Rolla High School by RHS ECHO

Ec ho

Rolla High School - 900 Bulldog Run - Rolla, Missouri 65401- Volume 68 - Issue - 3 October 28, 2016 - www.rhsecho.com

I am powerful XOut Shaming Page 12

The legend of Ryderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mansion explored Page 6

Students with Jobs Page 8

In this issue...

Renaissance Fesitval.................................................................3

Movie Recommendations ..............................................10 Athlete/Artist of the Month........................................... 16 Booster Club ...................................................................22

Letter from the Editor

Alright fellow seniors, it’s basically November of our last year of highschool. It won’t be long until 1st semester is over and all the stress and anxiety about the future begins… unless it already has for you, because, same. If you’re not drowning in the mess of homework, college applications, work, ACT tests, or whatever else, then you’re doing life right. And that’s my goal for this letter; to bring you all back to life. I, for one, stress about everything and it’s been hard for me to enjoy what little time I have left in highschool. I’m constantly more worried about my grades and school work than I am about making memories and having fun. So, that is why I am challenging myself to break this nasty habit, and I encourage you all struggling with this same dilemma to join me. I call it the “Live in the Moment” challenge. The name basically says it all; live in the moment and make the best out of your senior year. No, I’m not saying to go completely insane and totally forget about your responsibilities for school or your future, but I am saying to not let them rule your life. Take time out of your busy weekday to do something out of your routine. Go to the movies on a Tuesday night, get up early and watch the sunrise, or spend the night at a friend’s house. I’m not saying do something wild every night, but maybe just once a week or once every two weeks. Relieve some stress, make memories, and have fun! And, if you already do these things, then good for you, you daredevil of a human, you. If you’re not that big of a risk taker, then take some time to do something you love to do but don’t usually have time for. Paint, read that awesome new book you just bought, go for a peaceful walk, or take a killer nap. Do whatever you need to do to take a step back and come up for air under all the waves of chaos that is senior year. I promise you it will make things easier. I don’t know, maybe you guys are already doing these activities and you probably think I’m that person with no life and bringing up the rear on this new phenomenon of “Living in the Moment,” or you’re just like me and I’m just preaching to the choir. Either way, I’m joining this movement with full intentions to make my senior year a pretty rock ‘n roll time, as should you. GO CRAZY, but not too crazy, if you know what I mean.

ECHO Magazine Staff

Editor In Chief - Celia Parsons, Copy Editors -Adrienne Pyeatt & Connor Wilson, Webmaster - Ashanti Owusu-Brafi Staff Writers - Sophia Gesualdi, Visaka Ho, Caroline Adams, Lydia Giesey, Theresa Laurer, Bailey Allison, and Lorren Black Adviser - Mary Gillis ECHO is an open forum for student expression. All letters to the editor must include the writer’s name, signature and class or position. Anonymous letters will not be published. ECHO reserves the right to reject any letters. Letters should be sent to ECHO, Rolla High School, 900 Bulldog Run, Rolla, MO 65401.

2 table of contents

1100 North Rolla Street Rolla, MO 65401

Dan Collier, Agent Get your license Get a car Call Dan Collier for a great rate

Office: 573-364-4133 Fax: 573-364-2531 Office Hours Mon-Fri 8:30am to 5:00pm After Hours by Appointment

l a v i t s e aissance F

Ren

On Oct. 9 and 10, the Rolla High School Choir performed at the Renaissance Festival in Kansas City. “The Renaissance Festival is kind of just a thing where people get to dress up and walk around a renaissance-esque themed area. It’s really fun and I’m glad I get to do it,” junior, Hannah Holton, said. The Choir performed a play about a King finding his son a Princess, but there is a twist involved. “I play the villain. I think it’s a lot of fun. The best thing about performing is probably how people always laugh at our jokes or whatever. Or when people appreciate how well we can sing,” senior, Christina Woelk, said. Not only do they perform, but also they also get to experience the Renaissance culture. “We eat giant turkey legs and perform in a thousand degree heat or pouring rain. We do it all! There’s also the one stand that I always go to and make a candle every year.They also have jousts and parades and stuff. It’s really cool,” Woelk said. Many more activities were available at the festival. “If you ever get the chance to go to the Renaissance Festival in Kansas City, I highly suggest it because it’s a lot of fun!” Woelk said.

b y

Vis

a k h a

Sta

Wri

ter

Photos Courtesy of the Rolla Choir

The King on his deathbed

Rolla Choir performs at Renaissance Festival

Featured Performers: Libby Adams, Atonia Bayless, Jared Beard, Kristyn Betts, Abigail Birkby, Emily Brockmann, Olivia Burken, Shannan Chan, Caleb Gentry, Julia Giesey, Aaron Haberman, Gabi Hartinger, Meghan Hartinger, Kelton Heavin, Olivia Holmes, Hannah Holton-Langley, Christopher Jackson, Sierra Lauth, Tristan Lietz, Laura McCutheon, Alexis Newkirk, feature Payton Pennington, Stefan Pennington, Micah Wells, Sam Wilsdorf, Christina Woelk

A Brief History of Halloween Ahh Halloween, the favorite holiday of many. Whether you like the candy, the trick-or-treating, the costumes, the haunted houses, the scary movies, or the pumpkin carving, Halloween is a holiday most people participate in, some without even knowing it. “Halloween is a Christianization of the Celtic festival of Samhain which was their new year,” literature teacher Andrew Warner said. They celebrated their new year at this time of year because of the transition from summer and the harvest to the cold, dark, winter. “It’s associated with death because in an agrarian society the world dies after the harvest. Naturally, human death was seen in the death of the world and that imagery began to pop into the folklore,” Warner said. When the Irish, and everyone else, came to America they brought their traditions with

b y

h e r e s a

a u e r i

Reporter

them. We even use some of their traditions today. “Jack-o-lanterns are a tradition brought to us through the Irish, they would carve turnips,” Warner said. These carvings were created to ward off the evil spirits that came with the winter season. The tradition of dressing up, in frightening costumes, was also a way of scaring off spirits. Unfortunately, the favorite tradition of trick-or-treating is not a tradition passed down from the Irish. “Trick or treating is completely American and likely less than a century old. It was designed to channel children’s destructive impulses,” Warner said.

A Pumpkin Carving Tale “Every year Mrs. Hickerson asks me to carve pumpkins. I really don’t care for pumpkin carving but every year I end up being too busy to do it anyways,” Rolla High School science teacher Mr. Hickerson said. “Last year, though, we finally were able to do it. We went to the pumpkin patch, walked around, and picked out our pumpkins. Then we bought a pumpkin carving kit that came with design templates, I found one that looked like the emblem from my favorite show Sons of Anarchy. I drew out the design, started carving, and watched scary movies

4 feature

while we carved just to add to the Halloween spirit. It was the first time I tried carving the different layers where the thickness gives different dimensions to the picture. To my surprise, it totally worked and looked good. It was pretty cool. We put candles in them and set them outside. Then the next day we went outside to light the candles again and mine was shriveled, rotten, and black. So it only lasted a good six hours. That has been my pumpkin carving experience,” Hickerson said.

A Blast From Halloween Past

Featuring: Morgan Phenix, Carmen Phenix, Morgan Gabriele, Reanna Matson, Addy Brow, Hannah Lenox, Allie Pernicka, Sophie Parsons, Celia Parsons, Michelle Kean, and Theresa Lauer.

2003

2000

2006

2005

2002

2007

2008

2009

2013

2014

2012

2011

feature 5

Ryder’s Mansion B

o n n o r

l s o n

Staff Writer

Ryder’s Mansion. A building with a wealth of history shrouded in mystery, with rumors ranging from it being a hideout for mobsters in the 70’s to the mansion being the location of several murders and deaths. These rumors are so incredulous that it’s almost hard to believe any of it could be true. Ryder’s Mansion was built and owned by Joan and Ed Ryder. “I worked at the Tower, and that’s the only place [Joan Ryder, the owner of the mansion,] would eat and I was the only waitress. She didn’t want anybody else waiting on her. That was quite the place to be when you’re a teenager. But I ended up being engaged to one of her sons,” former employee at Ryder’s Mansion Sheilah Vice said.

6 feature

b y

e l i a

Editor

r s o n s

Chief

Both of the Ryders had children of their own before they married. One of these children, the son of Ed Ryder, was a boy named Jimmy. “The hauntings never started until Jimmy Ryder died in a car accident. I was 18 and Jimmy was probably a year younger than me when he died. He got killed in a car accident right [in front of] the mansion. I went to his funeral, and after that day, things were happening,” Vice said.

“After Jimmy died, we would hear him in his room. And Mike and I would get up but there would be nobody in there. It sounded like it was coming from the closet. It was like he was trying to get dressed,” Vice said. After Jimmy’s death, there were several other incidents of mysterious or strange events happening at the mansion. “The stereo would change radio stations. I would have it on a rock station and it would change. I would get a Rolla radio station really good and I would be cleaning house, rocking out and it would change and all of a sudden, it would go from rock and roll all the way to the other end to country western. That was Jimmy’s music,” Vice said. Sheilah Vice wasn’t the only one who noticed strange or unexplainable events ,such as this occurring, either. “[One time] my son was laying on the couch in the living room and my boyfriend and I were down at the lake. It was only the three of us at the house. We had locked and shut the doors, and we went to the lake. My boyfriend and I, we came back from fishing and my son was like ‘ha ha you guys are really funny,’ and [my boyfriend] Pat said ‘well I think it’s pretty funny that we got you dinner,’ because we had caught some bass and we were going to clean it up. And he said ‘No, I’m talking about you walking around the couch while I’m trying to sleep, just keep walking in circles, walking in circles.’ Pat said, ‘We haven’t been up here at all,’ and he said, ‘oh let me see your shoes,’ and he looked at Patrick’s shoes and saw that he had tennis shoes on. My son said, ‘Where are those cowboy boots? It was cowboy boots I heard,’ And Pat said, ‘Son you’ve known me for years, have you ever seen me in a pair of cowboy boots?’ [However,] that’s all Jimmy Ryder wore. Cowboy boots,” Vice said. The possible ghost of Jimmy Ryder isn’t the end of all the unnerving events which took place at Ryder’s Mansion, either. After Jimmy died, Joan and Ed Ryder divorced. After they were divorced, the mansion was sold to a man named Alan Malowksi. “Ed Ryder traded the mansion and the thousand acres and the other two houses [on the property] for an empty warehouse in St. Louis. everybody thought he was crazy,” Vice said.

Following the departure of both Joan and Ed, Sheilah Vice and her family also moved out of the mansion for a time. During the time while Vice was away from the mansion, more unsettling events occurred. The mansion was left more or less alone, with no occupant to take care of things and watch over everything. “Later in life, I got a call from a guy who bought the mansion, and the man asked if me I would like to live in his home. Kids were vandalizing it and he wanted to know if I wanted to move back in, and I did. I moved back in after Judy Spencer got murdered there,” Vice said.

One of the many rooms of Ryder’s Mansion, where it was rumored that books would fly off the shelves. The upper hallway of Ryder’s Mansion, where doors can mysteriously be heard slamming at night. Photos courtesy of Sheilah Vice

“I moved back in after Judy Spencer got murdered there,” Vice said. Judy Spencer was a Salem resident and the victim of a murder that took place at Ryder’s Mansion “[Judy] was very beautiful. She worked in the hospital and was a nurse and she was dating a lot of the doctors there. Her car was found on FF bridge and the lights and the car was running. It was someone she knew and they attacked her and took her into the mansion. They actually convicted someone, Doc Nash. Judy had his skin under her fingernails,” Vice said. “Jimmy, I don’t think he realized he was dead because it happened so quickly. And he was so young and when you’re young, you don’t even think about death. [After Judy] the vibe was a little different because she was mad and Jimmy wasn’t mad, he was on his way home. He was happy, so it was good spirit, and I would not say Judy was a bad spirit, but I would say that she was really upset,” Vice said. “When you go downstairs, there’s a whole room full of doors and when my kids and I lived there, we kept every door closed and you

could still hear these doors slamming all night long. And they’re big doors, they’re mansion doors. So I guess the owners thought if they took the doors off, they would stop slamming the doors. But that didn’t help. I think when [Judy Spencer tried to] get away from [her killer], she ran through the house. But the house is so big, and I think when she got upstairs, she knew she was trapped,” Vice said. While Ryder’s Mansion has many mysteries to it, and there are many inexplicable and haunting events which took place at and around the mansion with uncertain details, there is at least one thing about the mansion that Sheilah Vice is sure of. “The spirit does not want you all there. It took a while for the spirit to accept my daughter and my son and I. Jimmy knew me for years before he died in that car wreck and he’s one of the spirits. They took it easy on my family, but the other people that have lived there after that…” Vice said.

feature 7

Balancing work and school b y

a i l e y

t a f f

ll i s o n

r i t e r

b y

o r r e n

t a f f

l a c k

Wri

t e r

High school is said to be some of the best years of your life, but little do people realize, many highs schoolers manage to participate in sports, clubs, and other extra cirricular activies, maintain good grades, have a social life, and on top of that all, have a job. Having a job while in high school can teach a teen valuble skills such as time mangement, how to work with others in a workplace, and how to interact with others. We interviewed students of RHS about their jobs and how they stay on top of school work.

Devon Green, sophomore Devon works at Sher’s Creative Clips and was excited to share that she, “grooms dogs and fluffs them!” She has worked there for six months and maybe someday hopes to pursue a job that deals with animals. When asked about how she works her job around school, she told us, “I usually work in the summer, but when school started, I started working weekends”.

Olivia Tharp, junior Olivia works at The Dance Studio as an assistant instructer, and has held this position for four years. “I’ve danced their for a long time, so they offered it to me,” Tharp told us when asked about how she obtained the job. She enjoys her job because she likes dancing and working with other students. Her job allows her to work around her busy scheudale, while working various hours a week.

4 feature 8

Joshua Waldmann, sophomore Josh is a busboy at Matt’s Steakhouse. He has been working there for about a month for fourteen hours a week. “I only have to work on the nights, so it doesn’t really interfere with anything”.

Emily Phillips, sophomore Emily is a teacher for afternoon students at All God’s Children Daycare. In February, she will be working there for a year, averaging about ten hours a week. “I chose this job because I love working with kids and I’m familiar with the atomospere”. She keeps up with her works and social life by a few hours after school and working about ten hours a week.

Wade Hawks, senior Working about twenty hours a week, Wade is a bagger and courtesy clerk at Kroger grocery store. He applied for the job two years ago and has been working there ever since. When asked about how he balances school and works he said, “As a member of band, my manager works very well around my band schedule. I get weekends off that I need and days for practice, but working twenty hours a week and having homework is a pretty big downer on the social life,”.

feature 9

We roamed the halls asking of RHS asking people a question: What is your favorite move that you feel in underrated? “‘The Bee Movie’ because #SaveTheBees, also, Jerry Seinfeld is A+.” - Nalani Massaro, sophomore.

10 4 feature

“‘Lemonade Mouth’ because it has a really great soundtrack and I can really jam out to it.” - Kelly Brown, sophomore

“‘Chappie’ because I really like the soundtrack.” - Devon Green, sophomore

“‘Hocus Pocus’ because it has a really Halloween vibe to it, and Halloween is my favorite holiday.” - Mallory Persicke, sophomore

“‘Wendy Wo: Homecoming Warrior’ because it’s a classic, there is so many funny jokes in it, and it’s just a really good movie.” - Lindsey McEachern, junior

“‘Sinbad’ because it’s a really great cartoon, it has a great message, and it’s about having and being with your friends. - Rhys Proffitt, sophomore

“‘The Bridge to Terabithia’ because it really brings the house on sentimental values.” - Kaberon Burgess, sophomore

Nothin

g to do

Pop so

this w

me cor

eekend

Rolla H b y

Bail

e y

Sta

f f

n and

A ll i Wri

s o n t e r

“‘Tracers’ because there’s parkour.” - Joshua Waldmann, sophomore.

watch

igh Fa b y

Lorr

Staf

“‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ because it’s a comedy classic, it’s dumb humor, and I just find it really funny.” - Kelton Heavin, junior

e n f

Blac

Writ

“‘The Spongebob Squarepants Movie’ becayse no one really remembers it and that hurts my feelings.’ - Sage Nicholas, sophomore “‘Balto’ because it’s an animal movie, so I loved it as a kid, but now I’ve grown to apprectiate it.” - Christina Woelk, senior

these

ves

e r

“‘Grave of the Fireflies’ because it’s very well written and the story flows so well. It shows the harsh realities of life and how you really don’t have it as bad as the characters in this movie.” - Jared Beard, junior

feature 11

Out Shaming Ba by swee tie

t ra mp

t e as e dar linâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Hon ey E y e C an dy

Distr actin g

HOT

c h e ap s kan k

as ki

fo r

b oy s

will

D i tz y

STRONG

be b oy s

e asy

manly

BAD BOY

kitt en

P L AYE R S L AYE R B R O HUNK LADIES

COOL TOUGH S T U D

MAC HO

LADY KILLER

As time has passed, women have fought for equality, but not without hardship along the way. Today, women still face labeling and shame based on perceived expectations of how they should dress or date. Because of old cultural influences, women are often labeled based solely on how they dress, or in some cases, how a particular style looks on their body. These names are hurtful and we must stop using them. To shame a women based on these perception is ignorant and generates pain for those on the receiving end.

12 feature

Prude Old Fashioned

Asking For It

Bore

Cheeky

Tease

Tease Bore

Cheeky

Hussy

Tramp

Old Fashioned

Prude

Asking For It

Hussy

Asking For It

Cheeky Tease Bore

Hussy

Old Fashioned

Prude

Caro

l i n e

d a m s

Staff Writer

“I have been called a slut by a variety of people. When it’s coming from my friends it’s usually in a very joking manner, but sometimes when it’s coming from someone close to me it is a very negative connotation. It’s usually because of my clothes or my makeup, or even if I’m at the store and I’m wearing a dress and maybe it’s low cut or the skirt might be too high. They think I can’t hear them whenever they are talking behind my back, but it’s always, ‘Hey that girl is a slut’. So yeah, it’s pretty rough,” one senior said. When someone calls another person a degrading term it can have various effects. Some can be taken as jokes, but some can also cause a large amount of hurt. Regardless, use of these labels create a curltural sense that they are acceptable. “Oh it’s horrible, it’s labeling, it’s a name. Long lasting anything that you’re dealing with verbally, name calling, it’s just as detrimental to somebody if not more than even physical effects, in my opinion. It can bring about low self esteem, or low self worth: it is a stigma, a label that can stick with somebody when it’s not even an accurate definition of that person. People feed off that unfortunately,” Psychology teacher Gwendolyn Fleming said. A social norm is, the rule of behavior that is considered acceptable in a group or society. People who do not follow these norms may be shunned or suffer some kind of consequence. Calling a girl a slut or other shameful term has become a social norm, that has been true for a while, but its slow interation into our culture is remarkable. “It became an easy way to be mean to someone you don’t like. It became a way, with males, to not that necessarily call a girl a slut, but in front of their peers they may point out those attributes. So people began to use slut to describe people. I don’t know if it’s socially acceptable to use that, but I think it became the norm to call someone that with that reputation,” Sociology teacher Samantha Kaysinger said. Perceived roles are often interpreted differently depending on the sex of the person.

b y

o p h i a

e s u a l d i

staff

writer

“I think girls internalize things. I’m not going to say that girls can’t be aggressive because we know that girls can. However, when we are looking at this type of culture with girls versus girls and boys versus boys, boys typically handle things more aggressively. Girls can, but a lot of times I think they internalize it, more often than not. This can cause bouts of depression, it will cause them to withdraw, maybe from the social scene. I think a lot of times girls, even though some will say this is wrong, but I think a lot of girls are guilty of doing that,” Fleming said. Words have been used for decades to bully women, those words including slut, whore, or tramp, and dealing with these words can be difficult that’s why we as girls need to stop using them to affect other girls. “I love the line in ‘Mean Girls’ where Tina Fey says ‘You have got to stop calling each other sluts because then it just gives guys and other people permission to call you that’. Think that is where it has to start. A lot of the time males grief for doing this and I think guys can do a lot of harm by trying to look good in front of their peers., but girls have got to stop perpetuating that stereotype as well,” Kaysinger said. Using words like those in this world can cause many reactions so being cautious is always a good thing to understand. “I think we are living in a very confusing time. I mean, calling people names, doing bad things has always been a form of social control. Not saying it’s okay but it’s always been. A the level of construction of reality that we have today. Where we really have to think about everything we say and do, it’s exhausting. Really paying attention to those gut feelings more so than social feelings. I mean, everyone is going to have a person line and trying to be sensitive people’s personal lines and feelings. I know it sounds funny, but seriously, it is not that hard to be nice people. Use the five minutes rule, if it is not going to affect people in five years then don’t worry about it for more than five minutes. And it’s hard to see that bigger picture but we also need to understand how we affect others around us,” Kaysinger said.

feature 13

Out Sexual Harassment B

Caro

l i n e

d a m s

Staff Writer

b y

o p h i a

e s u a l d i

staff

Sexual harassment is not uncommon and whether it is identified, reported or not, it even happens in the halls of high school, even though we would like to deny it. The truth is, it’s a real problem, but it can be difficult to tell what is considered sexual harassment and what’s not. Wheter it’s out of willful disrespect or simple lack of understanding, harassers have a negative impact on those who are harrassed.

14 4 feature

writer

“We talk in Sociology about intentions and perceptions. Your intentions may be to only make a joke, and it may be funny to 9/10 people, but if the perception is that it is harassment, then it is. You have to be very careful in that regard. I think knowing your audience and establishing trust within a group can determine what is okay and what’s not,” sociology teacher Sam Kaysinger said. Each person is different, so we have to attempt to respect different reactions to certain comments. Even if a statement is intended to be a joke, it can end up being very hurtful to the other person. “The line is whenever the person is feeling uncomfortable, and that can differ for everybody. Which is why people have to be careful. If I’m used to people telling dirty jokes, it’s funny. That might be okay with that group setting, but what’s okay in that one group setting might not necessarily be okay with other people. So, we have to be careful that our actions may not be welcomed or acceptable to other people,” Social Studies Gwen Fleming said. The receiving end of sexual harassment can be scary, not everyone will know what to do during, or after, the situation. If you find yourself in a questionable situation, the first thing you should do is determine if you have actually been victimized. With each day comes a different mood, so it is important to know if we are overreacting or not. “When it comes to actual harassment the first thing you have to do is to check yourself first and ask ‘Was that offensive or was it not? Am I being just extra sensitive today? Also knowing that that gut feeling is there for a reason and actually addressing it and saying it very forwardly, ‘Hey that’s not funny, that’s sexual harassment’.” Kaysinger said.

There will likely be people of higher power who can help you safely deal with these types of situations. Especially in a school setting, it is important to know that help is always available. “If it does continue, there are procedures in almost every social structure to where you take that to someone of authority, and continue up the line as needed there, but you have to first say something to that person and don’t think it is fair for you to skip the line. In a personal situation, again you need to speak up, this is not okay. In there are many cases, and again it’s hard, where you have to completely remove yourself from the situation, if it is continuing to that level of uncomfortability or a safety issue,” Fleming said. It can be difficult to accept that sexual harassment is a reality for some Rolla High students, but being informed on how to respond is helpful. “Yes Especially, when I was at the St. Pats parade earlier this year. It just makes you feel really gross because it’s unwanted. Unless I tell you or give you permission to touch my body, then it’s hands off. Especially when I’m a complete stranger and what made it even worse was that they were drunk because it just makes the situation even more gross than it already is,” A senior at Rolla High said. As a whole, sexual harassment is present in our society, even if it is not visible at first look. It is important to treat others with the respect they deserve. Whether verbal or physical, this harassment is not appropriate; we need to respect everybody’s personal boundaries. “ I know it sounds funny, but seriously, it is not that hard to be nice people. Use the five minutes rule, if it is not going to affect people in five years then don’t worry about it for more than five minutes. It’s hard to see that bigger picture but we also need to understand how we affect others around us,” Kaysinger said.

e t e l th

f o

During the fall, students often look forward to cheering on the Rolla Bulldogs at the football games. Football season calls for popcorn and theme nights, but for Sophomore, Blaize Klossner, the season represents so much more. It all started during grade school, where he was first introduced to the game. “The first time I played football was in 4th grade, my dad is the person who really inspired me to play,” Klossner said. After gaining his start with the Rolla Youth Football Patriots, Klossner later found himself playing for the varsity team. “I play Wide Receiver, so basically I run down the field and catch passes. I also play Free Safety, so I have to cover the wide receivers trying to get open for a pass,” Klossner said. Klossner enjoys bonding with the team through practices and games, as he looks forward to playing with his teammates each week. “My favorite thing about football is going out with my best friends and ‘going to war’ for 48 minutes in front of packed stands,” Klossner said. With football being an aggressive sport, not only can it be difficult to keep from getting injured, but Klossner must also be able to stay in the right mindset. He explains the importance of this while playing another team.

e h T

Klossner plays for Rolla High against Waynesville “There are many challenges in football, but there’s two big ones: injuries and mental toughness. There will always be injuries to key players where you have to help a guy: step up and fill his spot. The other is mental toughness. The other team says things and hits you late, but you have to keep your head on straight and keep playing,” Klossner said. As a sophomore, Klossner still has two more years to play as a Bulldog, but he will be on the lookout for any opportunities to play in college. “I would love to go and play football in the future at the collegiate level. If I were ever offered a scholarship I would love to take it, but my academics would always be put first,” Klossner said. If football has taught Klossner anything, it’s to stay optimistic while working towards your goals, whether they involve football or not. “Don’t listen to the negative people in your life trying to tell you that you can’t do something. If you have a dream, stay committed and work your hardest. I promise you will be successful,” Klossner said.

b y

Klossner at the 2016 Homecoming game

16 4 feature sports

o p h i a

e s u a l d i

staff

writer

t s i t r A

h t n Mo

In the midst of high school, Senior Michelle Jeennakorn finds spare time to draw people, friends, or whatever inspires her. Every young child engages in a doodle or two, but Michelle really discovered her love of art at the age of five. “I just draw sometimes. I started drawing when I was five years old,” Jeenakorn said. Jeennakorn has continued to practice her drawing skills during the school day over the last several years, but she has now taken all the art classes that Rolla High has to offer. “I’ve taken all the art classes. I can’t take anymore because I’ve taken them all,” Jeenakorn said. Jeennakorn draws much of her art in a realistic style, so she tries to draw her subjects as they appear to the human eye. “I draw realistic art: people, hands, mouths, things like that,” Jeennakorn said. Every artist’s inspiration comes from somewhere, but Jeennakorn’s inspiration comes from looking at art on Instagram, or from people she knows in everyday life. “It’s not that hard if you practice. Sometimes I find how to draw on Instagram; I follow a lot of artists,” Jeennakorn said. Much of Jeennakorn’s work features drawings of her friends, as she enjoys drawing them. “It’s fun. Sometimes my friends ask me to draw them, so I draw many people,” Jeennakorn said. After she draws her friends, if they do not want the work then Jeennakorn keeps it. She keeps all of her artwork on a wall in her room. “If I draw a picture of my friends, I want it to be like a gift. They don’t want it, I don’t know why they want me to keep it. So it’s all in my room,” Jeennakorn said. Although Jeennakorn does not plan to work her art into a career, it will remain a part of her life. She draws for the enjoyment of it and plans to keep art in her life as something fun to do in her spare time.

Artwork by Michelle Jeennakorn

arts & entertainment 17

Boosting Up Rolla Athletics b y

y d i a

staff

Some of RABC’s most recent purchases for the athletic teams includes new speakers for the Bulldogs Baseball field (2016); Bulldogs & Lady Bulldogs Soccer Coach Mike Howard Plaque (2016); Banner for undefeated 8th Grade Lady Bulldogs Basketball Team (2016); Flooring, couches, televisions for Bulldog Room (2016); Run through tunnel for Bulldog Football (2016); District t-shirts for Lady Bulldogs Track Team (2016); District t-shirts for Lady Bulldogs Soccer Team (2016); Cross Country Suits (2015); Bulldogs & Lady Bulldogs Golf Bags (2015); Lady Bulldog Volleyball setter boxes (2015); Bulldog Baseball indoor practice system (2015); Lions Memorial Football Field Turf supporter (2012-2014).

18 sports

i e s e y writer

An association that ensures the inner machinations of Rolla High School run smoothly is the Rolla Athletic Booster Club. Some students reading this article may think that this particular organization’s purpose is to (in some way) competitively pass out seats designed to ensure the safety of small children while in a car. And if you’re one of those people, I’m sorry to disappoint you; The Rolla Athletic Booster Club, or RABC, is actually a club that has the purpose of getting that cash flow to all of the fun sports here at Rolla High School. Doug James, the current president of the RABC, shared the goals and achievements of the booster club. “The Rolla Athletic Booster Club is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of assisting in and enhancing athletic programs sponsored by the Rolla School District. That includes all the fall sports, all the winter sports and all the spring sports. We work concession stands and other events to raise money [for them],” James said. RABC receives funding in numerous ways. Sponsorships, membership fees, and a groovy golf tournament comprise most of the finances, and they all benefit every sports team. “We don’t do our fundraisers per sport. We get sponsorships on some things we do, but a lot of our money is raised from our golf tournament and our membership drive. The golf tournament involves many local business sponsors and has about 26 teams. We also have over a hundred members- some of them are businesses, some are individuals, some are coaches, and we try to reach out to all the parents of the kids that are athletes and get them to become members too,” James said. In terms of the RABC, community involvement is what makes the world go ‘round. Members are always needed and appreciated. That includes members of any age, too- The RABC hasn’t ever had a high schooler join, so if breaking records is your jam, this is the organization for you. “The biggest thing is that it’s a year round organization, and you can become a member at any time. Every year we try to get people to join again, so we do this yearly. You can fill out the form with is on the school athletic website and turn it into the athletic office, or you can come to any sporting event-usually there are booths at the football games and we do some at indoor sports games too. We’ve never had any students that were members without their parents, but yes. The cheapest membership we have is $25,” James said.

Rumor has it... that the incoming freshmen of 2017 will create a cafeteria conundrum. B

d r i e n n e Staff

P y e a tt Writer

Halloween may be right around the corner, but what is much scarier than any ghost or goblin is the haunting possibility of adding approximately 300 freshmen to our current lunch schedule. “The cafeteria was expanded a few years ago with the In order to come up with an idea thought in mind that the freshto efficiently move the line along and maintain lunch shifts under 30 men will someday be here, so minutes each, student suggestions space-wise we have enough seating. Right now our plan are encouraged. is to continue with the three lunch shifts. We have been talking to the cafeteria folks about ways to adjust the serving, and we’ve got a couple ideas in mind,” Principal Dr. Jim Pritchett said. In order to come up with an idea to efficiently move the line along

and maintain lunch shifts under 30 minutes each, student suggestions are encouraged. “In January we’re going to overload one of the shifts and try our plan, kind of like a trial. We think that next year each lunch shift will average about 350 or so students. We’ll try it for a week or so and see if it works,” Dr. Pritchett said. Unfortunately, there will be no chance of having an open lunch in which students could leave the school and return within the time of their shift. “Years ago, we had an open lunch. Two girls were killed in a car wreck during their shift. Since then, we have had a closed lunch. Right now that’s not an option,” Dr. Pritchett said. Handling this change maturely and understanding that there is only so much that can be done by the administration in order to make it easier for students is important in a situation like this. “We are actively working on it. We know that it’s going to be different, but we think we can make it work,” Dr. Pritchett said.

Completely

Credible.

Welcome to this month’s installment of Completely Credible, the column where I state my opinion on things that I know too much about, all while not providing a single source to back it up. Essentially, a typical news column. The subject of each column is bound to be different, and this will more or less be about whatever happens to catch my attention at the time. While reading be sure to keep in mind this is purely my opinion on something that probably doesn’t matter. show up on various news websites and social media, it’s easy to think that there are By Connor Wilson Staff Writer giant roaming bands of clowns all across the United States, but typically these are just gag photos or photoshopped clowns In this iteration, I wish to talk about the put up as a joke to spook people. Regardless supposed clown epidemic spreading across of this, there have actually been cities which America. It appears from all the media atrestricted unlicensed clowns from the tention that there are murderous clowns on streets after certain hours. That is right, it is every street corner, just waiting to pounce illegal to be dressed as a clown after dark if on unsuspecting victims. However, this seems like just another case of a few strange you aren’t actually a clown in certain parts of the United States. events turned into a trend that was blown While there have been a few legitimate widely out of proportion. Odds are, no one cases of actual illegal activity being will be murdered by a clown just from performed by clowns, these cases are very walking outside late at night. few and far between, and this should raise From looking how often these clowns

no concerns either. Copycats arise anytime anything starts to garner national attention, people who simply want to be put in the spotlight and ruin the wholesome fun and clowning around of others. Haven’t clowns had it hard enough, anyways? Once they were beloved by all, performers who lived to entertain others in silly and rambunctious ways. However, as time went on they slowly became not only dated and fading out with time, but the subject of various horror movies. Now, not only are clowns doing the exact opposite of what their namesake implies, but they are being villainized by America. These clown peoples’ sole purpose in life was once to uplift others and spread happiness and fun, but now they’ve been pushed into promoting horror and spookiness. While clowns have had their rise and fall over the years, and also while the current clowns of America most likely aren’t particularly dangerous there is still one thing that is certain in all of this: be sure to watch out for any suspicious clowning in the area, if not for safety than for the potential facebook likes and retweets a photo will bring.

opinion 19