September 7. 2018 Print Issue by RHS ECHO

When RHS Speaks, We

Echo Rolla High School - 900 Bulldog Run - Rolla, Missouri 65401- Volume 69 - Issue 1 Septmeber 7, 2018 - www.rhsecho.com @rhsechonews

Family, students share memories of a friend Just before the start of the school year in August, soon to be senior, August Whitt, lost a silent battle against depression. August (or Auggie, as his friends and family nicknamed him), was a model student, a great friend, an amazing brother and son. He has attended Rolla Public Schools since kindergarten, was a prominent member in the high school band, recent attendee of the Missouri Boys State convention, cat lover, and avid gamer. August loved to make people smile with his many Auggie-isms, including “graphic design is my passion” or

speaking random Polish words that he got from Google Translate. But while he was spending his time making his peers smile daily, August was extremely sad. A sadness that he kept internalized and was much more serious than anyone had realized. Depression among high schoolers is commonly minimalized, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide ranks as the second most common cause of death for teenagers, proving that depression and other silent diseases should not be taken lightly. continued on page 4

August Whitt after passing his drivers test

There’s no better Food grown locally has health, time than today economic benefits for consumers to get involved. Here’s how:

August Whitt in Hawaii on a Rolla High School Marching Band trip

Fall sports begin

Club Information continued on page 3

Courtesy of AEthereal Acres Facebook page

Eco Club - Mondays after school in room 251 (Mrs. Millis)

Student Council - Tuesdays before and after school in room 311

Courtesy of The Bus Stop Rolla Facebook page

Art Club - Tuesdays after school

in room 107

Octagon Club - Wednesdays after school in room 309 (Mrs. Webb)

FBLA

- Wednesdays after school in room 228 (Mr. Haberman)

FTA - Wednesdays after school in room 224 (Mrs. Jarrett)

The Rolla community has been blessed by an abundance of fresh food and local splendor this summer at the downtown farmer’s market. Every Saturday, farmers, craftsmen, and local vendors gather to share their goods with the town. The atmosphere of the farmers market is one of warmth and friendship. When people arrive, they are greeted by smiles and waves from vendors, wafts of coffee from the coffee cart, and friendly faces of the community. “The farmers market helps support the community as a whole. The friendships that are developed, the trust in what you’re buying, knowing it’s local. I think that that builds a loving trust within a community,” Honey Vendor Yvonne Roe said. Supporting the local community means investing in local products. Foods purchased from the farmer’s market are produced and distributed entirely within the community. This process of production has innumerable benefits for consumers compared to commercial products. Debbie O’Shea, who has a booth of homemade relish, knows a lot about these

benefits. “When you buy food at a farmers market it’s 100 percent natural. None of us use artificial anything in our stuff. And that means it’s healthier for you… besides that you’re also giving a boost to farmers, old or young, you know that probably need just a little extra income anyway. And you identify a face with the product you’re buying, that always helps,” O’Shea said. Buying locally grown food also lessens the detriment of agriculture on the environment. Missouri has a heavy dependence on agriculture as well as beautiful scenery and ecosystems, which can be affected by this industry. Small scale farms can help lessen these effects. Local farmer Eric Meusch explains this dynamic. “When agriculture becomes industrial and really centralized then you end up in a situation where it can impact the environment. So by staying local it’s usually done at a scale so that some of those issues aren’t at play. The people that use the product are the same people that live in the community and care about their environment and so you avoid a lot of those problems,” Meusch said. continued on page 6

Teacher Feature b y

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English teacher Bonnie Hall

Mrs. Hall teaches a variation of Communication Arts classes. “I start my day with creative writing, then I have four sessions of English II, and I end my day with ACT prep,” Hall said. Mrs. Hall started teaching in 2006 and has had various teaching jobs since. She has taught in the Rolla school district before she came to the high school this year. “When my husband and I moved back to Rolla, I taught at the Junior High full time; I taught freshman English,” Hall said. There are many reasons Mrs. Hall chose to become a teacher. “I love kids, and I love growth, so anytime I can be beside children who are growing and learning, that makes me really happy. Written communication and verbal communication is a great way to enrich relationships, and then societies. Make a difference in the world,” Hall said. Mrs. Hall wanted to let students know one more thing about her. “I have a natural bias in favor of students. I am already very pro student before I know them. I am happy to champion them any way that I can,” Hall said.

Psych teacher Amanda Engleke Mrs. Engelke, a new Rolla High teacher, teaches Social Studies. “My primary focus is on psychology. I teach intro level psychology courses, advanced placement psychology, as well as a crime and justice course,” Engelke said. Mrs. Engelke has grown up in the Rolla area for most of her life. “I graduated from Rolla High School in

2003, and I’ve been living here ever since. I’m a Rolla girl,” Engelke said. This is going to be Mrs. Engelke’s eleventh year teaching. “I decided to become a teacher primarily because I enjoy working with people. I think I am kind of a natural, I explain things a lot, and I enjoy helping people understand,” Engelke said. Having attended RHS, Mrs. Engelke is enjoying seeing the changes the school has gone through over the years. “This year has been really fun so far because having gone to school here, I feel like I’m coming back home. It’s been really cool to be in the building. They have had two major renovations to this building from when I went to school here and it’s been a lot of fun walking through the building and seeing the older parts of the building,” Engelke said. Mrs. Engelke is already having fun interacting with her students. “I will say that the students here have been incredibly welcoming and really hard workers so far, and I really appreciate their openness. They’ve been really awesome and welcoming to Rolla,” Engelke said.

Think the juul is consequence free? Recent studies show that is a misconception b y

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The product was created with the best of intentions- to help users overcome their addiction to harmful tobacco products, and in turn have less of an influence on younger generations to engage in related habits. E-cigarettes, most specifically the Juul, quickly gained the reputation for being a consequence-free way to smoke with the bonus of fun flavors. Vaping became popular among college students and quickly caught on in high schools, as it provided a discreet, safe, and guilt-free way to fake the edgy vibe that traditional cigarettes had.

Letter from the Editor With the school year starting again, I could take this time to give advice to freshman but instead I’m going to reminisce on the days they weren’t here. I remember my sophomore orientation so vividly, mostly because it was pretty traumatic. Walking into a school that I had rarely ever been in was so difficult. You think you know most people instead you get thrown into groups for ice breakers and you’ve never seen anyone there before. Having to come up with fun facts about yourself should be easy until you’re put on the spot and suddenly you’ve led the most dull life of all time. Though orientation was bad, at least I was surrounded by people just as confused as I was. The first day of school however, I got lost between nearly every hour and

But as with all popular things, controversy pertaining to the habit came swiftly. People were quick to point out that, as with all smoking, vapers would experience some negative side effects including dizziness, coughing, dry mouth and eyes, and the occasional nosebleed. A small price to pay for those trying to quit the normal cancer-causing tobacco products, but for young adults without this detrimental habit, the only “benefit” is the nicotine high, equivalent to smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. Between the aesthetic of vaping, the desire to fit in with peers, the nicotine high, and the rebellious desire to do what is not allowed, it iss no wonder that vaping is so

popular. Teachers everywhere complain of vape pens being disguised as actual pens, smoky bathroom stalls, and even students vaping right in front of them. But is vaping as popular in Rolla as it is elsewhere? Fear not, parents and faculty. Not every student is fired up about vaping, nevermind doing so in school. “The fact that people would create an entire following around something so utterly meaningless is beyond me. I’ve seen people brag about them, use them in the bathrooms and in class, and anywhere else they deem fit. The whole concept, at least to me, has been blown up to idiotic proportions,” said Logan Wilson. Wilson was not the only one to voice his

frustrations about the amount of people vaping in schools. “Juuling inside of school is not cool. I don’t care what you do outside of school with your free time, that’s up to you. Just stay safe and don’t be dumb. Honestly, this is just another fad that will ‘blow’ over in just the matter of time,” said Celeste Lietz. No matter the opinion, it is evident that students do not know enough. While it is certainly less unhealthy than smoking cigarettes, the addictive part of vaping is dangerous to people’s mental health, and the long-term effects of vaping are relatively unknown. But more than that, the general public at least asks one thing: stop vaping in school.

ECHO Staff Adviser: Mary Gillis

Senior Maia Bond

no one wanted to help me! As a senior I can relate to being annoyed with confused freshman, but at the time it made me even more scared for the year. I know this makes high school out to be a nightmare, and in some ways it definitely is, but soon after those first few days I adjusted well. Just avoid upperclassmen at all costs and you’ll never have to encounter mildly angrier and bigger kids. I found classes and teachers I liked and found what I wanted to do, it just took a year of wandering the halls scared and most likely lost. So I guess some advice to freshman would be that it really isn’t so bad, even if you’re lost in the hallways now, you’ll find what you like soon.

Editor In Chief: Maia Bond Managing Editor: Kayla Copeland Copy Editor: Jace Swearingen Arts and Entertainment: Nalani Massaro Webmaster: Blaize Klossner Photography: Bailey Allison News: Taylor Miller Opinion: Courtney Kelley Sports: Brandon Kirchner Feature: Lorren Black Staff Writers: Cameron Cummins, Gabby Jones, Julia Leventis, Lauren Ulrich, Rosalia Bolyard, Genevieve Huber

ECHO is an open forum for student expression. All letters to the editor must include the writer’s name, signature and class or position. Anonymous letters will not be published. ECHO reserves the right to reject any letters. Letters should be sent to ECHO, Rolla High School, 900 Bulldog Run, Rolla, MO 65401. ECHO is a member of Missouri Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association, and Quill & Scroll Honor Society

Follow @rhsechonews on Twitter and Instagram. For more news and sports go to www.rhsecho.com 2 News

RHS Clubs b y

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Rolla High School has a variety of opportunities for students to participate in all the activities they are interested in. From Debate Club to Robotics and even a Book Club, every person has the chance to get involved, make friends, have fun doing something they enjoy, and possibly prepare for the career they would like to pursue. If you are into helping the community, FCCLA, run by FACS teachers Jamie Cantrell and Carol White, is a great community to join. They are very involved service projects at RHS and in the local Rolla community, sponsoring activities such as the

Wearing of the Greens during St. Patrick’s Day, Toys for Tots before Christmas, and a yearly visit to the nursing home. “If you want to be a part of a fun organization that is student run and does good things for the community, and good things for Rolla High School, I think you would enjoy this club,” White said. For those into theatre, the International Thespian Society, run by drama teacher Kelli McNeven, may be of interest. This is especially great for students who love theatre and would like to get more involved. “It is the equivalent of the National Honor Society but for students who have shown excellence in theatre. Instead of it being based on academics, its based on their theatrical experiences,” McNeven said, ”A lot of the students we have join the International Thespian Society tend to be the students who are really involved in theatre classes, productions, improv club, really any opportunity that they have to be

involved in theater”. In order to get involved a requirement is to be onstage or helping in technical things in two productions the RHS Drama Department puts on. Another great organization is FBLA. FBLA, run by business teacher Jeremy Haberman, stands for Future Business Leaders of America. FBLA gives every student the “opportunity to showcase their talents,” says Haberman, “You get to travel, meet new people; it’s a really neat organization to be involved in, I believe”.. There are so many topics of competition available, so there is definitely something of interest for every student, and there is the opportunity to meet great people and have a good time. It is advised though to join as soon as possible, because it is best to get involved as soon as possible. Joining a club can bring fun, friends, and good times, so feel free to get involved!

Student safety becomes local, national mission b y

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Never before has gun violence and gun control been more of an issue. The years 1999 through 2018 have all been tragic, with a massive increase in school shootings and violence. A data chart from “The Washington Post” shows that over 215,000 students have experienced gun violence. Upon further research, a recurring idea came up. Not one single school shooting was unintentional. Each person who committed the act had premeditated reasons regarding why they did it. It could have been bullying from peers, it could have been unfair treatment regarding the grad-

ing rubric, it could have been a multitude of things. So, how can we as students prevent this? The first thing that we can do is make sure that everyone around us is healthy, both emotionally and physically. With one sentence, you can either make someone’s day, or ruin it. This can be through texting, posting on social media, or just outright speaking to someone. So, instead of thinking negatively, think positively. For the person that likes to be loud and proud, let them know that you think it is cool that they can be so alive, instead of saying that they are immensely obnoxious. Tell the people who are having a bad day that it will get better. Another way we can prevent a school

shooting is by being wary. Every school shooter has shown signs before they committed the act. Not all of them are obvious, but if we keep an eye out, we will be able to spot the people that deviate from the norms. Keep an ear open for some small talk in the hallways. You could potentially hear something that could save someone’s life. Honestly, talking about shooters is hard. Many people who have been affected by violence tend to keep to themselves, and they do not want to talk to anyone about the subject at hand. The only way that we can prevent or stop these accidents from happening is by taking action. So for now, the best action we can take is to plan ahead.

This Month In History 11th of 2001: The worst terrorist attack in US History was carried out with the hijacking of four planes, killing over 3,000 people 16th of 1620: The Mayflower departed from England with 102 passengers, arriving in America on November 21st 17th of 1862: The bloodiest day in US military history occurred as the Confederate armies were stopped in Maryland by the Union forces. By nightfall 26,000 soldiers were dead, wounded, or missing 22nd of 1776: During the American Revolution, Nathan Hale was executed without trial after being caught spying on British troops. His last words were, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” 24th of 1957: President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the national guard to enforce racial integration in Little Rock, Arkansas

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Remembering August Whitt:

August’s Best Quotes

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“It is a Mystery” “Have a good sip” “Graphic design is my passion” “Rory so good” “Sorry, I don’t speak Italian” “Zartujes!” “Oh boy! 3 a.m!” “I convinced everyone I was Buddhist” “Your Dole Dippers, madame?” “Gotta have me a good la-sa-ga” “Sorry, the library is closed” “Upset Upset Upset!” “SCOTLAND FOREVER!!!!”

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“I want the student body to know [that] we really know very strongly that August was really loved, and he knew he was really loved, but he was sick. He obviously had depression and we didn’t know it, and he didn’t share that with us. And [I want everyone to know] that nobody has to go through this alone, you’re never ever alone, there’s always somebody that you can talk to. There are so many people that will listen and it doesn’t even have to be someone in your family or somebody that you know, there’s so many places you can get help,” August’s mom, Jennifer Whitt said. While there are ways to get help, it is essential to recognize when and what might

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Staff Reporter

create those feelings. That is hard when the culture often uses the language associated with mental illness casually. Auggie’s friend, senior Micah Fisher elaborated. “I think all of kids nowadays think [of] ‘I’m gonna kill myself’ as a joke...like we take it as a joke when someone says ‘I’m depressed’ and you’re just like whatever, you pull it off like it doesn’t matter, but it really isn’t a joke. It’s something very serious and important,” Micah said. August was a high schooler like all of us. He took classes, participated in activities, and was a person who many cared and talked about. His mom recalled a memory of August that made her smile. “So my favorite, I wasn’t even there, he and Jason and Hannah, and his Aunt

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Stacy, went to Chicago, and it was really cold and windy, and they walked to the bean, and it was a long walk in the cold, and it’s just a big reflective statue, they get there and he goes “IT’S NOT EVEN A REAL BEAN,” Whitt said. Fisher hopes that the loss of his friend will open up discussion among his peers, so that people will understand better how to prevent future loss. “There’s work to be done through August, that is incredible. It’s been a huge eye-opener I think for everybody,” Fisher said. If you or someone you know is struggling, please call the suicide hotline 1-800273-8255 or talk to someone on the Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741

A Letter From Jason Whitt Do you remember the kid with the big curly blond hair who wore silly T-shirts, smiled a lot, and played tuba in band? If you didn’t know him, his name was August John Whitt. God blessed us with August for 17 and a half years. August took his own life a few weeks before school was to start this year, leaving a mom, dad, and big sister (his best friend) in indescribable pain, confusion, and loss. Auggie knew how much his family loved him, but he was suffering from depression and hid that fact from everyone. A depressed person’s mind thinks only negative and irrational thoughts, and may become overwhelmed by issues in life such as self image, perceived failure, and a hopeless future. Usually these thoughts are irrational and in August’s case they definitely were! In reality, depression is a serious illness. It is an illness which only people afflicted by it can understand its

seriousness. Depression is also a sickness that can be treated! At his visitation ceremony, we were surprised and honored to see the number of people who wished to pay their respects. Several high school students had stories of how Auggie had brightened their lives in some way, or had been kind to them. I remember one young man who told us he was a new kid and was very nervous on his first day. He said August made a point to befriend him and make him feel welcome. Several kids left letters and pictures on the casket. His two grade school girlfriends came through line together. As always, all the teachers had glowing comments about his character. August had a family member in the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and was honored by the Patrol and our fine Sheriff’s and Police Departments with a unbelievably impressive police escort to and from the funeral home. We

were also deeply moved by the Rolla High School football team, who were in the midst of a practice and as we went by the field on the way back to the funeral home, the entire team faced the road and bowed their heads. August would have loved to see these things, and would have been so proud. August was born again. He was saved by Jesus Christ when he was 14 years old. This gives us great hope and anticipation of seeing him again someday in Heaven, where we know God is keeping good care of him for us. We pray for him and ourselves every day, and sincerely ask for each of your prayers as well. Finally, we ask that you try to remember August, who while we were blessed with him, made the world a brighter and a better place. -Jason Whitt (Dad)

Sleep deprivation affects high school students b y

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In the halls of Rolla High, it is heard all the time: student after student, each complaining about their lack of sleep. It seems almost competitive, the way one mentions how they only slept for four hours, and someone in their vicinity butts in with how they only had two. And with the school days always starting with the hallways smelling like coffee, and the Kickstart cans fill trash bins, it becomes more and more obvious: high schoolers are not getting enough sleep. It is clearly a widespread issue, the lack of sleep. Though at the high school age sleep is most important to growth, 87 percent of students are chronically sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation has a multitude of causes and consequences that are exacerbated by simply being an adolescent, as psychology teacher Mrs. Engelke notes.

¨What most teenagers don’t realize is that you guys actually need more sleep than most other age groups. How much sleep we need is genetically determined… Children and teens are going through so much growth both physically and emotionally -and just mentally, all this schooling- that teenagers the amount they recommend is eight to nine hours in the night. And there’s no way that most of our teens are getting that,” Engelke said. But as most students know, to get the full amount of sleep recommended, it would require sacrificing some things that can not afford to be sacrificed, and Engelke definitely sympathizes. “You guys are just pushing the boundaries. You’re taking more and more Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes than the previous generation did.

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There is a lesser known consequence You’re working, trying to be competitive, to sleeping less, one that can turn into a enjoy all your extracurricular activities, headache-inducing cycle. The very stress and you’re trying to have a social life on of schoolwork that keeps students up at top of it...you have to make a choice. You night would be reduced if they could get either have to lose sleep in order to get all more sleep. of it done, or you get the sleep that you ¨Our physical bodneed and you’re and our mental ies for not prepared bodies are linked those activities,¨ very closely together. Engelke said. Sleep is not only Having all helping you to reduce of these varitoxins and repair ous things in a damage to your physschedule makes ical tissue, but it’s it extremely also incredibly imdifficult to balportant for memory ance personal formation. It’s really needs with a important for you as curriculum that far as stress manis more or less agement. All those expected if for stress hormones that success. Howyou’re producing ever, having this throughout the day, packed schedule your body is regulatseems to directly ing those if you get an contradict what adequate amount of is biologically sleep.¨ needed. However, it is not “We have Students suffer from sleep deprivation due the stress of out of stuentirely a circadian schoolwork and their involvement with extracirruclar dents’ control. Most rhythm -a activities. also have a habit that biological clocknegatively contributes that throughout to the lack of sleep -though just about the course of a 25 hour cycle, we have these highs and lows as far as our physievery student will deny it- and that is the cal energy and our mental focus. Most inclination to using technology for longer teens tend to wake up later in the day and and later than suggested. they tend to be more awake later in the “As you’re feeling alert, you have those evening, but that makes it harder to wake screens on and you’re interacting with up early in the morning. So most teenagers your friends. But the light from our cell don’t really feel alert until about 10 o’clock phones, iPads, tablets, computers, TVs, in the morning. And yet high school starts and whatnot, stimulates the brain to at eight,¨ Engelke said. where it also feels more awake. When it

gets dark out our brain starts producing more hormones that make us sleepy. [But] that artificial light is interfering with that. It’s recommended that you turn off all screens an hour before bedtime at least, and most of us aren’t doing that. You may feel alert, but if you keep staying in front of that screen you’re not going to help yourself get to sleep. And you know that six o’clock is going to roll around and you’re gonna have to get up no matter what.¨ But even if that particular bad habit was changed, what can be done about the natural disposition to being awake later than is best for the schedule demanded? What can be done about the necessary hectic lifestyle? Both of those are out of students´ control. ¨We feel this pressure as part of that culture to also do all of these things. But what we are losing sight of is that it may not be healthy for us to do everything at once. Because our bodies need certain things and good, adequate, consistent sleep is one of those,” said Engelke. Engelke´s best advice was to rationalize the schedule itself to keep it from becoming overwhelming and unmanageable. She feels, as a student, the most important thing to do is to make informed decisions on how much to take on at any one point. “If, as teenagers, [you] can start developing the ability to think about your life and how you want that to be shaped, and how you want to feel, there’s some important questions that you have to start asking yourself. What do I want to accomplish? Do I have to take all of this on right now, or can I space this out? Can I work on things gradually? I always like to tell my students you can do anything that you want to, but you don’t have to do it all at once,¨ Engelke said.

The Rolla Mission Welcomes Volunteers

In an office that doubles as a bedroom, Director of The Mission, Ashley Brooks, busily works, often interrupted by patrons asking questions and looking for soap. She runs everything including the fundraising, volunteers, and raising awareness about homelessness and what The Mission does to address it. Their services include three meals a day Monday through Thursday, with a lunch on Friday and a breakfast on Sunday. A free laundromat, shower, and overnight stays in the winter are also available to anyone who needs them. Because of the amount of services that The Mission provides, volunteers are a vital asset to their organization. “We need volunteers every hour that we are open. We couldn’t do this at all if it weren’t for our volunteers,” Brooks said. Volunteers can do anything from cleaning and organizing to cooking and preparing meals. Brooks assures that no matter their skill level, anyone can help out. Even she burnt the grilled cheese on her first try. Because they welcome a wide range of skill levels and ages, it allows kids to help out too. Brooks smiles and mentions one girl that brought her friends to The Mis-

sion. They cooked and served a meal for her ninth birthday party. Children as young as her are volunteering, but children her age are also in need of the services The Mission provide. Senior Ashley Barth worked with the Octagon Club to rehab the small children’s room in the back of the shelter. “We surveyed what the room was like before and it was pretty rundown. It needed new paint and new flooring. We stripped everything out of the room and redid the floors and walls. We sorted through the toys to determine what we had to donate, throw out, and save. Then we cleaned what we could save and shopped for new furniture and toys,” Barth said. With the new children’s room in place, Barth is happy to know how her work has affected kids. “It is so cute to hear that those kids are finally living a normal childhood and finally have a place to play and forget their problems,” Barth said. Barth worked with a team for months to complete the project, and the shelter knows that not everyone has that much time or energy to invest. Brooks promises there are jobs for everyone, even simply being there.

“One of the needs we really have is for people who can just come and be a presence and talk to people. A lot of people that are homeless are really lonely or really going through something. They need someone to talk to that will listen to them and not judge them and just love and support them,” Brooks said. Being there to listen to their stories can not only help them cope, but also enlighten volunteers that are simply unaware of their struggles. Barth expected to possibly be hassled by the patrons like the homeless populations in bigger cities do, but she could not have been more wrong. “Once you go, you can’t stop going back. The people there are so nice and such hard workers. The stereotype that you have of homeless people totally changes. You see that a lot of them do work and put a lot of effort into everything that they do but it is just hard to make a living,” Barth said. Anyone interested in volunteering to help the shelter and possibly gain some new perspectives can help keep The Mission’s doors open at night during the winter. They need 40 to 50 people to stay overnight. This would allow patrons to stay in the room of recliners and sofas and out of the cold. Volunteers ensure that

the shelter can provide hot showers and a place to sleep, but the shelter cannot offer these things full time yet. With the help of more volunteers and donations, they can reach a full time operation. “Our ultimate goal is to be open seven days a week so that no one has to go a day without eating. Another major goal of ours is to be a year round shelter so that no one has to sleep outside at night any time of year.” Brooks said. Prospective volunteers can fill out a form on The Mission website and email it to therollamission@gmail.com or call their phone number to discuss options with Brooks as well. Brooks welcomes anyone that is willing to help their cause. “I would encourage people to just come and see. I know sometimes people are hesitant because they don’t know what it’s like but it really is amazing and it really will change your perspective. Not only are you not the same person you were when you walked in, you are a better version of yourself. It is just a wonderful, special place and we are so grateful for anyone that wants to come be a part of it,” Brooks said. Photo Courtesy of Ashley barth

Seventeen years after 9/11 two teachers remember the day b y

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Nearly seventeen years have passed, and September 11th still evokes the most poignant of feelings in Americans : dread, confusion, and a kind of uncertainty incomparable to anything we had faced as a country before. We are the first generation of high-school students devoid of any memory of the tragedy. Most students had not yet been born at the time of 9/11. Young people will never know first-hand of the event that united our nation in grief seventeen years ago.

As for those who can vividly recall exactly what they were doing at the time of the attack, their minds may have partially failed them. Many psychological studies have shown that trauma has the potential to alter memories. As a result, false memories can be instilled or altered by others’ recollections or by exposure to the media coverage. This accounts for how two people can have drastically different accounts after experiencing the same thing. ECHO adviser, Mary Gillis, recalls her experience on that Tuesday--the eleventh of September, 2001. “ECHO came around. By that time, people were saying ‘this is terrorism’, ‘this is a big thing.’ I think we all knew this was

one of those days we’d remember. So, we decided we were going to do an overnight paper. We dropped everything and came up with story ideas,” Gillis said. Bonnie Hall, a former student of Gillis’s, was a high school senior and a part of the ECHO staff at the time. “My memory of 9/11 is mostly in fuzzy vignettes. But I vividly remember thinking about how I was on the newspaper, and I considered myself a journalist. I felt that I had the important job of conveying the story to my peers,” Hall said. Gills seems to recall more of the facts of what happened that day, while Hall reflected on the impact it had on her as an impressionable teenager.

“As I look at my students, it can seem like maybe they haven’t lived long enough to yet apply these rich themes--life, love, loss, and justice. When I think about my experience as a student living through 9/11, it seems to be an ‘already, but not yet’ feeling. I had experience acting like an adult as a senior, but I didn’t quite have depth of understanding that I have now,’ Hall said. Whether you lived through the era or not, 9/11 is both part of our history and part of us. As the anniversary approaches, remember to be mindful about the subject and tasteful in your expression of it. Never forget.

Tips for preparing for the ACT exam b y

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Just like homework, the ACT can be tiresome and demanding. From studying for only a few hours after school to a whole weekend of studying, it takes up time. While some people believe it requires a week of cramming, others believe an abundance of spread out practice tests are most beneficial for retaining information. As reported by Senior Renee Wang, practice tests are where it’s at. “Keep doing the practice tests over and over and that not only helps you learn the topics but it also familiarizes you with the format of the test and the types of questions they ask,” Wang said. Studying for our tests is common knowledge. It improves our performance and it better prepares us for exams like the ACT and SAT. Though both are made to test our understanding of what we know, they specialize in different things. “In the (standard) SAT it doesn’t have science, so if you’re not good at science, then you could take that,” Wang said. Regardless of content, without a grasp of how to manage time, it is easy to get distracted when taking the test and not perform to one’s greatest capability. According to ACT Prep teacher, Bonnie Hall, without knowing how to pace oneself, a student’s knowledge may not have the same effect as one who does well under limited time. “Students who maybe have been preparing in an earnest way and really are consistently going back over those skills,

that’s a really great start, but maybe they haven’t taken the time to time themselves. Maybe they’ve taken practice tests, but they haven’t had a simulated test experience, which changes the entire dynamic of preparation. When you have time, your brain goes into a different mode, your heart goes into a different mode...if you’re more leisurely in your preparation and in your test taking, even if it’s just in practice, then when you get to the actual test, you could be placing yourself up for some hardship. I’ve heard some first hand account from students who have already taken the ACT that they should pace and time themselves in their practice testing,” Hall said. As much as preparation and time play a big factor to performing well on the ACT, comfort in as little as what you wear can play a part in helping lower stress and increase concentration when taking the test. Senior, Kassi Hayes, recalls what she wore. “I’m a person who gets cold really easily and I know testing rooms are usually uncomfortable and cold and I always make sure I’m wearing athletic leggings or something like that. That’s comfortable and will keep me warm, but is also breathable so you don’t get too sweaty. I always wear a tshirt that’s comfortable and I bring a jacket. I don’t like wearing a hoodie because that’s really difficult to take off and on and jackets can be used as blankets, which I’ve definitely done before. So if you’re like me and get really cold, bring maybe even two jackets,” Hayes said. Although there are prefered ways of studying, it is important to not be discouraged by a low score. It can be pretty

disheartening on the test results. As mentioned above, there are many factors that tie into doing well, not just on this exam, but on any exam. “Scores are important, but don’t get caught up on self worth being calculated by a score, because you could be like amazing at art but not be able to do standardized testing….just believe in yourself and work really hard on those things and ask for help, your score should improve and if it doesn’t, don’t feel awful about yourself because you’re probably still a great person,” Hayes said. As commented by Hayes, the ACT does not depict how good of person someone is or one’s ability is to do well at another thing. To Mrs. Hall, it is okay to be overwhelmed by the test. “You can’t let defeatism sink in. I was kind of heckling my kids today as they were moving through a released test. You know just kind of allowing for them to be a little bit exasperated by it because that is part of the struggle, it’s part of the struggle for all of us, and sometimes we do have that face value recognition of ‘Oh yeah this is right, I can see that this is right or that this is incorrect,’” Hall said. Although scores can be a deciding factor for the college one might go to, there is no limit to the amount of tests one can take. “Take it early, get it over with so you don’t have to think about it ever again and I took both of them early junior year, and it’s good and that gives you a lot opportunity to retake it too, if you don’t do how you want to do,” Wang said.

2018-19 ACT Schedule

September 8, 2018 October 27, 2018 December 8, 2018 February 9, 2019 April 13, 2019 June 8, 2019 July 13, 2018 5 Feature

Artist of the Month Local consumption benefits consumers b y

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the detriment of agriculture on the environment. Missouri has a heavy dependence on agriculture as well as beautiful scenery and ecosystems, which can be affected by this industry. Small scale farms can help lessen these effects. Local farmer Eric Meusch explains this dynamic. “When agriculture becomes industrial and really centralized then you end up in a situation where it can impact the environment. So by staying local it’s usually done at a scale so that some of those issues aren’t at play. The people that use the product are the same people that live in the community and care about their environment and so you avoid a lot of those problems,” Meusch said. Eric Meusch works on his family farm and sells at the farmer’s market along with his wife Pathoumma and their sons David and Owen. Eric and Pathaumma originally met in Laos while Eric was working overseas and since then they have returned to Rolla to establish their farm and grow a loving presence in the community. “I think for David and Owen, as mom, the best thing I can give my kids is to be close to nature… understand how you grow your food, what it takes to have food on the table,” Pathoumma Meusch said. Pathoumma has made farming a quintessential part of her family’s life and values. The Meusch family is one example of how local agriculture has had a positive effect on the community. “If you support local, one its quality food, two it’s a friendship. You support the community, have friendship, have good food and you have a good relationship with your own kids and your own family,” Pathoumma Meusch said.

Photo courtesy of The Bus Stop Rolla Facebook page Photo courtesy of Escentual Serenity Facebook page

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For some, relaxing could mean binge watching a favorite show, taking a hot bath, or even doing yoga, but Cally Greer, junior, prefers to draw. “I like drawing more than anything, and I like art because it is a way for me to relieve stress,” Greer said. Greer is a junior currently enrolled in AP Studio Art Drawing with Mrs. Engelbrecht, someone who has been an important part in Greer’s life. “Recently, Mrs. E has motivated me in my classes. She has just been supportive and she encourages me to pursue my art,” Greer said.

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Originally, when she began taking art classes and drawing in second grade, Greer would draw because she was bored, but this later turned into passionate hobby for her. Her favorite way to express herself through drawing. “I try to focus more on drawing people, but I do a variety of things. I like both 2D and 3D art. In my free time and in class, I doodle on the back of notebooks or papers,” Greer said. There are some more famous artists that inspire Greer to draw. One of her favorite artists is Andy Warhol, a leading figure in the visual art movement called “pop art.” Kehinde Wiley is another artist who is known for his portraits of African Americans. “I’d say my favorite artists are probably Andy Warhol and Kehinde Wiley. I like their art because it’s different from other artists,” Greer said. Other inspiration comes from various factors in her life. “When I am in a good mood, I feel more motivated to draw,” Greer said. Greer has been interested in art for many years, and she plans to keep doing it for fun in the years to come. Finding a way to relieve stress can be helpful in high school with all the homework and demands. Luckily, she has found her own way to relieve stress.

Funny Students at RHS b y

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Everyone knows at least one time where someone did something funny or embarrassing and made the entire class laugh. These moments can be unforgettable, especially to teachers. Three faculty members here at RHS shared a story they haven’t forgotten. First was math teacher Ms. Croft. In one of her algebra classes last year, everything was normal and they were taking notes. All of a sudden, she heard an ‘uh oh’ from behind her. “...I turn around and there is a kid sitting in the front row without a shirt on. He had tried to take off his hoodie, but his shirt came off with it. He was kind of embarrassed, so my initial reaction was to just turn around and try to keep going with notes, but several students were laughing I thought it was pretty funny too, so I ended up facing the board and laughing for a few minutes too”. The whole class, including the student, had trouble keeping a straight face. The second story, came from business teacher

Mr. Haberman. At FBLA state last year, a student started hitting on every girl he saw, including writing his number on the check for the waitress. “While this was funny in and of itself, I convinced him to have business cards made so he could hit on women more efficiently. The funny thing is that he actually did it! He showed up the next year with business cards printed and handed them out to girls he thought attractive at our concession stands”. Lastly is history teacher Mr. Rinehart’s memories, and he has a few favorites. “I’ve had many children do crazy things. I used to have a girl in class who came dressed as different characters as different random days. She was a firefighter, policeman, disco dancer. It was pretty cool. I also had a girl and some of her friends break into my truck and dump glitter in my air conditioner and the vents, so everytime I hit a bump for five years… poof! Glitter,” said Rinehart.

Human trafficking in small town Missouri b y

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In 2017, 140 cases of human trafficking were reported in the state of Missouri, with 109 of those being specifically sex trafficking. There was also a 13 percent increase in cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline last year. Director of Prevention Services for Community Partnership Rikki Barton attributes the influx in calls to an increase of education on the topic, which changes how citizens report suspicious activity. “I think that people are finally talking about the issue. Because of that, it is being defined, whereas previously a lot of trafficking cases were being lumped into a different category,” Barton said. Along with education, Barton also mentions the power the internet has to lure in vulnerable teens and advertise them on sites such as Backpage and Craigslist. Even when Backpage was seized by the government in April of 2018, a simple Google search will reveal people asking where girls are posting their ads now. Though Facebook posts might suggest otherwise, a large portion of trapping people into sex trafficking is done online. “Because a lot of people have the mentality that trafficking is always moving people , they don’t think about it happening locally. However, a lot of times what we see are young girls and boys getting online and they get a message from someone they

don’t know. They start a conversation, and that person is grooming the kid for this type of lifestyle,” Barton said. Barton explains how the predator will use shame and guilt to blackmail a child and ease them into trafficking, making most of the cases relationship based. She uses the example of the movie Taken ,where a girl is kidnapped and moved out of that country, to illustrate what most people think sex trafficking is. While it could be similar to the movie, it is usually not, especially in small town settings. With stories of potential trafficking in the Rolla area circling social media, Detective Derrick Dillon feels that some people are misunderstanding what trafficking is. “We have had reports of certain isolated incidents of suspicious behavior or people that might be suspected of looking to do something. We cannot correlate those to sex trafficking,” Dillon said. These incidents include people looking out of place around places like the bike trail. Dillon assures that the police contact those people to gather facts and investigate those incidents, but they have no evidence of human trafficking of any kind. Nonetheless they are not unaware of trafficking problems in Missouri. “We don’t want to be naive to the fact that I-44 is a main corridor for sex trafficking and we do the best we can to be proactive. We conduct hotel checks because a lot of times hotels are used in these sex

trafficking cases,” Dillon said. Dillon also actively monitors online ads in the area for evidence of attempts at trafficking. Because of the lack of trafficking cases and their active prevention of it, Dillon believes that citizens should be more concerned about the “lone wolf.” He references a case in Iowa that involved a college student being killed by a man who fixated on her. “That can’t be attributed to any kind of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is a completely different situation where a person will take advantage of young girls under the age of 18 and use trust and the child’s circumstances such as being homeless or in a bad environment to lure them in. Once they have their hooks in them, it’s hard to get out. That is when these people will start selling them for sex for a profit. The sex trafficker’s main goal isn’t so much fantasy like the situation in Iowa, it is more that they have the opportunity to make money,” Dillon said. Knowing the differences between sex trafficking and lone attacks and how lone attacks are more common in Rolla does not delegitimize the facts of trafficking in Missouri. Dillon is aware that it is a growing problem in Missouri and Barton hopes to educate citizens as well as health professionals and police about trafficking. “One of our biggest things is educating people that it does happen here and is a local issue. That leads us to educating

them about signs to look for and how to identify what a trafficking situation might look like,” These situations can be identified if someone has signs of trauma, mental or physical. If they are with an older man or if they run away a lot that could be indicative that they are in an unsafe environment. Substance abuse is also a way to trap a victim and keep them coming back, while numbing the traumatic feelings of someone being trafficked. Barton compares trafficking to domestic and child abuse by encouraging people to speak up if they see anything out of place. Granting there are no current concerns of trafficking in Rolla, there is no denying that it is a rising issue in Missouri. Barton discourages adding people on Facebook and other social media that one does not know and Dillon advises that everyone have a plan in place if they should ever encounter these situations. “Trust your judgement. If something doesn’t feel or look right, then it’s probably not right. Have a plan in place. If you are on the interstate get to the nearest exit and to a well lit area. Call 911. Have a support group in place such as family and friends. If you were in a bad situation where you need to call someone and you can’t talk like you normally would, have code words in place. The best thing I can tell you is to have some type of plan,” Dillon said.

Fantasy football starts tomorrow Fall sports season underway b y

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With the start of a new NFL season, another year of fantasy league football begins. Many stars are looking for another great season and up-and-coming athletes are looking for a breakout year. It surely will be another interesting year for fantasy football. With so many numbers and statistics involved in the process of deciding who will be successful and who might be a bust, it is difficult deciding who to draft. That is where Fantasy Football legend Junior Jack Hounsom comes in, who won his fantasy league the past couple seasons, so he knows what goes into the process of who to pick. “I would say the things you should check out the most are where they are on the depth chart, also keep track on how many touches and snaps they’re going to get,” Hounsom said. With many solidified stars in the league, it is difficult to decide, who deserves the number one overall pick. Le’veon Bell, David Johnson, Julio Jones, Deandre Hopkins, are just a few of the top players predicted to have another great season. This is where fantasy football guru Jack Hounsom steps in again. “There are plenty of great players to keep your eye on, but I would personally take Le’veon Bell because of his continued success the past couple seasons,” Hounsom said.

However since there are so many players predicted to have great seasons, at least a couple will not live up to the expectations. Due to injury, suspension or just down years, it is difficult deciding who to avoid. Going back to guru Jack Hounsom, he has one high ranked player to avoid. “I think Dalvin Cook, coming off an injury an with another talented back in Latavius Murray in that backfield, he doesn’t look the part of a number one back,” Hounsom mentioned. There are many proven vets in the league, but it is also important to also to keep an eye on the rookies entering the league. Since the likes of Saquon Barkley, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Calvin Ridley are in the league it is difficult deciding which will be the highest pointer earner. Jack Hounsom has a couple players to keep your eye on. “Obviously Saquon Barkley is gonna be a stud and I think Ronald Jones is gonna have a solid season. But also players like Michel, Freeman and Penny should have good seasons,” Hounsom said.

Athletes of the b y

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For senior Chris Bench, football is more than just tackling people to the ground. “Going out there and playing with the people that have been through the same things I have, so you know, we’re a family. We are brothers, with one sister,” Bench said. He is the type of guy who just loves what he does on the football team. “It’s the toughness and dedication of everyone on the field, and that’s what it means to be a bulldog,” Bench said. To Bench, being a part of the football team gives him a lot of pride. He was a part of the team that won the title of district championship last fall. “[It is] unlimited what we can do this season,” Bench said. He plays defensive tackle. It’s not the most known position on the field, but Bench knows how to get the job done. “They don’t get a lot of acknowledgement. I just do my job and kind of call it that,” Bench said. He is known for giving 100% in everything he does. Head varsity coach Jon Franks has a lot to say about him. “Chris is a great guy. He is one of those players who just gives great effort every single day, every single practice, and that’s what has made him a good football player,” Franks said. Captain and senior Josh Morris thinks Bench is a key contribution to their team. “Chris is always encouraging the guys to lift. Everyone likes him and he’s got a great sense of humor,” Morris said. When asked about the position Bench played, Morris knew exactly what to say. Bench is known to be important to his teammates on the field. “I would definitely say that he is an intricate part of the defensive unit,” Morris said.

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In the game of volleyball, everyone knows that the best players are the ones who are willing to do anything to save a ball. Shelby Ply is one of those players who takes her game of volleyball seriously and is one of the most aggressive players on the team. “No matter how bad you are at something, especially volleyball, if you’re aggressive, you have a spot on the court,” Ply said. As a senior, Ply has a lot of responsibilities this year. Those could include being a leading example for the underclassmen. Her coach, Stephanie Pritchett, knows that she will meet those responsibilities. “Shelby is a team player, she’s electrified, and a good leader on the court,” Pritchett said. In order to be a good team, Ply knows you must show up to every practice ready to work. She and the team understand the passion that they must have for the game. “Everybody comes to practice, everybody takes it seriously. We don’t have people there just because they want to play a sport. We have people that say, I’m going to play volleyball because I love it and I want us to succeed,” Ply said. Ply also knows that this year, the opportunities are huge for their team. “I think that for as far as my volleyball career for high school has gone, this is definitely our best looking team that we’ve had. I think that a big part of that is Coach Pritchett. She has brought us a really long way, even since last season,” Ply said. Unlike past years, there are a lot of freshman on the team. With Ply’s position, she knows that it is her job to make sure that they can keep up what the upperclassmen have built. “I think we just need to teach them to have the passion for the game that all of us upperclassmen have. I don’t think that will be a problem because we’re gonna have a really good season. A lot of the girls have really bought into the program and I think that’s really important,” Ply said.

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With a new school year starting, Rolla sports are about to start up. A lot of sports have been in summer off-season practices, but still the “hype” of the players is still high. Many are just waiting to step on the turf for the first home game of the year, others waiting to step onto the volleyball court and dominate over new opponents. Just to get a glimpse of how excited these RHS athletes are, ECHO took to the student athlete body to get and insider look. Senior varsity soccer captain Carson Arnold, also a center midfielder for Rolla soccer team, is particularly excited for the new season. “Oh yeah, I’ve never been more excited,” Arnold said. Arnold also shares the position of captain with two other seniors and a junior, Jarret Gabriele, Rhys Proffit, and Gabe Stanislawski, respectively. “Yeah! Come to our games, the schedule is online. Our first home game is August 28, against Pacific,” said Arnold. Sophomore center defensive player, and junior varsity team captain hopeful Elias Mertens is also very excited and hopeful for the new soccer season to begin. “I’m only on JV, so all I would really hope for is that the JV team just gets better, and even more ready for being on varsity,” Mertens said. Senior captain for Cross Country, Olivia Holmes, is very hyped up for this upcoming season. Holmes has put in some hard work and dedication to the sport, seeing as she has done this ever since 8th grade, this year being her fifth season. “I’m really excited for this season. It’s going to be really fun, but hard...My real goal is to really lift up the younger members to take our spots, because there are a couple of seniors, and it would be sad to leave the place worse than I found it. I also want to get to state this year, personally and bring all the other girls up to sectionals,” Holmes said. Along with team captains Josh Morris, Trey Quick and Blaize Klossner, senior team captain Ahmed Boubacar is quite excited for this season to begin. Boubacar has some high hopes for the team as well. “I feel like we really worked hard in the off-season….My main goal is winning, and getting closer as a family, together,” Boubacar said. Their first home game was Friday, August 31st. Senior Shelby Ply is really excited for this upcoming volleyball season. “I think one of the biggest things that we should accomplish this year, and something we have already started working on, is a better team dynamic. Because volleyball is very much a team sport. ….. If there is not even one person on the court is not

playing their best, or is off that day, you need the whole team to come together, and bring them up,” Ply said. Ply said that she has seen a huge difference in the family dynamic of the team. “I’ve seen more teamwork. I don’t want to say teamwork, but I guess I’ve seen more of a family attitude than I’ve seen in the past four years playing for this team.” Their first home game was August 27, against Centralia, a team the Lady Bulldogs volleyball team is excited to play for the first time. First time Lady Bulldogs softball coach, Mr. Kenny Hohe, is very, very excited for this new season. “[This season], So far, so good. We have had some good practices, and a lot of good competition. We are looking forward to our first home game on Tuesday, August 28,” Hohe said. For a first time high school women’s sport coach, having coached boy’s football and basketball in the past, Coach Hohe is quite hopeful. “This is the first time I’ve coached girl’s sports, so it’s different. I’m excited. I feel like everyday we are getting better,” Hohe said. hewwo Junior member of the girls golf team, Marliere Toothaker, has had a great season so far. “I had been playing golf for a little bit before my freshman year, and my dad loves playing golf, so I just wanted to,” Toothaker said. Audrey Collier, a senior here at RHS, is the team captain. “I really hope that the team makes it to state this year, I honestly think that we have a good chance with the amazing girls on the team this year,” said Collier. Toothaker also hopes to her short game, chipping and putting, as well as the distance of her shots onto the greens. Senior girls tennis member Olivia Burken is ecstatic for this new tennis season to start for the girls. “The captains often change throughout the season. But, with three seniors ranked at 1, 2 and 3, Rylee Kriete, Diya Allada and myself are all captains right now,” Burken said. “I started playing tennis my sophomore year, just after I quit volleyball. I started because it was a great group of people, and a new sport I wanted to learn,” said Burken. When asked about the family dynamic between the girls on the team, Burken had nothing but good remarks. “The tennis team is always filled with such amazing girls and we always get so close every season. It’s a great game that brings even greater people together,” Burken said. This fall sports season has many great players, will make great memories, and have many amazing scores in its near future.

New Bulldogs join coaching staff b y

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With a new school year comes a new year of sports. However, this season is starting without some familiar faces, former head coach Don Knapp who retired after over 20 years of coaching. This left the spots such as of Head Coach of Cross Country and Track open, but they were not too difficult to fill in. This is where Rhett Cook steps in. Having no coaching experience before now, he hopes to have a new approach to coaching the Cross Country team. “Coach Knapp left a great legacy over the past 30 years so it’s hard to fill those shoes. I am already pumped about this year and the amazing athletes I get to work with day-to-day. I am a very energetic person that wants to bring an energetic concept along with having a positive influence on the athletes to the program. I think it is very important that runners work hard, have fun, and take a lifelong activity with them out of high school. In the near future I hope to transition the athletes smoothly in to my style of coaching. With the Cross Country position now filled, there was still a spot open for the Track position. Head coach of the football

team Jon Franks has taken on the duties as both the Football and Track Head Coach. Franks will rely on a great supporting staff to have a solid program and try to live up to the Rolla name. “I spent many years coaching the throwers, I enjoy that. My last five or six years, I was the sprints coach at Lebanon and the relays. I really enjoy that aspect of development, just going in and trying to develop speed with kids. As the track coach, you wanna develop speed for all the other programs, because every other sport needs speed, so it’s fun to develop and work with that. I really enjoy the explosive events,” Franks said. Another team with a new head coach is the Baseball team. Kenny Hohe will take over as coach of the baseball team after coming from Cuba as Activities Director. One thing he hopes to accomplish is to bring a new type of energy to the Baseball team. “I really like what the past coaches built over the last couple of years and would like to continue a lot of their core principals. We are going to work hard every day and play with a lot of energy and excitement. We are also going to want to be aggressive offensively at the plate and on the bases. If everyone buys in and dedicates themselves we can be a high energy team during practice and games,” Hohe said.

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Planet Earth is worth taking care of

The Social Norm b y

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When one faces a near-collision with an individual walking the opposite direction, the reaction is obvious. The less assertive individual takes a step to the right or pauses entirely to allow the other to pass. This basic encounter--lasting only a few seconds but occurring dozens of times daily--often goes unnoticed. Like picking up a dropped pencil or apologizing after stepping on someone’s heel, avoiding an awkward collision is an almost subconscious part of our daily lives. Someone is walking toward you. The solution is painfully overt and the reaction becomes habitual. Move out of the way, your brain says. Eventually, it seems that our brains stop consciously acknowledging the situation in the first place. After all, we are creatures of habit. The interesting thing about habits is that they can be broken. So, I decided to break my own and, as result, my decision evolved into my experiment. I stopped moving out of the way for people. Traditionally, this experiment focuses primarily on men’s habits. I decided to expand mine further than the male population to the entirety of the population of Rolla High School. After having read nearly a dozen articles on the subject people refer to as “manslamming,” I considered myself educated enough to replicate the experiment, only to find out... My results were less conclusive than I anticipated. Several times in a row, I refused to move out of the way of a boy and walked directly into him instead. In most instances, he hardly flinched. Then, as I started to draw my own conclusions,

I was surprised by several others politely stepping out of my path. I thought I would find evidence to support a reasonable verdict, but my data was inconsistent and at times almost shocking. The most remarkable realization I came to had nothing to do with the sudden increase of people I had bodychecked. Rather, it was my own educated presumption that some people’s first thought must not be “move out of the way.” Similarly to the difference between fight or flight, it seems people have varied reactions. On the spectrum of “dominant” and “passive,” I’d place myself nearly smack-dab in between. On opposite poles, I would consider “absentmindedly assertive” and “inherently docile.” Both describe people who are invariably passive or aggressive— very uncommon natures in themselves. More likely, people lean toward one side of the spectrum or the other. Still, I think most of us can agree that taking a step to the right as a measure to prevent an uncomfortable collision with a stranger is worth sacrificing an ounce of perceived social power. Besides, “carelessly assertive” and “inherently docile” are at opposite poles of an endlessly broad spectrum. We should not focus on choosing to be either, but rather being “politely assertive” and “selectively docile” alike. In other words, deliberately asserting your dominance at every opportunity is obnoxious and immature. Conversely, making a conscious choice not to be pushed around--even if the change is adopted in small increments-can offer a different perspective. Next time, take a half-step aside and perhaps others will follow suit. It’s not an all or nothing deal. Don’t succumb to the rude habits or conform to the behavior of others. Break the social norm.

Got Tech?

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What a time to be alive! Cars can now run on electricity, we can replicate DNA and make clones of specific animals, and all of it is thanks to modern day technology. But for every technological benefit, there is a loss. While technology has improved a lot of our everyday needs, it has also given us even more problems. Let’s start off with the gains. Modern day technology has benefited us tremendously in almost every way. We have gone from sending letters to being able to Facetime people, to talk to them in almost real time.

Music once had to be bought and purchased on CD’s and records, and you had to have buy either a CD player or a record player in order to play any of the songs. Now, we can open an app and press on the name of the song we want to listen to, and it will play instantly. Recorded data is easy to keep track of and doesn’t require using a ton of paper, or remembering where and how it was stored. The list of benefits goes on and on. However, there are just as many cons as there are pros. Phones especially have become increasingly more addictive, becoming a problem in schools and in

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You may think to yourself “What has the earth ever done for me?” Or perhaps thoughts of the planet we live on escape your mind entirely. This is because our generation has more or less lost touch with the environment. Society as a whole has become fast paced and technologically dependent, which makes it difficult for young people to step back and appreciate the natural world. Now is time to regain this appreciation so we can recognize the importance of the environment as well as the issues it is facing. It is a natural-born duty for humanity to care for its home. This responsibility to protect the environment falls on all of us. We must prioritize our daily habits to move away from convenience, and instead focus on lessening our ecological impact. Fortunately, there are simple, easy steps that even busy high school students can take to help out Mother Earth. When I asked stu-

dents of any daily habits they already had, they responded with numerous examples. Students reduce their waste by recycling, composting food scraps, and saying no to plastic. When it’s time to save energy, students can simply turn off lights when not in use and use less water. Other ideas include driving only when necessary to use less fuel, and eating less meat to reduce the effects of meat production on the environment. These actions, big or small, are the beginning of a change in the way we treat the earth. So next time when you are feeling as though the environment is not important enough for your time, reconsider your own dependency on the natural world. The planet is the basis of all aspects of society and our individual lives. We are dependent on the environment, and the environment is dependent on us. It is time for our generation to rediscover the importance of nature and become leaders in a new wave of conservation.

Ways you can save the Planet

Recycle cans and bottles

Compost food scraps

Take shorter showers

Turn off lights Reduce fuel usage

Eat less meat No plastic straws

Reuse water bottles

Reuse plastic bags

Educate others

the workspace. A study done by the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that each year, the capacity to do more with a smartphone increases by about 15 percent, and the addiction goes up a whopping 24 to 27 percent. Another con is that the rate at which there is outdoor play has decreased by almost half. According to TheGuardian. com, adults and parents of the 21st century used to go outside for roughly eight hours, while kids and teens now go outside for barely four. Dr. Jim Pritchett, the Rolla High School principal, has a pretty fair opinion on how we should perceive technology.

“My philosophy is that if they’re used properly they’re just used as a tool… they’re just a piece of the puzzle. People often ask me if it’s bad or good. I think it’s a balance issue,” Dr. Pritchett said. So is technology good, or bad? Well, technology has helped us throughout the history of humanity- from The Stone Age to ancient Rome to now. The one thing about technology is that it does not do work on its own. It needs help from humans in order to function at all. Similar to what Dr. Pritchett said, it is at the discretion of the person using it. So, how do you use it?

Presidential Politics on Twitter The title “President of the United States” holds a lot of responsibility and respect. The people of America had expectations that their leader would be sophisticated and have an honorable public presence. With social media becoming more preva-

lent in recent years, there is yet another platform there is for political figures to get their messages across. Being the first president to actively use social media during his term, President Obama used his Twitter platform as a quick way to

b y

share political and personal information in a mature and informative manner. President Trump, however, has become a laughing stock due to his very opinionated tweets. Trump’s tweets include allegations that can not be backed up, insults directed

y l o r

LEFT

48%

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towards citizens, and has even threats of nuclear war over the website. But without getting too political, let us take a look at how our president portrays himself. Here are the results from a student’s Instagram poll:

Which Tweet is Trump’s? “I now believe global warming alarmists are unpatriotic racists knowingly misleading for their own ends. Good night.”

N e ws E d i t o r

“It’s freezing and snowing in New York--we need global warming!”

RIGHT

52%