When RHS Speaks, We
Echo
Rolla High School - 900 Bulldog Run - Rolla, Missouri 65401- Volume 70 - Issue 4 November 16, 2018 - www.rhsecho.com @rhsechonews
Athlete of the month p. 7 Artist of the month p.6
Photo courtesy of The Rolla Daily News
Photo taken by Bailey Allison
Recap
Rolla’s Celebration of Diwali brings large crowd RHS marching band season
Sports physical therapist aids Rolla athletes
Photos courtesy of the MS&T Indian Student Association Facebook page A night of dance, music, and cultural celebration recently took place in Rolla as the Indian Student Association of MS&T hosted their annual Diwali celebration. Diwali is a traditional Hindu holiday which
Photo courtesy of Rob Barth With about 230 students in band, it’s understandable the amount of hours and energy put into creating and cleaning the show. Although it may be difficult to instruct a bigger band, the Rolla High School’s band season has ended undefeated. According to Band Director, Michael Goldshmidt, preparation is key to success. “Before we go on for a show, I’m always worried about, ‘Okay, are they hydrated, how are they feeling, did they get enough sleep?’ So just making sure the students are taking care of themselves, because if they’re not ready to perform, that performance isn’t going to happen. We’ve been out there so many times that the kids are tired, they’re worn out, they haven’t been eating right. So just like any other activity or sport, you want them to prepare for success,” Goldschmidt said. Band Director, John Slowensly, believes student interest is what most affects the band’s performance. “How students buy into the concept of the show. Do they like it, or enjoy playing it. Do they enjoy rehearsing it every day, especially for as long as we do that, which is several months. You not only have to get a show that’s judge and crowd pleasing, but that your students are enjoying what they are doing,” Slowensky said.
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celebrates the victory of good over evil. The event warrants a large celebration from the international students of MS&T and holds an important influence within the community each year.
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Inside look at Rolla ‘Parks and Rec’
Photo taken by Brandon Kirtchner Casey Robertson, the man, the myth, the legend. From broken bones to the concussion protocol, Casey has provided his services as an athletic trainer to the high school for the past couple of years. “I became an athletic trainer because I have played sports all my life, and this was a great way to start involved, just in a different role. I have been a certified athletic trainer for fifteen years now,” Robertson said. However, he originally did not start off working at the high school when he moved to Rolla. “I actually came to Rolla to be an athletic trainer at the university and then started later at the high school. I enjoy working more with high schoolers because they are mostly here for the love of the game,” Robertson said.
Photo courtesy of City of Rolla City Hall Facebook page The hit TV show Parks and Recreation may be the closest many high schoolers have come to learning about local government. The show depicts the chronicles of Parks and Recreation Department employee Leslie Knope as she manueveers her way through city government in Pawnee, Indiana. While shining an optimistic out-
look on public service, the premise of the show can be found in Rolla’s very own local government. Despite the show’s comical focus, it is still able to depict the intricacies of local government and gives the audience insights on issues from public health disparities to park access.
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The Social Norm: Fashion is freedom, do you b y
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Staff Writer
In my experience, one of the most perplexing transitions, fashion-wise, is the one between fall and winter. Many fashionchallenged students make the leap from a relatively safe choice of tee shirts and jeans to a risky alternative. They pull out the thigh-high boots and shrunken, coffeestained sweaters. They tuck their bootcut jeans into their mismatched socks. They layer zebra-print scarves over their little sister’s pink cardigan. And they prepare to
tackle the winter months head-on. So many questions arise. Are thigh-high boots for warmth or for the sake of fashion? Is it necessary to buy sweaters eight sizes too big? Can leggings really be worn as regular pants? Indeed, winter fashion prompts so many questions. I find myself walking through the halls and often asking “What went through his head this morning?” or “Did she get dressed in the dark?” I am here to tell you that no, leggings are not pants. But also, sometimes one sock gets lost in the laundry and you are hop-
ping around with one jean leg on, trying to brush your teeth, and you are already twenty minutes late, and you wind up with one orange sock and one green. That’s okay. Life happens. Temperatures decrease, and so does common sense apparently. Do not stress! I have a few tips. First of all, do not tuck anything into your socks. Usually pants will fall perfectly over socks and no one has to even know they’re there. They are a secret. Secret socks. Secondly, layering is terrific! But maybe drop the animal prints, or stick with one
per outfit. Leopard sweaters and zebra scarves might not have raised any questions in third grade, but they just are not cutting it anymore. And finally, I will add an abstract concept: be yourself above all else. If you are going to have poor fashion, let it reflect your personality. Stay confident and stay warm this winter. Be true to you and wear what makes you happy. Besides, there are so many more better things to worry about. Turn your attention to your bad ACT score and stop fretting over your socks. Break the social norm.
Echo Chambers have Americans nodding their heads in agreement b y
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Social media began as a promise: a convenient space to be used for the purpose of exchanging and considering new ideas with others, while eliminating the accessibility barriers that once separated us. In some ways, it has done just that. An endlessly expansive collection of information is constantly available at, quite literally, the touch of a button. But what began as a promise has evolved into what is now a system of choices; one that is simultaneously empowering and dangerous. This system means that, among other things, we are fully responsible for the sources of information we choose to expose ourselves to. The converse is also true: we are in control of the sources we filter or discontinue entirely. Thumbs down. Dislike. Unfollow. Through a single tap, we have the power to essentially eliminate anything and everything we do not want to see. Out of sight, out of mind, right? It is not as flawless a system as it appears
on the surface. How many people have you followed--or perhaps more importantly-unfollowed, because of their political outlook? Because they possessed a strong opinion you did not agree with or care to understand? By eliminating the other side of an argument, we immediately compromise the soundness of our own. We have the option (and more often than not, we take advantage of the option) to create for ourselves a vortex of our own opinions, often shared by others with the same self-perpetuating ideas. This limits, isolates, and amplifies in a negative way; this metaphor is referred to as an “echo chamber.” Echo chambers divide us, fragment us, and blind us to new information or ideas. They allow us to become more vulnerable to radical and extremist ideals. Many times, we are quick to thoughtlessly accept facts when information is presented that aligns with our preexisting views. Echo chambers reinforce and amplify things that may not be accurate or true. Regardless of what you believe, politically or otherwise, echo chambers are dangerous--and dangerously common. It
is human nature to cling to things that reinforce what we already believe to be true. This accounts for why people have the tendency of counting on a single source. For example, it is unlikely that people who watch Fox News find themselves flipping to CNN during commercial breaks. It is challenging to be presented with multiple sides or pieces of information, in the sense that it requires the individual to sort through and interpret for him or herself. However, finding a single source to “do the work for us” is far too often our default. Trusting a single source is dangerous for several reasons. Firstly, many sources cater to their audience. Take the previously mentioned example of CNN and Fox; both news outlets are successful because they understand what their viewers want to hear. In this way, we may submit to our news outlets and sources more than we realize. Secondly, and for the previous reason, the news or media outlets are entirely in control. They may be misinforming you with the feeding information with a strong political slant, versus solid evidence. As a result, you may be falling victim to deceit-
ful or biased information the moment you open Snapchat. The only way to avoid this hazardous situation is to take control. It seems even President Trump has the tendency of jumping straight to the offense by challenging the credibility of his opponents and their sources. Insular thinking not only poses the threat of spreading misinformation, but also limits the diversity of our voice--a tragedy in itself. In conclusion: in order to educate yourself, you must first give yourself the opportunity. Occasionally flip between multiple news stations, rather than blindly absorbing all your information from a single source. Do not instantly believe everything Snapchat displays from Daily Mail without doing your own research. In essence, open yourself up to the other side rather than surrounding yourself with perpetual reinforcements of the same ideas. Expose yourself to everything, but do not believe just anything. We challenge our opponents ceaselessly; we have questioned the “enemy’s” sources. Now maybe it’s time to start questioning our own.
I Love Lucy
The Andy Griffith Show
This is one of my favorite shows I have ever watched and it is probably the funniest one too. Lucy is a goofy, scatterbrained housewife is married to Cuban singer and performer Ricky Ricardo. The program shows every day of their lives-Ricky constantly keeping Lucy in check for the crazy things she gets into with her friend, Ethel Mertz. If you are looking for a show that will make you laugh till your stomach hurts, this is the one to watch. It is pure comedy, with nothing vulgar or offensive, and connects you to the actors at the same time.
This story is set in a small, southern town of Mayberry, where Andy Griffith and his son Opie reside. Sheriff Andy and his partner, Barney Fife, work together to keep the peace in an already pretty safe town. With little to no crime, Andy spends most of his time with his son and his Aunt Bee or keeping Barney under control. Because of the family guy that Andy is, there are a lot of moral lessons that are taught in the show, all the while keeping humor in the picture. I love this show because it has a great variety of comedic relief but also teaches some great things along the way.
There’s no better time than today to connect to your parents through television b y
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When most high schoolers talk about “old” TV shows, most would bring up some like That’s So Raven, Friends, Boy Meets World, or even Kim Possible. But when I think of old shows, I think of things like Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, or Andy Griffith. I love these shows much more than the ones that are currently on now, mostly because they don’t cuss every other word or make some dirty joke that may or may not be funny. They have genuine comedy, actual conflicts, and morally sound people. The old black-and-white TV shows that most people think are boring to watch are my favorite, so I wrote some reviews in hope that someone will watch and appreciate them as much as I do.
Gunsmoke This story takes place in Dodge City, where Marshall Matt Dillon tries to keep the peace in his town in the wild wild west. Aided by Miss Kitty and Doc, he faces outlaws every day while they help him in various ways. Dillon is the type of man who prefers logic and reason over your typical gun shooting. I love this show because of the western style. Gunsmoke has a lot of real-life conflicts and Dillion solves them without much aggressiveness.
Again, these black-and-white classics are my favorite, so please do not bash them. Just go watch them.
ECHO Staff
Letter from the Editor Senior Maia Bond Thanksgiving is days away and naturally, most people are pondering over what they are thankful for this year. As I get older, I am less thankful for my iPhone and more so for the aspects of life out of my control, that I was just lucky to get. These include my parents, my surroundings, and the chance opportunities given to me. This time of year constitutes some serious online shopping for presents and the forming of this year’s master wishlist, and I am thankful that I can worry about what I want the most, rather than worrying about not having warm clothes or dealing with family issues. I never wonder where my parents are or if I’ll have to find another place to stay, I can worry about wanting
2 Opinion
a new skirt but not knowing which one to buy. The luxuries of my stress helps me to put my life into perspective. Seeing peers struggle through trauma and highly dysfunctional families forces me to see my life through a wider lens. I never did anything to have the life I have, and they never did anything to have theirs. It is motivational in a way to know my privilege, because it pushes me to pursue my full potential. I was just lucky to receive the life I have, and it is my responsibility to take advantage of these opportunities. I am not exactly sure what my full potential is, or how I am supposed to take advantage of all my opportunities, but this year I am thankful that even have them.
Adviser: Mary Gillis 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, Julia Leventis, Lauren Ulrich, Rosalia Bolyard, Genevieve Huber, Emma Starns, Kate Brand
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
Pop music affecting people’s bodies b y
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Staff Writer Popular music fluctuates all of the time. In the 70s there was rock, the 80s pop, and the 90s brought about rap to the mainstream. These days, it is a little bit of everything. From The Beatles to Drake, there is a wide variety of music available. Music can provide an array of feelings, and can be summed up a single moment in time where you remember hearing that song. “Listening to it (90s alternative) makes me relax. It makes me happy” senior Genevieve Wilson said. Playing music that you like causes your brain to release dopamine, a hormone largely responsible for happy feelings. “Listening to music you enjoy decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body, which counteracts the effects of chronic stress,” Dr. Michelle Millis Chappel shares in a LifeHack article. Music can also reduce depression. More than 350 million people around the world suffer from depression and anxiety. “Listening and creating music within a therapeutic context allows individuals to express themselves in nonverbal ways. The interplay of melody, harmony, and rhythm stimulate the senses of a person and promote calmness by slowing down
the breath, heart rate, and other bodily functions,” Therese Borchard says on EverydayHealth, “Musical engagement, especially when combined with talk therapy, boosts levels of the hormone dopamine, which plays a role in the reward-motivation behavior”. There is that word again; dopamine. Sure it is a hormone that causes joy, but is there more to it than just that? Our brain knows the basics: seek pleasure and avoid pain. Whenever we achieve something that is associated with comfort, neurochemicals are produced. These chemicals are recognized from then on as good, and naturally, we begin to seek more and more. But, dopamine can be tricked into producing when attached to things such as drugs or alcohol. Dopamine itself is not addictive, but the drugs and alcohol are. Your body is tricked into thinking the bad stuff is actually good, and this worsens as the addiction gets more severe. Your brain, thinking that since dopamine is coming with the substance already loaded with addictives, doesn’t see any harm, therefore wants more and more. Most lead down this road, don’t always come back. Next time you want a fifth cookie or another slice of cake, think about the chemicals in your brain telling you how good it is for you.
Review of a new book b y
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Staff Writer When popular radio personality, West McCray, receives a desperate phone call from a stranger imploring him to find a nineteenyear-old runaway Sadie Hunter, he is not convinced that there is a story there; girls go missing all the time. But as soon as West’s boss discovered that Sadie fled home after the brutal murder of her little sister, Mattie, he sees the makings of something big. He orders West to the small town of Cold Creek, Colorado, to uncover what happened. Sadie has no idea that her story will
Teacher feature: Mrs. Oster
NCAA corruption surfaces b y
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Sports Editor
The widely known scandal taking place with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is one that will not be forgotten about. With multiple arrests featuring coaches from huge basketball programs and an Adidas executive, the scandal is starting to appear on national headlines. There is no doubt that the system in place is faulty, leading to the underground embezzling of money from universities to the players they are trying to recruit. It shows with corruption and fraud charges being pressed such as bribery, money laundering and wire fraud against many colleges and individuals alike. With basketball programs such as Arizona offering one hundred fifty thousand dollars for star basketball recruit Nassir Little and Oregon offering one hundred thousand dollars for Brian Bowen the true nature of college hoops is being revealed. However, you can not blame the players for taking the money once they get an offer. On average, a single division one basketball player is worth on average one hundred seventy thousand dollars. That does not do justice for how much a player from the University of Louisville is worth
soon become the subject of a blockbuster podcast. She just wants revenge. Armed with a switchblade, Sadie follows a meager set of clues hoping they will lead to the man who took Mattie’s life;she is determined to make him pay for it with his own. As Sadie makes her journey, West McCray uncovers her tracks, stirring up secrets even Sadie didn’t know. Courtney Summer’s haunting novel explores curiosity and just how far people will go to protect the ones they love, proving Sadie’s has more guts than anyone would have guessed. But as West traces her journey to the darkest, most dangerous corners of big cities and small towns, a deeply unsettling mystery begins to unfold- one that is bigger than them both. Can he find Sadie before it is too late?
though, as they are worth just around the one point seven million dollar mark. So when you have universities and their subsidiaries making millions off of them, it is only right that the athletes try to get their fair share, even if it is below market value. That is why these institutions have the money to throw around at these athletes, it is a business disguised as a educational learning institution. When you have teams looking to compete for a championship the need for talent is on such a high level. These universities know what they are doing and they know what the risk is if they get caught, that’s not even accounting for the risk of the player himself. Of course they are trying to cash in their talents for monetary value, with the risk of injury being so high, all it takes is one wrong angle or one wrong foot placement and their career can be over in an instant. A study published by the National Library of Health found that there is a fourteen point two injury rate per one thousand contacts, whether that be game or practice. So when you have athletes practicing every day, and going to games, the risk of an injury builds up. Injury could easily ruin a career of a young athlete, so when you have players that spend their whole life focusing on the game they are just trying to cash in, even if that leads to ineligibility if they are caught.
Elisabeth Oster, Latin teacher, is greatly interested in teaching at Rolla High School this year. It is her first year here at Rolla High School. She has taught for a total of 21 years at other schools in Ohio. Oster is especially avid about teaching high school aged students. “I love their sense of humor, and I enjoy their awakening minds. It is wonderful to see the development of thinking in the high school age group. Finding an open position in high school Latin is tough,” Oster said. Oster’s love for mythology and language are only a couple of the reasons she loves to teach and learn. Oster took Latin when she was in high school and in college. “Once I got to college, I wanted to go into foreign affairs and started to take Russian, German and Classics in translation. Classics is the study of Ancient Greek and Latin and their cultures. It is the foundation of a multitude of languages and their cultural frameworks. I found I loved the
change. “I still would love to vote when I turn 18 because every vote counts. It is hard because we live in a fairly red state but we still have to do what we can to make a difference. Even though it is discouraging when we don’t get what we want, doing what we can is all we can do,” Meusch said. Missouri is more known as a red state as of recently, but is still widely accepted as a swing state, which is what history teacher Jamie Rinehart attributes to the cause of the contradictory results of Missouri’s election. Amendments and propositions were passed legalizing medical marijuana and higher minimum wage, but the newly elected officials ran on campaigns opposing those ideals. “Missouri still leans slightly right, though it is close to a 50/50 balance. It is most likely more like 45 percent on either side and about 10 percent that fluctuate and go back and forth. We’ve been like that since we became a state,” Rinehart said. Rinehart also speculates that healthcare is not necessarily a strictly progressive issue anymore. He believes it has become such a large problem, both parties have to address it. “I would agree that the Amendments and propositions passed are a bit progressive, but they are also populist issues. Generally speaking, they appeal to a wide variety of people in the working class or below. I
think that drums up a lot of support from a lot of people,” Rinehart said. In a state that is leaning more republican, Meusch is unphased in her beliefs. “It is motivating because this is a republican state so there is a lot of progress we can make. Hopefully people can be informed, and with such a large voter turnout, we have to keep fighting for those votes in the next election,” Meusch said. Allada also stands behind her ideals and morals, even if they are in the minority. “I strongly believe in what these democratic politicians stand for and I want to make a change in this world, even if it is small steps at a time and does not always turn out the way I want,” Allada said. This election definitely did not turn out the way that many Americans and Missourians wanted, but Rinehart assures that the American government works extremely slow, and is used to being in a gridlock. “In order for real, serious change to happen in the American government, whether it be on the state or national level, it takes a long time. It is a bigger process,” Rinehart said. He concludes that the more important election will come in 2020, because it is a potential presidential reelection year. “Because government takes so much time, in four years it is difficult for a party to get much done. Eight years, however, can be enough time,” Rinehart said.
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Classics the most, but wanted to read the stories in the original language; so I started taking Ancient Greek and Latin and ended up staying with that discipline,” Oster said. Oster is also involved in the school’s Latin Club, and she is new to the Missouri Junior Classical League. “In Latin Club, we have monthly meetings that highlight a Roman festival day and a god or goddess of interest. We also play games that often originated in Rome, or are a reflection of the culture. The Missouri Junior Classical League provides opportunities for students to explore and recognize the value of the classics in our world,” said Oster. Latin is not the only language besides English she has learned. “I had to work hard to learn English, as I was not a native speaker. I found the dictionary to be a constant companion and my fascination for words started there. I can speak English and German like a native; I can read French, Spanish, and Italian, and can speak a modicum of Spanish, French, and Italian as well. Of course, I read and speak Latin and Ancient Greek. But, of course, there is no one to listen,” said Oster. The reason Oster’s native language is German is because her parents emigrated from Germany right before she was born. “My parents were sponsored by the World Council of Churches to come to America. They chose Cleveland because my mother thought it was the closest to Germany, and she was the most homesick. I have inherited her yearning for her homeland, though I absolutely love being here,” said Oster.
Student voluteers affected by midterm election results b y
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Editor In Chief
This year’s midterm election had an enormous build up, and arguably normal results. Instead of the Blue Tsunami that was predicted, democrats only took back the House of Representatives. In Missouri, many students at Rolla High spent their summer volunteering for the democratic party, and some are feeling the defeat of losing after investing so much time into the cause. “I am definitely disappointed because I spent my entire summer on something that didn’t turn out the way I hoped for. Aside from that, I learned a lot from talking to people,” senior Rosalia Meusch said. Meusch made phone calls and canvassed neighborhoods, speaking to Rolla residents about their political beliefs and stances. She often canvassed with Senior Diya Allada, who also interned over the summer. Allada feels the same letdown about the election, but does not feel disheartened. “It does not discourage me from voting. It actually motivates me, because, for example in Texas, Ted Cruz won by an extremely small margin. It makes me want to do what I can,” Allada said. Both answered quickly and passionately about voting, still believing in the hope for
He credits this year’s midterm election as just that: a midterm election with fairly normal midterm election results. “People are going to make a choice [in 2020]. We are extremely divided right now. One side is going to pull ahead. People are either going to support President Trump and his administration or not. People have a clear choice in front of them and 2020 is that big year,” Rinehart said. However, this election played a large part in the lives of the interns and those campaigning, and through the loss, Allada is still optimistic. “I feel like I did make a difference. I swayed a lot of people that did not want to vote or did not know anything about the election. I couldn’t really change people’s minds when they knew they were going to vote for Hawley, but I did make some difference in convincing people to go out and vote for McCaskill,” Allada said. She learned more about her community and remains hopeful for Missouri’s future. Meusch emphasizes how important she feels it is to continue fighting for change despite setbacks. “Even though it is an uphill climb, doing what we can is exponentially more powerful than doing nothing. If we keep pushing and fighting, we can make a difference. Each step we take in the right direction is better than no steps at all,” Meusch said.
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Bulldog sports therapist provides Reality check athletes with injury prevention, the cost of attending high school B K healing support S E C K b y
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While being a athletic trainer has its good moments, it is not always sunshine and rainbows in the world of sports medicine. “The worst injury I’ve ever dealt with was a C4-C5 cervical fracture. The kid is paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair. However, this hasn’t slowed him down and I love keeping up on him,” Robertson said. While there are plenty of horrific injuries, a C4-C5 cervical fracture is when the vertebrae in your spine get fractures leading to paralyzation. Adding onto that, it is always hard breaking hard news to a aspiring young athlete. “I think the hardest part of the job is telling a kid the severity of the injury. It is really difficult telling a kid his season has ended,” Robertson said.
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However, through thick and than, Casey still sees himself continue working with the High School for quite a long time. “I can see myself doing this for a long time, especially if my kids participate in high school athletics as well,” Robertson said.
Photo taken by Brandon Kirchner
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Opinion Editor
High school can be a rough time for many students. Freshman are transitioning to a newer, bigger school than they are used to, and are taking on a heap more of responsibility than they have had in previous years. Seniors are the “top dogs”, or the leaders of the school now. Younger grades look up to them for advice on how to survive these next stressful years of their life. But a lot of students are also struggling with a huge problem plaguing most high schools across the nation, the costs of everything that they do. Students can become involved with many different activities within their high school career. Sports’ activities fees, club fees, t-shirt fees for different organizations; the list is continuous. It can put students at a loss, a tremendous one at that. In an article done by the NCCP, in the United States alone close to 15 million children, which is around 21 percent of all children, live in families whose income is below the poverty line. Research shows that these families need to make about twice the amount of what they are making to cover their basic living expenses. In Rolla Public Schools, there are many sports and activities that kids in grades seventh through twelfth can be involved with. However, these different costs often hold the students from discovering these new horizons. Club t-shirts alone can range from seven dollars, even up into the thirty dollar range, depending on the company they choose. In the sports budget, according to Activities Director Mark Caballero, the district will spend somewhere in the ballpark of $100,000-$125,000 on transportation for seventh through twelfth grade sports and activities alone. Some of which has to be paid for by students, like bus fare for different school trips. At Rolla High School, we have many programs set in place to help out students who are in need. Such as if a student cannot afford to pay the 50 dollar activities fee, which covers cost of equipment use, they can get a sports’ scholarship which covers the cost for that sport.
Counselor Rodger Bridgeman, has started many programs here to help out struggling students. Within his first couple years at Rolla, he began the Student Needs fund, which helps students in need pay for basic costs and school fees. This program also provides toiletries, places to shower and do laundry for students who cannot do so at home, as well as clothing items for students who cannot afford them. Bridgeman has also started a program for girls here at Rolla High school who would like to attend dances, but cannot afford a dress. He collects dresses and has donations sent to him locally from businesses and people so these girls can have the dress of their dreams and also go to amazing dances like prom, homecoming and courtwarming. “Poverty is a pretty big issue everywhere, but if a student’s personal needs aren’t being met, it is hard for them to function as a student and do well in school at all, some can push through that, but others struggle greatly with it,” Bridgeman said Bridgeman, as well as the other counselors and administration, always check in and make sure the students have what they need. Along with the other various programs, there is one within all the schools in the district called the Backpack Program, which hands out bags of food to students and their families to help them if they are struggling to make ends meet. Within the building, the student council adopts different student’s families, and packs a gift basket with all different things to make a Thanksgiving meal basket for them so they can celebrate the holiday. The cost of high school is high, and the students at Rolla High School fortunate enough to have some options to ease their hardships and stress. It isn’t possible for them to completely subsidize the costs, but support is always available. “I think that it [the programs] help. The people appreciate that and the students appreciate that. But, unfortunately, no I don’t think that they have quite eliminated the poverty line. But we are going to do everything possible that we can to help kids in our building,” Bridgeman said.
Masonry classes offer real world opportunities
Photos courtesy of Rick Pilkenton b y
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Editor In Chief
Those playing tennis at the courts in town have probably noticed the pavilion being built over the past year. However, most students have not realized that it has been their peers, other students, building it. The construction trades class offered at RTI built it, and the masonry class is currently brick veneering the pavilion. The masonry class does projects throughout the community often, but the students do not have to enter the class being able to do large scale jobs. “Almost 95 percent of my students come in and have never laid a brick. The first thing I do is teach them the very basics of handling their hand tools and spreading mortar. The first couple weeks of school we learn how to make mortar and spread it before they lay brick. When they can lay brick, we move on to setting brick and laying it level and straight,” masonry teacher Rick Pilkenton said. Then the students move onto learning how to work with blocks, allowing them to learn both brick and block within the first month of school. Through the fast paced environment, Pilkenton is sure to include what he feels is one of the most important aspects of the class. “We learn how to be employable first and foremost. A lot of students come in and want to be bricklayers and that is great but the biggest thing I push is being employ-
able,” Pilkenton said. Being employable means teaching work ethic, taking responsibility, and being able to work with others on large projects. These projects include residential as well as commercial work within the community. “Every other year the carpenters build a tech house and our curriculum that year is to brick veneer the entire house. It is a full masonry home so it is usually about 13,000 bricks and takes us most of the year to get that done,” Pilkenton said. On the off years the class completes jobs throughout the community and school district, such as the tennis court pavilion. Upcoming projects include a storage building for Rolla school district and a sign for a subdivision. “I always try to have real life jobs for them so they can have real life experiences,” Pilkenton said. When building these houses, signs, or other projects, Pilkenton allows his students to be involved in every aspect of the process. For the houses, they begin with choosing the kind of brick. “On this tech house we have coming up we are going to do a brick with stone mixed in. We get to figure out how to combine those two products. As far as the learning side, we have to lay out walls and figure out material to know how many bricks and stone it will take. I teach them how to flash a foundation to keep water out of the house and they learn how to tie the brick to the structure with wall ties. It
covers everything they need to know for residential work,” Pilkenton said. On the commercial side of the job, they will be learning more during the building of the block storage building. The students will learn more about making a building strong enough to hold the weight of the roof among other things. Pilkenton teaches both sides of the job in order to help his students be more employable and ready for an entry level masonry job. While he estimates about 10 percent of his students go into the actual masonry field, many come back to tell him they have gone into the construction or welding field. Some go onto college and do masonry as a side job to make extra money. Although most students do not necessarily have a finalized career path in mind by sophomore year, Pilkenton assures that the class is beneficial whether one pursues masonry or not. He stresses the importance of what the RTI offers and how these career paths are necessary. “The industry is lacking in skilled labor in all the fields. The workforce is getting older and older and not enough young people are there to replace the older generation that is building right now. It is crucial that we recruit enough young people to keep the industry going. We have to have people to build houses and all of our structures. We need carpenters. We need plumbers. We need electricians,” Pilkenton said. All of those careers are offered as classes at the RTI, students just have to take the
class for two years. Pilkenton attests that the schooling is worth the wages offered. “The average wage for the Rolla area is $53,000 a year. I know a lot of people making well above that here locally. I know several foremans that are pushing $100,000. The money is right. You just have to have the young people willing to get into the trade,” Pilkenton said. If young people do want to join the trade, they can take masonry classes as juniors and seniors. “All they need to do is as a sophomore go talk to their counselor and get signed up for RTI. I would be more than glad to have them. They need to know that I don’t expect them to be bricklayers, we are just learning work ethic and how to be employable,” Pilkenton said. Though he has never had a student not like his class, he is welcoming to anyone unsure about it to come job shadow. “I suggest that sophomores go talk to their counselors if they are serious about it. I would be more than willing to let anyone come over for an hour or for the day as long as it is cleared by the school,” Pilkenton said. He believes wholeheartedly in the trade and hopes for more students to join in the projects across the community. “Masonry is a dying breed that is an awesome trade. I’d like to see us make work cool again. Work is so rewarding when you can make something and be proud of it. Masonry would definitely put you in that position,” Pilkenton said.
Rolla’s own version of Parks and Recreation: How accurate is the hit shows portrayal of local government b y
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The hit TV show Parks and Recreation may be the closest many high schoolers have come to learning about local government. The show depicts the chronicles of Parks and Recreation Department employee Leslie Knope as she manueveers her way through city government in Pawnee, Indiana. While shining an optimistic outlook on public service, the premise of the show can be found in Rolla’s very own local government. Despite the show’s comical focus, it is still able to depict the intricacies of local government and gives the audience insights on issues from public health disparities to park access. Similarly to Pawnee’s government, Rolla has its own Parks and Recreation Department. City Administrator John Butz explained the similarities between the real and fictional departments. “As far as the operations of the parks department, it’s kind of a pretty close reflection. It’s all about enthusiasm, trying to build a place with a lot of fun, a lot of community engagement. That’s what Leslie’s all about, trying to get people to be excited about parks and recreation,” said Butz. Rolla’s Parks and Recreation department director Floyd Jernigan lacks the pessimistic and anti-government philosophy of Pawnee’s department director, Ron Swanson. Instead, he echos deputy director, and eventual governor, Leslie Knope’s cheerful and optimistic outlook on his role in government. “Our responsibility is to provide leisure opportunities and environments for citizens to improve their quality of life, both mentally and physically. To that end, we have in the park system 34 parks and 226 acres that we maintain,” Jernigan said.
One of Rolla’s most cherished assets is its which granted a ¼ of a cent sales tax tocommunity parks, green space, and leisure wards the Parks Department and allowed activities available to numerous improvecitizens. The Parks ments to begin Department attempts taking place within to keep Rolla healthy, city parks. Along unlike Pawnee who with improvement holds the title of the to local parks, the fourth most obese city city government has in America. other projects in the “People are very works. busy these days. Most Butz shared some often for families, the of Rolla’s future husband and wife will and existing plans both be working jobs saying, and a lot of times the “Our hope is to kids are working. So build a new animal it’s really a lifestyle shelter and replace choice to take part in Photo courtesy of http://rollacity.blogspot.com the old one that is those things. What now over 40 years we try to do is make old. The highway those things avail72 extension is a able to the citizens,” project that we’ve Jernigan said. been hearing In order to make about for nearly parks available to 20 years and we the community, finally got that to the department go,” said Butz. must rely on supAccording to port from Rolla’s Butz, the pricitizens. Luckily, orities of local they have received government are the support they public safety, then need to continue infrastructure, their work in the then everything community through else -from animal the work of recent shelters to recyPhoto courtesy of http://www.phelpscountyfocus. cling programs- falls legislation. “Prop P is a special com into place aftertax dedicated to wards. These priimprovement of existing parks. We’re very orities are reflected in local governments blessed here in Rolla to have the support across the country, as well as in Parks of the citizens to be able to provide what and Recreation. The difficult part comes we provide and I’m appreciative of that,” with enacting progress. As shown in the Jernigan said. show, government projects can oftentimes In 2015, Rolla passed Proposition P become bogged down in bureaucracy,
Chamber of Commerce plays an important role in Rolla community b y
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The Rolla Chamber of Commerce is a fairly obscure organization, yet has a highly important role in the community. Founded nearly a century ago, the Chamber of Commerce has led the evolution of the business community of Rolla. They are a nonprofit organization, with the main focus of helping businesses grow and prosper, who also work to promote the general quality of life in the community. Stevie Kearse is the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. Kearse has witnessed firsthand the importance of the Chamber to the community. “It’s really important for businesses to have a voice that is separate from the city government or the county government. A total nonpartisan organization can speak for what the businesses need,” Kearse said. The Chamber is almost completely independent from the city government. It is equipped with an executive director and a 12 to 13 member board of directors. The directors represent the independent citizens and businesses that make up the Chamber’s large coalition of members throughout the community. “The city of Rolla has a contract with us, and it does outline some of the things they want us to do, but then the board of directors and the staff also have a lot of free room to decide how we’re going to execute those things,” Kearse said. The most important focus of the Chamber is to improve Rolla’s economy in order to elevate the general quality of life of Rolla’s citizens. The Chamber advocates
shopping locally as the key to generating growth in the community’s economy. They help to facilitate this by providing referrals to local businesses, helping in advertising, and giving local businesses a united voice. “We promote shopping local, because if we don’t continue to shop at those businesses, then they won’t be able to keep their doors open. Those are the businesses that employ high school students and give back to the community,” Kearse said. As well as providing services to local businesses and citizens, the Chamber also facilitates tourism in Rolla. Although Rolla may not appear to be the premier tourist destination, the Chamber reports that there are attractions to visit in Rolla such as MS&T, Leach Theatre and Ozark Actors Theatre, and the old courthouse. The Chamber works to bring people into Rolla both temporarily and permanently. They provide services to assist new residents of Rolla and promote the town as welcoming place to live. “There’s a lot of reasons that make Rolla a really nice community, especially for families. We are centrally located in the state of Missouri and the main thing is I really do feel like the Rolla school system is a really excellent school system,” says Kearse. Above all else, the chamber advocates that community involvement is key to promoting a successful community, both financially and mentally. “It’s really important that we engage you and that you know what’s going on in your community so you can help make a difference,” says Kearse.
lack of funding, and conflicting interests. Thankfully, local governments can stay committed to their citizens and avoid the disadvantages of political conflict found at a national level. “In local government, all elected officials are non-partisan. We don’t get bogged down in the politics of the day that you’ll see at the state or federal level. It’s more based on personality styles and traits, and I think Parks and Rec plays that up very well by showing the different personalities in the workplace,” said Butz. Just like any organization, city government has a wide variety of personalities which each meld together to form one cohesive government. In Parks and Recreation, the range of personality types is extreme, from the innocent foolishness of shoeshiner Andy Dwyer to the stern conservatism of Department Director Ron Swanson. “You’ll see folks who have been around for a long time -and this is a generalization- and in some cases they have been beat up by the process of public engagement and working with elected officials and they can become a little cantankerous and defensive. Then you have the newer blood, the Leslie Knope’s and some of her staff who are just excited to be alive each day,” said Butz. Although local government may not be quite as comical and eccentric as portrayed by TV comedy, they both hold in common compassion for their people and commitment to progress. “People want to believe that local government has ethics and that they’re working hard to deliver services honestly. I wish people knew a bit more about how hard city employees work. I am just really impressed with the quality of people we have working for us, from the secretary to front line workers,” said Butz.
Rolla’s Celebration of Diwali draws large crowds
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Rolla’s Diwali festival took place on October 28th at the Leach theater. Sai Akshay, the head of the Indian Student Association, assisted in facilitating this year’s celebration. “Diwali is a festival back in India and we have mythological stories which tell that Diwali is celebrated when good has won upon evil. It is celebrated to bring in light so that we can remove darkness from our life,” Akshay said. Dubbed the Hindu “celebration of light,” the focus of Diwali is to celebrate positivity and encourages ridding life of darkness. Rolla’s celebration withheld these same values. With the focus of fun and entertainment, it began with cultural shows, festive music and dance, and servings of traditional Indian food prepared by MS&T’s students. The festivities then com-
menced with a symbolic firework show, as is tradition back in India. “Back in India we would do fireworks for around three to four hours, and sometimes it might go from six all the way to midnight. The food, dance, and performances would be everywhere in India. Also, you don’t have to have a certain religion to celebrate Diwali. In India, Christians would celebrate Diwali as well, and Muslims and Hindus celebrate Diwali,” Akshay said. Local community members, students, and visitors representing many different cultures and religions come each year in order to take part in the positive atmosphere that is Diwali. “We just want to welcome the community of Rolla to our event because there are a lot of different religions represented in Rolla. There are not very many cultural communities that do put up an event such as this,” Akshay said.
Photos courtesy of the MS&T Indian Student Association Facebook page
5 Feature
Update:
Artist of the month
RHS art gallery construction b y
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Just like sports, the arts offer various courses and ways of expression. With classes specializing in painting, drawing, and creating 2d and 3d figures, Digital Art, a course new to Rolla High School, expands students’ options and boundaries of art. According to art teacher, Connie Shoemaker, that is not the only new thing in the arts. “The Art Gallery will be a place for students to display their work, as well as bring in different artists. It will be located on the first floor between all the art rooms. So between 106, 107, and 108. It’s currently an old storage closet, but they got it all cleaned out last week and took lockers down,” Shoemaker said. These changes not only show the expansion of our school, but display a deeper message that student work is appreciated. Art teacher, Shannon Engelbrecht believes showcasing this work is important. “I really have noticed that my students will put in so much effort. They will make amazing works of art. Then when I put it on display, we have some spaces in the building, but it doesn’t really showcase their talents. I was visiting another school district for an arts educator workshop and one of my fellow art teachers, she converted in their building an art gallery. I thought that was amazing. The artwork looked beautiful, the kids had a place to focus, a space just for the arts, and it was
really like a light switched on in my head. I came back and talked to Dr. Pritchett about our ideas, and he really supported the ideas, putting me in connection with the procedures I needed to do to make it happen,” Engelbrecht said. Along with the addition of the Art Gallery, Laurie Myers, an art teacher of new course Digital Art, gives a rundown of what the class involves. “We explore digital photography, graphic design, art styles, digital drawing, digital painting, digital sound, and animation. Beginning Digital Art touches on the basics of exploring and becoming familiar with these concepts. Intermediate Digital Art expands on the prior knowledge and experience of digital art based on the individual student. Digital Art is a career and college-ready course. Regardless of a student’s future career, learning how to create digital art can benefit them in many ways,” Myers said. Art is never a solidified term and is constantly changing as the world is evolving. As reported by Shoemaker, it provides individual growth and artistry. “If you’re building something from a pattern, it’s a craft, but if you’re taking that pattern and making it your own, you’re getting creative with it, and then you’re becoming an artist. So I just want my students to think like artists because artists question and they push and they break outside of the boundaries. Sometimes they work within limitations, and sometimes they work past what they think are their limitations” Shoemaker said.
Photos taken by Bailey Allison b y
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Sarah Hobson, junior, has a great fondness for art. She started her high school art career by taking Exploring Art, Intermediate Drawing, and currently she is taking AP Drawing. Hobson has been drawing since she was a little kid, but she became more interested in it during freshman year. Her favorite thing to do is draw portraits, and her favorite style of art is impressionism. “Although it sounds cliche, one of my favorite artists is Vincent van Gogh. I love impressionist paintings, and how distorted the artist can make it look,” Hobson said. Mrs. Engelbrecht has made a positive impact on many high schoolers, and RHS has provided many opportunities to students, including Hobson. “Mrs. Engelbrecht is awesome. She has pushed me to improve a lot. I have learned so much from her. My old school didn’t have a good art class, so the idea of a professional art class was amazing,” Hobson said. Hobson has been greatly artistically influenced by her family. She has two siblings and a grandmother that are also involved in art.
“My older sister, Miranda Hobson, encourages me a lot too. She has taken professional college art classes. There is also my little brother, Max Hobson, who has been working on art for a while too. He is probably the reason I got so into art; we are so competitive with each other. It is a little bit of sibling rivalry,” Hobson said. Hobson finds museums interesting and enjoys visiting them when she has the opportunity to. “My grandma and I went to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art over the summer in Bentonville, Arkansas. She prefers still lifes, but my favorite section was the post impressionism. I also went to a couple of museums on a school trip to Washington, D.C., in seventh grade,” said Hobson. One thing that sets Hobson apart from others art. It is not simply a hobby for her, it is also a relief from overwhelming aspects of life. “I like how focused I get when I draw. Drawing in crowded places can help ward people away, because they think I’m busy. Also, it really helps with anxiety. I have social anxiety, and drawing helps calms my nerves, and gives me something else to focus on when I’m distressed,” Hobson said.
Recap of RHS marching band’s season
Photo courtesy of Rob Barth
Photo courtesy of Rob Barth b y
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continued from page 1 Concepts for band shows can be hard to come up with, but when they are decided, how it comes together can mean all the difference. “You always wonder how it’ll flow from the beginning to the end of the show, and I think the flow of our show was absolutely seamless. The timing was perfect, the transitions were perfect, so just the way the total package came together, was amazing
to us. It even just surprised us how well it did, and I think that was the obvious reason we had such a fantastic season,” Slowensky said. With a lot of students and time spent on band, student leadership is in high demand. Drum major, Rachel Phelps discusses her goal as a drum major. “It is very easy when you put that many kids in the same environment for them to get really stressed out and negative. So as a leader, it’s kind of my job to make sure they realize it’s just band. You know, yes we all love it, it’s something we’re all passionate about, but it’s just band. There’s no need to get stressed out, and as freshman it can get very intimidating to be in a place where you’re expected to know what you’re doing. To march is a difficult thing when
you’re first learning it, so I’m there to help that along and make it an easier task so they don’t feel super overwhelmed,” Phelps said. The amount of time spent cleaning and rehearsing for each competition is an effort made by everybody. From early morning practices that start before school, to after school practices lasting several hours, it makes sense that the band has ended their season undefeated. “Our upperclassmen, our section leaders, and our drum majors. They put in so much work and they’re so dedicated and we couldn’t have the program we have without their help. You know, I can’t do everything, and Slow and G can’t do everything, so our section leaders did a fantastic job this season helping their freshman and
Photo courtesy of Rob Barth all of their section through the season. I’m also proud of our freshman this year. They are very good for their age, they marched fairly well, and they’re incredible musicians,” Phelps said. Just like Phelps and many other band members that have contributed into the success of this year’s band season, the scores received at this year’s band competitions add on to this accomplishment. “I’m extremely proud of what the students have done. Sometimes you don’t know if the students know how proud we really are. They didn’t score in the 70s at all this year. Usually most bands start in the 60s or beginning 70s, we scored around 82, 83 and higher for the whole season. So I’m very proud of the kids,” Goldschmidt said.
Athlete of the b y
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Coutesy of St. Louis Post Dispatch
Aidan Sheffel is new to the school, but not new to cross country. She has been running since she was in the seventh grade when she was on the team just to try it out. Fast forward five years and Aidan has gone to state for cross country every year from ninth to twelfth grade. “It’s exciting that I get to go again my senior year because I have gone every year of high school,” Sheffel said. Aidan loves being on a team that she gets along with really well and that drives her to be a better runner. “My teammates are really fun and they push me to be better, I really appreciate all they do for me,” Sheffel said. Running and competing at State isn’t the easiest thing to do, and everyone overcomes the nerves in a different way. For Sheffel, it just doing what she knows to do, and that is to just run. “Just calm down and realize it is just a race. Just try and do your best, because
that’s all you can do,” Sheffel said. Cross Country coach Rhett Cook is also new to the team and he enjoys what he does. Coach Cook is close with his runners, and had some great things to say about Aidan. “Aidan is amazing and runs better and better every week. She is a very bubbly person and always has something to say that makes everyone laugh,” Cook said. From the beginning of the season, Sheffel was determined to make it to the state meet once more and get an even better time. Her goal is to try and get her best time at her last run at state. She has enjoyed the season, and her teammates have played a huge roll in her season. “I’ve loved running with them, I love the team, and I think we’ve gotten really close in a real short period of time,” Sheffel said.
Winter sports underway at RHS b y
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With the fall season coming to an end, winter is right around the corner. With winter comes Christmas, snow, and of course the start of the basketball and wrestling season at Rolla High School. During the winter sport season, Rolla has had some success the past few seasons with both sports finishing high in district and conference play. So with 2018 nearing the end, eyes are on the boys and girls wrestling and basketball teams. Star boys basketball player, Alec Buhr, is not only a senior on the team, but one of the best players on the squad. He knows what is required of him being a captain on the team. “This year we are going to have a lot of young talent. It’s my job as a senior captain to lead our younger players that have no experience and make them comfortable under pressure. I will be the captain that everyone on the team looks up to an I will set a good example for all our fans watching,” Buhr said. During the offseason, players focus on improving their skill and technique but also improve during the regular season. Junior basketball player, Ellie Rodgers, knows what she needs to do for the team to succeed this season. “I just plan on fully committing to this season and working harder than I have in the past seasons to try and improve in all aspects. I will make sure everyone else is just as excited to start the season and watch us grow as a team,” Rodgers said. One of the more difficult parts of build-
ing up a strong contender is being able to replace talent with talent. Head coach of the wrestling team, Marty Hauck, knows the ins and outs of building his program. “When we lose college level wrestlers every year now, we don’t let our program level drop, instead we reload and that is our expectation. We haven’t been out of the top ten in state in the last four years, soon we won’t be out of the final four in state every year. We are bringing up contenders every year now from our youth program who win big matches and know that is what the wrestling team does,” Hauck said. With the girls basketball team, however, they aren’t losing many players from last year’s graduating class. Coach Luke Floyd of the girls basketball team is confident about his team’s ability this season. “We return four starters from last year’s team and add a very big freshmen class so we have very high expectations for the season. We had a great summer of basketball with great team chemistry. If we can stay healthy, we could have a special season,” Floyd said. Another team that knows a lot about being successful is the boys basketball team, have won the district championship last season the team looks to repeat their success. Head coach Mark Miller is ready for the challenge at hand this season. “Our guys have a strong work ethic and a passion for basketball. As we go through the season we’ll rely on that, and their desire to get better and pay attention to the details and fundamentals. As this all comes together, we look for that to provide success and continue the excellent tradition of bulldog basketball,” Miller said.
RHS boys soccer ends historic season
Photos courtesy of Rolla Daily News
Photos courtesy of Rolla Daily News
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The Rolla High School boys’ soccer season ended on Tuesday the 6th with their 2-0 loss to Glendale. The team made it to Sectionals in their post-season, making this season an overall successful one. Senior Carson Arnold reflected on comprehensive performance, both his teammates’ and his own. “As a team I definitely think we grew a lot, both on the field and off. As for my own playing, I feel very happy with how I performed, but frustrated that I kept having to miss time for injuries or illness,” Arnold said. Arnold then acknowledged the team’s bittersweet feelings: pride with a twinge of disappointment. “I think we’re all a little disappointed with how the season ended, as we wanted to make the Final Four, but we overcame a lot of adversity in the form of various injuries and poor run in the middle of our
Photos courtesy of Rolla Daily News season. For that I am proud,” Arnold said. For Sophomore Lane Mabe, the beginning of his first year on varsity was spent learning from his senior teammates, and the last part was spent saying goodbye. “It’s been a great year for sure. We’re going to miss the seniors a lot next year; they’re a huge asset to our team,” Mabe said. Aside from the aspects of the sport itself, Mabe is convinced the seniors have made him better as an individual. “My biggest mentor is probably Rhys Proffitt. He always seems to take the team under his wing and helps them grow as both players and people,” Mabe said. The players, both new and soon-to-be graduated agree that pride in themselves and their team far overpowers any regrets or disappointments. “[Being a senior] gave me some extra motivation--some more passion and desire to really leave it all out there. And I think I did that,” Carson said.
Photos courtesy of Rolla Daily News
7 Sports
United States Veterans
share stories, advice, hope for students b y
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The brick building spanning across the spacious lawn in the middle of St. James is mostly known to the public for it’s firework shows and trick-or-treat events on Halloween. The Veteran’s Home provides much more than that, it provides care and a place to stay to the parents and grandparents of many St. James area citizens. Each resident of the Veteran’s Home served in a branch of the United States military. Wesley Herweck’s branch of choice was the Marine Corps, as his father told him he was not good enough to be a Marine. He joined as soon as he graduated high school in 1963, and soon after, he was thrown into war. “In 1965 I was sent to Vietnam as part of the Marine Artillery,” Herweck said. Herweck was not scared, he was trained. Even his brother, who had steel bones in his arm to replace damage done by cancer, fought in Vietnam. He laughed as he described talking about taking apart a 105 Howitzer, a large artillery weapon, with his captain.
“I told the captain ‘If they find out, you and I both go to prison.’ He asked if I could do it and I said ‘Yes sir,” Herweck said. Herweck’s captain offered him anything he needed to get the job done. He asked for just one new combat boot, and cut a disk out of it. He slid the new disk into place and completely reassembled the artillery piece. “the gun was firing when I left,” Herweck said. He paused, shifted in his wheelchair, and looked towards his hat sitting on his bed. He “learned a lot in Vietnam” was all he could say about his time in war. He now suffers from diabetes caused by Agent Orange, a chemical that nearly four million people were exposed to during the war, that is now banned. When Herweck returned from war, he witnessed and suffered from not only physical disabilities, but mental. He spoke passionately about the lack of support and acknowledgement from the public when soldiers returned home. “We lost 60,000 men in Vietnam, and countless more when they came home,” Herweck said.
The numbers of Vietnam veterans that committed suicide are inconclusive at best, but it is factual that veterans are at a 22 percent high risk of suicide, and adequate therapy was not provided for Vietnam soldiers when they returned home. Before the Vietnam war even began, talk of therapy and PTSD was not heard of, Jackie Roberts was joining the army. “I went in the army in 1950 and I took basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. From there I went to California, and from there I went to Korea,” Roberts said. During the Korean War, Roberts mostly guarded the 38th Parallel and was a Browning Automatic Rifleman. He proudly spoke of how big and heavy the gun was, nearly 20 pounds. After nine months, he was sent home. Mid conversation, he casually recalls that day. “I got blown up by a hand grenade. Well that’s what they said, I don’t remember. I was in the hospital for a couple weeks,” Roberts said. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his service, but he mostly speaks of the cold. “The cold was worse than the fighting. Then in the spring it would start rain-
ing, the monsoons they called it. We had mashed potatoes and even they would rot,” Roberts said. The cold froze his feet and back, helping, along with the effects of the grenade blast, to put him in a wheelchair in his old age. Before the wheelchair, he was 18, educated through the eighth grade, and “scared half to death” of what he had to do. “People getting killed bothers me still to this day. It isn’t a natural thing to do. I’ve seen children so hungry their stomach swells up with malnutrition. There is something wrong with anyone that glorifies war. It is terrible and I was scared. That was the farthest I’d ever been from Salem.” Roberts said. Herweck agrees that war is something to always avoid, but does not regret his time spent serving in Vietnam. “I went over there so you could be here. I went to Vietnam for everyone in this country. It was a nasty war, and I learned that we all bleed red. That makes us all brothers. The ones that didn’t make it all bleed red, the ones that did make it still bleed red,” Herweck said.
Public library offers programs, clubs for teens, kids b y
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Copy Editor
Teenagers today spend a lot of time on one technological device or another, browsing social media and playing video games. Entertaining, yes, but sometimes students linger too long on their screens, and can miss other opportunities even when they are right in front of them, and are free to participate in. One example of this is the Rolla Public Library, a useful but often overlooked, resource by the younger generation despite its staffs’ desires to provide entertaining pastimes. Rebecca Buckley, title, is one of those staff members, who wants very much for the library to have more clubs, events, and services for the youth. A recent addition to what the Rolla Public Library offers for teenagers is their Tabletop Gaming Club, held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month. One opportunity coming to the club is a version of Dungeons & Dragons, as well as other magic-related, role-playing games.
“We talked to the guys at Eclipse [Books &] Comics right down the street. They gave us, very generously, some starter magic decks and some of the kids can even get free cards (…) Three of the people who work here, staff at the library, are young and hip, unlike myself… they’ll be on hand to help kids that maybe don’t know how to play that want to learn how to play,” Buckley said. Returning to the library is the Teen Scene, a popular event during the summer that they are hoping to gain traction with again. There are no November meetings, but during winter break, the library will have an event every day to include all ages, and the Teen Scene’s days will be on the 22nd and 29th of December, both of which are Saturdays. “We did a cupcake and costumes thing, we did some crafts, and we had pizza.... We were thinking we would do some kind of a free movie event. All you can eat sugary cereal, a Saturday afternoon cartoon type thing, where kids can come in their pajamas. They can come to meet their friends, sit on the floor, bring a pillow, and
just chill for a couple hours, like from one to three,” Buckley said. She cares deeply about expanding on the Rolla Public Library’s potential for the younger generation as she was previously a high school librarian for 20 years in St. Louis County. “One of the things I had at the high school that was cool; I used to do a preschool outreach, and I used the teenagers to do that. They helped me with storytimes, and we did crafts, and puppets, stuff like that,” Buckley said. There, she had students on an advisory council, who were active with their own public library and community, something she wants to bring to Rolla as well to expand on supplies and opportunities for teenagers. “Books, more events, more author signings, anything that teens would want. If it’s more graphic novels, if it’s more gaming, whatever... If you want help with service opportunities, anything like that. I know you guys probably need tutoring hours and stuff, we could always talk about that kind of stuff and see what can be done,” Buckley
said. She mentioned many ideas, such as a writers’ club and a youth book club, but they do not have to be reading specific. Buckley also mentioned a chess club, crafting, and DIYs. “For example, [one teen] came with the idea that he wanted to do an origami workshop for all ages. I was like, ‘That’s so cool, let’s do it,’ I’m hoping if there’s any other kids that have stuff that they want to do, if they know a skill that they would like to do a workshop on, or have a sort of club on, to please let me know,” Buckley said. Buckley is passionate towards the library’s potential to be more for the younger generation. She offered to work around students’ schedules and even to come to the high school herself. “I really want to get some kids to come in and tell us what they want, so that we can do it... Especially when I’m working. The only days I have off are Sunday, Monday. If they come like right after school, during the day, pretty much anytime. Ask for Rebecca, I will definitely take any ideas,” Buckley said.
Photos taken by Jace Swearingen
November: This month in history b y
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November 1, 1848 - The first medical school for women opened in Boston. The Boston Female Medical School was founded by Samuel Gregory with just twelve students. In 1874, the school merged with the Boston University School of Medicine, becoming one of the first co-ed medical schools. 6 Nov. 1429 Henry VI is crowned King of England.
7 Nov. 1917 Bolshevik Red Guards seize control of the Winter Palace and confirm Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin) as leader of Russia. November 9-10, 1938 - Kristallnacht (the night of broken glass) occurred in Germany as Nazi mobs burned synagogues and vandalized Jewish shops and homes November 11, 1918 - At 5 a.m., in Marshal Foch’s railway car in the Forest of Compiegne, the Armistice between the Allied
and Central Powers was signed, silencing the guns of World War I effective at 11 a.m. – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In many places in Europe, a moment of silence in memory of the millions of fallen soldiers is still observed. November 12, 1867 - A major eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy began, lasting several months. 24 Nov.1859 Charles Darwin published his book Origin of the Species
29 Nov. 1641 England’s first newspaper is published. 20 Nov. 1947 Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) married her cousin Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (Duke of Edinburgh) at Westminster Abbey.