February 2016 by Play newsmagazine

Play Valentine’s Day date ideas Moon goes for record

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

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“No matter what type of race, how rich, how smart and what beliefs we have, we are all equal, living as one big family in one country.” -Khea Ward PAGES 14-16

February2016

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Table of contents read.watch.play. Volume 9, Issue 4 | February 2016

The world is your stage Sophomore Austyn Ritchie practices an interpretation for his Forensics competition on Jan. 30. He performed a Junie B. Jones skit, received 2nd place and qualified for state. Photo by Alaina Cunningham. COVER: Photo illustration by Emily Brecht and Lyndsey Piska.

10 14 20

News

Teachers create new rules against blankets in classrooms.

Sports

Brett Moon continues his quest for perfection.

Now Playing

Maize continues to grow in diversity. Students share their cultures and religions.

Lifestyles

Siblings discuss what life is like to be an identical or fraternal twin.

12 18 22

News

Superintendent Chad Higgins explains the placement process for incoming freshmen.

Features

Fun date ideas for your significant other, best friend or just for yourself.

Opinion Students receive relationship advice in preparation for Valentine’s Day.

Review

Play reviews the Netflix series “Making a Murderer” and “Jessica Jones.”

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.

Play newsmagazine editor Kendra Cunningham Maizenews.com editor Savie Hughes Design editor Emily Brecht Photo editor Lyndsey Piska Features editor Nadia McLean Sports editor Justin Noble Advertisements manager Mikaela Stevenson Engagement editor Delanie Pierce Reporters & photographers Alaina Cunningham Allie Choyce Alyssa Garrison Audrey Fields Bailey Birkholz Brittany Casper Christian Hurst Hannah Jurgensen Kiara Ehrmann Lauryn McIntyre Lily McClaren Lizzie Bell Logan Dillon Maddy Rice Madi DeVore Madilyn Neigenfind Mandi Copp Nick Springer Paige Young Sadie Ast Shae White Taylor Stevenson Tyler Stuart Advisor Dan Loving

Raise your voice Submit a letter to the editor for the October issue to room D18 or mhsnewsmag@gmail.com Printed by City Print.

maizenews.com | FebruaryPlay

News

Freshman Jolan Besse likes to have a blanket with her to keep her warm in class. Photo illustration by Lizzie Bell

Blanket bans cause controversy Some teachers don’t allow blankets in their classrooms By Bailey Birkholz

any students have been using blankets in substitution of coats or sweatshirts to stay warm during this winter season. This blanket trend has spread around the school and has caused some disruptions. “I like having my blanket with me in class,” freshman Jolan Besse said. “It keeps me warm and cozy.” Some staff members, such as English teacher David Walker, have tried to put a stop to bringing blankets into classrooms by putting signs by the door. Others think it’s unprofessional to bring them into class. “As a teacher whose goal is to prepare students for the real world, I see this classroom as a workplace for my students,” Walker said. “So when they come here, I want them to treat it like one. I would rather see them layering up with a jacket, sweater or something like that, because it’s just more professional

than a blanket.” Walker said he wants to keep a professional environment when at school. “My … opinion is that blankets are great at home when you’re cuddling up on the couch or in bed or something, but in a classroom it just doesn’t present the professionalism I’d prefer to see,” Walker said. Junior Brooklyn Compton doesn’t see what the problem is. She said she believes they might be taking up a little more space, but it keeps students happy and warm during the school day. “I really just don’t see why so many people are against having blankets in class,” Compton said. Sophomore Jacey Wallace said she agrees with what the teachers are trying to say and understands it can be a harder learning environment having the blankets around. “I don’t think it’s wrong” Wallace said.

“Every teacher has their own rights to have their own rules in their classroom. If their rule is to not have blankets, then don’t bring your blanket. Just bring a sweatshirt or something else to get warm in.” Compton agrees that there could be some issues brought up because of the blankets. Many students can become distracted and not focus on what they should be doing. “Blankets could totally interfere with students learning,” Compton said. “Students could start to fall asleep or easily have cheat-sheets hiding under them.” Senior Israel Gonzalez doesn’t see why blankets are causing such a disruption to the school’s classroom environment. “The main point of a blanket is to create warmth, not to distract a student,” Gonzalez said. “I mean, it’s kind of childish how we’re coming up with problems about this topic right now.”n

New dietary guidelines put into effect

he United States Department of Argiculture recently released its updated version of the dietary guidelines for 2015-20. The guidelines are structured to help ensure families instill a healthy diet in their lives. “I mean it [the guidelines] keeps us all from being fat, but geez you need to spice it up a little bit,” sophomore McKenzie Vaughn said. These regulations encourage to cut back on sugary foods, meats, eggs and protein foods. However, Americans should implement more low-fat foods, whole grains, lean meat, fruits and vegetables into

FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

By Audrey Fields

their daily food intake, while also restricting the amount of saturated fat, and cholesterol. These new guidelines affect the foods that the school lunch program serves to kids, which feeds up to 30 million across the United States. Sugar is one of the major changes in the guidelines as Americans are told that only 10 percent of their daily calories should come from added sugar because they are not healthy for the body. “What happens is your liver secretes enzymes that causes the sugar to automatically be stored as fat so it doesn’t provide you with any energy it just automatically gets stored as fat,” Food

Science teacher Jessica Fisher said. If there was one thing that Vaughn could change about the lunches it would be the portion sizes. “Whatever they have [for lunch] now we’re still hungry after lunch,” Vaughn said. It is mandatory that the school provides several different options for lunch which follow the portion sizes and ingredients present in the guidelines. “We get [the guidelines] from the state and the government,” school nurse Dana Desjardins said. “They mandate what we have to have and they provide that for us and that’s why there’s hardly any give or take.”n

Helpful hands

News

Graber repurposes police box to store everyday necessities for people in need By Allie Choyce

hen the USD266 Police Department was merged with the Maize Police Department, the police box in the parking lot no longer had a purpose. English teacher Elizabeth Graber wants to change that. Graber, along with help from KAY Club, is converting the old police box into a place to store hygiene products, non-perishable food and clothing for people in need. “I’m constantly encouraging my students to go out and make a difference, and I thought it was about time I do the same,” Graber said. Graber said she hopes students will organize and donate the materials needed to support the cause. Students should be able to access help through a counselor or a teacher. “We have actually talked about doing something like this for years even before I arrived at Maize High School,” principal Chris Botts said. “I know there is a need.”

According to the Kansas State Department of Education, since 2011, the percentage of economically disadvantaged students at Maize has grown from 13.8 percent to 22.1. “I think it will help all of the schools in Maize and not just those who would be on the receiving end,” Botts said. “There is a lot to be said about helping out our classmates, our teachers, our bus drivers. Oftentimes, people want to help or volunteer but don't know how or where to start. This is a cause that

everyone can stand behind and be proud of.” Graber recruited KAY Club to help. Co-president of KAY, sophomore Andrea Fuhrman, said it was a great idea and they were happy to help. Though this idea is still in the planning stages, Graber asked staff members for help to collect materials. Graber said she is eager to start this project. “I hope it will take off and be useful to those who need it,” Graber said.n

Debate places fourth at state competition By Audrey Fields

he Maize debate team placed fourth at state last month. Seniors Sandra Carlo and Alexia Gonzalez and juniors Justin Elwell-Cuddy, Kyle Stutzman, Meet Kapadia and Matt Warner traveled to Olathe Northwest to compete for state Jan. 15. The team, which finished second at regionals, competed in eight rounds against schools from all over the state. The six had been preparing for the competition all season by practicing different tactics with other debaters, researching their assigned topic and competing in tournaments. Every year, Kansas schools are assigned a topic that they are to learn about and try to create arguments over the subject. The topic that was to be resolved by the debaters this year was whether or not the government should stop surveying U.S. citizens. “[The argument] changes every tournament,” Kapadia said. “You can predict arguments and make blocks for it or predict an argument and make a speech for it.” Carlo said the most exciting part of getting to travel to compete in the tournament was going against teams she has never competed against. “We didn’t really know exactly what we were going up against,” Carlo said. “But also just being able to say that we pulled through and did well.”n FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

News

The big decision Superintendent Chad Higgins talks about placement policy By Bailey Birkholz

Incoming freshmen in the Maize district each year come face-to-face with a decision: which high school? For several years, the decision has caused some difficulties for the school district. New superintendent Chad Higgins and the school board plan on changing the policy to figure out a better way to distribute incoming high school students. “We have a lot of new apartment complexes and housing developments and so there will be new data that we’ll have to use and look at other options,” Higgins said. “The biggest issue is the proximity and the sheer number of people and students that live closer to that [Maize South] campus than the Maize High campus.” Higgins said the process for high school enrollment involves asking for a preference from each eighth grade student. From there, they would transfer a third to Maize South and two-thirds to Maize High because of its larger size. Even though the schools try to stick with the policy to maintain the balance of students, the plan doesn’t always work. There are times when the students’ preferences over-exceed the policy boundaries. “The biggest issue is the proximity and the sheer number of people and students that live closer to that campus [Maize South high] than the Maize high campus. It just seems to be the thing to do,” Higgins said. To overcome this situation this year,

Freshman Chloe Olson went to Maize South Middle School.

58 incoming freshmen who had selected Maize South were randomly selected by a computer generator to be reassigned to Maize High. “It was just a generator we used to pick names in a random order,” Higgins said. “We made that list and sent those letters out and made sure we inform them there was a process to request a transfer or an appeal so to speak, but all randomly [picked].” Higgins said the district tried to grant preferences to everyone who put in a request. “We granted all requests we received,” he said. “We were just hoping we

Photo by Bailey Birkholz

wouldn’t exceed the current population in the school already. So ultimately we wanted 17 of the 58 to be OK with a forced transfer.” With change always comes conflict. Higgins tries to make sure that he makes as many people happy as possible. Yet, that can’t always happen. “If we did change the policy, it wouldn’t solve everything completely,” Higgins said. “People would be upset and we can’t have a perfect situation for everyone. We’re trying to build a policy that’s flexible enough to manage growth but we’re going into it prepared for that.”n

Maize replaces stop signs to raise traffic awareness By Allie Choyce

n December, blinking LED lights were added to the stop signs at the intersections of 45th and Tyler, 45th and 119th, Academy, and 119th and 37th and 119th. “We’ve determined those are ... our most dangerous intersections,” school resource officer Jillian Rhodes said. The signs are equipped with

FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

solar-powered red LED lights that blink to draw attention to the stop sign to ensure full stops. Rhodes said, “45th has to stop, but 119th does not … The traffic on 45th sometimes doesn’t do a full stop. It just provides more attention for the drivers to actually make sure they stop and check the directions.”

Though the signs are used to draw attention, Rhodes said people just need to take time away from their phones and other distractions while driving. “The simple thing I tell everybody is just putting their cellphones down, turning their music down and just paying attention to everything around them,” Rhodes said.n

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Sports

After notable start, Maize withstands a rough patch By Nick Springer Design by Logan Dillon Junior Grant Bugbee dribbles the ball against Eisenhower. Bugbee leads the team in scoring this season.

Photo by Hannah Jurgensen

FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

he boys basketball team found itself in somewhat uncharted territory early in the season. After a historic 7-0 start and a No. 1 ranking in Class 5A, the Eagles lost five of six games. Now back on a winning streak with blowout victories over Newton and Hutchinson, Maize is 10-5 heading into the final stretch of the season. “I knew we had an opportunity to get out to a great start, but, yeah, anytime you start out this well it’s a bit of a surprise,” coach Chris Grill said of the team’s early success. Strong defense, an unselfish offensive attitude and a solid core of seniors have the team hoping they can continue their winning ways deep into the season. The Eagles will have to weather this difficult stretch in order to bounce back to their early season form. Senior Drake Spence said he believes in order for the team to continue winning, they’ll have to keep up their aggressive play. “We need to play hard and give everything we have,” Spence said. Grill said he understands the importance of keeping winning perspective and playing each game as if it’s the last. He believes the Eagles can handle the burden of having other teams gunning for them on a consistent basis. “I don’t even think it registers with them,” Grill said. “It’s all relative to who you play.” The team opened the season with seven straight wins before suffering an overtime loss to Heights at Koch Arena in the WATC Basketball Challenge. The Eagles followed that loss with a win over host Dodge City in the Tournament of Champions. That set up another matchup with Heights, the top-ranked team in 5A. The Eagles had a chance to win, but junior Grant Bugbee’s three-pointer was short. Troy Baker’s putback came just after the buzzer, and the Eagles lost by two. That defeat was followed by a loss to Manhattan in the tournament and home defeats to Eisenhower and Andover Central. The Eagles are still hopeful they’ll be playing their best when the state playoffs roll around. “Ever since the end of last year, all the people returning expected us to do well, and we expected to work hard,” Bugbee said. “Even Coach Grill thought he was excited for the year, and once it came here we weren’t surprised with our success.” Through games on Feb. 5, the Eagles remained undefeated in league play and are perched atop the AVCTL Division 1 standings. “Everyone in our league still has targets on our backs, so we’re gonna get everyone’s best shot,” Bugbee said. The adversity revealed the team still has room to grow. Spence was frank about what he believes Maize needs to do better to achieve their goals. “[We need to improve] rebounding and take better shot selection,” Spence said. n

Eagles rally around senior

Roland leads Lady Eagles through transitional season

By Maddy Rice

huge change occurred on the girls basketball team this year. Gone are Keiryn Swenson, Daley Handy and Saige Baalman -- three longtime starters who graduated last year. This year’s team has just one senior, HaLee Roland. “One or five doesn’t matter. HaLee’s leadership makes up for five other seniors,” coach Jerrod Handy said. As far as filling big shoes, Handy said Roland gets the job done and even exceeds the standards seniors are typically held to. “It’s nice to be able to make my own decisions,” Roland said. “I don’t have to go through other people. But, it’s kinda hard at the same time because the experience isn’t there as much as it would be if my class would’ve stayed together.” Over the years, the other members of Roland’s class slowly stopped playing basketball for Maize, while she stopped playing other sports to concentrate on basketball. Being the only senior has its ups and downs, she said, especially after an illness knocked her out for some games before Christmas. Roland had to watch as her teammates struggled at times. Juniors Taylor Holmes and Brecken Roe helped fill the gap left by Roland. This year the team also lost juniors Jacey Handy and Brianna Johnson due to injury. “Well I think it kinda preps them for next year,” Roland said. “I’d rather be playing with them than not playing at all, so I’m glad to be back.” Handy, whose team is 10-5 after Friday’s game at Hutchinson, has watched Roland evolve from freshman to senior year. “It’s been a pleasure watching her grow,” Handy said. “She’s a tremendous person with a great character.”n 1. Sophomore Dalyn Johnson drives to the basket in a game against Salina South. 2. Senior Drake Spence looks for an opportunity on the baseline against Eisenhower. 3. Sophomore Lauren White looks to pass the ball to a teammate against Bishop Carroll. 4. Junior Taylor Holmes searches for an opening against Eisenhower. 5. Senior HaLee Roland walks the ball up the court against Bishop Carroll. Photos by Hannah Jurgensen

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

10 Sports

Chasing History Moon embarks on record-breaking journey

By Nick Springer

rett Moon is charging towards history. The soft-spoken senior not only has a chance to finish as second twotime state wrestling champion in Maize history , but also the winningest wrestler in Kansas history. Moon is currently tied for 6th in state history with 168 wins. He is currently 12 wins short of overtaking the current record holder Chase Nitcher of Valley Center. Nitcher’s record of 179 wins has stood since 2010, but now that mark is in jeopardy. “He’s a great kid,” coach Mike Schauer said. “I remember watching him in eighth grade at a pretty good tournament, and he beat a high school kid that was a state placer. And I just remember thinking, he’s gonna do all right.” Moon’s journey to the top of the wrestling mountain began when he was 3 years old, wrestling in Maize’s kids’ league. Now, 15 years later, he has placed himself in position to complete his campaign; however, his mentality hasn’t changed. “I take it one match at a time,” Moon said. Moon has a modest approach to the magnitude of his goal. He said he knows the goal, but understands the importance of not looking too far ahead. Schauer also noted that Moon’s effect on Maize wrestling will not be easily forgotten. Moon’s skills have brought the spotlight of wrestling onto the Maize squad, and Schauer said he’s happy to have had the opportunity to be a part of that. “I promise you, anybody in the wrestling world, you say Brett Moon and they know Maize,” Schauer said. “He’s

Design by Madi DeVore put us on the map really, and he’s done it in a great way”. Schauer pointed to Moon’s precise technique as a major part of his success on the mat. In a situation where positioning, technique and discipline are critical, Moon shines. “He’s [Moon] just never out of position,” Schauer said. “He doesn’t let his opponent get a half-inch out of where he wants him”. Moon won the state title last year while wrestling at 160 pounds, and he finished the season without being taken down. So far this season, Moon has not been taken down either. Now wrestling at 170 pounds, Moon continues to dictate his competition, while carrying the pressure of being undefeated on his back. Moon’s success has him fighting for a chance to be forever enshrined in the state history books; however, he is quick to credit his achievements to those who have helped him get to where he is. He credits his parents, family and his practice partners throughout the years, especially fellow senior Alex Hydock. “He’s made me a lot better,” Moon said. Moon said he hasn’t contemplated his wrestling career beyond high school, and he doesn’t plan on making any decisions until after wrestling season. The graduation of Moon and Hydock will undoubtedly leave a considerable void in Maize wrestling, and Schauer admits it won’t be easy to replace the exiting seniors. “He [Moon] and Alex Hydock came in together as freshmen, and they have been truly the face of this team,” Schauer said.n

Kansas career wrestling victories Senior Brett Moon can finish the season with the most victories in Kansas history. Photo by Madi DeVore

FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

Wrestler 1. Chase Nitcher 2. Brett Moon 3. Alan Callahan Kevin Callahan 5. Ryne Cokely

School Valley Center Maize Baldwin Baldwin St. James Academy

Wins Seasons 179 2007-10 174 2012-16 171 2006-09 171 2005-06 170 2008-11

Source: Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association

Sports 11

Senior Preston Barley swims the 100-yard butterfly at the Wichita Northwest Invitational. Barley won the race and the team won the meet. Photo by Justin Noble

Boys swim team ready to make a splash By Paige Young

he boys swim team, which moved down from 6-1A with the rest of the Maize teams this year, has its sights set on a state title this year. Nine swimmers already have qualified for state, with seniors Preston Barley, Harrison Shively and Brett Young leading the way. Junior Ryan Kuhl, also a state qualifier, praised Barley, Shively and Young for their leadership. “They do a lot for their team, keeping us together and leading and doing well,” Kuhl said. Barley, who finished third at state in

the 200 yard freestyle last year, said he likes the Eagles’ chances at the 5-1A state meet Feb. 18-20 in Topeka. “We never had a chance to win in 6-1A,” Barley said. Wichita Heights won the 5-1A state championship in 2015 and is one of Maize’s biggest competitors. At the Wichita Heights Invitational, Maize came in second place by seven points, with 28 of Height’s points coming from diving. Maize doesn’t have diving. But at the Northwest Invitational, Maize came in first over Heights with a score of 353.5 to 344.5, giving Maize

hope to be state champions. Other individuals who have qualified for state: senior Jordan Conway, junior Kyle Stutzman and sophomores Ryce Olson, Jacob Ruder and Christian Taylor. Maize also has qualified in all three relays. Ruder said most of the swim team is excited for the state swim meet. Before state, the Eagles will swim in the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League meet Saturday. “I think we can do extremely well and hopefully, if all goes as planned, we can take the state title,” Ruder said. n

Bowling the path to state By Maddie Neigenfind

ith eight trophies and a trip to state since 2007, the bowling team is working hard to make it again this year. The team focuses on learning from their mistakes and building new skills. “We’re not like the other teams who usually turn on a few games and start bowling, we have different warm ups and stuff that we do,” senior Melody Rozner said, who has been on the team since her sophomore year. “We work on finish position and hand placement.” Rozner said the team is constantly held responsible for its actions at practice and meets. “If we miss a spare, we have to do 10 push-ups for it,” Rozner said. “If the team leaves our area a mess after we leave, we have to do lunges for it. We rarely bowl with games during practice.” Working hard is a top priority for the team. Winning state and getting the championship rings is something the

players look forward to and work hard for. It’s a memorable moment, especially for assistant coach David Walker. “Getting the rings and seeing the kids come in, order their rings and wearing them around is a fun moment,” Walker said. The bowling team practices every day to improve their game. As of right now, the team has four state championships, two boys and two girls. They also have two second-place trophies and two third-place trophies. Making it to state again this year would be their ninth time overall. “We’ve got some work to do,” Walker said. “Anything can happen, but it comes down to the fact that we’ve got to get to a certain place. We’ve got some things to work on in this next month. It’s always possible.” The teams will bowl Thursday at Seneca Bowl in the AVCTL Championship.n

Junior Alex Goodman participates in perimeter practice. Photo by Kiara Ehrmann

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

12 Features Al

ist

Best-friend dates • Dinner for two

Va le

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iffe

• Romantic comedies

nti

• Shopping

ren

ale

• Doing each other’s makeup

’s D

nt Ma ine’s nd i C Day op p D activ esi ities gn by bas Ta ed ylo r S on s tev en tude so n nts’

Romantic dates

Juniors Gabrielle Sanchez and Dara Kelley have been best friends since second grade.

da pla

tes

• Surprise each other with gifts • Dinner for two at a nice restaurant • Go see a romantic movie • Cook together

Sophomore Ana Vo and junior Cole Davis said that their ideal Valentine’s Day date would be a picnic underneath the stars.

Treat yourself: for guys • Video games

• Go find true love • Watch sports

“I have bad memories of Valentine’s Day. One year when I was in seventh or eighth grade, I bought my ‘girlfriend’ a pair of treble clef earrings since I’m really into music,” said sophomore Tommy Jacobson, pictured right. “Then the day after that she broke up with me. ” FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

xpe

rien

Best-friend dates

Features 13

• Video games • Poker “I’d take [Ashton] • Bonfire out to dinner, then back to my • Buffalo Wild Wings place to play video games,” said sophomore Logan Schultz.

Cheap dates

Sophomores Ashton Cole and Logan Schultz

• Netflix • Walk in the park • Star gazing • Picnic • Go to Petland to play with puppies

Treat yourself: for girls• Massage • Shopping • Manicure • Pizza

Senior Addison Wegerle plans a secret date night for him and sophomore Jadin Mitchell, both pictured above.

• Ice cream Sophomore Alanis Balza FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

14 Now Playing

I am Maize

Different cultures and religions line the halls, but â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;we are equalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; By Sadie Ast and Lauryn McIntyre Design by Brittany Casper and Shae White

Senior Rolando Rodriguez, junior Meet Kapadia and sophomore Khea Ward describe themselves with one adjective.

FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

t was a normal day for junior Meet Kapadia. He was walking home from school when his neighbor called out. “Go back to your f ’ing country.” Kapadia has lived in America for six years and considers himself a normal American. He moved from India when he was 11. “My parents came over with me for better opportunities,” Kapadia said. Racism has been a problem in America since its inception and continues to this day, from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump calling Mexicans “rapists” to a swastika drawn in feces on the Mark Twain residential hall at the University of Missouri. Even with hatred against different races and religions around the world, Maize tries to create a safe environment for students, principal Chris Botts said. he believes acceptance is high in importance at Maize. “I want every student to come to Maize High free from hatred, racism and ignorance,” Botts said. “So if even one student feels [as if ] they are judged because of their race, that’s an issue that needs to be addressed.” And while Maize might not be as diverse as some other schools in the Wichita area, it does have a rising population of non-white students. According to figures on the Kansas State Department of Education website, 77.75 percent of the population here is white, 11.48 percent is Hispanic, 3.07 percent is black and another 7.7 percent is made up of other ethnic designations. Kapadia said he has to overcome stereotypes that some place on him, like his neighbor. “The biggest stereotype is that I’m perceived as a terrorist because of the color of my skin,” Kapadia said. “I’m not a terrorist. I want it to stop.” He said some look at him differently because of his religion, too. However, he said he feels welcomed at Maize. Kapadia practices Hinduism, one of the main religions in India. He believes in reincarnation and multiple gods and goddesses. “It is [accepting],” he said. “I don’t feel left out in anything,” Kapadia considers himself like everyone else, spending his day working on school work like most students. He said no one should be treated differently because of their skin color, religion or where they were born. “Nothing separates us; we are the same species,” Kapadia said. “We are more alike than different. So why not cooperate?”

Now Playing 15 ‘I am nice’

ike Kapadia, sophomore Khea Ward immigrated to the United States. She moved from the Philippines when she was 11. “My aunt was the first one from our family that came to America,” she said. “She brought my lola [grandma] Jovit, my brothers and I here to America with the hopes that we would have a better future and also be able to help our families back home”. HISPANIC

OTHER

11.48%

3.07% 7.7%

AFRICAN AMERICAN

77.75% WHITE

The graphic above displays the diversity of Maize High, according to the Kansas Department of Education.

Ward struggled adjusting to America when she first arrived. “What was hard for me when I first got here was the language, the food and the people,” she said. “It's quiet and peaceful here. It’s not like the Philippines where it's loud and the streets are always full of people shooting fireworks.” She has encountered people who believe in false stereotypes of her country. “People often think that the Philippines is a really poor country, but it’s not,” Ward said. “I can agree that a lot of the people in the Philippines are poor, but let's not judge how poor some of them are.” Ward said she has had nothing but positive experiences since coming to Maize. “The way they accept others, they're really approachable and more sociable,” she said of Maize. “They talk to [others], not just ignore them or pass them by.” There are groups and communities in the United States for immigrants to bond with others from their homeland. Founded in 1987, the Filipinos of Greater Wichita is a small community in Wichita where immigrants, young or old, go to celebrate their culture and heritage together. The community hosts multiple activities throughout the year

for all of the members to gather and bond.

‘I am welcoming’

enior Rolando Rodriguez moved to the United States from Cuba when he was 6. As a 7-year-old unable to speak English, he was looking at toys in a store when he was approached by a security guard. “My cousin and I were just staring at the toys in the toy aisle because we’ve never seen toys like that before in Cuba,” he said. “This police officer patted us down, and we had to sit in a room for a long time because he thought we were stealing when we were just standing there looking.” Like the others, Rodriguez’s family came to America for better opportunities. “We were getting nowhere in Cuba,” Rodriguez said. The United States placed a trade embargo, a government order that refuses the shipment of goods to a country, on Cuba in 1960. It was then expanded to all United States exports in 1962. The embargo continued to have an effect on Cuban life into the 21st Century. “Cuba is way smaller, poorer and really communist,” Rodriguez said. “Cuba doesn’t have the same resources.” Rodriguez said the best part of being Cuban is the music. “Cuban people have more of a swing,” he said. Discrimination isn’t an issue Rodriguez has experienced at Maize. “I think Maize High is very accepting of others, the staff and students in general,” he said. “Everyone seems interested in the culture I’m from, Maize in general is accepting in my opinion.”

‘I am brave’

ophomore Alvin Le’s parents moved from Vietnam to America before he was born. He said they moved because of the Vietnam war. Le said people assume he aces all of his classes and that his parents are really strict of his heritage. “I think they’re kind of funny,” he said of the stereotypes. “I just think it’s offensive when it comes to the African Americans or Muslims.” While there are a number of Vietnamese restaurants and stores in the Wichita area, Le also said he feels there would be a difference with racial FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

16 Now Playing treatment in a more diverse environment. “I feel like places like New York have more diversity so it wouldn’t be a bunch of stereotypes,” he said. “It just wouldn’t matter there.” Le encourages others to be kind and to have courage by keeping faith in yourself. “Believe in yourself and be yourself,” he said. “Don’t think about what others think about you.” He said most people at Maize are accepting of others but not everyone, “There are definitely some people that are against other races or sexualities, but that’s avoidable,” Le said.

‘I am Destiny’

unior Destiny Meeks, who is biracial, said most people at Maize are accepting of others. However, she has received backhanded compliments about her race. “I’ve heard ‘You’re hot for a black girl,’ or ‘You’re really pretty for a black girl,’ and that’s super annoying because it’s half of a compliment,” Meeks said. “Just because of my race, it’s like [those making the comments] expect black people not to be pretty.” Meeks has had racial slurs directed toward her in the past. “Most of the time I just brush it off because I know they’re kidding, but at the same time it’s just not OK,” she said. “People who think that just because they have black friends they can say the ‘n’ word and stuff like that, and it’s not cool.” In recent years, the Natural Hair movement has gained popularity among

FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

African American women. The movement is aimed to take a break from relaxing and straightening their hair and let it stay in it’s natural state. Meeks has recently let her hair go back to it’s natural state. “[I] did straighten my hair for a long time because I felt like my hair was really different and that it was like weird to have really big curly hair,” Meeks said. “I’ve really embraced that because it’s my hair, and it’s what I was born with.”

‘I am independent’

unior Bailey Tredway, who is white, said she believes cultural awareness is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed. “Racism isn’t something you should have to get used to,” she said. “It shouldn’t be so apparent that we need to get used to it. Racism is still a thing in America.” Tredway said she’s not a believer in reverse racism, in which discrimination —real or perceived— can occur against a majority group, often as an attempt at correcting past wrongs. Tredway has her own opinion on racial discrimination. “With Black Lives Matter, there are so many parallels like the civil rights movement,” Tredway said. “I saw a lot of people comparing it, too, and I was like ‘if you look at this and still think that it’s not real you're just denying that America is still racist,’ because we were literally founded on racism. We killed all those Native Americans. We enslaved African Americans.”

Treadway said the teachers and staff at Maize are generally caring toward others. “I like being here because the teachers are accepting and kind. I think the students are more accepting than at other schools,” Tredway said. “Every school is gonna have those students that aren’t accepting or are racist or sexist, but literally everywhere has that.”

‘I am open-minded’

enior Sundus Awadi comes from an Arabic background and practices Islam. “It’s [Islam] a religion of peace and I know that the media doesn’t really show it that well because of ISIS,” Awadi said. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant also known as ISIL or ISIS is a militant group. Due to its recent terror attacks, the group has been circulating through headlines. However, there are differences between the radical militant group and the actual religion of Islam. “If you truly look into it, the you’d know that in Islam you’re not supposed to kill anyone. Even when I was younger, I was told not to step on an ant” Awadi said. Awadi wears a hijab, a fabric that covers the head and neck, and said it’s her favorite part of her religion. “It makes me different and different in a good way,” she said. “I like that people see me as this, and I like how my religion is just so friendly.” Awadi said the people at Maize are accepting, “I love Maize high because a lot of people here accept me for who I am.”n

Sophomore Alvin Le and juniors Destiny Meeks and Bailey Tredway describe themselves with one adjective.

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18 Opinion

e a b r u o y t u o b a e a h S k s A ip advice to es relationsh

White giv

students in

hite

By Shae W

alentine’s Day can be hard to get through and relationships are confusing, so I took to Twitter to ask for your problems and decided to answer them to the best of my ability. While I may not be a relationship guru, I have experienced my fair share of sucky love stories and know what it’s like to struggle through the lovey-dovey season. I hope my advice can help you get through your holiday.

What can I do to get over my ex? Getting over your ex can be extremely difficult, especially if you’ve been together awhile, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Start by getting rid of all the mementos from the relationship. No, I’m not saying to set every little thing that reminds you of them on fire. Just gather it all together, box it up, then place it somewhere that will keep it out of your sight while you’re getting over it, but will also make it easily accessible for the future in case you decide to reminisce. You should also try to keep yourself busy. The more free time you have, the more time you have to think about your ex and the relationship. Fill your schedule with things you enjoy. If you like to work, pick up more hours at your job. If you play sports or have a hobby, use this time to improve in these areas. Just try to avoid sitting and thinking about the situation as much as possible. Avoid being alone. Like free time, time to yourself is also going to make you think. Surround yourself with the people you love. This is a good time to spend with friends and family. Enjoying yourself with other people will remind you how happy you should be. Go on a dinner date with your parents, see a movie with your siblings, spend a day shopping with your friends, etc. My final piece of advice is to express your emotions. Don’t keep what you’re feeling bottled up on the inside. Let it out. Feel like you should scream? Scream. Want to cry? Cry. Talk to other people about how you’re feeling. If you don’t like to talk about your feelings with others, write them down for yourself. Getting them out will help you get rid of them all together.n FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

ntic holiday

e roma th r fo n o ti ra a prep

Why do girls expect guys to know everything? As people grow in their relationship, whether it’s just friends or otherwise, they come to know each other pretty well. It’s as if they’ve become more familiar with their other half than the back of their hand. When this happens, people typically become less straightforward with how they feel or what they want. If you know your loved one well enough, you should be able to somewhat figure these things out on your own. It might take a little bit of asking here and there just to make sure you’re right. But you should, for the most part, be able to handle it yourself. So I wouldn’t say that girls necessarily “expect” guys to know everything. In fact, I wouldn’t even say it’s girls against guys; it’s more of one person assuming the other knows enough about them.n

Two of the three questions were submitted by a student via Twitter. A third question was asked from Newsmag staff members. Photo Illustration by Alaina Cunningham

How is a guy supposed to know when a girl needs space? As previously mentioned, if you’re close enough to another person, you should be able to tell without them holding up a sign. If your significant other appears to be more standoffish (using excuses or seeming like they’re trying to get more space), you should take this as a hint. However, if your relationship isn’t to that point where you can tell on your own, communication is key. Being open and honest with your partner is extremely important, no matter what level your relationship is at. With any type of issue you feel you’re having, talk about it. You’re never going to be 100 percent sure unless you just ask.n

Column 19 3

Accepting who I am

Ast opens up about her coming-out story By Sadie Ast

nder a mountain of blankets, Sam Smith playing on my phone, the ceiling in my room was something I became familiar with. Never in my life did I feel more out of place. I had spent 10 of my 14 years alive having the word of God engraved into my memory. Naming the Old Testament of the Bible was something I learned when I was 8 years old. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Mary is his mother, I believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And if there is one thing I learned as much as anything, homosexuality is not tolerated. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, right? Two men weren’t supposed to fall in love, much less two women. Yet, there I was. I continued to think this was a test by God. A test he was giving me to really push my faithfulness to the boundaries. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how dumb I was. I’m gay. I’m not normal. I’m completely different from all of my friends, my family. Trying to hide who I was left my stomach in my throat and tore me

to pieces. I’d heard one too many stories about teens who committed suicide for being bullied because of their sexuality. After three years of being picked on for my weight, I sure as hell was not willing give peers another reason to make fun of me. I convinced myself it was a phase. But I woke up every day hating who I was pretending to be. I contemplated suicide. Why live if I’m not enjoying it? I have no purpose. People like me for who they think I am, not for who I really am. No one will accept me. No one will understand, not even my parents. Months of living in fear consumed my life. I lost friends, I lost opportunities. I lost my freedom. Yet throughout the year of hardships I became more positive about who I was. After moving schools because I wasn’t accepted for who I was, I officially came out in July over Twitter and Snapchat at the age of 15. It was out in the world. While it didn’t come as a shock to a lot of people. I got more support than I ever could’ve imagined. The friends who I thought would shun me welcomed the new me with open

arms. The family members who I was sure would want nothing to do with me accepted me for who I was without hesitation. The expression of a “weight being lifted off your shoulders” had never meant anything to me until I hit that button to post everything about myself to the world. I wake up every day and look in the mirror, I see myself. I now attend a school where people not only accept for who I really am, but love me for that reason and that reason only. I see the person that I believe God made me to be. You can disagree with me. You can hate me. And you can even call me names if that's what you really desire. But I have a pretty good feeling that when I die, I’ll meet God and his first words will be, “Don’t listen to them; you get to come in too.”n 1. Ast and her mom, Janet, spend a lot of time together getting pedicures, watching movies and going out to eat. 2. Ast contemplated suicide before coming. Now she is in a much happier place in life. 3. Before the Nebraska football game, Ast and her family went out to eat during the Nebraska football parade. Photos 1 and 3 submitted by Sadie Ast. Photo 2 by Alex West.

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

20 Lifestyles

Double

A look into the life of Identical By Lizzie Bell and Tyler Stuart

FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

“[Brooke’s] is way curly, like Merida from ‘Brave’ curly.” Alexis said. Sharing everything from looks to a social life often doesn’t go without its problems of self-identity and relationships. “You are around the same friends, the same girls you know, and so you can argue about some girls sometimes,” said senior Lucas Farney, twin of Noah Farney. Being a twin means not only sharing physical aspects, but social ones as well. The Wright sisters said they have both

“

Friends come and go, but your twin is always going to be there. Literally from the time you are born to the time you die. -Senior Lucas Farney

“

cake was set on the table that family and friends surrounded. Not one, but two birthdays were being celebrated that day. They were both turning the same age, and everyone struggled to know the difference between them. Being born as a twin is something only few get to experience. Twins share their birthday, graduating class and sometimes looks, but one thing they don’t always share is their personalities. “Well, it’s kind of like you really don’t have an identity in a sense, because you get confused with each other a lot,” said senior Brooke Arnold, twin of Alexis Arnold. “People don’t really take the chance to get to know you.” There are two types of twins; one being fraternal and the other identical. Without getting into the science of it, identical twins have mostly the same physical traits, while fraternal don’t have as many or none of the same physical appearances. “People usually view you as one person and they don’t really treat you as separately,” said freshman Megan Blair, an identical twin to Madison Blair. “It’s kind of annoying when people mix you up though.” Having many of the same physical traits can lead to confusion. When twins are identical, it’s easy to mistake them for one another. Alexis said being identical to her sister led others to believe she was incapable of having her own separate identity. “Everyone kind of sees you as the twins instead of your own person,” Alexis said. Sometimes, there are significant traits that twins have making it easier for them to be told apart by others. Hair is one of the common differences between twins. Other differences could include facial structure, beauty marks and height. “My hair is a lot shorter and I straighten it a lot more,” Alexis said.

but your twin is always going to be there. Literally, from the time you are born to the time you die, so that’s pretty cool.” When you look the same, it is easy to trick others. Many twins have stories involving switching places. “When we were little, we would like to dress up,” said Brooke. “We would go out to eat with someone, like one of my mom’s friends, and we would change clothes and confuse them, and so that was fun.” The Farney and the Blair twins also had a similar story about switching places and not getting caught.

made their own group of friends, which eventually merged into one. They also say that if they weren’t twins things could be different. They don’t think they would have as many friends if they weren’t twins Competition is often increased when having a twin, Noah said. “People compare you a lot, and this one would be a disadvantage or an advantage,” Noah said. “It makes you really competitive, because you always compete to be better than your twin, at least in my case.” Although, life as a twin has its struggles with sharing, competition and becoming their own person, they always have a friend at their side. “You have a twin, you Seniors Brooke and Alexis always have someone Arnold are portayed in a photo that is going to have illustration to show the resemyour back,” Lucas said. blence between identical twins. “Friends come and go,

Sided

Lifestyles 21

and fraternal twins

Photo illustration by Lizzie Bell “When we were younger we would switch classes and our teachers wouldn’t know.” Lucas said. For fraternal twins, things can be different. You may not look the same, but it comes with its advantages and disadvantages, too. Juniors Brooklyn and Kalyn Compton, sophomores Mason and Macy Wyant, and freshmen Kylee and Hunter Clark are just some of the fraternal twins at Maize. Fraternal twins can be different genders and don’t have as many of the same physical features. Even though this is the

case, some still feel as though they are being compared to the other. “We kind of compare ourselves. … I mean, we are always compared, so it’s just kind of automatic,” Kalyn said. Some argue there are more pros than cons, but Hunter and Brooklyn say it’s just like being an average sibling “Being a twin is not what everyone thinks it is, everyone thinks it’s cool and it’s really not, it’s just like having a sister,” Brooklyn said. Like identical twins, their personalities vary and people can be misguided because they are twins. “People say we look alike, but not really personality-wise, I say we are pretty different,” Kalyn said. “I’m more school-geared, she’s more outside of school-geared.” The relationship identical and fraternal twins share is a deeper one than just normal siblings. One of those connections might be twin telepathy. Twin telepathy has often been ridiculed, but some twins believe they’ve experienced the phenomenon. “We were talking about ‘One Tree Hill,’ and we both started singing the same song at the same time, we both looked at each other and said ‘nice’,” Madison Wright said. Twins have a relationship unlike any other, from different personalities, to similar features, to sharing important events and friends throughout their life, they have a bond most siblings don’t. “No one can understand you more than your twin,” Mason said.n

Seniors Lucas and Noah Farney said they think competition often plays a part in their relationship.

Juniors Brooklyn and Kalyn Compton said being fraternal twins is just like any other siblings.

Sophomores Macy and Mason Wyant said, “nobody understands you better than your twin.”

Freshmen Megan and Madison Blair said their identities get confused because they’re seen as the same person.

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com

22 Review

‘Jessica Jones’ kills ‘Making a Murderer’ By Christian Hurst

irst episodes are meant to reel in viewers for the rest of the show’s running. “Making a Murderer” barely kept me watching for 20 minutes. The presentation was just so dull; I felt like it dragged on and on. After 20 minutes of learning about Steven Avery’s burnt cat, I went to another tab and had the audio playing in the background on my laptop. At some point, it became white noise. When I flipped back to Netflix, I was 50 minutes in and gave up. I couldn’t watch anymore. “Making a Murderer” has received a lot of hype since its release, but I can’t see why. I’m sure it’s fine for those who care about the case, but I’m the outlier. In my eyes, the show failed. There’s no desire for me to watch the rest of the series, debate the case in online forums or bash the Manitowoc County (Wis.) Sheriff Department with negative reviews. Seriously, at the time of writing, the sheriff department has a 1½ out of 5 star-rating on Google. I got more entertainment out of the mob mentality assault on its Facebook page than I did from the show that attacks their name. “But, what am I supposed to do with my Netflix subscription now?” I hear you ask. Use your time to sit in a dark room for 10 hours with a bowl of ice cream watching “Jessica Jones.” “Jessica Jones” was released late last year as a Netflix exclusive. It stars Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, the super-strength-imbued heroine. David Tennant plays her mind-controlling nemesis, Kilgrave. By the time the show starts, Jessica’s superhero days are already over. She has post-traumatic stress disorder, puts

daytime drinking on her resume and owns her own private investigation firm. When I started watching, I thought it was going to be a villain-of-the-week kind of show. I was pleasantly surprised when the first episode ended on a cliffhanger that sets up the plot for the rest of the series. It’s absolutely necessary to watch every episode in order, and there aren’t any you can skip. The stakes rise throughout the series. Unfortunately, “Jessica Jones” does have quite an anticlimactic ending. This isn’t too bad, as the ending is still a satisfying one, I assure you. Another thing that surprised me about “Jessica Jones” is its adult themes.

“Making a Murderer” 0/5 Play Buttons FebruaryPlay | @PlayNewsmag

Netflix knew the show wasn’t being produced for TV and pulled out all the stops. Blood and gore aren’t shown too much, but when it is, there’s tons. We’re talking missing limbs, slit throats and disembodied heads. Nasty stuff. It shows it for only a few seconds, so you get the idea and then never again have to see it. There are a few sex scenes, especially in the first few episodes. You don’t have to worry, parents, no nudity is shown. Shoehorned in sex scenes, like the ones in “Jessica Jones,” take more away from the episodes if anything. At least they follow a “show, don’t tell” model of establishing relationships between characters. David Tennant is top notch as Kilgrave and is my favorite in the show. Even though I had seen him as the Doctor in “Doctor Who,” his transition to the mind-controlling villain was flawless. Krysten Ritter was great as well. Her portrayal of Jessica Jones’ no-nonsense attitude was fun to watch. The real highlights are when Kilgrave and Jessica play their twisted game of cat and mouse. Years before the start of the series, Kilgrave had Jessica under his control and forced her to do horrible things, like murder, before she escaped. She thought Kilgrave had been killed, but he returns, seemingly from the dead, and she stops at nothing to catch him. “Jessica Jones” throws twists and turns throughout. Paired with its breakneck, fast-paced action scenes, it’s just so good. Its second season was recently greenlit. Netflix has shown that it can do Marvel’s licences justice and, even though “Making a Murderer” wasn’t my cup-of-tea, they do know how to make a good show.n

“Jessica Jones” 4/5 Play Buttons

Photo Focus 23 Students capture peers in action Design by Hannah Jurgensen Over two weeks, students captured their peers in action through Dan Loving’s Photo Imaging class. This assignment required the students to photograph peers within the classroom.

Senior Josi Johnson works on a project for Ceramics I. “This is a big project worth a lot of my grade,” Johnson said. Photo by Allyson Prebble.

Freshman Hannah Piros sings with Junior Misses during second block. Piros focuses on her breathing and hitting all the notes with correct pitch. Photo by Megan Denton.

Sophomore Jansyn Andreas tests solutions in a lab for Kathleen Thomas’s science class. This was a two-day lab that was done with partners. Photo by Autumn Hanna.

Freshman Aiden Headrick’s plays the cello. He received first chair in the Wichita youth symphony. Photo by Arissa Brown.

Junior Ashley Carpenter studies her vocab in Anne Debes English class on Jan. 27 to prepare for a test. Photo by Allison Evans.

FebruaryPlay | maizenews.com