December 2018

Maize High School || Maize, KS December 2018

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News

Choir puts on a benefit concert for the holidays

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Now Playing

Play investigates Finsta culture and other private social media accounts

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Entertainment

Teens and adults test their knowledge of slang words from the present and past

1 1. Doris Prater hugs Bob Scott, the owner of Prairie Pines Tree Farm, at a volunteer choir preview at the bus barn.

Page 6. Photo by Ryann Redinger 2. Crosby Woods has been involved in art since freshman year and plans to continue it as a career. Pages 26-27.

Photo by Sam Bartlett

3. Arissa Brown, left, and Keegan Johnston perform “Proof,� the drama.

Page 5. Photo by Keith Johnston 4. Senior basketball player Alexis Cauthon signs with Evangel University as her mom, Crystal Cauthon, looks on.

Page 23. Photo by Kyerra Snyder

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What’s inside?

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News New murals are painted in the building.

news Choir puts on benefit concert for holidays.

8-9 10-13 16-17 20 21 24-25 26-27

photo focus Students spread holiday cheer in the school and community.

Now Playing Play investigates Finsta culture and other private accounts.

sports Senior Caleb Grill commits to South Dakota State to play basketball.

Opinion

Junior opinion columnist argues for the need for carpooling.

Maizenews.com || December 2018

Who’s inside?

Abby McCoy & Casey Loving Editors-in-chief Bailey Birkholz Design editor Sam Bartlett Photo editor Maddie Neigenfind Features editor/Ad manager Ellie Stucky Sports editor Ryann Redinger Engagements editor Madelyn Craft Kamryn Gaines Brooke Grisham Madi Hay Carter Jones Keira McGinty Lily Robison Janeth Saenz Kyerra Snyder Abby Turner Jordan Wontorski Dan Loving Adviser

Cover Illustration by Bailey Birkholz Play is the official newsmagazine for and

by Maize High School students. Play is published six times throughout the year.

Play is a student publication and a forum for public opinion. Letters to the editor should be signed and around 300 words.

The editorials and columns are the sole opinion of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USD 266 Board of Education, the administration, the faculty or the adviser.

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editorial

Play dicusses the potential toxicity of social media.

entertainment Teens and adults test their knowledge of slang words from the present and the past.

features Senior Crosby Woods pursues a future in art.

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Submit a letter to the editor for the next issue to room D16 or mhsnewsmag@gmail.com

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National Group Be Strong comes to Maize

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Story by Madelyn Craft aize students have recently joined the organization Be Strong. Be Strong is a national nonprofit organization focused on preventing bullying. The organization uses student-led groups to help their peers through the challenges they may be facing. Be Strong also trains and assists students to help them bring about change in their communities.

English teacher Sherry Pfeifer has taken the lead in starting the Maize Be Strong chapter. Pfeifer said she wanted to bring the club to Maize because she saw that there were students feeling left out and alone and she knew something had to be done.

Pfeifer said she found out about Be Strong after it was featured on CBS News.

After she saw the story, she started the process to get a chapter here.

“It was about a young man who started a group at his high school because he remembered when he was a freshman how lonely and outcast he felt, and he hated

that feeling,” Pfeifer said.

Since Be Strong is new to Maize, there are not many active students. Pfeifer said she hopes to find more students that are interested in participating. There are about 20 active members, she said.

“I keep getting names and recommendations from teachers, counselors and other students that think someone would be a good fit for the club, so I’m always recruiting positive kids to be a part of the group,” Pfeifer said.

Pfeifer nominated juniors Abby McCoy and Casey Loving to be student representatives for the state of Kansas. They went through different kinds of training to help equip them to make an impact on student’s lives.

“When we were interviewed we talked to someone from headquarters,” McCoy said. “He talked to us about the Be Strong family and how to approach people when you’re talking to them at lunch and different methods to use when talking to them.”

McCoy said she is grateful to jump-

start the initiative. The group began their events in November.

“It’s really impactful in a way that you know that you’re making a difference in someone’s life, even if it’s really little,” she said. “It’s really reviving to my soul to bring joy to other people and be able to interact with them.”

McCoy and Loving work together to run the group.

“When Mrs. Pfeifer reached out to me to help bring Be Strong to the school, I thought it was a really good idea and something that we really need here,” Loving said. “So I was honored to be invited to start the club.”

Since the club began they have held lunch bunch groups and lunch mingles.

The goal of these events is to reach out to students who need a friend.

“There are several students at Maize who are introverts and they struggle with a sense of belonging,” Pfeifer said.

“The overall goal of the group is to give students a welcoming environment and a sense of belonging.” n

students create works of art on walls

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Story by Brooke Grisham ew murals are being painted by art students to go up around school. The artwork will go in the place of old murals made by students in past years.

Senior Jolan Besse is a student in Jodee Johnson’s Art in Action, a class which originally came up with the idea to paint new murals. Besse is participating in painting the dotted art eagle in the hallway across from the south bathrooms. She said she wants to give the hallway art a new, modern perspective. She practices her art at home doing her own projects with her own supplies.

Besse said this is the first time she’s done art through the school.

“I had the idea of dot art,” she said. “Dot art is where everything is completely dots, so when you take a further look away it’s a whole picture. … it was Ms. Johnson’s idea to do the Maize logo over the green eagle that was there before.

Groups of students made a list of what they thought would look good for a new mural. Besse wasn’t here when it was being planned for who would be painting new murals, but she was placed in a group of people who helped her with her idea’s.

Although she isn’t a member of art in action, senior Krista Phillips is working on the new murals next to Besse’s. Phillips, in Beth Janssen’s portfolio class, painted a chameleon piece that is meant to represent standing out and being yourself.

“Mrs. Janssen asked me if I could because she knows that I’m a fast worker,” Phillips said. “She thought it would be something good and fun that I’d be interested in.”

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Senior Krista Phillips, participates in the creation of a new mural in the south hall,

by MCA. Her group’s painting represents being able to stand out.

Photo by Lily Robison

Phillips said she’s been doing art since she was younger after her mom, who had always done art, got her into it.

Phillips said an old mural is being painted over because the people who painted it didn’t really like how it turned out as they had never finished painting it in the first place.

“The people who are painting it thought it would be a good add on to the school, and something that means something to the people in this school,” she said. n

Maizenews.com || December 2018

drama picked TO PERFORM AT STATE FESTIVAL

Above: Senior Arissa Brown, junior Brayden Worden and senior Keegan Johnston act in Maize’s production of “Proof.” The show was originally performed In September.

Top right: Senior Arissa Brown and senior Abby Wray share dialogue in a scene of “Proof.” Wray shared her feelings after finding out about “Proof”making it to Thespian Festival, “On Tuesday, she (Kathleen Barbara) got an email during fourth block,”Wray said “And we were watching a movie. She flipped on the lights, rubbed her face, and we all started crying.”

Bottom right: Senior Arissa Brown plays senior Keegan Johnston’s daughter in the production.

Photos by Keith Johnston

Story by Madi Hay The Maize drama department was selected to perform at the Kansas Thespian Festival in January. A group of actors will perform “Proof ” for two shows.

“I’m very excited,” said senior Keegan Johnston, who plays Robert. “This is a big opportunity, and we were one of the top-three rated shows in the state. It’s a big deal that we get to perform for all the theater kids in Kansas.”

Johnston is joined in the cast by senior Arissa Brown (Catherine), junior Brayden Worden (Hal) and senior Abby Wray (Claire). A crew dedicated to stage managing and set construction also will participate.

They originally performed “Proof ” three times in September. It is about a woman whose father is world-renowned mathematician. He suffered from mental illness, and she took care of him later in life.

“He dies, and then she is concerned that not only she got his intelligence, but also she is losing her mind as well,” Johnston said. “It’s a really interesting story about

“Proof” will have an open dress rehearsal Jan. 1 in the auditorium at 7:30 p.m. her trying to figure that out.”

“Proof ” will be the first show at the festival. Wray said the group will put in a lot of preparation between now and then, including rehearsals during Christmas break.

“We are relearning our lines, and we are doing some different things with the set after receiving some comments from the adjudicators,” she said.

Wray said the set was taken apart be-

cause they didn’t think they were going to be selected.

“We actually took down the set the day before we found out, and we had kept it up for this two-month period,” she said.

Wray said they waited all Thanksgiving break to find out. When they came back to school and hadn’t heard, they assumed the play wasn’t chosen. Wray said the director is usually notified before the list goes out to everyone. This year, though, a new person was in charge and director Kathleen Barbara didn’t find out until Tuesday.

“She got an email during fourth block, and we were watching a movie,” Wray said. “She flipped on the lights, rubbed her face, and we all started crying.”

While the group was hoping for this opportunity, Johnston said he was not expecting it.

“There’s not a lot of times slots available,” Johnston said. “There was really a slim chance, but we are really happy that we got it.” n

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former teacher pleads guilty to sex charges

Story by Maddie Neigenfind former Maize teacher pleaded guilty on Dec. 3 to two felony counts of unlaw sexual relations with a minor.

Johnny Yelverton, who taught law enforcement and fire science classes at the Maize Career Academy, will be sentenced Jan. 16. Yelverton could receive probation or a prison sentence and will be fined.

Both counts carry a sentencing guideline between 31 and 136 months, Sedgwick County District Court Judge Bruce Brown said.

Yelverton, who must register as a sex offender, did not speak during the

hearing other than to respond yes to the judge’s questions.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Yelverton said when asked if he understood the rights he was giving up by pleading guilty.

Yelverton originally was charged with six counts of unlawful sexual relations with a minor and one count of failure to report suspected child abuse. The other charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

He was arrested in May after he was suspected of having a relationship with a student. He was 44 at the time of his arrest. The student was 17.

Yelverton was featured in a Play

Newsmagazine story in 2017 during his first year at Maize. He previously worked as a police officer in Augusta. He also served in the Air Force and with fire rescue.

“People are going to do stupid things,” he said in the story. “But if you come through here, if I put your picture on my wall when you graduate, when you get into a uniform or something, and you fail me or you fail yourself or you fail your family or your community, that’s my biggest fear. To see your picture on the news when you have done something wrong.” n

singing loud for all to hear Choir spreads Christmas cheer through singing, donations

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Story and Design by Kamryn Gaines aize choir recently held their holiday showcase, The Very Best Time of Year. The holiday concert was composed mostly of choral Christmas songs and carols with several variety pieces throughout.

Junior Preston Hunt said that due to the school musical “Seussical” ending so close to the Christmas showcase, the choir had to work extra hard to get everything into place.

“It’s lots of rehearsing because the musical took so long to finish,”Hunt said.

“We’ve had a shortened rehearsal period, and we’ve just had to learn everything fast. It’s lots of learning how to sing correctly in a choral setting.”

Rather than keeping the profits for the department, the money made from the concert was distributed to charities as an act of holiday service.

“For this show our proceeds are going to the Red Cross to help with the fires happening in California and the Wichita food bank to help with our communities,” senior Brooklyn DeForeest said.

For the holiday concert, the choir chose to view the performance as a gift for their audience, abstaining from a final bow.

“The show isn’t for us,” DeForeest said.

“This is the choir department’s gift to the school and to our community and everything. We try to spread holiday cheer by singing to get people in the spirit of

Christmas, and we don’t bow at the end because it’s a gift. It’s not for us.”

“We don’t like to charge for these concerts, and we give the money to different charities,” Hesslink said. “We are doing a suggested donation of $5 which will go to the Wichita food bank and the red cross.”

The choir also goes caroling around Maize every year during class to help spread the joy of the season. “We like to go to people around Maize and different businesses to carol, and we like to go around to different retirement homes,”Hesslink said. “A lot of people in retirement homes don’t get a lot of visitors, so we like to carol and make sure they have visitors.” n

Maizenews.com || December 2018

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G I F T o F G i vi ng 1

2 Groups at Maize perform different activities in preparation for holiday season

8/ Photo Focus

3 1. The SAFE council went to Maize Middle School to talk to the SADD council about getting SAFE started at MMS. At the middle school, SAFE threw a Christmas party while meeting with the SADD council.

2. Freshman Tabitha Greenstreet and seniors Hannah Piros and Cadence Ohl attended the second “lunch bunch,” which included giving students free hot chocolate and cookies. The event was put on by Be Strong. a club that helps people get more involved and talk with other people.

3. From left, juniors Kesav Bhakta, Marco Ibarra, Drew Bott and Vin Arellano load food into boxes for Caring Hearts. StuCo and NHS members helped after school.

4. Sophomore Aubrey Peirce decorates Christmas ornaments with Friendship Club for their annual Christmas party. They decorated ornaments, did Mad Libs, had relay races in the gym, watched Christmas movies and ate pizza.

5. Juniors Sofia Roszel and Aerica Mclntosh organize food from the Caring Hearts food drive. Students helped pack food from the drive Nov. 27.

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6. John Albin’s advanced drafting CAD class made a board game that cost $13. All of the profits went to a charity called the Angel Tree.

7. KAY Club students helped rake neighborhoods over Thanksgiving break. The club raked three yards over the course of a morning.

Photos by Lily Robison

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9/ Photo Focus

a public secret A look into the rise of Finsta culture

More than half of the 92 percent of teenagers who use an Instagram account also have a secret account under a fake name.

Photo by Sam Bartlett

Maizenews.com||||November December 2018 2018 Maizenews.com

Story by Maddie Neigenfind and design by Abby McCoy

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posts

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following

Edit Profile

Finsta Combination of the words fake and Instagram. When people have a Finsta, they post pictures they only want their closest friends seeing. Finstas aren’t supposed to be taken seriously and it doesn’t matter how many posts or followers you have. Finstas are mainly kept private and have funny or clever usernames. (Source: The Urban Dictionary)

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exually suggestive name, fake profile picture.

Instead of pictures of smiling faces and groups of friends, there’s a flood of alcohol bottles, body shots and illegal substance use.

These things describe the typical “under-the-radar” Instagram accounts that most high school teens nowadays are active on. Otherwise known as Finstagrams.

Finstas, as the fake Instagram accounts are commonly called, are secret accounts made by kids that allow them to post vulgar, explicit and, in some cases, illegal photos. With Finstas, there are no rules.

“I believe that it’s almost like a drug,” senior Lakin Thrasher said.

Thrasher said that although she doesn’t

indulge in the world of secret accounts, a majority of her friends do.

“It’s like when you get a text, your heart starts beating and the dopamine starts going off because you just have to answer it,” she said. “I feel like people and students get a rise off of posting these things and then when people like it, that rush just gets bigger.”

Although the majority of accounts and posts consist of bad habits that nobody knows about it, senior Aiden Hendricks said there are a select few that don’t follow that trend. Instead, they share things such as feelings or drama. “[I think] kids use their Finstas because you can’t post that you feel depressed or something for instance,” Hendricks said.

Now Playing user6546364

“You don’t want to get on your main account because then you’ll be judged.

And that’s not what you’re about. You want to present your best self on your social media because everyone does, and that is why you have that flawed toxic dynamic.”

Hendricks has had a second account for almost two years. He treats his account as a spam for artsy photos and a place where he can let out his feelings without the fear of his peers attacking him.

“A spam is constant screaming and ranting,” Hendricks said. “You’re posting everything you want and see because you don’t care.”

An article written by the New York Times said that more than half of the 92 percent of teenagers that use an Instagram account also have a secret account under a fake name.

“I get on my account to vent,” Maize South senior Brynn Tylski said.

“I’ll post pictures and talk about my week and how it’s going or just what I’m doing. Sometimes I just rant. I guess it’s just to show people what you do. You usually know who follows you.”

Tylski has had her Finsta for almost three years. She said that although she has close to 1,000 follower requests, she doesn’t accept them all in order to keep her privacy.

“More and more of you guys, as young adults and teenagers, are starting to move away from the bigger ones [social media platforms],” said Heather Huhman, a detective in Wichita for the Internet Crimes Against Children unit. “Mainly

because the whole purpose is you think you have privacy to do things and say things that you wouldn’t say in front of your parents.”

Huhman said that Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are the major platforms that she and her team deal with on a regular basis. She said that by posting suggestive things on social media accounts, the user is essentially flagging their accounts for review by the company. If serious enough, the accounts are sent to a National Center for Exploited and Missing Children.

“Maybe he’s 17 on his profile but he’s

“I believe that it’s almost like a drug.”

— Lakin Thrasher, senior talking about traveling to go meet someone or talking about something sexual,” Huhman said. “That information will be sent to the National Center, and they’ll try to place geographically where this is happening by running information.”

Huhman said that every time someone logs into an account or unlocks their phone, an address is being tracked. The

address is traceable right down to the model of the phone. Every move teenagers make on these profiles that they believe are fake is being watched.

“Everyone that uses these [platforms] has that false sense of security with the idea that its anonymous and that it’s going to disappear and nobody will see it,” Huhman said.

‘Always be cautious’

While on social media, teenagers’ biggest concern should be their overall safety. Huhman suggests that parents keep an eye on their child’s social media and be intrusive rather than turning a blind eye to the growing issue.

For parent and business owner Shannon Boone, kids can never be too safe.

“They do need to be cautious,” Boone said.

Boone said that posting false, inappropriate or personal information on social media accounts can have serious repercussions.

Not only can incorrect information land young users in hot water, but posting sexually explicit pictures of themselves or someone else can cause serious backlash — as well as exchanging explicit photos with either strangers or a partner.

Depending on the severity of the acts, a variety of legal action can be taken, like sextortion.

“You guys are in love, you are exchanging nude images and everything is going great, Huhman said. “Until it’s not. You guys break up, and pictures get sent around. There is also possession of

sextortion Sextortion is a serious crime that occurs when someone threatens to distribute your private and sensitive material if you don’t provide them images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money.

(Source: FBI)

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Maizenews.com || December 2018

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explicit images of kids, distribution [of images] and unlawful visual depiction.”

In some worse cases, sextortion becomes an issue when anything you’ve shared online with strangers is being used against you. The Department of Justice warns that if someone demands sexual images from you, stop immediately and report it as soon as you can.

“You probably won’t meet the love of your life in high school,” Huhman said.

“So what happens when you do breakup?

And those pictures do go out? To the school, to your family, to your parents.

Are you going to be able to mentally and physically withstand the ridicule that you’re going to get? High school is tough even before nudes go out. “ Most high schoolers face more than just the worry of their photos or conversations leaking. For some, it’s an everyday struggle with bullying. Fake profiles are often used as a way for bullies to anonymously lure victims.

“Finstas give a lot more insight on the person’s life,” senior Katelyn Parks said. “Of course, it’s up to them what they want to share, but it’s usually pretty personal. It gives others a direct way to attack them about private topics.”

By sharing private and personal topics about themselves, safety precautions quickly fade. Rather than being smart about what they post, kids are quickly posting because they feel like it.

“Always be cautious about what personal information you’re sharing with strangers,” Boone said. “If someone is doing something online that makes you uncomfortable or is bullying or abusing

you or a friend online, tell an adult.”

‘this is on our shoulders’

Parent Chelsey Miranda believes keeping a close and open relationship with her children about their social media usage is an important role for parents. She hopes to build a trusting environment with her children.

“We are a very open family,” Miranda said. “I talk to my kids about anything and everything. I want them to know they can ask me about anything, and they don’t have to go ask their friends or hear some-

“It gives others a direct way to attack them about private topics” — katelyn parks, senior thing that is not true. I believe in honesty.

I know things aren’t always easy to talk about, but I would rather them know the truth then to find out themselves or be told the wrong information [from the internet].”

Although Miranda finds that giving her kids space to be themselves and have some privacy is beneficial, monitoring her

kids’ social media accounts from time to time is never a bad idea.

“I do try to monitor my kids’ social media accounts,” she said. “Although I am aware that [on] Snapchat and some others apps, you don’t really see a lot of what is sent and said. I try to give my kids some privacy, although, as the parent, I do feel you should have a say in your child’s accounts.”

Huhman said she believes that in order to slow down the growth of fake accounts and stop the law from intervening, parents must first slow down how quickly they give their children access.

“We put our kids behind a steering wheel, but first we make them take a test, we make them go out and drive with us,” Huhman said. “We constantly talk to them and remind them ‘wear your seatbelt, don’t speed, don’t text and drive.’ But then we give them $1,000 phones and the wifi password and let them [go] anywhere in the world. As parents, this is on our shoulders.”

Not all things pertaining to social media have to be bad. Boone says there are numerous positive, useful things that social media and the internet can do if used correctly by everyone involved.

“If you choose to be part of or allow toxic behavior through social media, you will eventually get caught up in that behavior,” Boone said. “On the flipside, if you choose to engage with positive, encouraging, and open-minded accounts you’ll attract that type of social interactions.

I find it’s a great way to connect with like-minded people around the globe and in your own community.” n

visual depiction Includes undeveloped film and videotape, data stored on computer disk or by electronic means which is capable of conversion into a visual image (Source: Cornell Law)

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a historic run Football team falls just short in state semis

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Story by Ellie Stucky aize ended the best season in school history with one of the most dramatic finishes in school history.

The Eagles lost to Northwest 67-60 in the state semifinals after taking the lead just minutes before. The Eagles had trailed for most of the game.

The Eagles finished the season 10-2, winning the most games in school history. It was the first time they’d played in the state semifinals.

Senior Eli Owings said he was proud of his team and now understands how much work must go into achieving success.

“It took a lot of time in the weight room during the summer,” Owings said. “It really took everyone buying into the idea of being a teammate.”

Junior Caden Cox said that all the support from the school had a huge impact on their success.

“The school’s pride helped the team so much,” Cox said. “The support from the community was a big part of our success.”

Cox took a lot away from the team and the way they played this season, and he knows what he needs to do to be able to step up next season.

“I just need to put in a lot of work in the offseason,” Cox said. “I need to make sure the whole team is getting in the weightroom and hold everyone accountable.”

The team is the most important part of the game, and Owings is aware of the need of a group of compatible teammates.

“It was playing for the man next to you,” Owings said. “Not for yourself.”

For the seniors, parting with the Eagles won’t be easy. Senior Deriq Doty will miss his teammates and the people who have helped him throughout all four years of his high school career.

“What I’ll miss most about the team is how great of a teammates we were to each other,” Doty said. “Everybody got along really well, and that brought us all closer together and was a huge part in our success this year.”

The seniors left a legacy this season, and Cox is looking forward to next year.

“What I took away from this season was the seniors showing everyone below them how to lead in the right way,” Cox said. “Our team is used to winning, and we’re going to continue to win next year.” n

14/ sports

Senior quarterback Caleb Grill scrambles during the Eagles’ final game against Northwest. The Eagles lost 67-60 but finished the season with the most victories in school history. Photo by Sam Bartlett

postseason awards top 11

Caleb Grill

all-Metro

Preven christon Nic Devore Caleb Grill

all-state

all-league first team

Preven Christon Nic Devore Caleb Grill Kyle Haas Tanner ohnmeis Carson Shively Noah Stanton

all-league second team hunter clark caden cox cameron grimes jordon helm jose ledesma eli owings

Preven christon Nic Devore caleb grill kyle haas all-league honorable mention tanner ohnmeis Camden jurgensen jacob quiggle carson shively noah stanton keaton robertson

Maizenews.com || December 2018

SPorts in BriEf: Winter sports previews Stories by Sam Bartlett

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owling held tryouts this week. The team will start their season when they return from break. Junior bowler Grayson Graham said he hopes the team can come together to go to state this year.

“We will have to get the all of our team-

Bowling

mates heads pulled the same way and get them on track to want the state title,” he said.

“We need to stay consistent and do a lot of practicing.”

Graham said he also hopes to grow personally this season, as he has recently be-

gan taking a more serious interest in bowling.

“Team goal is to definitely make it top three in regionals and my goal is to make it to top 10 so I can go to state,” he said.

“Everyone is welcome to come, and I suggest everyone to come out and watch.” n

Devon Koehn (21) is one of 10 seniors on the boys team. Photo by Sam Bartlett

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BAsketball

he boys and girls basketball teams have kicked off their seasons with three easy wins. The boys started 3-0 with wins over Eisenhower, Salina South and Dodge City. The girls also had a positive start with wins over the same schools.

With 10 seniors, playing time has been competitive for the boys. Senior Chase Schreiner said he thinks this has kept the team growing.

“Our team looks really good,” Schreiner said.

“We have some experience in the top guys and also with guys that aren’t varsity [. . .] I would assume we are going to do very well this season.¨ The girls team has consistently made the state tournament the past several years. Senior Alexis Cauthon said she thinks the girls will make a strong return after taking fourth last season. ¨We are wanting to exceed everyone’s expectations and take state,¨ Cauthon said. n

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Boys swimming

oys swimming placed second at their first meet, the Maize invitational. Junior Bryce Nelson placed first in the 200-meter freestyle, and he placed first in the 400-meter freestyle relay with senior Rielly Bannon, junior Gabriel Ruder and senior Nolan Palmer.

“I think we’re looking pretty good,” Palmer said. “We have some really strong relay teams, and for individuals we have really fast guys that are going to stay competitive.”

Palmer said he thinks that the team can have another strong season if they works hard and goes the extra mile.

“We’ve done a really good job of the past three years in state, making the top 5, and I think that’d be a good goal for us [the team] this year too,” he said. “I have my eyes on some school records.” n

Rielly Bannon is one of the senior leaders for swimming. Photo by Sam Bartlett

15/ sports

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Story and design By Kyerra Snyder or as long as he can remember, Caleb Grill has known he’s wanted to play college basketball.

“It has been my dream ever since I was a little kid,” Grill said. ¨You know just watching it on TV when you’re growing up and you just want that to be you someday.¨ That dream is on its way to becoming a reality. Last month, Grill designed a letter of intent to play Division I basketball at South Dakota State.

“He has always had a ball in his hand ever since he was a baby,” said his mom, Lena.

Both of Grill’s parents played basketball in college. Lena played at Butler County College. Chris, his coach at Maize, finished his college career at Wichita State.

“They have been pushing me every since I was little,” Caleb said.

Grill’s athletic ability doesn’t show up just on the court.

He helped lead the Eagles to the two best seasons in school history as the quarterback.

He owns school records for passing yards in a season, falling just short of the career record.

He also has the career record for touchdown

- Caleb Grill, senior

“It is the sport where I found the most love, and the sport that I enjoyed playing the most.”

on weekends, during the summer..

“Prom last year, everyone went but he went to the middle school to work on the court and work on his game to get better,” his mom said.

Lena said he leads by example.

“He goes to practice every day and works hard,” she said.

As a younger player, Caleb was hard on himself. His dad said he has seen growth in that area.

“He is doing a much better job at when things don’t go exactly right at not showing that emotion as much,” Chris said.

Senior Caleb Grill meets dream of getting D1 basketball scholarship

Sealing The Deal

passes [53]. The Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital-Journal named him one of the Top 11 players in the state, the first Maize player to receive that distinction since the 1960s.

In track and field, he twice has placed at the state meet in the high jump.

But basketball is where his heart is. ¨It is the sport where I found the most love, and the sport that I enjoyed playing the most,” he said.

Grill, who has played on the varsity since his freshman year, entered the season on pace to become the first 1,000-point scorer in team history. The school record for points in a career is 948 and was set in 2003. He broke the school record for three-pointers in a season his sophomore year, then broke it again as a junior.

His success hasn’t come without hard work. He spends hours upon hours in the gym shooting by himself after practice,

“

Photo by Kyerra Snyder

Lena Grill tears up after her son, Caleb, signed a letter of intent with his brother Alec looking on.

Caleb said he has taken everything that basketball taught him and applied it to the real world. ¨How you act on the court is kind of like how you have to be like in real life,” Grill said.¨ You have to be positive or else everything will go down hill.¨ One person who he has helped along the way is his brother Kyle, a freshman at Maize.

“He has always been a mentor to me,¨ Kyle said. ¨He pushes me to become better and takes me up to the gym and works on stuff with me.¨ Grill had offers from 30 schools, including 16 NCAA Division I schools. South Dakota State was the first to make an offer. ¨I just had a different connection with them, like with the coaches, players and recruits coming in,¨ Grill said.

He said he likes the style of how they play, how they get out and go a lot and create a lot of possessions. ¨My parents always said it doesn’t matter where you really go,” he said. “It just matters the fit and how you like the school that’s looking at you.¨ Chris said he also thinks South Dakota state is a perfect school for Caleb.

“I think it has the right personality of coaches that fit him very well, and they will get the most out of his ability,” Chris said.

On signing day, Chris excitedly and pridefully stood and talked about all the memories he had of his son.

As soon as Grill started to sign the papers to move 510 miles away from his family, his mom started to get tears in her eyes.

“I am overwhelmed with emotion,¨ she said. ¨I am so proud of him. It is really cool to see him get the thing he has wanted his whole life. I am excited for him.” n

Pin

to win 18/ sports

Freshman Keton Patterson and junior Junior Camacho practice double shots. Patterson is in the 106-pound group and Camacho is in the 113-pound group.

Photo by Sam Bartlett

Wrestling hopes to return to state after third-place finish Story by Madi Hay Design by Madi Hay and Bailey Birkholz

A

fter a third-place finish at state, the wrestling team is coming off of one of the strongest seasons in Maize history.

This year, the new team hopes to recapture the magic of last season.

Coach Mike Schauer said he thinks his team is in good shape for a great season this year.

“We’re going to have a really good season, and I’ve got some great wrestlers,” Schauer said. “I think we are going to be competitive and have a chance at a league championship and could even place in state.”

Schauer said he thinks he has a good team that goes beyond athletic ability.

He likes how they all work together well.

“I have a good group of wrestlers, but they are also really good kids.” Schauer said. “They are hard workers and great people, so I don’t really have issues, and it makes it fun and easier.”

Junior Carson Wheeler and junior Devin Gomez are transfers to Maize this season. Schauer said the two are going to make a big impact on the team, as well as the returners from last year.

Gomez said he loves the change in schools and thinks his new teammates are great. Gomez also said he is grateful for receiving many opportunities at Maize.

“The difference between Maize and Valley Center has to be the environment and atmosphere that I am training in,” he said. “At Maize, I am surrounded by guys that have the same goals and aspirations as I do, and they know how to work hard. I love working hard, and Maize has given me the opportunity to do so at a higher level.”

When starting at a new school, it can be hard for some kids to transition. Gomez said that this team means everything to him, making it easy to fit right in.

“This isn’t my team; this is my family,” he said. “I used to wrestle with all of these guys when I was younger in the kid’s club program. It’s nothing new to me really, I’ve just been reunited, and it is the best feeling ever.”

Wheeler, a transfer from Goddard

Eisenhower, prepares for matches by making sure his mind is mentally ready.

“We have multiple wrestlers that have been around the sport their whole life and the skill level is higher at Maize,” Wheeler said. “So I make sure my mind is right before going into a match.”

Among returning wrestlers this year is sophomore Kyle Haas. Haas placed third in state last season, losing only one match.

“Every day we just go in there and practice hard,” he said. “We still have fun, but we just get our job done.”

Haas said he has high hopes for himself and the team this season.

“Definitely want to win state,” Haas said. “That’s my main goal, but I also want our team to win state. That’s the ultimate goal because we haven’t won before.”

Haas said that he is glad the team pushes each other to do better and are great sports about things.

“We all get along really well,” he said.

“I know some teams don’t all get along, but we are kind of like a family. We all have fun, and I think that’s the biggest aspect of it.”

Senior Aidan Campbell said that this years wrestling team is great at outworking people during their matches.

“I think our conditioning is something that helps us a lot, we really try to push the pace in our matches,” Campbell said.

Junior Duwayne Villalpando has verbally committed to wrestle at University of Nebraska after his senior year. In July, however, Villalpando hurt his knee in a national championship match. This caused him to get surgery in September, making him unable to wrestle this season.

Villalpando said it’s hard seeing his team wrestle when he is unable to compete.

“I’ve been wrestling for so long, and it feels so weird not doing anything right now,” he said. “To know my team has a shot at a state title this year and I can’t do anything to help really sucks.”

Villalpando said he likes to see how the team thrives to better themselves and each other every day. n

Maizenews.com || December 2018

Season Schedule Dec. 1

Arkansas City High School

Dec. 6 Salina South High School

Dec. 13 Maize High School

Jan. 5 Maize High School

Jan. 12 Newton High School

Jan. 17 Hutchinson High School

Jan. 24 Maize High School

Jan. 31 Maize High School

Feb. 7 Newton High School

19/sports

Easing off the brakes

Opinion columnist advocates for return of carpooling

B

eing in high school is great. For the first time in your life, you actually get to start doing things. You get to start working a part-time job so you can fund yourself, you get to start making important decisions that discern what path you’re going to take in life, you get to start worrying day and night about clinging to that last percent that keeps your A from slipping to a B+ and ruining your GPA...

All right, the new responsibilities that come with being in high school may not all be that great. But undeniably one of the best parts of being a high schooler is the ability to drive.

At last, you can go where you want when you want. Best of all, you finally get to be the one who volunteers to drive when your teacher hands you and your friends a bundle of carpooling permission slips. Or, at least, you did.

As any student with an extra-curricular activity and a driver’s license knows, administration has begun enforcing a policy of prohibiting car pooling during school hours this year. While the rule has technically been in place for years, this is the first time the school has truly begun combatting the ride alongs.

“I don’t think it’s a ‘new’ carpooling rule,” principal Chris Botts said. “I think it’s been in place really since as long as I’ve been here at Maize High.”

Botts said the policy came about after a group of students got into an car accident on the way to a program at Cowley Community College. Since then, the district has taken measures to ensure that no further accidents occur.

In the past, permission slips were enough to waive this rule for an event.

This year, however, the policy has been enforced no matter the circumstances: permission slip or not. If you want to leave school during the day, you can only be driven by a parent, a member of the school staff or yourself.

“I don’t think a parent permission slip would keep someone from getting into an accident,” Botts said. “I think it covers your bases, I guess, but to me it’s not about covering your bases. It’s about making sure every student is safe.”

There are worse reasons for the school

20/ opinion

to make new rules than genuinely wanting to keep every student safe. Even though this rule is intended to act in students’ best interests, it may be doing the opposite.

The entire anti-carpooling rule is predicated on the fact that it is safer for students to drive separately than it would be to have four students in one car.

They’re right. Car accidents are going to happen in high school, and it would be better for a student in one alone than a car full of them. However, that does not make it inherently safer.

It does not take much searching to find a new, unconfident driver in a high school. There is no convincing me that it is safer for an inexperienced student to drive on his own rather than risking a potential two-person wreck with a self-assured driver behind the wheel.

Beyond simply the question of whether the rule is actually safe, there are plenty of questions to be raised about what sense the rule truly makes. Should parents not be able to choose what is best for their children’s safety? Should students be discouraged from volunteering because a bus isn’t available and they don’t have a driver’s license or a car? If a teenager is licensed by the state to drive unrestricted after passing a series of exams, are they putting their passengers at any more risk than they put themselves and those they meet on the road at every day?

By trying to keep us safe, the school has taken away our responsibility. At Maize High, we are constantly stressed to make the right choices, the safe choices, but now we don’t get to make the choice at all.

I’m extremely lucky. I am on the older side of my grade, so I’ve been able to drive unrestricted since the beginning of my sophomore year. Even so, there have been many times that I have relied on carpooling to allow me to have memorable experiences. With this rule, those less lucky than I will see nothing but these opportunities taken from them.

I’m beyond grateful to have a school administration that cares this much about its students and their safety; I’ve heard enough horror stories from other schools

Casey Loving Commentary to know that that isn’t always the case.

However, in trying to protect students, the outlawing of carpooling may keep students from doing what’s good for their community and themselves. It is time to trust students to make the right choices, to let go of the leash.

It is time to ease off the brakes. n

Maizenews.com || December 2018

an illusion

S

Social media is more toxic than it may seem

Story and Design by Abby Turner ocial media has become a huge part of daily life for many.

Almost everyone has an Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat or some form of social media. If not, well, you have at least heard about.

Social media offers many things to people: memes, cat videos, connection to people across the world, photos, and much more. This is all good, but social media can also have plenty of negative effects on one’s life.

With social media becoming a big part of people’s everyday lives, that leads to a lot of time being poured into it as well.

Constantly checking Snapchats and Instagram to see what the newest thing happening is. Taking away time that they could be spending on other things.

“I think one of the major negative effects is that it is just a time drain, like you don’t even realize how much time you are investing into it until you take a look at your screen time app and you are alarmed,” English teacher Cady Jackson said.

Many people like to post things that make them look the best they can be, whether that be a glorified version of their life, traveling, looks, friends or anything else. This causes others to see these altered-to-be-perfect posts and compare their own life to that person.This comparison cycle of social media can start to become toxic to many people.

“When people post negativity, it might not even look like negativity at first, but even just putting the best parts of their life out there and hiding behind a facade rather than showing who they actually are can make someone fall into the comparison trap.” senior Savannah Read said.

No one can control what another person may say on social media. People may also not know what another person may be going through. As you scroll through timelines, you could discover something really negative and you never know how it may affect you or another person reading it.

“Social media affects people’s outlook on life,” Read said. “I think that everybody is impacted by everything people say or do.

When you are posting things on social

media whether it is positive or negative, it is going to have an affect on people, whether you think so or not.”

With all the effects that social media has on people, it can be easy for those to be affected, causing toxic mentality for many.

People put their mental health on the line just to be a part of their online world.

“Research seems to suggest that screen time has a direct impact to mental health,” Jackson said. “I actually read a study recently that talked about how students now are able to quantify their popularity in a way they weren’t able to before, that has an impact on student psychology.”

Despite the negative effects, there are many positive things about social media.

With this generation being the first of many to have social media their whole lifetime, they are better equipped to spread communication of ideas to people everywhere.

“I have said for a long time that I think my students now have been exposed to really advanced theories,” Jackson said.

“They are talking about concepts of identity that people would never have talked about when I was a student.”

We understand that social media can be a good thing. We believe that it can be toxic if used in the wrong way and very positive if you use it in the right way. However, it is much easier to find the bad side than the good.

Choosing who you do and don’t follow can have a huge impact on what you see on your timeline. If you are following people who post about only negative topics or only show the best parts of their lives, it can cause negativity on what you are seeing daily.

“It all depends on who you follow and who follows you, like whether or not you are in a space you know is negative.” Jackson said.

Spreading your own positivity on social media

and following people who do the same as well is another great way to use these platforms to see the good in the world.

“When people post positivity or they show the real side of them and don’t hide behind that fake facade that they have been putting up then social media can be good,” Read said. “That can show people that they aren’t alone, when they realize ‘Hey, my life is kinda falling apart,’ but we don’t have to make jokes about it because that is kinda an unhealthy coping mechanism. So when people are more positive it spreads that.”

Some take social media breaks, deleting their social media apps for a little while to refresh their mind and the positivity that life can have.

“I have gone on a social media break because I was constantly wasting my time on it, and I decided that I was tired of it, so I took a break from Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, everything,” Read said.

“I did that for three months straight, and it was wonderful.”

If you are struggling to be in a positive light of the social media world, you aren’t the only one. Remember your mental health is one of the most important things in life. If you see yourself falling into toxicity from social media, do what you need to do to make it positive again.

“Be careful about what you post and who you follow,” Read said. “Take breaks when it is necessary, but you don’t have to avoid it completely.” n

21/ Editorial

I’m sick of reading these headlines Senior Ryann Redinger shares fears on school shootings

Story by Ryann Redinger and design by Janeth Saenz

I

’m sick of reading these headlines.

“17 students dead in school shooting.”

“12 dead in club shooting.”

“58 people killed in mass shooting at concert.”

I’m tired of seeing how many lives are being taken because of senseless violence.

I’m tired of writing about repeated gun violence. I’m tired of having to think about gun violence over and over again.

People keep speaking out against gun violence; victims, students and journalists call for action, yet nothing has happened except more and more mass shootings.

It leaves me feeling helpless as I walk into school wondering if I might leave.

That may sound ridiculously dramatic, but is it really? I mean, Maize High has had two shooting threats in the past year.

Maize South went into lockdown last year due to a believed imminent threat. Sure, none of the threats became action, but the incidents become more normal with every occurrence. It’s weird how normal going to school in the middle of a threat felt. It felt like a casual event where no one was really shocked. It was more of an “Are you serious?” kind of thing.

A few weeks ago, I was talking with my sister about the recent threat and I then

22/ column

“

realized how often these things happen, how normalized and almost joked about they are. My sister said that in middle school during lockdown drills, they will play sticks, jokingly saying “Loser has to go to the hallway.” In recent events, there has been a student left out in the hallway,

“It leaves me feeling helpless as I walk into school wondering if I might leave.”

- Ryann Redinger

a transgender student, after staff decided the student did not belong in either gender-assigned lockdown shelter. Even though it was just a drill, whether or not you may support transgender people, think about how scared you would be if you were left out in the hallway to fend for yourself. Imagine if rooms were divided by blonde hair or brunette hair, but you have red hair, and you were left in the hallway because of your hair color.

In a way, we are all left to fend for ourselves in the hallway. Despite the many casualties taking place in schools due to gun violence, no one seems to care enough to do something. It feels like my life is unimportant and that sticking to a political agenda holds precedence over my ability to not be scared for my life during choir. The politically left and right wings are in the middle of a war, and students are left in the crossfire.

Going to school and getting an education has become a risk. But even if every high schooler in America calls for action, it’s unlikely anything will be done. So why am I wasting my breath? Why do we keep calling for something to happen when it’s unlikely to even happen at Maize High?

Even if all these threats have been a joke or fake, saying “It will never happen here,” is like playing a dangerous game. The truth is that it has happened in an elementary school, high schools, concerts, movie theatres, and clubs. It can happen here and until everyone, no matter your political stance, starts taking this seriously and does something about it, I will be here patiently waiting for my voice to be heard. n

six students sign letters of intent Story by Kyerra Snyder

S

ix students signed their letter of intent on Nov. 14. These students were Halie Jones, Caleb Grill, Adrian Perez, Marissa Llamas, Aiden Campbell and Alexis Cauthon.

Grill, Jones and Campbell all signed to attend D1 colleges.

Grill is going to South Dakota State, Jones is going to University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley and Campbell is going to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Jones said she is very relieved that she knows what she is going to do and that she doesn’t have to worry any longer.

“Signing my life away definitely helps me because now I don’t have to sit there and scramble and wonder what I’m going to do with the next four years,” Jones said.

Perez said he is very excited to see what the next level has to offer him.

“I’m ready,” Perez said. “It feels amazing to go to the next level.”

Campbell said that he is glad the process of recruiting is over.

“I chose this college [University of Arkansas at Little Rock] because I really liked it down there,” Campbell said. “I like the coach, and it is going to be their first year of the program down there. I am glad I get to be a part of that.”

Students and parents attended the signing during En-Cor. n

Maizenews.com || December 2018

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Senior Alexis Cauthon signs her letter of intent to play basketball at Evangel University. In addition, five other students signed their letters.

Photo by Kyerra Snyder

| 3 1 6 . 9 4 5 . 9 4 0 0 | E M B R A C E W I C H I TA . O R G

23/ Ads

Teens vs.

Adults Play quizzes teens and adults on the slang of the young and old 1

Shade Senior Cade McGaugh’s Definition: “Talking crap on

someone, like on social media or something.”

Science teacher Scott Bugbee’s Definition: “No sunlight.”

210

174

2

As If

Art teacher Isaac Shue’s Definition: “Like, yeah, right.”

Sophomore Austin Sanderson’s Definition: “I disagree with you, like if a diva girl is talking.”

329

138

24/Entertainment

Maizenews.com || December 2018

Watch the full interviews on maizenews.com

3

That’s Lit

History teacher Rebecca Doerksen’s Definition: “That’s pumpin’, like that’s bomb-diggity, in fashion, that’s cool.”

Senior Brandle Easter’s Definition: “I don’t really say that...

Like a party or something.”

174

68

English teacher Anne Debes says what she thinks “This ain’t it chief” means. “Maybe it means someone is in the wrong place, or they have the wrong idea about something,” she said.

McGaugh and Easter elaborate on the definition of “Gag me with a spoon.” “If you don’t want to hear something, you just say ‘Gag me with a spoon,’” McGaugh said.

Sanderson shares his definitions of several old slang words. “Let’s, uh, do a good job,” he said when asked what “Let’s blow this popsicle stand,” means.

Photos by Sam Bartlett.

4

Gnarly

Robotics teacher Jed Heath’s Definition: “Cool, awesome, cowabunga.”

Junior Kylie Cole’s Definition: “Wicked, or super awesome.”

106

245

25/Entertainment

PAINTING FOR A PURPOSE

Photo by Sam Bartlett

Senior Crosby Woods hopes to continue art after high school Story by Ryann Redinger Design by Bailey Birkholz and Ryann Redinger

E

veryone has a passion.

For some, it’s sports, cooking or writing.

For senior Crosby Woods, that passion is art.

Woods began getting involved in art starting middle school after her art teacher sat down with her and urged her to continue the art program through high school.

“I was like, ‘okay, well I honestly do like [art] a lot,’” Woods said. “So I just kept practicing and practicing, I mean I’m not the best, but I’m getting better.”

Woods said one of her favorite types of art is special effects makeup which she started after seeing videos on YouTube.

She started with a cheap kit from a Halloween store and then she fell in love with it. Woods hopes to go into special effects makeup as a career.

“I want to do this because people get so freaked out by it and I just love the reaction,” Woods said.

Woods said she also loves drawing and is constantly either drawing or creating special effects looks in her free time at home.

“I go home and I just sit there and draw or I go home and sit there and do my makeup or something,” Woods said. “It’s always around me, and I’ve always been around it like it’s never bothered me.”

Woods said she wants to continue to keep art around her by being an artist when she is older. She said she has experienced criticism because of her career choice, but despite what others may say, Woods decided to do what she loves.

“You have your own brain,” Woods said.

“You have your own body. You can do what you want with it, and you can’t let people get into your head and manipulate you into thinking that do what they want you to do. You gotta do what you want to do.”

Even though others might not be supportive of Woods art, she said the art teachers have been supportive of her artwork through her high school career.

Woods said Beth Janssen, an art teacher, has been a supportive of her since she

took her portfolio development class last year.

“I really appreciate that Crosby has put more content into her artwork,” Janssen said. “Her skill lever is really high, so it allows her to delve into content to have it be about not just the technique but about ideas.

Woods said that even though she hasn’t known Janssen for long, she feels like they have gotten closer over the past year and have connected through art.

“We are kind of just the same person,” Woods said. “We have the same drive. She lets me do whatever I want. I tell her my idea and she tells me to go for it.”

Woods focuses on drawing portraits with girls as the subjects. She said she was inspired to draw girls after seeing girls get bullied for their looks through out her school career.

“I kept seeing like all the girls are like getting torn down and stuff like body shaming, and was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to draw a chubby girl because she’s pretty,” Woods said.

Despite being made fun of for her appearance in middle school, Woods said she never let people’s words get to her and destroy her confidence, which she now shows through her art.

“You’re yourself, you’re beautiful no matter what,” Woods said. “I don’t care who you are. I hate when people call each other ugly because it’s just like I’m my own person. I don’t have to be you.”

Looking back at her middle school experience, Woods realized that being torn down for her outward appearance inspired her art style that she has now, which she now thanks the people who made fun of her in middle school because she now combats their remarks through her art.

“You’re always going to have that hurt inside of you,” Woods said. “Especially if you’ve gotten bullied. I believe that if you’ve experienced something like that, it’s gonna stick with you for awhile. So people say,’why are you saying thank you for them calling you ugly?’ I’m like, ‘well look what I do with it.’ I expressed myself because of that.” n Photos drawn and submitted by Crosby Woods

27/ features

Do you hear what I hear Reviewing Christmas Music

Play Newsmagazine Story and Design by Abby Turner

DECEMBER PLAYLIST

Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights by Coldplay - “Christmas Lights” is a singer/songwriter take on what Christmas feels like and how it can’t be Christmas without those things that make Christmas special to you. I think this is a different take than most Christmas songs, showing raw emotion. As the song goes, they continue to describe and build an image and the melody gets louder and faster. I think everyone can relate to this because we all have something that makes Christmas special to us. 4.5/5 stars.

Coldplay

All I Want for Christmas is You All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey - “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey is catchy and has a good beat to bop along to. Her vocal range is amazing, and this song showcases her voice. But the lyrics are really cheesy and get overplayed by all the instrumental happening. This song is also extremely overplayed this time of year for what it is as a whole. It is one of those I could listen to once but not again. 3/5 stars.

Mariah Carey

O Come All Ye Faithful

O Come All Ye Faithful by Marc Martel featuring Jason Gray - An original Christmas hymn taking a modern twist, there is a higher energy and much more instrumental and vocal structure than the original. The lyrics lead back to what Christmas is all about and why we celebrate it. The harmonies add a value to build the lyrics and guitar on one another. The only problem I have is the drop between high and low energy are not an amazing flow, but they still work. 4/5 stars.

Marc Martel ft. Jason Gray

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Michael Buble - When people think of Christmas music, this is exactly what is heard. It is the traditional piano and shaker noise, with a smooth voice. All of this blends together to give off a magical and snowy feel. I honestly think this song is overrated by many. There is no build or amazing instrumental or vocal moment to move the song up and forward. 2.5/5 stars.

Michael Buble

28/ Entertainment

Scan this code on Spotify to take you to the Playlist and Newsmag Music account

Maizenews.com || December 2018

Checking them twice

Reviewing what Christmas films are naughty and nice Story and Design by Casey Loving

Die Hard

T

he argument of whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie has always seemed pretty pointless to me.

The movie has strong themes of family, it takes place at a Christmas party, and it has as much heart as any Rankin/Bass special. Endless quotability, perfect uses of comedy and perfect action all combine to make “Die Hard” maybe the best action movie (and my favorite Christmas movie) of all time. If you still don’t think it’s a Christmas movie, that’s fine. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a pretty close second. 5/5

A Christmas Story

I

recently watched “A Christmas Story” for the first time, and I instantly saw why it’s a holiday classic. It’s quotable (like “Die Hard), it has familial themes (like “Die Hard”) and it has heart (like “Die Hard”). All jokes aside, “A Christmas Story” is a wellpaced joy of a film that ironically doesn’t have much of a story. Instead, you simply get to live with lovable characters for an hour and a half, wishing your time together didn’t have to end. 4/5

How ow the Grinch Stole Christmas my opinions get less popular. I went into my rewatch of “How

N

the Grinch Stole Christmas,” a movie I find incredibly boring, wanting to give it a second chance and keeping an open mind. Then it bored me to sleep. Jim Carrey’s performance is absolutely phenomenal, the movie has some great production design, and it has several good laughs. Other than that, I don’t really have a more nice to say. All of the Who subplots either bore or annoy me, the movie is incredibly bloated from a short Christmas book, and I don’t find it charming in the sli— oh no. Am I the Grinch? 2.5/5

S

The Polar Express

peaking of boring movies I don’t have popular opinions of. “The Polar Express” is essentially like waiting in line to meet Santa in real life: It’s scary, it feels like it lasts forever, nothing too exciting happens, and a strange man yells at you every 15 minutes before disappearing. As a kid, I didn’t have quite the same attachment to “The Polar Express” as most people my age do, with it just being that weird train movie where the people are somehow scarier than the room of broken marionette dolls they walk through. The main character is kind of a jerk, the know-it-all kid is one of the most annoying movie characters ever, and the only likable characters for me other than Santa himself is the “When Christmas Comes to Town” duo (a song which, I will admit, gave me goosebumps when I rewatched for the first time in years). But hey, at the end of the day, “The Polar Express” is a Christmas classic, and I’m not, so what do I know? 1.5/5

29/ Entertainment

Holidays on a budget

Gifts for your...

30/ Entertainment

Maizenews.com || December 2018

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31/ Entertainment

Maizenews.com || December 2018

Press Pause A moment with junior singer, actor and bead artist

Junior Mea Ames makes creative beaded turtles as her hobby. Ames said she loves the arts and hopes to have a future following her passion for fine arts.

Photo by Lily Robinson