VOICE
the
October 2012 Volume XXIX, Issue II
Homecoming Game Tammy Lee and Andrea Lu Staff Writers For many Pembroke Hill students, attending the Homecoming football game is tradition. This year’s game was especially important, for it marked the one hundredth Homecoming football contest. In support of the football team and in honor of the centennial game, many of the Pembroke Hill alumni returned to participate in the Homecoming festivities. “I love to see all members of the Pembroke Hill community getting excited about football. From four year-olds on the Wornall campus to eighty-five year-old alums, everybody was anticipating our one hundredth Homecoming Game,” says senior football player Bill Doane. Football player Sam Freitag ‘12 added, “The turnout was great. There was so much energy which made it an amazing game to be a part of.” Cheered on by the Pembroke Hill community, the football team succeeded in “crushing” the opposing team from University Academy 48-21. During halftime of the football game, the Homecoming court nominees were introduced and, after much suspense, Harold Edwards and Talia Hubble were crowed Homecoming King and Queen. When asked if they [Continued on Page 9]
The Official Newspaper of the Pembroke Hill School Inside the Issue Club of the Issue: Latin Club . . . . . . Page 2
Staff Editorial: Respect
Chu On This Jon Chu voices his opinion on his fall favorites. Page 2.
Spirit Week Recap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 4
The Question of Asking See the quirky, unusual ways students ask their dates to Homecoming. Page 4.
Should Homework Be Online? . . . . Page 9 The Fencing Tsue Siblings . . . . . . . . Page 10
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2 Student Life
Latin Club:
Maya Patel Managing Editor
HU
carpe pumpkin
“Expect big things”
on this... This last week I’ve begun to feel the full effects of fall finally forming around us. All of the classic signs are there: the leaves are changing color, the weather is perfect for outside activities, and most importantly people have started decorating everything with distinctive October pumpkins! I think pumpkins are great in a lot of ways. First, they are pretty unique in shape and color. Pumpkin orange is different from orange orange or carrot orange; in fact, it may be a nice color for Crayola to make into a crayon. But nowadays there are many other colors of pumpkins like white and red, and even pumpkins that are almost blue. They are also one of the few things we grow but don’t eat. You might ask about pumpkin pie, but the truth is most canned pumpkin pie filling is actually made from a type of butternut squash. I don’t know why they don’t call it butternut squash pie; I guess it just doesn’t have the same ring to it. But even though we don’t eat them, we do a lot of things with pumpkins, from carving to catapulting them into a field. Pumpkins might be the only crop more seasonal than Christmas trees, yet there are plenty of people who make their living from pumpkin farms. Some people who are really into growing pumpkins spend their time raising one pumpkin to the largest possible size. Just last month a new world record was set for the largest pumpkin ever grown, and it weighed an astonishing two thousand and nine pounds. Pumpkins are one of the things that makes fall one of my favorite seasons. n
pumpkins...
movie days during meetings that will include popcorn and snacks, and first on the list is the TV seAlong with the other language clubs, Latin ries Rome. Crenner also mentioned, “We also plan Club is one of Pembroke Hill’s classic clubs, and to have the first ever Circus Maximus chariot race they have some really exciting plans for the up- down at the school track. We won’t reveal all of the coming months. They have several goals, but Nat- details yet, but expect big things.” ty Crenner ’13, co-president, says that their “main Panda Express and Chipotle days sponsored by goal for this year is to get Asian and Spanish Club are a out of debt.” After being huge hit with the students, so threatened with club probaLatin Club has decided to join -Natty Crenner in and are planning to have tion last year, Crenner says, “We know how important Mr. Goodcents Sub Runs in the Latin club is, as one of the central language which students would get a customized 8 inch sub clubs that hosts several school wide events, so we sandwich and chips. want to get back on track financially. That way we Latin Club has many new and exciting plans can run the club more smoothly and leave it debt for the year, and they want to encourage everyone free for the officers who follow us.” to join in on the fun, not just Latin students. So Latin Club hosts several activities and events make sure you check out all their new activities, throughout the year, including the annual pump- including their pumpkin contest later this month kin carving contest, the cupid gram sale, and the where there will be something for everyone, Latin Convention. And of course, the pumpkin whether you’re looking to create an artfully carved carving contest is coming up soon! Everyone is in- pumpkin or just want to let loose and smash some vited to come carve a pumpkin with a classically pumpkins. n influenced theme. In past years, Crenner remembers “some pumpkins have depicted Roman myths, ancient battles, or even just boasted Roman names.” He also mentioned a few new additions to the activity this year, including a “pumpkin auction for anyone who wants to buy the pumpkins to take home,” as well as “an option for pumpkin smashing for those who want to let off some steam.” The contest will definitely be the perfect opportunity to get into the Halloween spirit later this month. Their other new plans Photo Credit to Beth Bryant include hosting Latin Latin Club officers at Club Fair
Jon Chu
Library Lookout Emily Beasley
As you go in and out of Kemper library this hectic year, you probably will notice the sculptures “Spring” and “Storyteller” on the east side of the library. The large bronze sculpture of a woman is titled “Spring.” The piece is a gift to Pembroke from the class
of 2007 and was created by famous local artist Tom Corbin, who is also the father of former Pembroke student Ali Corbin ’11. The piece gives a sense of bliss with the graceful stature of the woman. There is also the smaller bronze statue “Storyteller,” whose name speaks
for itself, as the charismatic gestures of the sitting man leave him telling whatever story the viewer imagines. The artwork is a creation of Kansas City artist Barbara Frets Simmons, and was the 50th reunion gift of the Sunset Hill and Pembroke-Country Day School classes of 1957.
If you are interested in the artwork of the library, feel free to ask the librarians Ms. Erickson and Ms. Tullis, as there is a binder with more detailed information of the works and even a book with all on the amazing works of Tom Corbin titled Tom Corbin: the Inevitable Artist. n
Respect Shame on you. I’m speaking to the bullies, the givers-of-snide-glances, the speakers-of-cruel-words, and the hypocrites. I’m speaking to those who ignore, those who leave out, and those who push too far. You, who have made so many others feel so small. There is a disparity between what is expected of you by the school and your level of conduct. In general, the populace is industrious, considerate, and well-intentioned, but there are a few people in each grade who repeatedly attempt to destroy the progressive, accepting atmosphere that the school attempts to foster. Although our school website depicts the student population as wholesome and celebratory of diversity, in reality, our school, like all others, has its fair share of problems. Pembroke Hill attempts to represent the unification of different socioeconomic classes, religions, ethnicities, sexualities, and individual expressions, but oftentimes, the growth of this beautiful diversity is stunted by individuals who are uncomfortable with those who are different. Pembroke Hill is not isolated from the woes of the world at large. Our students battle issues like drug and alcohol abuse and anorexia as a direct result of disrespectful behavior, and the resulting loss of self-respect in individuals is equally damaging. Our diversity comes not only from our skin tones, but from our internal individuality, and it is crucial that those differences which are not readily discernible to the eye be equally celebrated. We are repeatedly told by Mr. Hill that Pembroke Hill is one of the best schools in the nation. While he may be slightly biased, there is some truth to that statement. The academic achievements of the students are nearly unparalleled in the Kansas City area. However, for Mr. Hill’s words to actually be true, and for Pembroke Hill’s reputation to rise in the esteem of others, we must begin to display a level of social maturity and personal growth that is sadly uncommon in high school students. If we are to be a college preparatory school in the truest sense of the term, we must begin to embrace diversity and become accepting of different views before we embark on our separate journeys. Our years at Pembroke will have been entirely wasted if we arrive at college with closed minds and arrogant preconceptions. Respectfully yours, The Voice
Feature
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4 Feature
Coming Home in Style
Neha Sahgal Assistant Editor Ah, Homecoming—the very word has inspired fear and excitement in high school students for decades. Though most are simply happy to go dance for a few hours, this article is dedicated to those who take on the terrible task of asking someone to the dance: specifically, how they ask. In the past, asking someone to Homecoming was simple—one either directly asked or passed the person a note. But in recent years, methods of asking dates to Homecoming have become much more elaborate. • PHS senior Luke McCarthy wrote his invitation on his date Kendra Sterneck’s car, which he then filled with red and blue balloons.
• A freshman bought his date a cupcake with a little fondant topper asking her to Homecoming. • Maddie Tolsdorf’s ‘16 date created a scavenger hunt for her, the last clue of which led her to Jordan Hall where he was waiting to ask her in person.
Sioux City, used a giant billboard downtown to invite his date to a dance. A little closer to home, Riley de Leon used the marquee of a local Springfield theater to ask his date in style. But the young man who arranged for a government pilot to fly over his Virginia high school and drop his invitation, which parachuted down to his date, beats them all; he is currently being investigated by the federal government for his creative idea. While you might be inspired by all of the courageous young men listed above, before you plan something elaborate for next year’s dance, remember that Homecoming is an event full of old traditions; there’s nothing wrong with asking a girl the old-fashioned way. n
“his invitation... is being investigated by the government” Andrew Forsyth, a junior at Spain Park High School in Alabama, created a Youtube video to ask his girlfriend of eight months to the Homecoming dance, even asking one of her teachers to play the video in class. Sam Avery, a student in
Spirit Week Katrina Joseph and Maren Johnson Contributors In the days leading up to the Homecoming dance, students celebrated Pembroke Hill’s annual spirit week. The first day of the week,‘Merica Monday, turned out to be a hit among the students. Joey Gamble ‘13 fondly recalls it being “the best spirit day theme by far because students could show off their patriotism and how much they love their country.” One student who memorably went all-out for this theme was Griffin Culp ‘16, wearing a Captain
America costume complete with an authentic plastic shield. Equally popular was Comfy Thursday, when many students finally found an excuse to sport the “justout-of-bed” look. On the other hand, Twin Tuesday and College Wednesday weren’t as popular. Grant Forsee ‘14 says Twin Tuesday was “sort of lame actually,” and Caroline McKnight ‘14 comments that College Wednesday “wasn’t as fun because not very many people participated.” The week ended on a high note with students showing their PHS spirit. n
Photo credit to Asher Abrahms
Artist of the Issue: Cynthia Wang
Arts 5
Kat Gentleman
Managing Editor AP Studio Art student Kat Gentleman (‘14) has tried her hand in a variety of different crafts throughout her high school career. During her freshman and sophomore years, Gentleman took part in many of the art classes offered at Pembroke Hill, such as silversmithing and photography. This year, in addition to her core classes, she even works outside of school with a local artist she has recently become friends with. Kat loves working with sharpie and paint, but her favorite medium is one not commonly found in Pembroke Hill’s current art curriculum: computer design. Unbeknownst to many, in her spare time, she loves to work with programs designing video games. “I just like to download different video game programs on my computer and mess around with the characters and scenes,” she explains. “I’m trying to get familiar with the tools before I get to college and take it to the next level.” When asked about where her inspiration for her art, Kat replies, “My dad was taught how to paint from his grandpa, so he always loved art. Now we share the same passion, so I guess my dad is my inspiration. I also try to use anything around me as inspiration, such as the people I see, the food I eat, the places I go, and even just the emotions I feel on any given day.” n Right: Artwork by Kat Gentleman. Photo Credit: Cynthia Wang
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An Oompa Loompa (the original kind). -Lucy Gross ‘13
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Naughty Chewbacca. -Caleb Slaughter ‘13
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Pembroke Hill Students Reflect on Halloween Costumes of the Past
A Power Ranger. -John Graham ‘14
I was Buzz Lightyear for five years in a row. -Ryan Hooley ‘13
Photo Poll
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When I was six, I was a zombie cheerleader. -Courtney Ciacco ‘13
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I was a genie in second grade. -Charolette Johnston ‘14
A red Power Ranger. -Sam Freitag ‘13
A burrito. -Erika Turner ‘13
Mr. Incredible. -Jacob Tivol ‘13
A were-monkey: part werewolf, part monkey. I was a monkey, but I didn’t really look like one so I changed it. -Amelia Mohr ‘13
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A sumo wrestler. -Scott Barnow ‘14
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Once I was a marshmallow. My mom made my costume out of foam and a Jet-Puff logo. -Eli Fromm ‘13
A flamingo. -Caroline Thomas ‘13
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An Oompa Loompa (the original kind). -Lucy Gross ‘13
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Naughty Chewbacca. -Caleb Slaughter ‘13
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Pembroke Hill Students Reflect on Halloween Costumes of the Past
A Power Ranger. -John Graham ‘14
I was Buzz Lightyear for five years in a row. -Ryan Hooley ‘13
Photo Poll
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When I was six, I was a zombie cheerleader. -Courtney Ciacco ‘13
7
I was a genie in second grade. -Charolette Johnston ‘14
A red Power Ranger. -Sam Freitag ‘13
A burrito. -Erika Turner ‘13
Mr. Incredible. -Jacob Tivol ‘13
A were-monkey: part werewolf, part monkey. I was a monkey, but I didn’t really look like one so I changed it. -Amelia Mohr ‘13
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6
A sumo wrestler. -Scott Barnow ‘14
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Once I was a marshmallow. My mom made my costume out of foam and a Jet-Puff logo. -Eli Fromm ‘13
A flamingo. -Caroline Thomas ‘13
8 Opinion
And in my completely unbiased opinion.... The World According to Riley Sloan
Mitt Romney won the first debate. The Republican candidate came off as animated and personable, especially next to the lackluster President. But I will sum up the debate in a single quote from Mitt Romney: “It’s just not the case.” This is what Romney responded with to everything President Obama stated about Romney’s plans. Romney looked at the camera, the president, the audience, and half-asleep Jim Lehrer and told us that the things Obama said about him were “just not the case.” Just one problem: they were just the case. Now, maybe Romney had a change of heart and changed his mind on all of these issues backstage before the debate. But he should have at least admitted that everything the President said about his plan was as true as it was the day before. And he could have at least updated his website before the debate, or in the week since the debate, to reflect the policies he claimed to be his own on that stage. And many of the facts he stated which had nothing to do with his policies were also false, as shown in the visual with this article. While I found eleven false or misleading
So one candidate went up there, looked great, got aggressive, and won the debate...by lying his pants off. statements from Romney, the closest to inaccurate I could find from Obama were two slightly misleading statements: he said that his deficit reduction plan is an adjusted Simpson Bowles plan while some have argued that it is too different from the original plan to count as the same, and when he pointed out that Ryan’s plan would cost the average senior $6,400, he mistakenly called it Romney’s plan. So one candidate went up there, looked great, got aggressive, and won the debate-by lying his pants off. The President did not really engage the governor, did not seem energetic, and “lost” despite telling the truth. What is that truth? The truth is that Romney has pledged to make up for his $5
trillion tax cut (most of which is for the top 1%) and $2 trillion increase in military spending (which the Pentagon hasn’t asked for) by eliminating deductions and exclusions. The truth is that not only are there not enough deductions and exclusions to make up for his $7 trillion decrease in funds, most of these deductions and exclusions benefit the middle class. The truth is that Romney is saying he will cut taxes for the rich and give the military trillions by cutting tax breaks for mortgage interest, employer-provided health care, education, medical expenses, and child care. The truth is that since it is literally impossible to balance those two promises, he will either have to raise taxes or greatly add to the deficit. The truth is that Romney’s math doesn’t add up. The President’s plan, on the other hand, cuts spending by $3 trillion and gains $1 trillion in revenue by letting the Bush tax cuts expire on any money earned over $250,000. So Obama is not increasing taxes for anyone in the middle class and is only returning taxes to Clinton-era levels on part of the upper class’s income. Which plan makes more sense? n
Riley’s Views on Mitt Romney The Truths of Romney •
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Romney has pledged to cut taxes for the rich by 20% since the beginning of the campaign, even putting it on his website. But in the debate, Romney said that he will “not reduce the taxes paid by high-income Americans.” Romney has pledged to vote for Paul Ryan’s budget, which raises taxes on middle class families by $2,000, yet in the debate Romney said, “I will not, under any circumstances, raise taxes on middle-income families”. Romney has pledged to sign Paul Ryan’s budget, which cuts education by $115 billion and guts Pell Grants, yet in the debate he promised not to cut education nor grants. Romney said “preexisting conditions are covered under my plan,” yet his adviser Eric Fehrnstrom admitted after that his plan only does so for those with continuous coverage, which defeats the whole point.
The Lies from Romney •
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Romney said that the Dodd-Frank financial reform law “designates a number of banks as too big to fail, and they’re effectively guaranteed by the federal government.” Yet in truth, the law gives no promise of a bail out, only a new law from Congress can do so. DoddFrank actually cracks down on those banks. Romney said “50 percent of college graduates this year can’t find work.” The real number for unemployed recent grads is around 25%. And in 2000, the height of the dot-com bubble, 40% were unemployed or underemployed. Romney claimed that the Affordable Care Act steals $700 billion from seniors. It does accomplish $716 billion in savings for the government, but literally none of those cuts affect seniors’ benefits, and the Ryan budget includes the same cuts.
Opinion 9
Should Homework Be Posted Online? Cormac Chester Staff Writer Currently 1 in 4 college students take courses online. Education via the web is booming, and recently Harvard and MIT joined in the online education industry to create edX, a free online education system that allows you to take part in college level classes. Many other colleges even allow you to take their exams online. These developments in today’s age show that the internet is no longer a place to hang out, but also a place to learn. Thus I propose my idea that teacher’s must put their homework online in some form for the students. Pembroke launched a new website last year with its main function to allow students to access teacher content for a better learning experience. While this is a good idea, there has been no real push by the Upper School staff and administration as a whole to have the students use the system to its full potential. Each day, the world becomes more technologically advanced. As such, it must be made mandatory for teachers to put their assignments online. With all assignments online, kids can spend more time in class learning and taking in more
Should putting all homework online be mandatory The Teachers' Opinions Should putting all homework online be mandatory The Teachers' Shouldn't Opinions be mandatory Should be mandatory Should be mandatory
Shouldn't be mandatory
38% 38%
Teacher Voices Ms. Jones
- I think it’s ridiculous to make it mandatory. Kids get things in class. Kids need to learn how to be responsible for their own work, as opposed to teachers spoon-feeding them everything. The motto of the school is “Freedom with Responsibility.” There is a responsibility that the student must take ownership of their own homework. If they weren’t at school you could email the teacher and go, “What was the homework?”
Mrs. Wells
- I do agree that [homework] should be online...once we use the word “mandatory,” it becomes an issue if a teacher misses it one time and a student blames that for not doing the homework. Doesn’t “Freedom with Responsibility” apply to everyone? Shouldn’t each teacher find his or her own way to communicate with students? It just isn’t an easy “yes” or “no” for me, even though I do post my homework.
62% 62%
information about the les- idea. In a poll recently taken son rather than just copying by some teachers, only 38% down the assignment. Also, of them agreed that putting if a student h o m e is ill, they “We should have a consis- work oncan simply tent policy throughout each line be d o w n l o a d division so that students mandatothe homery. An exwork from (and parents) know what to planation the website expect regarding the posting for this is rather than of homework.” - Michelle that putwaiting for ting homeMartinovic a teacher to w o r k reply to their email. online means that teachers However, many of the teach- have to work more with no ers are not on board with this foreseeable benefit for them-
selves. Another explanation is that the word “mandatory” doesn’t sit well with some teachers, with Senora Martinovic saying, “I think a better word would be ‘consistent’. In my opinion we should have a consistent policy throughout each division.” While I do agree with Senora Martinovic, I feel that teachers should have to post their homework online everyday. Missing a day is fine, but only putting the homework online every once in a
while defeats the whole purpose of the website. I think that we should start the online education path by making it mandatory that all homework be put online. Every time Mr. Hill says that Pembroke Hill is one of the best schools in the nation, he is right. But there is no way that our school will continue to be one of the best if we doing nothing and let the rest of the world evolve without us. n
Continued from Page 1:
Homecoming Game were surprised when crowned, Edwards confidently replied, “I wasn’t surprised when I was chosen.” Hubble, on the other hand, commented, “I was surprised! I thought everyone who was elected had a great shot at winning because all of us are greatly involved at Pembroke.” The Homecoming court not only consists of eight senior nominees for King and Queen, but also includes two representatives
from the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes. New student to Pembroke Hill, Caroline McCray, the freshman Homecoming representative, explained, “Being the homecoming representative was an amazing experience and it was so fun walking down the field with Charlie [the other freshman representative]! It was great to get involved with the school, being just a freshman.” n
10 Sports Athletes of the Issue:
Trevor and Ashley Tsue
In the midst of many Pembroke Hill sports successes, people often forget about the competitions that students participate in outside of school. It’s hard to believe that Pembroke athletes like Ashley Tsue ‘13 compete against Olympians at both national and international levels. Her brother, Trevor ‘15, has also distinguished himself in the fencing world. Due to his fascination with swords, Trevor was the first to start fencing. His older sister, Ashley, started shortly after because she loved watching him from the sidelines. They like to say that sword fighting is in their blood because they are direct descendants of a shogun samurai. Ashley says the best part of fencing is when she is actually competing. “I like to effortlessly execute unusual fencing moves that make people really appreciate the beauty and complexity of the sport.” Trevor describes the sport as “physical chess” because of both the physical and strategic components. Ashley is a nationally ranked fencer and often travels to compete with some of the best fencers in the world. She has even won a national tournament. Trevor says his most significant achievement was placing 7th at the Fencing Summer Nationals. Recently, they appeared on the cover of Advanced Athlete Magazine to highlight their extraordinary accomplishments. Because they travel frequently, they miss a lot of class. However, Ashley says that the long plane rides are the perfect time to catch up on missed work. “It is rather difficult to write a term paper on the airplane, but necessary, and perfectly doable!” Ashley also says that balancing school with fencing has taught her good time management skills and a given her a greater sense of accomplishment academically. In addition to teaching good work habits, Trevor claims fencing has helped him learn to manage his emotions. He explained, “To succeed in fencing, it is imperative for one to have the ability to contain emotions.” Ashley plans to fence in college next year. Ivy League schools, like Princeton and Harvard, have expressed interest in her fencing ability. In fact, she hopes to compete in the NCAA fencing championships. Some of her other goals include making the Junior World Championships and the Senior World Cup Championships. Trevor says his greatest aspiration is to compete internationally like his older sister. He also aims to fence in college.
Pembroke Hill is proud I like to...make people to count these exceptional athletes as members of really appreciate the beauty its community. Everyone to know someone and complexity of the sport. wants famous, and maybe we will one day be able to honestly make this claim. Perhaps these two fencers, who are presently gracing the high school hallways, will one day be Olympic champions. n
Photo credit to Tim Galyean Photography.
Sarah Koch, Asher Abrahms, & Emily Dema Managing Editor, Staff Writer, Staff Writer
Sports 11
Haley Dietsch Brings Acclaim to Cross Country Team Riya Mehta Managing Editor Freshman Haley Dietsch just ended up surprising herself and broke her personal record for winning the race, catching the the four thousand-meter race at eye of a competitive track club. the Mill Valley Invitational cross After joining the track club, she country meet that took place became a committed runner. Thursday, October 4. CompletFor Dietsch, this year is a coming the course in fifteen minutes pletely new experience. Whereas and thirty-one secyear she “I absolutely love thelast onds, running roughwas self-motily six minutes andPembroke Hill crossvated enough fourteen seconds per train by hercountry team!” to mile, Dietsch adds self much of the another achievement to her ev- time, she now “absolutely loves” er-increasing list. the Pembroke Hill cross country Dietsch first became interest- team experience. Her favorite ed in competitive running when part of being on the team is beshe was in sixth grade. She de- ing able to run with her friends. cided to compete in a middle She explains, “Everyone is so school track meet and run the nice and laid back, but we are mile, thinking that because there also able to focus when we need were not very many competitors to. The motto of ‘Team Love’ is she had a chance at a medal. She always followed” n
Above: Haley Dietsch starts off ahead of her opponents. Left: Haley Dietsch stays strong during the second mile of her 5k.
Haley Dietsch’s Accomplishments
Photo Credit to Haley Dietsch
- Won Sixth Place at Forest Park Festival meet - Part of 4x800-meter relay that won seventh place at both the USA Track and Field meet (USATF) and the Amatuer Athletic Union (AAU) nationals - Ran 15:31 for 400-meter race (about 6:14 per mile) - Ran 19:45 for 5-kilometer road race
12 Voices Letter from the Editors We are the voice of the students. But, this simple idea is more complicated than it sounds. We want to write about what matters to us and what the students really care about. But in order to do so, there are countless rules and regulations to follow. To say that we, as editorsin-chief, have the final say of what goes into this paper isn’t the truth; rather, we must recieve approval from administration for any possibly inappropriate article we choose to publish, may it be on a sexual education class at Pembroke Hill or simply an editorial on respect. Even though it’s up to the school newspaper to report the truth, both good and bad, of our school, sometimes we aren’t allowed through editorials and even objective news stories. We spent the summer reinventing the paper, making it more visually appealing and an easier read. Now people open up our paper and start to read it. That’s great, but what do they find? The
winner of the football game. A student who traveled to an orphanage. The success of the science team. All of these topics are undoubtedly laudable and an integral part of our school, but there is another side to this coin. We also must discuss those subjects that are not always seen as integral parts of our
only cover the news of our school, but also voice the opinions, thoughts and feelings of the students. Inside of this issue we published a staff editorial on respect. We feel passionate about this editorial. We believe that it is imperative to respect other students, the faculty, the administration, the parents of Pembroke Hill, and ourselves. Disrespect gets us nowhere. Our letter is not designed to be a hypocritical contrast to the editorial inside these pages. We feel it is our job to share the news of the school, good and bad, but in that integrally important way of being respectful. So, now the solution comes down to all of you reading this newspaper. We want you to write a letter, an article or an opinion piece on these topics. It is our job, as students to speak about the unspoken, but not forgotten, side of Pembroke Hill.
We feel it is our job to share the news of the school, good and bad, but in that integrally important way of being respectful.
The Pembroke Hill School 5121 State Line Road Kansas City, MO 64112
school community - drug use, depression, disrespect from teachers and students alike. These issues are pertinent to our school and ought to be addressed. Though we may like to believe that Pembroke Hill is a perfect place, there are still major issues that need to be confronted. We can happily admit that our problems pale in comparison to those that other schools in the area might be facing. Nonetheless, these problems still exist. It’s our job to not
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theVOICE
Official Newspaper of the Pembroke Hill School
Yours in the search for truth, Ritika and Jeffrey
The Voice is published monthly by the students of the Pembroke Hill School during the academic year to inform the Pembroke Hill Community about pertaining events and news. The paper is an open forum, distributed to the students, faculty, parents, alumni, and other members of the Pembroke Hill community. All decisions concerning grammar, layout, content, and photography are made solely by the editors themselves. All comments, concerns, and complaints should be forwarded directly to the Editors in Chief. As an open forum, The Voice encourages its readers to submit Letters to the Editors. The editors reserve the right to not publish letters. The Voice also accepts advertising and like articles. The editors reserve the right to not publish advertisements. Like us on Facebook at The Pembroke Hill Voice and follow us on Twitter at PHSVoice. The Voice is YOUR newspaper. Please read responsibly.
whispers
news blurbs about pembroke maya patel... is starting a handmade jewelry line called coral verde! ian purdy... got into the kc metro all-district choir. he will now proceed to state auditions. megan carter, kiara lewis, and morgan peterson... are all members of the national sance alliance. they have the opportunity to dance in the macy’s day parade! helen philips... is the assistant training director for the kansas city chapter of amigos de las americas. brittany lapointe... is ranked 23rd for ballroom dancing on the dancers’ cup tour. she frequently attends competitions that are conducted just like dancing with the stars. quint underwood and evan peterson... ran at the mill valley cross country meet. they both set outstanding personal records, with underwood at 16:40 and peterson at 16:59. twenty-nine percent of the senior class... was recognized for their achievement on the psat exam last year through the national merit program
Editors-in-Chief Ritika Abhyankar and Jeffrey Rubel Head of Deisgn Wanda Czerwinski
Faculty Sponsors Matt Clothier and Joel Causey
Business Manager Miriam Swartz
Web Designers Sid Goel Michael Rubel
Managing Editors Kate Berkley Taylor Carr-Howard Sarah Koch Anna Levitt Riya Mehta Maya Patel Riley Sloan Cynthia Wang
Copy Editors Ellen Cagle Aden MacMillan Ben Shadid
Assistant Editors Raymond Fang Arianna Lane Neha Sahgal
Photo Editor Kathleen O’Keefe