May ECHO Newsmagazine by RHS ECHO

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Rolla High School - 900 Bulldog Run Rolla, Missouri 65401Volume 70 - May 10, 2019

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Seniors show off how much they have grown over the years Seniors share their favorite memories of Holla High School

Seniors thank teachers that helped them along the way

In this issue... Beekeeping thrives in Rolla, Mo. .................................................4 Senior’s favorite memories............................................................8 Senior Wills...................................................................................12 First generation college students..................................................16 Where the senior class is going next............................................18

Letter from the Editor This is my last ECHO ever. The last time you will all have to see my face up there, the last time I will be stress eating while frantically pulling everything together at the last minute, and the last time I will write for a high school publication. For two years, I have written up to five articles in one weekend, designed layouts for articles ranging from bees to immigration, and probably cried in the third floor bathroom over too much extra space in the paper more times than I would care to admit. I have come in during first hour, fourth hour, lunch, pride, and seventh hour on several occasions and it seems like chemistry is just a small break from my actual job in ECHO. To all three of my loyal readers of the Letter, sorry for spouting all my rants and problems at you. i’m actually not sorry, they were all pretty funny, or at least so sad it was laughable.

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 Anonymous letters will not be published.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

SENIORS ADVICE FOR SURVIVING HIGH SCHOOL & JulIa LeventIs By EmmA Starns Staff WrIter

“Enjoy it. it flies by and next thing you know your trying to figure out what your going to do next in life. You think you have it all figured out and you really don’t, and your life witll change so quickly. Keep moving forward” -KIrsten DeIbero • “Flush the toilet if it doesn’t do it automatically” -Kat Conaway • “Don’t be afraid to join the club you don’t think you’d have time for” -Kelly DeNISE • “Don’t forget who you are, school is important but so are you” -Veronica IsIk • “Not having fun in high school just doesn’t make any sense. You don’t have to drink or smoke or do anything illegal to have fun. Have fun every day. Have fun with your teachers. Have fun learning. Have fun being yourself. Have fun with life how it is right now :)” -Carson Arnold • “Do the most you can do, and fun with it”- Wyatt Owens •

Staff WrIter

“TherearesnacksIntheLIbrary”-emmaDunn • “Create your own high school story, regardless of expectation. Do what makes you happy” -Ashley Barth • “Don’t let fear stop you from stepping outside of your comfort zone” -ChassIdy OlszewskI • “Be friendly and kind to everyone” -Wesley Sutton • “School life goes by faster than you think. Enjoy it and try your very best. These are the best days of your lives, my mum told me, but I didn’t believe her. But she was right!” -Adeeb MassrI • “Never let anyone other than yourself define who you are and who you wanna be” -RIley ScrIvner

“Never be afraid to try new things. You never know what you may truly love doing if you’re too scared to try” -OlIvIa Burken • “Be kind to each other and to your teachers it makes life so much easier on yourself” -Ethan MItchell 14

Beekeeping Thrives in Rolla, MO Varroa mites are miniscule bugs that attach to the bottom of bees, under their tiny scales. They essentially feed off of the bee, deteriorating their immune system, then moving onto the next. As the bee population fluctuates, falling in the winter and rising again in the summer, the Varroa mite continues to grow in population. More than half of the honey bees in the country are dying right now because of this little tiny tick. Both in the U.S and worldwide, one third of our food supply is dependent on pollination from both native bees and honey bees. Locally, in the small clubhouse in the residential neighborhood on California Drive, a group gathers to discuss a passionate part of their lives once a month. The wood paneled walls and musty carpet do not mirror the lively conversation that fills the house when the meeting ensues.

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Beginning with a social hour of sharing stories, trials, and updates, the Rolla Bee Club consists of beekeepers ranging from forty years experience to those waiting on their first shipment of bees. Debate and curiosity spark over where the hive should face, how to allow the queen out of her small cage when getting a new shipment of bees, and the dangers of ordering online. Members pipe up to share stories and laugh together, learning the ins and outs of beekeeping. Next is time for a lesson on catching and transfering bees in a swarm. Leading the meeting are founders Charlotte Wiggins and David Draker, who finish each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sentences when speaking excitedly about bees and taking care of them. Before the club existed, Wiggins taught classes on beekeeping that evolved into founding the club. Wiggins, who is a member of the State Beekeeping Association Board and has 30 years of working in the forest service under her belt, has a strong philosophy that beginner beekeepers must read about bees to form a strong foundation of knowledge before

advancing. After donating several books to the Rolla Public Library, she refers newbies there first. “There’s a whole language associated with beekeeping. If you were to describe to me that there are a bunch of drawers stacked on top of each other, and the bees are doing something funny, I can’t help you with that. But if you tell me you have three supers on top of the brood chamber, and you can’t find the queen, now I can tell you what’s going on,” Wiggins said. She half jokes that they cannot call themselves beekeepers until the get their bees through their first winter. They must constantly be balancing the weather changes, food sources in the garden, and Varroa mites. She suggests taking some classes before diving head first into bees, and more bee companies and organizations are offering classes over the slower winter months. “We say to find yourself a bee buddy, somebody else who’s also interested in starting the journey with you. Because then if you run out of equipment, you don’t want to wait two weeks because the bees don’t wait on you,” Wiggins said. A good place to find friends in the community is the bee club, where they can offer hands on experience before investing. Wiggins warns that one of the biggest bee killers are first time bee owners. Bees will not sting unless they feel threatened, because when they sting they will die. Wiggins suggests not wearing black or any fragrances when visiting bees. They have poor eyesight, and function mostly on pheromones. Seeing a large black blob that smells potentially threatening can create an unpleasant reaction, but avoiding those and not making any sudden movements is safest and will likely result in no stinging. Nonetheless, new beekeepers are often times fearful of opening their hives up to get an indepth look at their bees, resulting in issues going unnoticed. “I still need to get in there to manage some of the bugs that impact the bees like the Varroa mite. The days of being able to stick a box in the backyard and leave it, going to get honey in the fall, are long gone. It’s a lot more complicated now,” Wiggins said. Now, there are four main problems hurting the bees. Pesticides, poor nutrition from soils, lack of plant diversity, and the Varroa. As a beekeeper, they must defend their bees from these and handle them as best as they can. In terms of dealing with the Varroa, a bug that could wipe out an entire hive, a common attempt to get rid of them is destroying the bulk of drone cells. There are three types of bees: the queen, the drones, and the worker bees. The drones are larger and do not work like the worker bees, they simply wait around for the queen.

Their cells are larger because of the bee’s size, allowing a great space for the Varroa to gather. By destroying the majority of the drone cells, they can cut back on the number of Varroa. “There’s some different techniques like oxalic acid vaporisation, where you vaporize the whole hive, but you have to do that only two weeks after the last frost so you don’t have a lot of options. The rest of the year, there are a number of products in the market being tested. I use formic acid strips because you can do it when you still have baby bees in the hive,” Wiggins said. However, she can only do that once a year, and there are several other options that depend on factors like the amount of bees, what kind of bees, etc. The complex process makes the intense preparation for simply getting their first bees more understandable. For those who cannot invest the time or money into managing bees, there are still extremely influential steps they can take to helping the population of bees. Wiggins stresses the importance of not using pesticides in gardens, as the chemicals are detrimental to bees’ health. “There are a lot of other things you can do if you don’t if you have a little bug eating your plant. You can pour hot water on it, you can spray it with vinegar, or you could pour salt on it depending on what the bug is,” Wiggins said. She also has decided to not plant grass in her garden. Grass offers nothing back to the environment. It does not recondition soil and it does not feed any bugs. When planting gardens, she suggests planting more native trees, shrubs and flowers. “Natives already have an association with a local climate and the weather. They grow very easily, so if you’re not a gardener, you can plant natives pretty successfully. Secondly, those natives already have a relationship with the bugs in your garden. And whether it’s bees or butterflies, or caterpillars that that turned into butterflies, their relationships have already been established over millions of years. You want to encourage those because those are the pollinators that give us our food,” Wiggins said. Responsible for one third of food, especially crops like nuts, fruits, berries, vegetables, and seeds, their extreme population decline could cause drastic changes to food across the world, even in Rolla. “If you go to the farmers market and you look at what kind of food you can get there, you can bet that those farmers have beehives somewhere around their property to be able to produce the extra food,” Wiggins said.

Senior GLO-UPS

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Jeron Hicks

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Senior Signees Across the Map Olivia Burken

Univerity of Iowa Rowing

Olivia Holmes

Carlee McCormack Webster University Soccer

Jarret Gabriele

Missouri University of Science Technology Track

Webster University Soccer

Treyton Ruth

Blayne Yarger

Missouri University of Science Technology Baseball

Shelby Ply

Jefferson College Baseball

Rhys Proffitt

Missouri University of Science Technology Volleyball

Westminster College Soccer

Trey Quick

Ahmed Boubacar

Missouri University of Science Technology Football

Adeeb Massri

Missouri University of Science Technology Soccer

Concordia University Football

Sophie Parsons

East Centeral in Union Volleyball

SENIOR MEMORIES b y

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For many seniors, May is a time of reflection and anticipation. It’s the end of the beginning. The months to come, filled with road trips and packed boxes, are in grasp. The bonds they’ve made in the four years spent together embedded in the halls they walk for the last time. For many, it’s a very sentimental time. Tenaujah Lee, class of 2019, shares some of her experiences with friends throughout her high school career. “During the beginning of high school, I said that I was always myself. But later I knew that wasn’t true. But now, with the experience I have today, I can say it’s true. I actually am who I am, who I want to be, and I think that’s a really good thing. early on, I had people I thought were my friends, but turns out they really weren’t good friends to me. And then finding people who were loving me for who I actually was, I think that was one of the best things,” says Lee. Even after years, a great memory is still one of the most prominent keepsakes a student can hold from this time in their life, Lee goes on to recall some of her favorite moments. “My most favorite memories would probably be performing with the colorguard. After we win, we always win, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. We’re just hugging each other, and crying. Getting to experience something that makes everyone feel the same emotion, you just know exactly what they're feeling, it’s exciting. Also one of my favorite memories have to be school dances. I’ve been by myself, with friends, with a date, and I’ve had an amazing time every single time. So those are nights I just never want to end. I also loved performing on stage in the musicals. I really liked Oklahoma, and Guys and Dolls. I liked different things about both of them. I liked my roll in Oklahoma better, because I had more stage time, and more time to act, but I was very quiet backstage. And in Guys and Dolls, I had a better backstage presence because that’s there I met my best friend Nicole, who graduated last year. I actually went to Prom with Nicole, we bonded because we both liked BTS, which is a korean band. So I went to Prom with her and we requested a BTS song, and everybody else in the dance was kind of standing there, and wondering what was playing in a different language. But we did the entire dance to the music video, just the both of us,” says Lee.

Dakota Chiles, a senior at Rolla High shares his favorite experiences during football camp. “It was at SBU Football Camp, at South Baptist University. It was three days, and two nights. Me and my really good friend Bryce, at SBU. We used to take mattresses out of people's rooms and move them into different dorms. I think it’s something great to look back on,” says Chiles. ` Cameron Cummins, Class of 2019, touches on some experiences he thinks helped him shape into the person he is now. “There was a time that I hung out after class to talk to one of the teachers here, Mrs. Kaysinger. And I talked to her about philosophy and business. Not only did she teach me in a matter of minutes, she also gave me some knowledge I still hold today. All of the things she said actually made me look around for once, and stop looking at myself. I used to be so conceited, I was only ever concerned about myself. After just talking with her, my eyes opened up a little bit,” says Cummins. Cummins goes on to talk about memories shared with friends. “When I was in middle school, I wandered from friend group to friend group a lot. And when I got to the Junior High, I instantly clicked with my still now friends. And at the time, I felt like I had gained a family. While some of us don’t see eye to eye with each other, I still cherish all I gained,” says Cummins.

Q&A

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“The fact that we never have real soap, just slightly bubbly water.” ~ Kristina Happel ~

“Conservative viewpoints.”

[Highlights] “The third floor bathroom.” ~ Maia Bond ~

“Not [being] allowed to go to the bathroom. I like living with more rights than average prisoners.” ~ Andrew Roumas~

~ Jeron Hicks ~

“The size of the doorways-they're TOO SMALL, guys!” “Having one classroom like Antartica and the next one like the Sahara Desert!” ~ Kelly Brown ~

~ Meghan Ceja ~

“The lovebugs in the hallway.” ~ Nalani Massaro ~

“Having to see a bunch of people way too early in the morning.” ~ Miranda Thomeczek ~

“Just trying to get out of the parking lot.” ~ Diya Allada ~ 9

By Julia Leventis STAFF WRITER

Seniors

“I can’t thank Ms. Mulia enough. She showed me what I want to do with the rest of my life and for that, I will always be grateful,” Kelly Denise

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“Mr. Loker, for being freaking awesome! And supporting me through my entire high-school career, even with all my crazy ideas and phases I went through,” Sean Yelton

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“Coach Luna, you have always pushed me to be a better person, and you have never given up on me. I couldn’t thank you enough for all of your good advice and always being there for me no matter what. Thank you for being you,” Lauryn Kamper

“No matter what I was going through Mrs. Kaysinger always had her hand out for me to hold. I’ve never had teacher like that before Mrs. Kay thank you for everything and helping me get through my last 3 years of hig school. You truly are the best,” Delanie Schatz.

These Teachers

BY Emma Starns Staff Writer

“Before having Mr. Luna, I never really cared about my grades because I didn’t feel that they were ever going to matter. So thank you for showing me that grades do matter and that I am much smarter than what I thought. Because of you I am able to get into college for getting my grades up and having a better GPA,” Cheyanne King

“I have only known Mrs. Engleke for 1 year, but she has taught me so much. She is one of the most impactful teachers I’ve ever had, and can tell that she genuinely cares about her students and our education . Thank you for being such a great teacher,” Wyatt Owens.

“Thank you Dr. Peterson for making these last two years so special and fun for me. You make learning in the classroom fun and truly interesting. I have especially loved having you for anatomy and I am so thankful that you have shown me my passion for the medical field. You’re an amazing teacher and you have shown me my passion for the medical field. You’re an amazing teacher and you have touched so many lives. Thank you,” Olivia Burken.

“Thank you Ms. Cantrell for always being there for me and having wisdom and advise when needed,” Miranda Castro

“Dear Mrs. Hammond, thank you so much for helping me see that learning can be both fun and efficient. Over the last two years in your class, I have laughed and learned more than in any of my other classes combined. You have also helped cultivate my love for science, and I will always be grateful,” Audrey Roberts.

“Thank you Mrs. Kaelin for always being there for me all of high school. You are an amazing person and I appreciate everything you do,” Joshua Traxel.

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Senior Wills b y

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Emma Dunn I am Emma Dunn and I will my smile to Heidi Dunn.

Emma Rodgers I will the position of 6th man mom to Ellie Rodgers, and I will the spot of being the coolest Rodgers girl to Evie Rodgers.

Alorah Jones I would like to will down center stage to Lyndsi Blakley and Riley Stevenson. Perform everything you do with pride.

Mallory Persicke I, Mallory Persicke, will my leadership abilities, my mentality, and my capability of running Growler, to Sloane Meadows. You have next year in the bag. Strive for greatness, never settle for less, and be the change you wish to see. To Dylan Cook, I will my rowdiness lifestyle

Shelby Ply I will my love of Mamma Mia and my dancing queen talents to the girls of the volleyball team.

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Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m leaving my good judgment and character to Nate Pulliam and Jack Gesualdi.

that kept high school fun.

Alec Buhr

Olivia Watt

My senior will is to leave Muluken Pritchett with the captain spot for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team.

I would like to will Kate Brand my ability to leave my house 20 minutes before the bell rings, even though we live in Salem, and I would like to will Addyson Wells my mongo alto voice.

Kristina Happel I will down my hypothetical first book to Mrs. Hargis as a huge thank you for being the most influential English teacher in my life.

Adeeb Massri I leave my Arabian flair to my younger brother Sammy Massri so that he can live up to the legend

Clyde Jackosalem I leave my legacy to Elijah Jackosalem so he enjoys high school as much as I did.

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college Life after high school can be scary. For most, the changes ahead resemble more of a looming question mark than a plan set in stone. It is understandable, fearing the looming independence and complete lifestyle change that comes with it. Whether staying in Rolla, or going as far as another state to pursue higher education, it is necessary to start thinking ahead now.

1.Keep your brain active

One of the simpler lifestyle changes you can make to ease the transition is in reading as much as possible. College course work consists of substantially more reading than is required in high school, and it will take a lot of self discipline to keep on top of things throughout the school year. For now, start by keeping that part of the brain active. Whether that is reading fictional books in your free time, or if rereading relevant notes from AP level courses, would be wildly beneficial.

Scout out resources

Many schools have entire departments dedicated to advising students, but this can also mean older students and tutoring programs offered on campus. Check out your collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, and talk to alumni. Once you know your schedule and classes, reach out to professors. Establishing a good relationship ahead of time can be very helpful for future class related struggles. Become familiar with the programs already in place before falling behind, which is likely to happen as you adjust to the entirely different schedule and self-teaching aspect of college courses. When you prepare for upcoming challenges, it is that much easier to overcome them.

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3.Be organized

Learn to keep yourself on top of things. Often after embarking on the next step of their educational journey, freshman college students struggle in their first few months because of how independent college education is. You have to learn to stay on top of things now if you have not already, because a lack of control can lead to procrastinating, if you study at all. Look around for different kinds of planners and apps; a physical reminder is much easier to remember than a mental note.

4.Save, save, save

College is likely going to be insanely expensive no matter where you go, which is why it is important to start saving now. This is also one of the most important things a person can do as an adult, and spending habits established now will help you prepare for beyond college too. Not to mention, you may need it more than expected. For some, working through college may be near impossible- even though it will provide much needed saving money, it will also take away from necessary study time, so weigh options carefully. Either way, cut down on unnecessary spending on things like eating out and weekend activities, and become a penny pincher. It is likely you will come across unexpected expenses, such as car troubles, and a savings account will help alleviate financial stress.

5.Explore possibilities

A lot of the fear associated with first starting out in college is the fear of being isolated. This is likely the scariest of feelings, being in a sea of strangers in an unfamiliar environment. Which is why it is so important to do your best to be as outgoing as possible. Orientation is likely your first chance to meet people and get acclimated, so do your best to attend and rub elbows. Once the 2019 school year starts, follow updates for social events on your schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, and keep your eyes peeled for club flyers on campus. Do not be afraid to try something new. Luckily, we live in an age of social media, a tool already praised for its ability to connect people beyond interests and borders, and this applies in school too. Be sure to connect with people you find in classes and on campus. Making friends can also help alleviate with homesickness. Of course, it is important to be open to others and to change. As you experience freedom and trying to figure out the future and who you are, you will likely come into contact with your fellow classmates will also be growing and changing. People will be coming from different walks of life, so it is important to be open to othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experiences and lifestyles. The most important thing to do, though, is to not stress. Everyone is in the exact same boat starting out, experiencing the culture shock and drastic changes to your independence. Remember to breathe, keep your head up, stay on top of work, and you will make it through.

2018-19 Schoolyear: Overview of Sports b y

During the 2018-2019 school year, Rolla hosted 15 different athletic teams to compete against other schools across the state of Missouri. Throughout the many different seasons, there were quite a few moments of triumph along the way. This includes the girls basketball team winning a district championship, and Nathan Pulliam winning only the second state championship in Rolla history for wrestling. Saying that, it was not all sunshines and rainbows, there were multiple moments of adversity and heartbreak. Including the boys basketball loss to Sullivan in the district championship, or the football team’s loss to St. Francis Borgia in the district semifinal game. Through all of that, the past year was a success for the Rolla athletic department as the sport teams competed well as they represented Rolla High School. One team that had a lot of success this past season was the girls volleyball team, going 25-10-1, a 71 percent win percentage, thanks to the senior leadership on the team. Even though it is not volleyball season, Coach Pritchett is pushing her athletes this offseason for an even better 2019 season. “Our team had a great year winning 25 games! That is tied with the second highest in program history, the highest win total is 26. We are losing height from the team for sure and some talented players, however we have already started open gyms and weightlifting for the offseason. We also have skills camp with the Coach from MST and then our own camp, during that we will be looking for who can step into roles of middle and outside hitters for next season. We have a lot of work to do and our main focus will be getting in super good shape and working on our defensive mindset. That should help us be competitive in probably the toughest schedule we have seen yet,” Coach Pritchett said. Even though they fell short, the boys soccer team had a great season. Going 17-10-1, a 63 percent win percentage, they compet-

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ed very well after losing very talented players from the 2017-2018 season. Coach Howard, the head coach of the soccer team, was impressed with how the boys competed this past season. “Pretty typical boys season for us. Competed for a conference title but came up short and then ended playing in a sectional game before losing to a great Glendale team,” Howard said. After losing legendary head coach Don Knapp to retirement, there was a big question mark as to who would take up the head coaching job of the cross country team. In his first year as the head coach of the cross country team Coach Rhett Cook lead his team to a great season. Coach Cook is excited to continue building on old traditions and adding new ones of his own. “I thought we had a great cross country season this year. I enjoyed being able to run with the athletes and continuing Rolla traditions as well as creating new ones. The little things were taken care of by tremendous leadership from the team. The athletes held each other accountable for grades, workouts, and maintaining sportsmanship. I had an awesome group of athletes who showed up wanting to compete every day. I learned a lot in my first year of being a head coach and want to continue building the Rolla Cross Country program. Overall I had a great first year of coaching. The kids are great and many memories were made! Can’t wait for next season and hope to get more RHS students involved,” Cook said. Even though their season wasn’t filled with a whole lot of success, going 7-7 a 50 percent win percentage, the girls tennis team competed very well throughout conference and district play. Head coach of the team, Joe Schisler, was very pleased about last season and is excited to see the team grow in the future. “This was an amazing season that shows how hard our girls work. We graduated our top two players and a doubles player who won matches at numbers one, two and three. So we had some

stepping up to do as the season started. Fortunately we had some seniors and some underclassmen who did that. Olivia Burken, Rylee Kriete, and Diya Allada really took on some leadership roles. We had several girls down around 12th rank and they won several varsity matches, so we have some experience and some talent as we try to replace our three seniors who played one through three this season,” Schisler said. The boys basketball team was predicted to have a down year after graduating four seniors from the 2018 class. However, the boys basketball team persevered and had a great season, going 18-9 a 67 percent win percentage, the opposite of a down year. Head coach of the boys basketball team, Mike Miller, was happy about how last season transpired, and is excited for next season. “I know a lot of people thought it would really be a down year for us with the graduation of four seniors, one a three year starter, one an All Stater, and then 10 days before the season started the departure of Coby Martin, another returning senior starter. But the leadership of our two captains, Alec Buhr and Blaize Klossner carried us through to a Republic tournament championship, runner up in our district tournament and an 18 win season. A far cry from a down year, I’m so proud of all the guys, the way they battled and worked so hard. We’ve already started our springtime open gyms and weight training workouts and it’s easy to see that the guys coming back next year are definitely looking forward to the 2019/2020 basketball season. With the work ethic that these guys have already shown and the passion with which they play the game, it’s going to be another solid season for the Bulldogs,” Miller said. The girls basketball team arguably had the best season out of any team so far, winning the conference and district title and making a deep state final run. Their final record ended up being 24-4 an 86 percent win percentage. However, head coach of the girls basketball team sadly decided to depart this offseason, after having the best girls basketball season in recent memory. Coach Floyd does believe the team will be just fine after his departure. “Our success was the result of a selfless group of girls who bought into a defensive mindset. They put the team ahead of self and worked hard every day to get better. As long as they continue to have this mindset, they’ll continue to have success going forward,” Floyd said. The wrestling team had a great season, going 32-4 between the girls and boys sections. It was all capped off with six wrestlers in total qualifying to go to state and sophomore Nathan Pulliam winning the second ever wrestling state championship in school history. Head coach of the wrestling team, Marty Hauck, has built a very successful program in his few years here and is ecstatic about the winning culture being cemented in the program. “The most crucial part for us on how we competed this year was making sure we were having fun and enjoying what we were doing. We competed within our room at a high level for spots and

that showed when we wrestled in events. As we had a great season, this is always tough to recreate but the climate has changed and the culture is starting to. Which is a great thing as we are improving and everyone expects effort everyday. Currently, we are student led, in that if they want the room open to work on things we make sure it is open. When our athletes want to improve and keep doing what it takes to stay at the top of the state in the off season, you are going to get better every year, no way around it,” Hauck said. Even though the spring sport season is still underway, it is important to acknowledge to accomplishments the multiple teams have made so far in their season. The baseball team was very successful last season, lead by a large group of seniors and head coach Marty Hauck. This season however, a new group of seniors and a new coach in Hohe lead the baseball squad. Coach Hohe is impressed with how they have improved so far into the season and is excited to head into playoff ball. “I would say the season was rough at the start. We never practiced on the field before our first games and it showed as we made 10 errors in two games to start the season. We definitely were off on a rocky start going two to six to start the year, but we have since gone five to one to get our record back to .500. I think in order for us to have a strong postseason, we need to do three things, 1 – We need to throw strikes and not allow free base runners (walks 7 HBP), 2 – We need to make the plays on defense and minimize our errors and 3 – We need to hit when we have runners in scoring position. I believe if we can do those three things, we can compete in any game on our schedule,” Hohe said. The girl’s soccer team lost a lot of talent from last year’s graduating class, at the beginning of the season the team struggled, but has made quite the turn around. Coach Mike Howard is interested in seeing how the team competes late in the season and during the postseason. “We are playing much better than earlier in the season. Our schedule is very difficult and it will prepare us for postseason play. It will be a tough test for us to go to Camdenton and win on the road, but our group is capable of playing good soccer and we are starting to get some good results, so we will see how it all shakes out,” Howard said. The boy’s tennis team is shaping up to have a solid season with many athletes competing well and winning tough matches. Coach Schisler is pleased with the way the team is competing and is interested in seeing how the seasons ends. “We are playing much better than earlier in the season. Our schedule is very difficult and it will prepare us for postseason play. It will be a tough test for us to go to Camdenton and win on the road, but our group is capable of playing good soccer and we are starting to get some good results, so we will see how it all shakes out,” Schisler said.

First Generation

What is it like being the first in your family to go to college?

“

Jeron Hicks

I am a senior and I’ve been here throughout all of high school and I love Rolla High School. My plan is to get a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia. I’m not sure in what yet, but I have a general idea. What I’d really like to do, right now at least, is work for some kind of international humanitarian organization. Hopefully, I get steered in that direction because I’d really like to do the peace corps after college. I just think it helps yourself to help other people. It’s just good to understand everybody as much as you can. I have two moms and they both work at Fedex. I have two younger siblings and they both go to high school here too. My grandma lives with me. She was in the military and she worked for Walmart for a long time. I think my family is happy about me going to college, but in my family I don’t think it’s something that is needed. I mean, it’s great, it’s another career path, but there’s so many more options. My brother is interested in going into trade school and my sister hasn’t even decided yet because she’s just a freshman. It’s more important for us to learn how to independently take care of ourselves no matter what. Ever since I was little, I always was going to go to college. To me, there was never another path. I always wanted to graduate high school, go to college, and there’s never been a time when I didn’t want that. There’s been so many points in my life where I wanted to just stop. I wanted to stop working on it. I wanted to stop focusing. I wanted to look at the impracticality of a situation and settle for something that I know I’m capable of, but I think it’s important to not let yourself settle for what you can do and strive for what you maybe can do. We always want to try and make our family proud and our community happy that we’re doing well, but I think, most importantly, it’s just good to know that I can do it. I think it’s just nice to be able to prove that to yourself that you are capable. I’m just trying find the best way to be happy. I’m just trying to find the path that feels the best and feels natural. I want to do what doesn’t just make me happy, but what makes the people around me happy.

Taylor Rabun I grew up in a single family household and for a very long time, it was just me and my mom. My mom had me when she was seventeen and so school wasn’t a very big issue for her. She just wanted to be able to provide for us. Shortly after me, she had my younger brother, so she just never went back to college. It was always a very big thing for me and my brother to go to college and have a better life. I’m going to use my two years of A+, and then I’m going to transfer to Mizzou to be a special needs teacher. My cousin Carson has cerebral palsy and over the summer I go visit him in Georgia. It’s something I’m really passionate about and I’ve wanted to do for a really long time. I wanted to just be a fourth grade teacher, but after spending time with [the kids at my cousin’s] school I knew it was something that would have a really big impact. I’m nervous about college. I’m excited and I know it’s an amazing experience and it’s a big deal that I’m going. It’s a big deal that I’m graduating high school in general, but I’m really nervous because I’ve never been away from my mom. That’s the thing that’s going to hurt the most: not being near my mom and not being able to come every afternoon and see her because she’s my best friend. I think when kids grow up in a family where they’re either first generation, or their parents just don’t care, it makes it a lot harder on the kids. I know for me it was very difficult to even voice my opinion and voice my want to go to college. I feel like there is a big group of kids whose parents didn’t graduate high school or go to college and they feel left in the dark. I had a completely distorted view of college before I was around people who actually thought it was important, but I don’t think a lot of kids have that opportunity.

“We always want to try and make our family proud and our community happy that we’re doing well, but I think, most importantly, it’s just good to know that I can do it.”

RECORD BREAKING SENIORS b y

o u r t n e y

l l e y

Opinion Editor

Football:

Blaize Klossner

-Most catches -Most yards -Most catches made in a single game

Josh Morris

-Most tackles in a career

Boys Basketball: Team records Seniors: Rj Alfred Alec Buhr Trey Quick

-most 3 point shots made in a game (19) -Least amount of points allowed per game (47)

Jarret Gabriel -Longest Field Goal

Track:

Kaberon Burgess -Javelin

Kassi Hayes -Pentathalon

Basketball: Team records -most 3 point shots made in a game (19)

-Least amount of pints allowed per game (47)

Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Class Of b y

i n n

f f e y

Staff Writer

S&T 22 Students

Westminster 2 Students

College of Ozarks 2 Students

Mizzou 27 Students

Truman State 2 Students

OTC 4 Students

ECC 6 Students

Creighton 1 Student

Highlands 1 Student

West Illinois 1 Student

MO State 12 Students

North Arkansas 1 Student

Webster 2 Students

Evangel 1 Student

Columbia College 2 Students

Illinois State 1 Student

Concordia 1 student Iowa 1 Student

Chicago 1 Student

UMKC 1 Student

Lincoln 2 Students

2019 Headed Next? Georgia Inst. of Tech. 1 Student

Metropolitan 1 Student

Minnesota 1 Student

MO Welding Inst. 3 Students

Marines 3 Students

Air Force 3 Students

RTI /RTC 5 Students

Navy 5 Students

Army 2 Students

Kansas State 1 Student

National Gaurd 1 Student Arkansas State 1 Student

West Virginia 1 Student