The View Vol 22 Issue 3

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THE

EDITION Park Hill South Riverside, MO Dec. 13, 2019 Vol. 22 Issue 3

table of

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THE

CONTENTS

04 07 08 15 17 19 21

NEWS Snow Day Struggles ENTERTAINMENT 2019 In Review

EDITION

OPINION Hot vs. Cold Weather

Park Hill South Riverside, MO Dec. 13, 2019 Vol. 22 Issue 3

on the

FEATURES News Clubs @ South

COVER

SPORTS Road to Nationals

STAFF

SPORTS Tough Has a New Look

Print Co-Editors in Chief Kiana Fernandes & Johnny Sterrett

INDEPTH Special 4-page section created by the fall 2019 Journalism class

LETTER FROM THE

editor

Hey South!

For the past month and a half the staff of The View has been working tirelessly to bring to you this newest issue. With some students going on a trip to D.C. as well as Thanksgiving Break disrupting workflow, the execution of this paper is an even greater accomplishment than usual. I’m incredibly proud to present to you articles about everything from how much to spend on Christmas gifts, to new clubs, to a profile on one of South’s best athletes. On top of all of this, we have a center spread celebrating the creativity that this school’s student body possesses. I hope you appreciate this issue and the stories it tells, but even if you don’t, please don’t throw your copy in the toilet (it isn’t very polite to the janitors).

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12-13

Throwback to When...

2010s Top Hit “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People was released.

Check out Throwbacks from the 2010s on each page of this issue, created by Sophia Koch and Emma Clark

Digital Editor in Chief/Co-Art Director Avery Glover The View is a member of the National Co-Art Director Parker Rivers Section Editors Maria Allred Claire Hoy Amy Graham Reporters Emma Clark Laura Distefano Will Fricker Payton Keedy Sophia Koch Payton Miller Lina Navarro Sam Pfeiffer Ty Rouse Maddie Winkler Adviser Megan Palmer

Scholastic Press Association and the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association and is printed by Osage Graphics in Olathe, Kan.

Annie Woodson Jessie Hagen Cameron Gillespie Brandon Cook Dawson Evans Sophie Hayes Austin Kinsey Nico Leluga Grant Mulligan Grace Parrott Matt Riekhof Emily Williamson The View is published six 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 student journalists and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Park Hill School district. To access editorial policies or to submit a letter to the editor, visit our website at phsouthnews.com

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

news 3

Click here to read more about the changes to the parking scenario

Parking Lot Pandemonium

A diagram of South’s new process for parent pick-up and drop-off.

Picture this: it’s 2:38 p.m. on a Friday afternoon and you can’t wait to get home. You’re bumper to bumper stuck between two other cars and you’re going nowhere anytime soon. Time passes and minutes begin to feel like an eternity.

This was the reality until the changes made earlier this year. The parking lot procedure has been restructured to allow exiting students more time before the buses carrying non-driving students leave. The buses have been streamlined to all go out at once, halting the remaining cars so as not to back up traffic.

The newly refined process is meant to help traffic move more fluidly throughout the day, but especially in the afternoon when students have jobs to go to. That’s not even acknowledging the nightly homework that every student dreads.

Of course, time is of the essence when you have that kind of workload after school, so this new parking lot process has both its critics and its supporters.

Many students who don’t always work weekdays find it convenient to get out quicker and simply get homework done and relax most days.

“It’s nice to get out faster than I did last year. Some days I have baseball practice and other days I just want to go home and sleep for a while,” Morgan Doane, junior, said.

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Some students like the new changes, others do not. But for those who work nearly immediately after school, this new system has been a blessing of sorts.

Ronin Dare, junior, rides the bus home and said that he starts his shift about 45 minutes after school lets out.

“Getting home is usually a pain because of the buses and cars getting mixed up in line, but the new system has given me more time to get ready and headed out,” he said.

Dare said the new system saves him a solid 10 to 15 minutes on average.

The new system of streamlining the exit process saves some people time, and even costs others that same time; it has its flaws, but certainly met its goal of speeding up the process and allowing students those precious extra minutes in their day.

With no word on any further improvements, the new way seems set in stone for the time being. Of course the first restructuring of these procedures might have caught some off guard, so perhaps a second one will as well.

That means for the foreseeable future, no more being stuck behind someone who is way too heavy on their brakes, or just a plain bad driver.

By Sam Pfieffer

Throwback to When...

In 2010 “Toy Story” came back with “Toy Story 2” and the hysterical movie “Despicable Me” was released.

4 news

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

SOUTH Snow Day

StRuggles A look at the district’s new plan for avoiding going to

By Grant Mulligan school in June

February

March

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Throwback to When...

Carly Rae Jepsen gave us the very catchy, but slightly annoying song “Call Me Maybe” in 2011

As the thermostat hit the mid 70s and the neighborhood pools started to open, South students were getting ready for their second semester finals.

Students from all across the district had mixed emotions about the surplus of snow days that hit, and sometimes didn’t, and the fact that class was still in session in June. Not having a full week of school in the entire third quarter really changes students’ outlook on school.

Like all school policies, they change every year. The Park Hill School District board came to a temporary solution to avoid the problem that occurred during the terrible winter that struck Kansas City.

To avoid cutting into everyone’s summer, the board has built in two days that we would typically have off, as a cushion to take off the load a bit incase tragedy strikes again.

“I like the new rule, because that means that we won’t go as far into our summer,” Chloe Bowman, junior, said.

Students seem to have different opinions, especially when it comes to their grade level.

“I don’t mind the new school day policy, I would like to have those days off but it’s helping everyone else in the school.,” Tyler Brown, senior, said.

South students seem to all be one sided on the new policy, claiming that it will make not only school easier, but lower the stress that takes a toll on students during the up and coming months into summer.

“Snow days affect my classes and overall work by pushing everything back a day, and it gets worse and worse when they build up over time,” Brown said.

The first half of the year is over, and the snow has kept to a minimum so far.

But will that change after break? Whatever gets decided, and whatever new policy will overwrite the previous one. One thing is never going to change, there will never be a solution to the snow day debate.

“Snow days affect my classes and overall work by pushing everything back a day, and it gets worse and worse when they build up over time.”

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Will the retaking of individual sections lower the overall integrity of the ACT?

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NO YES

Scan to learn more about the new changes to the ACT

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Your heart begins to race as your body fills with anxiety. All you can think about is how this one test can determine your future.

Every student knows this feeling before taking the ACT. However, next year the September ACT is offering a lot of new features that will change how people take the test.

The 2020 September ACT will be the first time that students have the chance to retake partial sections of the exam if they are not satisfied with their score. This allows students that struggle with a certain section to focus more on raising that individual score, rather than focusing on raising the composite grade of the test. This change leaves many seniors upset, because they will miss out on this opportunity to improve their scores.

“As a person who had to retake the entire test just to build up two sections, it’s annoying because now people can just retake one section,” Nellie Schofer, senior, said.

Many people criticize this new way of testing because it may lower the integrity of the ACT, meaning a 36 on the ACT won’t have as much impact if you retake a section in order to receive that score.

However, others see it was a way to help out students that have the knowledge, but aren’t good when it comes to taking long test.

“If someone is able to get a 36 on the ACT it shouldn’t matter whether they take it in one chunck or in separate pieces. The ACT is based off what you know. I think if you can do better by taking it in separate sections then that’s the way it

should be done,” Denver Benton, junior, said.

Northwest Missouri State University already calculates a superscore, so the retaking of different sections shouldn’t have a big impact on the admission process.

“I just see this as a benefit to students. It should allow them to increase their scores based on the knowledge they have, without worrying about the fatigue that can set in while taking a four-hour test,” Tamera Grow, associate director of admissions at NWMSU, said.

Other than the retaking of individual sections, the ACT will also give students the option to take it online or on paper.

Taking the ACT online will provide quicker test results for the students. Instead of getting their ACT score two to three weeks later, students could receive test scores in two business days.

“Online testing leads to instant grading. You don’t need any scantrons. With everything else adapting to technology, it helps out in that regard,” Seth Jahraus, junior, said.

All these new changes are leaving a lot of students and faculty members confused on how the ACT will go about administering the test.

“The recent press release regarding superscoring and online testing brings up many questions for us so that we can best help our students prepare for this exam,” Dr. Dale Longenecker, principal, said, adding that the Regional Director for ACT will be visiting South next semester to address (and hopefully answer) these questions.

Even though a few changes are coming to the ACT, the anxiety students experience before the test will stay the same.

“I think if you can do better by taking it in separate sections then that’s the way it should be done.”

Anticipating THe

ACT

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By Grace Parrott The Sept. 2020 ACT will offer new features, changing how people take the test

Throwback to When...

Everyone's favorite TV show “Hannah Montana” ended in 2011 and no one knew how to act.

6 news

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

A.C.T. ScandAL

By: Sophie Hayes

Imagine spending weeks studying for a test that has a huge influence on the rest of your life, then finding out your scores were lost. Park Hill High School students learned how this felt when their scores on the September ACT had been reported as lost.

As students from schools around the country were patiently awaiting their scores, Park Hill’s students received an email that informed them the packages arrived at their office with no scores inside.

“I was mainly frustrated because that was the score I was supposed to use on my college applications,” Ryan Enders, Park Hill senior, said.

The December ACT is the last one that is accepted by college for applications. Enders said this was the last one he was able to take.

ACT gave all the students that had their tests lost a makeup date on Nov. 9, along with a full refund.

“I think taking a test later affected my score. I knew in advance that I had the test that specific day in September so I could prepare for that time for quite a while. I waited for eight weeks and then was told that I could retake less than a

week in advance, “ Enders said.

Although this didn’t happen to students at South, many students that have taken the ACT have a lot of thoughts on this incident.

“That’s a lot of stress and cramming that could’ve been avoided, not to mention a waste of time. College deadlines are stressful as is and having to waste another four hours to get your test score weeks later is a pretty big problem,” Kellen Danielsen, senior, said.

Although Danielsen said he would not be happy if his test scores were lost, he said there’s nothing he can really do about it except study more and take advantage of taking another test for free.

ACT test scores getting lost is possible but very rare.

“We have conducted searches of the school and FedEx facilities on the route of the package, and we will continue to work with the test center and FedEx to search for the missing documents,” ACT spokesperson, Ed Colby said to KMBC 9 News.

Done

December in

As the semester comes to an end, some seniors are closing the yearbook on their high school career.

Seniors have the option to graduate in December or May, depending on when they finish all their credits. Some choose to graduate early to work, start school or simply just because they are ready to be done.

Shane Safly, senior, plans to graduate in December and immediately start college in January to pursue his dream of becoming a nurse.

“I want to get a head start on everything, and I had all my credits done, so I figured why not get started early? That way I can end earlier,” Safly said.

While Safly will be attending college, Cassidy Taylor, senior, plans to work multiple days a week in order to save for college.

“I have all my credits done and I knew there was no point in taking blow off classes my last semester of high school. I know I would skip a bunch of school because of senioritis and it would do nothing but ruin my GPA and attendance. So, I am just going to work and save money instead,” she said.

Taylor isn’t the only senior graduating early to work. Lillie

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By Maria Allred

McMinn, senior, plans on working second semester to save up for an apartment and start hair school in the fall.

“I found this really awesome hair school, with really good scholarships. I plan to work and make a lot of money,” she said.

A big reason why some seniors don’t want to graduate at semester is they are worried they may have Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

Although they can still attend school events like Courtwarming and Prom, the social aspect of not being at school while friends are still there is a big scare for some.

“A lot of memories between me and my friends happen at school.

I feel like I would miss out on a lot of things not attending second semester,” said Garrett Anderson, senior.

Allison Bodenhamer thinks differently about FOMO. “I’m not really worried about having FOMO since I moved here junior year. It’s not something I am worried about,” she said.

Saying goodbye is hard, but these 33 seniors are excited to take on the world.

Throwback to When...

“Gangnam Style” was released and it was everyone’s favorite carpool karaoke song.

South says goodbye to 33 seniors graduating at semester

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM entertainment 7

JANUARY

2019 was a year for the books. But it wasn’t just Lil Nas X singing “Old Town Road,” Marvel screenwriters behind the “End Game” empire, or “Game of Thrones” cast members that have had a big year. Just as the sun rises (and shines) in the east, it begins to set on the last year of the decade.

Many students have made a conscious effort to take in every second of this year before it ends.

For the seniors roaming the halls, the last year of the decade isn’t their only “last”. They have gone through their last first day of school at home, last homecoming, last high school football game, and everything in between.

With graduating high school in the year ahead and starting college for some, seniors are taking in every last bit of the year they can.

One senior looking forward to the changes is Chan’tice Phillips, senior.

“The best memory I have from this year was when I was in Columbia and made my decision in Coach Anderson’s office that I was going to go to Mizzou and play softball. I learned to never take anything for granted and trust the process through

FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL

JULY

it all,” Phillips said.

She, among many others will be embarking on new adventures in 2020.

“I’m really excited in the next year to be graduating from high-school and going onto college, Phillips said.

Others aren’t quite ready for the book of 2019 to close.

“This year was really fun, I had one of the best summers ever hanging out with my friends and going on the annual family float trip,” Adam Henn, junior, said.

Some local highlights include new and improved assemblies, the return of the freshman mentors, the German exchange students visiting, and many upgrades in the sports departments.

To the last year of the decade, may we have hopefully experienced one of our best years yet.

This year, at least for me, was not a year of “I can’t wait for this year to be over.” This was a year of trying not to wish away any month or day.

Here’s to 2020!

AUGUST

REWIND SEPTEMBER RECAP REMEMBER OCTOBER

2019

MAY

JUNE

A look into the year in review, and final year of the decade

by Laura Distefano <<Scan here to take a quiz about 2019

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NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Throwback to When...

Nickelodeon lost one of the most popular TV shows: “iCarly.”

8 entertainment PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

For more of the review, scan the QR code below for the review video!

Annie Jo’s

"Cups of Cheer" As a Starbucks holiday drink newbie, I review three classic seasonal drinks for the first time

By Annie Woodson

For the Peppermint Mocha fanatics out there, you guys might not want to read this part.

This was my least favorite of the three and I thought it tasted like I had just spit out a piece of mint gum and decided to drink coffee after. Now it wasn’t the worst thing I had ever had, but I don’t think I would ever drink it again, especially outside of the winter season. I knew going into to trying these that this one wasn’t going to be my favorite, and let me tell you, that’s the truth.

This one right here... this one is my absolute favorite and truly defines “leaving the best for last.” It was the perfect mix of sweet and bitter coffee, but not too much to over do it on either end. It was so smooth going down and didn’t even leave a nasty aftertaste in my mouth, which I think is very rare for coffee.

This mocha is perfect for all year round and I hate that I have to say goodbye to it in a few months; it just means I have to drink as much of it as I can this season.

Caramel Brulee Latte

Peppermint Mocha

Toasted White Chocolate Mocha

Cashing Out For Christmas

When this coffee first hit my tastebuds, I had no idea what to think of it; it was really sweet... and too sweet at that. I have never had “Brulee” before, so I had no idea how close this latte tastes to it, but all I know is when the drink hit my lips, I was hit by the sugary taste of straight caramel syrup. I like sweet coffee, but even I thought that this drink was too much. The more I drank it the more I enjoyed it, but if I purchased this more than once, I’m scared my teeth might rot out.

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As the weather starts to get colder, leaves fall from the trees, festive music begins and lights are strung, it is clear that is one of the best times of the year. Christmas time is used to spend time with your loved ones, while also spending money on gifts. But, how much should people really be spending?

Looking for the perfect present for your girlfriend/boyfriend, bestfriend, Mom, Dad or your Uncle Joe, could be one of the most important things for some people.

High school students don’t have as much money to spend, so it can be hard to decide on a present for someone you really care about.

Couples at South try to show their appreciation during this time of year, but with limited funds.

Gavin Lee, senior and Karla Gomez, junior, have been dating for about six months and are excited to spend their first Christmas together.

“I don’t think that getting a present is the most important part of a relationship, but anytime you can do something to show them you care, I think you should,” Lee said.

Gomez thinks that $100 is the maximum that should be spent on a significant other.

Family members have been spending money on presents every year since students were born. To try and give back with a price range of a high schooler, getting presents for your parents or siblings could be a big deal.

Charlie Scott, junior, follows his family tradition of stocking every member of his family’s stocking.

“I usually spend $20 on my parents and my two sisters,” Scott said.

Besides significant others or family, a lot of people like to recognize their friends during this time of year. Abby Wells, junior, spends about $30 on each of her closest friends for Christmas.

“They are like my second family and I feel like I should appreciate them as much as they appreciate me,” Wells said.

Christmas isn’t just about buying or receiving presents, it’s about what comes from the heart and how you spend time with the special people in your lives. But, spending the money that students have the people they Vine entered the chat and gave us the funniest videos of our lives. Scan on care about, means a lot. the QR code to reminisce on some of the most popular vines.

Throwback to When...

by Lina Navarro

Couples spend $50$100 on each other

Students spend $30$50 on friends

Students spend $20-$40 on family

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM entertainment 9

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26%

Elf

16%

Die Hard

Home Alone

Madness

28%

Christmas Movie

A Christmas Story

I know I’m gonna get some flack for that last assessment, but to tell you the harsh reality: Hallmark hasn’t released a decent Christmas movie since “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and, as hard as it may be to hear, “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” is just not as good as you remember.

Okay, so the movies left have to have some merit, right?

So now all we have to do is decide which one of them is objectively the best, and frankly, that’s quite easy. There’s only one film that fully encapsulates the Christmas feeling, while still being entertaining and pleasing to everyone.

“A Christmas Story” is, in my subjective opinion, the objective best Christmas movie ever.

What else could it have been? Were you expecting “Fred Claus”? Or maybe “Elf”? Perhaps even “Home Alone”? No. There is no movie that truly captures the feeling of winter, nor the spirit of Christmas quite like “A Christmas Story.” It’s even in the name. Plus, this movie is actually entertaining and enjoyable to watch. I can’t say the same for some of the other names dropped today.

So there you have it. Now, you know exactly what to watch this winter break. Of course, you can watch whatever you want, even one of those horrible Hallmark atrocities.

30%

Picture this: it’s Christmas Eve, a blanket of snow has covered the streets so there’s no better time than now to get a nice mug of cocoa, bundle yourself in a blanket and watch a Christmas movie… but what should you watch? You certainly don’t want to waste this oh-so-perfect and Christmassy evening, so you have to find the best movie for the occasion.

Luckily, I can help with that.

In discussing the perfect Christmas movie, one must not think out of nostalgia or out of emotion. This decision can only be made by valuing the one thing that’s everpresent this time of year: Christmas Spirit.

At this point, you can go ahead and throw away those movies that can barely even be dignified as “Winter Films,” so as much as I’m sure you may love calling “Die Hard” a Christmas Movie, how about we just stop kidding ourselves, okay?

Now that we’ve got all the imposters out of the game, what are we left with? Well, there’s a slew of cheesy Hallmark RomComs and crude Rankin-Bass stop motion “movies.” We can go ahead and trim these from the options because in order to be number one, it has to not only capture the Christmas spirit but also be at least tolerable to watch.

Throwback to When...

The country was devastated because of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

By Dawson Evans

<<Scan here to watch a video of South’s opinions about summer vs. winter

2 0 1 4

Battle of the Seasons

Nothing is better than getting up out of your warm bed and enjoying a nice fire downstairs with your family. If winter isn’t your favorite time of the year then read this and it will be.

Winter isn’t just about wearing cool clothes and going out in the snow with your friends (even though that’s the best thing to do). It’s about spending time with family and enjoying Thanksgiving and Christmas all together.

Winter is super underrated and hated for no reason and this needs to change. Bundling up and going out with your friends is the best for this weather--then, after, having a nice hot chocolate to end the day.

During summer it’s always hot and you can never take away the heat. But during winter, you can always put on more and more close to warmer or stay inside and enjoy a nice fire.

Winter isn’t just known for the cold weather ;it’s also known to have the best holidays.

Christmas and Thanksgiving are probably my two favorite holidays. On Christmas, you get to celebrate the end of the year with presents and family. And on Thanksgiving, you get to eat all the food in the world and do it with the people you love.

Winter also brings the best outfits and the best times to shop. These outfits are the most comfy and the most appealing to everyone else and you get these outfits during Black Friday where everything is on sale. Yep, winter is the only time when Black Friday shopping occurs, so if you like shopping and saving, this is the season for you.

The wonderful winter will never be beaten by sucky summer and it is too hot and boring.

Summer and winter are like night and day.

The only question is...

Which is better?

10 opinion PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

By Brandon Cook Drip, drip, the sound of melting ice cream on a spicy scorching hot summer day. Some people love the winter weather in Missouri but, personally I love summer. There’s nothing better than playing basketball outside with your friends or hanging around the pool enjoying the soothing water.

Summer is the best season because it gives you time to take a break from school and all the other stress related things. Furthermore, I love summer because there’s nothing better than going on a good fun family road trips.

One reason I don’t like winter is because there is nothing worse than not being able to go outside and play football or other sports with your friends because it’s too cold. Other people my say that winter is better because the holidays but personally I feel like it would be way more enjoyable with warmer weather so you could do fun things outside.

Another thing that is great about summer would be all friends and family who are away most of the year, come back for the summertime and it makes the season feel 10 times better hanging with the people that you grew up with all your life.

Also, this season has the best holiday with the Fourth of July; there’s nothing better than nice food and watching the best firework shows in the city. Furthermore, The thing about summer time that is the best of all would be a BBQ in the summer because you can have the best cookouts of the year in one day.

Winter will never compare to summer because it’s very cold and always there are always sad times during the winter.

nd in, a e r ’s sa sult South e r at he s: T ively th mer k a e it h Sp defin is sum t u So show ason e they erred s f pre

31%

Throwback to When...

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was on everyone’s social media.

69% nice

By Claire Hoy and Avery Glover

N

O

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM opinion 11

SHAVE

NO VEMBER

Caroline’s

Cause

“I didn’t do it because I can’t grow a full, lucious beard and Skylear would kill me,” said Coleman Reese, junior.

“I love No Shave November because I am lazy and shaving is a pain,” said Garrett Anderson, senior.

“The beard really doesn’t make an impact on the lady situation because some love it, some don’t but either way I’m still gettin’ honeys,” Joe Inzenga, senior.

A glimpse into South’s own Caroline Bennett, fighting for what she believes in

By Amy Graham

It’s not uncommon to see Instagram stories or social media posts attempting to deliver powerful messages. On days where breaking news sweeps over South, it can surely be hard to miss. Despite all this online activism, though, few students actually go the extra mile, and promote their activism through more tangible means.

Caroline Bennett, senior, is known by many for, whether for her bold political nature, or involvement in theatre. As the president of Young Democrats, it’s no surprise that she’s taken on a role outside of school with KC Students Demand Action.

“After the Parkland walkouts, I spent a lot of my summer working with this girl. We decided we needed to keep fighting for this, so we started that organization [KC Students Demand Action] which is part of a national Students Demand Action,” Caroline Bennett, senior, said.

In the wake up the Parkland shooting, Bennett was integral in organizing South’s involvement in a series of national student walkouts. Bennett continually fights for what she believes in, and to this day she still promotes the belief that swept the nation after Parkland.

“What I do is I work on promoting things like red flag laws, 2 universal background checks, and gun sense legislation,” she 0 said.

1 Alongside her activism outside of school, Bennett serves as the president of South’s ‘Young Democrats,’ which helps to 4

bring light to political events and volunteer. Their most recent project was volunteering at the Veteran’s Community Project, where Bennett helped gather materials to donate. In addition to this, they collaborate with young republicans annually to hold a voter drive and encourage students to register.

On top of KCSDA, Bennett has worked with other organizations.

“I’ve also worked a bit with Women’s March and Girls Inc.,” she said.

Politics aside, Bennett contributes to South in additional ways.

She’s been involved in theatre for her high school career, appearing in South’s most recent production of “Annie” as Miss Hannigan.

She doesn’t plan to stop what she’s doing anytime soon. Her short term plans include finalizing college admissions, and studying political science or peace studies.

“I plan on moving to a bigger city, working my way into city council… focusing on the grunt work of writing legislation,” she said.

“We’ll see where that takes me.”

Throwback to When...

Meghan Trainor got recognized with her song “All About that Bass” to promote positive body image and self-acceptance.

12 Features PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

Check out some student Sound Cloud musicians by scanning these QR codes >> 2 0 1 4

kind of my thing, so it’s what gives me a spark. It’s definitely something I can go to when I’m having a bad day to feel better,” Slaughter said Sharing a room as well as a love for music with the band is the school orchestra. While their paths may never cross on stage, they too put endless hours into their musical works. One of these students is Ethan McWilliams, junior. McWilliams has long been intrigued by music and it plays a major role in his life.

“Music is something I’ve done for my whole life and I wanted to do that at school. I started piano when I was in second grade and my older sister was in the orchestra. I wanted to do that as well so I started the cello in sixth grade,” McWilliams said McWilliams has proven to be a vital piece to the orchestra, attending All State Solo and Ensemble for cello and making All District Orchestra.

Stepping away from the school sanctioned events and music classes is a more underground movement that has been making waves at South. This, of course, is the era of the “SoundCloud rappers”. This title has been flung around in recent years as a broad umbrella term used to describe musicians and artists who started their career on the SoundCloud app.

While it is often cast in a negative light, this is a platform where young, talented artists can finally be seen and heard by audiences around the world.

One of these up and coming rappers is Cameron Kane, freshman. Kane goes by the name Cashdrops on SoundCloud, with multiple singles under his belt along with two studio albums. Kane is starting to collect somewhat of a following, with the majority of his songs racking up 1000+ listens as well as a concert appearance on the near horizon.

Finding a sound and voice for yourself can take a lot of work, and Kane is no exception.

Adam Prodz Cash Drops

Throwback to When...

Musical.ly was the hot new social media. Scan the QR code to see if you remember any of these top 10 Musical.ly stars.

Marvelous Musicians

Walking through the halls of South, it’s clear that there is no lack of academic activity occurring throughout the course of the day. Making the most of its two floors and ergonomically designed wings, classrooms stretch as far as the eye can see, with students learning anything from material science to philosophy.

What the casual observer might overlook, though, is the abundance of talented musicians walking the halls.

For one block a day, these students get to come together and do what they love: play music. In between the cafeteria and front desk in the C100s hallway is where they thrive. This is where members of the orchestra and band get to practice and perfect the different pieces of music they are working on for upcoming performances.

Kendra Slaughter, senior, is one of these few talented students who choose to follow a path of aspiring musical prowess throughout her high school career. Slaughter plays the flute for the band, along with the piccolo. She is third in the state for piccolo, and has attended State Solo and Ensemble every year.

“It [music] is almost like a sixth sense.

When I listen to music it really puts me into a zone and I feel really connected with music and when I play it’s a whole different experience. The way I shape it is a way for me to make my own story,” Slaughter said Attending a South musical performance is an amazing thing to experience; the auditorium is meticulously constructed to allow the listener to bask in the full essence of the music being played. But for the musicians, the performance is only the tip of the iceberg, giving the listeners only a glimpse into the work that went into perfecting these pieces.

“Music takes up so many hours and adds a lot of extra stress to my life. It teaches me a lot about leader ship roles and also how to prepare for something that I really want. Music is

By Will Fricker “When I’m making a song, me and Eli go to the studio and record our vocals over a beat our producer made. Then we got to mix and master it. It usually takes like two weeks. When it’s done, we just give it a release date,” Kane said.

Another huge component to the SoundCloud scene and modern music in general is the production. This, of course, is the person who actually makes the beat for singers and rappers to record over. Adam Johnson, senior, is one of these producers. Johnson, or Adam Prodz as referred to on SoundCloud and Youtube, is an aspiring producer who has been working on his game for years.

Today, Johnson’s beats are crisp, with hard bass lines and catchy melodies. But, that wasn’t always the case.

“I started about four years ago on an online beat making cube. Then, I downloaded FL Studios and started to learn how to work it through YouTube tutorials.,” Johnson said.

FL Studios is a commonly used platform by producers today, being very user friendly with all the controls you need right on your laptop or desktop.

“When I get on FL to make a beat, I usually start with the melody then add the drums and high hats. Once that’s done, I add the kicks and 808s. I enjoy making beats because I have a wide range of creativity, and have the ability to create any vibe I want,” Johnson said.

Sometimes in school - and in life - it’s easy to become a victim of a boring, routine filled life. These South musicians are a perfect example of taking advantage of the opportunities given to them, by pursuing what they love to do most: music.

“Music is super important,” Slaughter said. “It’s a part of American culture, and music in general is almost like a universal language because you can listen to a piece and it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can feel it and understand it.”

Artistry At

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Features 13

South

Scan here to see South artists’ work

A look into the creative talents of some of South’s best musicians, artists and authors for Christmas soon after,” said Glover.

This type of art is not very well known but it definitely is on the rise and will be very prevalent in the future.

Virtual reality has become so big that Google, Samsung and other major tech companies have entire divisions dedicated to it. At this rate, virtual reality products will be as popular and widely used as smartphones in the next decade, according to techtimes.com.

Glover plans to continue working with this type of media as he gets older.

“I want to go to the School of Visual Arts in New York after high school,” said Glover.

Another unique artist at South is Tatum Lierman, senior. She uses her talents in both photography and videography to capture moments that she feels are important.

“I enjoy making videos more than photography because I have so much more to say than a picture could ever capture,” said Lierman.

Lierman gets hundreds of likes and reposts on her videos. It is very cool for the Football team as well as fans to see the atmosphere of the football games from a different perspective.

“I enjoy making the football videos because of the beautiful energy I get to capture while making them,” said Lierman. “Everyone in the Rage Cage is so passionate about the game and it is really amazing to see.”

By Ty Rouse 2 0 1 5

Artists

of

Instagram

Astounding Artists

The walls of South are covered in beautiful pieces of art, most of which are created by students. The art program has a very wide range of media including painting, drawing, ceramics, graphic design, photography and printmaking.

Laurel Burns, senior, is an AP Studio Art student at South and said she most enjoys painting.

“I love painting because there are so many different ways you can use the paint and so many different types of paint you can use,” said Burns.

Burns’ art is very impressive and much of it makes it to the District Art Fair. Since she is in AP Studio Art, she will have her own display in the Art Fair this year, so make sure to check it out.

Not only does Burns create art for school, but she has also started her own little business on the side in which she will paint customized shoes for people.

“I love making people happy with my art. My painted shoes are so special to me because they are one of a kind. No other pair like them exists on earth,” said Burns.

Burns plans on continuing her art in the future.

“I want to go to KU because they have a great art school,” said Burns.

A lesser-known artist here at South is Sophomore Hayden Glover. Glover makes 3D art in a virtual reality space using Masterpiece VR, Tilt Brush, and Google Blocks. Htc Vive is another program that he uses to make his art.

The programs allow users to draw in every direction creating 3D objects.

“I started getting into it by watching Draw With Jazza on YouTube. I got all of the equipment

“Rick and Morty Customs”

@shoesbylaurel

Laurel Burns, senior

“Landscape Mosaic”

@cherry.pi.art

Delaney Ferguson, senior

“Flower Bush”

@is0art

Isobel Ellis, senior

Throwback to When...

“Watch Me” by Silento was released and was the most played song on everyone’s playlist.

14 Features PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

More than

1,600,000 books

were self-published in 2018 in print or digital form

2 0 1 5

autobiography about my high school years; it’s like 200 pages,” Wright said.

On top of the novels he’s exploring, Wright produces work for the South Paw Yearbook and his internship at the Platte County Citizen. Though he enjoys journalistic writing, his true passion and goals with authorship are in relation to his books and how he might impact people with them.

“I’d like to get paid for it because it’s something I like to do, but more importantly, I want people to get something out of my books, maybe comprehend a theme, and I hope I inspire people to feel a certain way or to feel like they’re not alone,” Wright said.

Another author at South is Brooke Tiedt, senior. Recently, six years of hard work writing novels and short stories has paid off with several publications.

“I finally got my first couple dollars for writing and publishing a short story. It’s the third short story I’ve published,” Tiedt said.

Along with publications in literary magazines, Tiedt has developed a following on her Instagram account @brooketiedtauthor where she shares parts of her journey as a writer. Most recently on the account Tiedt has been covering her current work in progress titled Surrounded

by Pine.

“My most recent story came

81%

of Americans want to write a novel, according to a quote by writer Joseph Epstein.

Throwback to When...

from me talking to my friend about random aesthetics. From there, I came up with a basic plot. A girl has not quite run away from home and as she’s walking through the forest behind her house she’s surrounded by pine trees and finds herself in a magical realm and it’s kind of a mix between the Lost Boys of Neverland and a little bit like Narnia,” Tiedt said.

While “Surrounded by Pine” may be her most recent work, it’s not her only novel. In writing circles, the month of November is National Novel Writing Month, an event which Tiedt has participated in since sixth grade.

Due to the nature of the event, Tiedt has written six novels over the course of six years. On top of that, she has begun her first series.

“I’ve written the first two books in a series. To write two 120-page books and having them follow the same story line is really exciting,” Tiedt said.

Talking to Tiedt and Wright, it is initially hard to see much that they have in common. However, both their passions for writing are rooted in their childhoods and have developed into something that they want their lives to revolve around.

Remember their names, for it might not be too long before they are lining the shelves of bookstores and libraries.

Wonderful Writers

By Kiana Fernandes Victor Hugo once said, “A writer is a world trapped in a person.”

Authors are those who spin the complexity of the human experience into fine-edged narratives with the capability to captivate and shape the readers who voraciously consume them. At South, there are two notable students with worlds contained within them - worlds they dream of publishing and sharing with an audience.

One of these students, Will Wright, senior, has always been a writer.

“In elementary school I made books for my teacher to read to the class and then I was writing a book in fifth grade during recess and I was like ‘I’m gonna get this published’,” Wright said.

While the story never made it to print, that initial novel set off a lifelong passion for writing. Over the last several years, Wright has found inspiration in one consistent place: his dreams.

“I mostly get my ideas from my nightmares. If I remember my nightmare and it’s interesting, I like to interpret it into a book and extend it. I feel like life grants me a good nightmare once in a while when needed,” Wright said.

Despite a large portion of his stories being inspired by his dreamscapes, Wright has also explored non-fiction and developed stories from his real-life experiences.

“I’m currently writing an

Amazon’s “Bestsellers of 2019 in Books”

#1

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens 26,196 reviews, 4.8 out of 5 stars

Asking teachers to have a movie day is an iconic high schooler question. But trying to convince them to give in and say yes is virtually impossible. So what’s the next best thing at South? Film Club.

From movie connoisseurs to those who just want something to do after school with their friends, Film Club is the place to be. A club created as a passion project has turned into something more for senior and president of Film Club, Austin Kinsey.

“The idea is: we meet and we talk about the movie we watched previously, and then we start a different movie and we watch it that time. And then after that, go home, kind of collect your thoughts, and then the next time we meet, we talk about the movie -- so it’s kind of a cycle,” Kinsey said.

Sharing a common interest has been seen bringing people together for as long as anyone can remember, and this is no different. Getting the chance to talk about movies with other people who can appreciate doing the same is a feeling that students get to experience every time Film Club meets.

“My favorite things is just introducing people to new movies and I’m very passionate about film. I have a pretty wide array of movies that I like watching but I’ve also been introduced, by people in the club, to different movies and it’s helped to sort of widen my variety even more,” Kinsey said.

Not only has this been something that Kinsey has wanted to bring to life for quite a while, but now that he has, it has brought about joy and a renewed adoration for film in him and in all who attend.

“I would love if anyone who was even remotely interested showed up and at least tried it out,” Kinsey said.

Always looking for some new faces, Kinsey and his club members would be more than happy to have higher participation and maybe even have the chance to spark the same love they hold for movies in others. So no longer do students at South have to wait for their teachers to cave to a movie day. They now have the opportunity to join Kinsey at Film Club.

Kinsey introduces his passion project to other film lovers at South

Fanatical Film buffs

By Emily Williamson

Name: Film Club Meeting Day: Every other Wednesday Room: A104

2 0 1 6

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Features 15

Name: True Krime Club Meeting Day: Contact Mrs. Koelliker Room: B104

True Krime Craze

Koelliker’s new endeaver connects students with the same special interest Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Son of Sam, BTK: all famous killers that are interesting to some and forgotten by others. And all at the peak interest of the members of True Krime Club (TKC) at South.

Members of True Krime Club come together to learn about and discuss a common interest: serial killers. Sponsored by Deanna Koelliker, communication arts, this club cycles their weekly meeting dates from Monday through Thursday.

“If this is something that kids are doing already, and you can have intellectual conversations with people who are doing the same thing then that is what all clubs are supposed to be about,” Koelliker said.

At every meeting, those who attend will watch a documentary on the serial killer chosen the previous week. They will also plan fun activities such as draw-your-own police sketches for the students to participate in.

“It’s nice to know that there are other really good kids at South who find this really interesting, but they’re not psychopaths,” said Koelliker.

Having a group that can openly talk about something that is not often talked about is good for those who are fascinated by this topic and can provide a welcoming atmosphere and a friendly group of people for students who aren’t already involved in something at South. For those who do participate in other clubs, this can provide a new opportunity to learn about something that doesn’t always come to mind when you think of school clubs and activities.

“It’s not stuff that you would hear about every single day and it’s a very particular thing that I feel like a lot of people watch these videos and think these things are interesting in private, so it’s cool to be able to gather with like-minded people to be able to enjoy something that we like” Virginia Fullerton, junior and member of True Krime Club, said.

New clubs pop up at South every year but never before have the students and staff seen something like this; a club so unique and so unusual in subject.

For students who have an interest in True Krime Club, Koelliker and the other members would be happy to welcome any new students to participate.

Throwback to When...

Airpods came out in 2016, but didn’t become popular until 2018 40% of South’s population owns Airpods.

16 Features PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

The Race FOR Big Cat The lights are drawn. The curtains rise up. Five seniors take the stage with the hopes to take home the title: the title of Big Cat. 10 years from now, looking back at your high school experiences, there’s some things that you will never forget. For many South students, Big Cat will always be one of them. It’s the one time of year your fellow comedic peers get to shine with their humor.

The class of 2020 had several brave soldiers that went through the interview process. That process consists of making a video that displays their plan of action for their skits, and if their funniness could carry them to the final show.

Only five of them made it: Austin Kinsey, Evan Oathout, Brandon Cuda, Raj Thacker and Maddie Olson.

Big Cat takes strategic planning, time, and straight dedication to put on an entertaining show. You have to be 110 percent into it if you want to be crowned queen or king.

“My friends and I are coming together and coming up

with skits and jokes. I am also working off of other people to bounce ideas,” Olson said.

There are three rounds the contestants have to go through for the final show: that include video, skit and talent. Since this has been such a big tradition at South, the contestants have to brainstorm ways they can be different from the previous years.

“With past contestants, a lot of the time they only do things that are loud and outrageous, but I am going to try and do something a little more subtle,’’ Kinsey said.

With the stiff competition between the contestants, many are just trying to think of how to make themselves more special than others.

Cuda said, “At the end of one of my skits I have something big planned. Something that might involve changing my appearance.”

This year Big Cat has a lot in store for everyone. It could make some laugh, or could make some cry. Mark your calendars on Dec. 14 to find out your 2019 Big Cat winner!

Are you attending Big Cat?

By Maddie Winkler

56% YES

44% NO 2 0 1 6

Throwback to When...

The Mannequin Challenge was the new trend that everyone wanted to do in the classroom.

Scan here to take a quiz about the 2019 Big Cat contestants

Step: #1

CARDIO

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Sports 17 “During competition season, we always do way more cardio than we do in summer so we can get our stamina up,” Maddie Winkler, junior, said.

ROAD TO

Step: #2

“After we do cardio, we typically do a deep stretch to prevent any muscle strains or injuries,” Ella Fosnough, sophmore, said.

Step: #3 CLEAN

STRETCH “We also run through our competition dances multiple times and thoroughly clean them so that everyone is on the same count,” Emily Saylor, freshman, said.

By Payton Miller

N A T I O N A L S

6 Divisions. 60 teams. 1 goal.

Each cheer team in the 5A small group division geared up for State and prepared to showcase what they have been prepping for all year. South’s cheer team was one of those teams and they truly did prove that hard work pays off.

“Leading up to State, we had rough patches like injuries and nothing going as planned, but I’m really proud of our team for being able to rework the routine and still managing to do well at State,” Olivia Buehler, junior, said.

Many others on the team were in agreement as the team finished sixth in the 5A division and beat the team that placed over them last year. The team was not only was proud of their placement but also were impressed by how the freshmen performed at their first State competition.

“I was really impressed by how well the freshmen handled the pressure. It can be intimidating to compete at that level for the first time and they proved South’s cheer team has a bright future,” Buehler said.

South’s cheer team has a promising future 2 ahead with a lot of fresh talent and can’t wait 0 to keep improving throughout the year to 1 prepare for next year’s competition.

7

Throwback to When...

STATE

RECAP

18 SPORTS PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

B AY LO R O U N D South studentChristopher Dupree, commits to Baylor University.

Being a young boy who just wants to race every other kid at the park is one thing, but being a young boy who wants to win with every ounce of his body is another.

Christopher Dupree, senior, is a student who stands out here at South in many different aspects, and Baylor University sees that. Dupree committed to Baylor University on Nov. 13 this year to continue his academic and athletic career. The coaches saw the drive Dupree has toward loving his family, Christianity and, most importantly, his running.

“Faith, family, and track are a few things that I believe Chris holds in high esteem. He seems to be honest and true to those things in a consistent basis. This is very unique for his age, and that is what makes him so coachable,” Coach Clay Lenhert said.

The second Dupree stepped onto the campus, he knew it was going to be his next home.

So many different places on campus persuaded him to pick Baylor, including the views.

Overlooking the football stadium was his favorite part of the campus.

“They also have a Baylor built thing for athletes and it helps us with corporate job training, academics, and a lot of Christian stuff in it which is one of my favorite parts,” Dupree said.

As he approaches his Baylor debut, Dupree’s best time is 46.57 seconds for the 400 meter dash. Currently the NCAA top eight finalist were all 46.2 seconds or under.

“My freshman year goal is to place at the NCAA championship,” Dupree said.

Dupree is excited to be coached by some of the best; one coach even helps in the Clympic games. Waco, Texas is where he wants all his lifelong dreams to come true. All his hard work and dedication to the race has been because of his mom and dad.

“I owe my success to my mom and dad. They would drive me everywhere for meets, and stay with me to help me with homework because I was a very stupid kid,” Dupree said.

By Jessie Hagen

Outdoor Personal Records

200m

22.22 2 0 1 7

Throwback to When...

400m

46.57

800m

1:59.38

T

he winter season is here and with it comes five fresh new sports for the students of South to watch and enjoy: girls swim, girls and boys basketball, boys wrestling, and the newest member of the bunch, girls wrestling.

That’s right, girls wrestling is now officially its own sport after Missouri became one of the few states in the nation sponsor it.

South’s team, although small, is very mighty.

The team returns one State qualifier in Finley Bickford, junior, and another State hopeful in Mystyque Anderson, junior.

There is also the new addition of Maddie Kubicki, freshman, who is nationally ranked in the top 10 and holds herself to very high expectations.

“I’ve wrestled for 11 years so I have a lot of experience on the mat. I’m more excited to wrestle the guys than the girls because most of the girls really don’t give me much of a challenge,” said Kubicki.

The wrestlers aren’t the only ones looking forward to this second season. Coach Dan Dunkin, who has been the head coach of the boys team for the last 14 years, is also excited to see the girls perform this year.

“We don’t have many girls on the team but I am very excited about the ones we do have.

I think all three of our ladies have a very good chance of bringing home hardware from State

TOUGh

has a new look

A preview of the girls wresting team

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Sports 19 this year,” said Dunkin.

It’s not just on the mat experiences that everyone is looking forward, to but also the lessons learned that can be translated off the mat. Between the constant battle with weight, extremely tough practices and high intensity competition situations, wrestling is a sport that requires the utmost discipline and dedication.

“My brother wrestled all his life so I grew up seeing the positive impact it made on his character and that really motivated me to star,” said Anderson.

Coach Dunkin, who was a business major in college, also has high praise for the sports effect on a person’s professional life.

“In the business world, you see natural leaders rise up on the men’s side because they have been trained to be leaders and be aggressive. The same thing that has built these people on the men’s side is now much more available for women through sports like wrestling,” said Dunkin.

With female wrestling becoming a much more widely recognized and accepted sport in the USA, now is as good a time as ever to give it a try according to the girls on the team.

“Not only is the sport fun,” said Bickford, “but there are also many ways the material translates to the real world. Also the team is truly like a family.”

By Cameron Gillespie

2 0 1 8

Throwback to When...

20 SPORTS PHSOUTHNEWS.COM For many years, Division 1 athletes have aspired to make money just like the big leagues. Many of them want to go to make money for their families back home struggling, and others want the money to help them get to the pros, but either way they are all looking for some type of compensation for the work they put into their sport.

Many athletes feel as if it is unfair that they are not being paid for putting in the same amount of work, if not more, than the pros do everyday just to try and make it big in the future.

Paige Riekhof, a division 1 swimmer at the University of Kansas and former South student, said she believes that they are putting in much more work, just to not be paid what they deserve at the moment.

“If I were being paid, I would work 200 times harder than I do now. Don’t get me wrong, I work hard, but if I was working for something in the process and being paid for something that I worked hard for, then I would go harder. I just don’t find it fair because you don’t see anyone else working harder than us just to make it to a place in life,” Riekhof said.

Despite the controversy in Missouri, in California, a rule is being applied to allow these athletes to strike endorsements and hire agents to help them gain these endorsements.

Anna Riekhof, a division 1 swimmer at Pepperdine University in California, loves the new law that is being applied because it can help her get a start after her college sport is over and when she needs to move on.

“I have always believed since we can’t have jobs as athletes, that we should be able to be paid for the work that we put in, and my dream is finally coming true. I get to have the benefits of doing something I love, and making money out of doing endorsements and other things for companies to help make

By Matt Riekhof myself some money,” Anna Riekhof said.

Sam Beuerlein is a former Panther now playing baseball for the University of Georgetown in Washington DC. He has worked his entire life to get where he is now and believes that some of the rules in the NCAA arent as fair as they sound.

“I’ve always wanted to continue to work harder, and with an opportuniy of money in the game, I believe many of us would work way harder than we do already,” Beuerlein said.

“Making the grades, playing the sport and working out everyday to get bigger and stronger and better is one of the hardest things because you have to find a way to manage your time. Making money on something you love and things you love doing would make managing so much easier on some of us.”

Many Athletes are even working so hard, to the point where their bodies are sometimes unable to handle the hits and cramps one can take. An example of this is Tua Tagovailoa who is a Division 1 football player at the University of Alabama. Tagovailoa was playing the Mississippi State Bulldogs in an away game. Nick Saban had told Tagovailoa that he “needed to come out” because he didn’t want to test any serious situations.

Unfortunately, Tagovailoa convinved Saban to keep him in. This led to Tua getting sacked for a 14-yard loss, breaking his nose, and dislocating his hip. This injury requires surgery which will unfortunately take him out for the rest of the season and decrease his chances of being drafted in the top 10.

It has been a bedrock principle behind college sports: Student athletes should not be paid other than the costs of attending a college. But California is defying all odds, and showing how they really feel about this law, by turning their state into the first to allow athletes to be paid for what they do every day.

Salaries for Students

How Students Spend Their Time

2 0 1 8

Yes

85%

No

Should college Athletes be Paid?

15%

Throwback to When...

Everyone experienced the heartbreaking death of Mac Miller. “I remember listening to him when I was chilling with my friends. It’s a disappointment he had to pass away following arguably one of his best albums.”

Garrett Anderson, senior, said.

Sports: 37.5% Class: 33.33%

Homework: 20.83%

Free Time: 8.33%

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM INDEPTH 21

Food COURT

By Johnny Sterrett

South’s “Milk Man” brings a roar to the lunch room

When most students were busy studying or finishing their EOC’s, senior Jacob Wood made the puzzling choice to endure guzzling a gauntlet of 14 milk cartons, just two shy of a gallon, during lunch.

What started as a dare from his friends quickly turned into one of the most cinematic cafeteria incidents in recent memory when students realized the magnitude of Wood’s undertaking.

The completion of each carton led to thunderous applause from those lucky enough to witness, with the majority of the cafeteria rising to their feet in support.

“I have never felt closer to the student body than I did in that moment; STUCO should take notes,” said senior Austin Kinsey.

Believe it or not, this wasn’t the first milk-related stunt to gain notoriety at South.

“We definitely paved the way. The Yak Pak walked so that he could run,” said senior Garrett Anderson.

Much like the The Yak Pak, South’s original lactose lovers, the culmination of cartons was too much to stomach. Unfortunately for Wood, the administration had a similar interpretation of the stunt--which landed him six days in lunch detention to deter future disruptions.

News of the incident spread quickly through social media sparking discussion about Wood’s fate.

“I thought it was stupid, but I’ll defend my man’s right to chug,” said senior witness Brock Ivy. Now known as “the Milk Man,” Wood 2 never intended to cause so much commotion.

0 “I started drinking them and then 1 everyone started like hyping it up and then people kept giving me milks. We weren’t 9

trying to get attention, it just happened. The next thing I knew, I looked around and everybody was looking and recording on their phones,” he said. “It was completely out of my control because everyone started clapping. I didn’t want that to happen. I was trying to get them to stay calm.”

Justification for Wood’s punishment was that he caused a disruption, though he would argue there was nothing to disrupt.

“It wasn’t like it was actually disrupting people from doing lunch,” he said. “It’s not like they’re studying in the cafeteria and it’s usually loud in there anyway.”

Popular criticism of Wood’s stunt was that it was rude to the janitors, but Wood actually cleaned up all of the mess himself. ”There were actually janitors clapping and cheering me on, too,” said Wood.

“At first I was a little annoyed, but after it was over, I thought it was pretty funny. I gave him a rag and he cleaned it up himself.” said Anthony Lundgren, custodian.

“I’m not in charge of the discipline, but he’s old enough to know right from wrong. It was probably pretty disruptive to the classrooms next to the lunch room.”

Disruptive or not, Wood will serve his time with dignity.

“It was worth the clout,” said Wood. “My only regret was not getting a full gallon.”

Throwback to When...

The Jonas Brothers gave us the best comeback in 2019.

22 INDEPTH PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

Have Your

By Kaitlyn Cain

I

Scan this to go to the Park Hill South News website and read about the comparisons and differences of different holiday celebrations

Elf A Merry Little Christmas

magine looking outside and seeing a soft white winter blanket, covering the ground for miles. It’s that time of year again, when the smell of sugar, spice and everything nice fills the air. That sweet atmosphere has you in a good mood for some unknown reason. It’s the holiday season and tradition is in the air.

Traditions are very common during the holiday season and people have grown up with movies, books and family to show us classic Christmas traditions. Things such as drinking hot cocoa, building snowmen, having snowball fights and, of course, sledding bring joy to many.

One tradition junior Sophia Adair shared involves a special pickle.

“We have like a pickle ornament, me and my two sisters try to find it, and whoever finds it first gets to open their presents first,” she said.

Besides the pickle madness, freshman Blake Burks’ traditions include traveling.

Burks said, “This year I am going to Kentucky to see some family, oh but last year I broke my arm on a cruise. My family and I go somewhere, and do something every year. Oh *gasp* we play cards!”

The most common tradition at South was, surprisingly, matching pajamas. It’s rather cheesy, but a memorable tradition, no doubt. There were many other traditions at

By Sydney Renolds

South, but continuing on to the next stop on our ride, winter breaks.

It’s finally that time of year when students get a break from the sleep depriving, stressful fall semester. Winter break this year is extra special, and getting a full two weeks, South students aren’t going to waste any time.

Sophomore Sydney Diaz said she will be spending her winter break with family.

“I have two younger brothers, so yeah, snowmen and snowball fights are going to happen. Of course I get to spend time with my family and Christmas is my favorite holiday, so it’s going to be great,” she said.

Many students are going to take this break as a miracle. Some students are hoping to get at least a couple of snow days, but of course not as many as last year.

Students plans for break include a lot of common things: watching Christmas movies (“The Grinch” being most popular), sleeping in every day and wishing winter break could be longer.

Celebrating Christmas, or any holiday during the season, is something that brings joy to a lot of people. No matter what you do during your winter break, or even what traditions you have, South just hopes that you have your elf a merry little Christmas.

Happy Holidays

By Yesem Hailemariam 2 0 1 9

Throwback to When...

Blake Burks, Charles Morgan and Steven

The women's USA Soccer team won the World Cup. “I went to the Power and Phan posing to show a little holiday spirit. “I Light District and watched the game there. It was a really exciting experience with celebrate opening presents,” said Blake Burks.

All Photos By Jaden Safly fun activities going on at half time. When they won, there was a celebration with confetti and excitement of the whole crowd,” Olivia Gates, sophomore, said.

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM INDEPTH 23

New Year's Resolutions Scan here to read and watch a video about how people at South stick with their resolutions

Page by Rachel Bishop, Aubrey Boyer, Isabel Dibernardo, Megan Dibernardo, and Katy Sheehan There are hundreds of holidays, some celebrated by few and some celebrated by most of the world.

But, out of all of these fun, festive periods of time, one holiday is seen as the closest thing to a global public holiday: New Year.

At South, with the business of classes, deadlines and finals, most students will be more focused on the turn of the semester. But once Winter Break begins, all the stress will fall away with the thought of festivals, parades and, of course, the long-anticipated traditions.

Regan Miller, freshman, said that she really enjoys many New Year’s traditions.

“Every New Year’s Eve, I like to watch a movie and watch the ball drop in Times Square on the TV. I also love drinking sparkling cider,” Miller said.

Out of many traditions, the most well known one is definitely the making of a resolution for the New Year. But, there are many arguments on the importance of resolutions and whether they work.

Ayla Ringo, freshman, said that the idea of making a resolution for the upcoming year is just that: an idea. She said that people come up with one, but rarely “follow through with it.”

“They definitely don’t work. That’s for sure,” Ringo said. “By the time March comes around, they’ve probably already forgotten about it.”

Resolutions, for plenty of people, are the most important part of the New Year. Some resolutions are big and life changing, while others are just a small step to improving one’s life. Though, not many students at South are very focused on making a resolution since it’s usually steered towards adults, young and old.

Alicia Walker, social studies, takes the idea of a resolution to another level.

“Every year, I like to make a resolution for the beginning of the school year since teaching is such a big part of my life,” Walker said.

Of course, all resolutions are different, and some people are more committed than others.

“It’s okay to make a resolution, but I think it’s very healthy to at least assess how things are going in your life,” said Walker.

Even if not many people at South make resolutions for the upcoming year, resolutions may be a big help later on in life. It’s odd to think that every year, 2 millions of people make a promise to themselves to take a small, first step to improving their life. No 0 wonder it’s a global holiday.

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Connecting St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City, the hyperloop is expected to be ready in the decade 2020, taking about 30minutes to get across Missouri.

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chew on something new

By Nixon Burns, Kasha Cloud, Max Guerrero, Kara Hagen and Shania Pray

a

re you craving something new to devour in the area?

Kansas City has many things to offer, everything from professional sports teams and the Liberty Memorial, to art exhibits and varieties of cuisine.

Students are on the lookout for new dishes to try and the next food trend to hop onto.

Kansas City is a place where you can try many new things whenever you want. However, students at South have their favorites that they prefer to have over and over again. The range can vary from fast food all the way to students with expensive taste.

Sophomore Mudia Reuben’s favorite restaurant is Raising Cane’s.

“They do a great job of combining their dip. It goes with everything included in the meal,” she said.

Raising Cane’s is an easy choice to save money and relieve your hunger. The Louisiana originated restaurant came into the South area in 2017. The place has been busy ever since with returning customers. They offer their own line of sauce which is what many South students said they love the most about it.

However, Kansas City has more to offer than fast food.

“My favorite restaurant in town is Jazz. They have a buffet of selections, along with a New Orleans vibe,” said senior Sophie Hayes.

Jazz is a New Orleans style restaurant on the Kansas side of town. This is a buffet style dining with a lot of seafood to offer.

Jazz offers bands some nights of the week for entertainment.

This kitchen allows students to feel like they are in another state and time period.

A new style of restaurant in Kansas City is The Parlor. The Parlor offers mini restaurants inside one building in an urban food court style. Students go here to get trendy food and take artsy pictures inside and outside by an original mural. This restaurants offers live performances with karaoke.

“I have been to The Parlor once, and it puts a twist on normal restaurants. The atmosphere is very futuristic, but is a bit pricey,” said sophomore Payton Padilla.

Food in Kansas City has endless options to choose from.

Students at South love to explore food and find the best places to munch down. There are about 3,000 restaurants in the city, all with their own creative food and atmospheres.

The options are endless for whatever you are craving.

An acai bowl from the trendy breakfast spot, First Watch in North Kansas City.

“I’ve always wanted to try their avacado toast” said Mia Duke (senior) We asked 100 students from South what their favorite type of food to eat is.

Mexican food was the most popular with 31%

Read and watch more about food HERE