Griffin Rites Winnetonka High School
Oct. 3, 2014
Over the past gun sales
YEARS
absolutely
exploded.
83% of all homicides are committed with a firearm. Unintentional shootings makeup 16% of firearm related deaths.
82%
of Americans believe we should strongly enforce the gun laws we have on record.
200,000 women in the United States use N GU
S
to protect themse lves from sexual crimes.
20
have
Vol. 45, Issue 1
Every year, guns are used over 80x more often to protect a life than to take a life.
There are about 310 million
Guns
in the United States.
Top causes of death
Number of people shot and killed in 2013:11,419
suicide
vehicle crashes
poisoning
Shot & killed every day
86
falls homicide
“
Three hundred &
GUNSdon’t kill people, PEOPLE
”
kill people. - Eddie Izzard
eighty-seven
school shootings since
1992
3-Editorial *Guns allowed in schools
10-Focus *Teacher’s unique retirement plans
4-7 News *New policies *ACT required for juniors *Robotics pride *KC shooter update *Timeline of events
11-Entertainment *Novel and CD reviews
8-9 Features *Students travel the world
13-15 Sports *Photo collage *MSHAA states new rules *Volleyball team building with new coaches *Football players plan ahead
12- Arts *Two school musicals! *District APR celebration
16-Etc. *Abortion law sparks comments *Mad hatters at Tonka Answers to page 16 1. Kamryn Cain 2. Ali Cervanted 3. Jordyn Eskijan 4. Kiera Hall 5. Danielle Dodd 6. Richard Cox
Staff members and policies Chloe Minnick- Co-Editor and Copy Editor; Writer, Photographer, Layout & Design Amber Murray- Co-Editor; Writer, Photographer, Layout & Design Emily Elliott- Photo Editor; Writer, Photographer, Layout & Design Brianna Hartleb- Web Page Manager, Senior Leader; Writer & Photographer Kayla Pendergrast- Sports Editor; Writer & Photographer Rachel Adamson- Infographic, Cover and Layout Design; Photographer Marley Kennaley- Cartoonist; Staff Writer & Photographer Savannah Moore- Staff Writer & Photographer; Junior Leader
Photographers/reporters Alyssa Magrone Eli Stenner Emily Noyes Eva Yang Hayden Weatherman Jocelin Egeland Mallery Zion Marena Draskovich Adviser Dr. Shannon Rennaker
The Griffin Rites staff strongly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. Freedom of expression and press are fundamental values in a democratic society. The mission of any institution committed to preparing productive citizens must include teaching students these values, both by example and lesson. We welcome letters to the editor and reserve the right to edit them for grammar and length, but we will not change ideas. Letters may attack policies but not people. They must be signed and submitted to F6 or mailed to Dr. Shannon Rennaker attention at 5815 NE 48th St., Kansas City, Mo. 64119. Subscriptions are available for $13. Advertising space is also available. Please e-mail shannon.rennaker@nkcschools.org or call 816.413.5500 for information. Our organization is a member of the Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City, Journalism Educators Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.
Page 2-Table of Contents
Winnetonka High School
October 3, 2014
Schools stay safe without guns By Chloe Minnick and Staff
O
n Sept. 11, voters in Missouri overturned Jay Nixon’s veto on weapon conceal and carry. This new law overrides any city ordinances previously put in place for safety. According to the Huffington Post, on Oct. 11, teachers and qualified school employees with a conceal and carry license (CCW) will be allowed to carry firearms after they have gone through training with licensed instructors. School districts will appoint qualified individuals. Ultimately, this law will do more harm than good to a lot of schools that choose to recognize it. It is completely unnecessary for anyone besides an officer to carry weapons of any kind amongst teenagers. Schools pride themselves on keeping students safe. Now, Missourians want to introduce guns into that environment? It is hard to see that the solution being found is in the barrel of a gun. Since when has fighting fire with fire been a logical solution? The problem the nation is trying to fight is school shootings, of course. But usually, when someone executes a mass shooting, his or her escape route is suicide; by their own hand or someone else’s. Either
Volume 45 No. 1
way, the shooter dies and takes their most hated peers with them: a win-win for them. It is not clear why voters think introducing guns into a school is a better solution than metal detectors. Yes, they can be faulty. But it could possibly make a shooter think twice before trying to infiltrate a school building. This sounds like a panicked society, itching to solve a growing problem as soon as possible. But keep in mind; impulse decisions are not always sound. In reality, there are plenty of measures safer than arming teachers. Taking a stand against bullying could have a much bigger impact if more schools would pay attention. This change will be on a school-to-school basis which means schools have the final say, not the district. Thankfully, this law will, most likely, not affect Winnetonka. It is not possible to feel protected by a hunk of metal. The trained professionals walking through the halls should give students relief. That being said, the only weapon our school needs is Deputy Childers and our vigilant campus security.
Griffin Rites
Editorial-Page 3
7
new hat policy
A K N TO S E G N CHByAJocelin Egeland
Allowed to wear hats NO HOODS Teachers determine if you can wear them in their classroom
Tennis VENDING MACHINE CHANGES Courts Candy replaced with healthier choices LUNCH CHANGES SERCURTIY
NEW UNIFORMS FOOTBALL TURF
BAD ATTENDANCE = BAD GRADES
Fewer cookies Smaller box lunches Smaller muffins 50% whole grains in bread Fruit or juice with every lunch
Juniors required to test Changes made statewide for students
By Savannah Moore
L
ast year, a new statewide mandate came into effect requiring all Missouri high school juniors to take the ACT beginning in 2014. It was decided that the state will pay the admission fee for students to take the test once, but if the student desires to take the test again it is up to them to pay. “This mandate effects all Missouri high schools, as in, every high school junior in the state will be taking the ACT [this year],” college advisor Paul Reeves said. Principal Matthew Lindsey hopes that the practice ACT in Oct. will be a reminder to teachers that concepts tested by the ACT should be incorporated into curriculums in the classroom. “I hope [the ACT] will prove what we’ve been trying to do the last four or five years, talking about rigor in the classroom. I also hope that we are able to talk about relevance as in ‘How will this rigorous
Page 4-News
class help me on the ACT?’” Lindsey said. Reeves and Pebbles Smith, Reeves’ partner in college advisory, believe the mandate is an opportunity for kids to open new doors in their future. “Many students have made the decision to not take the ACT, out of fear or because college isn’t part of their post-secondary plan,” Smith said. “However the school will be taking steps to make our students as prepared for the test as possible.” Reeves and Smith agree that students tend to be more intimidated by the ACT than is necessary, resulting in a lower score than initially desired. “[The ACT is not] a big, scary monster or something to be afraid of. We know our students have what it takes to do well, and in the long run, it will prepare or motivate them to test again if necessary.” Smith said. Students will take a practice ACT test on October 16th, and will receive information prior to April 28th when they are required to take the actual ACT.
Winnetonka High School
October 3, 2014
Pride bot takes priority
Robotics swears to secrecy of bot in progress Members of robotics use other skills from classes like woodworking to help aid them while building. “I get to learn how to build all the mechanical systems in the robot. It’s nice to build something new,” senior Austin Sayre said. Photo by Mallery Zion
By Amber Murray
contacts, and solicit support, by presenting Winnetonka robotics to them,” Morse said. There are many parts to the robotics team each member must master. “Students are divided into different departments such as pit crew, builders, designers, programmers, while also divided into the business side. We all work together but we are specialized,” senior Lindi Oyler said. The first priority of the robotics team is a pride bot. “We are going to build Griff, the pride bot,” Morse said. However, the entire robotics
R
obotics is doubling their teams and efforts to create a bigger, better bot. They have added another section to their team. “We are building up a business side of the team. The business side is accountants, programming staff for the website, fundraising, and marketing,” adviser Joseph Morse said. The new business team will be in charge of contacting corporations and encouraging them to support robotics. “The business team must come together to find any corporate
Volume 45 No. 1
Griffin Rites
team was sworn to secrecy on the details of Griff. The robotics team has already started collecting funds. “Reach for the Stars Inc. gave us $2,000, our fundraising goal is $15,000,” Morse said. The size change in robotics could be a blessing or a curse. “From a design perspective two or three or four or five eyes are better than one. From a build perspective it is nice to have more people to know the ins and outs of the bots,” Oyler said. The team will continue moving forward towards their goals with Griff and their competition bot.
News-Page 5
KC Man charged with murder Criminal has numerous prior arrests By Mallery Zion
A
ccording to Kansas City Police Department (city of Kansas City, Mo.) Brandon Howell, 34, was charged on the 3rd of September for three counts of first degree murder. After officers were dispatched in the area of Woodbridge Lane and Wornall Road, they found five victims. Three of the five victims were dead and two had life threatening injuries and died in the hospital seven days later. The five murder victims ranged from ages 63 through 88. It was also reported that a man and a woman were brutally beaten and left in the basement of Howell’s mother’s house.
Page 6- News
The prosecutor of Johnson County said that Howell also faces charges of burglary, car theft, firstdegree assault and possession of a firearm. In 2009 Howell was charged with the murders of two teenagers from Kansas. One body has never been found. He has also been convicted of home invasion robbery. The question is how Howell has gotten out of jail so many times with all the charges he has been faced with in his lifetime? Currently Howell is being held in the Jackson County Jail in Kansas City, Mo. with the charges of four counts of armed criminal action, one count of first disagree burglary, three counts of first degree murder and two counts of first degree assault.
Winnetonka High School
October 3, 2014
SUMMER 2014 Timeline of important events
By Rachel Adamson and Alyssa Magrone
“The Fault in Our Stars” movie release
June 6th
June 11th 2014 FIFA World Cup
Flu virus circulating in birds, resembled virus that cause the 1918 pandemic that killed millions of people.
June 12th June 19th
President Poroshenko declares ceasefire in Ukraine
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian church voted to allow same sex marriage
June 20th
July 2nd Chinese hackers gain access to U.S. employee data
Murders of Israeli and Palestinian teenagers increase
July 9th July 13th
Ebola outbreak hits West African Countries
Germany wins FIFA World Cup
July 19th Michael Brown shot to death by Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo
August 9th Robin Williams found dead in his home
August 11th
August 13th State of emergency declared in Ferguson, Mo
August 16th
August 19th “If I Stay” movie release
Volume 45 No. 1
“Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift release
Missing journalist in Syria shown to be decapitated by ISIS
August 22nd
Griffin Rites
News-Page 7
Lending a ha
Tonka teens take to Jam
By Chloe Minnick
W
hile some go to Jamaica to soak up the sun, senior Michaela Voss ventured overseas to lend a hand. Voss and her church group spent a year and a half fundraising money to pay for their trip. “We worked Royals games, had car washes, took donations, bussed tables, worked Chiefs games and had bake sales,” she said. After all the money was raised, Voss and the rest of her church members boarded a plane in mid-July. After four long hours, they made it to their landing strip in Harmons, Jamaica. “[When we arrived] it was a very impoverished, very sad community,” Voss said. Over the course of seven days, Voss and her fellow church members helped construct a variety of structures. “We built two houses, two foundations and just interacted with the community,” she said. Included in Voss’ group from Winnwood Baptist Church is her best friend, Amber Parker, and her boyfriend, Matthew Elder, whom she got to experience this journey with. “This would have been a lot different if they [church group] weren’t there. I got to experience this with people I love,” she said. While in Harmons, Voss also got to experience another culture’s way of life. “It was all very weird to me. The townspeople actually called us “whities”. Along with taking this trip with close friends, Voss said her favorite part of the trip was getting to talk to and spend time with the little kids. “They were always happy, even though they
Page 8- Features
Michaela Voss holds close a little girl named Riri she bonded with in Harmons. “I hated leaving. Being there made me feel like I was saving lives,” she said. Photo submitted didn’t really have anything. It made me grateful for what I had back in the states,” Voss said. It is clear this was an eye-opening, life-changing experience for Voss. Of course, experiencing the poverty stricken parts of the world can put some things into perspective for anyone. “Now I realize what I have and not take anything for granted. If they’re happy, I have every reason to be happy too,” she said.
Winnetonka High School
and verseas
maica to rebuild homes By Mallery Zion
the citizens instilled in their minds. “We met this deaf local boy while working on his past summer senior Amber Parker a house and he was protective of the Americans journeyed to Jamaica for a humbling mission and wouldn’t let the Jamaicans talk to them trip with her youth group from Winnwood Baptist even though we couldn’t really communicate Church. anyways,” Amber said. After strategic planning and fundraising, The parents treasured seeing their youth Parker and her group absorbing such a cultural traveled to their exposure. destination; Harmons, “We had one free Jamaica. afternoon where the kids “We did over a year could take a walk up the and a half of fundraising,” mountain to Stickman’s Parker said. house, or they could go The group and their play soccer with the kids parents fundraised in of the community, while a variety a ways from others stayed at Harmony having soup and venders House, got their nails done at their church, to a car by a lady in the community wash at Quiznos and Amber and her fellow youth group members or there was a barber that also having the parents came to shave designs in made lasting memories in every aspect of work concession stands at their trip. “We realy learned to not take for your hair,” Susan said. Chiefs and Royals games. granted what we have,” Amber said. Experiencing the Amber’s mother, high poverty rates and Photo submitted Susan Parker, was a great conditions of Harmons, contributor to the group the group is much more effort and went along on the trip. grateful for what they have here at home. “All of it was hard work, but we had lots of “It was very eye opening for the kids to see fun doing it as well,” Susan said. that the life they have here in the United States It took them an hour and a half flight to North isn’t such a hard life compared to what the men, Carolina and three more hours to Jamaica. The women and children of Harmons Jamaica live,” plane ride was worth it to help a family who needs Susan said. it. After a week of work, the group stayed in “You don’t have to take a trip to Jamaica to be Ocho Rios at a resort, visited the beach and loaded able to help someone in need,” Susan said. into a boat to go snorkeling. They appreciated the The group has numerous permanent memories refreshing water after such a hot workweek.
T
Griffin Rites
Features-Page 9
Galloway retires to the woods By Chloe Minnick
W
hile some spend their retirement on expensive cars and big boats, English teacher Amy Galloway has another plan to spend her earnings. In 2008, Galloway started constructing her own cabin that she plans to make her home. She hopes to finish and move in around May of this year and retire from teaching. “I love teaching and I love the kids. The thing is… I just want to do this,” she said. Galloway plans to have a fully functional farm. Her property sits on 40 acres and, if everything goes as planned, will make her completely self-sufficient. “I want to have a kind of greenliving retreat. I want to be able to teach people how to live off the fat of the land,” Galloway said. When she finally makes the move from city life to farm life, part of her income will come from the retreat and the rest will come from the product she raises. “I want to be able to raise goats and animals without chemicals,” Galloway said. This dream of hers began in 2008. Since then, she has made tremendous progress, having family and friends help her reach her goal. Although she receives help every so often, she does most of the work herself. “It’s a regular building right
now. Actually, a lot like a Lego house. But it began with an eight foot frame,” Galloway said. The cabin does not have running water or any type of indoor plumbing. Using water barrels, Galloway catches rainwater in order to bathe while staying there. “It makes you very conscious of the things we have in our society,” she said. Galloway is fully invested in her dream and plans on using retirement money to give her the last push she needs. “My whole point is, yes it’s terrifying, but there’s something to be said about seeing the process of your work and appreciating what comes out of it,” Galloway said. With the accomplishment of this dream comes another; with more time on her hands, Galloway plans to finish writing her own book. Her fear of failure is minimal compared to the yearning she has for reaching her life goals.
Photos submitted
Page 10- Focus
Amy Galloway is currently planing to retire to a cabin in the woods that she built herself. “I hope I can sell crops, goat cheese and learn how to support myself,” Galloway said. She plans to be completely self sufficient.
Winnetonka High School
October 3, 2014
“If I Stay” deemed emotionally captivating
By Alyssa Magrone
C
ontrary to popular belief, “If I Stay” is not a cliché. It may not have vampires, werewolves and romance; however, it is a
captivating novel that will grab your heart. “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman is a book that most teenagers could find themselves relating to. The characters and writing are easy to fall in love with. Fans of “13 Reasons Why” by Jay Asher and “Before I Fall” by Lauren Oliver will be intrigued by this heart wrenching novel. 17-year-old Mia Hall seems to have an ideal life; a boyfriend, a loyal best friend, a talented cellist and gets along great with her family. But everything changes in a fraction of a second. On an ordinary winter day when Mia and her family are driving to a friend’s house then they crash. Mia cannot remember how the accident happened, but
puts together pieces of what is happening in the present. Throughout the novel, Hall, is not in her physical body. She is seeing everything happening around her including, seeing herself hauled being away in an ambulance. The book switches between what is happening currently and Mia’s out of body experiences. Forman also lets readers revisit old memories of her past life. Hall discovers that she is the one with the power to determine if she lives or dies. Gayle Forman uses family, free will, music and young love to develop this bittersweet novel. Teenagers and some adults will find themselves relating to the novel and feeling a connection with the characters. This is an “A” book.
Maroon 5 holding fans with emotion the hot 100 list. The album includes other memorable songs such as “Animals” and “Unkiss me”. These songs are upbeat and make you want to dance. The lyrics stick in your head all day. The vocals by Adam Levine add passion to the album. The hooks in the songs grab your attention and keep you listening. Listening to songs on this album made me want to get up and dance. Overall, this album is vibrant and worth the listen. This CD gets an A rating.
By Emily Noyes
T
he new album “V” keeps Maroon 5’s classic sound, but adds a fresh new vibe. The album is titled with Roman numeral “V” (pronounced five) because it symbolizes their fifth album release. “V” reached number one in the US as a bestseller the first week of September, selling over 164,000 copies. The album starts with its lead single “Maps”. This song’s strong pop elements and repetitive lyrics helped it peak at number six on
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Griffin Rites
Entertainment-Page 11
District test scores soar
By Amber Murray
O
n August 29th all of the North Kansas City schools came together to celebrate our test scores for the past year. The district APR, or annual performance review consists of two scores.The APR score is found by adding up points given to five categories. Three of which center on test scores and the classes students choose. “One, student achievement scores; two, subgroup scores of students, those would be students of ethnicity and free and reduced lunch along with special education; three, college career readiness, this centers around ACT scores, AP scores, ADVAB, dual credit, compass tests, technical skills assessments, PLTW classes and tech classes,” Principal, Matthew Lindsey said. The other two focus more on graduation and attendance. “Four, percentage of graduates going to two or four year schools, tech schools, or otherwise moving on in their course of study and attendance rate; and five, graduation rate,” Lindsey said. The celebration was to honor how our school is progressing and where the district wishes to be. “There is an opportunity for an improvement on the test scores for the next school year, we just have to keep working, ” junior Matthew Green said. As a school, we scored 10 percent higher.
Senior Casey Allen instructs her band of what to do at the district APR celebration. “All four schools came together to celebrate our increased APR scores. It was great,” Allen said. Photo by Brianna Hartleb
“We scored 110 out of 140 for 78.6%. That was during the 2013-2014 school year. Previously in the 20122013 school year we were at 97 total points for 69.3%,” Lindsey said. The celebration was to promote the students achievements and encourage progress. “Our scores are a testament to the students and staffs hard work and dedication,” Green said.
Two musicals, one audition By Eli Stenner
T
he theatre department has done something this year that they have never done before: cast two musicals at the same time. The first is “Sideshow,” and the second is “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Dr. Sheri Coffman and Mr. Jason Elam, who are codirecting both musicals, did all this without letting any of the students know. “The reason for casting two musicals was because of how grueling and competitive the
Page 12-Arts
callbacks for “Sideshow” were,” said Coffman. The cast of “Sideshow” headlined by two female leads senior Madison Dodd and senior Paden Osbourn, who will play the Siamese twins. Senior Zach Faust, sophomore Scotty Sharp and senior Adarius Wells are the male leads in “Sideshow”. There are two co-student directors; senior Tannar Walden and senior Victoria Schildman. The tech director is senior Ian Whittlesey and the stage manager is senior Marcia Ruiz.
Winnetonka High School
“I love working with Dr. Coffman and Mr. Elam and codirecting with Tori. We get to share such a big responsibility in the show and it really makes me proud to see the show progress knowing I had something to do with it,” Walden said. “Sideshow” is based in the 1920s depressed America. It is about the struggles and hardships that came with being exponentially different. “Sideshow” will be performed on November 20, 21 and 22. “Putnam” is yet to be announced.
October 3, 2014
Photo by Emily Elliott
Photo by Eva Yang
Photo by Rachel Adamson
Top left: Sophmore, Makayla Powers at a volleyball tournament Sept. 13, hosted by Winnetonka. “I have to be excited for my team.” Top middle: freshman, Riley Stephenson tennis match against OP Sept. 23 “We play not to win, but to have fun.” Top right: Coach Edwards at football game against Lee Summit North Aug. 28, “Working hard at practices and seeing our plays on Friday nights is what gets me so excited.”
SPORTS
FALL
By Rachel Adamson
Photo by Rachel Adamson
Middle left: Senior Mariah McGhee at Sept. 5 football game against Lee Summit West ,“I am happy just to show some school spirit.” Middle right: Sophomore Rebecca Hensley pitching at Sept. 24 softball game against Raypeck, “I love pitching because I feel like I am in control of how the game plays out.” Photo by Amber Murray
Bottom left: Junior Matthew Green running in a cross-country meet Sept. 9 at Liberty North, “Everytime I think about quitting, I ignore the pain.” Bottom right: Senior Jessi Jasso at a soccer game against Grandview Sept. 16, “Soccer is an escape from reality.” Photo by Rachel Adamson
Photo by Emily Elliott
New order on the court By Marena Draskovich
Jewett is the freshman coach, she never fails to help others on the junior varsity and varsity teams. olleyball is changing a few things up with coach “Coach Jewett always lets me know what I am Bridget Van Ee including new coaching staff and doing wrong and how I can fix it to make myself better moving her to head coach. during games and practices,” Coach Van Ee is taking over after Cervantes says. being the volleyball assistant coach Practices are very or many years. important to the coaches and “I really enjoy the new coaches the players. They try to get as and how they try to improve our many touches on the ball and skills,” junior Ali Cervantes said. mistakes fixed as they can each Coach Fogel had been at day. Winnetonka for 15 years, but he has “Hitting and defensive recently taken another job. Now the drills are my favorite because girls are getting used to having both of those are an important three new coaches. factor to win games,” Majors Sophomore Makayla Power celebrating at the “My coaches are really good volleyball tournament on September 13th. “The said. even though they just started; they best part about volleyball is getting the point With the season just coach like they have been doing it starting up, the Lady Griffins and having a killer block. It makes me feel powerful,” Power said. for a long time,” sophomore Abbi plan on making it a successful Photo by Emily Elliott Weis said. season for their new coach. Even though coach Kaitlin
V
Page 14-Sports
Winnetonka High School
October 3, 2014
Tackling goals off the field By Brianna Hartleb
T
hrough a little hard work and determination the football team will continue their dreams. Football coach Sterling Edwards strives to help athletes achieve their goals of continuing to play football. “My favorite part about coaching is helping kids chase their dreams,” Edwards said. For sophomore Djimon Colbert playing football in college is a dream that he is on his way to achieving. “I have been offered a football scholarship to Iowa,” Colbert said. “Its hard to keep school, grades, football and sleep balanced, but to get to your dreams its worth it and manageable.” Edwards is an inspiration for junior Keelon Jimison. “Coach Edwards teaches us that ‘you can’t just quit something that you start,’ and I’m one of those people who keeps doing something because I’m not going to be a quitter when I could practice to get better,” Jimison said. Working together is important and is a big part of success. “Teamwork to me is, when we all come together and work hard towards our goals and plans together as a team for Friday night games,” Colbert said. This is equivelent to being part of a big family. “To be on that football field with ten other people knowing that they have my back and that I
At the jamboree game on August 15th, senior Kevon Washington is being helped off the field by fellow teammate senior Montrell Adams and team chaplain Stephen Mattingly. “I feel loved knowing that most of my team has my back,” Washington said. Photo by Emily Elliott
have their backs makes us feel like one huge family who is always there for each other no matter what happens,” Jimison said. Teamwork, goals and family are just a few things that are important to the football brothers.
Underclassmen rising from the depths By Jocelin Egeland
N
ew members joining the swim and dive team have set high expectations from both the coaches and returning members. There are eight new swimmers this year compared to last year’s three. “It’s just nice to see people interested in a sport that isn’t very commonly expressed,” sophomore Jessi Mizner said. The team is working with young talent because there are only underclassmen swimming. “We are a lower class swim
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team, so next year we would like to see more juniors and seniors do swimming,” Mizner said. There are enough swimmers to do the relays this season. There are two relay teams: the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle. “I like the 400 because it is longer and it makes me tired so I feel like I am working harder,” sophomore Diego Mina said. Coach Ian Johnston loves the bond that the boys have made. “They are a team and help each other and make each other better in and out of the pool,” said Johnston. Being on the team is about
Griffin Rites
more than just swimming to the boys. “ It’s really fun because it’s great to know there is a bigger team supporting you and that you can count on them to be there,” Mina said. Their support for each other is taken outside of the pool as well. “We have team dinners and during our first trip to St. Joe we were throwing sandwiches at each other,” said Mina. It looks like the boys swim and dive team is starting a new era with the new young swimmers.
Sports-Page 15
Feelings about Missouri’s new abortion law *Abortion laws state that women wanting an abortion must wait 72 hours after seeing a doctor before making their final decision.
freshman- Joshua Dale “I think that it’s a good idea because it will give them some time to think it over and be able to make a decision.”
senior-Amanda Kluth
“I think that if they want to wait, they can but if they don’t, then they shouldn’t be forced to [wait].”
FACS teacher- Kimberly Johnson “I think that the government should stay out of everybody’s business. I have a brain and can use it and don’t need someone to tell me how to use it.”
junior- Derek Halloran “It’s a good idea because it is helpful to give them some time to let them think over their decision even though its wrong.”
sophomore- Francesca Valente “Abortion is already a heavy decision. If you choose that [abortion] I don’t think that three days will change your mind.”
Can you guess the Mad Hatter’s of Winnetonka? 1.
FROM:
2.
3.
5.
6.
Griffin Rites Winnetonka High School 5815 NE 48th St. Kansas City, MO 64119
Page 16- Etc.
4.
TO:
October 3, 2014