March ECHO Magazine Print Issue by RHS ECHO

EC HO

Rolla High School - 900 Bulldog Run Rolla, Missouri 65401Volume 70 - April 1, 2019

The history of the Ozark Conference

Recreation on Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterways can have detrimental effects Farming: an important aspect of Rollaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community

In this issue...

Student drug addiction option.......................................................4 MO waterays effected by recreation..............................................8 Rural farming is essnetial part of Rolla .......................................12 Military band, options after high school......................................16 EOC testing...................................................................................18

Letter from the Editor

For this episode of Maia’s Ridiculous Complaints, I will be talking about the awful task of car shopping. I guess it can be fun if you have money and can afford to get a new car, however literally no one can do that. Since being rear ended and my beautiful child, the Hyundai Elantra, dying, we have been on the hunt for a new car. However, every car that I think is nice actually turns out to be a heaping pile of junk. The headliner is droopy, the door has been replaced, the front bumper sticks out, all apparently precursors to terrible wrecks and breakdowns according to my parents. No car is safe enough, not even a bus. I might as well start investing in a private jet because that is the only option that my mom thinks is safe enough. There are too many questions and I don’t understand any of the answers. A six or four cylinder? I’m sorry I have not been in geometry for two years. How many miles is too many miles? I’m not even sure I know exactly what the miles mean. It does not help that tax season is the prime time for car buying and I am stuck in the middle, forced to buy a car when my Elantra was perfectly good until her bumper smashed in and the tail light nearly fell off. In conclusion, my troubles are incredibly dumb and easily solved by a competent adult, however, the problems arise when we realize that I am neither competent or an adult.

2018 -2019 Rolla High ECHO Magazine Staff 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: Julia Leventis, Lauren Ulrich, Rosalia Bolyard, Genevieve Huber, Emma Starns, Audrey Roberts, Erin Pfeifer, Quinn Guffey 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

OPINION

SATIRE

This is the Correct Belief to Have on “Climate Change” In a world being ripped to shreds by natural disasters, where promotional video after video gets spread wildly online portraying tragic pictures of starving polar bears, there are few intelligent enough to see through the lies. Most of the world has been whipped into a completely pointless panic that the world is on the brink of death right in front of their eyes, and it is all a scam. All of it. Between the lies being spread sounding so ridiculous and fake -I mean, “rising ocean levels,” a “global temperature rise,” and “extreme weather events” do not sound real to me- and the fact that everything online is fake anyways, it should be obvious that so-called global warming is a scam. People desperately clamor from all corners of the earth -radical liberals, the weary Bill Nye, overactive Twitter users, and those with so-called common sense- to convey the sheer urgency of the danger of the rapidly deteriorating climate. In all of those, there is a distinct lack of actual experts, with liberals being obviously brainwashed, Bill Nye much too old to know anything relevant, and any actual “scientists” clearly have an agenda. Skeptics are rare, as much of the population has become sheep too easily fooled by two minute clips of clickbaity news shows. Three years ago, it was found by Pew, an American think tank that investigates public opinion, that 82 percent of conservative Republicans agree that climate change isn’t occurring. If so many people are in agreement, then how could they all possibly be wrong? Luckily, many of these freethinkers have secured political jobs from which they can clearly speak the truth and continue to cast doubt on what is one of the most widespread conspiracies of all time. This includes a vast majority of politicians on the frontline of creating laws to “protect the environment,” -as if it needs protecting! Of course, it must have been quite a feat to get all, or close to all, 97 out of 100 scientists to agree to commit to such an obvious scam. But this is how they maintain their employment, by publishing hundreds of false articles and studies to trick those with lower IQs that this nonexistent threat is imminent. This is also helped by having celebrity

names backing the hoax to get the general public on board. The media, also being conformists in this regard, fell for the trick just as easily, and the scam spread far quicker and wider than the “lying climate scientists” probably hoped for. Documentaries, studies, and conferences over the years have helped pull the wool over the eyes of the public. The whole thing took about three decades to really take off, which is roughly the amount of time they’ve convinced people we have left to live. Look what’s happened in the past month in our very home; multiple times we’ve had school cancelled due to inclement weather, including colder temperatures. So, what global warming? Another one of the many things cited as “evidence” for the crisis is the rising CO2 levels- a substance toxic to humans. If the CO2 levels were truly rising, surely we would have noticed some adverse effects on our health. Besides, if the environment was actually doomed, the average American citizen could not do anything. Clearly all of this has been created out of normal seasonal changes to cause panic and further divide throughout the world. I mean, saying that by 2099, sea levels will be nearly two feet doesn’t even sound real. Recycling plastic and shorter showers would do nothing to slow the sheer amount of byproduct made by major corporations that supposedly contribute to pollution -but capitalism is of course a perfect economic model. If people are using all of the planet’s natural resources, we should simply use man made ones and have the Earth adjust accordingly. Climate change is merely a natural occurrence that happens throughout the course of the Earth’s existence. At one point, we had upwards of one Ice Age, these devastating hurricanes and forest fires are pretty minor in comparison. The statistics have to be falsified, anything else wouldn’t make sense and would be terrifying. When looking at the intelligence of skeptics and the sheer improbability of the “facts” presented, it becomes obvious that this is a democratic scam to distract from something else they are hidingperhaps that the Earth truly is flat.

So You’re

ADDICTED.

Now What? Where To Go When There’s Nowhere To Turn

b y

As the drug crisis in Missouri continues to rise, the epidemic is reaching children younger and younger. Approximately 159,000 opioid related deaths were reported in 2016 according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. As a teenager, speaking to parents about any problem or mistake can be a daunting task, especially drug addiction. Once addicted, taking a step in the right direction is unclear when support is lacking. Prevention Specialist Jessica Lucas suggests speaking to a school counselor when seeking help if one does not feel comfortable telling a guardian. “I understand that that is not always comfortable to do, but that is really what your school counselor is there for. they are trained to not only help you academically but to help you personally,” Lucas said. If a student is already addicted, they usually do not want to go to the school in fear of being kicked out of sports or expelled. However, Lucas knows that counselors just want “you to be happy and healthy and thrive.” That means helping the student find resources necessary for them. Rolla High School counselor Liz Pogue encourages all student to seek help if they are struggling, and coming to see her is always welcome. However, she warns that if a student has any substances on them or are currently under the influence, she cannot legally keep that to herself, she will have to inform someone. Reaching out about addiction or specific past incidents are not out of the scope of what students can speak to school counselors

i a

n d

Editor In Chief

about though. As a counselor, Pogue would first want to find out who a students “team” is. This would be the adults in their lives that they trust and who support them. Counselors are only during the school day, so Pogue looks for the other adults in their lives to gather a support system. If school is still too difficult for them to go to, Lucas recommends reaching out to their family doctor. Minors are able to request to speak to their doctor without their parents present in order to discuss their addiction because at that point, “it is no longer about prevention, it is about treatment and recovery.” Once a student takes the step of addressing their addiction and seeking help from an adult, the reaction of that adult is vital. Reacting with anger could push them back to where they were, not wanting help. “A parent’s appropriate reaction would be to listen and then take you to your family doctor and discuss it. This is a very hard conversation for parents to have, and it is even harder for the student to have with them. Nobody is perfect and nobody is going to react perfectly to this conversation,” Lucas said. She encourages the student to remember that they are just people and if they overreact, it is not because they dislike them now, it is because they care and want to do what is best. Although there are options speaking to someone besides their parents, eventually a minor’s parents will be informed because drugs are illegal and a danger to the child. While seeking treatment, guardian consent is also required.

“Places like pathways Southeast Missouri Health and Pathways are great places, but you do need a guardian. That is for your safety as well as for the companies safety. However, your family physician can refer you out for treatment, so that makes the pathway a little straighter and having to find it on your own,” Lucas said. In conjunction with guardian consent, rehabilitation and behavioral facilities can charge thousands of dollars for treatment. Many places do take insurance, and Your Community Health Center has also started a sliding scale system on payment. This means that people will pay different amounts based on their income. “Because the health center is a federally qualified center, we do have some opportunities to assist individuals who don’t have insurance or don’t have insurance that covers these services. We have grants and additional funding to help those people out. Along with that, all of our medical and dental services on a sliding scale,” Rural Opioid Response Planning Project Director Felisha Richards said. Your Community Health Center provides medical assisted treatment for individuals addicted, and can be as easy as calling or coming in to ask for help. Anyone 17 years old or older can receive treatment without a parent or guardian. If younger than that, they will be referred to the Compass Health Navigation Program. Once reaching out, employees will work out treatment, which begins with medication. “The concept is to do medication first to help that individual through the detox process. Instead of forcing a full-on detox, we will start some medication when the withdrawal starts to hit. This is so they don’t feel that 100 times worse than the flu feeling,” Richards said. Detoxing from drugs can cause intense nausea and diarrhea among other symptoms for several days. After days with no relief, many people leave the facility they are receiving treatment from and relapse just to feel better from the withdrawals. “This medication first model allows those medications to be implemented so that way they are not going through that severe withdrawal that causes them to go back to using,” Richards said. Once that is done and patients begin to clear their head, wrap-

around services begin. They have case managers and counselors that can help put them into support groups and one on one therapy, as well as helping out with employment and housing issues if needed. Even with relapses, Richards assures that they will simply have a conversation to reassess what is going on and determine a new plan for tackling their recovery. Relapse is actually more common than not, and has been included in the process of recovery so more people understand that it is a normal part of the process. Once on the road to recovery, it is difficult to stay on track, but Lucas feels it is necessary to change one’s environment. “If you are in with a group of people who all do drugs or even just smoke, you have to find new friends. That is so scary. It is terrifying to have to go out and find new people and try to like new people. At this age you are just trying to solidify who you are and when you have to find a whole new group of people, it is difficult. But it is important to your recovery to change who you hang out with,” Lucas said. As someone continues past addressing their addiction, Lucas also knows they have to find why they started using in the first place. If they used to cope with anxiety or depression, they must develop new coping mechanisms that do not involve drugs. “Things like meditation, exercise, journaling are all ways to cope but they are healthy. There is a really great saying that you don’t ever get rid of an addiction, you just replace it. Ideally you will replace an unhealthy addiction with a healthy one,” Lucas said. At Your Community Health Center, their recovery is individually based, depending on where the person is at and their needs. Richards knows recovery is lifelong and their medication management can be lifelong. Before any of the addiction begins, or even in the early stages, Lucas urges students to talk to their peers about what is going on in their lives. “Early intervention means better recovery results. Even if you are not using, talk to the people you know because you know them better than us. You are the ones who spend the time with them,” Lucas said.

5 15

History of Rolla Athletics

b y

a n d o n

r c h n e r

Sports Editor

The town of Rolla dates back to 1858 when the state of Missouri recognized Rolla as a town in its borders. Rolla High School came to fruition in 1921 with the foundation of the public school system within the town. With the foundation of Rolla High School nearing one hundred years, it is no surprise that Rolla boasts a long history in the athletics department, featuring many conference, district and even state awards from the many sports Rolla High School operates. The current athletic conference that Rolla is a part of is the Ozark Conference, featuring many different schools in the Ozark area such as nearby Waynesville High School, Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri and Camdenton High School on the Lake of the Ozarks. However, Rolla was not always a part of the Ozark Conference, previously being a member of the Mid-

1991 it was only a year old and I started the girls program in 1995. So I was able to create a culture that I wanted and didn’t have to change a pre-existing one. Players make mistakes, All I’ve ever asked is that they play hard and they play smart. And then toughness is a key trait for us, both physical and mental. The biggest part of all of that is talent. If you don’t have it, it will be real hard to be successful. We have had some great players over the years, several have gone on to have great college careers,” Howard said. Another very successful program in the past decade has been the boys and girls Tennis teams, with one conference championship and multiple top-five finishes. Coach Joe Schisler has built a very successful program considering the resources at hand. “On average, tennis is a regular top five for both boys and girls which is quite good considering only West Plains has a smaller

Missouri Conference with Lebanon, Waynesville and Sedalia being fellow members of the conference. One of the more successful programs in the past decade has been the boys and girls soccer program. With the boys winning the Ozark Conference four different times, 2002, 2012, 2013 and 2016, they also have a winning percentage of 74.7% since 2002. The girls won the Ozark conference seven different times, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2016 and 2017, they also have a winning percentage of 86.2%. However, that is not telling the full story of the dominance the Rolla soccer team has had since the turn of the millenium. The Rolla Soccer team also boasts sixty-nine allstate athletes, three all-region and one all-american athlete, with one Missouri state player of the year, two Missouri offensive players of the year and one Missouri defensive player of the year. Head coach of both soccer teams Mike Howard has been coaching here at Rolla for almost three decades. With a long successful history established with the team it is important to remember how he got to this point. 6 ““I was fortunate that when I took over the boys program in

student body to work with. We are also located the furthest away from the USTA Cooper Tennis Complex which has 12 indoor courts, 18 outdoor courts, and tennis professionals available year round,” Schisler said. With limited facilities the Tennis team faces an uphill battle against teams with much better courts and opportunities at their disposal., however that does not stop them from consistently competing quite well in conference and district play. The girls volleyball team the past few seasons had quite some success with multiple top-five finishes in the Ozark conference. That is much to thank to the relatively new coach Stephanie Pritchett who has revived the program with a youthful team. “Well although new right now, not new to coaching or coaching here. I coached from 1992-1994 at Jasper HS and West Plains HS, then 1996-2003, 2005 here at Rolla before taking a break for a new career in Nursing. My aim now is much the same as then, to teach kids the sport at a high level, but to have fun while doing it, there isn’t much worth if you enjoy it. However, we will and do work very hard in both skill areas and conditioning to be able to

compete at the level we want and need in our very tough Ozark Conference. When it all comes down to it though, I can teach kids how to do things right all day long, but it takes good athletes and good kids to latch on, work hard, and do it. I hope that in the next few years, our athletic ability will be high. Regardless, we can learn the game at a high enough level to continue to have winning seasons,” Pritchett said. This past seasons the girls brought a conference title and a district championship back home to Rolla with their win over Owensville. However the team has always not been so dominant, having many up and down years since the foundation of the girls team. Relatively new coach Luke Floyd has started reviving this team and hopes to continue to succeed with building a dominant program. “Up to this year, we have spent a lot of time and effort building our program. First we had to get interest in our program. My first year here we had 13 girls in our entire program. We worked to build our JH program and try to keep those girls playing basketball as they moved to the HS. After the first of the year last season, we started playing really good basketball, making it to the District Championship game. Even though we lost, that experience and confidence gained laid the foundation for this season. We have a great balance of upper and lower class men and they all get along extremely well. Going forward, we have to continue to promote our program and maintain interest. Hopefully having a winning season will help with that, but we have to continue to promote our program. I try to be involved with the youth leagues, and we try to take our team away in the summer to not only play basketball, but bond as a team. We understand that we have to continue to work every day to make our program better,” Floyd said. Pictures provided by RHS Yearbooks Far Left - Picture after 1993 boys district championship win Second From Left - Sophomore Kris Kempton reaches for the sky in his attempt to get his oppent out at second during the 1985 season. Third From Left - Junior Karin Buchholtlz skies for an easy two during the 1985 season. Left - Junior midfielder Jake Wieties dribbles tje ball in the game against Warrenton during the Bulldog Classic in the 1995 season. The Bulldogs captured first place in this tournament Left - Lynne renick punds the ball back over the next during the 1987 season Far Top - Senior Jeff Grimm pushes closer to the finish line dring the Rolla Invitational 1994 season Above - Senior Tammy Fuhrmann fires a strike past the batter witjh a smooth follow through during the 1994 season.

Recreation on Missouri's waters is affecting our environment b y

d r e y

o b e r t s

Staff Writer

Missouri is home to a vast system of natural rivers, lakes, and streams. These waterways draw many people for recreational use such as fishing, boating, and camping. The tourism and income from this industry helps boost Missouri economically, but most people do not realize that these activities do affect the environment. Moses Ong, the assistant manager of the trout hatchery at Meramec Springs Park, explains why the hatchery is such an integral and important part of the parks operation. “The hatchery raises trout for anglers in the state of Missouri so that they can fish for them recreationally. They come out Meramec Springs Park and we specifically release fish into the Spring Branch for people to fish during the catch and keep season, March 1-October 31. We then release more during the catch and keep season which is from the second Friday in November until the second Monday in February,” Ong said. The fishing industry draws in a large crowd from all over Missouri, which is why the hatchery must release more fish into the wild to accommodate the demand. “Statewide over 250,000 anglers, or fisherman, who fish specifically for trout and 50,000 fishing trips are made here at Meramec during catch and keep season,” Ong said. The Meramec Springs Park hatchery does not work alone though. It is a part of a large network that replenishes the fish supply throughout the state. “We produce, ourselves, about 100,000 fish, we also get an additional 30,000 from the Montauk hatchery near by. We are only part of a system that produces 1.5 million fish statewide,” Ong said. Although the hatchery has mostly positive environmental impacts, it is undeniable that there are some downfalls to producing so many animals. “Like any other concentrated animal production unit there is animal waste. The nice thing about about Meramec Springs is that we have plenty of water to dilute that. Otherwise, the only other issue we have is littering done by anglers in the Spring Branch which eventually flows down into Meramec river,” Ong said. Overall, Ong believes that the positive impact of producing the

trout outweigh the pitfalls, and that these negative environmental effects are a necessary evil so that people are able to fully enjoy the recreational use of the rivers and streams. “In terms of an environmental benefit, there is a cost to raising fish which has to be balanced out with the recreational enjoyment of people. One might say that it is hard to measure exactly what that impact is, but we are regulated and required to make sure we are within our limits,” Ong said. Andrew Branson, who is in charge of fishery outreach for the conservation department, also believes that if properly executed, fishing can have a positive environmental impact. “The fishing definitely can impact fish populations and the environment, which is why we have fishing regulations. These regulations were developed to protect the environment and fish populations so as long as everyone follows the rules then it benefits the fish population and helps keep it healthy,” Branson said. The land around the water is vitally important also, and if the vegetation is cleared or if chemicals are spread it will eventually end up affecting the rivers and streams. “The biggest threat to the waterways are things happening on the watershed, the land up and around rivers and streams. Erosion is a huge problem that creates loose soil and with rain and runoff lots of silt and debris end up in the rivers,” Branson said. Vegetation is often cleared around rivers and streams for farmland and roadways, but recreation has an impact as well. Campgrounds can create an unhealthy ecosystem when the watershed they are sometimes built on starts to erode and breakdown. “One of the best things people can do to keep rivers and streams healthy is maintain a healthy shoreline. A Riparian Corridor a strip along the river and stream untouched which helps prevent erosion due to the root systems that form and help solidify the soil,” Branson said. Branson believes that in order to have a healthy ecosystem within the waterways then we must try to keep both the water itself and the land around it in good condition. “The more vegetation cut away from the river and stream banks the more problems are caused. People need to be mindful because this could prevent erosion and banks falling in,” Branson said.

Cattle

and

The rural roots of farmlife in Missouri

owhands b y

u r e n

l r i c h

Staff Writer

eaven is fields of grazing cattle- at least it is for the farmers who call Missouri home. The endless cattle dotting Missouri’s countryside have a unique role in rural life. Ranking in at number three in the nation for beef production, Missouri’s history, culture, and economy is shaped by its roots in the cattle industry. Despite its seemingly quaint appearance, agriculture is no minor operation. It is an $88 billion industry in Missouri with nearly 100,000 farms across the state. Cattle account for a significant portion of this industry and their role is at the centerfold of discussion as the debate over the future of the food system continues to progress. The traditions and institutional importance surrounding cattle farming are well known to Cord Jenkins, a lifelong Missouri resident and agricultural educator. “I have been around cattle my entire life. My grandpa had a farm that I called our family farm. As my grandpa got older, my dad took over that farm and I worked on it throughout my entire childhood,” Jenkins said. Multigenerational farming is a common thread within Missouri’s cattle industry. The state’s natural aptitude to grow forage has allowed for a long history of farmers to integrate cattle into the state’s identity. As agriculture and rural areas have traditionally been closely intertwined, cattle are often viewed as synonymous with rural culture. While rural life is no longer

solely dependent upon agriculture for its economy, the importance and appreciation of livestock continues to holdfast. “Part of that stems from proximity and also from the roots and development of Rolla,” Jenkins said. “Rolla is the biggest community in the area and serves a whole bunch of rural areas. It was built on agricultural values to begin with. The roots of those people are still here. I think that’s what makes Rolla, a city of 20,000 people, still pretty darn rural.”

“Rolla was built on agricultural values to begin with. The roots of those people are still here.”

Jenkins now manages his own farm of 60 cattle with his wife and daughters. His farm is a cow-calf operation- the most common method of raising cattle in Phelps County where a permanent herd of cows is kept to produce beef calves for later sale. “When you talk about Missouri and Phelps County beef producers and how they feel about their beef herd, people take it very very seriously. For one it is a huge financial investment, but it’s also part of your blood,” Jenkins said. It is clear from Jenkins that raising cattle is more than just a livelihood, but a way of life. Similar sentiments are echoed across the agricultural community, including within Jenkins’s own classroom. Brody Brown is a senior at Rolla High School who is the President of the local Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. Similarly to his peers that have grown up immersed in farm life, Brown has a strong connection to cattle. “I think it was a great place to grow up and I’d like to raise my kids on a farm, but then also I just think it’s important to have farmers and rural values,” Brown said. Brown lives on his family’s farm south of Rolla where he helps tend for a cow-calf operation of 100 “mama cows.” Like most kids on a beef cattle farm, Brown started his work on the farm feeding his own bottle calf. His duties have grown since then: he feeds the herd daily, gives hay in the wintertime, chops ice when it’s frozen, and checks up on the cows and calves. “Working on a farm would make anybody more responsible because you know there are lives you have to take care of and keep

alive, not only for profit but for their wellbeing. It takes a lot of hard work and a good work ethic to keep them healthy,” Brown said. For Brown and other family farmers, taking good care of their livestock is as ingrained in their farm practices as any other factor of production. Cow-calf operators raise their cattle primarily on pasture, rather than grain feeds, and have more land than other cattle operations. Once male calves are weaned from their mothers, they may be sold to a backgrounder who will continue to prepare the cow for production, or they can be sent directly to feedlots. Feedlots are the final step before slaughter where cattle are fattened with grain in a smaller, enclosed environment. This common step in beef cattle production is where the industry meets the most opposition, including calls for entirely grass-fed beef. “This is where within agriculture, sometimes we butt heads. What I teach my kids is that we in agriculture are one family and we have to understand that there’s room in the market for all people,” Jenkins said. While the market does consists of multiple viewpoints, aversions to the food system’s shift towards industrial agriculture, commonly referred to as “factory farming,” grow stronger in America. Factory farming is defined as “a large industrialized farm; especially: a farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost.” The application of the term factory farming to the beef industry is hazy and not all-encompassing. While poultry and hog farming has largely been taken over by corporations, cattle farms remain almost entirely family-owned. According to the United States Department of Agriculture 2012 census, 97 percent of all U.S. farms are family-owned. However, farms are characterized as “factory” based upon the amount of livestock they produce, not by their ownership. Although cattle farms have a broad range in size, from small herds to giant operations, the largest producers still hold the highest concentration of production. The cattle industry, as a whole, can also have a negative impact on the environment, particularly through greenhouse gas emissions and land usage. However, the values and natural ties held by most farmers do not necessarily conflict with sustainability goals. “The better I take care of my land, which is a huge value that most agriculturalists hold very true to their heart, the better it’s

going to produce and grow forage and then the better off I’m going to be for growing beef,” Jenkins said. The potential for cattle to have negative impacts on Missouri’s land is inescapable. There are 28 million acres of farmland in Missouri, compared to the state’s total land area of 44 million acres, of which only 14 million acres is forest land. As farms account for over half of Missouri’s land, the health of the land used in cattle farming is critical. Rick Cowlishaw is a professor at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas who has worked with various natural resource management agencies to promote land and resource preservation. Cowlishaw specializes in the intersection between agricultural practices and the environment. “Typically, farmers that farm small amounts of acreage are really connected with their land,” Cowlishaw said. The connection between farmers and their land is critical in Cowlishaw role on the board supervisors for his county’s Soil and Water Conservation District. Soil and Water Conservation Districts, which are present under Missouri’s Department of Natural Resource, incentivize farming conservation practices that relate specifically to grazing management and keeping livestock out of streams. This attempts to offset the major environmental effects that runoff, pollution, erosion, and habitat loss have as a result of cattle. While the effects of land management practices can be seen and understood at a local level, cattle’s impact on the broader issue of climate change requires more widespread awareness. “There is a growing group of farmers that are realizing that the farm system that has been in place is broken and that changes need to be made if we want to continue to grow the food that we are going to need in the future, but also do it in a way that works by the rules of nature,” Cowlishaw said. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report in 2018 revealing that livestock accounts for 14.5 percent of total global emissions and that beef is responsible for 41 percent of livestock greenhouse gas emissions. These greenhouse gas emissions come from: methane from cattle and their wastes, energy utilized to produce feed crops and general farm production, and land usage. Tree and plant cover has the ability to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere in the soil, but the land used to produce cattle and grain can lose this ability. Cowlishaw advocates for farming techniques that could improve

carbon storage, such as no-till farming, planting cover crops, agroforestry, and composting. These farming practices would allow land to have regenerative, carbon capturing qualities, while still being utilized for agriculture. “Just as agriculture is part of the problem, they’re also part of the solution. Farmers are rethinking the way they grow food and how by working with soil we can best achieve this,” Cowlishaw said. Agricultural choices can be made by these inclusive standards: the ecological health of the farm and the economic health of the farmer. The value of cattle’s contributions towards traditional culture and livelihoods needs to be part of the discussion as the food industry continues to progress to meet the needs of the American people. “I think a lot of people within the agriculture industry don’t realize, not that it’s a bad thing, it’s our fault if anybody’s, how far away the general public is from agriculture,” Brown said. No matter in what way the industry manifests itself, the public’s diet is still based off of the backs of individual farmers.

“I don’t see the family farm going away from the agricultural landscape. It’s the backbone and soul of American agriculture.”

“One story that my great grandpa always told is that he grew up farming with horses, his son grew up farming with open station tractors, and his great-grandsons were farming with tractors that drive themselves. Just in his generation that much changed, so there’s no telling what could happen in the next generation,” Brown said. “There’s still a lot of things that, even with as many advancements in technology that we have, haven’t changed for hundreds of years. The base is still the same as it always has been.” Regardless of the future of the cattle industry, the culture and values surrounding farming should guide it’s path. “I think the family farm has just changed with time to stay vibrant and alive. I don’t see the family farm going away from the agricultural landscape. It’s the backbone and soul of American agriculture,” Jenkins said.

Student-Teacher Evaluations: What Are We Really Evaluating? b y

n e v i e v e

u b e r

o s a l i a

l y a r d

Staff Writers

“I

can see how that would be a problem of systemic sexism and racism of society. I wasn’t aware of that, but with that coming to light, I think that we should definitely lean away from [teacher evaluations].”

n a perfect system, a series of evaluations filled out by a teacher’s students would measure precisely one factor--the effectiveness of their teaching--and thus, would accurately indicate a teacher or professor’s professional performance. The data would be collected anonymously, the information distributed to administrators, and action would be presumably taken accordingly. Extensive research conducted by universities shows that teaching effectiveness is at the bottom of the list when it comes to what student-teacher surveys are truly measuring. In principle, student evaluations are the product of a logical train of thought by the administration of schools and universities-someone needs to check up on the teachers, and what better way to collect data than from the students? In practice, however, their lack of validity and perpetuation of systematic bias often causes student-teacher evaluations to do more harm than good. The first concern stems from the nature of the common evaluations themselves. Rolla High School--and furthermore, the state of Missouri--requires annual evaluations. According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s guidelines regarding teacher evaluations, “Numerical scoring [on the evaluation] is optional, but is often helpful to accurately determine progress.” Assistant principal Sheri Norman explains how the situation is applicable to Rolla. “The teacher evaluation process is actually kind of handed down from the state of Missouri. When I go into a teacher’s classroom, I’m looking to see if the kids are engaged because if they’re participating or actively listening then they’re producing something as a result of that,” Norman said. In the way Norman explains, the evaluation process is multifaceted. That is to say only a small portion of teacher’s evaluation falls on the shoulders of the students. At a university level, however, this weight falls more heavily on the students. French teacher, Emily Mullen, teaches all four units of French at Rolla High School and is therefore equally exposed to all grade levels. She phrased it well. “I like teacher evaluations in theory, because I like the idea of getting feedback from students. I don’t know that the information that I got last year was effective or constructive,” she explained. Mullen’s problem is a common one. Student evaluations sound

perfect in theory; there appears no better way to get feedback on teaching than from the students being taught. Inevitably, high school students will be influenced by their grade in the class or personal standing with the teacher. “It is a way for us to get feedback for ourselves and then internalize that and adjust accordingly. I think I’m fine with that as long as it is not part of my official evaluation,” Mullen said. Later, Mullen brought up the point that students can be harsh, particularly when “grading” a teacher that he or she has had a personal altercation with in the past. Student-teacher evaluations, to some extent, ignore the fact that interpersonal relationships between student and teacher can be complex and fragile. Although the evaluations almost always promise “anonymity,” the guarantee is often an empty one. History teacher Aaron Loker weighs in with his experience with evaluations from his students. “Every year I give teacher evaluations at the end of the year, and I have decent experience with them. I think they can be effective. I think it is neat to see what the students thought, anonymously, so that they don’t have to say it to your face,” Loker said. The second issue presented by student-teacher evaluations is the tendency of the results to be swayed. Several studies have shown that, at a university level, student-teacher evaluations are biased against both women and people of color. For instance, a study conducted by Inside Higher Ed revealed that teachers with a woman’s name are scored lower by students enrolled in online classes. At a university level, these evaluations have an impact on promotions and tenure. They even determine whether or not the professor is invited back, and could potentially circumscribe the rest of his or her professional career. This is to say that at a university level, evaluations are not taken lightly. Although at the high school level, evaluations carry far less weight, they do set an ugly precedent. Studies have shown that teaching evaluations are biased against women and minorities. Although in high school, After presenting our findings to him, Loker agreed that it could be intelligent to move away from traditional evaluations. “I did not realize it was like that, and I can see that that would be a problem of systemic sexism and racism of society. I wasn’t aware of that, but with that coming to light, I think that we should definitely lean away from it,” Loker said.

OPINION

Making A

DIF FER : ENCE b y

o u r t n e y

ll e y

Opinion Editor

After high school graduation, with a student’s new found freedom, they are faced with many new responsibilities. Most students are eighteen years old by the time of their graduation, they are now legal adults in society. A lot of these newly graduated students are now making their preparations for college. They have been accepted, and now they are packing and getting ready. But, a lot of students choose another post-graduation option, the military. Students choose between the five armed service branches in the United States- the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and the Navy. Most new enlistees choose their branch based on best interest for them, or what will work out best for them and their family. Senior Andrew Birkby is just one of these thousands upon thousands of new enlistees in the United States. Birkby chose to go into the United States military because of his family’s history with the military, along with a hunger to serve his country. Birkby has always been interested in the profession, ever since he was a child. The marines is his branch of choice. “[A lot] of my family have been part of the military. My dad was part of the Navy, my aunt and uncle on my dad’s side of the family are part of the Marines, my grandfather and other uncle on my dad’s side were part of the Navy, and my grandfather on my mom’s side was in the Air Force,” Birkby said. Joining the military comes with many lifelong benefits. Sergeant First Class Joel S. Watts and Sergeant Frank C. Randazzo of the

Choosing the military after Graduation

United States Army provided some insight to the many benefits of joining the military, the both of them having years of experience within their respective fields. “The military can help citizens gain life as well as work experience. Also, there is no college debt when you graduate college.” Watts said. Along with lifelong experience gained, there are many work opportunities within the military. “There are 150 job options within the Army alone, and the Army’s training counts as their college credit. Actually, it is that way for most of the branches.” Randazzo said. 20 percent of new enlistees are choosing to go into the military based on the education benefits, in just Missouri alone. According to both Randazzo and Watts, the military provides people with both professional as well as personal growth, and progression is a big key in the process a well. The benefits for choosing the military as a profession are endless. According to Randazzo, in just the Army alone, the post 9/11 GI bill assistance pays for $45,000 a year for a student’s debt. According to Watts, medical and dental expenses are paid for, enlistees receive free financial classes, and that is just some of the benefits a person can receive while serving. Post retirement, soldiers receive lifelong free medical and dental expenses for them and their spouse, and their child will receive the same benefits up until the age of 23 if they are enrolled in college. According to both Watts and Randazzo, in the Army, Enlistees get to choose their profession, unlike the other branches, and receive 30 days paid vacation per year while serving within the military. The military has a lot to offer, and many options to choose from. Students who are still deciding on where to go after graduation should consider joining the military.

b y

What students wish their parents and teachers knew

E mm

a r n s

Staff Writer

It is not unheard that stress is a common feeling among teens. Whether it be from the workload of school/additional jobs or other personal concerns, there are many people who do not know how or are not comfortable reaching out to others in their lives for help. These issues can all factor into a students mental state, possibly leading to anxiety and depression, as these tasks in a student’s life can sometimes be too overwhelming. Over time, mental illnesses and stress have become increasingly normalized. While people are more open to this discussion than in previous years, not much effort is being done to fully alleviate these worries. Stress can help a person better understand themselves and learn how to cope with extra tension, but too many priorities with limited time can challenge mental states and throw daily life off balance. According to a survey pushed out to the student body at Rolla High School, a frequent comment was that high school students believe they put effort into their schoolwork, but often feel underappreciated for that work they put in. “I’m trying my best, even though they might not think so,” one student said. Students feel that the balance between multiple workloads is not evenly distributed, and instead feel they are not learning to their capabilities. “If homework is thrown at me, I shutdown whether it’s easy or hard, preventing me to learn anything. When I’m not super stressed I can do almost any work,” another student said. For a lot of students, school is not the only thing going on in their lives. Many have jobs and personal demands that require them to set aside their workload from school to focus on a more current matter. An example of this provided by the survey, is that some kids are like “grown-ups” at home. They have responsibilities that fall on them, because of a home life they cannot control. Their schoolwork is simply not a priority anymore. “Kids don’t always have time to do everything for school because some kids are grown ups at home,” a student said. Though there were students that did not have an issue with their workload or home life, the majority of the survey responses, addressed struggles with expressing their feelings and opinions on what they need to succeed in the school environment. This can be due to a variety of problems including issues in communication as well as not knowing how and when to stop and listen to each other. The relationship between a student, teacher, and parent,

b y

j u l i a

v e n t i s

Staff Writer

just like any relationship, will not work if it is one sided. Likewise, it is important to always try to understand one another regardless of separate beliefs. As put in an article written by Wright State University, research has found that by listening effectively, you will get more information from the people you manage, you will increase others’ trust in you, you will reduce conflict, you will better understand how to motivate others, and you will inspire a higher level of commitment in the people you manage. A lack of listening and acceptance for one another is not only ineffective in wanting to obtain an understanding between people, but can lead to unnecessary resentment and a disliking for that mutual understanding. A student from the survey believes a system of grading where homework assignments are not counted late until the exam, is most beneficial for the least stress in their learning environment. “School is very hard for some people, but having homework be due until the test day I think is helpful. Most teachers will count things late which hurts the grade,” another student said. When it comes to being open to different methods of learning, multiple students, regardless of purpose, believe they are not given a wide enough variation. “Accommodations should be made for students who have too much anxiety to do presentations to a full class, just like students with physical injuries get special accommodations when they’re in P.E. class or doing sports. As someone who has bad anxiety and often has panic attacks because of presentations or surprise questions, this topic is very important to me,” a student said. Although class presentations are a good way to learn how to be comfortable with public speaking, for those who have anxiety that greatly challenges them, it is reasonable when students ask for some leeway involving presenting to their class. As students vary in diversity and develop their personalities, different learning habits and abilities will develop as well. Not all students learn the same, just like not all students have the same strengths for the same subjects. If a student cannot thrive and grow in their education, it will be harder for them to excel. “I wish they would understand that not all kids learn the same, so some of the teaching techniques they use will not work for some of the kids in the class and it is not the kids’ fault. I also think that teacher favoritism needs to be put to an end because it is a serious issue in some classes,” a student said.

Students prepare for approaching EOCs b y

i n

e i f e r

Staff Writer

In early April, dread fills the halls of high schools all across Missouri. Students are tense, running over algorithms and grammatical rules in their heads, trying desperately to remember everything. This is the time of End of Course (EOC) examinations. Students cram in their studies while teachers and administrators alike are simply waiting to see how each year’s test will affect the next year of schooling. Ultimately, the average score Rolla gets on EOCs will go into determining whether or not the district keeps its accreditation by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Though it is unlikely that Rolla High will suddenly become unaccredited, the school’s “report card” does affect the accreditation. Of course, that is not the only thing, as explained by English Language Arts Assistant Director, Lisa Scroggs. “Several elements go into a school’s ‘report card’. Assessment results, graduation rate, performance of subgroups, and more. It will vary school by school based on all elements,” Scroggs said. The rules for accreditation have five categories for the schools to meet. There are assessment results, graduation rates, and subgroup performances, as well as college and career readiness and overall attendance. If a school experiences a sudden change in any of these categories, or does not sufficiently complete the standards DESE has set, they could lose accreditation, which means they lose out on state and federal funding. This causes a lot of problems for the schools, and the ability of the students to achieve new things through their schools. “Concern as an educator is what happens to the students if the schools do not work to ensure that the Missouri Learning Standards are implemented in the classroom.

We all want Missouri’s students to be successful during and beyond their years in K-12 education, and students who receive excellent instruction in the Missouri Learning Standards can reach high levels of success,” Scroggs said. However, does the importance of the EOC scores for the school really mean that students should experience this much stress? School principal, Dr. Jim Pritchett, does not think so. “I would tell them not to worry about it. Do the best you can, realize it’s just another piece of the puzzle, and there are many pieces that spell who you are and who we are at the high school,” Dr. Pritchett said. Students are always filled with fear for the next test. It is not something they can control, it is just an unfortunate reality of high school. EOC testing has gotten progressively more difficult, trying to raise the standards of Missouri’s students. “Testing should reflect what our students should know. If we teach our curriculum, the assessment at the end should be just that, an ending,” Dr. Pritchett said. The trouble comes with the increasing difficulty of the tests. No longer can an English EOC be passed by simply reading through questions and skimming passages. Even students who have always paid close attention may find themselves lost in the complications of the tests. “I think it’s fair to say the English I and II tests used to assess the Missouri Learning Standards adopted in April 2016 are more rigorous than the previous tests. The student must read each passage closely, considering connections between ideas and the impact of writer’s craft on meaning,” Scroggs said. Of course, the rigor of the reading and answering portion of the test is not often the most dreaded by students. Reading comprehension certainly is not everyone’s forte, but most students find comfort in the multiple choice answers and ability to look back on the passage. The more pressing matter for most students is writing the essay, and with last year’s change in writing prompts, the fear is well justified. The introduction of blended writing prompts marked the first time many students in English I and II had written that style, and changed the entire scoring guide for that portion of the test. However, this was not done without a lot of work from DESE to ensure that the new writing prompts would be comparably scored and managed. “Because the Missouri Learning Standards for English I and II include expectations for blended-genre writing and use of sources to support ideas, DESE brought in a number of educators to write prompts reflecting the new expectations and to create a rubric to score the new prompts,” Scroggs said. Overall, EOC testing is a great beast that all high schoolers in Missouri must fight, but they can also be seen as a rite of passage. Although students struggle with the standards the tests are held at and a desperation to pass the required tests to get their full high school credit, they also bring students together in their disdain. No one can deny their worry for reaching graduation standards or maintaining an impressive transcript for colleges to look at. Whether a person approves of standardized testing or not, they must admire its ability to unify every single high school student across an entire state. “Everyone is either for standardized testing or very against it. I’ve always just thought of it as being our way to make sure that our students are getting the best education they can so that they can be the most successful people they can when they leave our schools,” Dr. Pritchett said.

Social Perceptions Worry High Schoolers b y

Stress and fear are unavoidable in life, and when students are young and still figuring out who they want to be, and what they want to become in life, all of that can magnify. At just seventeen, students are expected to know how they want to spend the rest of their adult lives. With the pressure of coming face to face with decisions determining the rest of their lives, and the unending competition for grades and GPAs, all while trying to manage a social life sprinkled with extra curriculars, it’s not hard to imagine high school students accumulate a few concerns. Not to mention the piling of students thirteen to eighteen in the same hallways, creating quite the difference in maturity. It is not too hard to imagine that teens have a lot to worry about. More often than not, high schoolers, freshmen to senior, are more than a little concerned with how they are perceived by their peers. “I think being in high school, people don’t know who they are, and I think that’s because people haven’t accepted that the way you are now is not they way you’re going to be when you graduate. And it’s completely okay to be who you are and grow from that,” freshman, Akira Durbin said. Many students are afraid they might be perceived negatively, or they cannot be themselves due to pressure felt from peers. Students’ experiences with the people around them relies on how they treat each other, and how people treat them depends on what they have heard about each other, and how they treat one another. For underclassmen, excitement along with anxiousness for the potential of new beginnings can be overwhelming. The threat of shifting friendships is persistent, especially during the first few months, when everyone is still setting in, and figuring themselves and their peers out. The pressure to come across a certain way to peers can be exhausting, especially when faced with new people and different social situations when they are younger, and less experienced.

“Many students are afraid they might be perceived negatively, or they can’t be themselves due to pressure

i n n

f f e y

Staff Writer

As students mature and start planning and following through with the path they have chosen for themselves, their fears often change; maturing with them, or lessening as their confidence in themselves and each other grows. Students become less worried with how they come across to others, and focus more on themselves. “I’ve found that the older I’ve gotten, my concerns have lessened, I’m much more comfortable with people and with myself, and I’ve found that I’m not the same nervous kid I used to be,” 2018 Alumnus Stephen Pennington said. Upperclassmen have the inevitable shift of schools and most likely towns to worry about. Just like underclassmen, they will be thrown into a whole new environment which is more diverse than what they have experienced before. Although this time, it is more than their hometown high school. Some students find failure to be utterly terrifying, whether it be letting down their friend group, or not passing a test they have rigorously studied for. From the time all students can remember, they’ve been told that straight As and 4.0 report cards can get a student anywhere they want, and to an extent, that is true. But the idea of one screw up can land someone in a cardboard box has been so imprinted into students’ minds that some panic when their grade dips below their perception of perfect. Students can set unrealistic goals and unachievable standards for themselves, then when they do not get the results they were striving for, it can seriously damage their self esteem and mental health. “My fears and concerns developed as I grew older because I was growing as a person, at the same time, and as I developed as a person my fears and concerns would alter because the world and the people around me were also changing,” Pennington said.