February 20, 2018 Print Issue by RHS ECHO

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Rolla High School - 900 Bulldog Run Rolla, Missouri 65401- Volume 69 - Issue 7 February 20, 2018 - www.rhsecho.com

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RHS student active in Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rights Marches

What determines the line between cheating and using your resources?

First look at state bound Rolla wrestlers

In this issue...

Parent University............................................................9 Display Case....................................................................11 Guess Whose Pet.............................................................16 Basketball Districts..........................................................24 Sam’s Soapbox.................................................................27

Letter from the Editor I am not going to lie; I have really struggled with what I should write about in this issue. I heavily considered the topic of senioritis, but I concluded that no one is dying to read about my senior year struggle. (If you do happen to be interested in this topic, my friend Adrienne has a neat column on page twenty-seven.) In the past, I have written about school functions and positive attitudes, but I decided to change it up this time. The subject of this letter is very important to me; some might say he’s my best friend. He’s my dog. This idea came to my mind about thirty minutes ago, but I feel that my dog Chase deserves some recognition. He’s been in my life for quite a while, and he’s always excited to see me when I come home from my daily activities. Last year on the first day of school, he jumped into my car and just begged me not to go with those puppy dog eyes. He’s always around; in fact, he’s on my lap right now. Honestly, I can not remember a day that I haven’t had Chase by my side. Chase loves everybody (unless they try to move him from his place on the couch), but not everybody loves Chase. We have definitely encountered some haters over the years. Some people say that when Chase’s hair gets really long, he looks like a mop, and another common statement is that he has bad breath. While these accusations aren’t wrong, Chase is not defined by his slight hair malfunctions or stinkiness. Anyone who knows me knows that I will stand up for him. He’s a good dog, and there is no arguing that. Chase might never read this letter, but I would like to think he knows that I appreciate him. At the end of the day, Chase is always there for me, and he doesn’t judge. Now, I know I might sound pretty obsessed with my dog at this point, but hopefully, all of you pet lovers out there understand. Pets are the best, and it’s just true.

2017-2018 Rolla High ECHO Magazine Staff Editor In Chief - Sophia Gesualdi Copy Editor - Adrienne Pyeatt Managing Editor - Lydia Giesey Photo Editor - Bailey Allison Webmaster- Blaize Klossner Section Editors: Abbee Hilgers (Opinion), Maia Bond (Arts & Entertainment), Kayla Copeland (News), Brandon Kirchner (Sports), Jessa Swearingen (Feature) Staff Writers - Nalani Massaro, Lorren Black, Brett Gonzalez, Tutu Hardwick, Abbee Hilgers, Elizabeth Kaelin, Sam Kimball, Taylor Miller, Josh Pritchett, Isaac Stormes, Nicole Van Horn, Adviser - Mary Gillis 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

Table of Contents

Poverty affects students in various ways b y

Poverty, even in a minor form, is something that surrounds us every day. It affects us more than many of us realize, but it’s not something we often talk about. Phrases float around in the background, but we don’t seem to publicly acknowledge it. AP handouts state that students on free and reduced lunch will pay $53 per AP test. The announcements say that any girls needing help getting a dress for Courtwarming, please stop by the counselling center. Rolla High School does so much to help those who may not be as fortunate as others. The biggest and most wellknown example is the offering of free and reduced lunches. (This exists across the entire United States, thanks to President Harry Truman.) In fact, the majority of students (just above 50%) in the Rolla Public School system receive free or reduced lunch, which, quite shockingly, rings true throughout most of America.. To qualify for free lunch, the family income of a student must be below 130% of the poverty line (as of 2015), and 42.9% of students in Rolla receive free lunch. If being significantly below the poverty line is as common as it is, then shouldn’t we be doing more to help? Well, we are. For example, Rolla High School has a clothes closet for students who may not have access to new clothes. The closet is run by counserlor Roger Bridgeman and is fueled by donations from students, parents, and local businesses. (If you have any questions, or if you would like to donate, stop by the counselling center.) Many clubs and organizations within the high school help with charities yearround. Additionally, many scholarships are

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Opinion Editor

offered for students who cannot afford to pay fees for their class materials (art classes, for example). While there are many services offered, far too many to list, we at Rolla High ECHO believe we should be doing even more. In the past, organizations, including NHS, have helped distribute food through GRACE, so many students should be familiar with the concept of a food pantry. Food pantries are generally run by churches or nonprofit organizations (such as GRACE). However, none of these organizations are specifically for students of Rolla High School. Items like deodorant, which were once luxury products, are now considered necessary to be accepted in modern society. While we may not need to offer food in the “food pantry” thanks to the free and reduced lunch program, it would be amazing to offer simple hygiene products such as soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, and menstrual supplies. (Pads and tampons can cost seven dollars or more per box, and are essential.) The disadvantaged students of Rolla High deserve the same opportunities that more fortunate students have. How can students be expected to reach their full potential if all they can think about is how hungry they are, worrying about the way they smell, or if they’re going to accidentally bleed through their clothes. Keeping in mind the progress of the past, it’s important to keep pushing forward to provide these students with necessities that are often overlooked. http://education-places.startclass.com/l/10361/RollaMO

Op Ed 3

Sexual Harassment:

A continuous conversation about changing culture b y

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One in five women are victims of completed or attempted sexual assault while in college. That’s over two million women. (nwlc.org) Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination. (nwlc.org) Every 98 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. (RAINN) 65% of all women have experienced street harassment 23% touched 20% followed 9% have been forced to do something sexual (stopstreetharassment.org) In 2014, 30% of charges filed were for sexual harassment. (EEOC.gov)

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Towards the end of 2017 and into the beginning of 2018, American film, television and music industries had an upheaval of biblical proportions. Many women and some men have started to speak out about the discrimination and sexual harassment they face in their careers, thus raising a movement all across the world, first in the form of #MeToo, then the eventual #TimesUp. With the case of Larry Nassar, the former U.S Gymnastics team doctor who was sentenced up to 125 years for molesting over 200 girls and women, America is encouraging victims to stand up for themselves. In this day and age, it’s important for others to know the effects of sexual harassment; what it is, what to do, and how to help others. Mr. Kelly Hinshaw is an assistant superintendent and the representative for Human Resources in the Rolla Public Schools district. Many students aren’t aware that sexual harassment is taken seriously by the staff and administrators of our schools, with protocol in place to prevent it from happening. “For a school district, we are legally required to take action. We are mandated reporters of sexual abuse, every teacher is. We are in charge of protecting students. You can’t address it if people don’t report it. These are hard things to put a handle on, it’s not a piece of paper that has a set amount of rules. You have to trust the people that are in charge of this building with the welfare of the students. We take it really serious and we will investigate when people report things and we hope that people will report things if they feel that they should. There’s no perfect answer. The reality is, we all just want to do the best job that we can do for our students,” Hinshaw said. Maggie Duncan, a former Rolla High School Echo editor and Convergence Journalism major at Mizzou. She is a participates in the event Take Back the Night. “The Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP) Center puts on an event called Take Back the Night. The RSVP center does education events and provides resources for people who have been sexually assaulted. Take Back the Night is an event that begins with a march across campus to protest against sexual assault and harassment and to promote consent. It ends with a candlelit vigil where all participants are free to take the stage and share their stories of sexual assault and rape. The slogan is “Break the Silence End the Violence” and it’s a way for women to feel validated about their experiences since rape and sexual assault are so difficult to talk about,” Duncan said.

Duncan and her friends have experienced sexual harassment themselves; unfortunately, it can happen in any environment. These stories are included to show the prevalence and frequency of sexual harassment, and that it can happen at any time. “I think that sexual harassment in Columbia usually shows up in the nightlife. It’s not uncommon to be catcalled on the street, and I know several people who have been followed around downtown by a man. Just this past Saturday night in the time it took me to get from my apartment entrance to my uber in the street this man with a tattoo of the monster logo on his neck came up to me and was telling me about how attractive he thought I was, looking me up and down. I just keep repeating curt thank yous so he’d stop and leave me alone. Once I got to where I was going I told the story to another woman who was there and it turned out the same guy had followed her around downtown and she’d had to call the cops on him from a convenience store. Another time I was standing in the stairwell at a bar and as a group of men walked by one of them slapped me on the butt. Another time my freshman year I ordered Dominos pizza late at night and went down to get it by myself and the delivery driver was flirting with me. You have to put your number in to order pizza, and after I picked up my order he continued to text me trying to flirt. The same thing happened a second time with the same delivery driver, and I called Dominos to complain because my roommate and I were concerned he was just trying to pick up drunk girls he met late at night. When I talked to the manager and told them that their driver had taken my number from the order without my permission the manager said ‘so you didn’t want him to text you?’ And I’m assuming there were no repercussions,” Duncan said. Sexual harassment is a situation in which something more dangerous could happen. Randi Turntine, the development coordinator at the Russell House, explains why it’s best to stop it as it’s happening. “It could go by a case by case scenario. It could be in the workplace, somebody may not know how to turn down an unwanted advance. It could be that a woman may feel threatened that she may lose her job, that starts out as sexual harassment and leads to something, because if she doesn’t turn down the sexual harassment, if she doesn’t act on that, then the man might be said to visit more. It happens in school as well, girls may be afraid to turn a boy down. It really is just depending on what the scenario is, but it all stems back to, if a woman is saying ‘you’re offending me or I’m uncomfortable with this’ then someone might interpret that in their simple minded ‘well she didn’t turn me down that way, so she might want more.’ And It’s not just men sexually harassing women. Women can sexually harass men just the same.

25% of men have been street harassed. (stopstreetharassment.org) 47% of women report sexual harassment while only 21% of men would.(click4compliance.com) Only 1 out of every estimated 100 sexual assaults in the military results in the perpetrator being convicted (equalitynow.org) In 2011, 3,192 service members reported being raped or sexually assaulted while in the military equalitynow.org 80% of women have faced sexual harassment in the military. medscape.com We have a prevention education program led by Koree Miller; she goes to 15 middle, junior, and high schools and she works with the youth to educate them about relationships. So we are working with the youth while they are young, to hopefully end this cycle in the future,” Turntine said. There are questions that come to mind when faced with sexual harassment, the biggest one being how to end it. The issue isn’t simple, but the solution remains the same: treat others with respect. “The easy answer is to say when you have observed it or when you have been victimized or any time after that. The best time to deal with it, is when it has occured. The sooner you do, the sooner a remedy can be put in place. I just think that people have to have an understanding of what is happening to speak up. The goal is to create a culture where people treat others the way that they want to be treated, it doesn’t matter who they are.” Hinshaw said.

Feature 5

Victims of gun accidents, violence share stories of recovery

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A r t s & E n t e r t a i n me n t E d i t o r When one thinks of guns in Rolla, they usually think of hunting, because violent crime in rural Missouri is not exactly booming. Talk of guns is prevalent in national news daily, but crime and accidents affect areas differently. Director of Technology Transfer at MS&T Dr. Keith Strassner was working a high school job at a movie theater in 1975 St. Louis when he fell victim to an armed robbery. “A guy walked up and poked a gun through the window and robbed the young lady and me of all the money we had. He told us he would shoot us if we didn’t give him the money,” Strassner said. He chuckles, remembering that he was worried about being able to fit the bag of money through the small window. “I’m thinking he’s going to shoot us because we can’t fit the money through the window,” Strassner said. Though this incident was years ago and he came out with no injuries, Strassner remembers the day clearly, much like the Wood Manufacturing Teacher Robert Studdard remembers his more recent hunting accident a few years ago. He describes the first morning of hunting season, his daughter and him drove to where they usually hunted and waited for it to get light outside on account of the fact that Studdard does not like walking through the woods with dark ahead. His gun had a slide safety. “It was cold that morning. I loaded my gun and was getting ready to get out of the truck. I put my gloves and hat on, and when I reached down to get my gun, I guess my finger accidentally hit the slide safety. I brought the gun under the steering wheel to get out, and my finger accidentally hit the trigger,” Studdard said. Although he was in shock, Studdard was aware enough to know that he had been hit and told his daughter that she would have to drive. He did not know how bad the wound was when it happened. “I felt it, but then it went numb. I didn’t even look at it,” Studdard said. His daughter called 911 and drove Studdard back to their home, where EMTs arrived and shortly after, the helicopter. Sergeant Anthony Lauth from the local police department describes a much more common occurrence, but is still an accident that is few and far between. Lauth describes a scenario where both parents are out of the home working, and children have more access to the weapon. With play guns more accessible, children believe that it is a toy but instead it is their parents loaded weapon they are playing with. He confirms that he has seen an increase in cases such as these in the past year. Whether it be crime or accident, recovery is difficult. Strassner returned to his job at the movie theater and mentioned in an email

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that he never thought about the robbery anymore. “That is not really true. I have to say that every time I go into Kroger or a fast food restaurant and I see someone with a gun on their hip, it all flashes back again,” Strassner said. He wonders if this had happened to him today if the robber would have simply shot both him and his colleague so Strassner could not identify him or testify against him. Strassner lives with this traumatic experience in his mind every day, while Studdard lives with the physical changes made during his long recovery process. Studdard remained at Barnes hospital for about three weeks. After about five or six days the doctors gave Studdard his two options. They could try to save his leg by performing about 20 procedures, and still, there was no guarantee that he would be able to walk after a year, or they could remove part of his leg and give him a prosthetic. A doctor claimed they could have him walking in three months with a prosthetic. “I asked him, what would you do? He told me that if it was him, he would have the leg off in the morning,” Studdard said. He paused before moving on. He expresses how difficult it is to decide to have your leg taken off. “The accident happened in November, they removed my leg in December. Then you have to go through a period of recovery where your leg adjusts and heals before they fit you for a prosthetic,” Studdard said. He focused on getting back into his classroom after the accident, and succeeded in that by teaching from his wheelchair only months after the accident, before he would even walk again. “I wanted to be back there for the kids. They had a substitute teacher the whole time I was gone and I knew they needed me. There was a drive to get back there and to overcome this,” Studdard said. He received his prosthetic leg on Mar. 1 and began the process of learning to walk. The following year, Studdard began hunting again. He wants people to know not to let bad experiences change your life. He explains that you need to pick up and keep going, to embrace it. “You learn to appreciate your family a lot more. You let the little things go and don’t let a lot of things bother you. You appreciate life and God a lot more,” Studdard said. He tells how when he visits St. Louis for rehab, he sees several other people suffering from far worse than he had. He reminds people to remember that there is always someone who has it worse, so your bad day does not seem so bad. Both victims of gun incidents, whether crime or accident, went through trauma and a recovery process. However, their situations were drastically different and their stance on guns show that.

Strassner has traveled the world for his job and it never bothers him to walk in cities such as London or Tokyo, but he is always looking over his shoulder in St. Louis or Chicago. “I don’t want to take guns away from people that use them for sporting and hunting, but just look at the news for the past few weeks. Two school shootings where these kids had access to a lot of weapons. I think we need to have a serious conversation about whether kids having access to these guns is right or wrong. I don’t think it is all or none, there is a rational middle position,” Strassner said. His brother hunts, but Strassner stresses that hunting is not what this is about. It is about being able to go to school, the movies, a restaurant, and not have to look over your shoulder. He uses the example of someone getting angry in a store, and him immediately looking for a way to get out. He asks the question: is this how we want to live? Like Strassner’s brother, Studdard has hunted all his life, and with the same gun for 15 years. “It was an accident. It wasn’t the gun’s fault, it wasn’t my fault, it was an accident. It could have happened to anybody,” Studdard said. His comments line up with Strassner’s concerning how hunters are not the issue. “It is not the people who go out hunting. It is not the people out at target practice. It is not the cops, it is the people that are using them for the wrong reasons,” Studdard said. Studdard is more eager to discuss his new prosthetic leg and what he has learned so far. He explains the advanced technology that went into building his new leg. He calls it a computer in his leg, explaining how he changes the battery every day while pulling the thin square out of the base of his knee. Studdard’s leg, the Plie 3, was developed after the Boston Marathon bombing and includes hydraulics that controls how he can use his knee, such as walking down a hill and making sure it does not buckle. His foot flexes and he mentions a runners foot, the kind of prosthetic foot that flexes while one runs, compared to his which is multi-purpose. “There is so much technology in my leg that helps me on a day to day basis. I have no trouble with my leg at all,” Studdard said. Many modern prosthetics were developed after the Iraq War, and Studdard emphasizes how students can help people like him. Students do not often realize what goes into prosthetics and what kinds of things they are learning in school that apply to helping people. “What you are learning in high school can help someone like me. It took an engineer to design this. There is tons of work on this leg that different high-level fields develope to make people better,” Studdard said. He has learned more about the technology and many different jobs that contribute to his leg and encourages students to look into what they are learning and how to apply it to helping people just like him. Studdard’s accident has taught him a lot about himself and changed his life forever. This accident was merely that, an accident. Though hunting incidents do not often happen in Rolla, gun-related crimes and accidents do happen. “Have there been shootings here in the last year where firearms were involved? Yes. Have there been instances where narcotics were involved and then firearms were used? Yes. But it is not every day. Here in the city of Rolla we may have two at any time during the year and that is on the extreme side,” Lauth said Crime rates may be low, but Lauth admits that they are on the rise this past year because of the new law that passed in Missouri stating that a person no longer has to have a license in order to carry a gun. Now you do not have to register for a gun, you can

buy a weapon and hold it in your vehicle concealed and loaded at any given time. This means, according to Lauth, that more education is needed. Lauth explains that one does not need to use the weapon at all times, even in law enforcement he says that their last resort is to use a weapon. He believes in attempting to communicate and work the situation out that way. “In law enforcement, we have to make split-second decisions. If I make that decision to end a life am I now ending a life that was helping or causing the incident?” Lauth said. With looser gun laws, obviously more people are obtaining guns. Lauth explains how this law simply makes it harder for the good guys to get their guns and increases theft of guns because there is no longer a need to have a license. Lauth warns that if you buy a gun from someone and that gun is stolen, the police are able to run the gun and if you are in possession of the stolen weapon, you are likely to be charged with a crime. He explains how there are less serious offenses such as a DWI with an accidental injury that earn someone the felon status. With that status, they are unable to legally own a firearm of any kind. Therefore, the police are able to take away guns from these people and get them off the streets. With more people owning guns without proper education, Lauth worries more about his safety. “Now when I pull the trigger, I worry about my family, my job, my life, because I can be sued or arrested for wrongful death even in law enforcement,” Lauth said. Lauth assures that he is glad that citizens want to help but it makes law enforcement harder. He believes in guns, but there still has to be training and understanding of what outcomes could be. “Our job is to protect and serve the community and try to lessen the lives being taken. The citizen? What happens when they get there and they freeze? Now you’ve become the victim,” Lauth said. He encourages people to seek out someone willing to help them familiarize themselves with the gun and deal with the fear of being able to handle the weapon. “Come to an officer, we would be more than happy to help you or find someone that is willing to sit down with you,” Lauth said. In order to own a gun, he believes there has to be a responsibility and maturity level because it can cause death. Much like tests are taken to be able to drive a car, people must be educated about guns. “You have a right to bear arms, you can have them. I just ask as a citizen or someone on the street or a neighbor, know what you are doing with it first. Know the responsibilities that go with it,” Lauth said. Lauth knows that society will not change in a day, but eventually he hopes that more education will be implemented to gun ownership. “You can be you and still be fine in life, and you won’t need that gun on your hip because you are able to communicate with someone,” Lauth said. Gun crimes in Rolla may not be a large problem, but with laws changing, education is necessary and being aware of the fact that accidents can happen to anyone. Learning about gun safety, the consequences, addressing the fear connotated with guns is key in pursuing that hobby. Education in how to help people such as Studdard or others with injuries like his is also important because with advancing technology there are incredible ways to change someone’s life for the better after a life-altering accident. Discussing and educating may be the way to rationalize and work towards fixing and preventing accidents and crimes of this nature.

Feature 7

According to the official Women’s March website, their reason behind marching is to end violence against women, protect reproductive rights, protect rights and equalize the workplace, and more. Women’s March, a national organization, doesn’t just fight for women, they fight to raise awareness for environmental issues, protect immigrants, promote anti-violence, and protect civil and LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and allies) rights, despite gender, race, or religion. Contrary to popular belief, the Women’s Marches that occur nationwide aren’t meant to help more than just women, they are using their popularity to peacefully protest for everyone’s rights. These marches bring more people to Washington D.C. than the Inauguration of President Donald Trump did, and they continue to grow in size each year. The Women’s March in St. Louis wasn’t sophomore Lauren Ulrich’s first experience at a Women’s March. She attended the Women’s March on Washington [D.C.] in January 2017 and the St. Louis Women’s March in January of 2018. “It was a very positive experience. It definitely had a very big impact on me to see other people that believe in the same things I do. Overall it was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed the speakers [at the marches]. In washington D.C. they had many famous speakers there, so those were very cool and inspirational. In St. Louis there were some local activists and politicians,” Ulrich said. Ulrich is very passionate about women’s rights issues for many reasons, some hitting close to home. “The biggest inspiration for me [to march] is the people in my life. A lot of women that I know and look up to, like friends and family members, have been victims of sexual assault and violence, so that’s a major reason I march. The women in my life inspire me be confident in myself and go out and make a difference,” Ulrich said. Although Ulrich doesn’t feel personally affected by these issues, she chooses to march for the equality of everyone.

“I’m financially stable, I have a good family, I haven’t truly been discriminated against, but I know that not everyone has those privileges. I don’t feel like I, personally, have been affected because I am woman but I know others have been and I want to support those who have been and continue to be. Women are constantly victims of sexual assault and disrespected because they are female and I want it to end. There are definitely disadvantages women, especially of those of color, have that men don’t. There’s wage gaps, disrespect in the workplace, and other daily struggles that women go through. People who haven’t been in the shoes of someone who has experienced these don’t understand what it’s really like. I want the people in power to know what struggles we face. These struggles are real and they affect women of every race every day,” Ulrich said. Ulrich, along with many others, believe that marches are an excellent way to shed light on social issues. “Marches are a great way to show what the public’s opinion on social issues. It’s a huge deal; it shows politicians what we want. It also inspires others to go out and support what the want to. When you attend others and see how passionate others are and how much change they are making, then it will inspire others to do whatever they can to help out,” Ulrich said. Ulrich urges others to help out in all the ways they can, whether that be by marching towards equality or taking smaller, simpler steps to help. “I would totally recommend [marches] to anyone. Even if you have different opinions than I do, I think you should still go out and show your support for whatever you believe in. Peaceful protest is a really great thing that we’re allowed to do so I believe that everyone should get involved in what change they want to see,” Ulrich said. b y

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Women’s March 2018 Photo Courtesy of Lauren Ulrich 8 Feature

Parent University

Helping parents and students navigate High School b y

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Parent University is a program that was started by Ms. Maskrey and Dr. Pritchett to connect parents and their high school students. Together, Maskrey and Pritchett pick an important topic to feature at a meeting. A speaker is chosen depending on the topic for that specific meeting. “Parent University educates parents on how to help their students have the best four-year high school experience. It also helps students make it through high school while having healthy relationships with not just their parents, but also their peers and themselves,” Maskrey said. The meetings are open to parents, students, and teachers alike. Parent University pertains to those who would like to enhance their understanding of the chosen topics. “I hope to give parents additional information and knowledge because their students are dealing with things their parents may never have experienced. Our goal is to give parents more tools to work with their children with,” Pritchett said. This past topic was about identifying depression and preventing suicide in adolescents. Speakers are chosen based on their knowledge or prior experience with the topic at hand. “This past speaker, Mr. Tappe’s, 16-year-old son committed suicide at the beginning of the school year. His son had been previously hospitalized, and they found out that he suffered from depression. His parents couldn’t identify the signs of depression in order to prevent the second suicidal episode coming. Mr. Tappe focuses his efforts not on his son’s suicide, but on teenage depression and how parents don’t realize their child is being affected by it,” Maskrey said.

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Pritchett and Maskrey are hopeful to have a positive outcome from the Parents University meetings and are planning more for the future. “By the end of the year we’re going to do one more Parent University meeting in March or early April, we haven’t yet selected a topic. We will be asking for feedback from the people that have been to our past meetings, and we’re hoping that it will be positive. We will then ask what topics they would like to see for next year,” Maskrey said. These meetings are important because not only do the parents benefit from them, but the students do as well. The past topics have been about the graduated license program for teenage drivers and were featured in October and November. The topic was internet safety which includes, social media, texting, and sexting. The November meeting gave a deeper look into other apps that students have on their phones that parents should be aware of. “Sometimes kids think that they’re the only ones that go through high school, but the parents go through high school too. These parent’s children are slammed with lots of different issues that maybe they didn’t experience. What we want to do is make parents aware of things that go on with their kids not just academically but socially and emotionally. We want to help equip them to be the best parents that they could be by having knowledge that they can work with,” Maskrey said. To attend or find out more about Parents University, you can contact Ms. Maskrey in the counselor’s office or listen for the announcements in the next couple months.

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How did Valentine’s Day become a thing? b y

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Valentine's Day is a holiday widely celebrated among different countries and cultures. People buy gifts for the ones they care about and spend the day showing their love and affection. It is also the second most popular cardsending holiday, with an estimated one billion cards exchanged annually. The origin of Valentine’s Day has been traced back to a couple of spots in history. There are a few ideas concerning where and how Valentine’s Day began, including the Legend of Saint Valentine and a Pagan festival that was held every February. The story of Saint Valentine is said to be from both the Christian and ancient Roman traditions. The history of Valentine tells of his actions to marry young couples when it was against the law and helping people escape from Roman prisons. He was caught and sent to jail, then later he was killed. During his time locked up, however, he wrote a letter to a girl he had fallen in love with, ending the note with the words “From Your Valentine.” This expression is still used to date in current letters and gifts. Other origin stories include celebrations for the Roman god Faunus, God of agriculture, and to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. It is said the celebration was held during Feb. 15 in attempt to blend with the Christian holidays, but the Roman festivals eventually ended. During the middle ages, it was also commonly believed that it was a time of romance due to the birds’ mating season beginning. Feb. 14 became Valentine’s Day because many priests by the name of Valentine were honored. Although other countries passed on notes and love letters, the United States started exchanging cards around the 1700’s. A man named Esther A. Howland began mass-producing Valentines Day cards in the 1840’s. He used materials such as ribbon, lace, and colored pictures for these cards. Valentine’s Day has a rich, if somewhat ambiguous history, and has evolved into a widely celebrated holiday that brings us chocolate, flowers, and cards from our loved ones.

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Among all of the clubs Rolla High School has to offer, Eco Club is a hidden gem. Eco Club is sponsored by chemistry teacher Chelsea Gordon, and consists of about 15 students that meet every Monday after school from 3:10 to 4:00pm in Ms. Gordon’s room. “We really just collect the recycling from each classroom each Monday. The kids are great about it, and they never complain,” Ms. Gordon said. The club was started by Mr. Warnke, a recently retired chemistry teacher, in the early 2000’s as an effort to cut down on the school’s amount of waste. Since then, the club has also integrated the use of trash cans for used bottles into classrooms. The students, for the most part, join the club because they genuinely enjoy doing their part to better our school. “I joined because I just really wanted to help the environment, and it would look good on a college application,” club member, Lauren Ulrich said. “Eco club is a really good thing to do if you’re looking for a way to help the school. We’re very eager for people to join!” Ulrich added. “I think every school should have an Eco Club. We have fun while helping out the school, and we even have pizza parties sometimes!” Gordon said. If you’re interested in joining Eco Club, see Ms. Gordon in room 251.

10 Feature

This year has seen improvements in the display cases; stop by to check out all the Bulldog accomplishments b y

Many organizations at Rolla High School have their own trophy cabinets. Students pass by the same cabinets every day, so they tend to overlook them. But, upon closer inspection, many interesting trophies can be found. The most visible trophy cabinets are used by the various athletic activities. When people enter Rolla High School through the lower commons, these trophies are the first things that they see. Passing the senior athletic banners, and the multitude of district plaques, the first thing that sticks out among the normal trophies is the Rolla Pride display. It shows successful Rolla High School alumni and record winners from their high school years. Perhaps the most interesting artifacts can be found in the most obscure trophy cases at Rolla High School. In the first floor science hallway, there are three trophy cases, all containing the trophies that could not be placed anywhere else. Among them are chemistry bowl trophies, a marching award from 1985,

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and a national award for debate excellence during the period from 1960 to 1985. The second floor trophy cabinets are primarily for non-athletic awards. There is an academic team cabinet, a 3D art display cabinet, and large cabinets for student council, choir, and band. In the choir cabinet, there is a display honoring the memory of Isabelle Estes, who was a music instructor in Rolla Public Schools from 1935 to 1971. She also served on the Rolla School Board from 1971 to 1986, and wrote the school fight song. Looking into the trophy cabinets of Rolla High School can reveal interesting facets of school history that many have forgotten.

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Why Cheat?

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Photo By Bailey Allison Cheating in school has been a battle fought for years. As school and society changes, cheating adapts to any new environment. It is no secret that it exists in Rolla High, but the reasoning and justification of cheating can vary depending on who one asks. Math teacher Christi Green experiences cheating in her classroom in more creative ways. “We have issues where students try to hide answers through calculators, cell phones, and writing on themselves. Students also use applications such as ‘Photomath,’ ‘Wolfram Alpha,’ and others that we know are out there and write those answers on their papers instead of their own knowledge,” Green said. With the widespread growth of technology, schools and businesses implement devices in order to keep up with society and also to enhance convenience. However, the benefits of technology also bring the apps and websites that help students cheat. The lines of cheating start to blur when one justifies relying on websites or apps for answers as using their resources that will be available to them in the real world. One student differentiates using apps and websites for cheating or as resources by saying that using them on tests is cheating, but using them to study is using resources. Green uses the example of doing one’s homework and then checking the answers with an app to explain how these apps can be justified by using resources available. However, using these apps or other applications to copy answers without doing them alone is cheating. Technology provides easier access to information and also more information, but whether it has increased the amount of cheating in schools is not widely agreed on. From some student’s perspective, cheating has increased, but Green disagrees.

“I don’t know if it has increased, but I think that technology has made it more accessible. There are more ways to get the answers than there used to be,” Green said. It is possible that cheating has not increased in recent decades but Stanford University’s Academic Cheating Fact Sheet cites that 20% of students admitted to cheating in the 1940’s, and 75 to 98% of students surveyed each year admit to cheating in high school. However, population has risen along with the number of students attending school, therefore, those numbers may not be so drastic. Regardless of how many students cheat, they still do, and there does not seem to be a clear distinction between what type of students do. The reasoning behind cheating can vary student to student too. “I do not think that one type of student cheats, I’ve seen all types. Someone you would classify as a good student and students that struggle with their work, they all cheat. There is a lot of pressure right now to get that 4.0; students think that is necessary,” Green said. Green stresses that this mindset is unhelpful because if students continue to cheat, then the disciplinary actions will only get more severe as they continue their education. Junior Emily Phillips expresses that a lot of times she witnesses cheating from students that one would not suspect. She has seen people cheat that she would expect to be smarter and have better morals. Phillips cites some of the reasoning as being more creative about their cheating, but also the stress for honors students to achieve A’s.

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One student says their main goal is to go to college and get a job, but some of the classes they are required to take are useless in the field that they wish to enter. In order to obtain their goal, this student chooses to focus on classes that further their education in their future career. Assistant Principal Doctor Amy Herrman disagrees. “I think that if you are willing to cheat, then you are a cheater. If you are willing to take the easy, lazy way out, then it is likely you are willing to do that in any subject,” Herrman said. A possible solution Phillips suggests is switching to a pass or fail grading scale instead of the traditional letter grading. This would help take some of the high stakes aspect of high school away while still measuring if “you know it or you don’t.” The cons to this plan include the lack of differentiating between a passing student and one that exceeds expectations.

Overall, students and teachers agree that the pressure to obtain high grades is increasing, and not without good reason. The Atlantic reported that the University of Pennsylvania disclosed that the class of 2018 was the most competitive to date, with their admission rate below 10 percent for the first time ever. With more people pursuing higher education to follow higher paying career paths, there are obviously more applications being sent out. Colleges become more selective and therefore the pressure to cheat increases. College selectivity may be a factor, but not the only one. High stakes testing would also be a contributor to the pressure students endure. Cheating can never be completely justified, but understanding why students cheat is the first step to preventing it and creating a better learning environment for teachers and students alike.

“Someone you would classify as a good student and students that struggle with their work, they all cheat”.

14 Focus

In a survey of 24,000 students at 70 high schools, Donald McCabe (Rutgers University)

64%

of students admit-

ted to cheating on a test

58% of students admitted to plagiarism

95% admitted to some form of cheating

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Pick of the Pack Eli

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Hello! Welcome to Pick of the Pack, ECHO’s monthly column all about the lovable pets waiting down at the Rolla Animal Shelter! The Rolla shelter always has many dogs and cats hoping for someone to come adopt them into a loving home. If you are interested in adopting any of these animals, go to our local shelter located at 1915 Sharpe Rd in Rolla, where the animals are adorable, and you can get them for a good cause. *Although we normally have one cat and dog each issue, we chose two dogs for this month because the shelter had no cats!* Name: Rowdy Gender: Male Age: Adult (Professional guess: 2+ years old) Breed: Blue Heeler Description: Rowdy is a beautiful boy! He is sure to be a great addition to any home. He loves to run around, so he will need walks often. His personality lights up the room and he is always so excited to have visitors at his kennel. He is a larger dog than most, so be prepared to be greeted with happy jumps and a great big wag. If you think that you would like to adopt Rowdy, head over to the Rolla Animal Shelter as soon as possible. Name: N/A Gender: Male Age: Adult (Professional guess: 4 years old) Breed: Boxer Description: This young boxer will steal your heart! He was picked up on January 2, 2018 as a stray. This dog is very energetic and loves to jump around. He’s all up to date on his vaccines and is also neutered. This pup adores all kinds of attention, and especially enjoys playing fetch and taking walks. If you think this is the dog for you, be sure to visit the Rolla Animal Shelter today!

New Animal Shelter in the Works

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The Rolla Animal Shelter has been helping the Phelps County area for many years. Without fail, the shelter has given countless families in the area new loving family members. Knowing how much Phelps County’s population has grown, it is no surprise that the shelter we have now is not quite cutting it. The needs of the community have far outgrown the building. Animal Control decided that the shelter needed a new home. “It’s going to be much bigger, much better, [and] much better organized.” said Lorenzo Farnham, a volunteer at the Rolla Animal Shelter. The current shelter has sufficed our needs for many years, but now we need a shelter with many more abilities. Farnham gave us kind of a sneak peek of the features of the new building, “When we get the new shelter, you won’t be able to see any animal that isn’t up for adoption... We are going to keep animals in quarantine, to be sure they are healthy when they leave to new homes.” Farnham said. It is no doubt that this new shelter is going to be exceptional, but luxury comes at a cost.

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“That’s going to make it a lot more expensive though, instead of $35 it will be about $100 [to adopt],” said Farnham. This price is definitely a hassle, but the good side of it is that, the new shelter will be one that spays and neuters. This means that instead of having to pay for the surgery after adoption, they will already be spayed/neutered while up for adoption. This shelter is going to be a phenomenal addition to the Phelps County community, but it has a large expense. This new facility is going to cost about $1,500,000. While they have already collected $800,000, it will take some time for them to save enough for this new shelter. So, when is this going to happen? “It is going to open, well when you guys give us enough money!” Farnham said. The S.A.V.E. campaign is still raising money for this large extension of our community. If you would like to donate, the Rolla Animal Shelter has a box on their front desk for small amounts; if you would like to donate a large sum of money, feel free to talk to the staff at the shelter.

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When you live in a state like Missouri, and in a small town like Rolla, where the diversity is about as low as it can get, recognizing the importance of Black History Month can be difficult. Growing up and being uneducated on the significance can cause February to pass you by in a blur of sappy pink hearts and leave you otherwise unaffected. If we allow the month to pass like that, with little thought to more serious things, we forget how important Black History Month really is, both in its beginning and how it makes a difference today. In the early 1900s, Carter G. Woodson, an African American minister, along with a minister by the name of Jesse E. Moorland, began Black History Month. Together, they founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), dedicating themselves to researching and promoting achievements made by African Americans. The group sponsored a national week to recognize African Americans in the second week of February in 1926, as it coincided with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. This event inspired communities around the country to hold celebrations, found clubs, and host lectures celebrating the successes of African Americans. Because of this event, the following decades saw cities across America celebrate the week annually. Schools and communities began organizing local celebrations, hosting lectures and starting clubs. In the decades that followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing yearly proclamations recognizing the week. By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of black identity, the week had evolved fully into Black History Month on many college campuses. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, stating the public

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should, “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” But how is Black History Month still relevant, and why is recognizing African American achievements important? Slavery is long over, desegregation took effect nationwide, and we even had an African American president. What else is there to accomplish? Because even with all these strides for equality, racism isn’t over. Despite what a majority of white Americans think, discrimination is still widespread and persistent, and will likely remain that way if we don’t work harder and longer for change. America was built on the backs of slaves, and yet their descendants still face discrimination constantly. And this discrimination is everywhere- in the workplace, where they live, or in their day-to-day life. There hasn’t been a change in hiring rates for African Americans in 25 years, meaning the amount of people being turned away due to race is the same now as it was in the early 90’s. Similarly, over half of African Americans found themselves being discriminated against in the workplace. When looking at areas of cities where more African Americans live, it was found that those areas have a lower quality of life because they’re not provided with resources. Even worse, African Americans often experience harassment in the form of racial slurs, and 4 in 10 experience violence or threats of violence. The longer that these injustices go on, the more important Black History Month becomes. It provides a face to an ongoing movement. It serves as a day-to-day reminder, at least in February, that African American people are successful and have been integral in shaping our country. It helps in keeping African American liberation in mind.

Opinion 17

Guess whose pet:

VI. Caspar

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Try to guess who each furry friend belongs to! Flip upside down for the answer key!

I. Pablo

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II. Indigo Bleu (@indiebleuu) III. Kenan (@kenan_the_golden) and Gus

VI. Mittens

V. Watson

IX. Fergie VII. Tuck I. Ethan Walker IV. Olivia Watt II. Brooke Gillman V. Marliere Toothaker III. Jessica Crump VI. Kaylee Stanley

VII. Audrey Collier VIII. Leah Rasco IX. Ashley Barth

VIII. Beckett

Congratulations to the 2018 Courtwarming Candidates!

Freshman Prince candidates: Jack Gesualdi, Evan Colench, Gus Gremp, Kyle McCutcheon, Daniel Read Freshman Princess candidates: Tahrea Facen, Genevieve Huber, Evie Rodgers, Megan Harrison, and Addyson Wells

Junior Prince candidates: Logan Choi, Pranal Madria, Tanner Mertens, Jeron Hicks, and Carson Arnold Junior Princess candidates: Ashley Barth, Emma Rodgers, Emma Dunn, Alorah Jones, and Olivia Homes

Sophomore Prince candidates: Sudatta Hor, Wyatt Sowers, Daniel King, Benjamin Colench, and Gabe Stanislawski Sophomore Princess candidates: Rachel Phelps, Mya Burken, Kate Mallery, Ellie Rodgers, and Emma Puetz

Senior King candidates: Charles Victor, Ethan Walker, Charlie Roberts, Rivu Das, and Matt Drallmeier Senior Queen candidates: Sophia Gesualdi, Courtney Colench, Krista Hilmas, Leah Rasco, and Vivi Ho. Feature 19

New Music of

2018 b y

Geowulf, the Australian born and London-based duo, create wonderful dreamy pop music with each new release. The pair, Toma and Star, came together after years of friendship to work on music together. The two grew up in a coastal town near Brisbane in Australia but were separated for a few years before they started writing music together. Toma has lived in London for the past five years while Star had moved to Sweden before finally settling in London. While in Sweden, Star had started writing and playing music, and met Toma in London to write their first single together, Saltwater. Saltwater is a pop track, drawing inspiration from

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House and Fleetwood Mac. It reflects the rooted ocean-like, washy sounds of the band, and their debut album ‘Great Big Blue’ also exemplifies this. This album is characterized by chilled out, beachy-pop -- the equivalent to driving along the coast an a summer’s day. ‘Great Big Blue’ came out on February 16, 2018, and to celebrate the release of this record, Geowulf will be kicking off their anticipated album by performing at The Lexington in London on February 28th.

bands like Beach

Monthly Movies February is the month of Valentine’s. Every year it is filled with chocolate, flowers, and movies, and this month I decided to pick my favorite romantic comedies to watch on Valentine’s Day.

The Lake House Kate Forster is a lonely doctor who just moved out of a lake house and into Chicago. When she receives a letter from the new owner stating that no one has lived in the house for years, the couple discovers that Kate lives two years in the future. Trying to connect with each other over this distance, The Lake House makes for a different but great movie. I just recently watched this movie and it is already one of my favorites.

Arts and Entertainment

Blended Jim and Lauren are single parents who just had a disastrous blind date. They aren’t in the mood to see each other again anytime soon. However, when they both buy half of a vacation to Africa and end up together again, it makes their families spend a lot of time in this comedic adventure. If you’re a fan of Adam Sandler this would be a great movie to watch.

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Bridesmaids Annie just found out that her friend for life, Lillian, is getting married. Although she is broke and single, Annie tries her best to be the greatest Maid of Honor her friend could ask for. After meeting all of the other bridesmaids, however, a rivalry begins with one of the other girls to be the best bridesmaid. This is an incredibly funny movie and a great one to watch if you’re in the mood to laugh.

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The Proposal Margaret is a book editor at a high end company. When she is faced with deportation to her home country of Canada, she is forced to lie and say that she is getting married to her assistant Andrew. In order to keep up the charade, Margaret has to fly to Alaska to meet Andrew’s family. I’ve seen this movie more times than I can count, and it’s a good one to watch anytime of the year.

Artist of Month Junior Alorah Jones found her passion for acting and singing when she and her older siblings participated in a theater program while living in Germany. During her high school career she has been in Bye Bye Birdie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Once Upon a Mattress, 12 Angry Jurors, and now Guys and Dolls, not to mention her various roles in OAT productions. “Everybody has their passion, and I don’t know when I decided that mine was theater, but when I get up on stage it’s like everything else fades away and I love being there,” Jones said. Some of Jones favorite shows she has performed in are Footloose with Ozarks Actors Theater and the current production Guys and Dolls, which is still in the rehearsal process. Jones feels when there are true connections between performers, the show is brought to life easier. “I love it all, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You might not want to run the soundboard or lights, but those are very important aspects of producing good shows. Without them, there wouldn’t be a production at all. I personally prefer the performing side of things, but every aspect of theater is what makes it so amazing,” Jones said. Musicals have always had a place in Jones’ heart because it incorporates acting as well as singing. “It’s a combination of both, I sing all the time just for fun, but I specialize in musical theatre songs. Being in a musical goes handin-hand because you have to sing and act. You have to be able to act out the and portray the emotions of the characters while singing at the same time,” Jones said. Jones has had the opportunity to participate in the Thespian Conference for the past two years. Last year Jones was upset about

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the scores she had received because she felt she could do better. With the help of drama teacher Kelly McNeven, Jones accomplished her personal goal and was awarded a superior rating this year. “My biggest influence would be my drama teacher Mrs. McNeven. At first, I was doing it [acting] for fun, but then when I got to the high school I switched to be more serious. This is what I want my job to be in life and I take it seriously as if I was getting paid,” Jones said. With encouragement from McNeven, family, and friends she has decided to pursue a career in acting. “I know that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. The way I look at it, when you love what you do it shouldn’t feel like work to do it, you should enjoy it no matter what. Every job has its ups and downs, its difficulties, but when you love it, you love it through the hard times. In this industry, you got knocked down, all the time, but you make yourself get back up. You try again, you do it again, and again,” Jones said. With big plans and big dreams ahead of her she has to start somewhere. “I’d like to start by going to college for acting, and I want to go to MSU after my senior year. I’d like to get a BFA, Bachelor of Fine Arts, degree and major in musical theater,” Jones said. Performing on Broadway has always been a big dream of hers, and now it has turned into her future goal. For now, she works on improving her skills at the high school. To show support come see the next drama show, Guys and Dolls, which will run March 8-10th at the Rolla Middle School.

Five Bulldog wrestlers move on to State tourney

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Anthony Sederburg Junior 106 lbs

Q&A

When you can eat freely again, what’s the first thing you will eat? “Pizza. We will be going to Shakespeare’s Pizza after the meet.”

Zack Fennell Sophomore 126 lbs

Q&A

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Nate Pulliam Freshman 113 lbs

Q&A

Tell us about off-season training. “I wrestle about 3 days a week and work out 5 to 6 days a week.” Can you describe what an average night at practice like? “We start with stretching and then we warm up with running and sprints and then we do a light drill and a heavy drill. We cool down with stretching or a jog.”

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Coleman Brainard Senior 138 lbs

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Do you or any wrestlers have any traditions or superstitions? “I do, this is going to sound weird, but I have special underwear that I weigh in with.” What is the biggest misperception that non-wrestlers have about your sport? “That all we do is not eat, which is not true. We just diet.”

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Justin Briggs Sophomore 285 lbs

Q&A

What is your proudest moment in wrestling thus far?

“Yesterday, when I made it to state.” What was going through your head when you found out you made it to state? “Not much, disbelief. During the match I had to win to advance to state, I was almost pinned. I somehow wriggled out and ended up pinning my opponent.”

Will you describe the relationship that wrestlers have with coaches? “I think every kid in the room has a great relationship with the coaches, because the coaches understand each of us individually, and have taken time to get to know us even though we do have a lot of kids in the room. The coaches are a little different than most coaches; they have to show us how to lose as an individual and as a team. I know that’s hard to do as a coach. For me, the coaches are like family.” Describe how tough it is to cut weight and keep it off with all the temptations. “Great question. It’s hard for sure, but I know I’m not the only one going through it. I know I always have someone to help me get the weight down, and I have awesome coaches who will open the wrestling room for us whenever we need it to go in there and sweat and get it down and under control. It’s not for everyone though; that’s why some kids can’t do it. You have to be self-disciplined and committed. The hardest part for sure is the diet behind it. Anyone can go and cut 10 pounds of water weight in one day, but they’re going to wrestle like crap afterward and be unhealthy. There has to be a good balance of eating right and cutting the weight all at the same time. It’s not easy though.”

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Sophomore Ellie Rodgers

is playing her second year on the varsity basketball team. Leading the Bulldogs in PPG (Points Per Game) with 11.4 and second on the team with 2.8 APG (Assists Per Game) and also SPG (Steals Per Game) with 1.5. Although the current basketball squad is young, Rodgers is already a physical and vocal leader for the team. “As a team, we have already improved so much from last season and hopefully we can go further in districts this year,” Rodgers said. Rodgers has been playing sports for a very long time starting with soccer and more recently picking up basketball. “I’ve been playing basketball competitively since third grade and I started playing soccer when I was three, traveling to Springfield for the Knights (Rolla’s youth travel team)” Rodgers said. She admits to taking a liking to basketball over soccer. “I like basketball more than soccer since I’ve been playing it for a shorter amount of time. It’s a lot more fast-paced and also more competitive than soccer.” Rodgers said. Rodgers mentioned her relations with the coach and how not only the team but the coach wants to get better as well. “Coach Floyd really pushes us every practice to do our best and to make sure we are always giving 100%. That helps us during the game and in drills.” Rodgers said. She has both long-term and short-term goals as a player. “The goal I have for myself is to score 1,000 points by my senior year I got an honorable mention last year for our conference, so maybe this year I can get first or second team all-conference,” Rodgers said. Rodgers loves playing sports because of the team aspect and the togetherness that comes with it. “My favorite thing about playing sports is having a team that supports you,” Rodgers said. Being only a sophomore in high school, college is still far in her future, but she knows she must think ahead. She plans on playing college ball if the opportunity arises. “I want to if I can find a school that I want to play at,” Rodgers said.

The American Taco Company has generously agreed to award each Athlete and Artist of the Month featured in ECHO a $10 ATC Gift Card.

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Senior Nick Janke

is one of Rolla High school’s few four-sport lettermen and impressively, he is highly successful at all four. Nick plays soccer, football, basketball, and runs track. The sports keep him busy but Janke manages to stay on track academically too. “I keep my focus on grades first, and then athletics,” Janke said. Janke loves all the sports he plays but says that soccer is his favorite of all. “... we are just such a close team and we get along really well. That chemistry has allowed us to be pretty good in the last few years and when you are successful and have fun it’s blast,” Janke said. Although soccer is his favorite, Janke really enjoys all the sports he plays. “I really enjoy basketball, and I’ve played since I was five so I know what I’m doing and who I’m playing with,” Janke said. With all his love for sports, Janke hopes to continue to play in college. “I’ve talked to a few colleges but mainly Missouri S&T. College sports would be nice, but I need to find a fit for me athletically and academically,” Janke said. As Janke enters his last semester at Rolla high, his coaches and past coaches are trying to fill the big hole in which he will leave behind when he is gone.

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A Basketball District Preview b y

Photos Courtesy of ESPN107.3 Top - Junior Alec Buhr goes for the layup during a home game Middle - Junior Coby Martin dribbling during a game Bottom - Senior Josh Pritchett goes for the hoop during a game

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Sports Editor

After a strong start to the season, The Rolla Bulldogs basketball team is looking to accomplish more this season. With wins against strong teams such as Logan-Rogersville and conference rival Waynesville, the basketball team has had a good season. As the end of the season nears, state playoffs are right around the corner. Losing the district championship to rival Helias last year left a sour taste in the squad’s mouth, but they look forward to claiming the district title and going farther into district play this season. Senior Josh Pritchett was on last years team. “It was a feeling that you never wanted to feel again, it makes you want to get yourself to the gym every day and use it as motivation to get better,” Pritchett said. Coaching at a high school level means you work with plenty of different players and coach many different squads. Arguably, this is one of the better squads Rolla has put up in the past years. Head Coach Mark Miller has been the coach of the basketball team for over the past ten years. “This is a very experienced team and is hard to compare to last season. So many of our guys last year were inexperienced in playing varsity basketball together so after a slow start, 0-4, they started blending and worked their way into the district championship game before getting beaten by Helias and finishing with a solid 15-12 record. This year’s team brings a lot of experience together and it’s shown by the winning record they have,” Coach Miller said. Based on the success the team has been having throughout the season, it is important to stick to their gameplan. However, it is important to be as ready for a district title push at the end of the season. Junior Blaize Klossner is ready for district play. “We’re getting ready and practicing every day. Also, we can’t take any opponents lightly. We just have to stay focused on the game and take each game one at a time,” Klossner said. On a team riddled with talent, it is hard to decide who is the biggest asset and largest contributor to the team. Senior Nick Janke has been on the team his whole highschool career. “I think our best asset is the way we play defense as a team. It gives us a big advantage when we can slow down teams with a high powered offense,” Janke said. Led by upperclassmen such as Alec Buhr and Josh Pritchett, who are playing toward the end of their highschool career, the games mean a lot more than their previous seasons and their attitude toward the game has changed. Junior Alec Buhr has been playing basketball for a long time. “Being an upperclassmen does affect the way I look at the game. I know I only have a certain amount of games left and each time I step out on the court, I always play the game like it could be my last,” Buhr said. Pre-game traditions are important to playing sports because they help get your head into the game. Getting closer to the end of the season the level of intensity is increased so it is important to be focused. “Before the game, I don’t listen to loud music or anything; I just try to relax. I find myself getting nervous a lot, but I calm myself down by relaxing and going over the other team’s game plan,” Buhr said. Being the head coach of the team, it is important to make sure your players are focused on the game and their mind doesn’t drift from the task at hand. Coach Miller knows how to take good care of his players all season. “As we get closer to postseason time, our guys seem to be locking in more and more to the detail work and the extra effort it takes to have success, and they’re definitely still getting better. We have a strong schedule to close out our regular season that should really help prepare us for the postseason. Plan on the Bulldogs getting the job done,” Coach Miller said.

The Rolla Lady Bulldogs are looking to prove everyone wrong this year and capture a district championship. The Lady Bulldogs are projected to obtain the #4 seed in districts facing #5 seed Salem. While the record may not show it, the Lady Bulldogs have played very good basketball all year long. Every loss the Bulldogs have suffered this year has come to teams with winning records, three of which were state ranked. The Bulldogs also have impressive wins over Class 3 ranked Licking, and 12-4 St. Clair. The Lady Bulldog offense is poised by a quartet of sophomores in: Ellie Rodgers (11.5 points per game), Rebecca Janke (10.4 ppg), Loran Pritchett (9.1 ppg), and Karlee Cheesman (8.0 ppg). With these girls nearly averaging double digits in points, sophomore guard Karlee Cheesman believes the productivity is due to the girls’ ability to play anywhere. “Our team is very flexible, we have girls who can play multiple positions and still excel in each one... Instead of one girl doing everything for us, we have all five girls working so it isn’t easy to defend,” Cheesman explains. While the offense is very steady, the Bulldogs’ defense has kept them in games. Every game the Dogs won this year, they outrebounded the opposing team. A big factor in dominating the boards is sophomore forward Rebecca Janke. All year, Janke has been a force to be reckoned with inside the paint. She averages a whopping 4.4 blocks per game, 7.6 rebounds, and has a staggering 80% field goal percentage. Along with skill, the Lady Bulldogs have experience in district play and no one has more than Mattie Dean. Dean has played all four years of her high school career, spending most of it at the varsity level. The Bulldogs’ district is tough, but it is possible to come out on top. The favorite to win the district is the Osage Indians. Osage, who won the district last year, is putting on a strong campaign to win it again, but the Lady Bulldogs have other plans. However, sophomore guard Ellie Rodgers knows it won’t come easy. “We will have to stay focused every game and lock down on defense while continuing to score and put up points like we can. To get to that goal, we have to really focus on practice and compete for every ball,” Rodgers says. If the Dogs are going to win the district, they must learn to maintain their lead and close out games. They need to reduce the number of turnovers and continue to play defense, and Coach Floyd knows this is a huge need if the team wants success. “[To win districts] we need to consistently defend and take care of the basketball,” Floyd explains. While the Rolla Lady Bulldogs’ record may not show it, this team is very capable of winning their 1st district championship in years. The offensive firepower needs to continue, and the defense has to step up. If they accomplish these things, it’s going to be a fun time at Rolla High School. The Class 4 District 11 tournament will be held at Rolla High School lasting from February 24th to March 2nd.

Photos Courtesy of Claudia Burns Top Left - Sophomore Ellie Rodgers dribbling in a game against Sullivan Top Right - Senior Mattie Dean shooting a free throw against Sullivan Middle Sophomore Karlee Cheesman going down court in a home game Above - Sophomore Loran Pritchett g for a layup in a game against Hillcrest

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BOWLING

Students at RHS engage in community leagues b y

Since basketball, wrestling, and cheerleading are the only winter sports offered at the high school, students like Tom Van Hoose and Kody Brown enjoy spending their time playing sports in the community. For these two students, bowling has become a large part of their life. “I have been bowling for four years, and I got into bowling when the school passed out a flyer in 7th grade. My favorite thing about bowling is probably how relaxed of a sport it is, and this is also what sets it apart from other more physically taxing sports,” Van Hoose said. While Van Hoose got involved in bowling thanks to school, Brown owes his involvement in the sport to his family. “My dad is the captain of a bowling team, and I’ve gone with him every Monday since I can remember. I have been bowling in my own league for about 4 years now,” Brown said. Most people have gone to the bowling alley from time to time, but Brown has discovered

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that bowling might take more skill and practice than people might think at first glance. “It’s a game that takes a lot of skill, but it’s also a lot of muscle memory. Every little bit of bowling depends on the person and their approach. Plus, speed counts for where the ball rolls,” Brown said. People might also not know that there are a lot of scholarship opportunities in bowling. Just like colleges offer scholarships in football or tennis, there are a plethora of opportunities to earn money for bowling. “Bowling is a relatively simple sport, and I do not think that there is anything that people do not know about the game itself, but I think most people do not know how easy it is to get scholarship money from bowling tournaments and such,” Van Hoose said. Bowling is a sport that students can take up easily, even if it’s just for fun. “My advice for anyone who wants to become a good bowler, whether it is for scholarships or recreation, is to practice more than you think that you need to because it will really help,” Van Hoose said.

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People Exalt MLK, Yet Despise what he Stood For

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Donald Trump’s first state of the union address included a thinly veiled attack on Colin Kaepernick. Reverence for those who have served our nation reminds us why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the pledge of allegiance, and why we proudly stand for the national anthem. (Trump) Donald Trump represents the views of many Americans, especially in Rolla, proclaiming “I am not a racist,” yet despising any protest that gives minorities a voice. Whenever Black Lives Matter protesters block traffic or protest a confederate monument, the response is effectively that they need to “learn their place.” This is the exact rhetoric Martin Luther King was speaking about in his Letter From Birmingham Jail. I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say “wait.” But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society . . . then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. (Martin Luther King) It is impossible to claim you revere Martin Luther King and his movement, while at the same time demonizing Colin Kaepernick. It is understandable to be upset when a protest blocks your path, or someone ‘disrespects’ the flag, but that is the point. Protests are supposed to inconvenience or even upset people. They are supposed to bring attention to issues which would otherwise be obscured from the mainstream. So that leaves two options: demonize modern protesters and demonize the civil rights movement, or accept that protests are necessary to ensure civil rights are upheld. It seems far too many people choose the former.

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Memoirs of a Second Semester Senior Calm Down It was strange to hear underclassmen talking about their high school schedule for next year. For so long my future has been secure. I knew that next year I would be taking AP Chemistry, Personal Finance, and other courses taught by teachers I’m already somewhat familiar with in a setting I’m comfortable in. I’ll admit that I’m a little bit afraid of the change, but I’m also ready to embrace it. Last semester was a flurry of applications and emails and letters, which I will expand upon in a later issue, but this semester I just need to calm down. Senioritis hasn’t hit me quite yet. In some ways, I wish it had-it would mean that my college plans are secure. I have no idea where I’m going yet, and that makes me pretty anxious, probably because I’m a borderline-obsessive information freak. As soon as I become sure about my college, I will be researching every aspect of what my life will be like there, including the time it takes to get to the closest Jimmy Johns. I envy my peers who already have their plans set and are confidently slacking off senior year without fears concerning next year. The “what do you want to be when you grow up?” question feels like it has to be answered at this point in my life, but it really doesn’t. For most people, it’s unrealistic to think you know exactly what you’ll want to be doing years from now. It’s okay to change your mind, regardless of how late in life. Try to make yourself happy.

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I figured out that I wanted to be a neuroscientist the second semester of my junior year. After unsuccessfully taking quiz after quiz to somehow be told my career by BuzzFeed, I gave up. I thought about the things I liked to do.I realized that I really liked my AP Psychology class, but I liked the biological side of it more than anything. That’s when I realized that I had found my career. Only when I took a genuine moment of introspection did I figure out what I wanted. As I prepare for college, my mom is freaking out. We’ve had a pretty close relationship and she’s not a fan of this new change. My mom recognizes that I don’t want to attend MS&T, and she wants the best for me, but she’s very worried. It’s hard to constantly comfort her when I have my own concerns about next year. I worry about professors, roommates, money, classes, and simply not being smart enough. I tell her I’ll be fine, but I’m not always so sure. I know that I need to calm down, but it can be hard when there are so many unknowns. Basically, senior year is filled with a lot of stressful questions. Some people get them answered faster than others, and some answer only some questions before graduation. You will figure things out at different times, sometimes randomly. It’s important to take a second and think about what you really want, what you’re good at, and what will make you happy. Just take a second and calm down when you don’t see the answer to your question.

Opinion 27

Courtwarming: the proposals

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Contact RHS ECHO Magazine Mary Gillis, Adviser mgillis@rolla.k12.mo.us (573)-458-0101 ext. 14302 Room 302