Sterling Cub Reporter: March 2016

MARCH 2016

Wrangling the competition Volume 2 • Issue 6

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March 2016 • Sterling Cub Reporter • 1

NEWS

Briefly Stated

Zero to

Have you ever wondered about all the cool stuff going on around SHS, and then thought of all the unfortunate stuff to happen? Here’s your guide to all the hot, and cold, stuff going on at SHS.

“My favorite things about America are the warm welcoming mentality of the American people and the cheeseburgers!”

100 Junior Derek Boken wrestles with freshmen Dylan Stewart at league wrestling in Hesston.

Sophomore Lucas Weigal works on his assignment in robotics class.

90 80 70 60 Senior Alex Veliz eats his Mac-nCheese after 50 donating to the red cross blood drive.

40 30

JUNIOR THIEMO HOSSELMANN, foreign exchange student from Muenster, Germany, describes his love for America and what he likes most about it. Hosselmann is staying with senior Jessica Ricker and her family during his time in Kansas.

Senior Signings Seniors Tristin Padgett, Sarah Stallings, and Kylah Comley sign to continue their athletic activites after high school.

(Photos by Veronica Norez)

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ABOUT THE COVER PHOTO

Senior Tim Williams gets thrown out of his saddle during a rodeo this past season. Williams finished his competition season in October and plans to begin competing again when the Winter weather passes. (Photo Courtesy of Jeff Frazell, Professional photographer out of Halstead)

2 • Sterling Cub Reporter • March 2016

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SBA provides bonding outlet

(Photo by Baylee Maskill) Sterling cheer squad members perform extension liberties at the Sterling cheer competition Feb. 13.

Cheer competition tumbles into Sterling ALEXIS VELIZ Cub Reporter Hannah Hendricks’ senior project included planning and executing a cheer competing for neighboring schools.

“High school cheerleaders, especially those in rural Kansas, have very few opportunities in the cheer world,” Hendricks said. “So I just wanted to give cheerleaders in the area opportunities to experience the cheer world.”

An event like this has not been done before by a student, so, like any new venture, some hurdles arose before the project was completed.

“The biggest obstacle was convincing schools to come.

People were very apprehensive and nervous,” she said. “I sent out 62 invitations and only four schools agreed. Setting a precedent is always a challenge.”

Hendricks still believes the competition was a step in the right direction in terms of cheer team involvement in the future.

“Hopefully word will spread and we’ll break the stigma and get many schools and cheerleaders to be involved,” she said. “The competition also benefitted all of the cheerleaders who attended. College coaches were there scouting, and many girls are being pursued by college squads now.”

Overall the competition was a success to Hendricks because of the support from the community and opportunity for the cheer squad.

“I think it opened some eyes to that fact that cheerleading can be more than just supporting other sports teams.

We love that part of what we do, but being competitive gives a squad a whole new standard and purpose,” she said. “It was great to be supported by teachers and peers and really meant a lot to have the support returned.“ www.sterlingcubreporter.com

ALEXIAS ROSE Cub Reporter There are many ways to fit in and find your area of competence here at Sterling High school, but with everything that could possibly go on in high school lives, it can be hard to find leisure time. Some students have turned to student-led organizations that offer a more lenient schedule, such as SBA. “SBA stands for Student Basketball Association,” senior SBA organizer Brayden Hosman said.

Many students who enjoy playing sports but don’t have the space in their schedule to follow a strict time frame participate in SBA. “I’ve used SBA as a way to be part of a basketball team that better fits my schedule,” junior Dallas Lackey said.

“With the different things I have going on, SBA is a great way for me to find my leisure time.”

As well as being an outlet for leisure time, SBA is another way to compete in a school-led event.

“SBA allows students to play competitively, even though they might not play basketball,” Hosman said.

Although the majority of SBA members do not play on the school basketball team, some basketball players have found participating in SBA to be beneficial.

“Being a referee for SBA has allowed me to pay close attention to what others do on the court,” junior Brady Ochs said. “I’m able to pay closer attention to what I do on the court.”

In reality, SBA is just another way for students to get together and bond over something they all have in common.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re good at basketball or not,” Lackey said. “SBA is about coming together and having fun over something we all love.”

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NEWS

(Photo by Alex Veliz) Sterling scholars bowl team members pose for a picture. “It is a good experience. It gets you out of your comfort zone because you have to buzz in and speak to win,” senior Veronica Norez said.

Scholars bowl team finishes season strong ALEX VELIZ Cub Reporter

This year the scholars bowl team took first in league and advanced to regionals placing 5th, ending the 2015-2016 season. Junior Edward Wiener said he believes the season ended favorably for the team.

“I thought we had a very successful season. We had good contribution across the board, from upper- and lower-classmen alike,” Wiener said. “We won League and placed well at regionals, so we had a very strong finish to the season.”

Wiener said some of the hurdles faced by the team this year consisted of the fact that the varsity squad consisted of many underclassmen and fewer upperclassmen.

“Challenges included being a little young, since we had multiple freshmen and sophomores on the varsity team,” he said. “I encourage the underclassmen to read because that is how you learn, which is most important.

Senior Brayden Hosman said he believes the season started off slow in terms of wins but eventually the team found its rhythm and got the ball rolling.

“We kind of had a rough start at the beginning of the season, but we gradually gained momentum,” Hosman said.

“We really worked well as a team, and our collaboration skills improved as the season went on.”

Hosman said despite the fact the team did not make it to 4 • Sterling Cub Reporter • March 2016

state, the season it was a successful one.

“We faced some stiff competition and that was one of the lows of the season because your ultimate goal is always to make it to state,” he said.

The team went to 12 competitions through the year, finishing up with an overall record of 65-39.

“I thought it was a pretty good record because there were times when I took the freshman to varsity tournaments and they went up against juniors and seniors and did well,” scholars bowl coach Dan Wiener said. “We won three of the tournaments we went to, and we medaled in six of the tournaments that we went to.”

Wiener faced personnel issues throughout the season.

“I had the problem of finding people to go out because the team is so involved in everything,” Weiner said. “We had people rise to challenge when they went out, and in times when we were behind, people came up and pulled through.”

Most of the team consisted of underclassmen, and Wiener said he believes this will benefit the team in years to come.

“If my sophomores and freshmen stick with it, we will have a diverse and large group that can become more competitive,” he said. “The more the experience that they have now, just like in anything else, the better off they are going to be.” www.sterlingcubreporter.com

(Photo by Alexias Rose) Brucie number two hangs on the wall in the SHS boys locker room.

SHS locker room vandalized DALLAS LACKEY Cub Reporter

Any guy at Sterling High School that commonly used the locker room, knew who Brucie was. Brucie was the bear head that hung right next to the entrance of the boys locker room, but Brucie was seen as more than just a plastic bear head.

“I think everyone loved Brucie,” senior Steven Hinshaw said. “We all viewed him as good luck for anything. As you walk by, you’d just always rub his head.”

Brucie was ripped off the wall sometime during the Sterling Invitational Basketball Tournament. Members of the Lyons boys basketball team were determined to be the culprits.

“I think it shows that Brucie was a pretty cool idea,” sophomore Blake Richter said. “They wouldn’t have ripped him off if he wasn’t.”

Brucie quickly became a part of the Sterling boys basketball team.

“It was just something to believe in. He calmed us all down,” Hinshaw said. “We dropped two games when Brucie was gone, and some guys started getting really superstitious.”

Due to how much Brucie meant to the team, he was quickly replaced. The new bear was paid for by Lyons High school.

“I was hurt,” junior Max Fulbright said. “We let them use our locker rooms at a tournament we invited them to, and they vandalized our bear.”

The new bear head is still named Brucie, and he seems to have the same effect on the team.

“I like the new bear more,” Richter said. “It has more detail, and I like that.”

Brucie number two will now remain on the wall as the www.sterlingcubreporter.com

years go by, for male athletes to touch, rub or even talk to if they please.

“Brucie is like a ritual to us, to have him taken away by guys who were jealous of it sucked,” Hinshaw said. “But whenever we play Lyons again in anything, I promise you Brucie’s death will fire us up.”

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March 2016 • Sterling Cub Reporter • 5

FEATURE

SHS students get roped into unique hobby KYLAH COMLEY Cub Reporter

Y

ou bust out of the gates, your hand grips the rope as your horse blows out. Your horse rears up, your butt is thrown out of the saddle, you let go of your saddle while you throw your feet forward and lift on the reign. You’re back in the drivers seat. As the horse hits the ground, you throw your body back to absorb the shock. Ten feet below you see the dirt, determined to stay on, you ignore the thought of being thrown off. One second. Only seven more to go.

Staying on a bucking horse for eight seconds may look easy to some, but, according to senior Tim Williams, it’s harder than it looks.

“I do bronc riding for the adrenaline rush. Not just that, though, it’s the hardest event in rodeo to learn. The learning curve is straight up, and you either do it or you don’t and I like the challenge,” Williams said. “If you don’t do one thing right, if just one thing is wrong, you’re off the horse in half a second.”

There are many techniques that come with learning how to bronc ride, many of which determine how long you stay on your horse. For Williams that is the trick to riding the complete eight seconds.

“The hardest part about learning how to ride for me was learning how to let go of the saddle, which makes no sense at all, but you have to let go of it to sit back down and get in the driver’s seat, which is where you want to be, 6 • Sterling Cub Reporter • March 2016

the only time I’m really in my saddle is when the horse hits the ground,” he said. “I’ve ridden a couple rides out, and it’s the craziest feeling ever, better than anything else in the world. There’s not really a word to explain quite what that feels like. I’m always shaking from the adrenaline rush when I get off.”

Williams suffered from the fear of getting bucked off of a horse in his early days of riding.

“I used to get really scared of being on a horse like that,” he said. “But I got used to hitting the ground.

I’ve done front flips and landed on my shoulder blades and all kinds of stuff while being thrown off. I’ve landed on my head so many times, it’s no big deal now.”

Williams was introduced to rodeo by his dad who participated in events until he met his wife and started a family.

“We grew up cowboyin’ and stuff all the time, ranchin’ all

most. Dad had a bunch of pastures we would check, and we would get paid per cow. We did that during the summer time, and that’s how we paid for our horses and for

www.sterlingcubreporter.com

them to eat and stuff,” he said. “I was probably around 6 when I first started youth rodeo, and I’ve been hooked on it ever since.”

While bronc riding is Williams’ favorite event, he has also participated in breakaway, goat tying, ribbon robin, calf roping, light riffle and trap shooting.

“I pay for my own entry fees. That was kinda

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the deal when my brother and I started rodeo­­— we would pay the fees and my parents would get us there,” he said. “My parents are my biggest supporters and without them there’s no way I would be able to do any of this.”

The average entry fee for bronc riding is $50, and it costs anywhere from $375-$500 to take care of one horse for a month.

“Because rodeo and having horses are so expensive, that puts a little more pressure on winning. Rodeo is the only sport you can make money off of,” Williams said. “Of course professional athletes get paid, but I can win money for doing well at my age now. I won $1,500 off of roping one day.”

Despite the pressure and fees of rodeo, Williams feels that the feeling of success makes it all worth it.

He has competed in Nationals five times since his career began in 2005.

“Nationals is the worlds biggest rodeo by numbersI think there’s more than 1,500 contestants who enter,” he said. “To be able to be a part of that is a pretty big deal.”

While Williams has found success in rodeo for 11 years there are other students at SHS who are new to his world. One of which is senior Clayton Duft, who competed in bareback riding his first rodeo last August.

“I come from a rodeo background, both of my parents used to do it,” he said. “It wasn’t until I went

to a few professional rodeos that I decided that I wanted to start competing.

I haven’t placed in any events yet, but I think naturally with more practice I will get better.”

Freshman Eryn Spangenberg, a more experienced rider, spends most of her weekends competing in barrel racing, breakaway, goat tying and pole bending.

“Pole bending is my favorite thing that I do in rodeo because of the adrenaline rush and because I win a lot,” Spangenberg said. “You basically run straight forward with your horse and run in and out between six poles, and then you sprint back.”

She takes part in Kingman’s Heartland Youth Rodeo Association season. Twice she has won overall pole bending champion, meaning she was named best rider in that event over the course of 14 rodeos. On Feb. 21 she was also awarded the Reserve AllAround Champion, which means she was the best all-around female rider for all events in her age group.

“I don’t think that many students know that this is something I am good at it. They just know I rodeo,” she said.

“Rodeo is a competative sport to me, and many people don’t realize how competative or challenging it is.”

Sophomore Mardee Thompson feels rodeo is a new interest she would like to continue.

“I just started working at it at the end of the summer, and my first rodeo was in November,” she said. “I have shown horses all my life, and I was just losing interest in it and wanted something new. So I started thinking about rodeo and what great opportunities it could bring me.”

Though Thompson is just beginning and seeing success in roping, there are many years of riding ahead of her.

“I really enjoy it because it makes me work for it and it’s challenging at first. I know that most of the time that things go right it’s because the hard work has paid off,” she said. “I want to continue pursuing that passion and getting better and competing at a higher level and see where it takes me in my life.”

March 2016 • Sterling Cub Reporter • 7

(Photo Courtesy of Jeff Frazell) Senior Clayton Duft flies off his horse during bareback bronc riding last season.

(Photo by Kylah Comley) Freshman Eryn Spangenberg smiles while she and her horse Dakota practice for an event.

(Photo by Kylah Comley) Freshman Eryn Spangenberg whips her horse around the final barrel before making her sprint for the home stretch.

(Photo by Kylah Comley) Sophomore Mardee Thompson ropes a calf during breakaway where she scored a time of five seconds, taking home 1st place.

8 • Sterling Cub Reporter • March 2016

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March 2016 • Sterling Cub Reporter • 9

NEWS

Hosman wins Gore Scholarship KYLAH COMLEY Cub Reporter

In 1952 the first Henry Gore Scholarship was created in memory and honor of Henry Gore, a Russian immigrant who placed a high priority on education. This scholarship for Wichita State University is one of the most prestigious scholarships awarded to a student.

For the first time in school history, Sterling High School has had one of its students receive the Gore Scholarship.

The award went to Brayden Hosman.

“It’s always great knowing that you have support from any of your endeavors,” he said. “I knew that SHS had my back and was rooting for me, and I’m very thankful for that.”

There were a total of 420 high school students alongside Hosman who applied for this scholarship on Nov. 1st.

“I felt overwhelmed by just the sheer number of people that applied, but I never once thought that it wouldn’t be worth it,” he said. “I figured I had nothing to lose.”

Anyone who applied for the scholarship proceed to the scholarship competition, which included a group interview, and a group problem-solving activity. The week following, WSU made phone calls to the 56 semi-finalists.

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10 • Sterling Cub Reporter • March 2016

(Courtesy Photo) Hosman shakes hands with Elizabeth King of WSU foundation, while holding his Scholarship certificate.

“I got the call when we were at a scholars bowl tournament in Russell. It was so hard to focus on the rest of the tournament. In fact, I forgot our team sign after nearly every round,” Hosman said. “Honestly, I thought I was finished after the semi-final stage. I had counted myself out and was blown away by the phone call.”

Then they had a semi-finalist party, which included a party bus, a scavenger hunt in downtown Wichita and bowling party in the union.

“It was really cool. I got to know some of the people I will be spending my next four years with,” Hosman said.

After two and a half weeks of waiting, Hosman was named one of the nine finalists.

“Throughout the process we had gotten to know each other very well, and they were all great people,” he said. “We all were so similar. It could have gone anyone’s way. The selection committee said it was a very tough decision.”

The next step was his final interview, held on January 27.

“It felt like it took forever to reach the interview date,” Hosman said. “Once I had my interview, I thought I botched it. It ran about ten minutes over the 30 minute time slot.”

Putting his Gore scholarship into action this coming fall, Hosman plans to study international business and minor in marketing.

“I plan on being involved in student government association, student ambassadors society, Barton international group, and a fraternity,” he said.

With being accepted, winning the Gore scholarship and getting a feel for the campus and people, Hosman felt a sense of certainty knowing that WSU is going to be his place of residence for the next four years.

“When I first went to WSU on a Junior Day, it was to rule it out,” he said. “After I got there, though, I saw the opportunities waiting for me and knew that I could grow there,” he said. “I got that feeling of ‘home,’ and I cannot wait to get my career started at WSU.” www.sterlingcubreporter.com

EDITORIAL

More, More, More

When most people think of Sterling High School’s Student Council, they think of the StuCo mixer, the daily announcements, and then what?

We view the student council as something that most students tend to look over and label as pointless, and we can understand why they would see it that way due to a lack of promotion. Students have become accustomed to the annual things Student Council does, such as the Mixer or SBA, and they choose to overlook those because they expect those events to happen.

While we don’t see a lack of effort, or events, on our Student Council’s end, we do think that there is never too much. The Student Council should constantly be trying to do new things to get the student body involved and out there. They should never just settle for doing the annual things, all while making it known to the student body that they are the ones hosting the event.

Promotion is key for hosting any events, especially new ones.

The Student Council needs to focus on getting its name out there This year, Student Council surprised the entire student body with doughnuts during seminar, but looking back on it now, most people don’t relate that event with the Student Council.

“It was pretty cool,” junior Harrison Randolph said.

“But I had no idea that it was StuCo’s doing. I had totally forgotten all about it.”

This is a problem the Student Council cannot continue to have. Student Council is supposed to do things for the student body, and if the students don’t know everything the organization does, then it is almost pointless for them to do anything because they will get no credit for doing it.

We feel that the Student Council needs to really focus on putting its name out there and making sure the student body is aware of everything they do. The goal should be to make the students complain about the Student Council hosting too many events. Those involved should never be satisfied the amount of things they do.If they can do this then no one will ever consider the Student Council as lacking in involvement.

In short, the product of Student Council works, but the brand of Student Council needs to be revamped.

— For the Editorial Board The Sterling High School Cub Reporter and all subsidiary publications are designated forums of free speech.

The print edition is published October through May of each school year by the journalism class at Sterling High School. It is distributed for no charge throughout Unified School District 376 buildings and the Sterling community.

The first copy is free. Subsequent copies will cost $1 per copy. For information about being added to the subscription list, contact Todd Vogts at 620-278-2171. Letters to the editor are welcome. Email them to editor@sterlingstudentpublications.com. All letters must be signed. Anonymous letters will not be printed. All letters subject to editing for legal, grammatical and factual reasons.

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College decisions, pressure As I walk through the halls at SHS, I hear a lot of my fellow classmates say, “I don’t know what to do next year,” “I have so much on my plate right now,” “What am I going to major in,” “I hate senior projects” (but that’s a whole other column) and “How am I going to pay for college?” Most of these comments revolve around college and big decisions students are about to be making. I know this because I was saying those things KYLAH COMLEY just weeks ago, and I know how stressful and overwhelming it can feel. Everyone at some point will go through this process, but the process will be different for each and everyone of us.

We all have different interests and priorities, therefore, you can’t make your college decision based on anyone but yourself. When it came to my decision, not only was I thinking about where and what I wanted to study, and where I thought I could better myself as a person, but I was also thinking about where I wanted to play basketball.

And for me, that added a lot of extra pressure. It seemed like there were always people who would try to tell me where they thought I should go, and that bothered me. I felt like I had to listen to these opinions, but once I realized that I needed to go to college at a school that was best for ME, it took tons of pressure off of myself.

I feel like so often we try to listen to other people more than the voices in our own heads. It’s easy for people my age to be people pleasers, and I feel like that is why some of them are struggling with their college decision. I’m not saying that being a people pleaser is totally a bad thing. I just want my classmates, or anyone who is going to be deciding where they should go to college, to make their decision for themselves. To chose where THEY want to go and what will be best for THEM. Once you decide where you want to go, trust me, it will take so much pressure off of your shoulders. For me, I can now completely enjoy senior year. I know where I will be spending the next four years of my life, and I can now fully focus on school, sports and, most importantly, senior projects.

Sterling High School

CUB REPORTER

& www.sterlingstudentpublications.com 308 E. Washington, Sterling, KS 67579 Phone: 620-278-2171 • Fax: 620-278-3237

STAFF Editor-In-Chief: Kylah Comley Reporters: Alex Veliz, Lindsay Gilmore, Dallas Lackey, Lexi Rose, Anna Tuszynski

ADVISER Todd Vogts

ADVERTISING SALES Student Publications Staff

GRAPHIC ARTISTS SHS Graphic Design Class

March 2016 • Sterling Cub Reporter • 11

SPORTS

Girls basketball team defeats Hesston in OT DALLAS LACKEY Cub Reporter Playing in a double overtime basketball game can be physically draining, but when you come out defeating the back-to-back state champions, the fatigue seems to fade.

This was the case for the Lady Black Bear girls basketball team when they defeated the Hesston Swathers.

“It felt really good because we thought this was the year to beat them,” senior Emma Lambert said.

It took two overtimes to decide a winner, but the Lady bears beat the Swathers 62-57.

“The game was exhausting, exciting and rewarding all at the same time,” senior Sarah Stallings said. “The game was so intense and fast that by the end I was so tired but really happy.”

This was also the first time the senior Lady Bears defeated Hesston, and after four years of being the one on the losing end, it was good to end with a win.

“It was one of the greatest things to experience with my team,” senior Kylah Comley said. “Especially with the group of seniors we have, we have gotten so close and never pulled it out. Knowing that we all worked really hard for it makes the victory that much sweeter.”

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12 • Sterling Cub Reporter • March 2016

(Photo by Veronica Norez) Sophomore Blake Richter fights for a rebound as sophomore Kenan Comley and junior Kyler Comley look on.

Boys basketball bounces back LINDSAY GILMORE Cub Reporter

Coming into Feb. 5, the boys basketball team was sporting a three-game losing streak and hoping to rebound. With two losses coming in the annual Sterling Invitational and one days just prior to 3A ranked Hesston.

The Bears snapped their streak with a win against the Nickerson Panthers by a wide margin, but the score at the end of the first quarter was a different story as the Bears were tied with Nickerson at 16 points.

“We needed to pick up our intensity and keep playing loose,” junior Brady Ochs said.

And so the Bears did. Scoring 29 points in the second quarter and only allowing the Panthers 16.

“We cleaned up the things we needed to in the first quarter and improved in the second quarter,” Ochs said.

“That boosted our energy to drive us the rest of the way through the game.”

Led in scoring by junior Kyler Comley and sophomore Kenan Comley with 20 points each, Sterling pulled out a 74-59 win.

The following week the bears improved their record.

An overtime loss to Halstead and a 60-50 win over the Larned Indians made them 12-5 going into Lindsborg on Feb. 16.

“Our focus as a team has been defensive and getting stops,” junior Kyler Comley said. “We did a pretty good job of that, which brought us to another problem in rebounding. Now we can get better at that.”

Sterling squeaked out a four-point win (65-61), led again in scoring by the Comleys with 21 points each, and are working hard to get the best seed they can in the upcoming sub state.

“We’re just taking it day by day, practice by practice and looking to improve on the things we need to improve on to put us in the best situation for sub state,” Comley said. www.sterlingcubreporter.com

Nichols, wrestling team succeed at league LINDSAY GILMORE Cub Reporter Three Sterling High School wrestlers traveled to Hesston on Feb. 13 to compete in the CKL League Meet for Nickerson High School.

Senior Zane Nichols, junior Derek Boeken and freshman Dylan Stewart, wearing their Nickerson singlets, wrestled in four matches.

“It’s weird wrestling for Nickerson instead of Sterling,” Boeken said. “It just feels different saying you’re a Panther instead of a Black Bear.”

Nichols went undefeated on the day, pinning three out of his four opponents, earning him first place in the 152-pound weight class.

“It was pretty amazing. I was ecstatic walking off the mat,” he said. “Knowing I had taken first place in my league was the best feeling ever.”

Boeken, in his eighth year of wrestling, brought home fifth place at the tournament.

“It was better than last year. I only won one match last year,” he said. “It’s nice to know that I’ve improved after just a year of wrestling.”

At the beginning of the season, Nichols set goals for himself, including bringing home a league championship.

“My goals at the beginning of the season were to win every match I could in order to put myself in the best position possible going into regionals,” he said. “My biggest goal is to make it to state.”

Nichols, Boeken and Stewart traveled to Cimmaron on Feb. 19 and 20, vying for a state spot.

Nichols qualified for the state meet in Hays on Feb. 26 and 27 by placing fourth at the Cimmaron regional.

(Photo by Grace Rowland)

Junior Derek Boeken stands off against a Smoky Valley wrestler at league.

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INFOGRAPHIC

By Alexias Rose

Schneider(12) Schneider(12) Richter (3) Wagley (5)

Compared to March Madness, we take a look at the best, and worst, teacher fashion here at SHS.

Schneider(12) Wagley (5)

Comley (3)

Schneider(12)

Webb (1) Patterson (3)

Patterson (3) Anderson (7)

Anderson (7) Anderson (7)

Ricker (2)

14 • Sterling Cub Reporter • March 2016

*Number next to name indicates number of votes cast by student body.

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TEACHER FASHION 2K16 Dutton (5) Dutton (5) Dutton (5)

Laudermilk (3) Prather(3) Mantz(5)

Rowland(10)

Mantz(5) Whisler (0) Vogts(3)

Vogts(3)

Rowland(10)

Brownlee (0) Rowland(10)

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Rowland(10)

March 2016 • Sterling Cub Reporter • 15

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A Dab of Disappointment

BY DALLAS LACKEY

Continued from February 2015 . . .

hearing about the terrible things being said to his family over dinner.

Dominic sat in the locker room with his Studio Beats “Your brother dances like my grandma.” blaring “Work” by A$AP Rocky. They had to play Eagle “You claim him as your son?”

Mountain High, with the #3 and #4 overall prospects on “Was he dropped on his head as a child?” the team. Dominic was nervous, but he wasn’t about to “Have you tried medicating him?” back down now.

These were only a few of the awful things people had The game was tight and intense the whole night. It said about Dominic. He had ruined them. wasn’t until the very last second that things got quiet. The The whole weekend Dominic thought of what he crowd went silent after the horn, and they witnessed the could do to fix things, to make everyone forget what he shot, and the celebration. Crystal RIver calls a timeout did so his parents and siblings could be happy again. with 10 seconds left in the game, everyone knows DomiMonday morning came fast, and Dominic was ready. nic is getting the shot. Down by just one, anything would He got the things he needed and went to school just as he win it for them. Dominic crossed to his right and went would on any normal day, but this was not a normal day. back behind his back left, took two steps, and dunked it He skipped first hour, and waited until halfway on the seven footer, Jafreese Jones, right before the horn through to make it into the main office. to win them the game.

“Hi, Dominic. Good to see you,” Mrs. Smith, the SecThis was the peak of Dominic’s story, this one moretary, said. ment, because directly after, the downfall begins. Domi“It is good to see you too, Mrs. Smith. Principal Jeffernic went to the middle of the court before the celebrason told me to tell you to send all students to the auditotion, and without thinking about how terrible it would be, he hit a celebratory Dab. The crowd went dead in be- rium for a surprise assembly, please,” he said.

“I’ll do it right away, Dom,” she replied. tween Dab motions, and after the second awful attempt He hurried to the theater to get a head start. The at Dabbing the crowd broke out laughing, Dominic slowly realized they were all laughing at him. He went to students started piling in, which put a smirk on his face.

After everyone was in, Dom shut the door, but, not only the scorers table took his state championship ring, and ran to the locker room. He changed while his teammates that, he put a chain and lock on it to secure it.

This startled everyone, but not as much as the next celebrated and he walked home. things Dominic did. Dominic pulled out an AR-15 asHe went to school the next day, and there was a sault rifle. celebratory pep assembly. Dominic was having a rough Everyone gasped, no one knew what was going on. day, so he figured the rally would cheer him up. It did the Dominic slowly started to walk to the middle of the opposite. As Coach Raymond gave his congratulatory stage.

The students began to panic. Dominic quickly shut speech, the projector screen behind him began to lower, and there he was. The video of him attempting to hit the them up by firing a shot into the air. There was a few minutes of silence. All you could hear was crying.

Dab played over and over. He ran out of the theater, and Dominic pulled out his iPod and played “Look at kept running until he got to his car to go home. He was my Dab” by Migos, and he continued to hit the Dab as lost. He didn’t know what to do. everyone watched in terror.

Dominic played sick for the rest of the week, only 16 • Sterling Cub Reporter • March 2016

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