The View Issue 4 by Park Hill South View

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november 20, 2009 issue 4, volume 12

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the

View

from Park Hill South

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Up close, everyone looks less perfect

I told everyone that I voted.

[honesty....]

I’mago. still in love Please stop hating yourself…I forgave you years I’ve become a person who crie i think that the bathroom at school. I alwaysnulla wonder what the kids I babysit will be like when th my age. I finally achieved my dream—Why hasn’t it made me happy? WE HAVE SECRETS FOR A REASON

TWEETING TEACHERS

[5] sEctem aci’ [4] lis nulla fe

WALK THE LINE

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[10]

november 20, 2009

issue 4, volume 12

what’s

>>Store what’s Up

OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF SOUTH [7] outdoor Classroom officially dedicated GET SICK, LOSE PRIVILEGES [10] students Drop in card rank due to illness

what’s Hot THE WORD [13] blank Banks ROID RAGE [14] lay Off Larry BORDER WAR [12] a Look at the missouri-kansas football match-up

what’s The Big Idea SECRET: I CHEATED secrets And lies explored and revealed

what’s What

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY [3] the View staff takes on two months of Christmas

letter

“ 2

From The Editor

William Shakespeare once said, ''No legacy is so rich as honesty.'' What he means is the best quality a person can have is being honest with himself and others. And as usual, when it comes to Shakespeare, I would have to agree. Being honest is something that should be practiced no matter what the situation. Not being honest can take away from someone's character and overall give other people false information about an item, situation or person. As a journalist, it is our job to report honest, true stories. Any false reporting can lead the whole world to believe something that is not true. An example is the Columbine Massacre. Reporters told the story of a girl who was murdered because she believed in God. This was, in fact, not true (according to witnesses and investigators) and yet people still believe it to this day because of bad reporting. Honesty affects everyone around us, especially in the world of news. And at the View, I am glad to report we have not had a Stephen Glass yet. —LAUREN MOORE

“

What’s New at South

>>Recent happenings around school

1. The Park Hill School District recieved the Missouri Quality Award Nov. 19. This is the first time in the award’s 17-year history that a district has won the award.

3. Forty-five of the band and Orchestra students were selected for the Kansas City All-District Bands and Orchestra. These students are now eligible to audition for All-State ensembles in December. 4. During tutorial on Nov. 11, students remembered veterans at an assembly for Veteran’s Day, organized by Brad Peck, social studies. Mike Nelson read “In Flanders Field” by John McCrae. All veterans were welcome for this assembly and were recognized for their sacrifice.

what’s What

2. At the first college signing day of the year, seniors Lauren Brentlinger and Courtney Churchman both officially accepted scholarships to play volleyball at the collegiate level. Brentlinger signed with Pittsburgh State University and Churchman signed with Washburn University.

Christmas Comes Early >> the View staff urges students to give Thanksgiving a chance

ctober is a time of autumn leaves falling, cooling weather and the ever-so-enjoyable celebration of Halloween. After the October fun comes November, which is supposed to be a month of time change and Thanksgiving feasts, but to advertisers and radio stations, it's a great time for Christmas. Every year after the clock h o w m u c h strikes midnight on Nov. 1, T.V. commercials, radio stations and magazines dive head first into the Christmas spirit and we, the View staff, find this rather annoying. Does Thanksgiving get no credit to the mass media? Apparently not when retail stores and television networks fail to include anything about Thanksgiving, or even November in general, in their advertisements and programming. Not one but two radio stations (Star 102.1 and KUDL 98.1) started playing Christmas music while trick-or-treaters were still counting their candy. ABC Family is so excited for reindeer and elves to arrive that they started a daily movie countdown Nov. 10 to–get this –countdown to their actual Christmas movie countdown. Like we need more than 25 days of ''movies yule love.'' The View staff feels that Thanksgiving should get

“

a little credit this time of year. After all, it is a holiday about friendship, sharing and how the Indians got over the Pilgrims taking their land and the Spaniards giving them diseases. Why not shed some light on this wonderful holiday? Yet, after Oct. 31, all we can think about is how much we want a hippopotamus for Christmas thanks to w e w a n t a two months of songs blaring on our radios, or how many replacement bulbs those people with their lights up already are going to go through before the big day. Though some may feel the early shopping sales are good for buying early holiday gifts, especially in a poor economy, why not have a ThanksGIVING sale instead? Let's face it, stores and shops can pretty much have a 50 percent off sale for any reason they can dream up. All we're saying is give Thanksgiving a chance. Wait a few more days to put up the tree, buy gallons of egg nog and sing Jingle Bells until you're hoarse. Instead, enjoy three-for-one pumpkin pies, watch ''A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving'' and leave Christmas to December. —THE VIEW STAFF EDITORIAL

All we can think about is

hippopotamus

FOR CHRISTMAS”

Junior Assembly: Beggars can’t be choosers

unior Assembly (JA) has been a part of South since J its opening. The overall point of JA is for students intermingling with other student bodies to socialize and

parents are,” said McBride. To students like Logan Reser, senior, being a part of JA is for people “deserving of the privilege” but she said represent their school. But how are these JA students she feels people who are not a part of the organization chosen? Grades? Extra-curricular activities? Teacher are negative and complain because they are left out. recommendations? No. A committee of mothers. “It’s annoying how people make a big deal about it. If “A group of moms sit down with a list of ten kids to they were in it, they wouldn’t say anything. They are just nominate. They vote on each kid and if one mom has mad because they are not involved,” said Reser. a problem with a kid, then they are off the list,” said Reser went on to say that there are only a few people Makenzie Morock, senior. in the group that do not meet the standards of a JA Most kids in Junior Assembly are chosen this way, student, in her opinion. but others are automatically “There are two kinds of people. accepted if a sibling or parent People that are in JA and people that was a member of JA as well. want to be in JA,” said Dean Frazier, “The nomination process senior. consists of holding a meeting All this tension created from JA, and students are voted on according to participants such as by mom sponsors, which Frazier and Reser, might be from are nominated by other people who are a part of it and mom sponsors,” said Kristin people that want to be a part of it, but Willsey, JA sponsor. “Each even people involved find the student sponsor takes a list of 30selection process “corrupt.” 35 junior boys and girls and “I’ve been to a JA mom committee senior boys and girls and meeting. Some of the moms there the students with the highest will say things about a kid and amount of votes are in JA. know nothing about that person,” Then, at a general meeting said Brady Lohnes, senior, and JA Seniors (left to right) Cody Mortensen, Elle Henning, Kelly Bowen, the students are confirmed by Jane Jackson, Regan Brandchick, Miranda Norfleet and Chris Schisler participant. “Other moms won’t let other school sponsors.” kids in because they are sexually take a photo in front of Norfleet’s house before the J.A. with Liberty. The students involved active and others won’t let students Photo courtesy of Miranda Norfleet are supposed to be good in because they have a bad home representatives of their life. It’s just embarrassing to watch school, but that is sometimes not the case, according to moms act like teenagers.” students like Morock and senior Jantsen McBride. Junior Assembly has been deemed a non-school “Parts and pieces of the student body [that are in event by sponsors and students. According to Willsey, JA] are good, but overall there are some people I don't it has nothing to do with academics. The point is to believe deserve to be in it,” said McBride. develop social and communication skills between McBride is the FMP president and STUCO treasurer, students. is involved in One Dollar For Life, Spanish club, National “Participants are required to have good table manners Honor Society and “Once Upon a Mattress,” and is a and conversation during dinner, and are expected to member of the golf team. Most people would agree wear appropriate attire for dinner and the dance,” said she would be an acceptable applicant for JA, but that Willsey. is not one of the many outside of school activities on So it is not about what students are involved in, it her resume. is about if a student can make the list, get past the “Some schools set up interviewees based on your sponsors, and can demonstrate good manners once grades and what you’re involved in, not who your involved.—LAUREN MOORE

>> Everyone has a secret... For more intriguing postsecrets, turn to page 8 to see South students’ deep dark secrets. Log on to phsview.com for pg even more!

Tutorial Over-time

EnergizingTest Scores

were printed in an incongruent color.” Subjects then drank a Rockstar Juiced Energy Drink, waited 15 minutes and retook the same test. The results proved that a Rockstar Juiced Energy Drink does not improve a person’s cognitive ability – but it did improve the time that it took them to complete the test. According to Slashfood. com, three columnists from the Mercury News also tested three different energy drinks to see how they affected people who do not typically drink caffeinated drinks, who sometimes do and who always do. For a person who does not normally drink caffeine beverages, a Red Bull “kicked in immediately” and made her feel like “she would never need to sleep again.” For people who dislike mornings and have to take the ACT, such an effect could help. “If you have problems staying awake [then drinking an energy drink helps],” said Bishop. “If not, then it could give you more energy than you need.” Whether or not energy drinks really truly improve a student’s test scores is still slightly unknown, but students and teachers alike do agree on one thing. “The best thing [to do for a test] would be to study and make sure you know the material,” said Bishop, “Because if you don’t, pg then nothing is going to help.” — JENNIFER COLOMA

taying up late the night before a test studying or doing hours of homework tires students out. Some students resort to drinking coffee or an energy drink before the test in order to wake themselves up and do better on the test. “I think [students] are under the assumption that [energy drinks are] going to help,” said Joe Musiol, math. Some students may be right in their thinking. Brendan Bishop, senior, scored a 33 on the ACT using this method. “I took a five hour energy drink before the ACT and I think that’s why I did so well,” said Bishop. “But my feet couldn’t stop moving.” Like Bishop, Corey Parker, senior, will take an energy drink before a test “to wake [him] up and keep [him] focused.” However, Parker also said he makes sure to eat breakfast in the morning. But the only way to know for certain if energy drinks improve a student’s test taking ability is to conduct a test. The Winona State University conducted one to see if a Rockstar Juiced Energy Drink improved a person’s cognitive abilities. They used the Stroop Effect Test for this purpose. According to the online paper “Party Like a Rockstar: The Effect of Energy Drinks on Cognitive Ability” by Adam Serfling, the test involves naming “the inkcolor on two lists of words, one list containing words in common usage and the other containing color-names which

what’s Hot

For years, tutorial has been something to look forward to on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But lately, students have been receiving extra tutorials on the occasional Monday or Friday for no apparent reason. Students have had many questions regarding these extra study halls, including the overall purpose of the extra tutorials. “Students have been having meetings during tutorial and they interfere so they get only one tutorial a week,” said Larry Smith, assistant principal. “Students want and need their tutorial time to do homework and catch up in classes.” Smith said Dr. Dale Longenecker, principal, met with students from STUCO to see what they thought about missing out on the tutorials. Together, the students and the administration came up with the extra tutorial idea. According to Smith, students count on having tutorial time to do class work and get help from teachers and if one is taken away for a meeting, the students are penalized with just one tutorial per week. With the made-up tutorial, students have the opportunity to get their homework done. “I love tutorial, so any extra tutorial time is a good thing,” said Mary Anderson, foreign language. “I know that the students like tutorial, too.” Anderson also said that she is happy there is more tutorial and not less. “More is always better when it comes to tutorial,” she said. Senior Elle Henning said she likes tutorial because it makes each class shorter and that makes the day go by faster. Henning said that though tutorial is liked by “most students,” it mostly benefits students with travel privileges. “If the kids don’t have travel, then there is just a lot of sitting around,” said Henning. The overall consensus has been positive for the extra tutorials, but a formal survey has yet to be conducted, according to Smith. Teachers have complained that more actual academic class time is lost with the extra tutorials, but students do not seem to have a problem with that. Henning said the only negative thing she could think of was that sometimes it gets “annoying” because she does not always know what days have make-up tutorials until second block. “I think the administration needs to do a better job of making the extra tutorials known,” said Henning. “Maybe they could put it on the announcements a week before to warn us.” According to Smith, the administration put an announcement on the broadcast in the mornings to let students know when to expect an extra tutorial, but, due to lack of time, sometimes the news anchors do not get to the announcement. Other times, teachers do not show students the announcements. Though the schedule may be confusing, the administration said their motive is positive. “We made extra tutorials to ultimately benefit the students,” said Smith. — AMY WILLSEY

Outside the WALLS of South A

fter thousands of man hours and even more thousands of dollars, South’s new outdoor classroom is finally complete. The outdoor classroom was the brainchild of Brian Van Batavia, science. One day while coaching football in June, he said he looked over to see a group of turkeys and noticed that South is the perfect place for an outdoor classroom. “I like being outside,” said Van Batavia, “and I like teaching, so I want to find a way to be outside and teaching.” Since then, Van Batavia has gone down the long, difficult road of getting this outdoor classroom cleared and funded. The administration was supportive but the school district itself has many guidelines and procedures for adding on to the school, so Van Batavia had to work to get the plan even approved initially. Next came the problem of getting money for the project. The district did not pay any money out of their budget, but the Park Hill South community

>>The outdoor classroom offers an abstract way of learning

Brian Van Batavia, science, speaks at the outdoor classroom dedication Oct. 29. Photo by Casey Wood

showed up in strong fashion for this outdoor project. The Platte County Parks and Recreations Department was the largest donor, giving in the ballpark of $10,000. More financial backing came from the PTA, Sonic and the class of 2009. Additional help came in the form of donated gravel from Hunt-Martin Material, plants from the Grasspad and labor from Key Club and National Honor Society. And after over a year of work, the outdoor classroom is actually not yet completely finished. It has been opened to the school and up to two

TweetingTeachers

classes can sign up at a time to use the room, but Van Batavia said some work still needs to be done. The 1058-foot long trail will need constant maintenance to stay in use. The trail is wheelchair accessible and will be outfitted with deer cameras. Students can now enjoy the breath of fresh air that the space offers. “We used it for a drawing,” said senior Chris Barth, who took a trip to the nature trail for an art project. “It was really nice to get out of the class and do some observational stuff.” On Oct. 29 a dedication ceremony was held to officially open the outdoor classroom. It was attended by school officials, the entire cabinet of officers from Central Office, the Platte County Commissioners and many students. “The ceremony was in celebration of community partnerships and recognition of generosity,” said Van Batavia. Almost all of the donors were present for the ceremony to glory in their achievement, an outdoor classroom. —SAM PETERSON

Teachers use Twitter to assign homework

First black boards, then white boards, now SMART boards. South’s technology has consistently been updated as new products have been discovered. But the thing that has always been the same is writing the homework on the board, whichever type of board it may be. Now times have changed and teachers have found a new technology to use to assign homework: Twitter. Twitter, by definition, is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s followers. The tweets can be sent to the followers via text messages. Beyond social networking, South teachers now use Twitter for practical purposes as they tweet assignments to their classes. Deanna Koelliker, communication arts, and Megan Hughes, communication arts, presented to the entire staff at a professional development day last spring about Twitter and how to use it in class. They then ended up teaching a number of teachers how to use it for homework. “I use Twitter to state my homework because I think that it’s helping students to get their homework done,” said Koelliker. “If they forget what the assignment is, they have the ability to look it up on Twitter.” Koelliker also said that tweeting the homework helps to allow the student’s parents to see what is going on in their child’s class. The parents can look up Koelliker’s account on the online Twitter page.

“It’s not private,” said Koelliker. While Twitter is not required, Koelliker said about 95 percent of her students use it while the other five percent choose not to. Although the majority of students choose to receive tweets from their teachers, some did not have a Twitter account until it became necessary. “At the beginning of the semester, I didn’t have a Twitter and I never knew what the homework was,” said Jane Jackson, senior. “My teacher wouldn’t say the homework in class and instead tweeted it.” Jackson then did not have the homework assignments and end up missing points in class. Jackson said she thinks tweeting homework is only helpful if the students all have a Twitter, but if not, then it is basically pointless. Senior Jacob Fischer had to create a Twitter account to help him in his class, as well. “Twitter helps me because often times my teacher won’t give tips on the homework in class but instead through tweets. She gives us a heads up on what to expect the following day in class, too,” said Fischer. Koelliker also finds that with Twitter, students rarely get left behind if they miss a day. According to her, “they can just check the homework themselves.” Whatever the case, Twitter seems to be the new way to assign homework. Jackson just hopes the old way will not go out completely. “If teachers would also put the homework pg on the board, not just through tweets, that would help immensely,” said Jackson. — AMY WILLSEY

Writing formulas on hands, peeking at the answer sheet on a teacher's desk, or even working with someone else on a homework assignment.

These are all examples of cheating, according to South's staff and student body. But to students like Emily McLain, junior, there is a variation in what is considered cheating, or just getting extra help. “There is a difference between collaborating on an assignment and writing the answers on your leg during a test,” said McLain. Some students “collaborate” on homework before and after school, and that is why for teachers like Kirk Henry, social studies, out of school assignments are worth less points. “Homework for the social studies department is worth 20 percent of of a student’s grade, and tests and quizzes are worth 40 percent,’ said Henry. Henry believes that cheating feels disrespectful to the teacher who is taking time to present a student with knowledge and they just take the “easy” way out. Teachers like Charlotte Dower, social

studies, agrees with the idea that students think cheating is a quick fix. But the punishment for cheating is usually the same in any classroom. “I give them a zero and call their parents,” said Henry. But even with the consequences at hand, students still find themselves wanting to cheat. “Cheating is like cookies. It looks good, but it’s bad for you,” said McLain. According to a Reader's Digest article, most students cheat to make the grade at any cost, no matter if they retain the knowledge or not. In 1940, 20 percent of college students admitted to cheating. Today, 75-98 percent of college students cheat, according to Education-Portal.com. However, there are students like Ryan Harris, senior, find no appeal in cheating. “You’re not going to get smart by cheating off other people,” said Harris. Harris claimed that other students cheat off of him all of the time, and finds it “rather annoying.” Cheating on assignments and school tests are one thing, but there are other students who cheat on standardized tests to get even further ahead.

“I understand the stress is great, but cheating on the ACT is like counterfeiting money because it’s stealing from everyone who’s not,” said Henry. Each ACT testing area has the same test for each student in that designated area, so some students may be tempted with other student’s answers surrounding them. But according to Henry, the hardest kind of cheating to catch is the “glancing over.” Cheating, in whatever form, happens every day. Some students never get caught, but some feel that there is a line that should not be crossed when it comes to academic dishonesty. Every student and teacher has his or her own line. —LAUREN MOORE

whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Big Idea

Center spread photos by: Alex Edwards

sick , lose privileges Students downgraded for sick days

Get

late, then they are counted as 20 minutes absent from school by the card system. The student’s attendance is then averaged out at the end of four and a half weeks to find the exact percentage of time they were in school. “If you’re here, you’re here,” said Larry Smith, assistant principal. “If you’re not, you’re not.” According to Smith, the card system was originally designed as a reward system for people with good attendance and good grades, but when people forget it is a reward they start viewing it as a punishment to not have a gold or platinum card. “You’re not in bad standing with the school if you have a purple card,” said Smith. “You’re in good standing.” But is the fact that a sick student can lose their platinum or gold card due to their illness actually fair? “I don’t believe [the card system] works against [students],” said Smith. Student and teacher opinion on this matter is split; some think the card system is perfectly fine, others find it entirely unfair. “It’s not very fun [but] it’s never happened to me,” said Teddy Olson, sophomore. However, it doesn’t seem like the card system will change anytime soon since the current minute-counting method is an exact calculation of the amount of time a person is at school. “They should have students get a doctor’s note for their absence,” said Williams, “And if they have it, don’t count it [on the card system].” — JENNIFER COLOMA

With the flu season’s arrival, many students end up ill with the H1N1 flu or something else. Some get so sick they are out for days, a matter they cannot control. But if a student is gone long enough, no matter how excellent their grades are, they get dropped from their gold or platinum card down to a purple card. “I don’t think it should happen because they are absent for their own good,” said Sasha Williams, senior. Williams missed three weeks of school due to a surgery for a tumor in her ribs. Even with her good grades, she went from a platinum card to a purple card. Now, she said she struggles to catch up with all her missing work without being able to see more than one teacher during tutorial. “I think it’s a tough thing because the students obviously couldn’t help being sick,” said Amy Kane, attendance. “But for fairness purposes [the attendance rating] has to be equal across the board.” According to Kane, a student’s attendance is counted down to exactly how many minutes a day the student is inside the school building. If a student arrives 20 minutes

Walk the Line

hirty years ago, teachers had a definitive role in the community. They were to be authoritative leaders of the classroom and school; they were there to mold children's minds through routine, lessons and discipline. Now, children are maturing and growing up faster, and the role of teachers has developed beyond the classroom. In a supposedly professional setting like school, relationships are balancing acts: there are lines for both parties that shouldn't be crossed. Katie O’Donnell, FACS, is involved with many students through both teaching and extra curriculars like Young Life and soccer. She gave this advice for teachers who are involved in their students' lives. “You really have to know your audience. For some students, it can be really helpful. Others can use [the friendship] against you. You have to know where that line is,” said O'Donnell. Clara Archer, junior, pg said that being friends with Mary Anderson, foreign language, as well as her student, has helped her in

>>Teachers find a balance between professional figure and friend

difficult situations. “It’s helpful because I know that I have someone to go to that would help me out in a bad situation,” said Archer. “Sometimes I get frustrated with my parents, and I know I can’t talk to them about it, so I talk to her. She

“

You

have to know

where that

line

always gives me the other side of the situation, like what my parents might be feeling. She provides me with someone I can talk to, and also someone who will give me good advice.” Senior Taylor Spooner, who also appreciates her friendships with teachers for “support,” said that some teachers who are close with their students may lack the disciplinary authority needed to run a classroom, thus disrupting the careful balance. “You don’t feel like you need to listen to them as much,” said Spooner. Without the strong authoritative leader in the classroom, students may

be prone to misbehaving in class and unfairly using the teacher or showing a poor example to other students. Will Steffen, senior, said, “being friends with your teachers can benefit you because you feel more obligated to do their work, but it can also hurt you because you can act out more and they can't really control you.” Even though it may be more difficult to correct some minor behavior issues in the classroom, teachers and students agreed that having closer relationships benefits the student more than it hurts them, and more often than not, the established relationships help maintain a better classroom environment based on mutual respect rather than intimidation. “It helps students realize that they have adults that care about their lives and want them to succeed,” O’Donnell said. “It makes them realize that teachers are people too-- they can see us as real people. I had a really positive experience in high school with my teachers. I could tell that the teachers cared about me, and they supported me in all aspects of my life.” — JULIA SUMPTER

is.

”

the big match up

he University of Kansas and University of MissouriColumbia rivalry is one of the longest standing rivalries in NCAA history. The first game putting these two teams together was held on Oct. 31, 1891, in which KU won the game 22-10. In the past five years, the Kansas Jayhawks have a 3-2 advantage, as they also do in the overall record of this historic match-up, 55-53-9. This year’s game, held Saturday Nov. 28, could prove to be a difference maker. If the Missouri Tigers win, the series will be evened up at 54-54-9. Missouri's quarterback Blaine Gabbert ranks seventeenth among Division I quarterbacks with 2862 passing yards and Kansas’ quarterback Todd Reesing ranks seventh with 2626 passing yards through the nine game mark. This year’s game may be a battle of the quarterbacks and overall offense. The game will be determined by whose defense will step up and shut down the other offense. Missouri’s defense averages 24 points against them a game. But they are averaging 35 points in their four losses on the season. The defense has not played well under pressure during their conference games. “I think it’s crazy that KU or MU are not living up to the hype this year,” said J.C. Williams, senior. KU was projected to win the Big 12 North this year, but now KU is now not ranked and have only one conference win in five games. So far through four conference games they are tied with MU with one win in the Big 12. Kansas’ defense is another story. The defense is giving up 24 points per game. In their four conference losses, the

>>Battle for the Lamar Hunt Trophy and the Indian War Drum

defense is averaging allowing 31 points a game. The defense wins games but the offense puts fans in the stands. Missouri has had a high scoring offense the past couple of years with Chase Daniel at the helm and Jeremy Maclin catching passes. This year, the offense seems to be sputtering a little bit, only averaging 27 points per game in conference play. It is obvious that the offense needs to step up their game. “If Gabbert comes and plays his game it should be no problem for MIZZOU,” said Jacob Finn, senior. The Kansas offense has been respectable since they decided to start playing football in 2007. This year they average 30 points a game, but in their three conference games, average only 23 points–not as good as Missouri’s 26 points per game. “I think that the offensive line needs to show up and protect Todd (Reesing), he has been under pressure the past couple of weeks,” said Amanda Craven, senior. In week eight the offensive line of KU gave up six sacks to Texas Tech and gave up five sacks to Southern Mississippi in week four. “I think it is a toss up for who’s going to win,” said Amanda Craven, senior. Most Kansas fans will just say that they are going to win outright. It is the same way with MU fans. “I think that it is going to be a close game, but I think that MU will come out on top,”said Finn.—CODY MEADE

r a w r e d r bo

the rivalry begins William Quantrill crossed over into Kansas in 1863, killing 183 men as he and his accomplices burned

down Lawrence in what is now known as Bleeding Kansas. Since that day, Missouri and Kansas have had one of the country’s most heated rivalries. The Nebraska-Kansas Act of 1854 made slavery the choice of the residents. Soon after this decision, Lawrence was filled with hundreds of abolitionist from the northern states called “Jayhawkers.” When the residents of Missouri learned of this strategy, they came up with an idea of their own. On election day, around 1500 people from Missouri crossed the border to vote for slavery in Kansas. With the votes of Missouri residents, slavery became legal in Kansas. After the decision was in, the people of Kansas became determined not to let this ever happen again. C.R. Jennison was commissioned by the Union to start the seventh Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. Nicknamed “the Jayhawkers,” the calvary’s goal was to make life miserable for the people in western Missouri. The Jayhawkers stole animals and supplies from farmers, plus were given orders to kill any pro-slavery owners they came across. The Jayhawkers often ran into fights with an equally barbaric group from Missouri, eventually known as ''the Tigers,'' started by William Quantrill. The goal of this unit was to harass Union soldiers, raid Union towns and attack Union civilians. Quantrill and his group soon received Confederate commission for their growing reputation. pg Both of these leaders abandoned the idea of taking prisoners and just preceded to killing any man in their way, leading to the rivalry we know today. >>For the rest of the story, visit phsview.com. —EVAN WHITE

illustration by chris barth

Missouri meets Kansas Nov. 28 at Arrowhead 2:30 p.m. on ABC

where does the

rivalry

stand 55-53-9 kansas says it’s

kansas

but missouri says it’s

tied at

54-54-9

*In 1960, Kansas’ Bert Coan led the Jayhawks to a 23-7 victory over then first-ranked Missouri but after the game, the NCAA ruled Coan ineligible. Missouri went to the Big 8 Comittee who voted the game a forfeit by Kansas.

vests&v-necks

“

Guys in v-necks? Three words:

chaotic, exotic, hypnotic. - Laura Sickman, 10

to rock the v-neck

“

It takes a real man

- Dean Frazier, 12

Vests are good because you

can use them in the summer and the winter - Cari Kurzdorfer, 12

Vests are good in case

your arms are really hot

Blank Banks

cohesive thought while peppering her monologues with some awesome '80s ebonics. So she sits on her couch on her little eing involved in show stage, interviewing people about business since the intriguing topics. She’s talked eleventh grade, Tyra to battered women, cheaters, Banks has built an empire on teen pimps and prostitutes her beauty, starring in movies, about all their problems and singing, modeling and producing somehow, every single episode, and creating television shows. she manages to make everyone In 2005, she was granted her own television talk show that was else’s issues about her. She’s supposed to be informing the inventively named public about social injustices, the “Tyra Show.” Alongside broadcast veterans and giving these people a chance to tell their stories, but such as Katie Couric instead she cuts them off midand Matt Lauer, Tyra has sentence and turns the whole helped bring the hardthing into “what Tyra would do in hitting news to the people your situation?” and inform the masses As far as actual content on of important news like, her show, Tyra is completely “Get in shape with Tyra’s lacking any merit. Every Nutritionist!” “Learn the once in a while, she has a three words that can get “Tyra Exclusive” report on you a man” and “It's your her show. Problem is, all of fault I’m fat!” Middle-aged these “exclusives” (at least the housewives everywhere worthwhile ones) have already quickly programmed their been covered by the big kid Tivos so they could watch journalists on MSNBC. Tyra try to string together This woman has made a few sentences into a

The Word

what’s Hot

-Danny Lober, 12

millions of dollars modeling, according to Forbes magazine. Why does she feel the need the need to extend herself to being on a talk show so she can put a giant spotlight on herself and broadcast how unintelligent she is? To me, this doesn't seem like a very strategic career move. The moral of the Tyra story is definitely to stick to what you know. There's no denying that she's gorgeous. She's a very capable and talented model. She can make more money than any of us probably ever will just by doing that. Why not stop there? It's a popular theme with celebrities– they love to reinvent themselves to make more money. Bruce Willis tried his hand at a singing career, for goodness sake. Hillary Duff jumped on that band wagon, too, and fell flat on her face alongside Heidi Montag and Scarlett Johannson. It's downright embarrassing to see these stars try to do things they aren't capable of. pg Bruce tries to sing, Tyra tries to talk. — JULIA SUMPTER

Singin’ the Blues

rampled Under Foot is considered the best Blues band in the Kansas City area, and maybe the whole World. In 2008, the band won the International Blues Challenge where 99 bands competed from nine different countries, six continents and 36 states. Trampled Under Foot (TUF) is a three-piece family band of two brothers and a sister The two left handed guitarist’s are Nick, lead, Danielle, base and their brother Kris, drummer. Currently their mother is the lead singer of Little Eva and The Works and their stepfather is the lead keyboard player. Trampled Under Foot has won several awards, including the Kansas City Blues Challenge, Albert King Award and the 2009 Pitch Music Awards (Best Blues Band). Lead guitarist Nick Schneblen won the Albert King Award for best upcoming guitarist. The band is becoming very successful but they do not forget where they come from. They are not too big to speak to fans after a show or answer a couple of questions. The first time that I saw Trampled Under Foot was at the Parkville Blues and Jazz Fest. They were there playing with another local band, Levee Town. At the end of TUF’s set and Levee Town’s they both came out and played together and it was the best show that I have ever seen. I have seen greats like Jonny Lang and George Thorogood and this show blew those out of the water. Both of the guitar players were sharing solos and the lead singers were belting the song they were playing. They played for three hours and it had the atmosphere of a real concert, not just at a park. After they played they were even kind enough to talk to my dad and I for awhile. They know who the true fans are: the people of Kansas City. Kansas City is known for its jazz and blues history. From

>>ROID RAGE:

Lay Off Larry

I’m thoroughly convinced that the NFL requires drama 101 in a player’s high school transcript for them to be eligible. The latest act was opened up with a 37-7 Charger drubbing of the Chiefs, followed by Larry Johnson making gay slurs to build up to the eventual climax in the latest Shakespearean NFL comedy. Johnson first brought attention to himself by ‘‘promoting’’ his father's coaching credibility over the abilities of Chiefs' head coach Todd Haley. Then following a smart remark by a college student on Twitter, Johnson referred to the student as a ‘‘Christopher Street boy,’’ a well-known street in the homosexual community of New York City. On top of this, Johnson made another no-no in using the three letter f-word when telling the KC Star to leave him alone. Immediately after the incident, Johnson was instructed to stay away from the Chiefs organization until the mess was cleaned up. The club decided to spank bad-boy Johnson with a $300,000 fine, the equivalent of one paycheck. On Nov 9, Johnson was officially released from the Chiefs organization. This incident is not Johnson's first public pg mishap, though, leading some to say the punishment is too light. In 2008, Johnson was put on two years of probation for separate cases of assault on two women in Kansas City

the Grand Emporium Bar to BB's Lawnside BBQ, the history is endless and people travel from all over to come Members of Trampled Under Foot pose with an award. and see it. Photo from TUF MySpace TUF is just adding to that history. The CD May I Be Excused is one of the best local blues albums to come out in a long time. The first song is The Fog, a powerful, soulful song that is sung by Danielle and she puts all that she has into it. The title track is similar to Etta James' Rather Be Blind, focusing mainly on vocals, sung by Danielle again. TUF plays in several different countries and continents every year. Next year they are going on the lengendary Blues Cruise with famous musicians like Taj Mahal and Johnny Winter. Trampled Under Foot is selling packed bars and restaurants all over Kansas City, really all over the country, filling the room with powerful blues, loud guitar and thunderous singing. I strongly suggest seeing this band if you are a blues fan and enjoy good music. Purchase a CD from them and get it autographed because it will be worth some money one day.—CODY MEADE

bars. But do Johnson, and other players in the NFL, really deserve this kind of ridicule? I say no. Almost everyone has heard the saying ‘‘it's easier said than done,’’ and there is nothing else that this quote applies to more than playing professional football. Anyone can say they are better at football than a professional player; case and point Mr. ‘‘Christopher Street boy.’’ People criticize Johnson for not being the running game god that he was a few years ago undeservedly. Johnson went from having an all-pro line to five couch potatoes blocking for him. The people of Kansas City need to remember that Johnson is not Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco or Pacman Jones. He does not lash out just because he's spoiled and thinks it's fun. Johnson gets upset because he cares, and people say things to make him mad. Whether society realizes it or not, the Chiefs are way better off with Johnson than they are without him. He gave the Chiefs that elite presence on their offense. He gave defenses someone to still worry about, even during a struggling season. Johnson is one of the premier backs in the game, and he deserves to be treated like one by everyone, even if this means resisting the great urge to demoralize a 6-foot-1-inch 230 pound monster. — MATT SWIHART

Hardworking Wrestler

>>Senior Grant Gould hopes for trip to state his fourth year

enior Grant Gould has been wrestling since his freshman year and last year he was on the bubble to make it to state, missing out by only one match. This year, Gould is hoping to make it into the state tournament. Gould said he started wrestling in high school because his dad was “big into wrestling” and a lot of his friends were doing it. Since then, he has found that it is an enjoyable sport for him to participate in and a great way for him to lose weight. However, his wrestling career has not been all fun and games.

“The hardest part is when Coach [Dan] Dunkin yells at you and demoralizes you,” said Gould. “And also not being able to eat during Christmas.”

Not eating can be a challenge for many wrestlers because they are always working to stay in a certain weight class. Gould is a veteran and his secrets to losing weight are using a spit cup, a cup that he spits into instead of just swallowing his spit, and straight up not eating. When that is not enough, the wrestling team also does intense training on top of that. ”We do a lot of workouts that work the smaller muscles of the body,” said Gould. “Some small muscles that you don’t use in other sports are important in wrestling.” Senior Grant Gould wrestles in a The wrestling team trains differently than most sports because they compete in competition last year. an all-out physical battle, while other sports involve a different technique. All of that training and preparation will be shown in how they do this season. Gould is optimistic about the team this year. He said his is a “young team but it has potential.” The problem for the team might be that they are playing in a strong conference. Oak Park is the Class Four state champions and rival Park Hill is the Class Three state champion. So while the team has a tough road ahead of them, teammates said Gould will be an invaluable part of anything they accomplish with his reputation for “training hard” and having “a big heart.” “To the average person, he may not seem like he is very mature,” said senior Dean Frazier. “But he knows when to have fun and when to be serious.” — SAM PETERSON

An Escape Addiction FromtoReality video games on the rise

You can play in the Super Bowl, conquer an alien planet or fight in World War II. The only way the average teenager can participate in these things is through the world of video games. Students have different reasons for playing video games. Different people might play video games because of the challenge or the competition, and some now even play for exercise. Garrett Johnston, senior, has his own reasons for playing video games. “It’s something to do when you don’t have anything else to do,” said Johnston. The average time of people playing video games is on the rise. By 2012, it is projected that 190 million households will have a next-generation video game console. Students at South also contribute to this statistic. “I play once I get off work,” said Johnston. Shane Stanton, junior also plays video games frequently. “On random days [I play anywhere] from 30 minutes to three hours,” said

Stanton. According to a survey done by grabstats.com, 23 percent of people under 18 say they are addicted to video games. The same survey also said that the average teenager plays 14 hours a week. Johnston said he frequently enjoys playing with first person shooter games like Halo 3, the latests in a video game series that takes place in 2525. Humans have started to colonize other planets, the Spartans are super soldiers from earth fighting the covenants. Halo 3 set a record selling 125 million dollars within 24 hours of the game's release. Matt McKeon, senior, enjoys playing Halo 3 and Madden 10. The Madden series is a video game based of the NFL. McKeon said he likes these games because it is entertaining to play these games with friends, using a specific system. “Xbox Live is an enjoyable facet to be competitive through,” said McKeon. Xbox Live is Microsoft’s online

Pre-order Sales: 1.5 million copies

Day 1 Sales: $170 million

service for gaming and content distribution for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game systems, according to about.com. Xbox released the Xbox live system in 2002 and since then roughly 17 million people have engaged in this new way of participating through video games. “[Xbox Live] is a fun and cheap way to play” said Johnston. Johnston and McKeon were just two of 8 million people who own Halo 3, which is the most successful video game that has ever been developed for Xbox, making $170 million, according to grabstats.com. For his preference as a first person shooter, Stanton's favorite is a game that goes back to the Nintendo64 days. “Conquer Bad Fur Days [is my preference] because it’s intense and has squirrels,” said Stanton. Different people get wrapped up in different activities. Some people play sports, some people read and others play video games. — EVAN WHITE

Staggering Popularity for Halo 3

Week 1 Sales: $300 million

Sources for Halo 3 Sales http://www.marketwatch.com/story/halo-3-sales-top-300-million-mark-in-first-week and http://news.filefront.com/current-halo-3-sales-figures/

Thanksgiving “New Moon” released in theaters

Country Club Plaza Lighting Ceremony at 6:45 p.m.

MU vs. KU football game at Arrowhead

november

december

3 10

Opening night of Kansas City Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”

[

Big Cat 5 p.m. at South

18 KISS at the Sprint Center 7:30 p.m.

Elton John and Billy Joel at Sprint Center

important dates:

Nov. 25, 26, 27 Thanksgiving Break- No School Nov. 24 First home boys’ basketball game vs. North Kansas City 7 p.m. Dec. 10 First home girls’ basketball game vs. Raytown South 7 p.m.

the View >>

LAUREN MOORE editor-in-chief

SAM PETERSON copy editor

MATT SWIHART

managing editor

JULIA SUMPTER art director

NICK WORTH

[

want more of the view? want more secrets? log on to phsview.com

business manager

EVAN WHITE reporter

AMY WILLSEY reporter

JENNIFER COLOMA reporter

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.