The View Issue 2

october 9, 2009

issue 2, volume 12

what’s In >>Store

october 9, 2009

issue 2, volume 12

what’s Up

TAKE ME TO THE CANDY SHOP an Inside look at the school store SCHEDULE HEAVEN virtual Academy offers opportunity to learn at home

what’s Hot SOUTH STYLE students Show off their unique style ROID RAGE BCS Controversy

cradling Mirsad Halili after he is

scores

what

we work for

all week

Chris Schisler, senior

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THE WORD glee Reaches a new degree

what’s The Big Idea TAKING THE NEXT STEP a How-to for life after high school

what’s What

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS the View Staff takes on the bus strike that never was

Editor The From

letter

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Not growing up is a fantasy often remembered from the beloved children’s book and movie Peter Pan. But I've come to realize lately that I would like to be in Neverland myself because of the time that has come upon the seniors at South.

Some seniors are applying for college, and some are preparing for future careers right out of high school. But to speak of the future is just a way of saying it is time to grow up. Making your own decisions, waking up on your own and, for some, paying for everything you need or want. Maturity is approaching fast and is a big responsibility that some people just aren't ready to handle.

So, for you seniors who plan on being lost boys and girls forever, just remember that growing up and moving on with your life is something that can't be put on pause. But it can be altered by the decisions you make and the steps that you take in achieving what and who you want to be.—LAUREN MOORE

the wheels on the bus our view on the bus strike that never happened and what the bus drivers truly deserve for their trouble

ecently, there has been talk about the drivers for First Student, the bus company that transports most students in the Park Hill School District, going on a strike. Students grew excited as the threat of a strike reportedly threatened to shut down school entirely, and while the buzz in the halls died down immediately after the district announced they would continue to have school, the issue is just as pressing for our bus drivers. Before the strike, the highest pay for possible was $13.50 an hour, with starting wages closer to $11.

“Trash haulers are paid more than $13 an hour.

We’re hauling your kids. They need to be treated with some respect,” said a union member in an interview with channel 9 news, obviously perturbed by the lack of respect from his company.

“This isn’t just about the money for us,” said another First Student employee to a reporter. “This is also about respect from a company that’s making millions and won’t give a bite of the pie to the people who work hard.”

For most strikes, it is easy to turn a blind eye to what the union ends up making, but this one hits a bit closer to home. Every South student has been in

contact with a bus driver at least once in his or her life. It would be easy to say that we think they have an easy job, but we’ve all also seen these drivers weather snow, bus troubles and unruly children.

There are not many of us who would put up with as many bratty children as them.

Unfortunately, our bus drivers were not able to see this strike out. This first week they were offered a pay increase that they rejected with just as much fervor as they accepted the newer contract. The new contract might not actually be better, though. Our district was the last to have its drivers settle; this meant that the union was put in a place where they could have had a strike without any other groups backing them. It would be naive for us to think that they got the contract they had hoped for or that they are making a much larger sum of many because of the threatened strike.

The mere threat of this strike illuminates many different things about our district and local bus company. It brings to light the idea that people in our area might be in need of more money. Economic unrest is not just for other areas or auto workers. It also tells us that First Student, and to some extent, the district, are not afraid to bluff the drivers with threats of continuing school and coercing them into taking a different contract.

Another thing this exposes is the lack of action by our student body. There is always talk about students making a difference, but at every point in this negotiation, the main focus was the idea that we could miss school.

This might have been the student body’s best chance at making a difference, standing in solidarity totally unselfishly with the union, but it was never even considered.

The changes and impact the strike could have made can be fantasized about all day long by the students and more importantly, the bus drivers. But in reality, this strike never had a possibility of actually changing the economic standing of the bus drivers, even with the wage increase they themselves proposed.

We can be thankful that they are now making closer to the national average, but the truth is that the bus drivers deserve more.

The only thing that can really bring any real change for these people is a real wage distribution. They do very hard work and make completely substandard pay. Even a dollar raise per hour would not be adequate for the rigor of their job.

We urge students to respect and appreciate the bus drivers and other workers who provide us invaluable service but are often overlooked.

—THE VIEW STAFF EDITORIAL

what’s What

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ssemblies, to some, are a reason for a shortened schedule and an hour out of their day that they “don’t have to be in school.” Others are entertained by the talent of the drumline, moves of the dance team and antics of Prowler. But how assemblies are planned out is, overall, a mystery to the students of South.

“We have a committee made up of four to five people who plan for the assemblies for about a month,” said senior Courtney Stout, vice president of STUCO. During the month the committee has to plan for a school assembly, they decide what should be in it and what the students want to see. The committee asks the groups and people they want to be involved and then they have to get everything approved.

“Usually we see what groups of people we’re focusing on, like Homecoming or sports,” said senior Makenzie Booth, STUCO president.

Even with all the planning and approving, STUCO usually does have a problem with time. Whether it is too long or too short, the hosts of assemblies have found ways to make the timing work.

“If you don’t understand what the hosts are saying, it’s because we’re trying to ad-lib,” said Booth.

Most of the time, STUCO is forced to fill up time space because they are asked to do so.

“We always have an issue with time. [Principal Dr. Dale] Longenecker always wants us to fill it,” said Stout.

But some students like senior Katie Jackson think it is a waste of their time.

How STUCO plans and executes assemblies for student enjoyment

“[I think assemblies are a waste of time] but there is nothing wrong with that,” said Jackson.

Other Seniors Matt Robaska and Jacob Scott students host the Homecoming Assembly. like DianePhoto by Alex Edwards Jo BartPlange, junior,disagree.

“I don’t think they’re a waste of time. There are some funny parts, and there are some interesting parts and some parts are just boring,” said Bart-Plange.

STUCO members issue surveys to students at lunch to see what they think of assemblies and what they would like to see.

They said the feedback usually varies from student to student.

“Usually [the feedback] is really good, but there are always a couple of people that complain,” said Stout.

Other feedback from students consists of not being able to hear becasue of the speaker system or enjoying when the teachers dance. But whether or not a student likes assemblies, they are still a part of South and students always have the choice of sitting in the commons.—LAUREN MOORE

store is ‘awesome’ Take you to the Candy Shop DECA experience for anyone involved The school store has been feeding the sweet tooth of South students since the school's early days. The store has evolved over the years from a big brown cabinet on wheels to a glass display case for everyone to see what it has to offer.

The school store is rolled out almost every day for the lunch periods. The store’s main job is to help fund the South DECA chapter. Every semester or year there are three store managers who have to keep track of the inventory, cash flow and stocking the store. Michelle Goodner is the Marketing Academy teacher, the school’s DECA adviser and owner of the school store.

“The school store was here before I got here. It did not really sell a lot, only bitesized stuff,”said Goodner.

Lending a Hand Sometimes the school store managers get all they could handle and more.To help with this problem, the store managers are getting pg an extra pair of hands as the special education students help out the store every Tuesday and

Thursday.

“Mrs. [Marti] Corbett and I are friends and we were hanging out in the copy room and the idea came up and we just ran with it,” Goodner said.

There are many things that Sarah McDaniels, special education, wants the kids to get from their experience with the school store. The kids are also excited

and the responsibility of having a job is something that McDaniels wants the kids to learn as well.

“We want the kids to develop skills in working at a successful business and working towards being contributing members of society,” said Goodner.

Gaining Popularity Several students every day need to get their fix of sugar.The school store is not just popular among the student body but also the managers of the store.

“It’s awesome. It’s a great way and enthusiastic about it. to work on customer service and meet “Social skills is definitely the number new people,” said Nick Worth, senior. one thing that I want them to get out of The store has grown in popularity this,” said McDaniels. around lunch time now that the vending According to her, there are not a lot machines are out. of real career opportunities for kids with “It’s fun and a rush when things get special needs. All of the experience busy. I enjoy working with Cody [Meade] and responsibility will go a long way in and Nick [Worth] and just joking around the construction of business skills that with the customers is fun,” said Madisyn students will need as they go through life. Swoboda, senior about the enjoyment “Most of the kids will end up in she gets from working in the school store. customer service, so they need to learn The school store will be here for years the social aspect of having a job,” said to come and now they are glad to have McDaniels. the special education students there to Money skills like making change help. —CODY MEADE

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It’sfunand a when things get busy.

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Schedule Heaven

anything,” said Owens.

Owens also said that the district has “every intention” of adding more courses as long as additional students keep enrolling in Virtual Academy. But how well the individual student does in an online class compared to a regular class all depends on that student.

“I’m kinda on my own and have to get my work done without any teacher reminding me,” said Sickman. “I’m responsible for my

own work.”

According to Owens, tests are taken online, so it can be easier for a student to cheat despite the tracking ability teachers have to monitor online activity. The midterm and final, however, are on paper.

“Students who are self motivated and independent would be great candidates for an online class,” said Salem. “However, all students can be successful.”

— JENNIFER COLOMA

Heart ofSouth a Champion athletes take extra measures to do well

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weat drips off athletes' faces, out of breath as their hearts race, but they keep pushing themselves, knowing that the extra sprint or extra five reps will help them in the long run. South athletes are committed in their respective sport season but it is what they are doing in the offseason that can make or break them.

Preseason conditioning is a pivotal part of any athlete's season. All major sports leagues have preseason workout sessions, training camps and team activities. South student athletes have to stay in shape and keep up on academics to play their sport.

The preseason is time for students to hone their skills, improve themselves and show the coaches that they have what it takes. Mariah Bryant, sophomore, is one of those athletes trying to prove that she has what it takes.

“I swim all year round so I really don’t have an off-season. It makes you better and faster than the kids that don’t. It sucks, though, because you don’t get to hang out with your friends as much,” said Bryant.

Injuries are a big risk of preseason training and can end an athlete's season or career before it begins. There are players that get injured and are out for the season every year in training camps across the leagues.

This summer alone, there were several players in the NFL who suffered seasonending injuries.

“Fortunately, we haven’t really had preseason injuries,” said Dan Dunkin, wrestling coach. “Preseason training really helps out our aggression and improves our technique, but something we really need to work on is our strength.”

A sports workout plan normally consists of running and lifting. According to dakotagrappler.com, the best thing to prepare for a sport that requires contact is cardio, weight lifting and a diet of a lot Bailey Walter, freshman, and Katelyn of protein, which builds muscle.

Gessler, sophomore, practice lifting For sports like soccer, the preseason weights in the weight room. conditioning isn't required.

Photo by Jennifer Coloma “Conditioning is just like a regular practice,” said Grant Gould, senior.

High school athletes work towards being named All-State, or AllAmerican, throughout their high school career to potentially get the pg chance to attend the college they want. Preseason conditioning can be beneficial to these goals. — CODY MEADE

what’s Up

Most students dream of the day they can control their own learning schedule without having to set foot inside a school building. But with Virtual Academy, students can — to an extent.

“It’s cool. We don’t have to do things right away and can leave school early if we want,” said Jessica Moore, junior, who is currently taking Animation/Game Design online.

Being able to manipulate one’s own schedule by sleeping in or leaving early is a benefit many students would like but the drawbacks can be daunting.

According to Jill Owens, A+ Coordinator and Virtual Academy teacher, “face-to-face interaction” is difficult between teacher and student. Students are also entirely responsible for getting their own work done with all assignments due at the end of the week. No teacher is there to remind a student to get their work done and if they aren't motivated, they can fall behind.

“If you struggle [with regular classes] at school, it’s easy to get lost,” said Laura Sickman, sophomore, who is currently taking Computer Applications online.

According to Sickman, students can communicate with their teacher via email. Still, she said it is harder to contact the teachers when you don’t physically see them every day.

At the same time, Virtual Academy can be an appealing alternative for many students.

“You get to work at your own pace and go through the material until you master it,” said Sarah Salem, a Park Hill Social Studies teacher who currently teaches American History online.

Park Hill School District currently offers Psychology, American History, Language Arts II, Computer Apps/Personal Finance, Geometry and Animation/Game Design in the Virtual Academy and is planning to add Biology this spring, according to Owens.

She said other school districts have online Driver’s Ed. and P.E. classes. For the P.E. class, students used heart monitors.

The Driver’s Ed. class was completely computer simulated.

“If they can teach Driver’s Ed. on Virtual Academy, they can teach

More Sleep, Less School for Virtual Academy Students

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parking

WARS

Parking remains issue for students

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s hard as it may be for students to stay conscious through a day of school work, knowing where to park may be even harder. Students have all been through parking school; yet, they continue to remain unaware of parking restrictions.

Senior Adam Butcher said he does not think the Powerpoints are effective enough. Students still have a hard time deciphering between staff and student parking.

“The parking lines should be a different color for student parking,” said Butcher. “Or the administration shouldn’t mix staff and student parking near each other. It gets confusing.”

Parking lot advisor Laura Hefflin, known by the students as “Rowcat,'' understands that students may get confused but she said that is no excuse for parking in restricted areas. The staff parking has signs to indicate where it is.

“The designated parking for students is well marked. But if in doubt, ask. I'm usually around,” said Hefflin.

Although students have been ticketed for parking in staff parking, that is not the most commonly ticketed violation, according to Hefflin.

“The thing most ticketed at South is not having a parking sticker,” said Hefflin.

Hefflin said that she does not think there is any excuse for a student not to have a parking sticker. The leeway

No guts, no glory

period this year was longer than any in the past; students were given four weeks from the start of school to get their parking pass.

Austin Green, junior, was ticketed this year for failing to get a parking sticker by the deadline.

“The administration wouldn’t allow me to buy a parking sticker,” claimed Green. “I have had too many tickets in the past that I’ve refused to pay because they were given unfairly.”

If there is ever a concern with a ticket, Hefflin said that it can be taken up with Larry Smith, assistant principal, in the Administration Office. Otherwise, the ticket needs to be paid before a student is allowed to purchase a parking sticker the following year.

The money from parking tickets goes toward resurfacing the parking lots and fixing problems, such as repairing pot holes, repainting parking space lines and keeping up yearly maintenance. Money from parking stickers also goes toward keeping the parking lot in good shape, said Hefflin.

“If you are going to ticket me, at least I am benefiting in some way,” said Evan Willsey, senior, “because $10 for a parking ticket is ridiculous.”

According to Hefflin, a ticket can be administered if the student parks anywhere besides student marked parking; students cannot park in staff or visitor parking. The student handbook states that a ticket can be given if the student fails to park in just one parking spot, park in handicapped areas, fire lanes, loading zones, along curbs, in aisles or outside of a parking space.

“If the student is old enough to drive, they are old enough to figure out what is acceptable and what is unacceptable,” said Hefflin.— AMY WILLSEY

Injuries are just part of the game

Athletes at South, like any other other athlete, play to win. It is up to the athlete how much physical pain they are willing to go through for their team to reach that goal.

It turns out that injuries are simply coincidental, like senior Carlas Mosby, who suffered from a dislocated shoulder in the game against Fort Osage.

“You can’t really do anything about that,” said Mosby.

Joe Pearson, junior, suffered a similar injury, turf toe. “[You] can’t prevent it,” said Pearson.

Jacob Finn, senior, tore a labrum in his shoulder in the Homecoming game against William Chrisman.

“I landed on my arm wrong diving for a fumble,” said Finn.

Some injuries, like Mosby’s, can have long term effects.

“There is a greater chance of this happening again,” said Mosby.

Finn’s injury will keep him out of the lineup for two weeks and then after the season it will require surgery. He does not believe that it will affect him long term.

There are certain injuries that can be prevented, like an injury Maggi Wolfe, junior, suffered from a stress fracture in her left foot. “I ran on it [the foot] during two-a-days when it was already hurting,” said Wolfe.

Wolfe believed that if she had stayed off of it for a little while the outcome would have been different.

“It wouldn’t have got as bad,” said Wolfe.

It turns out that injuries are just a part of sports, but should athletes play when they are hurt? According to Finn, they should.

“It’s the right thing to do, but it sucks that I couldn’t play for Homecoming,” he said Athletes can be hard on their bodies, and they can take those bodies for granted. Finn had this advice to give:“You don’t realize how good it is until it’s gone.” —EVAN WHITE

High School Sports Injury Stats

2 MILLION estimated injuries annually

500,000

estimated doctor visits due to injury

30,000 hospitalizations

7.2 MILLION

annually

High School students played a sport in 2005-2006 pg school year *statistics from the CDC

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Taking next STEP THE

Take It ‘Til You Make It how to get the best possible score

T

Schedule a conference with a professor

TIPS FOR VISITiNG CAMPUS

nick worth

he ACT is a stressful but necessary part of the high school experience. Colleges look at more than just ACT scores, but these scores are still a very big factor. For some, a high score can feel like all of your wildest dreams will come true.

Here are some tips to ensure that your intelligence can truly shine through on the ACT. One of the toughest components to the ACT is the time limit. It’s easy to answer a sixty questions in four or five hours, but doing it within an hour makes it a challenge.

One way to save time is to put down all of your answer in the text booklet for each two page spread, and after you have finished all of the questions, put the answer onto the bubble sheet without thinking about the questions.

This is a proven way to save you a lot of time.

If you do end up running out of time with five questions left, be sure to answer all the same letter. Statistically, every test has the same amount of each letter as the answer.

The ACT is also interested in tricking you. The ACT

actually does tests on students, where they change different components to the tests so they can fool you.

What have they found? Students have some reservations towards certain answers. For instance, in the English section, about 25 percent of the answers are “No change.“ They found that students always expect a change, and they never think that is the answer. This is what the ACT does in every section: it tries to make you over think.

But the number one way to improve your score is to just prepare. One way to do this is practice taking timed ACT tests. The ACT company releases practice tests each year and if you actually time them, you will get better at taking these kinds of tests.

The morning of the test, it is important to eat exactly what you normally eat except add protein. Eating a big breakfast if you usually don't could make you tired during the test and will mess with your blood sugar.

Overall, the ACT is a very surmountable test. It might be daunting because of its potential to sway your life, but if you focus and prepare, then the ACT can be an accurate judge. — SAM PETERSON

Overnight visit ALLOWS YOU TO GET A PREVIEW OF DORM LIFE

Eat in the dining hall

FIND OUT WHAT GRUB YOU WILL BE EATING

PROFESSORS WILL KNOW ABOUT ACADEMICS OF THE UNIVERSITY MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE WILL

Take pictures and notes THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO COMPARE MULTIPLE VISITS

Read the bulletin board FIND OUT DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN ON CAMPUS

Visit a class in your major

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Explore on your own

DETERMINE IF IT’S WHAT YOU REALLY WANT

photo by: alex edwards

FREE MONEY for the tall, short and left-handed

Apply Yourself...

seniors start the stressful process of applying to colleges Community colleges also offer students the opportunity to get general classes out of the way before committing to a major.

“I don’t want to waste money when I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet,” said Isaiah Borer, senior.

Leah Kemble, senior, said she is applying to schools such as Northwestern and University of Chicago and wants to go to these colleges because of the competive nature. “[I want to go to a school with] a whole bunch of people that have the desire to learn,” said Kemble.

There are some tips that have helped seniors make their applications look good. Isaiah Borer’s advice is to “get a job, do A-plus and get that scholarship.”

Bishop suggests, “Start to figure out your schools early so you don’t have to scramble at the end.”

This does not mean it is neccesary to compromise.

Seniors should keep looking until they find what they want in a college.

Harston does not think that seniors should have to be picky and has his own top priorities in choosing a school: “Good atmosphere, good education, friendly people.” ­ — EVAN WHITE

what’s The Big Idea

For seniors, their high school careers are coming to a close.

Seniors that plan to go to college after they graduate have been filling out applications to meet deadlines of the colleges that they desire to attend.

Applications can vary on what kind of school students plan on attending.

“All I have to do is fill out the basic information,” said Logan Weaver, senior, who said he plans to pursue music through schools like UMKC and Kansas State.

The other side of the spectrum would be Brendan Bishop, senior who is applying to schools such as Princeton and Stanford.

“I have to write three essays for each school along with the official transcripts,” said Bishop.

Seniors that plan on going to college next year have to start prioritizing what they are looking for in a college. Students go through many reasons why they are drawn to a certain school.

“I am looking at these two schools because it would be a good challenge for me,” said Bishop.

Size of the school is often a deciding factor in the students' final decision. Cir Harston, senior, said he is looking at colleges like Penn Valley and Maple Woods “because they are small.”

cholarships for vegetarians, lefthanded people, students with asthma and even people shorter than five feet are rarely heard of throughout the year. When a student finds one, or even plans to apply for one, it becomes the holy grail of immortality: an impossibly weird but seemingly easy scholarship to receive. “[They’re] really extreme,” said Claire Quinn, senior. “People with weird habits finally get to use them [for scholarships].”

The most commonly known one is for left-handedness, but others include scholarships for females over 5’10” and males over 6’2”, for overweight people, for students taking science and intending to pursue a career in the grape and wine industry, for bowling and many more. “[These scholarships] are just as justified to exist as scholarships for other people who are smart, athletic or have other capabilities,” said Emily Kramer, senior. “These scholarships you still have to compete for - they aren’t just handed out.”

The counseling office doesn’t post these particular scholarships on their website, but they do have an extensive list of others. Most students come across them when searching the Internet for more ways to get money for college.

“If they offer money, it’s a good deal,” said Sandy Polley, counselor.

The main requirement of each scholarship is what makes them stand out, but they do require students to fill out an application or write an outstanding essay.

“Even though some of them aren’t a lot, every bit helps,” said Quinn.

Just as with regular scholarships, students must keep a careful eye on deadlines and, if they need a recommendation, be aware of a teacher’s busy schedule. Terry Becker, English Department, suggested giving a teacher a minimun of two weeks notice to write a recommendation.

“Students can get a lot of money,” said Becker, “if they take the time to apply.” ­ — JENNIFER COLOMA

*For a senior plan from collegeboard.com and other senior tips, log on to PHSVIEW.com

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Vo-Tech is no Vacation >>

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Students earn degree while in high school

yellow school bus pulls up every day, loads kids on, and drives away from school. This does not take place at 2:38 p.m. each day; but, rather 11:15 a.m.

“A lot of students” at South participate in Vo-tech, according to senior Loren Taylor. There are a number of reasons that Vo-tech students can fill a whole bus, but earning a college degree and being advanced is just one of them. “[Vo-tech] is pretty much a place where [high school students] can go to learn different traits while still in high school,” said Taylor.

Junior Erin Wier added, “Vo-tech is a learning center to get a jump start on your career.”

Vo-tech takes place every weekday and lasts through blocks three and four. It is in Platte City so the students

$409

Weekly Pay Post High School

$583

high school drop out

want more of

?

log on to

phsview.com

for

> exclusive online content > updates in real time pg > scores, stats and more

10

$670

high school graduate

*Information provided by U.S. department of Labor

are bused to the school.

According to Wier, many of the students participate in Vo-tech because it is an “easier road” to get a degree.

Students can earn a degree from Vo-tech so they will not end up having to go to college, but many students do Vo-tech for its bridge programs. Bridge programs are programs that transfer to a number of colleges so the student will be ahead of their classmates.

“I already have my computer certification,” said Taylor.

“I’m ahead of the game.”

Being advanced seems to be the main reason for taking Vo-tech, but it is not the only reason.

“I like Vo-tech because I get only three grades a semester and I also get a great learning experience,” said Wier.—AMY WILLSEY

associate’s degree

$1,013

bachelor’s degree or higher

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>> glee reaches

Campus superviser Tony Bowman stays busy at the Security desk.

a new degree

Photo by Alex Edwards

One of my favorite all American pastimes, besides grossly overeating and watching monster truck rallies, is watching copious amounts of mindless television. I love it. I watch all the Rock of Loves, the I Love New Yorks, The Daisy of Loves and all the other celebrity “help me find my one true

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Security

Campus supervisers go unnoticed

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alking in the front entrance of school late is always a tense event for any student. Many wonder if they will be questioned or confronted as they enter. Some may hope to sneak in unnoticed, so to avoid the guilt trip they deserve for sleeping until 11 a.m.

However, South students are lucky to come face to face with a security guard. At the time, it may seem like an inconvenience, but South is happy to have security guards ready at all times to protect the students.

Two of these security guards are Linda Goss and Tony Bowman. Both have been here since about the time the school opened and interviewed with now principal, Dr. Dale Longenecker. Bowman found the job through connections, and Goss actually read about the job in a newspaper and decided to apply.

Both Goss and Bowman said they are glad to have ended up at this job.

“It is different every day,” said Goss, who is also in charge of the school’s card system. She prints the red card list, manages each student’s card status and is in charge of making sure the printing is done every four and a half weeks.

Goss formerly worked as a real estate secretary and was a stay at home mom for a while before finding this job.

Goss said she hopes to keep this job until she eventually retires.

Bowman said that he likes the job because he “likes to help the students.” Students should be happy to have a man like Tony Bowman at the helm of security: he cites his main responsibility as “to protect.”

Bowman, who has a Masters in education, is not sure how much longer he will be at South, but said he knows afterward he would like to spend some time golfing at the course that his son runs in Florida and would maybe like to go on a cruise.

So next time a campus security guard takes away food coming back from lunch or asks for a pass that obviously doesn't exist, remember that they have at least found a job that they love.

“The main thing is I like to brutalize teenagers,” said Bowman. “And I like the hours.” —SAM PETERSON

The Word

love” shows.

Recently, I’ve decided to class it up a little bit during this new season of fall television. I saw an advertisement for this show called ''Glee,'' about a sort of high school show choir and general high school life. There are drama geeks, dance numbers and an overall theme of “root for the underdog.” This is what America is all about. I’m an instant fan.

So when 8 p.m. Wednesday rolled around, I plopped down on my couch with my parents, ready to embark on a journey to wholesome family fun land via FOX channel 4. The show started out innocently enough. There are cliche snobby cheerleaders who suspiciously wear their uniforms every single day, the very talented and wonderfully cast 30-year-old football players and the choir/ drama nerds who wear extravagantly odd clothing, get drinks purposely spilled on them and get picked on at school. So far, the only thing wrong with the show’s content is that it is just one huge stereotype. I accepted this and kept watching. I was mesmerized by their jazz hands.

Soon, it was time for the Glee club to perform their first dance at their school’s pep rally. I was riveted -- sitting on the edge of my seat, fully anticipating a great little dance with spirit fingers and tap shoes. Boy, did I feel awkward when the Salt N’ Pepa song “Push It” came booming across that gym’s speakers, and all the girls started (for lack of a better term) thrusting up against their male dance partners. I just kind of sunk into the couch, feeling completely uncomfortable that I was watching this trashtastic show with my PARENTS. “Gosh, that’s kind of suggestive,” my dad said. I sort of wanted to die.

Next week, needless to say, I chose to abandon my family and watch it with people more my age. A little less awkward. As my mother would say, “When I was your age, everything was tasteful. Parents slept in seperate twin beds. Boys and girls just held hands.” What has changed? Shows like ''Glee'' that should be Disney-esque are instead tainted with renditions of “I Want To Sex You Up.” True story.

Overall, I think the show is really clever. It's executed well, the dialogue is funny and the plot is interesting. It's just unfortunate that a fun family show about kids that sing and dance pg has to be totally inappropriate to get viewers.

— JULIA SUMPTER

South

S

>> food for thought

ome people have good eating habits, some people have bad eating habits, and some people don’t eat at all. But the eating habits of students at South vary according to their lifestyle and standard of health.

“I have a PBJ at school for lunch, and then I go home and have two bowls of cereal,” said junior Alec Russell.

Russell said he has grown into this routine and has been practicing this diet plan since April. He will eat meals that his mom makes on the weekends but during the week the majority of his diet is SmartStart cereal.

“I eat things that taste good. And cereal is the only thing that tastes good in the world,” said Russell.

Some people do not eat for taste, they eat what they do to get the right amounts of nutrients in their diet. Katie O’Donnell, FACS, and senior Morgan Miller have Isagenix shakes for breakfast and lunch everyday.

“The whole thing about Isagenix is that it cleans your body of toxins and I've been doing it for almost a year,” said O’Donnell.

O’Donnell is a vegetarian and uses these shakes to get all the protein she needs. She emphasizes that

Isagenix is not supposed to be a diet.

“It’s kind of intended to make people feel better and increase energy,” said Miller.

Miller also points out that you can actually gain weight from being on the Isagenix plan. It is a shake full of protein and nutrients you need throughout the day, and if you do not exercise and eat healthy while doing this you can actually put on weight instead of keeping a healthy one.

Isagenix are completely organic, but some people like senior Fontana Franks have an all organic diet without these shakes.

“I eat a lot of tofu and a lot of protein and fiber bars,” said Franks.

Franks’ mom shops for groceries at Whole Foods where it is completely organic and has a lot of items to choose from.

“My mom is fed up with our eating habits as a family.

She’s really strict about it,” said Franks.

Someone’s eating habits are something they have come accustomed to and have developed over time with certain preferences. People eat what they want, but some people enjoy the healthier way of eating because it makes them feel good and fits in their lifestyle. —LAUREN MOORE

SOUTH’S STYLE

what’s Hot

“I do not like to be labeled. I like lots of different genres of clothing and music.

My style is my own and I wear what I want.”

- Heather Fatino, 10

“[My style is] chill.

Most of the time I’m basically in my pajamas.”

-Kellie Jackson,10

“I like old, weird and dorky clothes that people wouldn’t wear.

Then I know people won’t wear the same stuff as me.”

-Austen Ortiz,11

“Classiness is not a style, it’s a way of life.”

-Ryan Gilsdorf,12

pg

13

: Post-Apocalyptic Warehouse

W

tune in NEW FALL TV SHOWS WORTH CHECKING OUT

NCIS: Los Angeles Tuesday, 9 p.m. on CBS

This famous show is sure to be as every bit good as the others, but when do the story lines become redundant?

Bored to Death

Sunday, 9:30 p.m. on HBO

Jason Schwartzman is given a promising show after his performance in “The Hangover.”

The question of whether or not this show produces as many laughs remains to be answered. *For more shows worth checking out, log on to PHSVIEW.com

pg

14

hen I heard of the television show “The Colony,” I thought of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington doing their thing way back when there were only 13 states. I thought, maybe it’s a show of what it was like to live back in the eighteenth century. Chopping cherry trees, crossing the Delaware, inventing inventions, whatever people did back then. What’s important is that I never dreamed that it would be the best television show that I had ever seen.

“The Colony “ is not about anything six feet under or outdated. Rather, “The Colony “ is a controlled experiment to see exactly what it would take to survive and rebuild following a global catastrophe, such as a global viral outbreak. The colonists are shut off from electricity, water and any communication to the outside world. All they have are their skills, whatever supplies they scavenge and each other.

The ten stars of the show aren’t hired actors either; they are everyday people who volunteerd for the experiment. They consist of a nurse, a marine scientist, a doctor, an independent contractor, a computer engineer, a machinist, a martial arts instructor, a solar technology technician, an aerospace engineer and a mechanical engineer. Granted, you don’t find these kinds of people out on the street, but they are only citizens like you and I. These are only the bones of this complicated masterpiece; now, let's get to the meat.

Each step of the way is carefully designed by experts from the fields of homeland security, psychology and engineering. This is to give a realistic twist into the colonists' lives. All they are given is an abandoned factory with tools to live in, and the rest is up to the colonists.

They scavenge for food, water from a river, solar panels, medical supplies, anything a person can imagine. They create amazing things such as a flamethrower, a generator and things

Accidentally On Purpose

Monday, 8:30 p.m. on CBS

Jenna Elfman lands a big girl job, taking numerous steps forward from her days on “Dharma.”

I have never even heard of, such as a water ozonifier to purify their water without having to boil it. They also have to deal with marauders trying to invade their warehouse and stealing their supplies. These are just a few of the physical obstacles, but there are also mental ones.

One aspect of the show that occurs often is whether or not to give water and food to nomads that may come by. It’s decisions like these that split the colony.

Whether or not they have more in their group that will come back and expect food is always a question of safety. But the morality in not giving food to groups that contain children eat at some of the colony members.

Also, during the experiment, the producers pulled the doctor out of the experiment while on a scavenge for medical supplies. This loss of a member did great traumatic damage to the rest of the colony psychologically.

In contrast to that, there was a great joy when the computer engineer’s wife was reconnected with her husband while asking for food and water from the colony with a nomad group. It’s psychological phases like these that truly make the show.

The rest of the show is for new found lovers to discover; I will not ruin anymore. But I do think there are some things that could make the show better. They could do the show in a new location. Different environments can put a different spin on the situation, such as water supply. They could also do a show with only males or only females. This could make things rather interesting as to how tasks are completed. Maybe they could even throw children into the mix.

Whether or not “The Colony “ makes another experiment is questionable, but the sure thing is that it was truly an amazing and life absorbing series.

You can watch it Tuesday nights on Discovery, or go to Discovery.com to see full episodes. —MATT SWIHART

The Jay Leno Show Monday through Friday, 10 p.m. on NBC

Leno and NBC decide to roll the dice, putting a late night show in a time slot traditionally used for your girlfriend’s hour long dramas.

>>

ROID RAGE

Every year when bowl season rolls around, the debate always arises whether or not a playoff system should be created instead of the Bowl Championship Series. That leaves many national title contenders out of the picture.

Non-BCS teams such as Utah and Boise State have felt these pains, missing out on the chance to win a national title despite their successful seasons. During the 2008 season, Utah went undefeated with a 13-0 record. This undefeated streak included wins against Michigan, twelfth ranked TCU, fourteenth ranked BYU and fourth ranked Alabama. Boise State on the other hand had a 12-1 record with a win at seventeenth ranked Oregon. Their lone loss was to then eleventh ranked TCU in their bowl game, which they lost by only one point.

So what left Utah and Boise State out of contention for the national title? They aren’t a BCS team.

The 2008 BCS National Title game featured two 12-1 teams in the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners. Florida lost to Mississippi, an unranked team, in week four 3130. Oklahoma lost to fifth ranked Texas 45-35 in a classic shootout in Norman, Okay. Florida played five ranked teams, and Oklahoma played six before meeting each other in the National Title game. Boise State and Utah played five ranked teams combined, and two of those five were in their bowl games.

Is the lack of not playing high caliber teams not reason enough for non-BCS teams to understand their shortage of credibility? Park Hill South’s football team would stomp every Northland Youth Suburban Football League team all in one day, but would they deserve a state title for it? Of course not.

One of Utah’s games during the 2008 season was against the Weber State Wildcats of the Big Sky

A

BCS Busters, Don’t Believe the Hype

Conference. I’ve never heard of Weber State, or the Big Sky Conference, for that matter. Utah pulled out a 37-21 win. In Oklahoma’s season opener, they played Chattanooga and destroyed them 57-2. And Chattanooga is no secret school.

They played Florida State, Furman (who Missouri played this season) and Appalachian State (who beat Michigan in 2008) all in the 2008 season. They aren’t quite the cupcake that Weber State is, but Oklahoma made them look like just a lick of the icing.

Would I be against a playoff system? No way. That would be great for college football. Better air time, better publicity and better fan support. More tickets would be sold, more money would be made and no one could complain when another team won the national title. Some say that including a playoff system would be too lengthy of a season for college players, but what’s the purpose of non-conference play? Just eliminate it.

Teams are preparing a whole month in advance for their bowl games anyways, so the calender length would not be any different. It would be rather easy to make a playoff system. There are roughly 11 major conferences in Division I football. Take the conference champions, and rank them according to the BCS system. This still allows the BCS computers to have purpose. With these rankings, bracket a playoff system and see how it plays out.

Is this really too difficult for all conferences to agree on?

It’s fair, it’s not flawed and it’s everything any college football fan could wish for.

All this being said, non-BCS teams need to stop whining about not having a national title until they buckle up and actually play other title contenders. But college football as a whole does need to look further into the playoff system.

They can thank me later if they want.—MATT SWIHART

The Flu and You: What Can You Do?

fter the summer months exploded with H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, hysteria, the possibility of a flu pandemic hitting the school districts is on almost everyone’s mind.

Publications like “The Boston Globe,” “The New York Times,” “The New York Daily News” and “Forbes” feed the panic with articles featuring headlines like, “H1N1 flu likely increasing at CSU and Fort Collinsarea schools,” and “Students and H1N1 Mingle on Campus.”

Though the threat of an outbreak of H1N1 is a real possibility, and some students exhibit “flu like symptoms,” one can only speculate the destruction that H1N1 is capable of due to excessive media coverage.

“I think the media is hyping up the swine flu more than is needed. I feel like there are lots of misconceptions about it,” said Regan Branchick,

senior. “It crosses my mind, but I’ve heard it’s just like the regular flu. I sanitize my hands all the time anyway, so I’m normally pretty healthy.”

With help from the Internet phenomenon WebMD, which allows simpletons the power to diagnose themselves like Gregory House with the click of a button, the citizens of America have convinced themselves that they were ailing from Mad Cow Disease, SARS and The Avian Flu. Could swine flu be the result of the nation’s hypochondriac fixation?

Or does this H1N1 scare actually resemble the 1918 flu epidemic that resulted in 20 to 40 million deaths?

“The media just uses scare tactics.

Swine flu is just a glorified flu bug.

Society as a whole just lieks to be scared by stuff,” said senior Joe Riojas.

However, medical professionals across the globe insist on the

virus’s damaging potential. The U.S. government has declared the threat of the H1N1 to be a “public health emergency,” and CNN reported that

by August 5, 2009, there have been a total of 1,154 confirmed deaths worldwide due to the virus.

If you think you exhibit symptoms of the swine flu, here’s what to look for. H1N1 comes fully equipped with symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, fever, cough and body aches. The Mayo Clinic website states, “Swine flu symptoms develop three to five days after you’re exposed to the virus and continue for about eight days, starting one day before you get sick and continuing until you’ve recovered.”

The best advice from medical professionals is pg to stay home if sick, and make sure to wash your hands. ­ —JULIA SUMPTER

15

Northwest Bearcats vs. Missouri Southern

october

16

10

15 29

Park Hill vs. Park Hill South home football game

next issue of the View

important dates: ACT - October 24th A+ Deadline for turning in hours from summer- October 15th

want more of the view? visit phsview.com for updates

[

>>

LAUREN MOORE editor-in-chief

>>

SAM PETERSON copy editor

>>

MATT SWIHART

managing editor

>>

JULIA SUMPTER art director

>>

NICK WORTH

[

Miami Heat vs. New Orleans Hornets @ Sprint Center

the View

business manager

>>

EVAN WHITE reporter

>>

AMY WILLSEY reporter

>>

JENNIFER COLOMA reporter

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CODY MEADE reporter

>> MEGAN HUGHES adviser

The Park Hill south High School newspaper, the View, is part of the educational curriculum of the Park Hill School District. Although the paper is a classroom activity of newspaper class, material may be submitted for consideration from students who are not enrolled in the course. Students’ submission should meet guidlines set forth in the board policy and regulation IGDB, copies of which are available in all buildings and Central Office. Students may also submit letters to the editor which are 500 words or less on timely issues. Editorials must be published with the name of the responsible individual. Bring any submissions to room c200 or e-mail them to the adviser at hughesm@ parkhill.k12.mo.us. All submitted material may be edited for content, length and grammar. The View is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association. The View is printed

by Osage Graphics in Olathe, Kan.