. After that, we were about to leave when all the girls went outside. We went out there to see what they were doing and they had written ‘We heart our Valentines’ in the snow with our names at the bottom.

That was a pretty good Valentine’s Day.” - Senior Marquell Haughton

Date Ideas

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“Time together. I know that sounds corny but that’s what I want.”

- Sophomore Brian Kantanka

“Lightsaber fights and nerdy movies.

Anything nerdy.”

- Junior Chase Bengtson

“Go to a place we both like. It’d be romantic but still kind of casual.”

- Senior Kelvin Jarmon

The Don’ts - Don’t ask through a text, phone call, e-mail, or friend. If you can’t ask them out, it won’t work.

“This is the classic bad one.

It was Valentine’s Day and my boyfriend sent flowers to the school. And what sucks is that a student worked at the floral shop and helped him pick them out, so she knew who he was sending them.

Anyway, he called me to tell me to make dinner, but he never called back or showed up, and it was getting late, so I went over to his house.

He broke up with me. He dumped me. And every single day after that, someone asked me at school how he was.

It sucked so bad.”

- Jennifer Pascall

- Don’t do what you want to do. This date is all about the other person.

- Don’t roll out of bed and go. That’s gross.

Also, bathe. Really.

Please do.

- Don’t cuss, and if you do, apologize after doing it. It shows that you’re secure enough to cuss but that you’re also secure enough to apologize for it.

- Don’t over-compliment or be overbearing. While compliments are nice they can get annoying after a bit. Stick to one or two, you’ll be fine.

Date Advice

“Do something spectacular.”

-Freshman Hunter Roberts

“Make your date feel really special.”

- Sophomore Karra Kennedy

pages designed by: zachhahn & graceprose

“Make it special.”

- Junior Haley Ebbrecht

“Just have a really good time, no matter what.”

- Senior Samantha Haugen

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The BACH

Freshman bachelors b hl

emmerson Gardner G d

Freshman Carter Anchors would have to say he is the best looking curly-headed kid in school.

Anchors is involved in basketball and football here at PHHS. What makes him different from other guys here at school is his great hair. Something he wants to do before he dies is go to every aquarium in the the US.

Emerson Gardner is a funny and outgoing freshman who is all about his family and friends.

Besides wrestling, he also attends Younglife.

His favorite holiday is his birthday and he is a fan of mac and cheese. What interests him is when a girl is always around him and wants to talk to him, but acting like someone you’re not is not the way he rolls.

carter Anchors A

Sophomore

bachelors

zach

Serrano

Zach Serrano is a sophomore. He is sucker for girls with dark hair, nice smiles, good manners, and good senses of humor. What makes this nice and fun-loving guy different from others are his smile and his personality. Some of his favorite things are the color green and the TV show Tosh.0, and he can always get down to some Mac Miller. And although it is a while away, Serrano would like to visit Italy before he kicks the bucket.

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anthony Wussow Sports fanatic Anthony Wussow is an honest, loyal and respectable young man. You can catch him playing football, watching Workaholics, or listening to his favorite artists Drake, Lupe Fiasco, and Kid Cudi. Some things Wussow wants to do before he dies are to save someone’s life, deliver a baby, travel the world, and, last but not least, he wants to flip a car and walk away like a boss as it explodes. Because, hey, cool guys don’t look at explosions! He loves to make people laugh and would say he’s a good listener. When interested in someone, important qualities he feels they should have are honesty, respectfulness, and faithfulness. Also, having a sense of humor is a definite plus.

ELORS OF PARK HILL

john

Harris

Senior John Harris is new to PHHS this year.

Coming from Louisiana, this southern gentleman loves his Gumbo. He also likes the TV show Law and Order, and his favorite holiday is Christmas because it was the day Jesus was born. Harris says his perfect Valentine’s Day would be spent with a special someone. After high school, he wants to go to college to play basketball and study to be a firefighting EMT.

quinn

Pudenz

Aside from being a beautiful, talented and intelligent young man, junior Quinn Pudenz is a modest guy, but overall he says he is a pretty laid-back and caring person who’s easy to get along with. As for a date, he prefers sticking to the ever-classy dinner and a movie, or something with a surprise.

However, in the end, he is more interested in who he’s with rather than where he is.

pages designed by: ninawussow

r bachelors

conner Shene

Treasure hunting, wizardry and witchcraft, ocean making, and Muggle studies are some of humorous senior Connor Shene’s hobbies. He would describe himself as an amateur treasure hunter who dabbles in time travel on the weekends. If you want to catch this blue-eyed wrestler and diver’s attention, you better work on your basket weaving and knitting abilities. Also, have skills in cooking and cleaning.

Junior bachelors Junior Andrew Otto loves his funny and easygoing ladies. Being a good texter is a plus, but being too clingy is definitely a negative. This goofy guy believes in love at first sight and would say his best quality is his body that looks as though it was sculpted by Michelangelo himself. He would eventually like to become a doctor, but until then he will be eating his favorite food, pizza, and watching his favorite movie, Harold and Kumar.

andrew Otto

february 2012 myparkhill.com

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Injuries happen

The steps trainers take to help students

Sports

In order to prevent further injury, athletic trainer Kevin Rask tapes up senior John Harris’s ankle.

Despite his injuries, sophomore Nik Shores remaines calm as he recieves electrical therapy on his knee.

by: chloelane Students who enjoy attending their school’s sports functions have most likely witnessed one or more athletes get injured. Whether it is a slight scratch to the arm or even a concussion, injuries are not uncommon. Luckily, every school has one or more trainers on hand when something goes wrong in a game. When athletes get hurt, it is the trainer’s job to check out the injury and determine if the player should be allowed to keep playing.

When an injury occurs, the trainer first evaluates the injury and starts the athlete on a rehab plan.

The trainer will then call and talk to a parent and, depending on the intensity of the injury, they will tell the parent to take their child to the doctor.

If the coach isn’t already aware of what has happened, the trainer will also notify the coach.

Throughout rehab, the athlete will slowly start doing sport-specific activities, and when they have completely healed and it is safe to continue playing, they are allowed to return to practice and games.

“The most common injuries are ligament sprains, muscle strains, and head injuries. We see a greater number of head injuries in the fall seasons than during the other seasons. Also during the fall, there are about 40-50 athletes in the trainer’s room on a daily basis. In the spring season, there are more leg and shoulder muscle sprains than any other season. In both the spring and winter, we have around 15-20 athletes in to see us daily,” trainer Lisa Bradhurst said.

Before students can try out for a sport, they have to turn in a physical exam. This past fall, the trainers started doing a baseline concussion assessment on the football team.

“It gives us data to compare when they sustain a head injury. This will be expanded to other teams in the future,” said Bradhurst.

One student who has been in the trainers quite often this school year is sophomore Hannah Jones.

Due to a broken wrist and an unexpected bump on her Achilles tendon, Jones has gotten used to heading to the trainers’ office day after day.

“I broke my wrist in September during a fall basketball workout. We were doing this drill were you run to half court, turn, and then backpedal back to the sideline. While I was switching to backpedal, I got caught up in my feet and fell.

I tried to catch myself and landed on my wrists instead of my butt. Then around the second week of basketball season, I got a bump on my Achilles.

It was hurting when I ran and walked. I go to therapy to get medicine injected into my foot to ease the pain,” said Jones.

It took Jones two months to fully recover from her wrist injury and only a few weeks to be well enough to play after the Achilles injury.

Another student who has been in the trainers’ room a lot this year is Connor Farmer. Due to ankle injuries, Farmer is in the trainers’ room every day before basketball practice.

“I have pulled and strained ligaments on the outside of my ankles. The right is worse than the left. Luckily, if we are down in a game, instead of it having a negative effect on me, it somehow makes me more focused. But, if they are sore or I roll them during a game, it slows me down,” Farmer said.

Nikolas Shores has also suffered from a sprained ligament much like Farmer, but it wasn’t as severe.

“I was at wrestling practice and my leg just started hurting, so I went to the trainer for ice. Mr. Rask, the other trainer, took a look at my leg and decided I needed treatment,” said Shores.

Luckily, it only took the sprain one week to heal and Shores is already back at the mats.

While taping up sophomore Hannah Jones’s ankle, athletic trainer Lisa Bradhurst assess the injuries.

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Laying on the trainer’s table, sophomore Hannah Jones gets an ultasound of her achilles tendon. Jones injured her it this basketball season.

photos by: chloelane

Winter Sports

Catch Up

by:kaylinlake Can’t make it out to the sports games this winter? Now’s your chance to get an overview on each sport team this winter to see how they’re doing.

Wrestling:

The boys wrestling team has had a significant year so far.

They have had 13 wins this season, and have only lost two matches. The team has gone to state every year, and hope to go to state together again this year.

“We are a family first and foremost, and an athletic team second,” team captain Paxton DiBlasi said.

Girls Basketball

photo by: kaylinlake

: The girls’ basketball team placed third in the Basehor-Linwood Tournament. They’ve lost one game, as well as won one, so far this season. The team has won10 of their matches this season, with an overall score of 10 wins and eight loses so far. The team as a whole has been a lot closer this year, getting to know each other better.

“The biggest difference this year is that we’re all a lot closer this year; we’re more of a family,” sophomore player Regina Bolin said.

Boys Basketball

photo by: kaylinlake

: The boys’ basketball team is currently in a tournament, only having one win so far.

They’re hoping to come out on top. They have won six games and lost 13 so far this season. “The most exciting thing this season has been seeing the players develop as the season has gone along. With so many new players this year, we have made tremendous strides and I am excited to see how well we are playing at the end of the year,” Coach Aaron Neeser said.

Swim and Dive:

The girl’s swim and dive team practices after school Monday through Friday, and twice a day on Tuesday and Thursday. The state competition is to be held February 18, and they’re hoping to end in success in their last year. Overall they have won four meets and lost three. “Truly the biggest difference has been the lack of snow days. We have really been able to train hard the past couple of months without interruption. Hopefully, this will pay off for us during our championship meet,” Coach Carl Haley said. photo by: ninawussow

pages designed by: kateryan

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Vote! Vote! Vote!

Community

Find out about the Missouri caucus

by: camillesmith Are you a Democrat? Or are you a Republican? Until you’re eighteen, it doesn’t matter. But for some students, that important birthday will come and go in time for them to participate in the 2012 election. These students may be excited to cast their vote for president, but what many don’t realize is that you don’t have to wait until Nov. 6 for your first time entering the ballot box. If you want a say not only in choosing the president, but also in choosing the Republican nominee, then there’s an earlier date to first recognize your right to vote—the March 17 Missouri caucus.

What is the caucus?

A caucus is a gathering of voters from the same political party, which convenes to decide which candidate that party will be nominating for an election—in this case, the presidential election. Each county in the United States will hold either a caucus or a primary the year before the presidential election.

What’s the difference between a caucus and a primary?

Primaries and caucuses do the same thing—decide which candidate each state will support. However, the voting process is very different.

Primary elections function just like general elections, with people entering voting booths to cast a private ballot. Caucuses, however, are much less formal.

How does the caucus work?

In some cases, caucuses will be decided by private ballot. In other cases, voters at a caucus will arrange themselves into groups according to which candidate they support. They are then invited to give speeches attempting to sway the voters who are undecided. At the end of the caucus, votes are cast by simply counting how many people stand in support of each candidate.

Why is Missouri having a caucus?

Usually Missouri’s delegates are chosen through a primary process.

However, the Republican National Committee dictates that all presidential primaries have to be held after March, and our primary was set for February. To avoid losing half of its delegates as punishment for holding an early primary, Missouri Republicans elected to switch to a caucus.

Who can vote in a caucus?

In most states, including Missouri, the Republican caucus is open only to registered voters who say they are Republicans.

How do you vote in Missouri’s caucus?

Caucuses will be held in each of Missouri’s 114 counties on the morning of March 17, at 10 a.m., with registration beginning at 8. The Clay County caucus will be held at William Jewel College, and Platte County’s will be at the Platte County Resource Center.

Will the Democrats have a caucus?

Technically they will; however, as Obama is expected to run unopposed, it won’t be of much importance to the election process.

How does the caucus factor into the presidential election?

The summer before the presidential election, each party will hold a national convention in order to finalize their choice for nominee. This convention is attended by representatives, or “delegates,” of each state. At the convention, each delegate will cast a vote for the nominee they support, and whichever delegate wins the most votes will receive the party nomination for president. Caucuses are important because they decide which delegates each state will send to the national convention. When you vote in a caucus, technically you aren’t voting for a presidential candidate. You’re actually voting for which delegates to send to the party’s convention.

“Right now I think Gringrich would be the one (to win the nomination). He’s been around politics before. Someone who knows government will have a head start as president.”

Senior Matt Pollard “I’m going to be voting in the upcoming election because it’s my civil duty and I want my views represented, especially if I’m going to be paying taxes and subject to the policies being voted on. I want to count, and I’m super excited to finally be able too.”

Senior Faith Fonseca

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“You know how you voted at school and it didn’t count for anything?

Now I’m 18 and I get to do something for the nation. I plan to vote Democrat—I think Democrats are more for the people.”

Senior Troyonna Robinson

Graphic by: kaseywagner

Rumor Has It...

Start Time Change?

by: nickbuchberg The halls have been buzzing with rumors of an earlier start time next school year due to the new elementary school, but here are the facts. The new elementary school has nothing to do with the proposed earlier start time. In fact, the plans for this multitier bus system have been in the works for a little over a year.

“A little more than one year ago, there was a group of individuals called the BRCC, (Budget Reduction Committee) which was made up of volunteers who were teachers, parents, and patrons from the community, to look at ways that we could trim about two and a half million dollars from the budget,” said Dr. Kincheloe, “One of the suggestions discussed was moving to a three-tier bus system. But nobody knew how much we could reasonably expect to save from [this proposal.]”

This group has come up with two different multi-tier bus systems. In scenario one, Park Hill High School, and Park Hill South would start at 7:15 and Plaza Middle School would start at 7:25. This will be on the first tier. Congress and Lakeview starting at 8:25, three elementary schools starting at 8:35 will be the second tier.

Seven elementary schools starting at 9:25

will be the third tier. This system would potentially save the district $417,000.

In the second scenario, both high schools and middle schools would start at 7:15, Plaza Middle School and four elementary schools would start at 8:35, and six elementary schools would start at 9:25.

With this tiered schedule, the district could save $256,906.

There’s no doubt that any kind of savings is a good thing for the district, but the question is if the pros outweigh the cons. Some positives suggested by the committee are that the multi-tiered system would make it easier for First Student to send another bus for third tier when buses are running late, the high schools would only start 15 minutes earlier; everyone starts less than an hour earlier, later dismissal might be better for some parents, and most importantly, it would save the district a large amount of money.

However, there are also many down sides to the new proposed system. For example, earlier start times and later end times would have more kids at bus stops in the dark more often, there would be a greater potential for late buses if a bus is late on the first route and later elementary start could cause more students to put

Timeline • 2009-2010: Budget Reduction Committee (BRCC) formed • 2010: Transportation subcommittee identified a multitier bussing system as potential savings of $400,000 or more

pages designed by: camillesmith & nickbuchberg

themselves on the bus with no parents or older siblings.

It could also negatively impact extracurriculars, sports, and other after school activities. Coaches that teach elementary or middle school and coach high school would have scheduling conflicts. Also, teacher sharing between schools would be near impossible and may reduce savings, elementary students could potentially arrive for Adventure Club at 6:30 for a 9:25 start time and middle school intermural may not work, which is an important program for these kids.

Besides just the students and staff, changes could be difficult for the parents of students as well. Costs for parents may go up because more parents may have to enroll their kids in Adventure Club or another form of day care. They may have to find alternate forms of transportation for them. On the other hand, it may work better with some parents work schedules, especially the later release time for some elementary schools.

They presented these two options to the School Board Thursday Jan. 26. The board will now review what is the best solution for everyone involved.

• February 2, 2011: Board placed the multitier concept in the “yellow” category to be studied at a later time • Summer/Fall 2011: Board of Education ask administration to study the concept and suggest a scenario • October 2011: Committee formed • November 1, 2011: First committee meeting

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WINTER SPORTS CAPTAINS

“

You can’t put the desire to win into someone. They have to have the will to do what it takes.

Senior Marcus Cross

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by: lauraprice & chloelane Everyone has someone they look up to. For some it might be their parent, or a friend. At Park Hill, some athletes have been given the opportunity to be the person the rest of their team looks up to. They set an example, lead their teammates, and represent our school. They may give inspirational words right before a big game, and become motivators. They are there to guide their fellow athletes to victory; they are the captains.

Captains are typically the seniors on the team, but some are simply the athletes who put all they have into the sport, are respectful to the coaches, and maintain good leadership for their team.

“We keep everyone calm on the court and push them to the best of their ability,” said Marcus Cross, senior and basketball captain.

Cross said that he and his other captains, senior Zach Anderson and senior Garrett Wooldridge, lead their team more by example than through words.

“People are more stubborn and don’t always listen, so I try to lead the team by example because it has more of an impact,” said Wooldridge.

To set a good example for the team, Anderson said you always have to stay poised no matter what happens during the game.

It takes a special type of person to stay patient when parts of the game get hectic. These captains do their job to keep everyone on the court motivated and passionate about the game.

“You can’t put the desire to win into someone. They have to have the will to do what it takes,” said Cross.

Wresting captains Connor Shene, Paxton DiBlasi, and Nolan Smith also do their best to set a good example for the rest of the team.

“We have to be more mature; someone others can look up too. Yes, I have to work harder to set a better example, but it looks good on applications. Also, it’s cool to be able to do a coin flip,” said Shene.

On the more serious side, DiBlasi said that they are also the representatives for the team; they get to walk out together at the beginning of duals.

“I love giving my team a pep talk before we go out, to give the boys an added boost of confidence,” said DiBlasi.

To be a captain on the girls swim team means you have to give a lot of encouragement and support. These captains, Brynn Guardado, Sarah Thompson, and Abigail Hill, have a strong work ethic that makes it possible for them to lead the team.

“You have to be encouraging at all times. But you also have to be someone others will want to listen to and respect,” said Guardado.

The swim team has morning practices as well as some after school, so they are very close with eachother.

“It’s just like being there for my family,” said Guardado.

The dive team, being so small, knows all about bonding as well. For senior captain Jordan Rowlette, this is the best part of being a leader.

“It’s rewarding to get to grow closer to the girls throughout the year,” said Rowlette.

The girls get to know each other so well throughout all the meets and practices, especially morning practices.

“Having to get up so early, you really have to keep the girls motivated- that’s the most important part,” said Rowlette.

The girls basketball team has many captains- seniors Amanda Lawrence, Bethany Sullinger, Shelby Blanchard, Micalla Rettinger, Kyleesha Weston, and Sarah Sumpter. Their job is to set an example for the other girls on the team, and be athletes the others can really look up to. Having so many captains allows lots of different leadership styles to come into play.

The captains not only lead the other girls, but they also support each other during every game.

“We’re there for each other, and have fun during games,” said Weston.

Their bond doesn’t stop when they step off the court; it’s a relationship they constantly carry on as a team.

“Leadership happens on and off the floor. Effort and attitude happens on a daily basis,” said Senior Shelby Blanchard.

BOYS Wrestling

GIRLS Swim & Dive

Girls swim captain (from left) senior Brynn Guardado. Not pictured: junior Abigail Hill, and junior Sarah Thompson. Girls dive captains seniors Eleanor Parrott and Jordan Rowlette.

GIRLS Basketball Boys wrestling captain senior Nolan Smith. Not pictured: Senior Connor Shene and junior Paxton DiBlasi.

BOYS Basketball

Girls basketball captains (from left) seniors Micalla Rettinger, Kyleesha Weston, Shelby Blanchard, Bethany Sullinger, Sarah Sumpter, and Amanda Lawrence.

Boys basketball captains (from left) seniors Zach Anderson, Marcus Cross, and Garrett Wooldridge

pages designed by: heatherkennard & lauraprice

february 2012 myparkhill.com

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THE GREAT

Life

PENNY DEBATE by: nickbuchberg Since its introduction in 1793, the penny has been used as legal tender in the United States. However, after 218 years of use, the penny has lost its buying power. In fact, the penny is actually a money pit for the US Mint— according to them, it costs 1.79 cents to make just one penny. That’s right, it costs nearly two cents to make even a single penny. Production cost exceeds the face value. Therefore, the US should implement penny rounding, or öresavrundning (pronounced “oo-ra-suh-vroondin-ing”). In this system, consumers would not lose money, because charges over the entire year will most likely average out. All charges ending in one and two cents are rounded to zero; three, four, six, and seven are rounded to five cents; and eight and nine cents are rounded to ten cents.

Junior Jessica Hanson lived in New Zealand for three months when she was in grade school. New Zealand’s government stopped production of their pennies in 1987, and in 1990 pennies ceased to be legal tender and lost all value.

“I thought it was strange at first. I knew they had a different monetary system there, but I was a little surprised about there not being a penny,” said Hansen. “Personally, I thought it was a good idea. I didn’t have to

carry around pennies everywhere I went. Since the stores used öresavrundning, consumers weren’t losing any money. It balanced out over time. I think it’d work really well in the States.”

According to retirethepenny.org, the US government could potentially save 100 million dollars every year by not producing pennies. The American government has even shown their willingness to eliminate coinage.

According to the Chicago Tribune, as recently as December 14, Congress passed a bill that halted production of one-dollar gold coins, because of their small usage. The US Mint now only produces enough to meet the collector demand.

Nearly half of all coins produced in the US are pennies, but a large percentage of pennies are minted and not even circulated.

They fall in between the couch cushions, they get put into a change jar, or they lay on the passenger floorboard in our cars. Compare the number of times a day one finds a penny, to the number of times a day one sees a higher denomination—such as a quarter—on the ground. Pennies are easily discarded because they are nearly valueless. In fact, when pennies were initially introduced, they held great buying power. Even up to the late 1970’s, goods could be purchased for a single penny.

However, since then, pennies are virtually

“They get in the way.

They’re like celery; they’re more of a hassle than they’re worth.”

-sophomore Shannon Barry

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valueless to the average American. Other than the occasional pop-up advertisement showcasing an iPad 2 for a penny on a sketchy website, pennies are used only in change. $0.01 is simply too little an amount to purchase anything.

Also, imagine the amount of time wasted on pennies. Retirethepenny.org claims that every single money-spender in America wastes-- on average-- 1.2 hours a year on them.

Cashiers spend approximately two to five seconds every transaction involving pennies, and the average money-spender goes through two cash transactions every day. That’s a total of about 1.2 hours per person, per year in the United States. The 2010 Census says there are 308,745,538 people living in the US. That’s about 370,494,646 hours wasted every year.

Time is money, don’t forget.

Eliminating the penny would save the US the cost of producing anywhere from 7 to 13 billion pennies every year. Imagine what the government could do with the extra $100 million they wouldn’t be wasting on pennies.

It could be put towards the national debt, or saving government programs Congress is currently fighting over. Lose the penny, lose the waste.

“They’re useless. Pennies take up space in your pocket, and I think they [the US government] should get rid of them.

Pennies should disappear!”

-junior Freya Medford

pages designed by: nickbuchberg

Buying An A+

by: mollyweis It can cost as little as five dollars to buy a pack of dry-erase board markers or two dollars for a box of tissues, but hours of studying to earn a grade. Any student and any teacher knows that spending money without effort to obtain a grade is wrong, but what is the difference between taking advantage of the concept and using it as a simple grade cushion?

“Is it fair? Is it bribery? It basically is; just bring money,” teacher Mark Gourley said.

Many teachers at Park Hill offer extra credit for bringing in classroom supplies.

There are no specific rules that prohibit the use of purchased materials for classroom points, leaving everything to the discretion of the teacher.

“I think that by giving extra credit for bringing supplies, it kind of devalues your grade,” teacher John Vanderpool said. “it’s the idea that the grade represents academic achievement, and bringing Kleenex isn’t exactly an academic achievement.”

Vanderpool, though, does not believe in extra credit at all. He believes grades can be improved through work on regular class assignments--for instance, partial credit for a paper or a late piece of homework.

“Why do people seek extra credit? It’s because they didn’t do it right the first time,” said Vanderpool.

At the beginning of each academic year, teachers are granted thirty dollars for classroom supplies. With hundreds of students for nine to ten months, hand sanitizer, markers, tape, and other supplies run low. It seems an unspoken expectation for teachers to buy these staples out of pocket, but that very quickly adds up.

“I figure people should bring their own tissues,” said Gourley, “I know that I’m not going to supply tissue for the whole year; they can do that.”

Vanderpool admits that because he opposes buying supplies for extra credit, he does have to spend a good chunk of his own money to keep the classroom supplies plentiful.

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Play

Best Of The 80’s by: kateryan The decade of the 1980’s has generally been described as a magical and bliss time. The women and men who have grown up in this generation believe it was the best time of their life. The question stands what really made these ten years so perfect? The 80’s brought quirky love movies, great pop music, biggest heartthrobs, and most unique style. The 80’s brought greatness.

Top Ten Icons

Events of the 1980’s

1. Madonna 2. Kim Basinger 3. Cindy Crawford 4. Molly Ringwald 5. Michael Jackson 6. John Hughes 7. Cher 8. Ronald Reagan 9. Michael J. Fox 10. Blondie

• John Lennon Assassinated • Mount St. Helens Erupts • Pac-Man Video Game Released • Rubik’s Cube Becomes Popular • Ted Turner establishes CNN • MTV premieres • Fall of the Berlin Wall • CD first released • Ronald Reagan • Failed U.S. Rescue Attempt to Save Hostages in Tehran

Top 15 Songs

Sophomore Delaney Rose rocks the 80’s wear.

1. Bon Jovi / “Livin’ on a Prayer” (1986) 2. Duran Duran / “Hungry Like the Wolf” (1982) 3. Michael Jackson / “Billie Jean” (1982) 4. Madonna / “Like a Virgin” (1984) 5. Journey / Don’t Stop Believing (1981) 6. The Bangles / “Walk Like an Egyptian” (1986) 7. Cyndi Lauper / “Time After Time” (1984) 8. Cyndi Lauper / “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1984) 9. A-Ha / “Take On Me” (1985) 10. Alphaville / “Forever Young” (1984) 11. Wham! / “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” (1984) 12. Pat Benatar / “Love is a Battlefield” (1983) 13. Soft Cell / “Tainted Love” (1981) 14. Modern English / “I Melt With You” (1982) 15. The B-52’s / “Love Shack” (1989)

TV Shows 1. Facts of Life (1979-88): Lisa Whelchel, Charlotte Rae 2. The Love Boat (1979-88): Gavin MacLeod, Fred Grandy 3. The A-Team (1983-86): George Peppard, Mr. T 4. Moonlighting (1985-89): Cybill Shepherd, Bruce Willis 5. Dukes of Hazzard (1979-65): Tom Wopat, John Schneider 6. The Cosby Show (1984-92): Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad 7. Family Ties (1982-89): Micahel J. Fox, Michael Gross 8. Miami Vice (1984-89): Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas 9. Cheers (1982-93): Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman 10. Magnum P.I (1980-88): Tom Selleck, John Hillerman

Chuck Norris and Cabbage Patch dolls were both popular toys in the 80’s.

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. . . r e h t a e H m o r f s t n i H

A Blast From The Past

by: heatherkennard The first women to be elected to the Supreme Court, the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the assassination of John Lennon, and the fashion world taking a crazy turn. What do all these things have in common? It’s the 80’s, of course; the crazy 80’s.

I love the ‘80s, and I honestly I believe that I was born in the wrong decade.

Even with being born in ’94 and not being able to experience the’ 80s, I believe it was the best decade ever. Period. I’m only 17 years old, but I have to say the ‘90s are absolutely lame. I really want a pair of legwarmers and to be able to wear my hair crimped without looking too out of place. People today look back at the 80s as old and way too crazy, but the ‘90s are nothing in comparison. I feel like I missed out big time with growing up in the ‘90s.

The ‘80s were a time of interesting fashion for teens and adults alike. The trends were inspired by movies such as “Sixteen Candles,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Pretty in Pink.” Celebrities like Cydni Lauper, Madonna and Michael Jackson also added to the styles, which included Ray Ban sunglasses, shoulder pads and leg warmers. The ‘80s fashion trends were usually short lived, but while they were hot, they left teens clamoring for neon colors and jelly bracelets. These styles are now back on the shelves, and definitely endured the test of time.

In this decade you could get away with wearing skin-tight pants one day and baggy “MC Hammer” pants the next. During what other time period could you wear leg warmers, a sweater, and a miniskirt at the same time (and in electric neon colors)? That’s what makes the ‘80s so crazy and unusual.

The clothes worn in the ‘80s have depicted people who essentially were trying to find themselves. People looked certain ways to express creativity and individuality. Men tended to wear heavy makeup and grow long hair.

Women had short hair and wore several layers of clothing. During this era, accessories were a high impact. For this reason, large flashy accessories were proudly displayed with many people. Earring were large hoops, or long and dangly. Necklaces, bangles and bracelets were layered or long.

When it comes to dressing for the upcoming courtwarming dance or wanting to bring back the ‘80s, don’t be held back by your ‘90s and ‘00s sensibilities – just go for it. Add the extra layer of blush or blue eyeliner, put on some legwarmers, and pile on a couple more bracelets. Moderation is for the other decades – have some fun with your outfit.

The ‘80s look is all about color, volume, and abundance. Whether the 80s fashion agrees with you or not, you must admit it showed a uniqueness and freshness that had not been seen for a while. Girls adopted the styles of Madonna or Cindy Lauper while the guys styled themselves off Wham or Michael Jackson.

This was the ‘80s and with it came a new freedom of expression.

Try out the 80s look by attending the upcoming Courtwarming Dance on February 11 at 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm in the old Gym. Tickets are $15 for couples and $10 for a single ticket. pages designed by: heatherkennard

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Served steamin’ hot, and stuffed way over code, get ready to enjoy your meatiest, cheesiest, feastiest, tastiest sub ever.

Tiffany Springs Market Center, 8934 NW Skyview Ave (in front of the Home Depot), 816-505-FIRE (3473) Š 2010 Firehouse Subs.

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WE HAVE SPACE! *Contact newspaper advisor Sally Beran at berans@parkhill.k12.mo.us or call 816-359-6238.