February 2014 by Play newsmagazine

Play

T he great debate

Lawmakers and activisits across the country weighing the ups and downs of legal marijuana. Page 8.

Eating with style

Students engage in various eating styles in an attempt to stay healthy. Page 12.

Growing on the court

Hard-working senior helps earn the boys basketball team its most success in years. Page 21.

Feds back off lunch Federal government allows schools to feed kids more protein. Page 5.

Maize High School. 11600 W. 45. St. N, Maize, KS. 67101

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February 2014

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read.watch.play. Table of contents Volume 7, Issue 4 | Valentine’s Day, 2014

BBSB

Devan Horning

Dedication leads to success

The boys basketball team is having its best season in years, in part because of senior Jacob Horsh, who has grown a lot since playing on the C team sophomore year. His story is on page 20. COVER: Photo illustration by Brooke Johanson and Devan Horning.

4 11 12 16

News

School opens wi-fi network to student devices for Internet access; federal government loosens public school lunch regulations.

Column

Sophomore reporter Becca Zinabu shares what her eclectic hair means to her.

Lifestyles

Students engage in diets and different eating styles to stay healthy.

Photo Focus

The theatre department presented “Much Ado About Nothing” last weekend.

8 10 14 20

Now Playing

Federal and Kansas law still classify marijuannna as a dangerous and illegal drug, but not all agree.

Opinion

With talks of legal marijaunna rising, students should remember that they are individually responsible for their actions.

Entertainment

It’s not too late to plan a last-minute Valentine’s Day celebration for your special someone.

Sports

Star softball player leaves for Bishop Carrol; hard work leads to success for senior basketball player.

Editor-in-chief Jordan Watkins Visual media editor Brooke Johanson Sports editor Maite Menendez News editor Hannah Henricks Features & lifestyles editor Cheyenne Esser Advertisements manager Dagny Castelli Reporters & photographers Hallie Bontrager Kendra Cunningham Lauren Debes Gabby Hermes Devan Horning Tori Lemon Nick Mathias Katie McLachlan Justin Noble Delanie Pierce Mikaela Stevenson Kassidy Watkins Shalene White Madeline Wofford Meagan Wofford Becca Zinabu Adviser Dan Loving 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. Correction: Nate Niemann didn’t receive a ticket for language. He misunderstood a question and shared a story about a friend. The information was incorrect in an article in the December Play.

maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

4 news These stories first appeared on our wesbite, www.maizenews.com. Defensive lineman Nick Benford selected to play in Shrine Bowl Senior Nick Benford, defensive end, was selected from Maize to participate in the Shrine Bowl. The Shrine Bowl has been held every July for the past 40 years and showcases 68 of the best players in the state. The organization is a nonprofit charity that raises money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The game not only shows talent throughout Kansas but has also raised $2.5 million for more than 22 hospitals in the state. “It’s just a big brawl of the best in the league to see which side is truly the best,” said Benford, who will play for the west squad. Players have one week to practice together before the game July 26 at Carney Smith Stadium in Pittsburg. Players from western Kansas will practice in Salina, and players from the eastern side will practice in Emporia. The game will be televised on Cox Kansas channel 22. Tickets for the game can be purchased at www.kansasshrinebowl.com. n -Kassidy Watkins Social studies teacher Kevin Roulhac wins Kansas Horizon Award History teacher Kevin Roulhac won the 2014 Kansas Horizon Award in January. The award recognizes exemplary first-year teachers. Roulhac applied for the prestigious award at the beginning of this year.

The award is sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education and Kansas Cable Telecommunications Association. The nominees are required to have taught for a year after applying with a distinguishable way of teaching. “I’m hardworking, flexible, and open to getting to know kids,” Roulhac said. He also said that winning this award makes him feel excited and it’s reassuring to know that he may be doing some things correctly. Roulhac and elementary school teacher Kristina Sims, from Maize Central Elementary, will be recognized in February. at a banquet during the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network Conference in Topeka. n -Meagan Wofford

into high school, football became a different game.” Lungwitz holds the school record for career touchdown passes and TD passes in a season. Last season, he was named to the VarsityKansas.com All-Metro football team. n -Justin Noble Agreement worked out to reopen Spirit Central during En-Cor Principal Chris Botts and the members of Business Professionals of America have come to an agreement to reopen Spirit Central during En-Cor. General manager Molly Green and other BPA members made a proposal Jan. 16 to Botts explaining why the reopening of the school store is needed. “We talked about how much money we’re losing and why we need that money for nationals and for the state entry fees,” Green said. BPA was losing around $75 a day as a result of the closing. Botts agreed to reopen the store under a few conditions. Students must get a stamp from their En-Cor teacher prior to leaving and receive one from Spirit Central saying what time they left in order to return back to En-Cor. Students are also prohibited to use the microwaves in the commons during En-Cor. They must use the microwaves in Spirit Central or their En-Cor. “Once people start to know about the reopening, sales should be getting back to normal,” Green said. n -Tori Lemon

Connor Lungwitz commits to play baseball at Wichita State Junior Connor Lungwitz has verbally committed to Wichita State University for baseball. Lungwitz, though, said he would still like to pursue a career in football. “Right now I’m just keeping my options open,” said Lungwitz, a pitcher and infielder in baseball and quarterback in football. “Basically by me committing, it means that if I play baseball, I play at WSU.” Lungwitz has loved playing baseball since he was young, but that changed some when he came to high school. “Growing up, baseball was always my favorite,” Lungwitz said. “Once I got

Wireless internet available for students

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

ternet goes through the school filter as if the student were on a school computer. District technology director Ramone Mosate explained that he recently expanded the amount of bandwidth the district had available. Before the expansion, the district did not have enough bandwidth to hold every student’s devices without becoming slow and unusable. Mosate also added that the new program may be suspended if it creates problems. “If the Internet is stable and works, we’ll keep it. If it still uses too much bandwidth, we’d have to take it down again,” Mosate said. n

Kendra Cunningham

he technology department was given permission to allow student access onto the district’s wireless network Jan. 9. Each student and teacher may connect one device to the server at a time, technology department staff Stephanie White and John Cramer said. They said students may access only the Internet but won’t be able to print from their devices. Students can register their device through the technology department page on the Maize website. Cramer said students should keep in mind that anything they view on the In-

By Nick Mathias

After registering their device with the district, students will be able to connect using the BYOD-INTERNET network.

news 5

Lunch program sees permanent changes By Shae White and Mikaela Stevenson

he United States Department of Agriculture announced it is allowing schools to feed more meat and grains to their students, following concerns that students were being underfed. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids act of 2010 mandated that schools not serve more than 12 ounces of meat and grain a week. After concerns from parents and school officials that students were not receiving enough protein, especially athletes who have practice right after school, the USDA changed the policy from a 10- to 12-ounce minimum to 12-ounces or more per week.

“It was really hard for a lot of schools to stay under that 10 ounces of meat and grains for the week,” Via Christi dietitian Linda Wartick said. “Because of all the complaints from students, parents or people trying to manage the food service establishments, sometimes they couldn’t put the kids’ favorites on the menu.” With the maximum limit of only 12 ounces per week, athletes weren’t getting the amount of carbs or proteins that they needed to stay full. Permanently changing the amount of carbs and proteins will help with the hunger, so students will be more satis-

fied with the changes. “By taking off the maximum limit to 12 ounces, it increases flexibility for the menu items so that they can put some things back on the menu that they originally had to take off because of the regulations,” Wartick said. The USDA did not increase the calories or sodium students are allowed. The calorie count still remains at a maximum of 850 calories and 0.8 grams of sodium per day, according to www. foodservicedirector.com. “It’s a good compromise because schools can have more of a flexibility in the menu,” Wartick said. n

Student duet qualifies for nationals

Tori Lemon

By Tori Lemon

Senior Jessica Curtiss and junior Nick Wynn received three superior votes for their duet at the Kansas Thespian Conference.

enior Jessica Curtiss and junior Nick Wynn’s performance at the Kansas Thespian Conference on Jan. 11 qualified them into the International Thespian Conference in Nebraska. They competed in a duet musical to the song “I Think I Got You Beat” from the movie “Shrek.” To qualify for the international conference they needed two superior votes out of three.

Curtiss and Wynn received all three. Because they received one of the highest scores of all performers, they were invited to perform the last individual event performance in Century II’s concert hall for the entire thespian conference. “It was really cool. We got to do our song on the main stage and it is a fun song, so we had fun,” Curtiss said. Twenty-one acts qualified to go to

Nebraska in June to compete again. They will compete for a chance to win larger scholarships from a wider variety of schools. “We don’t really know what happens at the International Thespian Conference, it will be a good surprise,” Wynn said. Curtiss also received a $1,000 scholarship from the Kansas Thespian Society for her contrasting monolougue performance. n maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

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Jennifer Terrell to play with Wichita Youth Symphony

news 7

By Kendra Cunningham

enior Jennifer Terrell won the Wichita Youth Symphony’s second place Youth Talent Award playing violin. Terrell, who has played violin since fifth grade, will perform with the Wichita Youth Symphony during their spring concert March 9 at Century II Concert Hall . “I still feel like it hasn’t hit me yet because I haven’t gotten to run through it with them at all,” Terrell said after receiving the honor. “We just got all the concert music this past weekend.” The demanding practice for violin has made Terrell sacrifice her free time and be cautious of her commitments. “I can only work on the weekends. I can’t do any sports or really hard classes because I just don’t have time for the homework,” she said. “I try to practice at least an hour every day; some days it’s more.” Along with giving up commitments comes added pressure. “There’s always that pressure to try and maintain that level [of success],” Terrell said. Terrell said her inspiration for playing is her private violin teacher, Laura Black. “I feel like everything that I’ve accomplished is because of her,” she said. “Just being able to be like, ‘Yes, I’m Laura Black’s student’ is amazing.” Black has been Terrell’s teacher since the spring of her eighth-grade year and a Wichita violin teacher since 1986. “Jennifer is enthusiastic, hard working and friendly and seems to be well-liked by her peers,” Black said. After graduating in the fall, Terrell said she would like to attend the University of Oklahoma and major in music and music education. “I’m so scared of getting carpal tunnel and not being able to play anymore,” Terrell said. “That’s why I’m doing both music and music education. It’s a backup plan.” n

Photos submitted by Samantha Terrell

“There’s always that pressure to try and maintain that level [of success].” Senior Jennifer Terrell will play with the Wichita Youth Symphony on March 9 at the Century II Concert Hall.

maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

8 news

The Mar y Jane

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Washington and Colorado go against federal law and legalize recreational marijuana By Gabby Hermes

ecreational legalization of marijuana has spurred much talk across the country. Marijuana, or more formally known as cannabis and also known on the streets as Mary Jane, pot or weed, is at the center of a great debate. Only Washington and recently Colorado have legalized marijuana for recreational use among people over 21, but 20 states allow marijuana to be used for medical reasons. Following in the steps of Colorado and Washington, many advocates have been trying to get marijuana legalized in several states. Kansas State Rep. Gail Finney, a Democrat, is one of those. “I am personally a big supporter of medical marijuana,” Finney said in a telephone interview with Play. “I think it would be wise for Kansas and others to look at the pros and cons of marijuana legalization.” Finney said Kansas is at its max capacity of inmates and that there are only three beds available. She said she thinks Kansas needs to look at our laws about marijuana and evaluate for ourselves. Kansas Rep. Gene Suellentrop, a Republican, has an opposing view. “Legislatures don’t decide which drugs have legitimate medical value and which don’t,” he said in an email. “The FDA has that responsibility. There is a scientific process to follow in approving drugs, and legislatures aren’t part of that process.” “It is my position we don’t have the right to approve the

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational use.” Despite the various state laws, federal law still states that the growing, selling, or possession of any amount of marijuana is illegal, including for medical use. Although the federal government still prohibits marijuana, a bill has been introduced in Congress to stop federal involvement in state marijuana laws. The Respect States’ and Citizens’ Rights Act seeks to “amend the U.S. Controlled Substances Act to provide that federal law should not preempt state law.” “The federal government’s failure to develop a reasonable approach towards the varying state marijuana use laws has made this legislation necessary,” Sam Farr, Democrat Congressman from California, said in a story on NORML. org. And while marijuana remains illegal under federal law, federal prosecutors have been instructed to focus on offenses more serious than recreational use, such as drugged driving, preventing cultivation on public lands, serious trafficking and keeping the drug away from minors. These guidelines were issued by Deputy Attorney General James Cole, according to an article on CNN they took months in the making and were issued last fall. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The main psychoactive, or mind-altering, chemical in marijuana is delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. When smoked, THC passes from the lungs to the

news 9 Illustrations by Devan Horning

Teens and marijuana use

Yes 54%

Overall percentage of the 150 students who responded to Play’s survey.

No 46%

150 Maize High teens responded to Play’s survey that asked if they had tried marijuana. Key: yes

Freshmen(18) bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs in the body. Marijuana can be smoked out of a pipe or a water pipe (also called bongs), vaporized, filtered into oil to be smoked or vaporized, and can be cooked into butter/oil to make edibles. Smoke shops, also known as head shops, have to call what smokers know as bongs, water pipes, because they can’t sell to people who are intending to use their merchandise for illegal purposes. Most head shops will kick customers out if they say the word bong. According to the National Institute of Health, some of the effects of smoking marijuana include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch), trouble with thinking and problem-solving, loss of coordination, and increased heart rate, anxiety and panic attacks. It also states that the effects are different for different people; some experience no effects, some feel relaxed, some get very thirsty and hungry (cottonmouth and the munchies), and others experience paranoia or anxiety. While the National Institute of Health says all of these things, they go on to say that there is little evidence that marijuana can cause diseases and “Researchers are still learning about the many ways that marijuana affects the brain.” Even so, the American Public Health Association formally recommends using marijuana as a medicine. n

67% 33%

Sophomores(32) 28% 72%

Juniors(43) 58% 42%

Seniors(57) 61% 39% maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

10 opinion

Face the consequences “Our teacher never told us that.” “But my boss scheduled me to work.” “Those cops are jerks.” These are some of the common excuses heard almost on a daily basis. They occur when homework isn’t done, someone’s not at practice or after an aggravating speeding ticket. It seems everyone has gotten into the nasty habit of blaming someone else. Teens should not be blaming others for their decisions when they alone hold responsibility. In January, the distribution of marijuana weed became legal in Colorado. Local pot shops began selling up to an ounce of weed to customers 21 and over. However, we do not live in Colorado. This fact seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. People need to understand smoking marijuana is still illegal in the state of Kansas. Individuals sometimes believe that what they do in their free time is nothing but their own business. When the conscious decision is made to break the law, it causes negative repercussions to all the people around us. This is something that teenagers tend to turn a blind eye to. However, decisions do affect the people around us, for better or worse. Students need to be willing to accept the consequences that come with these decisions, or not indulge in these behaviors at all. When caught, an automatic response can be to blame someone else. At the time, it seems to be the best way to deal with things. This is pure cowardice. One makes the decision to neglect homework, skip practices or even smoke that joint. Let’s get back to taking responsibility. n Photo Illustration by Lauren Debes

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

By Meagan Wofford and Lauren Debes for the Play editorial board

column 11

Hair. Beautiful, natural, kinky, nappy, 4C, hair. I got mine from dad. Mom’s hair was easier to brush through. Combs didn’t get stuck while she was trying to brush it. I do in fact have dents in my cranium. I remember sitting between mama’s legs while she was combing out my hair; snapping the hard plastic decorative balls against my skull. I always got headaches because the braids were so tight. Natural hair resembles confidence. “It looks like cotton.” “How do you deal with that?” “It’s so weird!” Beautiful, natural, kinky, nappy, nappy, nappy Hair. No, you can’t touch it. Ammonium thioglycolate is my best friend. It burns my scalp but it makes my hair silky. Anything for silky hair. I started straightening my hair every day and wearing extensions. “It finally looks normal.” Beautiful, permed, expensive, silky, silky, silky 18” clip in hair extensions Straight from a continent I’ve never been. I am not me. I am the girl from India that donated her hair to her god. It’s still beautiful. I am proud of what is and what isn’t my Hair.

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What it is and isn’t By Becca Zinabu

maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

12 lifestyles

Students strive for healthier lifestyles

ome students at Maize are trying to take a healthier approach to their daily meals. Some choose to be a vegetarian, vegan or simply be on a diet. According to a few vegetarian students, the transition isn’t as hard as some may think. “People think vegetarianism is difficult, but it was really easy to convert,” sophomore Sally Olmstead, a vegetarian of five and half years, said. “They have so many great vegetarian meat products that I really don’t have issues with getting all the vitamins and stuff I need.” Rachel Pusateri, a junior who says she is on a “strict, all-natural” diet, agrees that the transition to a diet isn’t hard, and it consists mainly of just listening to your body. Pusateri also added that it feels good to diet and it gives something to focus on. She says it isn’t the awful experience some people expect. Junior Stylan Roberts only eats organic food. “It helped me lose like 60 pounds and that was pretty cool,” Roberts said. Roberts has only been on his diet for a few months; however, he has seen relatively quick results. According to Roberts, his diet heals parts of the body people may not realize need healing, which opens new possibilities, such as allergies going away. Sometimes people diet as individuals, however, other times an entire family may convert. This is the case with Olmstead’s family. After hearing from their neighbors about the conditions in which animals are kept, the Olmsteads made a decision. “I learned about how animals are raised and killed in cruel oppressive environments...my whole family converted,” Olmstead said. Senior Emma Driskill is not a vegan herself, but her mother, Amy, has been for around 17 months. “I became a vegan after watching the horrific and brutal treatment of animals in factory farming as well as developing an understanding of what corporate

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

By Nick Mathias and Delanie Pierce animal farming does to the environment and our health,” Amy said, “I knew that I could make a commitment to the animals, my health and the planet by adopting a mostly raw, vegan diet.” According to Emma, her and her father struggle with her mother’s diet because she refuses to even touch anything that comes an animal. “It sucks because she won’t buy any good food, she won’t even touch it, so my dad has to go to the store and get certain foods if we want them,” Emma said. “I can’t cook it in the house if she’s home and she has even stopped eating honey because it comes from a bee.” Some are born into vegetarianism, like freshman Arden Rogers. “I've always grown up not eating meat,” Rogers said. “My mom, grandma, and my brother area all vegetarians also.” Facing ridicule is part of the challenge for some who are on these diets. While Arnold, Pusateri, and Roberts all said they did not face ridicule, Olmstead said otherwise. “We live in Kansas, everyone has always grown up eating meat, so when they see someone who doesn’t they’re like ‘Huh, that’s different.’ Some people react differently than others,” Olmstead said. Emma agrees that some people react differently than others. “My dad and I make fun of my mom because it’s just annoying, but most of her friends support her,” Emma said. Mark Falk, who has been on a vegetarian inclined diet for 25 years, and Marlys Morrison, vegetarian for 24 years also have had mixed experiences with their vegetarianism. Falk said that he contracted salmonella poisoning from eating chicken, encouraging him to look into his food choices. Falk then bought a book titled Diet for a New America by John Robbins, son of the Baskin Robbins franchise owner. John gave up the family fortune in ice cream to move onto an island and study the effects of industrial farming. The book discusses

topics of the health and economic reasons behind farming animals, as well as the torture the animals go through. With his new knowledge from the novel, Falk traveled to a cattle farm in Texas to form his own opinions. “You could see the cows being lined up to be shot, and I decided that if I had to cut the head off [of an animal] myself, I probably couldn’t do it,” Falk said. Falk’s new policy became a simple rule: if he could cut the head off an animal himself, he would eat it. With this policy, Falk eats some meats, like meat that comes from fish, but not meat that comes from cows. Morrison had a different experience with her vegetarian conversion. Instead of having moral reasons or trying to save the animals from harm, she converted simply because of the taste. “When I moved to New Zealand, their hamburgers tasted weird and I didn’t like it,” Morrison said. She went on to explain that in Kansas the cattle are raised on grain, while in New Zealand the cattle are raised on other crops, which can change the taste of the meat. Upon returning to America, Morrison said she didn’t miss eating meat, and thought it would be healthier to continue being a vegetarian than it would be to start eating meat again. Dietitian Kelly McDaniel says that being a vegan is the healthiest way to eat if it’s done correctly. “Personally, I don’t think we need to eat meat even every day, but if I had to put a number on it I would say to only have meat at one of your meals,” McDaniel said. McDaniel said that the reason more people convert to veganism is because society has a problem with weight. “People say ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to be a vegan and lose all this weight,’ which is unfortunate, because if that’s the approach, typically it’s not done very well,” McDaniel said. “You can be vegan and eat like crap.” n

avo toast

veggie greek salad

apple crisp yogurt parfait

cheese crackers

crispy roasted chickpeas

spinach and lasagna rolls

veggie fried rice

strawberries covered in frozen yogurt

cinnamon chia pudding

chicken wraps

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lifestyles 13

baked spaghetti

squash soup

fresh fruit ice pops

baked chicken tenders

guacamole deviled eggs

Cereals

Grains

6-11 servings

Vegatables 3-5 servings

Fruits

2-4 servings

Dairy

2-3 servings

Meat & Beans

2-3 servings

maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay Fats & Sugars & Sweets - Use sparingly

14 entertainment

Illustrations by Devan Horning and Becca Zinabu

Last-Minute Valentine's Gift Ideas By Becca Zinabu

rocrastinators claim they perform better under pressure, but it’s usually just to justify putting things off. But today is February 14th and there is no time to be discussing psychology. For those who put Valentine’s Day shopping off until the very last minute, do not fear. Whether the issue is running out of time, money, or even ideas, Play Magazine has a selection of last-minute gift ideas.

Another suggestion that only requires a blank CD and iTunes (or any music program), is a Valentine’s day playlist.

' To create memories, go out. Go to Build-A-Bear and make something together for keeps or even just buy movie tickets for a date!

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

entertainment 15

Real procstratonators and cheapskates should keep in mind that most candies and gifts will be on sale on the 15th.

' If there’s just enough time to pick up something but not enough to stick around and make decisions, grab a gift card.A giftcard from any nail salon, Gamestop or Starbucks is non-resistant.

' If you’re still apprehensive about present decisions, then remember chocolate and roses never fail.

To do something that won’t be forgotten, try a “52 Things I Love About you” card book that only requires a deck of cards, ribbon, and a sharpie.

maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

16 photo focus

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

photo focus 17

'Much Ado About Nothing' Left to right, top to bottom: 1. Senior Sam Bennett and sophomore Allie Pieschl assist seniors Dustin Yoder and Taylor Utter with the school set. 2. Senior Jessica Curtiss and sophomore Erin Oelze sponge paint the pillars. 3. Cast and crew members take a break from building the set. 4. Seniors Jacob Bothell, Reed Bowles and Ethan Gledhill practice lines for “Much Ado About Nothing.” 5. The soon-tobe finished set before opening night. 6. Junior Nick Wynn boosts Curtiss up to paint the top of the pillar. 7. Juniors Ashlee Klein and Kara Kolar manipulate the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice much to Beatrice’s disbelief. 8. Junior Grant Risinger and senior Trevor Farney warm up during rehearsal. 9. Benedick (Farney) contemplates his relationship with Beatrice (Curtiss) after hearing rumors of her feelings for him. 10. Curtiss and Farney’s characters share a kiss to end the show. 11. The cast takes a final picture before the production. 12. Beatrice embraces Benedick’s affection for her. Photos by Brooke Johanson, Lauren Debes and Becca Zinabu

maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

18 news

Maize’s Character in Action program proving successful By Madeline Wofford

Madeline Wofford

Senior Amy Bowman, and juniors Emily Scheuffele, Brittani Casement and Mady Mitchell prepare food for MOXI Junction to earn hours for Beth Janssen’s En-Cor class Jan. 27.

ince Maize launched its Character in Action program early this year, many students have taken the initiative to volunteer and begin earning hours for their En-Cor classes. Throughout first semester staff and students at Maize have completed more than 3,000 hours. Each En-Cor class is expected to come up with an idea to help the school’s goal of 8,000 community service hours for the year. “I think it has impacted the school. I think that a lot of people have volunteered that probably wouldn’t have volunteered for things before, and I think that’s good to build those traits that we talk about every month for character education,” Jenny Meirowsky, Character in Action committee member, said. Through January, the En-Cors of Doris Prater, Lisa Jones and Wayne Sill accumulated the most hours, according to assistant principal Beth Schmidt’s records. Sherry Pfeifer’s students reached their hours by volunteering individually, rather than as a class. They did work together, however, to send holiday mail to troops. The class has accumulated 63 hours this year. Junior Joey Schumock, a student in Pfeifer’s En-Cor, volunteers for an organization called Bountiful Basket. The group meets every other Friday unpacking and distributing produce. Betsy Manning’s En-Cor has accumulated 56 hours this year. Most of that came from Angel Tree donations. Her class donated a total of around $280. With every $8 being equivalent to one hour of service. This gave them 26 of their 56 hours. They also worked an event at Tanganyika called Pumpkins at the Park. Prater’s En-Cor has completed a total of 1,099 hours of community service. Their “Everywhere Christmas Tonight” benefit concert raised $4,530, which the school translated to 566 hours. “I think it’s a lot more fun. I thought that community service was about more work, but this has really opened up our eyes,” senior Amy Bowman said. n

Highest performing En-Cors Prater

Lauren Debes

The choir’s “Everywhere Christmas Tonight” concert raised money for the Phillipines, earning 566 hours for Doris Prater’s En-Cor class. Prater’s total is at 1,092 through January.

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

Jones

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20 sports

enior Jacob Horsch once weighed 115 pounds, was 5-feet, 3-inches tall and played on C team as a sophomore. Now he is the second-leading scorer on Maize’s boys varsity basketball team, averaging 12 points a game. Horsch started out playing FUNball, Biddy Ball and Mid America Youth Basketball when he was 3. He then began playing at Maize South Middle School and now in high school. Since his sophomore year on the C team, Horsch has worked his way to varsity and is the second-leading scorer for the team. “I’ve grown a little bit in height, about like six or seven inches since then,” Horsch said. “And I’ve gained some weight. So I can play at a higher level now, play with the big boys.” Coach Chris Davis said Horsch has been playing with a lot more confidence, he’s shooting the ball and

he doesn’t turn it over. “Not one single person has worked any harder than Jacob Horsch did from last spring to now.” Davis said. Through 13 games, Horsch scored 164 points thus far in the season. He has a total of 26 rebounds, 19 assists, 18 steals, 12 turnovers and has made 33 of 38 free throws. “I go to the gym, usually every day after school,” Horsch said. “I just get a lot of shots in and work out a little bit.” Before games Horsch says he likes to stretch about an hour before a game and then listen to music. “I mainly like Pandora rap stations,” Horsch said. “It just gets me really pumped.” Davis said that one of Horsch’s biggest attributes on the team is the fact that he is not a selfish player. “He is such a great teammate and a jokester. And it’s cool because he has just put in so much work since fresh-

man year,” senior Connor Eleeson said. Horsch said he works to be a team player and get everybody involved. “We score two points and win, he’s happy,” Davis said. “He brings a lot of confidence, a lot of leadership, and he’s just a good guy to have around.” The boy’s team has a record of 12-2. It is the best record the boys have had in three years. They have fallen to Wichita Southeast in the AVCTL-City League challenge and Wichita East in the Dodge City tournament but were undeafted in league play after 14 games. “We just want to keep going, get better, we want to improve,” Davis said. “We’ve played some games really, really well and we can still get better. We can still get a lot better. If we continue to get better and believe in one another, stay unselfish, we could do some things.” Senior Kavan Jobe is one of the six

Shooting star By Katie McLachlan and Hallie Bontrager

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

sports 21 seniors — Aaron Shaw, Caleb Wilcox, Austin Binder also are seniors — who have played together for a long time. “We all know each other pretty well, it’s pretty fun,” Jobe said. Horsch said that his favorite thing about basketball is being able to play with his friends. And having so many seniors is a big plus for Davis. “I’m very humble that I have this group to coach,” he said. “You get a group like this every 10 or 15 years, and you kind of just stay out of the way and let them do their thing and so far so good.” In the first quarter of the game against Andover Central, the team was down 9-2. When many coaches would have called a timeout, Davis did not and left it up to the seniors to work it out. By the end of the first quarter, the boys were up 12-11 and ended up winning. “It is ubelieveable what they do for Maize High,” Davis said. n

Photo by Hallie Bontrager

Hard work, dedication have made Horsch one of the go-to seniors for the soaring Eagles

maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

22 sports

Throwing a cur ve Junior Brittany Finney, a highly recruited softball player, transferred to Bishop Carroll at semester

By Justin Noble

he softball team this season will be without junior Brittany Finney, who has transferred to Bishop Carroll. Athletic directors from both schools said Finney, a pitcher, hasn’t said whether she will play softball this year. However, she has been ruled eligible. Finney, who is being heavily recruited by colleges, was one of the best players on the team last year, coach Jenny Meirowsky said. “We’re going to miss Brittany,” Meirowsky said. “I think she was a good player, but we have got great athletes on the team.” Junior Tyler Downs agrees with Meirowsky that the team will be fine without Finney. “We have a good defense behind our pitchers,” Downs said. “So we should be able to do pretty well.” Meirowsky said Finney got along with the team very well. “I think the girls liked her; she was their friend,” Meirowsky said. “It was hard for her last year because she was new.” Downs still maintains a friendship with Finney even though she transferred. “She’s still my friend,” Downs said. “I don’t have anything against her.” The Kansas State High School Activities Association says that a student cannot participate in sports after transferring schools for 18 weeks unless the student’s parents moved to a new school district. The student must also have been eligible if the student would have stayed at the school. All theses questions will be asked on an application that must be filled out

be the former school’s athletic director. “If all the answers are yes, that student would be eligible to participate in sports right away,” athletic director Eric Wolgast said. “If an answer is no to any of those questions they would not be.” KSHSAA and both athletic directors recognize that Finney and her parents moved out of the Maize district that she was eligible to play when she left the district. Finney would be able to play softball this season if she decided to participate. Finney and her family declined to comment on this story. n

Photo courtsey of Wichita Eagle

This application must be filled out by the athletic director at a student’s prior school if they want to be eligible after transferring.

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

Finney pitches in a game for Maize last year. Finney has transferred to Bishop Carrol at the semester this year. Finney was highly recruited by many colleges.

sports 23

scores

For up-to-date scores, photos and recaps from your favorite sports, visit maizenews.com. Source: catchitkansas.com

By Mikaela Stevenson and Kassidy Watkins

Girls Basketball Date Dec. 17 Dec. 20 Jan. 4 Jan. 7 Jan. 10 Jan. 14 Jan. 17 Jan. 21 Jan. 30 Feb. 7 Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 21 Feb. 25 Feb. 28

Cheyenne Esser

Opponent Score W 62-31 Derby W 75-35 Campus Wichita South L 51-49 W 60-18 Goddard W 49-24 Salina South Salina Centeral L 49-46 W 69-38 Word of Life Andover Central L 51-39 Lawrence Tourney 2-1 3rd W 41-30 Hutchinson Derby Campus Salina South Salina Central Newton

Although the girls have had a few losses, they are ranked fifth in the state and their record is currently 10-4. The girls brought home third at the Lawrence Free State tournament.

Boys Bowling Date Jan. 3 Jan. 3 Jan. 10 Jan. 11 Jan. 17 Jan. 25 Jan. 30 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 21

Date Jan. 3 Jan. 3 Jan. 10 Jan. 11 Jan. 17 Jan. 25 Jan. 30 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 21

Meet Result AVCTL Triangle 1st AVCTL Triangle 1st West Acres Bowl 1st Bishop Carroll 2nd West Acres Bowl 1st North Rock Lanes 12th Seneca Bowl 1st Seneca Bowl 3rd Derby Bowl Seneca Bowl

Although they are a young team with only two seniors, the girls bowling team has placed in the top three in almost all their tournaments.

Meet Result 1st AVCTL Triangle 1st AVCTL Triangle West Acres Bowl 2nd 7th Bishop Carroll West Acres Bowl 7th North Rock Lanes 15th 3rd Seneca Bowl 10th Seneca Bowl Derby Bowl Seneca Bowl

The boys have had success for the first part of the season, placing first in both of the AVCTL triangle meets.

Date Dec. 17 Dec. 20 Jan. 4 Jan. 7 Jan. 10 Jan. 14 Jan. 23 Jan. 28 Feb. 7 Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 21 Feb. 25 Feb. 28

Hallie Bontrager

Opponent Score W 71-46 Derby W 59-25 Campus L 62-55 Wichita SE W 63-50 Goddard W 52-44 Salina South Salina Central W 57-36 Dodge City Tourney 2-1 3rd Andover Central W 54-48 Hutchinson W 46-38 Derby Campus Salina South Salina Central Newton

The boys basketball team is having its best season in three years. They continue to win league games and placed third at the Dodge City Tournament of Champions.

Wrestling

Girls Bowling Photo courtsey of Elaine Esser

Boys Basketball

Photo courtesy of Elaine Esser

Date Dec. 19 Jan. 9 Jan. 11 Jan. 17 Jan. 18 Jan. 23 Jan. 30 Jan. 31 Feb. 1 Feb. 8 Feb. 13

Meet Salina Central Maize Maize Newton Newton Maize Maize Garden City Garden City Goddard Campus

Hallie Bontrager

Result L 48-23 L 54-14 2nd 7th 12th L 40-31 W 43-33 9th 9th 2nd

The squad has finished second in two tournaments, Jan. 11 at home and Saturday at Goddard.

Boys Swimming Photo courtesy of Matt Pogue

Date Meet Result 5th Dec. 16 Campus Newton 1st Jan. 9 14th Jan. 11 El Dorado 3rd Jan. 11 Wichita East 1st Jan. 18 South Western 2nd Jan. 25 Heights Northwest 1st Feb. 1 Manhattan 1st Feb. 8 Feb. 15 AVCTL Div. I Meet Feb. 22 State Meet The swimmers continue to place well this season as league and state meets approach quickly. maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

TRANSFERABLE SUMMER & FALL ENROLLMENT OPENS APRIL 1 316.677.9400 | WATC.edu