May 9, 2022 by RHS ECHO

WHEN RHS SPEAKS WE

Cox and Korich feeling ‘22 at senior prom By Meghan Williams

Edior-in-Chief

rom has swiftly come and gone, but the memories are here to stay, stay, stay. The theme was “Feeling ‘22”, in honor of the class of 2022 and modeled after Taylor Swift’s hit song “22 (Taylors Version).” The queen and king candidates were Mallory Moats and Trevor Cox, Taniya Corley and Gage Klossner, Morgan Korich and Lucas Schoen, Quinn Guffey and Ethan Crouch, and Faith Taylor and Adam Hounsom. In case you couldn’t hear, after all the lights and noise were blinding, Trevor Cox and Morgan Korich were crowned Prom king and queen. Cox had previously lost Homecoming king to Hayden Fane despite being the crowd favorite. “It was kind of sad, but once you win Homecoming king you can’t win prom king. I thought of it as a blessing, you know? I lose this battle, but come time for prom, I’m winning prom king,” said Cox. The competition was thick, but friendly. “I went up against some good competition, some very good people. And it’s a blessing to win, because Adam, Gage, Ethan and Lucas are all very nice, very good people. It could have gone any way, but I’m just very glad that it was me because it’s an experience I will have the rest of my life,” said Cox. Korich experienced a similar comeback arc. She was nominated for courtwarming queen and lost to Riley Slowensky. “It was kind of expected. I didn’t really think I was going to win [courtwarming queen]. Although, I did think I was best dressed, so I had that going for me,” said Korich. After hearing his name, and the chants that followed, Cox was stoked. “I was very excited. Somebody gave me a hat, Matthew Blanton actually gave me a little fedora and it was like I was graduating. I threw it up in the air,” said Cox. Korich, on the other hand, didn’t hear her name and was instead informed by the person next to her that she had won. “People started patting me on the back and I was like, ‘What in the world is going on right now?’ so I was looking at Faith, I was like, ‘Why are they touching me?’ and she was like, ‘You won,’ and I was like,

Two reporters broke down their reviews on childhood toys. See TOYTALK, page 7

Feature Editor

he Rolla High School’s varsity Lady Bulldogs have had nothing but rain for most of their games. Over the past couple of games, the varsity players have brought their A game to the field, despite playing against challenging teams and weather. Not only has varsity advanced throughout their season, junior varsity has also improved immensely. “JV has been doing really well. Varsity, we’ve been playing a couple hard teams, but so far, we’ve had pretty good games,” said senior Tatum Hess, a midfielder. Throughout the season, the team has become more than just teammates. “I would say [the team is like] a family. We definitely have our ups and downs as well. We all joke around with each other, and we hang out. We’ve been friends since we were in like sixth grade,” said Hess. Junior Zoe Hargis is a midfielder, along with playing forward. She has similar feelings towards the team.

PAGES OF SENIORS

The seniors speak on their memories, moments, and advice during their time at RHS. See SENIORS, page 4 & 5

Records broken

Three RHS track athletes discuss breaking their records. Photo by Hannah Puetz ‘No, I didn’t,’ and she was like, ‘Yeah, you won,’ and I was like, ‘OMG,’” said Korich. Although prom wouldn’t be prom without a little drama. Morgan’s date and fellow nominee Lucas Schoen was not voted prom king, but like any good sport he was just happy for her. “It was very exciting, I’m very happy for her. [I] love Trevor. If Morgan and

me weren’t dating and I got nominated I wouldn’t have accepted the nomination, I’m not big on it. I was very happy [Korich] got what she wanted out of it,” said Schoen. Korich also had conflicting feelings about Lucas not winning.

See PROM Page 8

An inside look at the RHS girls soccer team By Helen Weiss

TOYTALK TO HEAR

“Honestly, this team feels more like a family than any other team I’ve had. The juniors and seniors have been playing together for six, seven years now, so we’ve been close for a while. But now the freshmen have been incorporated and they’re like our little sisters. So it’s really good,” said Hargis. One of the best things about the team besides their bond is their ability to stick together throughout tougher games. Captain Campbell “CJ” Smith is a junior centerback. “We really have a strong structure from the older girls and the younger girls,” said Smith. “I think coach is mainly pushing the older girls taking over and doing what we’ve been doing for him since last year. And so he’s really enjoying having the younger girls using them to fill in any holes. We have gaps that we work around any problems. So I wouldn’t say we’re as close as one cohesive team, but I think that as the season has gone on, we’ve gotten both the teams way closer.”

With the team being close, it is easy to see how the team plays. “We’ve been doing good, we’ve all had our off days,” said Hess. “And I feel like once we get scored on the first time, we get our heads down, but then we come back, like yesterday when we played Pacific and we came back [after they scored the first goal].” The players are constantly improving, but teammates can see more than spectators. “I really am wanting to say Olivia Young improved the most, but I don’t know if it’s just an improvement or if it’s more of I’m being introduced to her like true skill,” said Smith. “I played on the Martins team a little bit, but I didn’t ever go to any games or anything. And really seeing her shine like on the field has been really amazing, I’m really proud of her. She’s doing really good.”

See GIRLS SOCCER Page 6

See TRACK RECORDS, page 6

wInners of mr. rhs

Check out the talents, fashion, and winners of Mr. RHS. See MR. RHS, page 3

LEtter from the editor

y four year sentence is finally up, I’m leaving high school. I haven’t had much time to be super sentimental between all of the senior events and studying for finals, but there are already a few things I am sure I’ll miss. At the top of the list is the proximity to friends 900 Bulldog Run has provided me. This may seem like something that will easily continue post-graduation, but I will be attending college out-of-state and so will most of my close friends. My friend group is also notoriously bad at making plans, so we normally fall a little out of touch over the summer which is why I’ve been extra careful to spend as much time as I can with everyone I care about. Next on the list are ECHO production nights. Production nights are normally the night before the paper or magazine is due and on most of these nights we stay three or four hours after school finishing layout. These nights commonly include pizza, crazy bread, and hysterical laughing and/ or crying. They also include Hannah and

RHS ECHO

Helen getting into one lighthearted screaming match and someone laying on the cool tile floor. Despite all the chaos

and stress production nights cause me, they have left me with nothing but fond memories, and I can only hope the next generation of ECHO staff enjoys them as much as I have. And lastly, I’ll miss my teachers. I’ve had so many great teachers who have made such a large impact on my life. Shoutout to Madame Mullen for always listening to what I have to say, Mrs. Hammond for keeping her class fun and interesting, Mr. Ellis for always saying hi to me in the hallway and asking how I am, Mrs. Hargis for being such a nice and understanding person, and Mrs. Hall for being the best adviser I could have asked for. Whilst there are plenty of things I won’t miss, like calculus tests and the bathrooms being closed every other month, my time at RHS has been relatively positive. I’m grateful to have attended a school that has awarded me a good education and many opportunities I would not have had elsewhere. Goodbye Rolla High School.

COMIC By Angela Yang and Hannah Puetz

Pictured (from left to right):

Visit our website for exclusive online content at rhsecho.com! ACROSS 2. The one item no one seems to know how to use? 4. What are ropes of fabric received for achievements? 5. What do you wear to both prom and graduation? 7. When school ends & ‘____ I go to the restroom?’ 8. What’s the expensive version of high school? 10. Where do full grown toddlers go to school? 13. What’s the most expensive dance of high school? 14. What is the only hat with a tassel? DOWN 1. What’s the final event to happen while in high school? 3. What do students dread at the end of every semester? 6. A real disease that starts way before senior year? 9. The thing no one can get enough of in high school? 11. What’s something that students get everyday to take home? 12. Are they 18 or 80?

Crossword

Helen Weiss, Abigail Neulinger, Samantha Maddux, Haylen Jackson, Hannah Puetz, Lana Simpson, Meghan Williams, Angela Yang, Kyra Ray, and Mallory Moats Not pictured: Connor Lamora

NEWS

MAY 9, 2022

A+ provides scholarship pathway for students

RHS ECHO

t Rolla High School, there are many scholarships available to students when they graduate, ranging from ones based on your academics, to others requiring involvement in the arts, athletics, or other extracurricular activities. However, the A+ program, is a scholarship available to all students so long as they meet certain requirements. “A+ is a scholarship program that provides students with free tuition and fees paid to a community college or vocational school,” explained Rolla High School A+ Coordinator Don Luna. “[Students] have to fulfill several requirements [in order to be eligible]. They have to be a U.S. citizen, they have to sign a written agreement with the A+ office, then they have to go to an A+ school for two consecutive years. They have to have a 2.5 or higher GPA by the time they graduate, so it’s cumulative for grades nine through twelve. They have to have a 95% or higher attendance record for grades nine through 12. The main activity they have to perform is 50 hours of unpaid academic tutoring. So they have to tutor other students for 50 hours and have good citizenship and no unlawful use of drugs or alcohol. The big one we’re talking about is to score proficient or advanced on the Algebra I EOC, or alternatively, they can receive a qualifying combined score of GPA and the math section of the ACT.” There are many different ways to finish the 50 hours of tutoring. Whether you want to tutor with the elementary students or with junior high students, there is availability all around the district. “The big one that we do now is the A+ tutoring or Cadet teaching class at the high school. We send [students] out to different buildings throughout the district and they tutor during the school day. That is our biggest method of getting hours currently,” said Luna. “Apart from that, students can tutor after school. If interested, they can tutor in Math Lab or they can tutor one-on-one if a teacher is available to supervise. If a student is enrolled in the Early Childhood Careers class at RTC, those practicum hours also count towards the 50 hours. Another opportunity is that in Mrs. Cantrell’s Early Childhood Lab class, students can get 15 hours once they successfully pass that class. You can also get hours by helping during summer school. You can start that as early as your incoming freshman year.” When COVID-19 hit in 2020, the Algebra I EOC requirement was waived for those current seniors as well as any tutoring hours they had not completed before the closure of in-person learning. Not only was it waived for those who hadn’t taken the exam, but also for those who did not receive a qualifying score. The EOC requirement was waived as well for the 2021 and 2022 graduating classes. “When COVID hit, a lot of students did not take the Algebra I EOC. [So] part of the requirement for A+ is that they get proficient or advanced on that test. And if I look up a student that was in Algebra I during COVID, their EOC is going to show as complete and optional. It shows that they completed that requirement but they didn’t get a score because they didn’t take it. We put it like that because every student has to take the Algebra I EOC. They don’t have to retake it, but it is a negative for A+ students because since they didn’t take it, they have to either retake the test even when they aren’t in Algebra anymore, or they can take the Algebra II EOC and have

Photo by Mallory Moats to score proficient or advanced.” The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) has declared 3 previous emergency rule amendments that have included the removal of the Algebra l EOC requirements for several graduating classes. The graduating classes of 2023 and 2024 could possibly see the Algebra I requirement waived for them as well. “So that requirement [the Algebra I EOC requirement] is affecting the ‘23 and ‘24 classes. Those are the classes whose freshman year was affected by COVID. That is going to affect the 2024 senior requirements when it comes to math classes. At RHS, students only need 3 math credits meaning most seniors do not take a math class. It wouldn’t be fair to have the seniors take a math EOC when they are not currently taking a math class,” said Luna. Since many of the previous graduating classes have been exempted from the requirements, many people believe that waiving the requirement for the ‘23 and ‘24 classes is the right thing to do. “As the A+ Coordinator for RHS, I think that it [exempting classes from the EOC requirement] is the fair thing to do. I do hope that for the ‘23 and ‘24 seniors they’ll go ahead and waive the requirement just like they did for the other classes because, in my opinion, it would be tough for a freshman Algebra I student during COVID to take the test years later. Since COVID, they have been able to have more options. They can go through and take the ACT test and use the math section score. I highly suggest for juniors to use the free ACT opportunity. I think that the fair thing to do since they’ve already waived several other classes is to continue to wait until they come up with a definite plan that is different,” commented Luna. Mr. Don Luna is RHS’s A+ Coordinator. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility for A+, you can stop by the A+ Office on the 2nd floor. All students grades 9-12 can work towards their tutoring hours. “I encourage students to apply early because then Mrs. Nixon and I can start to track them and watch their GPAs and their attendance and give them some information and insight on ‘Hey, this is an opportunity’ or ‘I have some updates on their levels.’ So we can see early on where they’re at and how we can most effectively help them,” said Luna.

Mr. RHS returns to the stage

Photo by Mallory Moats

ACT Math Score and High School GPA minimum requirements to join A+:

Photo by Mallory Moats

SENIOR SPECIAL

RHS ECHO

MAY 9, 2022

Seniors express gratitude for their educators

igh school is nothing more than a building without the teachers that make it a place of learning and growth. Teachers are a vital part of the high school experience and can either make it a pain or a pleasure to be in class. “The person who inspired me is Mrs. Kaysinger. She’s just so nice. She’s the person who, when I didn’t know what I was gonna do when I was a freshman and in my sophomore year when I got her class… she motivated me and she actually is the person who made me want to become a historian when I grew up. One time, I told my friend to shut up a few times, just kind of got mad, and it kind of became a joke between us just for that year. That’s my favorite [memory] though,” said Madison Thornhill Leahy.

“I'd like to thank Mrs. Hammond for giving me a real love for chemistry this year. At the beginning of this year, I really was just taking chemistry for a class, but I grew to love it as a future career path because she's such a great teacher, and the way she teaches immerses you in the world of chemistry. It makes it easier to understand by applying it to real world concepts, and also her drawings are amazing. Almost every time we do notes, she draws pictures, and even though she might not think she’s the best at it, I like her pictures [because they] make it so I understand chemistry more” said Ashley Tyler.

“I'd like to thank Mrs. Myers because she just really improved my skills as an artist, and she's really just showed me how much art really kind of inspired me to be who I want to be, and do what I want to do, and she's just always been there for me as a teacher and a person... She really connects with people one on one instead of just being a teacher,” said Sarah Hutchens.

Allie Potter and her influential teacher, Ms. Cantrell

Ariyanna Ross and her influential teacher, Mr. Haberman

Madison Thornhill Leahy and her influential teacher, Mrs. Kaysinger

“[My most influential teacher is] Cantrell because she makes me really happy, and she’s really fun to be around with because she talks about a lot of issues us teenagers face, and then we all join in on it. One of my memories is when I finished up sewing my onesie, and it turns out, I made a rainbow circle on the back,” said Allie Potter.

“[My most influential teacher is] Mr. Haberman because he has been a great teacher for the past three years. I’ve taken 90% of his classes, and he’s just great at teaching and interacting with the students and just being there for the students as well. Sophomore year, whenever I was first in his class, he was never able to say my name. So I finally told him just to call me Ari, it’s easy. And that’s what he’s called me: ‘Ari-it’s-easy,’” said Ariyanna Ross.

“My most influential teacher is Frau Lueck because she’s more than just like a teacher to everyone, she’s more of like a mom…Normally, like in the beginning of class, we take five to 10 minutes just talking with her and talking to other students and I think that’s really beneficial to all of her students,” said Cailyn Myers.

Cailyn Myers and her influential teacher, Frau Lueck

Charlee Sharpsteen and her influential teacher, Madame Mullen

“My most influential teacher is Ms. Mullen because she makes class so much fun. I've had her for four years, I would have her for four more. She lets us have so much fun and freedom in the class. We play games during the beginning of every class and she's like actually having fun with us the entire time and not just being grumpy and being like, ‘Oh, I gotta grade papers,’ and stuff like that.” said Charlee Sharpsteen.

MATCH THE PHOTOS

I’m sure many of your parents have said to you, “You’ve grown up so fast,” or, “It feels like you were a baby just yesterday.” In honor of this ECHO has created a game. Match the RHS senior to their baby photo.

Sarah Wilson

Bella Kestle

Trevor Cox

Gage Klossner

May 9, 2022

SENIOR SPECIAL

Senior Soundbites

RHS ECHO

Graduates offer nal words of wisdom

inals are nearing, summer is just around the corner, and this year’s seniors are advancing into the next stage of their life. What better way for seniors to start this new and exciting chapter than by reflecting over the trials and tribulations of the last 4 years. Whether it’s been good, bad, or a bit of both, with experience comes great advice and greater wisdom

“Hang around people that make you feel good about yourself and not people that make you feel like you need to work to be someone you’re not. The sooner you realize that high school doesn’t matter, the happier you will be.”

A throwback to the past: Don’t take it for granted You students of Rolla High don’t really appreciate your jelly joint, namely Tucker’s. It is just taken for granted and you go there, day after day, not thinking much about it. You never think of the fun that you have there, of the way you learn the words to the latest tunes as they “whang” out over the juke-box, of the Trouble and Wild Babies and other drinks that are so familiar to you. You never notice how many people you see there every day; of the gossip and jokes you hear continuously and readily forget. You never pay any attention to these things now, but there will come a time when you will remember. Yes, there will come a time. For after you leave Rolla and go away to college you begin to remember the minute details that at the time seemed unimportant. You remember Dick, Juanita, Mr. and Mrs. T. and how they have faithfully served you and you wish that you could be back there for the four o’clock rush. You feel that you would drink in all of the follies of it and be so observant. But it is too late. When you do return, things are not the same. There are new faces and new ideas, and you realize that it is too late to recapture these moments. The place no longer belongs to you. So learn to love it now before you, too, find it is too late.

Morgan Korich “Don’t take the little moments for granted. Definitely appreciate just the small little funny things that happened because you’re gonna miss them. People come and go but memories always stay.” The passage above was printed in a December 1942 ECHO issue, written by former student Mary Higley, class of 1942. Although the language is dated, the message that Higley was trying to send has not lost its importance with time. Students of Rolla High School may find themselves looking back after graduation on time spent at Sonic, Giddy Goat, or in various empty parking lots and realize just how much of it was taken for granted. They may one day find themselves longing for the casual conversations and relaxed ambiance of these “jelly joints” that have been part of their lives for so many years.

Lucas Schoen “Just work hard, study harder, and don’t do anything stupid. For me, I stay quiet when the teachers are teaching and just pay attention and focus on learning.”

“Hanging out with my friends after school. What we usually do is we either hang out at Dairy Queen or go to a nice restaurant and just eat, and then afterwards we usually go to someone’s house and hang out for hours at a time. That’s definitely something I’m going to miss. One thing I regret taking for granted is not getting to know my teachers enough because they’ve done so much for me, and I’ll forever be grateful for it, but I feel like I haven’t gotten to know them as a person. That’s something I wish I had dug deeper for.” Lauren Tyler “I have taken for granted the teachers that I’ve met throughout my four years of high school.” Hannah Ray “Time in general; time with football, and time with everybody here. You’re all going to miss it soon, it’s all taken for granted.” Drew Cochran

Jonathan Reade “Don’t take chemistry unless you need it. Don’t take a math class in your final year unless you need it. Take a few classes out of your comfort zone. I did Public Speaking and I learned quite a bit from that so just go out of your comfort zone a little bit. You’ll probably like it.”

Seniors enjoy Friday Night Lights in Neon.

Photo by Quinn Guffey

“I’ve taken for granted getting to go to all the football and basketball games and being a part of the student section.” Emma Hobbs

Lizzy Patton

“I have taken for granted playing high school soccer with the girls I’ve grown up with because I won’t have those connections next year with the girls on the college team.” Jaelyn Bradshaw

SPORTS

MAY 9, 2022

RHS ECHO

Records are made to be broken: new track records are set

rack and field has many events and opportunities for the students of Rolla High School. There is anything from high jump to sprints, to relays to throwing. Students of RHS work very hard and have much determination to be the best that they can be at any one of these events. One way the students can show their hard work is by breaking a school record. The athletes’ work and dedication to the sport makes the victory of beating the record in the end feel all the more sweet. This was the case for senior Ethan Crouch, who beat the school shot put record which he had previously set.

Photo by Hannah Puetz

“I put in a lot of time for it, and so it felt good,” said Crouch. Senior Waylon Kinder broke the boys’ javelin throwing record with a distance of 175 feet. “[Breaking the record] was a huge rush of happiness. The only feeling was happiness,” said Kinder. As Uncle Ben from the Spiderman franchise once put it, “With great power comes great responsibility.” When a student breaks a record, they might feel that their other peers, especially the younger ones, start to look up to them. Senior Reagan Reedy experienced this when she broke the girls’ javelin record with a 37.9 feet throw. “They [the underclassmen] definitely look to me and Waylon for help with the javelin, and I think they enjoy watching it,” said Reedy. Meanwhile, the older students also pay attention to the skills of the younger athletes. Crouch thinks that it is possible that some of the younger players could break his record. “There’s some good young throwers that are underclassmen that definitely could,” said Crouch. This year’s record breakers have received a few different rewards for their great achievements. “We just got our name up on the wall, and then Ms. Kinder made us a little shadow box with the medal and the school record and our picture in it,” said Reedy. Each of the three previously mentioned athletes have some advice to give to students that are aiming to break a record themselves. Kinder shares his opinions on what a record breaker’s mind-set should be. “You’ve got to keep pushing. Every day you’ve got to be thinking about setting that record. Be thinking about how you’re gonna do it. You gotta be dedicated,” said Kinder.

Reedy believes that athletes should not get upset with themselves when they do not break a record right away. “Just focus on that endpoint, and then don’t get mad when you can’t break it because eventually, it will come. Just focus on technique and then just make sure every throw you’re working on gets up higher and further or gets more distance,” said Reedy. Crouch noted that it takes a lot of time to reach a goal. “You have to dedicate a lot of time to [practicing]. A big part of your life has to be geared to break that record,” said Crouch. Let’s go Bulldogs!

Photo by Hannah Puetz

Girls soccer team

From Page 1 When the team gets into their heads, it leads to a bad game, however, there are some tried and true ways that the team knows how to fix this. “Really, it just starts with our mentality. We’re basically a mental team. Like, skill wise, we’re there. I’m not worried about us, but it depends on what our attitude is and if our attitudes are right, then we play,” said Hargis. With being a mental team, attitudes affect many things on and off the field and it also helps with team placement. “I would just say, obviously, work hard,” said Hargis. “That’s the general thing, but I would say really listen to coach and really just try to do what he says because he knows what he’s doing and also try to love your teammates and get along with them because positivity and attitude is the mix everything depends on that.” One of the major things with being on a team is being able to play hard for the teammates, including in the different weather conditions. “I will say the rain is better than the wind,” said Smith. “I just can’t do the wind. Like, if it’s cold outside and then there’s that harsh like 18 mile an hour wind blowing. I’m like, ‘Oh, my God’, and then it’s just awful. If it’s wind and rain. If it’s rain, get me off the field. The rain has been no good.” Other teammates have similar feelings. “Oh, goodness, we played about four games and they were pouring,” said Hargis. “So the first one was really horrible because it was cold and windy against Republic, but at this point since we played for them, I’m used to it. But let’s just say it feels worse than taking a shower. It’s horrible. It’s sticky and it’s gross. But you know, soccer is the sport we play and we get to be able to deal with it.” The weather conditions aren’t the only bad things. The conditions of the field also have a contribution to how the team plays,

especially on Bolivar grass. “Well, you know, the Rolla Girls love grass,” said Smith, sarcastically. “And we love muddy grass from the rain because we love rain. But I think, technically, we’re a better team footwork wise and we’ve been working on our connections, working on passes. I think it’ll go good.” Smith’s predictions were correct; the Rolla varsity team won 2-0 against Bolivar. It was a bit of a physical game. “Yeah, I mean, but they weren’t, they weren’t mean about [being physical],” stated Smith. “They were just accidental physical, but we pretty much just controlled it. The first half was kind of back and forth. But the second half I mean, it was basically just us the entire time.” The continuing players are starting to get a vision for their upcoming year. “I want to finish with a better record than both of our previous years,” said Smith, “we didn’t get our freshman year. But I definitely want to make sure this is the best we’ve ever been. Because I think the incoming freshmen, they’re seriously good and they’ll be good help next year. It sucks losing all of our seniors though. Because there’s five of them. And they’re good. So it’ll be a struggle working around that, but I think we will do better.” According to Hargis, a different player has improved and truly stepped up to being a teammate. “I would say Jaelyn Grommet,” stated Hargis. “She’s a senior and I’m just gonna say her because she didn’t get to play for two years… so she’s getting to play for the first time in like two years and she’s just really stepped up and been a key player on our team.” Players are starting to become a team. “We’re doing good. We had to find our footing and really start working as a team because there’s many freshmen that have come in, and were new, but I think we’re starting to click and getting our rhythm,” said Hargis.

Photo by Hannah Puetz

The secret life of baseball boys

uring the spring, it can be hard to keep up with all the different spring sports going on. One of these sports is baseball, who plays a grueling 36 games this season. “[The baseball team is] having a lot of fun. Our record is not where we want it to be,” said Coach Kenny Hohe. “We’ve been up and down from an offensive standpoint, but we’re out there every day working and improving.” One thing the team is working on is improving play in the last innings of the game. “We need to be better in late game situations when the game is close,” said Hohe. “We need to be better at executing our pitches, playing stronger defense, and offensively we need to find a way to get the hit that drives in the winning run.” However, the team is doing many things well. “I think we’re throwing the ball well,” said Hohe. “I think we’re pitching it pretty well. Several of our guys have improved over the course of the season defensively with the exception of a game or two. We’ve been pretty strong. We’re young. We have a lot of sophomores and juniors that didn’t have a lot of varsity experience until this

season, and they’re continuing to improve. We’re getting better as a team, and I think the wins are just around the corner.” Besides the usual practice and games grind, the baseball team likes to have fun before their District tournament games. “Last year, we used to play a game called two ball before Districts,” said senior Carter Kriete. “It’s a game where you have a ball in one hand and the other person also has a ball, and if you throw it that person has to catch it, and if they drop it, they’re out. It’s a speed reaction game.” Individual players also have their own traditions. “Every game before I pitch I put a protein bar in my back pocket, and pitch with it the whole game,” said senior Jake Fuller. “I couldn’t eat it [afterwards, so] I throw it away and get a new one. It has to be a Nature Valley dark chocolate protein [bar].” Another thing prevalent when talking about the baseball team is stereotypes. Kriete disagrees with one common one though. “[One stereotype people have] is we all have mullets, but we don’t all have mullets,” said Kriete. However, the stereotype about baseball players’ hats are true. “We don’t wash our hats,” said Kriete.

OPINION

May 9, 2022

RHS ECHO

Welcome to our TOY Talk, “experts” tout reviews

etting a toy as a child is a joyous time. You get to add a Furby, G.I. Joe, Elmo doll, Barbie, Legos, American Girl Doll, LaLaLoopsy, ZuZu Pet, Littlest Pet Shop toys, DS, stuffed animal, or Easy Bake Oven to your collection of toys. Sadly, not all of us are allowed to have these toys as kids. But fear not! Samantha and Helen, the self-proclaimed expert toy-reviewers, went out and bought some of these treasures with their responsible, adult money so you don’t have to.

The slime that has become so very popular is, in nice words, awful. Now, we know that this is a harsh, horrific reality, but the slime is sticky, stinky, and upsetting. It smells like a public pool, clings to fingers and breals apart easily. The slime we tested is “Peeps Marshmallow Scented” Slime from Walmart which comes in a Peeps container. Our rating is a 3 /10. It’s only so high because the container - a beautiful, purple silicone Peep-shaped mold - is the silver lining of the playing experience. It is gorgeous. On TikTok, Mini Brands are quite poppin’. They are miniature models of different products that come in a ball which comes apart in sections. With each section of the ball, you never know what you are going to get. We bought both the regular and Disney versions of this product. The Disney ball has mini figurines of different Disney toys, but after the first 5 seconds, it gets really boring. The food products in the regular ball are not edible, as some might think. Our rating for the regular version is a 3/10. There is nothing to do with it after you open it and the glue is quite horrendous. Our rating for the Disney version is a 4/10. It is just like the top one, but better because it is Disney and the ball is easier to open. The next item on our list has a lot of potential but didn’t live up to expectations. This item is the “Color Reveal Barbie Mermaid.” The paint-covered Barbie gets dunked in water and the doll turns colors. It is messy. We couldn’t get all the paint off of it, and the package doesn’t tell you the color options. Also, the accessories that come with it are in odd proportions,

Photo by Samantha Maddux

I get by with a little help from my friends

s the 2022 school year comes to a close, there is nothing more exciting than the thought of summer break. It seems everyone is ready to finally get away from the constant same-thing-everyday kind of schedule, and instead, do something fun. While I am awaiting the day of May 26, when I can go home and take a nap and not have to worry about school for the next three months, another part of me is dreading the last day of school. Over this year, I was involved with ECHO, the tennis team, and a few more pastimes. Because of those activities, I made a lot of new friends, including several seniors. As February began to approach, I had the realization that in a few months, half of my friends were going to be gone and heading off to college. A few weeks ago, ECHO began to think of our end-of-year celebration that we would have before the seniors left, which reminded me of tennis senior night, when I had to say goodbye to the seniors on the tennis team. Even though I am upset about my ECHO friends leaving, another part of me is excited for them. It’s exciting getting to see friends move on and conquer what lies ahead of them. I enjoy hearing them talk about colleges and what they want to

do when they graduate, even though that means I won’t get to see them as much anymore. Coping with friends moving and leaving is not easy, and it can be difficult to accept. There seems to be nothing worse than a friend moving away during the school year, or moving away during the summer, leaving you feeling alone in many classes. Over the course of my school life, I have had to cope with friends moving away and there seemed to be no worse feeling. It wasn’t as if I could beg their parents to let them stay behind; it was just something I had to face. While it is upsetting to no longer see friends in person anymore, there are ways to aid friendships when they have to leave. While I won’t be able to chat with my senior ECHO lunch bunch over Easy Mac and cheese roll-ups, there is no reason we can’t message about those same mundane life updates.. As difficult as saying goodbye to friends might be, there isn’t anything that I feel more than grateful for the impact that my friends have had on me. The friendships I have made this year have changed me, and there’s nothing more that I want than to thank them for the way they have positively affected my life. Coping with friends leaving is no easy thing, and it is important to realize that it is okay to be upset. It is natural to feel hurt when we see our friends move away, but it is always important to remain supportive of the decisions that they make. While I am saddened to have to say goodbye to my senior friends in a few weeks, I feel more thankful for the impact that they have made in my life.

including a baby bottle that is as big as the Barbie! There is one good thing that comes with the toy: a small purple whale. It is quite possibly the cutest thing to ever grace this Earth. Our rating for the Color Reveal Barbie is a 4/10. (The tiny whale is a 10/10.) Helen’s personal favorite toy of this whole investigation is the Diamond Dig. The Diamond Dig comes in a beautiful blue, clump of hard sand pressed into an iconic diamond shape with minerals inside, a plastic hammer and chisel, and a brush. The possible rocks/ minerals that you could find in the Diamond Dig include amethyst, rock crystal, salt crystal, snowflake obsidian, solalite, new jade, yellow jade and a 1/24 chance of a real diamond. Although the intent of the toy is to slowly chisel and eventually find the diamond in the rough, it is much easier and less time-consuming to just soak the whole thing in water. Our rating for the Diamond Dig is a 8/10. It was a blast, just a little messy. Samantha’s favorite find for this investigation is the Bubble Gun When you pull the trigger, the toy gun lights up and blows out bubbles. The light aspect is good for in-the-dark hide and seek. With the bubbles, we made a bubble mountain. After shooting bubbles in the same spot for a long amount of time, the liquid from the gun gets on the floor and is quite slippery, but that is one of the only downsides. This item is great for outside playing, but also fun inside. Our rating is a 8/10. (Don’t make the same mistakes as us and play with it on tile.) The Wubble Bubble Ball is one of our

favorites out of the toys we bought. The directions are easy to follow, and getting the ball inflated is relatively easy once you got a breathing pattern down. Once the ball is blown up, it is really fun to just bounce or play catch with. One of the best things about the Wubble is that it doesn’t deflate automatically. Dirt from the ground will stick to the Wubble, but that is it. Our rating is a 7/10. Only play with it if you are willing to have fun and smack someone with a ball. Now, for the most interesting and expensive thing from our investigation: THE EASY BAKE OVEN! Well, we got the off-brand kind, so it is actually the Fun 2 Bake Oven. (Spoiler Alert: It was not fun to bake.) We tried to make pretzels… that sucked. The pretzels tasted like sad cardboard and the salt was awful, along with the cheese. We tried to do another batch, thinking that we messed up, but it was, in fact, just a bad recipe. Helen ended up getting sick and having to cry herself to sleep because of the lingering taste. Our rating is a solid 2/10. Only make food in this if you are not going to eat anything from it. Even though we are definitely not the age demographic for any of these toys, we had fun playing with them, for journalistic purposes. Will we go back to Walmart and buy more toys? Knowing us, we probably will. Would we recommend it? Probably not. We spent way too much money on this investigation but had fun for a few minutes. Thank you for coming to our ToyTalk.

increase the amount of minority students who apply. However, what colleges do with those diversified applications is an entirely different thing - they could just admit the same amount of demographics as before. Furthermore, students in general may apply to schools with test-optional policies because they think they have a better chance of being admitted, but that is not necessarily the case. The 2021-2022 admissions cycle has actually been one of the worst ever, partly due to this flood of applications. According to InGenius Prep, many top schools, such as Harvard, Yale, and Brown, were more selective than last year. Even though Harvard saw a 7% increase in applicants, they admitted around 20 fewer students. Colleges might also choose to go test-optional to, unfortunately, artificially inflate test scores. If only students with high SAT scores submit, the average scores of the school will rise. The movement away from standardized testing has been followed by an emphasis on “holistic” application reviews, essentially meaning that colleges will factor in all parts of one’s application, such as grades, essays, and activities, into their admissions decision. The ubiquitous use of this word has made it almost unbearable to hear, and whether or not this change is wholly beneficial towards students is uncertain. On one hand, students are less defined by hard, simple numbers, which is undoubtedly good. Applicants should not just be judged based on such an incomplete measure of ability. On the other hand, students who haven’t invested time into volunteering or participating in community building because they’ve been working on their academics may end up with a weaker application. Although going with a more holistic approach might expose more of the real humans behind an application, the image-crafting required for students to appear more well-rounded still enforces a standard for students to achieve. College decisions are among the slipperiest of slopes, and stressing over them will never be helpful. The emphasis on getting into a “good” college is misleading at best and often harmful. No one knows what goes on in the admissions process except for admissions officers themselves. So, in the end, it is up to the student to make their college experience what they want it to be.

“Test Optional” worth examining hen applying to college, students are expected to report a large

number of scores, grades, clubs, and activities, both to put forth a good image of themselves, and to give colleges the information they need to make an admissions decision. In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges have reportedly put less emphasis on students’ ACT or SAT scores in their decisions, with the phrase test-optional becoming a staple in admissions advertising. However, applicants should remain wary about the implications of this college marketing. Many schools first became test-optional during the pandemic, when students may have underperformed for a myriad of reasons. They may have had to take the ACT online, something people were not yet used to, or they may have had a stressor in their life that resulted in a lower score. That explanation and messaging, which is reasonable, has now shifted more towards giving those with test-anxiety some breathing room in their application - “You’re normally a good student, but you bombed your SAT? Don’t worry, it’s alright, it doesn’t matter!” However, this well-meaning line of thought is not reflected in those same colleges’ actions, as many will cease to be test-optional in a few years. If they truly cared about students with test-anxiety, shouldn’t they continue to stay test-optional for the foreseeable future? Anxiety is not something that can fade away like a pandemic. Another reason some schools became test-optional was because they want to see more diversity in their applications. On average, African American and Latino students, as well as students who come from a poorer background, do worse on the SAT. So, making those scores optional could

Features

MAY 9, 2022

Prom 2022

RHS ECHO

From Page 1 “I was just really conflicted on whether I should take it or not,” said Korich. Winning prom queen is unexpected and means a lot to Korich because growing up she wasn’t very popular. “It feels like young me has been really given one, if that makes sense,” said Korich. “It feels like young me is really satisfied right now because whenever I was growing up, I was really weird and nobody liked me. Nobody wanted to be my friend. I didn’t have any friends actually. My only friend was someone that I had been friends with for years. And people would make fun of me constantly when I was younger. But now it kind of just feels like she got what she needs. Young me got what she wanted.”

“Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you”

Mullen prepares for student trip abroad this June

eing involved in the foreign languages classes has given many opportunities to students who are interested in learning a new language. There are four languages taught at Rolla High School, Latin, Spanish, German, and French, which all instruct students on the history of the language, and how to speak it. For a few years, some classes have given students a chance to visit the native country of the language they are pursuing. French teacher Emily Mullen has been the leader of the annual French trip for three years. Due to the pandemic, the trip was postponed, but this summer, herself, along with French and German students, are traveling 3832 miles to visit the countries they have studied. “I will be traveling this summer with French and German students to Paris, Munich in Germany, and to Lucerne in Switzerland. Then we’ll be ending the trip on the border of France and Germany in Strasburg. [We’ll be gone] for nine days,” stated Mullen. There were a large number of students that planned to attend the trip, but due to

Covid-19 and cancellations, the number has drastically decreased. “We were originally supposed to travel last summer, 2021, and I had at one point in time 21 travelers,” stated Mullen. “Then some of those travelers canceled because we decided as a group to postpone the tour. So they mostly were students who graduated last year who decided that probably that was not going to work for their schedule anymore. So slowly, those numbers decreased, but most of those cancellations were because the time just wasn’t right for them anymore.” The class is having to take certain precautions and must follow regulations in order to go on the trip. “The company that we’re traveling with has really come up with a lot of very helpful guidelines. One thing that they implemented about three months ago is that all travelers with their company have to be vaccinated because the majority of destinations, especially for our tour, either require you to be vaccinated or we would have to quarantine once we get there,” said Mullen. When traveling in foreign countries, especially during this time, there is a

strong importance for the students to stay safe and healthy. With that, Mullen has been working with a company that gives tours for students when going to foreign countries, while keeping their health and safety in mind. “This summer we’re going to be traveling with EF, which stands for Education First, and they’re one of the largest travel companies for student travel,” said Mullen. “One of the things that makes me feel most confident about traveling with them this summer is that in all of our destinations, they have a physical office location. So there are staff members in Paris and in Lucerne. So if something were to happen, there are people in all of the places we’re going that could come and help us.” With safety and health in mind, the tours are prepared for any possible situation that could arise while the trip is happening. “When we all went into quarantine in 2020, that March, [EF Tours] had about 300 groups traveling over that spring break time when the announcement was made that our borders would be closed. So if you weren’t back in the U.S. by that date, you didn’t get in.” claimed Mullen. “They were able to bring all 300 of those groups

home in 24 hours because they have a lot of connections and work very closely with lots of airlines. So I know they have the experience to do what is necessary and the connections to keep us safe.” Due to health regulations, Mullen and the other students have to follow a safe traveler agreement, ensuring that they will follow certain Covid precautions. “They [EF Tours] have implemented a safe traveler agreement…that’s basically saying that we’re going to agree to masks when necessary, like right now we have to wear masks for the entire of the flights,” stated Mullen. “So just agreeing that we’re going to follow the rules if the rules are different in different locations. That will be following those regulations, and then just hopefully we have all been doing our best to keep everyone safe.” Ensuring everyone’s safety and health is a main priority when it comes to traveling overseas, especially during the pandemic. Both Mullen and students have been excited to go on this trip since last year, and the precautions and regulations they are following, will hopefully keep everyone safe as well as having an enjoyable experience.

International Club celebrates culture Briggs receives Show-Me Art award

n the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, students gather in room 220 together to learn about other cultures. This gathering is the newest club at Rolla High School, International Club. “The lack of cultural representation at Rolla High School inspired me to start International Club,” said junior Oscar Cheng, the club’s president and founder. “There are language clubs, but not for other ethnicities that want to be represented. The goal is to teach other people about other cultures and others to teach about their own.” This teaching and learning about other cultures usually involves small activities. “Last week we did origami and learned about Japanese culture,” said Cheng, “Our club recently started, but next year we’re planning for more field trips, more food, and more people.” One outing International Club took recently was to International Students Day at Missouri S&T. “At International Students Day, S&T students represent their culture and show other cultures,” said Cheng. “A lot of people don’t know about these cultures, so it serves as a learning experience. There is a bunch of food, dancing, and speeches, and it is especially fun with friends and family.” The event also served as a way to mingle with a diverse group of people. “International Students Day was not only educational, but also social,” said Cheng. “It doesn’t matter if you are

a blood related family, everyone is treated as equal, which was awesome to be a part of.” The RHS International Club also helped make the event possible by assisting with preparation before the main event. “We volunteered at the Havener Center and helped with set-up and in the kitchen,” said Cheng. Cheng hopes that a cultural event like this can be held at the high school eventually. “Having an International Students Day would be so spectacular,” said Cheng. “There was one at the middle school, but having one at the high school would encourage all ethnicities and cultures to express themselves.” However, to make this event happen, Cheng believes International Club will need to grow. “Anyone can join,” said Cheng. “International Club is not closed to a certain race, ethnicity or gender. It is open to all people.”

Photo by Mallory Moats

he Show Me Art coloring book, produced by Missouri Art Education Association (MAEA), hosted a coloring book competition. The deadline to submit was on November 11, 2022, and the theme of the coloring book was Missouri hometown pride. The competition was open for anyone that lives in Missouri. Reganne Briggs was offered the opportunity to submit a hand drawn piece to be a coloring book page through Art Honor Society. Ultimately, Her drawing was selected to be inside the coloring book. This is not the first time Briggs has dealt with the creation of a book. Briggs, a senior at RHS, wrote a book called Getting Over Tanner. The book is about a girl who has a best friend named Tanner. Tanner gets a girlfriend Photo submitted and suddenly she’s not involved in his everyday life, so she has a self identity crisis. “I find it very comedic and also kind of like what you would go through when you lose a best friend. It’s almost like a breakup, and it’s very painful,” said Briggs. While Reganne loves writing, she doesn’t think she’ll make it her career. “So, I don’t think I’ll plan on making it

[writing] my full on career but I’m definitely going to minor in creative writing…but who knows, maybe I’ll have a career in the future,” stated Briggs. Briggs’ writing was sparked by her past drawings and creations. “I would say that my inspiration that kind of sparked the imagination of these books would have to be me drawing and creating my own characters, and I kind of wanted to put it into words like illustrating and book writing at the same time,” stated Briggs. Briggs is excited about her books and her drawings, and she is happy to bring her creations to life. “Writing and drawing to me means getting to bring my characters to life,” said Briggs. Briggs is currently writing another book that is about the journey a used-to be plus by Reganne Briggs size boy must take to find self discovery after he loses weight and nobody recognizes him. However, no matter her project, Briggs finds passion in her creations and writings. “Bringing my characters to life through the art of storytelling gives me a passion and a form of individual self expressionism,” stated Briggs.