The View issue 2 vol 19

South’s scares come not from witches and monsters, but real life horror and ghosts

pg. 12

9 11

17 19

22

5

7 16

20

TABLE OF CONTENTS Issue 2, Vol. 19 October 13, 2016

Letter From

the Editor How does this affect me? I mean really, a kid I don’t know commited suicide, I don’t have any mental illnesses, I don’t have any interest in joining the yoga club AND religion isn’t that important to me. So why should I read the paper, or watch the news? Well, I’ll tell you why keeping up with current events is so important and how it can actually affect you.

For one thing, knowledge is power. Knowing what is going on around you provides you with knowledge, understanding what is going on around you can be transformed into something greater. Gaining information means gaining control over conversion and controversial issues.

Connect the dots on what’s becoming a very small world. South is a big school, but when you are up to date on what is going on, it can make the world or the school seem like a smaller place. You get a glimpse into the lives of people you may not know, and learn that they aren’t so different from you.

It’s actually wonderful to be able to get a look into the world from the outside. There are countries such as China and North Korea where the news is censored and people are only shown “good” news, while real issues are hidden.

We are blessed as a school to be able to publish the things we do. The fact that our school’s newspaper is able to scrape past surface level topics and talk about the real issues we face is astounding. Suicide, mental illness and religion are fragile subjects. The news is eye opening. It pops your inner bubble and exposes you to everyone and everything.

In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.”

This expresses yet another reason why the news is so important: educated opinion forming. All too often I’ll hear someone ranting on something they heard about, and their information is extremely wrong.

“Well where did you hear that” “Oh the internet.” Are you kidding me? Sites like Wikipedia can be edited, information from blogs such as Reddit and Tumblr are opinion-based and rarely have direct links to where the information came from. How are you supposed to form your own educated opinion on an issue if you aren’t learning from the source?

Watch the news, read the news, be informed. Don’t get left behind.

Sincerely, Anna Preuss 16-17 Editor in Chief

5 7 9 11 16 17 19 20 22

Living With a Different Mind Getting the Show on the Field Let’s Go Clubbin’!

The Young Faithful Flipside: Colin Kaeper-Sit? South Spooks Small Team, Small Splash Seniors on the SIdelines Spiking All the Way to State

STAFF

Editor in Chief Anna Preuss Section Editors Adam Frazier Lexi Maddox Bret Vanice Hailey Deeds Art Director Cienna Newett Reporters Ben Becker Elyssa Bezner Brendan Briody Grace Dieleman Nick Distefano Max Ghasemi Arturo Gomez Hannah Graves Cristine Gurrola Ellie Knechtel Joe Leluga Natalie Masters Sage Norsworthy Tripp Parsons Garrett Osbourn Amelia Raspberry Raquel Reid Alex Rodriguez Michaela Santana Adviser Megan Palmer

The View is published eight times during the regular school year as the student news publication of Park Hill South High School in Riverside, Mo. Opinions expressed here are that of the student journalists and do not necessarily ref lect the opinions of the Park Hill School District.

To access the editorial policies or to submit a letter to the editor, visit our website at phsview.com.

The View is a member of Nastional Scholastic Press Association and the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association and is printed by Osage Graphics in Olathe, Kan.

news

4

A Road Less Travelled “N

By Hailey Deeds by HAILEY DEEDS

South works to find a way to prevent suicide amongst students.

o death is good, but suicide is a different level. It’s not an accident, it’s not an act of cruelty. It’s an act of sadness, but also an act of relief,” said Wyatt Miller, junior.

According to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US and the third leading cause of death for ages 15-24 in Missouri. Each year, 42,773 Americans die by suicide, and it affects not only the close friends and family of the individual, but the community as a whole.

“Suicide affects the community in a way that other deaths don’t,” said Miller. “It’s the fact knowing, they did it to themselves because they felt that no one was there for them affects the community a little more. We didn’t just lose someone, but we feel like we could have helped. We just didn’t know how.”

Many people who attempt or commit suicide are diagnosed with a mental illness, usually depression, or prior trauma. But the leading cause to suicide varies with each case. It’s hard to detect someone who is suicidal, but it’s even harder for them to ask for help. It’s important to look out for signs, which vary person to person.

Some of these signs, according to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, are outlandish behavior, withdrawing from activities, overly compassionate, sleeping too much or too little and even sudden consumption of alcohol.

Unlike most schools, South has its own student counselors called Natural Helpers. They are designed to help students find professional help in and outside of school, but also designed to be a friend.

“Natural Helpers is a club who helps kids with stress, depression or even homework. Right now, we are working on making a Twitter, email account, Instagram and posters with our contacts,” Erica Davis, sophomore, said.

90%

Natural Helpers is right now working on creating a more individual peer model where they can pair students with Natural Helpers.

It’s important that if you know someone who is thinking about committing to tell an adult or call the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-272-8255 to learn more about ways to provide assistance and find local prevention resources.

“Things I hear a lot are that students that are struggling with those thoughts will plead to peers that they share that with to not tell,” Andy Schuerman, Counselor, I understand, that is a desire, but I don’t know any friend who has regretted seeking help for another friend who’s threatening suicide. I only know friends on the other side of that who did not do that and now feel terrible because their friend completed it.”

South counselors and social workers are looking into more practices for suicide prevention. South’s counselors see practices from two perspectives, one being individual perspective, which means working with students who are struggling with those feelings and thoughts, and then a school wide perspective, in terms of preventing suicide.

Suicide is a hard subject to reach people on, but in the words of Miller, “You’re not alone. There’s people who’ve had these thoughts as well. We are all here for you, you just have to ask. It’s tough - the road is not going to be easy. It’s one less travelled, but you can always hop on the road with the rest of us and we can help you through it.”

Suicide kills more people than car crashes or any other cause of injury, according to the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. With the help of everyone looking out for signs, we can save lives and make others more aware of suicide.

26.7%

of people who commit suicide have a mental disorder, substance abuse problem or both

Men represent

49.9%

78.8% of all U.S. suicides

80%-90%

of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy/medication

7 in 100,000 youth ages 15-19 die by suicide each year

suicide deaths are by firearm

1 25

suicide deaths are by suffocations

suiicides for every attempts

EVERy 40

seconds there is one death by suicide in the world

15.9%

suicide deaths are by poisoning

5

news

A look into the lives of students with mental disorders

by ELLIE KNECHTEL A student is walking down the hallway wearing earbuds. They are staring at the ground doing their best to avoid others. You think nothing of it; many students do the same thing. What you don’t know is that the student you see lives in a world completely different from your own.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder According to National Alliance of Mental Health, one in five children ages 13-18 have, or will have a serious mental illness. That means that on average, there could be six students with a mental illness in every class of 30 at South.

Eight percent of youth have an anxiety disorder and no one knows this statistic better than junior Hope Conrad.

At the age of 14, Conrad was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) describes generalized anxiety disorder as persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things.

GAD makes it hard to focus and complete normal tasks easily done by other students.

“I don’t have a fear of any people in any of my classes but anytime I have to speak in front of them, I get really bad anxiety,” Conrad said.

Panic attacks can also be a result of high anxiety.

The ADAA describes panic attacks as an abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes. “[It feels] like the world is in the control of me,” Conrad said.

Often medical professionals will prescribe medication. Conrad is no exception to this and takes Prozac and Intuniv everyday.

Depression

hopeless and sadness.

“Sometimes I feel sad for no reason,” Quattlebaum said. “I could be having a great day and it’s still, like, at a low point,” Post Traumatic Stress Disorder The word “triggered” has become common to hear in our society. Unfortunately, it is being used in the wrong context. Urban Dictionary describes it as a topic, phrase or word that emotionally sets someone off. The psychological definition of “triggered” is actually experiencing symptoms of PTSD because of stimuli in the environment.

Junior Valor Bowles lives with symptoms of his Stage 2 PTSD every day.

“Constant nightmares, constant uncontrollable emotions, most of my emotions I couldn’t control were anger and rage,” Bowles said.

It is a common misconception that PTSD is caused from being involved in war. Bowles is an example of PTSD being caused by events that did not occur on a battlefield.

“I ended up getting PTSD from five years of physical and emotional abuse,” Bowles said.

This abuse was a daily occurrence of which Bowles was the only victim. Of course, he couldn’t hide forever and his family began to notice his out of character behavior.

“My family noticed I was lashing out at them more, I was just acting way different than I was before I got diagnosed,” said Bowles.

For Bowles, the anger and lashing out makes school days very difficult.

“I try as hard as I can to stay positive… but this is high school... there’s always gonna be things that can make someone angry and anger is the biggest thing I have to control,” said Bowles.

With the support of friends, Bowles is more able to get through each day and manage his anger.

“A lot of people have helped me out with it…[my closest friends] all know because I felt comfortable talking about it,” he said.

It is important to remember that reaching out and asking for help is an important step on the road to recovery.

“Just a note to anybody who’s going through problems,” said Bowles, “it’s okay to talk to people.”

“[It feels] like the world is in control of me.”

The National Institute of Mental Health reported that in 2014, an estimated 2.8 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.

Sophomore Sean Quattlebaum was diagnosed with depression when he was in eighth grade.

“I went to the doctor for birth control originally, but I asked about testing for [depression] because I didn’t want to call myself anything without a legit diagnosis,” Quattlebaum said.

A diagnosis of depression does not imply continuous feelings of

Normal Brain

Depression

PTSD

Normal Brain

news

6

A Student’s Guide to the election

With America’s well being hanging in the balance, you can’t choose a better election to get out and vote

S

taying involved at South is one way to make sure you are ready for the election on Nov. 8.

“Everybody must watch, read, and consume information from both sides, and stay involved,” said Kirk Henry, social studies, and sponsor of The Young Republicans.

Being an educated member of society, when it comes to one of the touchiest subjects in America, is a major quality among citizens. Getting into heated arguments turning into mean name calling, and physical confrontation, over information that may not be true, isn’t considered staying involved at South.

That’s why two peaceful playing grounds have come to life here at South: The Young Republicans Club and The Young Democrats Club.

“We want to teach about our country’s policies, foster conversation, and allow them to see opportunity, and get involved with local politicians,” said Brad Peck, social studies, and sponsor of The Young Democrats Club.

These two after school activities are targeted at individuals interested in coming to common ground peacefully, while discussing policies and consuming as much important info possible.

If you aren’t about physical appearances, and wish to stay private, than no problem. Staying involved via social media is a possibility at South. @PHSView on Twitter will consistently be posting polls throughout the election to stay updated on student opinions from debates, and general polls.

As a citizen of America, 18 and over, it is your right to go out, and voice your opinion. However, before you make that big decision, inform yourself, and research as much as possible. Not only on your own, but at school as well, participate in activities, polls through social media, and after school activities.

by GARRETT OSBOURN

“Everybody must watch, read and consume information from both sides and stay involved.”

-KIRK HENRY, SOCIAL STUDIES

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

Keeping up with the election itself can be a hard task. Not to worry though as there are tons of apps that can help you.

270 to win

270toWin is an app that maps which states are leaning left, and which are leaning right. It also shows states that are still undecided. This is important to keep track of due to the close poll numbers being released by certain media outlets, meaning that when leads are taken, it can mean a potential big win coming for said candidate.

Ballopedia

Ballotpedia researches and produces information on both Republicans and Democrats. They provide individual profiles for every potential candidate. When you get the app you’ll notice a clock ticking down to the general election on Nov. 8.

Rock The Vote

HOLDING STEADY

This app is dedicated to keeping the millennial population informed and includes tutorials on how to register to vote, polling locations for your designated general election day, and an easy way to check your registration status.

Donald Trump shows a slight gain over the course of one month among surveyed South voters

25

DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2016

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

If you’re 18 and haven’t registered to vote yet, it’s so easy with HELLO VOTE:

text “HELLO” to 384-387

7

news

Convention

CHAOS CHAOS STUCO hosted their District Convention at South on Sept. 30

D

ating back to 1985, Bands of America has become a phenomenon. Now 32 years later South’s marching band will be joining the competition on Oct. 21- 22 in St. Louis, Mo. Still confused on what it means? Bands of America is a marching band competition where schools can compete against each other.

Members of marching band feel that BOA is going to be exciting, and a way to meet new people.

“I think it’s going to be good spending time with each other, and getting to know upperclassmen,” said Hannah Womack, sophomore f lute and mellophone.

However, some band members do have some worries. Some are concerned that while on the field they will forget their note, or what position to be in.

“Obviously the competition part will be a little bit of a worry, because we are going against so many amazing bands, and so that’s going to be exciting to see, but we’re still going to be friendly about it,” said Connor Willis, sophomore f lute.

Last time South’s marching band was in Bands of America was Oct. 20, 2012. In most competitions there are auditions. This year the marching band was invited, and since they have been invited they will prepare themselves very well.

Getting the SHOW ON THE FIELD

South’s Marching Band prepares for prestigious Bands of America competition in mid-October

by CRISTINE GURROLA

by CRISTINE GURROLA

L

ast month, while most students enjoyed a day off, STUCO hosted the NW District Convention. South was President of districts so had the opportunity to plan and host the entire event.

Some STUCO members were excited to see how it would go.

“I have been in STUCO all four years, so I think it’ll be cool to see how from my freshman year to now my senior year how we have improved,”said Brooke Montgomery, senior and STUCO president.

Inside the convention there was a conference where Montgomery and Matthew Dieleman, senior, were emcees. They shared the Homecoming theme and lots of other information with other STUCO groups that were here on Sept. 30.

During the convention they concentrated on three rings of leadership: Service, Problem Solving and Communication. There were also small workshops set up, allowing students to work on activities that would help with leadership and teambuilding.

“It’ll be my first time being a part of the convention, and it’s a great honor to host Districts, so I think it’ll run pretty smoothly,”said Julia Stephens, sophomore.

Some STUCO members worried about how time crunched it was pulling all of the plans for Districts together the week after Homecoming. In the end, though, the convention was successful and students who attended were impressed with their time under STUCO’s “Big Top.”

FEATURES

8

Seeing Double Seeing Double

Three pairs of look-a-likes at South, but who are the twins and who are the friends?

“ All of our friends, we do the same activities, and our personalities are similar but not exactly,” explained Taryn Brown, freshman, talking about all the things that she and her identical twin sister, Taylor Brown, freshman, have in common.

Taylor and Taryn both play basketball and tennis, but they have slightly different personalities and their traits vary in several ways. Taylor explained that she is organized than her sister.

“She would probably disagree, but, I think I am more outgoing and talkative,” said

Taryn regarding their differences.

They spend a lot of their time together, and, like most sisters, they do not always get along. “ We get along most of the time, if we fight it is over something that we should not fight about, like who is doing what chores,” said Taryn.

Many people find it hard to tell the two apart, but Taylor has a scar on her eyebrow and Taryn is taller.

Rachel & Valerie Taylor & Taryn “She basically lives at my house,” said Valerie Cullers, senior, about her best friend Rachel Borzu, senior.

Both Cullers and Borzu are unsure exactly what led to them becoming such good friends, though Rachel noted, “We both moved here from different places.”

Now they consider each other sisters and, though they only met freshman year, they are extremely close and spend virtually every day together.

“My mom considers her a second daughter,’ Cullers said, smiling.

The pair are often mistaken for sisters, or even twins, but they are just as different as they are similar.

Borzu and Cullers agree that they have common interests and similar styles, but they noted that they look and act different in a lot of ways.

“ We look nothing alike,”

exclaimed Borzu, “I think it’s the hair.”

Jake & Josh “We both look alike, even when we are not twinning and our personalities are similar,” said Jake

Prososki, senior, about himself and his brother, Josh Prososki, freshman.

The Prososki brothers do resemble each other and have similar personalities, but they are involved in different things at South. Jake runs track and cross country while Josh plays basketball.

The brothers are good friends and are often together, more so at home than at school.

“We usually get along, when we fight it is usually over something little like chores,” said Josh.

The majority of the time they are together is spent working out or getting food, they said they spend as much time together as they can since their age difference means they have different friends and also have different interests.

“I’m more of a quiet guy, and Josh is more talkative,” explained Jake.

by LEXI MADDOX

Let’s go

9

Clubbin’!

BEST BUDDIES

Science Club is a club that strives to create a community among students with similar interest in science. This isn’t your typical science class, as club members participate in experiments to inspire them to do their own learning outside of class.

It meets in room W201 every 2nd and 4th Tuesday. They participate in Science Olympiad, a national competition that exposes students to various kinds of expirements and career choices.

PHS YOGIS Many students find school stressful; if you want to relieve some of that stress, join PHS Yogis. They meet every Tuesday at 6:15 a.m. in the Dance room.

“Research shows that stress can drop a student’s behavior and test performance. It doesn’t stop there-this club can also provide stress relief for teachers, too,”said Deana Bindel, sponsor.

“Best Buddies is an international club that promotes friendships between peers with disabilities and peers who don’t,” said Sarah McDaniels, special education.

She said the club was formed to make an everlasting bond that goes beyond high school.

The club meets every other Thursday during tutorial in C106. If you’re interested there’s a Remind Me group chat that is heavily suggested for you to sign up.

SCIENCE CLUB

FEATURES South is full of newly formed clubs--which one will interest you?

by ARTURO GOMEZ

KEY CLUB

Key Club is a community service club with the mission to get South’s name and help local charity. It meets first and third Tuesdays in room B202, with meetings lasting around 20 minutes.

“Key club provides service to our community and helps us grow as leaders” said Meredith Williams, Sponsor.

The beauty of the club is that anyone can be in it, and it’s more of a relaxed NHS with no GPA or attendance requirements. You can help your community with your mind at ease, and your friends by your side.

VIDEOGAME CLUB “Video Game Club is a community of gamers who get together every other Tuesday, that meets in room B201,” said Melanie Gorges, sponsor.

They schedule a variety of different tournaments with potential prizes. It’s a great way to share common interests with other people around school and have fun gaming together.

FEATURES

10

Millennial A seniors

Freshmen and Seniors have a lot that separates them beyond age

by BRET VANICE

A

GAP

vs

freshmen

difference of four years can mean more than you think. That seems to be the case in high school at least.

Every school year, there is a new class of freshmen who are new to the school and unfamiliar with the way that high school works.

To go along with that, maybe an even more prominent group of people is the new class of seniors.

The differences between these two classes can vary, but there are quite a few of them. Besides the obvious differences, like size, there are more prominent things that set these two apart.

Ryan Powers, senior, said, “One of the biggest differences between seniors and freshmen are the mindsets. For us, we know that this is our last year, but for them, they just started and have a lot more to look forward to.”

Having a different mindset can lead to a lot of behavioral differences.

Ty Rouse, freshman, said, “[Seniors] are a lot more mature than us. I think that comes from the experiences that they have like driving and having more freedom.”

Driving is one of the biggest parts of maturing into an adult. It teaches young people responsibility because they are responsible for their actions.

Powers said, “Experiencing driving and more responsibilities helps you mature, because then you can get a job and have more freedom.”

Maturity is an obvious difference between these two. A weird, less obvious difference is that all freshmen were born after the year 2000.

Unless you are an ultra-genius, seniors are ‘90s kids (technically).

Although they may not remember the ‘90s, they were still alive for it.

With that, there are plenty of events from the early 2000s that most freshmen wouldn’t remember, while some seniors have vivid memories of them.

An example of this would be 9/11, the deadliest terrorist attack on America ever.

“I remember on 9/11 my parents were on a honeymoon in Mexico and their plane got delayed because of the attacks and they had to stay another day,” said Powers.

A strange thing to think about is that seniors experienced this first hand, but freshmen have to learn about it as a historical event.

Emily Ditto, senior, said, “I think it’s important to be educated on matters that happened even when they weren’t alive for it. They shouldn’t be clueless to the biggest terrorist attack on America, especially because the world changed after what happened.”

With that, there are differences in the childhoods of seniors versus freshmen.

“I think a lot of things are different, I didn’t have any social media until I was in seventh grade and I think that these kids grew up with

it. Same with cellphones. I didn’t get my first cell phone until I was in sixth grade. I don’t think there is anything wrong with them having these things earlier, but it is definitely a major difference in the way we grew up,” said Ditto.

Besides these differences are things that set the two groups apart in a local environment.

Ditto said, “I think athletic events suck for every freshman and I don’t think that will ever change, because they could be yelling at the top of their lungs and will still be blamed for not being loud enough (even though we all know that’s not the case), but those events get more fun with age.”

A very relevant difference between freshmen and seniors, especially this year, is the ability to vote. A lot of students have strong political views, but seniors actually get a chance to vote on theirs.

“It’s cool to be able to vote this year because talking about politics actually has meaning now since I’m 18. When you are a freshmen, you can have opinions, but in the end, it doesn’t matter because they won’t be able to vote when the election comes,” said Jake Kline, senior.

Seniors and freshmen will always be different, but right now may be the most different they’ve ever been.

DisapPointing Facts About the Class of 2020 - Born in the year Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears broke up - N64’s are a historical artifact - The Krusty Krab was 3 years old when they were born - They are younger then “The Fairly Odd Parents”

11

“Who do you believe in? Is it Buddah, Jehovah, or Jah? Or Allah? Is it Jesus? Is it God? Or is just yourself? Definitely not to be imposed, being a demon. Because this is the joy of believing.”

--2 Pac, “Who Do You Believe In?” The wise words of 2 Pac demonstrate the broad subject that is religion. There are so many pieces underneath the umbrella of religion, and students at South are equally diverse in their beliefs.

Faisa Hassan, sophomore, is a strong believer in Islam, and practices the Five Pillars in her daily life. The Islamic belief is monotheistic and maintains that Jesus was not the Son of God. “I am Muslim, so I believe that the prophet Muhammad is the messenger [of God],” said Hassan.

Hassan maintains that she has not explored other religions yet but says that Islam just makes sense to her. She likes the structure of the religion and how she is never confused as to what she needs to do within the practices.

Hassan has been the subject of prejudice and judgement because of her religion, and even has experienced it at South. She feels that Islam has gotten a bad reputation because of ISIS but she has read the entire Quran and has even memorized it. Hassan maintains it is not the religion, but the people that are doing terrible acts and those acts are contradictory to Islam.

“It is a religion of peace, but I feel like [the media] kind of takes that away,” said Hassan.

Another student at South with an ardent faith is senior leader of the FCA, Kayla Stokes.

She is a Christian and grew up in the church.

“I believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that he died for my sins,” said Stokes.

Stokes also goes to The Cause, which is a non-denominational church that started

meeting at South this semester. She broke away from her old church recently because of differing opinions on many things, and wanted to be around people her own age.

Stokes feels people make many assumptions about her because of her faith, like assuming she is perfect or crazy and judgemental. She says she is very open and far from judgemental.

“I was raised to be respectful of all people no matter what the background,” said Stokes.

“I was raised to be respectful of all people no matter what the background.”

Another student who has experienced being judged because of her faith is senior Emma Patterson. Patterson is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints, more commonly known as being Mormon.

Patterson has been asked many questions about her faith because of common stereotypes, such as that all Mormons practice polygamy, or the practice of marrying multiple people. People also believe Mormons worship Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, but in reality, they worship God. “We do believe that every religion has truth in it, so we don’t talk down other churches. We believe every church has truth in it, we just believe we have the whole truth,” said Patterson.

FEATURES

Patterson has also been called out as “not a real Mormon” because she does not live in Utah, because obviously all Mormons live in Utah.

The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints is not a cult, or an exclusive secret society. The Mormon faith is very open, proved by the missionaries that go door-to-door to share their faith, and do a lot of charity work.

Junior Rowan Wilson is a special case.

Wilson is Agnostic, but has her own ideas on what that means. Agnosticism is a very broad term, so she defines it the way she wants to. She personally sees it as a person’s afterlife is whatever they believed it would be.

Wilson does not believe in a physical God, but more of an entity that cannot communicate with anyone on Earth. She feels that her beliefs differ from so many others because it is a more of a maybe than a yes or a no.

“It’s not definitive. It’s up to you, just live your life, and don’t hurt anybody else. I see it as a very peaceful belief,” said Wilson.

Wilson said she has taken to Agnosticism because she feels it is a very casual belief. It does not take over her life, and she just sees her faith as a fact in the back of her mind.

“I think I settled on being agnostic because it doesn’t deny or confirm anything, and therefore it can’t hurt anyone,” said Wilson.

South is a very diverse place, with many belief systems and religions. There are many more than listed here, and each has a little bit of truth in it. People differ on who has the ‘real’ truth, but nonetheless, the struggle between religions and denominations is not necessary. Coexistence is key.

A different perspective on the various religions of South

YOUNG FAITHFUL

by ELYSSA BEZNER

FEATURES

11

These three real life killers were far scarier than any Halloween goblins

by HANNAH GRAVES Jeffrey Dahmer, otherwise known as “The Milwaukee Cannibal”, was charged and convicted in 1991 for the rape and murder of 17 young men and boys between the years of 1978 and 1991.

Dahmer’s case was famous for the shocking involvement of necrophilia, cannibalism, and dismemberment of the victims. The average night of Jeffrey Dahmer included either drugging, or luring a young man from a local bath house, bringing him back to Dahmer’s home (where he lived with his grandmother) and engaging in sex with or without consent of the victim. The murder (from strangulation, to stabbing) would occur preceding many horrifying experiments on the victims including botched lobotomies, or placing the dismembered body into a strange position to be photographed. When Dahmer was arrested for the last time, he was found to be in possession of these photographs as well as several severed heads in his fridge. Dahmer was sentenced to 16 life sentences, but was beaten to death by a fellow inmate on Nov. 24, 1994.

Ted Bundy: the Angel of Decay, bringing the name “lady killer” to a new meaning. Known for his charm and charisma, Theodore Robert Bundy lured, kidnapped, raped and killed a presumed 100 women (although he was charged with 36). People wonder, how could a person pull off over 100 killings without being suspected? Well, he made it very easy for his victims to be completely at ease. Sometimes wearing a fake cast, or his arm in a sling, or even impersonating a police officer, he’d ask a young lady (usually strangely resembling a certain young lady who’d broken off a relationship with Bundy years earlier) to help him carry something to his car.

These ladies trusted him, and did not feel threatened due to his articulate, and charismatic nature, charm and good looks. Once they were in or close enough to his car, they’d be struck on the head with a crowbar or pipe and handcuffed; imobilized. Bundy would strangle these women to death. In some cases he would simply intrude someone’s home and bludgeon the victim to death while they slept.

Bundy was known for manipulating the corpses by moving them from scene to scene, dismembering or decapitating them as mementos, or continuing to rape them until the decomposition and putrefaction became unbearable. Ted Bundy was sentenced to death and executed by electric chair on Jan. 21, 1989.

John Wayne Gacy is one of the most notorious serial killers in history. This man, out of the others, brings to life the most common halloween fear: a Killer Clown. Gacy enjoyed dressing up like a clown while entertaining sick kids; it made him feel as if he had regressed back in to childhood, and like he could be as goofy and ridiculous has he wanted with nobody judging him. Between the years of 1972 and 1978, John Gacy kidnapped, raped and murdered 33 young men and boys. Sometimes using his alter ego, “Pogo” the Clown, he would abduct young boys, bind and rape them, kill them (usually by a practiced strangulation technique) then burythem in a crawlspace in his home where he lived with his wife and two small children. 29 bodies of the 33 victims were carried out of that home on Dec. 21, 1978, and John Wayne Gacy was arrested for the last time. He was executed by lethal injection on the morning of May 10, 1994.

12

While others are spending over $50 on fake haunted houses downtown, I decided to only spend $10 to tour the real thing at the Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas.

by MICHAELA SANTANA

T

he 50 minute drive into Atchison f lew by and once we arrived, you could instantly tell the atmosphere felt off, it was unnerving. Natalie Masters, junior, and Max Ghasemi, junior, tagged along to witness the real life haunts with me.

Atchison’s most known haunted events occurred in the Sallie House. The Sallie house got its name from a legend that dates back to 1905. Charles Finney was a doctor who practiced in his very own home. An ill child named Sallie came to seek help from Finney. He diagnosed her with appendicitis and immediately rushed her into surgery.

Finney unfortunately didn’t wait for the anesthesia to take its full effect and during the first incision Sallie came to.

After fighting from the pain she eventually passed. Keep in mind this is simply a legend.

Now, fast forward to 1993.

Tony and Debra Pickman moved into the house with their newborn son. Sallie made an almost immediate appearance. During the short time the Pickman’s lived there Sallie pulled frequent pranks, such as turning electrical appliances on and off, turning pictures upside down, and scattering their child’s toys all over the f loor.

Not long after these harmless pranks the supernatural activities turned sinister and Tony was usually the target.

The Pickman’s had the television crew “Sightings” come film their house for their next episode. While the crew was there most of them were attacked in some way. Scratches, hair pulling, burning, and welts all played a factor in the attacks.

After a psychic visited their home he concluded that it wasn’t Sallie responsible for the harmful attacks but in fact someone else, a ghostly older woman.

Eventually the young couple could no longer take the attacks and moved out.

Curiosity struck and I was determined to go see the house for myself with Masters and Ghasemi by my side.

Before we walked into the house we were anxious and nervous to see what was to come. When we walked inside we surprisingly felt welcomed. But as we made our way down into the basement that is when the feeling shifted, and I felt quite uncomfortable. Our two tour guides, Denise and Ron Pridemore, are a part of the Pridemore Paranormal Research group. Denise is the founder of PPR and was eager to tell us all about her experience in the Sallie house.

Denise f lipped through photographs of the bruises and scratches she has received in the house from the past five years of her working in there.

“I completely believe that there is a spirit in this house,” said Denise.

We followed Ron down into the basement where he explained that it was where most of the paranormal activities occurred. While I was taking pictures in the basement I noticed a huge hole in the wall. I started taking pictures of it when the camera randomly stopped working. Ron explained that cameras in the basement can turn off like that, and happens all the time. Oddly enough, it started working moments later.

Ghasemi said, “The house and the people in it gave off a spooky vibe, the basement looked like something off of The Conjuring.”

We continued touring the house and saw a child’s room, a guest room, and the master bedroom. We were told the master rooms closet also contained a lot of paranormal activities.

Although nothing seriously scary happened, Denise mentioned that we came on a good day, where the house is still and calm. If you happen to visit and tour the house and it still doesn’t convince you of the strange activities happening there, look into overnight visits. That will surely make you believe in the unimaginable.

FEATURES

OPINION

PVCH

14 As the temperature and the leaves drop, the weather isn’t the only thing that changes as fall rolls around. The drink menus at most coffee shops change as well, due to the addition of pumpkin f lavored drinks for the season. I visited a few coffee shops around our area to find some of the best fall f lavored drinks in Kansas City.

by NATALIE MASTERS

The first fall-f lavored drink I tried was at Parkville Coffeehouse in downtown Parkville. I ordered an iced pumpkin pie latte. It was very sweet tasting, but in a good way.It’s more sugary than a pumpkin spice latte to make up for the lack of the spice f lavor, which is good for people with a sweet tooth.

KALDI’S

The baked maple pumpkin latte I got at Kaldi’s coffee in Briarcliff had less of a sweet taste and more of a coffee taste which I appreciate.

It’s a drink I would like in the morning. It woke me up the most out of all the seasonal drinks I tried.

SCOOTER’S

At the Scooter’s Coffee drive thru I switched things up a little and ordered a pumpkin pie smoothie.

It was definitely the most refreshing of the fall f lavored drinks. I would recommend it for one of the sunnier fall days.

The whipped cream and pumpkin spice sprinkled on top really topped it off.

CARIBOU

STARBUCKS

And last but not least, I couldn’t go without trying the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. It was the perfect balance of sweetness and the pumpkin spice. It was similar to the pumpkin pie white mocha from Caribou, but less sugary tasting which made it better tasting to me.

15

One new easy-going hobby is taking fall by storm

15

OPINION OPINION

By BRENDAN BRIODY

S

“

The world is

so peaceful

when everyone

“

waying back and forth, the wind gently blows across your face. The sun is barely peeking out from the clouds, warming your still body.

Sounds of birds, running water, and people litter your ears. Finally, you don’t have to worry about school, sports, activities, or whatever else you have. Just you, your hammock, and relaxation.

Enoing, better known as hammocking, has become a very popular hobby among South students. From people posting pictures on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook of them actually hammocking to people finding secret spots and keeping them only for themselves, South has taken hammocking and made it a after school activity.

There are many places around South to snag a hammock. The most common would be just to get it online. Google search “eno” and the first link will give you what you need. If you’re not all for online Dick’s Sporting Goods has them on their top f loor.

“I just actually looked on amazon,” said Emily Stone, senior. “ They have an eno section on amazon and it was super easy to purchase.”

Before purchasing, make sure and determine what kind you need.

There are ones for just a single person and “double nesters” which are made for two. Also make sure that you’ve got the straps--these are sold separately, but are going to be right where you purchase your hammock.

Time and place are everything when you go hammocking. Whether it’s at the park, at the lake with your friends, or just in your backyard.

“Have it not be annoyingly hot, being very sticky is the worst. Find a good spot in the shade and on the cooler days, bring blankets and pillows,” said Grace Collins, sophomore. “The fall or spring morning are a great time to hammock. The world is so peaceful when everyone hasn’t woken up yet.”

Lucky for all you guys, it is the perfect time to get into hammocking.

“Fall is by far the best season to hammock in,” said Noelle Hannika, sophomore. “I think that’s true thinking for a lot of people at south. If you’re wearing a hoodie outside, then it mostly perfect to hammock in.”

Determining where to hammock is everything. With South being so close to English Landing Park, a place by the river is very relaxing. But feel free to explore places--downtown parks.

“I really enjoy going to Loose Park,” said Christian Ludtke, sophomore.

“The views down there are amazing. Breathtaking actually.”

If you’re going to borrow one from a friend, drop some money and buy one yourself, or try and make one yourself, hop on hammocking. It’s relaxing, a stress reliever, and everyone’s doing it.

hasn’t woken up yet.

16

Colin

Kaeper-SIT?

NO

When dissecting Colin Kaepernick's case for protest, it is clear that his actions have only placed more distance between the two most conf licting backgrounds in America. No actual change came to help push out black inequality in America.

Whether his disrespect towards America's troops was intentional or not, his actions have only tainted the reputation of the Black Lives Matter movement even more than it already has been.

Kaepernick having the right to protest and kneel is not the problem or argument to be made. The issue with his so called “protest” is that it was executed in a poor manner that trashes America.

Kneeling during the national anthem and not standing, hand over heart, attentive, is highly offensive to the American troops who fight and die for the freedoms we have today, and the freedoms Kaepernick has very much benefited from. For Kaepernick to disrespect the very men and women who gave him the right to free speech is incredibly ignorant.

Although his claim for protest is legitimate and a cause worth fighting for, the cause is not his to fight. Kaepernick is in no place to speak out about inequalities considering his pockets are multi million dollars deep. Kaepernick has lived an extremely privileged life coming from a wealthy adopted family who has helped to support his dreams. He stands on the backs of equality, while shouting inequality. Let's take a look at Kaepernick’s own occupation: 68 percent of NFL players are black and have benefited greatly from the equal opportunity they have been given under America’s great constitution.

Even if Kaepernick’s protest has stirred conversation on the matter, his protest has not been effective at making actual change.

In fact Kaepernick has never been on the frontlines, fighting the real fight against inequality.

The way he executed his protest was in a very disgraceful manner. He could’ve done something that doesn’t put the f lag and our country to shame. There is a plethora of other ways of protest that are much more effective, and much less disrespectful.

For one, Kaepernick could help fuel the movement to push out inequality by funding Black Lives Matter with his incredibly deep pockets. Since Kaepernick seems to care so much about the cause, maybe if Kaepernick took out the same amount of money he just spent on his brand new $100,000 Jaguar he could grant change and help fight for his people in a more promising manner.

Praising the NFL player’s poor attempt to stir up change against black inequality is shameful when his protest disrespects the frontline troops fighting for our freedoms, which include equality.

This is a battle of law vs ethics. You can legally choose to burn the American f lag but is it an ethical way of protest? No.

by SAGE NORSWORTHY & RAQUEL REID

FLIP SIDE

FLIP SIDE

OPINION

YES

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The nation is in dire need of creative extremists.” This is not to be confused with actions of some extremists such as terrorism and hate crimes.

The f lag represents freedom, the freedom to choose whether to stand or not. Kaepernick has the right to choose to stand or sit, just as others have the right to disagree with him.

Emotionally, we love our country, we are proud citizens. Men and women have given their lives for our freedom of choice, just as Kaepernick has the FREEDOM to choose to sit or stand. Being a true supporter of freedom means supporting someone's ability to stand or sit.

The people who are trying to silence Kaepernick, well, we believe that is even more disrespectful to the f lag. We say this as people who do not necessarily support his actions, but are supporters of freedom. It’s not freedom if you are picking and choosing whose side gets it. There are people who are hatefully protesting in the streets against different cultures AND American soldiers in our country- yet Kaepernick’s choice to sit is what has the whole country up in arms.

The Boston Tea Party is considered an heroic act of our country’s fight to break off from Great Britain, but at the time was considered a civil disobedience. It was loud and disrespectful, but we celebrate this misbehavior openly now.

Kaepernick’s protest was silent, but heard loud and clear. Mass media, Twitter feeds, and news networks have blown up about Kaepernick’s decision to sit during the National Anthem. And, yes, Kaepernick’s a NFL player who makes big bucks, and yes, he could have raised awareness other ways, but look at the response he got out of it. Kaepernick is using his fame, knowing he’ll get hate, knowing he might have to sit,out lose sponsorships, lose respect of fellow NFL players to show what he believes; that there is discrimination going on in this country and that it is wrong.

His intentions were not to be disrespectful, but to draw attention to the issue of our country’s social injustice;the unfair treatment of African Americans by policemen and more literally, discrimination.

“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and [officers] getting paid leave and getting away with murder,” Kaepernick said.

Kaepernick’s protest was harmless, he sat for something he stood for- something he felt wasn’t being heard, and we respect that.

Martin Luther King Jr. said that the goal of America is freedom, and shouldn’t we want the same?

by ANNA PREUSS & HAILEY DEEDS

17

OPINION

by MAX GHASEMI & JOE LELUGA

H T U SO

Before we get into the actual review itself, it’s worth noting that buying your tickets ahead of time saves you anywhere from a half an hour to over an hour in wait time once you’re there. For an extra $20, you can get VIP tickets and essentially walk right in, but that can start to add up if you’re planning on going to more than one, like we did.

EDGE OF HELL The Edge of Hell is about a 30 minute journey from the horrific depths of hell up to the tranquil portrayal of heaven at the top of the building. It did a nice job on the placement of jump scares which always seemed to catch us by surprise. Another thing we really liked was the use of animatronics, which added a type of scare that humans couldn’t pull off as well. However, we have to say our favorite parts were the well designed sets that definitely intensified the experience.

While The Edge of Hell had a lot to offer, there were some f laws that followed. The jump scares were very effective and well used throughout the house, but there was definitely a lack of actual human scaring going on as there was about a 10 minute period where there was nothing. Another thing we didn’t like was the employees don’t do a good job of spacing out the groups of people. It felt like we were walking in a straight line with people bunched up in front and behind us which took away from the feeling of loneliness a haunted house should provide.

S K O SPO In Downtown Kansas City, large, elaborate haunted houses are huge haunts that consistently rank extremely high in the nation as top scares

THE BEAST The Beast started off really strong, immediately throwing many jump scares at you, however what really stood out to us was the makeup on the actors; the sheer detail and effort put into it really was noticeable when they got up in your face. Also, the use of props not only worked well to creep you out visually, but were used to create startling noises that caught you by surprise.

However, while The Beast starts out very strong, after about 15 minutes the fear of jump scares and creepy visuals starts to go away, as it’s replaced just pure darkness, to the point where you can’t see two feet in front of you. Pair this with parts of the haunted house where the space around you is open, you now are stuck having to walk around for a while to find the exit. While in some areas, there are animatronics to pop out of nowhere and catch you by surprise, this isn’t the case for the whole time. For a majority of the haunted house, you don’t feel scared walking around, as it’s replaced by a sense of confusion.

The haunted houses down at the West Bottoms provide a fear factor that can’t be matched anywhere else in Kansas City. The amount of space they have to work with, paired with the use of large, well-done animatronics alongside actors, bring these places up to a league of their own. However, for the biggest of fear junkies, these could provide a bit of a let down, as the lack of spacing of scares makes for a very impressive beginning, that simply can’t be matched through the rest of the haunted house.

OPINION

&

Falling Leaves

18

Turning pages Grab some hot chocolate and curl up with one of these books this Autumn

by CRISTINE GURROLA

Stolen

ALways A Catch

Jackaby

Lucy Christopher

Peter Richmond

William Ritter

If the title doesn”t say enough, here’s more: not only was Gemma stolen, it was in an airport. Then she was taken to Australia and the guy who stole her ends up being someone who has watched her entire life.

This book is about a boy who transfers his junior year to a new high school and makes the football team and is tested on how much he is willing to go far to fit into the team.

From being able to solve crimes, this case is different as Jackaby senses that there are supernatural forces at work. He then tells the police that there is a vicous serial killer on the loose.

The shining Stephen King From being a winter caretaker, and being cut off of civilization. Jack hopes to battle alcoholism and uncrontrolled rage. While writing a play, evil forces take over, taking claim of Jack’s body.

The Accident Season Moïre FowleyDoyle Teens romance is always a must in fall, but with this book, not only does it have romance it has a mystery that will be uncovered.

Looking for even more books to read?

Check out our Book Blog featuring submissions from South students at

phsview.com/bookcorner

The body in the woods April Henry A teen who volunteers in the sheriff’s office search and rescue team is called about a teen with autism who goes missing, later disscovering a body in the woods.

Salem’s LOt Stephen King For a good thriller, this book is about a writer returning to the town where he lived for a while at a young age in hopes of living in a old mansion. But when two boys venture the woods, only one comes out.

19

W

hile some of us may accidentally wake up at 4:30 a.m. every once in awhile, for the South Dive Team, this is a part of their daily routine.

Every weekday from 5-6:45 a.m., South’s dive team is in the pool, perfecting their dives along with the Park Hill Dive Team.

Swimming and diving are somewhat similar sports, but with completely different factors that make them difficult.

“Swimming and diving are both hard sports,” said Wyatt Miller, junior.

“Swimming is difficult with all the conditioning, and diving is mentally hard.

You have to overcome mental barriers to perform the difficult dives.”

Many students at South probably didn’t know we had a boys’ dive team. This is most likely due to the size of team (only three divers) and the fact that South has not had a boys’ dive team in over three years.

Even with a lack of knowledge about the team, divers have no trouble staying motivated to dive.

“We are motivated by all the pain we endure at practice,” said Lucas Etheridge, junior. “We are also motivated because we

SPORTS

are representing a new sport at South.”

Miller embraces the lack of fans and stays motivated knowing he is unique for being a diver.

“The lack of fans makes it easier because we don’t have the pressure of performing in front of people,” said Miller.

“We know we are the only ones who are capable of diving; this motivates us to do our best.”

A team having only three players has to be close-knit to be effective. South’s dive team is no different.

“We are there for each other when we need each other,” said Etheridge. “It’s more of a friendship thing than a teammate thing.”

Even though dive is a very demanding sport, divers remember to have fun.

“We mess around a lot during practice,” said Toby Frick, freshman. “When it comes time for competition we really buckle down.”

South’s Dive team has definitely buckled down during meets, with Miller being close to qualifying for State. Because of this, for the dive team, waking up at 4:30 a.m. every morning seems to be worth it.

Small Team Smaller Splashes One of South’s smallest and lesser known sports teams is boys’ dive

by ADAM FRAZIER

3 Divers Practice every day at 5:00 am 1st boys dive team in over 3 years

SPORTS

20

Seniors on the Sidelines

by GRACE DIELEMAN

Lexi Applequist-torn meniscus Carolyn Stock-hairline fractures

After 10 years of gymnastics and seven years of dance, senior Lexi Applequist was encouraged by her friend to try out for the cheerleading team three years ago.

After a lot of wear and tear between sports, Applequist tore her meniscus in her left knee.

“I can’t tumble anymore and I have to sit out of a lot of activities,” she said.

With hopes of cheering at Georgia Tech, Applequist is resting up.

“I just hope that my knee will be better by the time I go try out,” said Applequist.

CHeer

Eli Brizendine

SOFTBALL SOFTBALL

Dillon Thomas-torn ACL and lateral meniscus tear

Dillon Thomas

Oregon commit senior Olivia Kinsey played almost every sport when she was younger.

“I stuck with softball because I had put in so much time pitching and I didn’t want to let that go to waste,” she said.

Following a St. Joe Central game on Aug. 30, the extensive overuse of her arm resulted in a strained bicep, a strained IT band, and a hip f lexor.

With Kinsey’s injury, South lost one of their starting pitchers.

“The dynamic of the team just seems a bit off. We’ve had to have a lot of underclassmen start this year,” said Kinsey.

Kinsey is finished with her season at South, but not done with sports.

Eli Brizendine-bulging disc in back

Lexi Applequist

Olivia Kinsley

Carolyn Stock The softball team took another hit when senior Carolyn Stock developed hairline fractures in her legs.

Stock was another starting pitcher.

“Our two starters are not able to pitch this season and that’s been pretty hard,” said Stock.

With a softball scholarship to Missouri State, Stock explained how she will have to work back up to college level.

“I got recruited because of my pitching and I can’t really do that right now. I need to build up my stamina for college,” she said.

Olivia KInsey-strained bicep

When his mom placed him in football at age three, senior Dillon Thomas fell in love with the game.

During the St. Joe Central game on Sept.

9, Thomas tore his ACL and along with that, suffered a lateral meniscus tear.

“I was about to score on some scrubs and it just kind of happened,” he said.

Regarding South, Thomas explained how a lot of sophomores had to step up to fill spots on Varsity.

With a football scholarship to Northern Illinois University, Thomas hopes that his leg will be healthy by next fall.

“I talked to the head coach up there and he understands that injuries are just part of the game,” said Thomas.

In addition to a hip injury last year, senior soccer player Eli Brizendine now has a bulging disc in his back. He has been playing soccer with his twin brother since they were little.

“It has been hard to cope with my injuries because I did so well sophomore year and then junior year just didn’t happen. Then I was excited for senior year and that didn’t happen either,” he said.

Brizendine missed most of the college recruiting season for boys due to his injuries.

“The coaches and everyone on the team has been really nice about it but it’s just been a rough two years hanging out,” he said.

footBALL soccer

Going The Extra Mile

21

Cross country puts in hours of time to prepare for meets

by AMELIA RASPBERRY

O

ne of the not so talked about sports, cross country, has started to gain popularity all around South.

From running long amounts at practice, to getting rewarded for the long runs at meets, runners have many reasons for joining the team.

Emma Roth, junior, said, “One of my favorite parts about being on cross country at South is having my friends by my side every day.”

Any athlete would say that one of the top things they look forward to in practice or games/races is the atmosphere around their friends, either to encourage them to keep going harder or just building the family type relationship.

Roth also added, “Our daily run is around six miles with a weekly amount of around 30 miles. It takes practice to get use to running these amounts but once it’s a usual thing it becomes enjoyable.”

Despite the long miles that you run daily, this is a good choice for someone that likes pushing themselves.

“Going into freshman year I was deciding between playing football or starting something new like XC. My best friends talked me into trying XC with them and although it’s a change, I think i might stay with it,” said Mason Reno, Sophomore.

L

et’s face it, we’ve got one of the best locations for a soccer field.

The view of the night time skyline is a jaw dropper. As well as our returning soccer team.

19 seniors take the field this year as South’s varsity soccer squad.

This is the highest amount of seniors in South’s history for the soccer team. The seniors are determined this year not to only go to State, but to bring back a State title for South.

A lot of the starting varsity players have been on varsity since sophomore year, which brings a lot of experience to the field. These players include Turner Hall, Dan Geary, Jacob Wicks, Josh Wood, Ryan DiBernardo, Noah Anderson and Tyler Pisoni.

Captains include Geary, Hall, Anderson and Colton Smith.

“We’re going to win State,” said Anderson.

In order to win State, South has to face the number one team in the country (currently). Rockhurst. Last year, South fell to Rockhurst 1-0 in the state quarterfinals. But with majority of the team returning this year the mentality has changed.

SPORTS

More seniors means more motivation to win State because it is their last opportunity to do so.

“Rockhurst will be difficult, but when it comes down to it we’ll be ready.” said Wicks So far this season, South has defeated their district rivals Park Hill 3-0. Along with seven wins in the regular season out of the ten games played so far, giving the overall record of 8-1-2. With six games and a tournament left in the season, South Soccer is looking to improve their record to increase their state and national ranking.

As it stands right now South is fourth in State, and 45 in the nation.

There was a lot of hype going into the 2016 season, and it has carried so far to mid season with an impressive record.

A big question is what makes someone pick the sport that they play. From playing a physical sport like football, hitting tennis balls at tennis, or running track and long distance. “ I first started off by being a soccer player. Which I enjoyed alot and was good at, but my mom did running in high school and I was always good at the mile in middle school so I decided to also give it a shot. By picking to do this it has been a great choice and i enjoy it a lot,” said Marti Heit, junior.

A returning athlete every year of high school, Jake Prososki, senior, has been putting in the effort that any coach would love. One of the top runners on the team and a person that younger runners look up too.

“Having 2-3 hard workouts a week with hills, track, or trails it really pushes everyone on the team to try their hardest. Ever since I started XC freshmen year my body has gotten use to the pain both XC and track deliver and I would say I’m mentally stronger cause of running,” said Prososki.

Practice has been paying off at meets for the South runners. The dedication from everyone on the team really pulls together the team and makes them great.

With three meets to go and Ranked 10th in State at the moment, the team is improving more and more throughout the season.

SENIORSstill KICKIN

Team enjoys success thanks to the leadership of 19 seniors

by TRIPP PARSONS

“We’re going to win state.”

“Rockhurst will be difficult... we’ll be ready.”

SPORTS

22

Spiking

All The Way to

Some minor changes are making a big difference for the Volleyball team

State

by BEN BECKER

Somebody call the popo! The Lady Panthers volleyball team is stealing dubs.

The 2016 girls volleyball team is sitting comfy at 27-1 this season.

They started out the season on fire, winning their first 15 matches.

They demolished teams from rivals up north, Park Hill to Staley.

Since their only loss was to the powerhouse of Pleasant Hill in a tournament, they are still undefeated in the regular season. This record-setting start was led by the senior captains.

“We have more experience as a team, giving us chemistry which is very important in successful teams,” said captain Andi Elley, senior.

The volleyball team worked in the offseason to prepare, holding weights and conditioning four days a week during the summer, plus several practices and weekend tournaments for club teams.

“Some may call us an all-star team, because it is very rare to have all your starters also play for club teams year round,” said Emily Day, senior captain.

The volleyball team has changed their strategies this year.

“The big emphasis this year was on mental toughness and I believe that this has had a great part in our success,” said Karen McConnell, head volleyball coach.

Annika Welty is an alarming presence at the net. At 6’4”, virtually nothing gets past her. She is only a

1

Dribble

ready to

junior and has already committed to the Creighton University to play volleyball “Creighton was my first choice to go to college because I like the campus and coaches,” said Welty.

Thanks to their talent and record, the Panthers are very confident in their ability to make it to State this year.

“Of course we will make it to State,” said Elley. “We have an easy road through Conference and Districts and starts to get tough at Sectionals, but we have lots of momentum and we will ride that into the playoffs.

2

Look

4 steps

TO A SERVE

3

Approach

4

Contact

RUMBLE The varsity football team has experienced success this season as they look to become champions by NICK DISTEFANO

This year, the Varsity football team has taken their talents to a whole new level. The team has improved to a 7-1 record after struggling last season with only two wins, and is trying to become the 2016 State champions.

Their only loss was against Park Hill by one point after South scored the game winning touchdown, but failed the two point conversion at the end of the game.

There are many things that may affect why the football team has experienced more success this season.

One of those is a better atmosphere, thanks to the Rage Cage and its role.

Zach Suchanick, senior quarterback, said,

“We really truly appreciate their support and hyping us up on Fridays to get a win.”

Students have many theories to why the football team is doing well this year.

Jake Kline, senior, “The Rage Cage has definitely shown up this year and has helped a lot. There are a lot of seniors [on the team], and they have each other’s backs.”

Several things have changed with the actual football team, as well.

Coach Mike Sharp said, “The players believe in themselves a lot more; they buy into what they’re doing and the coaches in the weight room do a nice job.”

The coach even had comments about what makes South a good football team.

“There is a good group of seniors that lead the way for us and they have lots of experience,” Sharp said.

Suchanick also had a positive opinion about his team.

“South’s football team has good morals of accountability, respect; they’re hardworking, and respectful; they bring those traits to the table to make us strong,” Suchanick said.

With all of this, the South football team is trying to capture the crown. They have already clinched at least part of the Conference title, but have a never won a State championship before--this could be the year that they do it with all the momentum they are building throughout the season.

23 This year, the Royals didn’t get the finish they wanted. .

There were only 10 games left in the regular season and the Royals were five games out. They had a .03 percent chance to get in the postseason. Well the sports analysis were right, the Royals didn’t have enough to make it in the playoffs. The Royals fell just a little short.

Honestly, the Royals didn’t didn’t improve on anything from the previous years. The whole season was a mess. The Royals had a tough year, with many injuries, and a lot of the injuries happened to our starting pitchers, which you can partly blame on why our pitching was so bad.

Also hitting didn’t help out at all; the Royals didn’t have anyone hit over .300. The highest batting average was Cheslor Cuthbert. I honestly thought that he deserved the playing time he got. He had been consistent all season.

Although he had a few more errors than I was expecting, I thought he filled the injured Mike Moustakas’s role.

The Royals needed more power in the lineup. The Royals aren’t really a power hitting team, so they have to be scrappy and get little bloop hits. In the offseason the Royals need to pick up a power hitter.

The Royals had way too many injuries this season.

The biggest injuries that set back the Royals were Mike Moustakas, Wade Davis and Lorenzo Cain. If these players didn’t get hurt, we would have had a way better record.

Garrett Lee, freshman, said, “Injuries were our biggest set back. Our pitching wasn’t very good either which didn’t help much.”

Despite all these injuries, the Royals still somehow ended with a 81-81 record, enough for a third place finish in the division. The team didn’t have the ideal ending to their season.

I think they should have a fun offseason and spend time together and then come back and hit it hard,” said Alex Gardner, sophomore.

Their season wasn’t as good as Brett Palmer, senior, thought it should have been.

“I thought they did absolutely terrible from last year but I still love them because they’re the home team and a great set of guys,” he said.

I honestly think that pitching is what the major problem was, and also what moves Ned Yost made during games. If

FOREVER

The Royals missed the playoffs this year for the first time since 2013. What went wrong?

by ALEX RODRIGUEZ

ROYAL

I think that the Royals need to pick up Edwin Encarnacion. Kendrys Morales contract is up and so is Encarnacion’s. Encarnacion is the same age as Morales at age 33.Encarnacion is a heavy hitter and can bring some diversity. I think he would fill in Morales spot perfectly.

Morales hit 30 homers this past season and Encarnacion hit 42,Encarnacion is a great leader and can hit the ball great. Encarnacion will cost a lot of money, but I think he would be worth it.

The Royals really need to get a few decent pitchers in the offseason, too. Danny Duffy was the man this year and pitched like no one has seen. He has definitely made a huge impact on the Royals this season.

I think that the Royals should target R.A. Dickey, Hisashi Iwakuma and Jeremy Hellickson. These three additions would make the Royals rotation so good. The Royals need to sign at least one of these elite pitchers.

SPORTS

the Royals want to be better than this year next season, they need to get better pitching and need to score more than one run a game.

Joakim Soria was our worst acquisition we made this offseason. The Royals need to try to trade him away and get somebody that will actually pitch well. I don’t think anyone will pick up his contract but it will be a good try.

“The given is getting rid of Soria and we also got to see the ball and hit the ball, we are trying too much at the plate,” said Palmer.

The Royals need to pick up a good hitter and a few pitchers to have better success than last season. They also need to work hard this offseason so they end up with the same result as this past season.

I expect nothing less that the Royals being a wild card in the 2017 postseason. I have faith in my team and they will do the right thing that’s best for the team.

GORY GAMING OUTLAST

In this first person survival game, you are a journalist exploring a remote insane asylum.

Littered with corpses & blood, this jumpscare game will give you nightmares.

UNTIL DAWN

This butterf ly effect horror game revolves around a group of teens staying in a cabin in the woods. Trapped inside by a psychopath, while outside is littered with monsters, can you survive until dawn?

Try out these three horror video games this season

by ANNA PREUSS

LAYERS OF FEAR

South Students Sweet Tooth 19%

This psychadelic horror game revolves around a painter trying to complete his masterpiece. You solve puzzles to complete your painting as the rooms around you warp and bleed.

FALL FLICKS Stream these four movies on Netflix depending on your mood

SHARKNADO

The student body has no problem playing favorites when it comes to their favorite Halloween candy

by JOE LELUGA

If you want to LAUGH

21%

LAST SHIFT If you want NIGHTMARES

30 %

HUMAN CENTIPEDE If you want TO BE GROSSED OUT

30 %

CHILDREN OF THE CORN

Other

If you want A CLASSIC

Picture This Freshmen Peyton Weiwel and Claire Hoy spend the afternoon at the pumpkin patch, another fall favorite.

Junior Josee Gentry hangs out at a sunf lower field, another very popular spot for people to go take photos during the fall

Senior Maddie Anderson took this shot of Kansas City from up above, focusing on the lights of the city. Fall weather is perfect for outdoor shots like this.

by SAGE NORSWORTHY