PLAY Maize High School September 2017
Addiction affects more than the addicted Now Playing Page 16-19
Football starts season with new o-line
Page 22
Immigrant student fears future Page 10-11
Table of Contents
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(page 30-31)Senior Brock Arnold cheers on the football team as they play against Eisenhower High School. Photo by Ryan Jones
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(page 6-7) Senior Sarah Smith performs with a quartet at a wedding. Smith began playing cello in the fourth grade. Photo by Lizzie Bell (page 23) Cheerleaders perform at the first home game of the season. They collected cans and donations in support of Honor Flight and veterans. Photo by Ashley Tran
(page 24) Science teacher Jay Super travels to Wyoming to watch the solar eclipse. Photo submitted by Jay Super (page 26-27) Students talk about the art and pride around Wichita. Photo by Sam Bartlett
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What’s inside?
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14 15 16-19 20-21 23 24 26-27 28-29 30-31
News
New student integrity policy is being put into place to prevent cheating and plagerism.
News
Senior Sarah Smith makes a national orchestra playing the cello.
News
Maize student struggles with finding out she is in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival
News
Now stores are opening around Maize.
News
Regal Cinemas takes over the Warren.
Opinion
The free ACT should be given to juniors so they can have the test score before senior year.
Column By Abby McCoy How teacher’s advice gave new student new perspective.
Now Playing
Maize student and teacher open up about family issues with drug and alcohol abuse.
Sports in Brief
Inside look at fall sports.
Sports
Co-Ed cheer squad adds 15 new memebers.
Lifestyle
Science teacher Jay Super travels to see the eclipse.
Lifestyle
Art contributes to renewed pride in Wichita.
Lifestyle
Maize Graduate Trevor McChristian stars in the show “Newsies.”
Photo Focus
Highlights of school spirit at the first football game vs Eisenhower.
Table of Contents
Who’s inside? Savie Hughes Editor-in-chief Allie Choyce Online editor Bailey Birkholz Design editor Lizzie Bell Photo editor Sadie Ast Features editor Casey Loving News/Opinion editor Kiara Ehrmann Engagements editor Abby McCoy Sports editor Brett Loving Advertisement editor Kynzi Barragan Sam Bartlett Kylee Delmar Olivia Elmore Ryan Jones Maddie Neigenfind Lauryn Ogden McKenna Smiley Morgan Thomas Ashley Tran Abby Turner Emma Wituk Paige Young Dan Loving Adviser
Cover Illustration by Lizzie Bell Play is the official newsmagazine for and by Maize High School students. Play is published six times throughout the year. Play is a student publication and a forum for public opinion. Letters to the editor should be signed and around 300 words. The editorials and columns are the sole opinion of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USD 266 Board of Education, the administration, the faculty or the adviser.
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Submit a letter to the editor for the next issue to room D16 or mhsnewsmag@gmail.com Printed by Sedalia Demorat.
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News
Sonya Tice, Jessica Fisher, Amy Hammett and Lori Wilbanks discuss plans for new integrity policy. The policy is planned to go into effect in January. Photo by Emma Wituk
Teachers work to implement integrity policy
Story by Emma Wituk
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n the search for how to better the student body, a group of faculty members got together to discuss creating a practice that would make the rules against cheating and plagiarism more universal. “It [the current policy] isn’t nearly as concise or clear about what the expectations are as well as consequences,” assistant principal Sonya Tice said. The group of teachers and administrators has decided to back up and address what integrity is so students understand the seriousness of cheating. Right now, they are working on establishing the guidelines of the policy. Inspiration for the expectations and consequences came from Maize grad Breea Clark, an Integrity Programs Officer at the University of Oklahoma. “They [colleges] were sending this person out . . . because they were trying to do an outreach program to get high schools to teach their students about
what plagiarism is because they were throwing so many students out of school for plagiarizing,” Jessica Fisher a member of the Policy’s team said. Colleges’ punishments for plagiarizing has forced high schools to educate students about what it is. “If you get caught plagiarizing … you’re kicked out [of college] and it doesn’t matter if you have a giant scholarship … or you are on the way to the NFL,” Fisher said. “They don’t care, you get kicked out.” When cheating has been witnessed by students and teachers, the most common reaction is uncertainty about how to deal with the situation. “The idea for the policy came from teacher and student request,” Tice said. “I think that there are students that see academic dishonesty going on in the classroom and don’t feel that it is being dealt with.” There are multiple steps that have to be taken in order for a policy to be implemented. First, the rules and
repercussions will have to be drafted. The ideas will then be run by the building leadership team and a few selected students. Afterward, there will be a time in which students, teachers and families are informed of what will be tolerated and what won’t be. From here, it will be put into practice. Finally, the school board has to vote and decide whether they think the Maize USD Integrity Practice should become a policy. As of now, the members that are drafting the Integrity Practice have some ideas but none are set in stone. “Our goal is to develop kids with good character … and having integrity is one of those things,” Tice said. The policy is set to come into effect starting next semester. “We hope that the policy will be put into play starting next semester but, in the meantime, there are still plenty of steps that have to be taken to ensure the policy effectiveness,” Fisher said. n
Maize district to launch connect program Story by M
Kiara Ehrmann aize Connect is a relatively new program that incorporates many different aspects that were previously scattered. Some of these include marketing, ad sales, partnerships and internship and shadowing experiences. Recently, more businesses within the Maize-Wichita area have been challenging each other to involve more high school students in their companies. Superintendent Chad Higgins said he expects the businesses and organizations in the area to begin to reach out to schools more frequently
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about student internships, shadow experiences and summer jobs. Lori Buselt, district communications director, said the business community has a positive impact on students. “Not only does the business community have something to offer the students,” Buselt said, “our students have things to offer the business community as well.” The program is expected to grow in a way that would affect all Maize secondary-level students and others within the community. “My vision is that the next group of freshman by the time they graduate . . .
will have to have some kind of learning experience, whether that’s a series of job shadows up to a semester of internship in one or more companies,” Higgins said. Another long-term goal Higgins has for the program is for it to be self-funding. He anticipates that there will a be place within the district’s website for organizations, businesses and patrons to donate to the cause. “[My goal is] that we can help offset any cost for kids to work on these experiences, whether it be transportation or clothes,” Higgins said. n
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I pretty much do everything that revolves around the cello. I do private lessons in studios, teach lessons to kids. I play lots of different types of music but all pretty much with the cello.
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— Sarah Smith, senior
Photo by Ryan Jones
Finding the right note
News
Senior Sarah Smith makes national orchestra Story by Abby Turner
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or the second consecutive year, senior Sarah Smith has made the national
orchestra. Maize High is a part of an organization called KMTA (Kansas Music Teachers Association) where once you make the district level orchestra, you qualify to tryout for state orchestra. Once a student qualifies for the state orchestra, they can try out for the national orchestra. For try outs, Smith had to perform different excerpts of music for the district and state orchestras. For the national orchestra, she sent in a video of one piece along with interviews from her teachers. “She made it to nationals last year and it really inspired her musically and it is a real honor to represent one’s state.” Kristy Smith, Sarah’s mom and teacher said. “I can’t remember how many cellos they accepted last year, but I think it was only around 16 in the nation.” Sarah Smith started playing cello when she was in the fourth grade. Before that, she started with the violin, which she had to quit because she was going through eye therapy at the time. She then decided to play the cello instead of the violin. Sarah was motivated by her friends to try out for nationals this year, after making it the previous year. “I pretty much do everything that revolves around the cello,” Smith said. “I do private lessons in studios, teach lessons to kids. I play lots of different types of music but all pretty much with the cello.” Besides playing the cello, Smith enjoys reading, going on walks and researching about nutrition because her family is vegan. Smith also said that her preferred music type differs throughout her day. “I listen to a lot of different music, pretty much everything,” Smith said. “I think every genre has something to offer. When I’m driving it is R&B. When I’m studying, it’s classical. When I’m in the mood, it’s Latin.” At home, Kristy Smith loves listening to her daughter play. She has been able to see her grow musically and use her skills to help others as well. Although, Kristy
taught Sarah to play, she says Sarah has surpassed her in playing cello and she loves to hear the sweet sound coming from her room. “I love it when I see Sarah use her strength of playing the cello to help or encourage others. Sometimes she helps teach younger or less experienced students and other times she performs at nursing homes with friends for example.” Kristy said. “I also love to just sit and listen to her practice when she doesn’t know that I am listening.” After graduating, Smith plans to further her education with cello and cello performance. She is also interested in directing on a larger scale for orchestra and chamber music. Recently, she has been thinking about branching outside of orchestra and has considered studying to direct other music. Smith said she has been a part of many cello performances. Smith said her most memorable performance was at nationals last year. “I’ve never played with that many people and it was amazing,” Smith said. “It is the best people from all of the regions and it’s just incredible to play with them.” She has also been able to experience watching other performers. Her most memorable performance she has seen was Angella Ahn, a violinist in the Ahn Trio, perform “Lark Ascending.” “It was the type of thing where everyone holds their breath at the end,” Smith said. “She’s just phenomenal so that was probably my favorite concert I’ve seen.” At Nationals people come together with all different musical experiences and connect through playing together. “They sound amazing together,” Kristy Smith said. “It is cool to see the instant reaction between students.” Sarah continues to play the cello because it offers her many opportunities socially and financially. It also gives her the chance to visit places she may have never had the chance to. “Personally, it gives me a way to express my thoughts and feelings,” Smith said. “It is an outlet for me.”n
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Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fig Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are T Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Amer Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will figh ricans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Stro t. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Toug ng. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are American gh. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. W ns. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. W t. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Toug ng. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are American gh. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. W ns. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. W t. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Toug ng. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are American gh. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. W ns. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. W e are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. W We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. W We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We ar e are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are T Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Amer Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will figh ricans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Stro t. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Toug ng. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are American gh. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. W ns. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. W t. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Toug ng. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are American gh. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. W ns. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. W t. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Toug ng. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are American gh. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. W ns. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. W t. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Toug ng. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are American gh. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. W ns. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. W t. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Toug ng. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are American gh. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. W ns. We are Tough. We are Strong. We will fight. We are Americans. We are Tough. We are Strong. W
“ I’ve only known
America; America is my home too.
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—Maize DACA student
News
A life in limbo
Maize student fearful about future after decision to review DACA program
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Story by Savie Hughes and Bailey Birkholz he walks into a classroom, a light sweat dripping off her forehead. Paranoia swoops through her, making her jump at every sound. She never believed she would have to be scared of the only country she has ever known. But as she takes her seat, she feels everybody around her. She thinks they know her secret. A secret she had only just found out about herself. For a majority of her teenage years, a Maize student has stood up for illegal immigrants. Being an immigrant herself and having some sort of relationships with other illegal immigrants, she said she felt that she was the right candidate to take a stand. However, recently, everything changed when her parents told her she was a part of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA], instead of being a resident like she thought for 14 years. “I am good at standing up for other people,” she said. Play is not using her name to protect her identity. “But then it became me. … I got scared, and I am still scared. … But finding out about it kind of made me even more passionate. Really there is nothing to be ashamed of. We are Americans, just not on paper. ”
The official announcement
On Sept. 5, President Donald Trump ordered a congressional review of the DACA program. Congress will have six months to decide to keep the program, reform the program, or declare it unconstitutional and remove it. If Congress decides to end the program, 800,000 immigrants, referred to as Dreamers, would be eligible for deportation. “Make no mistake, we are going to put
the interest of AMERICAN CITIZENS FIRST!” Trump tweeted. “The forgotten men & women will no longer be forgotten.” During Trump’s election he referred to DACA as “illegal amnesty.” He said that former President Barrack Obama, who created this program on an executive order, should not have had the power to waive immigration laws. Obama wrote in an Facebook message about how the possible ending of the program would be immoral. “Let’s be clear: the action taken today isn’t required legally,” Obama said. “It’s a political decision, and a moral question. … Whatever concerns or complaints Americans may have about immigration in general, we shouldn’t threaten the future of this group of young people who are here through no fault of their own, who pose no threat, who are not taking away anything from the rest of us.”
Discovering the truth
Dreamers, brought here by their parents as a child, were raised in the American culture. The Maize student said America is the only country she has ever known and the only one she ever wants to know. “I’ve only known America, America is my home,” she said. “I’ve grown up in Maize, Kansas, I’ve lived in the same house since I was 3 years old. … He [Trump] makes us sound like we are not people. He makes us sound like we are something that can just be shipped off, and we’re not.” She was brought from another country by her parents on a visa as a child. However, about a year and a half later, her family’s visa expired and they could not get it renewed. “My parents made the decision they
would rather stay here and face the challenges of being an undocumented citizen then going back to [my home country] and face the oppression,” she said. “So when I was 3, that was when I became undocumented.” However, she said her parents raised her to believe she was a resident to protect her from self incrimination, ridicule and fear. When she turned 15, the age you have to be in order to join DACA, her parents sent in her application without informing her. It wasn’t until two years after she was enrolled in DACA, and a week before Trump announced the program would be reviewed by Congress, that her parents told her the truth. “So when I found out it was kind of like 14 years of fear flooding into me all at once, which is really overwhelming,” she said. “But they did it to protect me from myself, in a way, because they didn’t want me telling anyone.” However, even believing she is a documented immigrant, she said that people still bullied her growing up just for being an immigrant in general. She said she feels that it’s because people don’t understand. “You know there have been instances where people try to talk about the immigration system when they don’t know anything about it,” she said. “Because of that, that ignorance becomes a form of hate, which is not their fault. It’s just they are not educated enough on the subject to understand.”
Refusing to back down
Even with the chance of being deported back to her home country, she said she is not planning on going into hiding anytime soon. She said she and the other Dreamers are fighters and will be
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News
Day-to-day struggles In school she said she worries about how her peers would view her if they knew who she was. “If other students at Maize High do find out, you don’t know how they will react,” she said. “You don’t know how they will treat you after it. … Right now I am trying to not let fear rule how I live my life. I have never done that before so I am not going to start now.” Superintendent Chad Higgins said, as an educator, that the community of Maize High shouldn’t care where any students come from. “It is critical to understand that public educators get into this business because of a genuine belief that we can make a difference in this world by making
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a difference in the lives of every kid we reach,” Higgins said. “We only care where they come from if it helps us learn how we can better serve their needs. Where they were born, why they are here, or what a politician thinks of them mean nothing to us. If we don’t do everything we can for every kid, who will?” As an undocumented immigrant, the Maize student has no legal rights other than the ones provided by DACA. Through the program, she is given a workers permit, permission for a driver’s license and a social security number. “Most job applications will ask you for a social security number,” she said. “All of the jobs I have applied for have asked for valid proof of legality, so without that it makes life a lot more difficult.” She said that her parents, who just became residents in March due to having a sponsor, had to take low profile jobs with no benefits before becoming residents. “We aren’t taking American jobs,” she said. “We are taking the jobs that nobody wants.” Being undocumented also affects the college choices for her. Without legal status, she said she cannot apply for government support. “I have worked really hard in high school and if I was a citizen I would most likely get into any college that I wanted,” she said. “However, because I am undocumented, I can’t apply for half the colleges I wanted to anymore.”
Borrego said that while not all the applicants in the program are DACA students, most are. And the nonprofit is driven to support the DACA community. “DACA students have proven themselves in the classroom and in the community,” Borrego said. “Many of these students are leaders and for all practical purposes have become a part of the American culture. … Rescinding the DACA program has created tremendous anxiety for the students and their families. While trying to figure out how to pay for college is stressful enough, knowing that you may be required to leave the only country you know is traumatic.”
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Hoping to stay home
The Kansas Hispanics Education and Development Foundation, a nonprofit organization developed in 2007 by the Wichita Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was created to develop a platform for donors to donate tax-deductible contributions for scholarships and other education initiatives for immigrants like the Maize student. “Being designated as a DACA student requires that you be a student or graduate from high school among other qualifications,” board member Tom Borrego said. “Many of our students excel academically, but often do not have the financial resources to attend college. KHEDF steps in with scholarship support to help augment these expenses.”
We’ve survived and escaped our own countries. So we can get through this. —Maize DACA student
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a force to be reckoned with. “We are the survivors,” she said “We have survived worse; we’ve survived and escaped our own countries. So we can get through this. So as for us, we aren’t going into hiding, we’re going to live our own lives just as we were before. Life might get a lot harder, and it might come up with a lot more hits than just a regular citizen, but I don’t think any of us will hide from this because there are so many undocumented immigrants.” She said she fears how people within her community will react to the DACA students that reside there. “I hope that they [Sedgwick County] would be one of those communities that wouldn’t turn their backs on me or the other students,” she said. “There are a lot of people who might be against immigrants now and the undocumented, but if they find out who is undocumented, and find out the type of people they are, it might change their minds.” On a national level, she said she sees both sides of the people who support others like her and those who don’t. “I see the bad and the people who are against me and the people who hate me because of their ignorance,” she said. “But I also see college campuses and high schools that are doing walkouts of class to protest the DACA students and the principals who are posting pictures with DACA students and are saying ‘We support them.’ I also see the people who are posting on their news and saying ‘This is ridiculous; these are children.’ ”
Borrego said the DACA students who are inside the program have expressed fears just as the Maize student about how their lives have been left in limbo. “DACA served as the last hope for these students,” Borrego said. “Now with DACA gone, their lives are in limbo. As a country, I think we are better than that. I think we are more compassionate than that.” The Maize student said that if the program ended and if she were sent back her whole life would become a warzone. Her home country, which she asked not to reveal, has no grocery stores, no functioning hospitals and the people are at constant war with their government. “[My home country] isn’t really my [home country] anymore,” she said. “Most immigrants that come here are because their countries are in complete wreckage. Countries are not their countries anymore, and that’s why it is such a problem.”n
News
New clubs introduced to school
Story by McKenna Smiley aize has always had many clubs for students to get more involved in school, doing activities they are interested in. This year, nine new clubs have been added: Yoga Club, American Sign Language, Veggie Club, Coding Club, Thirst, Music Club, Girls Who Code, Cyber Patriot Club and Pickleball Club. Senior Holly Broberg recently started Yoga Club. This new club meets during EnCor and allows students to learn about yoga, as well as practice it. English teacher Lindsay Slater volunteered to work with Broberg. “I sponsored a yoga club before, at one of the schools I worked at before Maize,” Slater said. “I thought it would be something good to do at Maize as well.” Slater is a certified yoga instructor. Broberg started the club thinking it would be a small group consisting of just her and her friends. However, at the club fair she realized the club would have a much greater turnout. More than 100 students signed up. “I did not think Yoga Club would be such a hit.” Broberg said. “I knew it was trendy and all, but I had no idea that so
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many people would be interested. It’s awesome.” The American Sign Language Club is another new club. It meets twice a month, on the second and fourth Monday. During this time, students not only be taught American Sign Language, but the grammar as well. This club was created to help teach more of the school a language that isn’t frequently taught. “My friend introduced it to me, and I fell in love with the language,” co-founder Alexander Pham said. “It wasn’t until friends started to ask us to teach them that we saw how beautiful and useful this type of communication is.” Thirst Club is a water conservation club for anyone who has a big heart for saving and conserving the water in the world. The Veggie Club was started by senior Sarah Smith and sponsored by Cara Poole. The Veggie Club is a club where students can come together and learn more about how to create healthy recipes, including vegan and vegetarian meals. The club is for students who love food but also enjoy living a healthy lifestyle.
Girls Who Code was created to help get girls motivated to be more involved and seen in computer programing. This is an all-girls club where students learn more about computer programing. Coding club is for computer programing. This club will teach students more about computers and how to program them. It is like Girls Who Code, but boys are invited as well. Music Club was started to bring more students together through their love of music and is sponsored by Kevin Frye. In music club, students can sit and listen to and learn more about music. The music club meets the fourth Monday of each month. Pickleball Club, which is a game resembling tennis, meets every other Thursday during En-Cor. “It’s just a club to get people to come out and get to play pickleball.” said founder Nick Reiswig. Any student can start a new club each school year, principal Chris Botts said. “Students fill out an information sheet on their club,” Botts said. “If it is complete and they have a sponsor, typically it always gets approved.” n
Businesses open around Maize Story by Allie Choyce everal new businesses have been opened in northwest Wichita. New locations for IHOP and Petland opened this month, and a Freezing Roll ice cream shop will open in October. The new IHOP is located on Maize Road next to Sam’s Club. IHOP franchisee Alli Issa is in charge of opening this new location. “[My brothers and I have] always thought about the west side,” Issa said. “We noticed the area [Maize] growing, and we thought it was time to do it.” Issa said he and his brothers, Ty and Mike, have always worked in the restaurant business and have been in
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Wichita for over 25 years. They got into the IHOP franchise about seven years ago. “Everybody loves IHOP,” Issa said. “IHOP has been [in business] since the 50s and IHOP is the type of [restaurant] that’s passed on through generations . . . You grow up with it and you get your kids to it and your kids grow up with it.” The IHOP on Maize opened this week. Petland also opened a few blocks north of IHOP on Sept. 2. Petland franchisee Becky Hertel has been working on opening her store for a little more than a year. “When I looked [for a place to build], I said ‘what is a growing, booming place to be,’” Hertel said. “This was a natural choice for us.”
Hertel grew up raising animals and said taking care of animals has always been a passion. Irene Zhang and business partner Liyong Chen have decided to open up a rolled ice cream shop called Freezing Roll. Zhang said she and Chen got the idea during a recent vacation to Thailand, where rolled ice cream was first created. She was fascinated with the concept and decided to build one in Wichita. “It’s fun to watch how they made it,” Zhang said. The store will open on Oct.1 on Maize Road in the strip mall by McDonald’s. It will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the weekends. n
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Regal takes over the Warren, making changes to policies. Photo by Sam Bartlett
Regal Cinemas acquires Warren Theatres
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arren Theatres, previously owned by Bill Warren, is now owned by the second-biggest movie theater chain in the United States, Regal Cinemas. Senior Toby Bartlett worked at the Warren during the time of the change. Bartlett said that the staff found out about Regal’s takeover on a normal work day without any previous knowledge the deal was even being processed. The deal between Warren and Regal happened overnight. Since the change, few policies have been altered for employees. “They [Regal] said we were going to get free movies every day of the week instead of just the weekdays, which is fine,” Bartlett said. “But they said they were going to take away some of our movie sneaks, which we could see movies before they
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came out, so that was kind of a bummer.” Other changes have been made affecting the customers, including the sizes of drinks. “Well, there’s really nothing different except customers complain about the bags instead of buckets,” said junior Jonas Ybarra, who works at the Warren.
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They’re just trying to see what they can do to make it the Warren still
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Story By Sam Bartlett
— Junior, Jonas Ybarra Ybarra said the few minor changes will just take time getting used to. “It’s just new,” he said. “It is OK as it was, and it is OK as it is now.”
An example of another change is the change given when you purchase items at the concessions stand. “We used to only deal with quarters as change, but now we have like pennies, nickels, all that stuff,” Bartlett said. “The thing that I’ve heard the most is that people are mad that there are no more blue ticket stubs.” Blue ticket stubs are the part of the ticket that shows information like the movie you’re watching, time it shows and the auditorium that it is being shown in. These ticket stubs were popular to collect and show off to others. Bartlett said the changes are not that big of a deal. With no name or cosmetic change on the outside or inside, the Warren looks the same. “They’re trying to see what’s different since they just bought us out,” Ybarra said.“They’re just trying to see what they can do to make it the Warren still.” n
Opinion
Special Features
Regal Cinemas brings positive changes after acquiring Warren Theatres Story by Casey Loving hange is hard. Sometimes it’s just easier to stay in the norm. If everyone is happy with things the way they are, why would you ever want to risk that by making a bunch of changes? As hard as it is to admit, sometimes things change for the better, even if what you have now seems to be working pretty well. Regal Cinemas, the second-largest theatre chain in the country, recently acquired several Warren Theatres locations from Bill Warren. The acquisition gives Regal ownership of all of Warren’s theatres in Wichita, making a once locally owned business part of a much larger national chain. As can be expected, the acquisition came with many changes to the Warren we once knew. As can also be expected, these changes came with many negative reactions from long-time customers of the theatres. Fans of the Warren met the Regal acquisition with lukewarm responses, mainly focused on the company’s new policies. While there is some validity behind the complaints, many of the reactions I’ve seen are irrational, entirely ignoring the great positives for the miniscule negatives. The main complaint I’ve heard, both in person and on social media, is in regard to the popcorn. In a new policy for the local change, Regal Cinemas has replaced the Warren’s buckets for small and medium popcorn purchases with bags, much to the distaste of consumers. There are several reasons why people are not a fan of the new popcorn bags. They are more cumbersome and harder to hold then the sturdy buckets. They lack the thickness that the buckets have, allowing butter to leak through. They are a change from the system we are used to at Warren.
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This hasn’t been the only concessions-related complaint I’ve seen following the acquisition. Another point of contention has been the price changes at the concession stand. While at first glance the prices seem cheaper than what Warren customers are used to, they do not factor in tax like the old prices did, making a more expensive snack. These new prices don’t come out even as they did before, leaving consumers with pockets full of change as they enter their movies. Another common criticism I’ve heard is the company’s tickets. Rather than the stiff blue tickets the Warren had been known for, Regal has introduced paper passes for admission to the theatres. As a fan and frequent visitor of the Warren, this has to be the change that affects me the most. I loved the old Warren tickets and collected the iconic blue stubs from nearly every movie I have seen. Even though I greatly prefer old thick tickets to the new receipt paper, this issue isn’t nearly enough for me to be anything but mildly upset. To me, none of these complaints are monumental enough to lash out against Regal. If you don’t like buttery fingers, maybe just don’t get butter. Or bring extra napkins. Or, if it’s really that big of a deal, just pay the extra dollar or two and upgrade to a large. For tickets, I loved the old stubs just as much as anybody, but if new paper is the biggest issue with this acquisition, I consider myself pretty lucky. And as far as prices go, if getting change after a purchase is a problem for you, you must have a really hard time shopping. Of course there is validity behind these complaints. I don’t like grease seeping through my bags either, and I hate carrying loose change just as much as the next guy. However, there are plenty
of positive additions that have come with Regal Cinemas for the good to far outweigh the bad. Now that Warren is part of a large theatre chain, it has started showing re-releases, such as the recent remasters of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn.” This allows fans of older films to enjoy some of their favorite movies in a format they haven’t been able to before. Regal Cinemas has also begun to introduce combo screenings to their new Wichita locations. Warren Theatres occasionally showed double or triple features, but only under the rarest instances. Regal, however, brought a “Planet of the Apes” triple feature to some former Warren Theatres in anticipation for the trilogy’s finale this summer. In the few short months that Regal has owned Warren Theatres, I have already noticed several extremely positive changes to the company. The best addition by far has to be the increased cooperation with a company called MoviePass. MoviePass is a company that allows the viewing of a regular 2D movie each day for a monthly price. While the price has changed several times over the years, the cost for the service recently landed at only $9.95 a month. With a mega-company like Regal now owning Warren Theatres, all of their Wichita locations are currently compatible with MoviePass. I was always a big fan of Warren Theatres. The local chain almost perfectly walked the line of being a locally-owned theatre without feeling any less than a big-time establishment. But even though some of this feeling is going away with Regal Cinemas’ acquisition, this is one example of change where the good far outweighs the bad. n
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Opinion
ACT fast
The ACT should be offered to juniors instead of seniors Story by Allie Choyce
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n a matter of weeks, every senior at Maize will be taking the ACT. It will be the third consecutive year that the entire senior class gets to take it for free. “[We offer the test] to see where you came as a freshman [and] sophomore on the ACT Aspire to fall of your senior year,” said Sheila Rathbun, assistant superintendent of secondary education and CTE. The test was not meant to be the first time a student had taken the ACT, but Rathbun said one of the main goals is to catch the kids who have not yet taken the assessment on their own. Though the reasons the test is offered to seniors are understandable, the ACT should be available to the junior class instead. Providing the test in spring of junior year would be more beneficial to students than giving it October of senior year. As juniors go through the grade 11 curriculum, they are learning the material that’s on the ACT. If the true purpose of requiring the ACT is to see growth, then why do we wait the entire summer to actually apply the knowledge? Rathbun said that another purpose of the test is to help a senior improve their academic problem areas. So again, why would we take the test with only one semester left in their high school career? That doesn’t leave very much room to improve, as opposed to the full year students would have if they took the test junior year. One of the biggest concerns about the seniors taking the test in October is scholarship deadlines. “Priority deadline for many scholarships at a university level is December 1st,” English teacher Lindsay Slater said.
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“If you’re [taking the test] for the first or maybe your second time in senior year, you will probably miss out on some scholarship opportunities that, if you would have just started a little earlier, you could have built up a little bit more practice.” Offering the ACT to juniors would increase the students’ chances to get more scholarships, as well as giving them a chance to improve their score before deadlines. Many colleges also have early application deadlines, some of which require a minimum ACT score to be admitted. “[Juniors should be offered the test] so that they can look at their score,” junior Joel Gaddie said. “They have it on record so they know whether they need to do better or not. I just say [to give it to] seniors is a waste, because you can’t use the score at all.” According to the ACT, repeat testers increase their score by 2.9 points on average. In 2015, approximately 57 percent of repeat test-takers improved their score from their previous test. “Statistically speaking, every time you take a … test, your score will probably rise a little bit,” English teacher Christine Borrego said. Since the spring test is in April, Rathbun said her concern is that the juniors would lose an entire month of school. But the question is, are they going to gain enough knowledge in a month to make up for how much they’ll lose over the summer? If the school just offered the same ACT prep classes they offer seniors, the juniors wouldn’t be ill prepared. Offering the ACT to juniors instead of seniors would overall be more beneficial to the students by the time they graduate. n
Column
Words that stuck with the heart McCoy focuses on advice for making the most of your high school experience
Story by Abby McCoy
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ecently I have started to truly ingrain some of the wise words of Dan Loving into my life.
“High school shouldn’t be the best four years of your life,” he said. “They should be good, but this shouldn’t be your peak.” The first time I heard this was during freshman year, but I was reminded of these words as a sophomore at freshman orientation when he gave the class of 2021 the same advice. In all honesty, during my freshman year, his words stuck with me as they still do today. The message was so simple, yet so impactful. It is a constant reminder to me that there is so much more ahead. These four years of our lives are only a glimpse of the journey that lies ahead. Yes, these years, months, weeks, days and seconds should be phenomenal and lived to the absolute fullest. But, it’s important to keep in mind the fact that there is an entire world out there that we haven’t
experienced. There are people, places, things and ideas that we have yet to discover. I know this is as cheesy as it gets, but someday we are going to look back on these years and wonder where the time went. I’m looking forward to the day when I can look back and finally have the self-realization that I have grown into the person that I once wished to be, the person that high school me dreamt of being.
“High school shouldn’t be the best four years of your life.”
—Dan Loving, teacher I can’t wait to discover my full potential and pursue my goals. Not that you cannot do that in high school, because you should always be striving to discover your full potential and pursuing your goals, but
limiting it to such a short time seems silly. I’m not much of a believer in the whole “Finding yourself in high school” concept, because why limit self-growth to four years of your life? The Friday night lights, sleepless nights due to homework, spirit days, bathroom passes, and high school drama are temporary. We are all going to leave Maize High someday. We are all going to leave behind a legacy of the person we were at Maize High. The legacy we leave is up to us. But, more importantly, it’s up to us to understand that these years should be the biggest learning experience of our lives, not the best years of our lives. Ten years from now, 20 years from now, even 50 years from now, I hope I will have taken what Maize High taught me and used it in the real world to create a life I love to live. Dan, thank you for giving freshman me the advice I needed and sophomore me the reminder that I haven’t yet reached the highest point of my life. n
Sophomore Abby McCoy is passionate about Maize High School. She looks forward to her future after high school. Photo by Kylee Delmar
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Sports
A life overtaken Families share first-hand experiences of a loved one with addiction
Photo illustration by Lizzie Bell
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roken bottles, dirty needles, bloodshot eyes and collapsed veins. This is what home has become. This is how the people live every day. It is no longer a safe place, but instead a place built on worries and fears. Your mind constantly races around the fear of coming home to find your parent overdosed or passed out. Your mind never ceases to stop the bad thoughts. Where will your next meal come from and when? What will your parents sell to buy their narcotic charms? This is your reality. This is your life. According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, parental substance abuse has affected more than 35 million children who now are at risk for a mental or physical illness. Of those 35 million children, 13 percent live in a household where a parent or guardian openly battles addiction.
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To me, alcohol was just another thing to drink. — Lindsay Slater
At 6 years old, English teacher Lindsay Slater realized that alcohol wasn’t just another beverage to drink. At 11, she learned the difference between people who can control their alcohol consumption and those who can’t; people like her father and grandfather. At 17, she noticed her brother following in their footsteps. For as long as she can remember, Slater’s grandfather always had a beer in his hand. “He drinks when he gets up in the morning until he goes to bed,” Slater said. “My mother didn’t want me to ride with him in cars because he’s constantly got a beer in his hand.” According to Intoxalock, a company that provides ignition interlocks and breathalyzers for vehicles, every 90 seconds a person is injured from a crash caused by drunk driving. Slater’s father’s drinking problem became more prominent when her parents got a divorce and separately remarried. Only making the situation worse, her father remarried a woman
Now Playing who encouraged his bad habits. “They would just drink and have parties on the weekends, even on the weekends when I was over there,” Slater said. “They were really bad for each other because it was a toxic environment. I quit going over there until they got a divorce.” Growing up in an alcoholic environment, Slater made a pact to refrain from letting herself get to a point of no return by cautioning herself with drinking and those around her that drink. At the age of 12, she asked her mother to ask her stepfather to avoid drinking in the house. Now, as a 26 year old, Slater still struggles with the same feelings. “I drink socially and very casually, but I have never been drunk,” she said. “It’s something that I firmly have stood my ground on throughout my twenties and not drinking throughout my teens. It’s not something I want to leave to chance. It is something that I don’t want to happen. I like to be in control of myself, and I’ve seen what it can do to people” Cindy Baumann, a licensed addiction counselor and director of Valley Hope, said children who grow up in an addictive homes are four times more likely to use. Some children grow up and fall into the category of those called ‘Adult child of an alcoholic’. In that situation, they have a lot of the same characteristics of someone abusing alcohol, but they do not drink. “A child will feel very rejected because they will need something, but mom or dad will be under the influence and can’t provide it for them,” Baumann said. “They feel as if they aren’t worthy, and their self esteem just goes down the drain. Many times they become caretakers. They’ll cook and clean and take care of their siblings. They were the ones who tucked mom in at night because she was so loaded she couldn’t function.” Not only is Slater worried for herself, but as she watches her brother’s addiction grow, she becomes more concerned for his future. The foundation of her growing fear for her brother began his freshman year. “There was the county fair,” Slater said. “They had to stay with their animals overnight and watch them. He stayed with a friend, and they were all drinking. There was a fight of some sort,
and that’s how I heard about it [his drinking].” From then on, Slater watched as her brother’s addiction increased and their relationship began to crumble. “The way that he is choosing to raise his son and the way that he interacts with me, his wife and our family is made worse by the fact that he drinks,” she said. Slater and her family feel as though their efforts to make her brother see his addictive ways go unnoticed by him. “I don’t even think that he knows he’s this way,” Slater said. “I think if you said to him ‘You’re an alcoholic,’ he would say, ‘No I’m not. I just have a drink after work; it’s not affecting my life.’ ” Looking back on it now, Slater said she wishes she would’ve made a greater effort to help her brother with his drinking. “I didn’t think much of it at the time because it was something everyone else that was around him was probably doing,” Slater said. “Now that I see how bad it is, I wish that I had said ‘you don’t want to continue down this path, look at what has happened in our lives that this [alcohol] has caused. This is making it worse, it won’t make things better.’” Slater feels as if having a deeper conversation with her brother when the drinking first occurred, wouldn’t have done much to slow down the damage that had already begun. Although her relationship with her brother is broken and past a point of no return, she feels as if her relationship with her father has greatly improved since she moved away from home to attend college and work at Maize. “Our relationship has gotten better, and I think it is because I’m literally distanced from it,” she said. “He makes an effort to be himself when he’s around me. He calls still, and he’s very loving towards me.”
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Story by Maddie Neigenfind
She broke my heart before anyone else had the chance to. — Daleyn Hopkins
Daleyn Hopkins’ first memories of her mother are from within the walls of a prison. In February 2002, her mom was charged with possession of narcotics. In 2003, she was convicted and sentenced.
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Now Playing Their lives changed forever. “I wasn’t even a year old by then,” said Hopkins, who attends Complete. “But even before she left, she wasn’t around much because she worked a lot in a bar.” The bar where Hopkins’ mom worked was operated by a man who made methamphetamines in the basement as well as in his house where she frequently stayed. Shortly after Hopkins’ mom got her first son taken away, she began abusing meth and became addicted. “I lost me completely,” said Hopkins’ mom, who asked her name not be used for this article. “There was nothing left inside of me. I was empty, I was just existing on this earth. I didn’t even know who I was anymore because I did it to kill my pain and to be numb to the world around me.” Growing up without her mom left Hopkins stranded with a mind full of questions. “I never felt the pain until I got older, but now I just have questions,” Hopkins said. “Like why she started using in the first place. I began to feel as if I wasn’t good enough.” While Hopkins’ mom was in prison, Hopkins and her older sister would load a school bus and go visit her. Her mom was involved in Girl Scouts, which provided her the time once every weekend to see her daughters. “They used to hate it, but when they would come to see me, I would smell their hair,” Hopkins’ mom said. “I always told them, ‘I just want to smell you, I want to make memories.’ I missed giving them baths every night, and I took for granted being a mom.” Hopkins’ mom didn’t see prison as a negative but as a way to improve her current status and get better. “I was a productive inmate,” she said. ‘“A lot of people looked up to me. I taught step aerobics and ran five miles every day. It wasn’t a bad thing for me.” Even though she used prison as a way to get the upper hand in her addiction, once she was out the struggle to deal with the past and her mistakes was very real. “They [the struggles] just pile up and hit you,” Hopkins’ mom said.“You have to learn how to deal with them one at a time. You want to hurry up and try to heal and it’s not like that, you still deal with guilt. I have a lot of guilt with my
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children. I missed four years of their lives.” Now 16, Hopkins sees everything the drugs and her mother’s life choices has left the family with. The emotional struggle of growing up without a mom has affected Hopkins immensely. “I don’t see her as my mom,” Hopkins said. “And that’s hard to say, but she wasn’t there for my childhood, so she doesn’t deserve that title. I call her by her name all the time, and it breaks her heart.” The effects of the drugs have not only affected Hopkins’ relationship with her mother, they also changed Hopkins’ viewpoint on things happening in her own life. “It changed my whole perspective on life and what not to do and the drugs,” Hopkins said.“I don’t like the feeling of drugs being around me.” For Hopkins’ mom, getting clean wasn’t easy. It’s something she struggled with for years down the road after prison. Between the barriers of getting clean and staying clean, her mom found herself in rehab more times than not. “The last time I went to rehab, I wanted it,” Hopkins’ mom said.“I put myself in there. I stayed in prison for two extra days so I could attend, and I stayed in treatment for almost six months. Then I got out and relapsed again for three months, but I got clean, got back on the wagon and said I was done.” Nicholas Milligan, a licensed master social worker, works with those who struggle with addiction for many years. He said he sees rehab as a way for someone to help themselves get things back in life. Especially for those attending inpatient treatment. “It’s hard for people because they’re missing their kids first day of school or whatever it may be,” Milligan said. “One of the things we talk about in treatment is, if you don’t get what you need here and you start using again, you’re going to miss out on way more than the first day of school. The stakes are definitely high, but I would look at it as more as an opportunity to go to treatment and change your life.” According to Milligan, someone who struggles with an addiction is not only traumatizing themselves, but everyone else around them. “There’s lots of trauma for family
members who are involved in substance abuse,” Milligan said. “It’s a ripple effect. If someone is using, it’s going to hurt another person and some of that stuff can be pretty traumatic and the cycle can just continue.” According to Drug Free World, in 2008 the federal government found hat around 13 million people over the age of 12 have reportedly used methamphetamines. Of those 13 million, more than 500,000 are regular users.
100,000 people die yearly from alcohol-related causes resulting in alcohol being the fourth-leading cause of death. In the United States, about 30 people a day die from a alcohol-related crash. Those who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to struggle with alcoholism. Source: ncadd.org, rehabs.com, cdc.gov
Now Playing The use of methamphetamines not only kills your brain, but over time it slowly begins to eat away at you from the outside in. “It [her mother’s scars] just remind me of what she did wrong,” Hopkins said. “It literally ate her from the outside towards the inside. The scars she has are from the constant picking at herself.” Hopkins is not the only person who has to deal with the idea of seeing the
scars that meth and bad decisions have left behind. Hopkins’ mother still struggles with her scars today. “My scars are not healed, sometimes they come open again and they bleed,” Hopkins’ mom said. “The wounds are still here and they still hurt.” Although it’s been a long and broken road for Hopkins and her family to deal with the pain their mother has caused, she is hopeful she will be able to
fully forgive her mother and continue to improve their relationship. She is hopeful for her mom to have a bright, clean future. “I do think she’s done [relapsing],” Hopkins said. “Especially with her boyfriend by her side. She’s stronger now with him. I think if she ever fell back into it, it’s because he’s right there doing it with her, but there isn’t a time where I could ever see her relapsing.” n
The effects of drugs Sober
Only 33 percent of intoxicated people were sober for 10 or more years. Source: luxury.rehabs.com
Marijuana
60 percent of Americans support marijuana legalization.
Source: expandedramblings.com
Alcohol
An estimated 88.000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually. Source: pubs.niaaa.nih.gov
Methamphetamine
More than 12.3 million Americans age 12 and older have tried methamphetamine at least once. Source: rehab-international.org
Sports
Sports in brief
Updates on fall sports at Maize
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Football
he Eagles have started off the season 2-1, winning their first two games, but falling to Derby, a tough opponent, on Friday. In their first game against Newton, the Eagles won 22-19. “It was an ugly game,” junior Eli Owings said. “But we got the win.” In their first home game of the season, the Eagles took victory over Eisenhower 13-10, with a winning touchdown scored by junior Cameron Grimes. The boys played Derby on Friday and fell 60-28. Junior Caleb Grill is fulfilling new responsibilities this season. Although he has been a quarterback his entire high school career, this is the first season he will get to be the starting quarterback. “I think I need to step up and be the best leader and role model I can be so the other kids will look up to me,” Grill said. Grill said that he believes the team exhibits strong defense and offense that will be evident this season. “All together, I think our team has great team chemistry,” Grill said. “We are all just one big family at the end of the day.” n
Junior Cameron Grimes dives into the end zone for the winning touchdown against Eisenhower. The Eagles took the win 13-10. Photo by Ryan Jones
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Story by Abby McCoy
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Soccer
he boys soccer team has kicked off the season with a 2-4-1 record. The Eagles competed in the annual Titan Class Tournament and placed seventh. Junior Logan Voran said communication is vital for the team to be successful this season. “We can definitely improve on communication,” he said. “We just need to keep working harder every day.” Sophomore Marco Ibarra also said he agrees that communication is a key role on the field. “I think the team can be successful this season if we all improve our communication,” he said. “It helps everyone track what they are doing, and it helps when we make mistakes so we know what we did wrong, so we don’t do it again.” Senior Nick Reiswig said he believes that the team’s strength this season is the work ethic they put in at practice. “Our work ethic will take us far in games and score us goals,” Reiswig said. “Some things to improve on would be shooting a little more. We have not taken enough shots, which has resulted in less goals. If we shoot more, we will score plenty.” n
Senior Gavin Caler scored the winning goal for Maize against Valley Center for a 1-0 victory. This was their first win of the season. Photo by Kylee Delmar
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Volleyball
eam unity is a strong link on the 18-4 volleyball team this season. Unity has been a strength in the previous years, as the majority of senior varsity starters have been playing together since eighth grade. Senior Ashlyn Lakin said that because she and her teammates have played together for so long, the girls know how to play as one. Senior Julianna Ledbetter is among many of the girls that have been playing with this same group since middle school, and she agrees that this aspect strengthens the team. “One of our biggest strengths is that we have all been playing together for years,” Ledbetter said. “We all have a super tight-knit friendship off the court which, really helps on the court.” Lakin and Ledbetter said that a goal for this season is to compete at the state level. They believe this is possible by keeping a high standard on the court and being consistent, especially when playing weaker teams. “If we aren’t focused, we will play down to their level instead of playing to our own potential,” Ledbetter said. The girls placed third at their home tournament on Saturday. n
Senior Julianna Ledbetter sets the ball at the first home tournament of the season. The girls placed third at the tournament. Photo by Lauryn Ogden
Sports
Senior Jake Ruder runs for the Boys Cross Country team at their first meet at Lake Afton. The boys took third at the meet and the girls team took second. Photo by Sam Bartlett
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lthough cross country is classified as a fall sport, coach Skeeter Rankins believes the true road to a successful season begins in the summer. “Every cross country coach in the nation will tell you that championships in October or November are won or lost in June, July, and August,” Rankins said. “Summer conditioning/running is where the grind begins.” The new runners to the team use this time in the summer to strengthen and adapt for the upcoming season. Rankins said he hopes that girls can win their seventh AVCTL title in a row. “One major team goal this season for the girls team is to qualify for state,” senior Sydney Blair said. “Last year the girls did not qualify for the first time in many years so we are ready for a come back.” Rankins also has hopes that the boys will be able to win their sixth title in the last seven years. The goal would be to use that as impetus to qualify for state, and vie for a trophy. Senior Carson Pierce believes that because the runners are committed and ready to push each other, that the team will be successful in their goals. “Our main team goal this season is to place in the top three at state because then Rankins has to wear a dress to school,” Pierce said. n
Tennis
Golf
Cross Country
Senior Amber Donker lines up the ball to chip her way back onto the fairway. The girls took first at the tournament at Tex Consolver. Photo by Lizzie Bell
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he girls golf team started off strong from the start this season, placing first in their first tournament at Emporia Municipal Golf Course. “We started out very well,” senior Tessa Kilian said. “Even if I know we can do better, we did a good job. I think we all have the ambition to win the tournaments, and that’s what makes us strong.” Kilian is a foreign exchange student from Germany. She has been playing golf for five years. She said the two-hour practices each day have helped her improve because she only practiced twice a week in Germany. “We do different things every day,” Kilian said. “Some days we play on the course, and other days we go to the range, where we practice our long shots, or practice our short game.” Over the summer, the girls prepared for the upcoming season with practice on the course. Senior Sydney Jackson said as a team, the girls would like to compete at state. “Our main strength is our drive to work hard and get better,” Jackson said. n
Senior Madi Arnold prepares to serve the ball in a quad tournament at home. The girls placed second overall in the tournament. Photo by Morgan Thomas
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he team began its season with a fifth place out of 20 teams at the Wichita Collegiate Tournament, following a first place finish overall at a Goddard Tournament. Junior doubles partners Alaina Cunningham and Lindsay Adams said they have been putting in work during the offseason to prepare. Duo Cunningham and Adams placed first in number two doubles at Goddard. “We’ve really improved our communication net play this past year,” Cunningham said. The tennis team has 40 girls playing this season. “We have strength in numbers,” Cunningham said. “Which gives us more competition in practice.” Junior Lily Williams said a team goal is to place in the top three at state this year. n
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Redefine the O-line The varsity offensive linemen have all changed positions this season Sports
Story by Sadie Ast and Paige Young
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he Eagles have become accustomed to adapting to changes on and off the field. The football team currently has a record of 2-1 and seem eager to take the field with new people playing in new positions. One of the newest changes to the team is their offensive line. Last year, it was considered by many that Maize had one of the strongest lines in the state. “Last year we went 7-3 and had probably the best O-line in the state, so living up to that hype is going to be pretty difficult,” junior center Jacob Quiggle said. “The pressure is good; we need it. It’s motivating us during practice. It’s helping us stay focused, determined and motivated.” Most of the linemen have had to step up from junior varsity and/or switch from defensive line to offensive line. “It’s a lot to take in because I didn’t play much varsity last year,” senior Jordan Hallberg said. “Everyone looks at us like, they lost their O-line, they’re not going to be very good. The offense is not going to be very protected. We’re a lot better than people think, and we’re going to destroy people on Friday nights.” Quiggle said he thinks the line is in the middle between an advantage and disadvantage.
“I think we’re at a disadvantage,” he said. “We came into the season not really knowing what to do. Not everybody knew the responsibilities and all that. I mean it also is sort of an advantage because everybody’s counting us out already. There are a whole bunch of articles saying that the offensive line is going to be a big question mark this year, and so we’ve just been working towards that, showing them up.” Not only have the Eagles had to learn to adapt to their fresh line, but they’ve also had to learn how to play with their new starting quarterback, junior Caleb Grill. “Last year I played a lot with them on JV and we’re stepping up to varsity this year, so I think it’ll be fun,” Grill said. “They’ve improved a lot. I knew they’d get it together. They all have a good, hard-working mentality, and I think it’ll be good.” The players aren’t the only new part of the offensive line. Coach Norris Poole, who previously coached the Maize Middle football team, was brought to the team just in time for the upcoming season. He wasted no time in making an impact on the team. “I like him,” Grill, who previously played for Poole at MMS, said. “He works really hard and is always telling me what to do and is saying the right
things. He’s a really smart coach, and he knows what he’s doing.” Poole said he has had a lot of fun reconnecting with some of his old players, and that it’s one of his favorite parts of taking the job. “I get to coach my former players that used to play [at Maize Middle], and now I get to coach them up there,” Poole said. “I just work hard every day doing everything I can to help them improve.” Poole said he is excited to be working with a completely renewed line, even though he believes that there are pros and cons to it. “There are no bad habits coming in,” he said. “They’re all competing and they know that if they don’t practice hard then they won’t be starting on Friday night.” The team has heard its fair share of criticism toward their predicted performance this season due to the influential changes that were made to who plays what position. But, the team likes to keep a clear head and play for their brothers as soon as they step onto the field. “There are a whole bunch of articles saying that the line is going to be a big question mark this year and so we’ve just been working towards that, showing them up.” Quiggle said. “We’re just like a family out there, actually.” n
The football team rebuilds its offensive line after losing the 2017 class. Photo by Sam Bartlett
Sports
Maize High co-ed cheer team performs at halftime during the game against Eisenhower. The team has expanded to 41 this year. Photo by Ashley Tran
Bigger & Better
Co-ed cheer squad continues growth under Clinton
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he Maize co-ed cheer team has nearly doubled in size over the last three years, with a record 41 members on the squad this year. “It gets pretty loud with 40 of us, but we work together well,” senior Kaci Clinton said. Many of the cheerleaders split time between Maize cheer and competitive teams such as Eclipse. 17 members are currently involved in cheer outside of school, and 30 members were on competitive teams in the past. Stunts, tumbling, jumps, sidelines and performances are some of the focuses at practice. Three years ago, when Lori Clinton first started coaching, the team had 22 cheerleaders. “When I started coaching, I wanted to make sure that our team was supportive of every student of MHS,” Clinton said. “It is never going to be about us. It is about celebrating the success of others.” This coach’s dream has been put into motion over the past couple of years. Volunteer work helps to fuel team spirit both on and off the field. “We do Honor Flight, which is a huge deal, a couple times each month,” Kaci Clinton, the coach’s daughter, said. “We collect cans to send veterans off to the
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Cheerleading is not just for girls anymore. ... The guys are treated like everyone else.
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Story by Olivia Elmore
—Lori Clinton memorial.” The cheerleaders raise money through fundraisers because it takes $700 to send one veteran to the memorials in Washington, D.C. Along with raising money, the team has purchased six flags and a banner to use in parades with Honor Flight. Another focus for the team last year was Project Shine. This year, with Friendship Club at Maize South, the team has adopted Maize Junior Cheer, a team from Maize Elementary. They plan on continuing Project Shine. Three yell leaders are participating along with the other cheerleaders this year. The yell leaders help with a variation of stunts and add a loud booming voice to the squad. Lori Clinton believes in the importance of having both genders participate in cheerleading.
“Having a co-ed cheer team is a must,” Clinton said. “Cheerleading is not just for girls anymore. The stereotypical blonde, dumb cheerleader is no longer a thing. The guys are treated like everyone else. Having them on the team adds strength, louder voices and more spirit. We love our guys.” In the 2014-15 school year, 2,687 boys and 125,763 girls participated in competitive spirit squads. “We [yell leaders] have just bonded more just because we have somebody else to talk to.” junior Collin Lee said. Clinton is also the coach at Maize Middle. She has influenced middle schoolers to participate in cheer in high school. Freshman cheerleader Amber Cottingham said that she joined because the team is full of school spirit, support, and it’s bigger and better at Maize High. “My philosophy for coaching is that at the end of the day, no one will remember if your routine hit or how sharp your cheers were; but they will remember what you did for the greater good of your school and the community,” Clinton said. “You have to see further than your own nose.” n
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Eclipse
Science teacher Jay Super travels to see eclipse Story by Kiara Ehrmann
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solar eclipse stretched across the country Aug. 21. Some areas experienced a partial eclipse while others went completely dark.
“It was like spiritual. I don’t know how else to say it other than [I] got to be apart of something that just seemed really much bigger than me.”
—Jay Super
Science teacher Jay Super seized the opportunity to observe the rare event and traveled to Wyoming with his friends to be in the path of totality. The party watched the eclipse on an extended family member’s ranch. As a nature enthusiast and science teacher, Super was passionate about what he saw. “It was like spiritual,” Super said. “I
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don't know how else to say it other than [I] got to be a part of something that just seemed really much bigger than me.” Super said the sight he saw during totality was awe-inspiring. “It looked like when a storm cloud rolls in and it got really very, very dark,” he said. “You can see it coming, and it just rolled over the top of us until it was completely black.” After his personal experience with the eclipse, Super said he would recommend anyone who has any interest to go visit somewhere within the path of totality during the next full eclipse in 2024. “It's a different pathway, but if you have the opportunity to travel to a place where you can be under the totality, do it,” he said. “You won’t regret it.” n Science teacher Jay Super watches the eclipse. Super took a guys trip up to Wyoming to experience this rare event. Photos submitted by Jay Super.
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Biking her own path
Father, daughter participate in annual tour across Kansas Story by Kynzi Barragan
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weat dripped off her brow, her legs weak as she peddled with 522 of miles behind her. Freshman Jamie Joiner and her dad, John, finally finished their eight-day tour across Kansas in Leavenworth. Jamie does competitive cheer at Cheer Eclipse and also participates on the cheer team at the school. She has been cheering competitively for eight years. After seeing pictures of her dad riding in the Biking Across Kansas tour, Jamie decided she to drop her pom poms for a minute and try it out. “Mostly, I would say biking helped me with cheer,” Joiner said. “It helped me gain a lot of endurance.” Biking Across Kansas is an eight day trip consisting of about 800 riders. They travel approximately 522 miles, biking about 100 miles each day. Riders start on the border of Colorado, and end in Leavenworth, KS. The first day they traveled from the Colorado border to Tribune. This years’ tour also stopped in seven other cities: Dighton, Wakeeney, Plainsville, Lincoln, Junction City, Rossville, and Tonganoxie. “It started last year on the second to last day of school in seventh grade,” Jamie said. “My dad was going out for a bike ride, and I told him I wanted to do Biking Across Kansas.” It took Jamie a little over a year to prepare for her biking tour. Jamie and her dad attempted to ride about 70 miles each week. On Saturdays, they would usually ride about 20 miles to finish off the distance for the week.
“I thought it would be a cool way for me to stand out from everyone else.” Joiner said. John began biking about six years ago after he injured himself running while training for the Prairie Fire Marathon. “My thought at the time was that I would take up biking to stay in shape until I could get back to running; I never did get back to running,” John said. John discovered that he enjoyed biking more than he did running, so he gradually started riding longer and longer distances. In search of new challenges for himself, he decided to do his first Biking Across Kansas tour in 2013. After completing his first tour across Kansas, John swore to himself he would never do it again. “It was so hot and windy during the ride,” John said. “But as time went on, the hot and windy part faded from my memory. I decided to ride Biking Across Kansas again in 2015.” John also rode Register’s Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) in 2015 and 2016. The RAGBRAI tour is similar to Biking Across Kansas, but instead of there being about 800 riders, there are about 15,000. The median age for the riders is about 50 years old. These riders began biking when they were in their teen ages. They have continued to bike over the years. The biking community highly encourages younger people to join them on their journey. “I want to do BAK again because it’s a really cool experience,” Jamie said. “It’s cool to tell them that I can do it.” n
Jamie Joiner and her dad biked through Tribune, Dighton, WaKeeney, Plainville, Lincoln, Chapman, Rossville and Tonganoxie.
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Photo Focus
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ICT ROCKS 2.
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New art around Wichita adds ‘cool’ element to the city Story By Lauryn Ogden
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Photo Focus
A miniature statue of the Keeper of the Plains is located at the pop-up park on Douglas in downtown Wichita.
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hile working at LawrenceDumont Stadium, senior Reanne Shirk came across a rock that had the Wichita flag
These rocks have popped up throughout Wichita within the last year. Citizens of Wichita have been finding rocks and painting them with symbols of Wichita and distributing them throughout the city. “It’s nice to see those things and it kind of brings people together,” Shirk said. “I hope to see more diverse types of things, more about Wichita and the ICT flags.” The rocks are hidden downtown for individuals to find. Painters of the rocks often leave notes that say to use the hashtag #ICTrocks so they can see where their rock ended up and who had it. Anyone can make their own rocks and place them around the city. The rocks are often about Wichita or have a special meaning to the person who made it. Painters usually put quotes or sayings on their rock to show the people that found their rock something about themselves. Senior Dawson Tulk came
across an ICT rock at a YMCA and had no idea what it was until he saw the writing on it. “When I found it, I just thought it was neat that people are finding new ways to express their creativity,” Tulk said. “I would like to see more of them, and the fact that I don’t know who it came from or where it’ll be next or who will find it is pretty cool to me.” The rocks is are not the only thing that the people of Wichita have added to make the city more friendly. People are also starting to create murals around the city. Wichita artist Johnny Freedom has created multiple murals downtown. He said it all started after he painted his first mural on Douglas street. The murals became so popular that businesses started asking him to paint the murals on their walls. “I have several murals in planning stages right now,” Freedom said. He plans to paint one for Wichita Screen Printing/Wichita Clothing Company. People have been decorating alleys
and making downtown come alive. These alleys are not only coated with murals, but many other public spaces have also popped up recently in Wichita. There are many tables downtown that are decorated with paint that makes the city much more colorful. To match the multi-color painted walls, colorful chairs and tables were added as well. These alleys are often used for photo shoots. “I really would like to start going to parks more because nature is really nice here,” Shirk said. “Downtown is really nice with the statues, museums, and the aquarium. It’s fun to get out there and see everyone else participating.” n 1. The Delano clock tower is by Lawrence-Dumount Stadium in the Delano District. 2. Artist created replica of The Keeper of the Plains. They are located around Wichita. 3. A view overlooking the Arkansas River shows downtown Wichita’s Garvey Center and Exploration Place. —Photos by Sam Bartlett
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Trevor McChristian as Jack Kelly in MTWichita’s Newsies. —Pictures courtesy MTWichita, Christopher Clark
The world will know
Maize grad Trevor McChristian seizes the day, starring in MTW’s ‘Newsies’ Story by Casey Loving
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or years, Maize has had award-winning choir and drama programs. The groups have gone to state and national contests and are often praised for their exemplary shows. This summer, a graduate of these programs had his talent in both recognized in a big way.
Maize alum Trevor McChristian played the leading role of Jack Kelly in Music Theatre Wichita’s production of “Newsies.” McChristian beat out candidates from across the country for the part, including Broadway-level actors. “I was thrilled, of course, but I was not expecting it at all, really,” McChristian said. “On the website in the original breakdown for roles for the season ... they said that they were going to be bringing in an equity guest artist from New York to play that role. I was hoping for one like crazy, but never did I ever expect to be offered one, and never did I ever expect to be offered such a crazy, massive role like Jack Kelly.” MTW has been known for its teen internship opportunities. Through these internships, McChristian has been involved with the company since his time at Maize. “During my sophomore year, I started to do shows at Music Theatre,”
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McChristian said. “I auditioned my sophomore year and then was cast in two shows as a teen intern. I had no idea what it was or anything like that, but it was kind of with the help and aid of Doris Prater and other local theatre kids around Wichita.” Even though McChristian’s summer was often occupied with MTW, he still made plenty of time for Maize’s choir and theatre programs during the school year. He landed roles in productions such as “Children of Eden,” “Guys and Dolls,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” “All four years I was very active in the choir and theatre departments,” McChristian said. “It was kind of something that always sparked interest in me, and I think that both Doris Prater and Kathleen Barbara are very encouraging of new kids that come in and show interest in the theatre.” McChristian said his theatre and choir instructors at Maize were very influential for himself and his career moving forward. “I think definitely Mrs. Prater and Ms. Barbara were really exceptionally helpful,” McChristian said. “I think both of them very much urged me to be in the theater and to act and to dance and to sing and to just be a performer in
general, and I think both of them really pushed me in ways to be the professional in the working fields that I am now.” Being so heavily involved in the choir department, McChristian said choir instructor Doris Prater was a strong influence on his performing going forward. “He was an extremely hard worker and very self-motivated,” Prater said. “I was really glad that he had that opportunity. He has one more year of college, and then he’s going to be pounding the pavements for work, so it came at a really good time for him to get a lead like that.” Although he’s been waiting for a leading role with MTW for years, McChristian said he didn’t think he was ready as an actor until he was cast as Jack Kelly. “I guess technically I’ve been ‘waiting [for a role]’ since I was 14, but I only think I was ready this summer,” McChristian said. “I don’t ever think I had the right opportunity or I was old enough yet or I was ready enough or prepared or trained enough yet. I think this summer is the first time that I was truly, really 100 percent prepared
Trevor McChristian as Jack Kelly and Melissa Steadman Hart as Katherine Plumber performing their duet, ‘Something to Believe In.’ —Pictures courtesy MTWichita, Christopher Clark
get punched a few times, then I run up three flights of stairs, then I jump over two gates, then I run up another flight of stairs, then I exit off stage, then I run down 22 more stairs to get a drink of water so that way I can climb a ladder to go sing this song again.” McChristian said. “While it was so fun, it came with a bit of a level of stress.” The song, “Santa Fe”, comes at the end of the first act following a loss for the newsies. Senior Tommy Jacobson will be portraying Jack Kelly for Maize’s upcoming choir concert, allowing him to sing “Santa Fe” himself. In preparation for the concert, Jacobson was able to work with McChristian on the song. “It’s incredibly difficult for a young singer to do,” McChristian said. “I’ve had years of voice training under my belt now. If I didn’t, I would have no idea what to do with it. I couldn’t imagine singing the song if I was a senior in high school. I couldn’t imagine
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This is always what I’ve wanted to do. I’m finally getting to do it, so why feel any pressure? —Trevor McChristian
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enough and trained enough to play such a massive role like the one in ‘Newsies.’” With years of vocal training and experience in the field, McChristian said he wasn’t as stressed about leading such a big show as one might expect. More than anything, he was excited to take on the challenge. “This is always what I’ve wanted to do,” McChristian said. “I’m finally getting to do it, so why feel any pressure? Why feel any stress? Why feel any worry? You know what you’re doing, you have the training to do what you need to do, you know how to do it, all you gotta do is just do it.” The role of Jack Kelly was portrayed by Christian Bale for Disney’s original movie of “Newsies.” Once the show moved to the stage, Jeremy Jordan was the first to play the now-iconic character. McChristian said he finds the role to be incredibly written, as well as relatable. “I think it’s very well written, I think it’s very enjoyable to do, and I think it’s very difficult,” McChristian said. “He’s very easy to relate to in terms of it’s a young guy going after his dreams, and all he wants to do is lead a happy life. I think all of us can relate on that level.” Doing a production as big as “Newsies” for a company as professional as MTW, McChristian said plenty of difficulty came with the role. He attributed his biggest challenge to the moments leading up to his big solo. “I had just finished doing the entirety of ‘Seize the Day,’ and then the fight sequence afterword with all of the adults, where I run around the stage, I
singing the song if I was anywhere in high school.” Jacobson sings for MTW’s teen choir, performing before the company’s major shows and had a background role for The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Prior to the two getting involved with the company, Jacobson and McChristian had known each other for years through Maize Recreational community theatre. “I actually have known him since I was in elementary school,” Jacobson said. “My mom directed Maize Rec musicals for a while, and he did those. His first show he did was Music Man, I think he said, and I did that too. That’s when I first met him.” Even though he had already known McChristian, Jacobson said he found it stressful to sing his solo for him after seeing the MTW production. “That [singing for him] was nerve wracking,” Jacobson said. “You see him go up there and do it, and it’s like ‘Whew. That’s really good.’ It was cool to get his input on it, and it was a little
Trevor McChristian as Jack Kelly and Trevor Michael Schmidt as Crutchie in “Santa Fe,” the opening song of ‘Newsies’. —Pictures courtesy MTWichita, Christopher Clark
nerve-wracking, but it was fun.” McChristian said he definitely plans to continue his career in musical theatre, which he is currently studying at Elon University in North Carolina. There are several show and characters he said he’d love to portray in the future, but McChristian’s dream role may not even exist yet. “Rather than a dream role, I’d say one of my dream shows or accomplishments is to originate a role,” McChristian said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be on Broadway or a massive production or anything like that, but there are lots of workshops and smaller things in New York and smaller things around the country that are doing original work, and one of my biggest goals is to be the first person to play a role. I think that would be incredible.” McChristian spoke to choir students at Maize in early August while he was in town for the show, giving them several pieces of advice he’s picked up in his early career for anyone hoping to pursue musical theatre. “Sometimes it’s hard to look at the big picture and remove yourself from silly things, but I think always work hard and be kind,” he said. “I should get that tattooed across my forehead or something. No matter what, the person who works harder is always going to be the one who is more passionate about it and wants it more, and that drive is what’s going to keep them going in life. The kindness level that you have and the kindness level that you carry with everyone else will take you just as far.”n
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The Nest
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Senior Justin Watkins, along with the entire student section reacts to a play on the field. The Eagles stole the lead in the 4 quarter from Eisenhower. ` Photo by Ryan Jones
(Above) Students in the Red Rage section thank the military and veterans for their service. Kansas Honor Flight was collecting donations at the first home game. Photo by Ashley Tran (Below) The student section sings “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” as halftime ends. The crowd lights up with flashlights. Photo by Ryan Jones
(Above) Senior Cole Carter cheers on the football team. The Eagles took their second win of the season. Photo by Ryan Jones (Left) Senior Izabel Salas expresses her school spirit at the first home game. Eagles win 13-10 against Eisenhower. Photo by Ryan Jones
(Below) The student section chants “I Believe That We Will Win” as the first home game begins. This chant is carried out at every game. Photo by Ryan Jones
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Upcoming events
September & October Sunday 17
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Monday 18
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Tuesday
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Wednesday Thursday
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Volleyball Triangular v. Salina Central & Campus
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28 Girls Golf Boys Soccer v. Goddard
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Saturday
Friday
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Homecoming Parade
Homecoming Dance
Football v. Salina South
Cross Country Meet
29 Football v. Ark City
30 Cross Country Meet
Boys Soccer v. Salina Central
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Girls Tennis
Boys Soccer v. Hutch
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5 Boys Soccer v. Newton
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Football v. Campus
Volleyball Trianglular v. Derby, Newton
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Boys Soccer v. WichitaSoutheast
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Boys Soccer v. Campus
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Boys Soccer v. Derby
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KAY club blood drive
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Boys Soccer v. WichitaNortheast
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Football v. Salina Central
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Cross Country Meet Volleyball
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Football v. Hutch
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Cross Country regional meet
Volleyball
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Cross Country state meet