CUB REPORTER
December 2018
VOL. 5 ISS. 3
STERLING HIGH SCHOOL
Texting, driving presents a hazard +pg 5
Sterling High School | December 2018 1
CUB REPORTER WWW.STERLINGPSTUDENTPUBLICATIONS.COM
308 E. Washington, Sterling, KS 675779 Phone: 620-278-2171 Fax: 620-278-3237
+STAFF
editors +MCKIAH San Miguel +grace rowland REPORTERS +andy norez +lucas gilmore +christina voth +Riley Richter +megan roelfs ADVISER +TODD VOGTS
+POLICIES
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 journalism@usd376.com. All letters must be signed. Anonymous letters will not be printed. All letters subject to editing for legal, grammatical and factual reasons.
+ABOUT THE Cover This month reporter Andy Norez looked at the hazards of texting and driving shown. Read his coverage and see his illustrations starting on pg. 05. www.sterlingcubreporter.com
Get vaccinated to keep yourself, those around you healthy Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2010-2017
100%
Children (6 months -17 years)
90% 80% 70%
Percentage Vaccinated
+ 02 EDITORIAL
60% 50%
Adults (18+)
40% 30%
20% 10% 0% 2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14 Flu Season
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
via- https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluaxview/coverage-1617estimates.htm
Last year’s flu season was the deadliest in history, with at least 80,000 Americans dying from this preventable disease, according to healthjournalism.org. The vaccine was only proven to be 40 percent effective in helping prevent the flu, according to the CDC, this year’s vaccine is much more protective. Health officials were urging people to get vaccinated by the end of October because vaccinations are the first and most important step in preventing viruses. Vaccines have been saving lives for more than 50 years and are 90-99 percent effective in preventing diseases like whooping cough and tetanus. Some parents don’t vaccinate their kids and these common diseases will become even more common among people. Studies conducted by scientists at Vaccines.gov, have shown that it is actually easier to get the simple shot and suffer mild swelling from the needle versus trying to treat the disease in your immune system as a consequence of not getting the shot. A vaccine-primed immune system is able to stop the sickness before it even enters the human body. Those who haven’t received a vaccination this year are not only putting themselves at risk, but putting others and their communities at risk. If you have contracted a sickness, you may be contagious and can risk passing it to people who come in contact to you. The more people that get vaccinated, the risk of spreading sickness goes down.
A possible 16 different diseases such as measles, polio, and whooping cough can be prevented with one simple shot, and vaccines produce a response similar to what the body produces when naturally fighting an infection. Polio, whooping cough, smallpox and other viruses were once common, but can no longer be found since the vaccines have eradicated them,according to the CDC. Many parents refrain from vaccines thinking that their children can develop autism or other mental illnesses, when it has been proven by the World Health Organization that mental illnesses can’t be developed this way.Furthermore there are many out there that need to be taken into consideration, such as meningitis and tetanus, which have killed more than 1.3 million people in 2016, according to the CDC. Since the vaccine was invented, the amount of preventable diseases has gone down significantly. Last year, 56 percent of children were vaccinated and 43.3 percent of adults were vaccinated according to the CDC. Vaccinating yourself and children is the best way to go in order to be safe, studies have proven. It helps our bodies prevent infection and can keep others healthy. If you haven’t already gotten yourself vaccinated, get vaccinated as soon as possible to keep yourself and others healthy. — For the Editorial Board
+ 03 Briefs
BRIEFLY STATED +SHS
+LOCAL
+NATIONAL
SHS students plan to graduate at semester
Laura Kelly defeats Republican, Kris Kobach
Migrant Caravan seeks asylum
As the semester comes to an end at SHS, there are several students who have been preparing for an early graduation. To begin this journey the students first had to be approved by the school Board of Education. These seniors are required to take a MTSS class to fit in their second semester of American Government to complete their senior project; a requirement for early graduation. They must present a portfolio of all their academic achievements and present their project, which could be done physically or presenting. Seniors Kyler Edwards and Dayvion Smith have different plans after they graduate. Edwards will further his education at Garden City Community College in their John Deere Technical Program. He will learn how to maintain any John Deere machinery in a two year program for his Associates Degree. After graduating Smith plans to go into the workforce for a short period to gather money, and continue to further his education at another Vocational Technical School.
As one the most Republican states, we voted Laura Kelly, a Democrat as our governor. The race between Kris Kobach and Kelly was neck and neck, between the two. Kelly campaigned hard against Sam Brownback’s severe taxing, which was one of Kobach’s strongest points in his campaign. Kelly made it very clear on her opinion in education, more school funding, which is a key issue in the state of Kansas. This won the hearts of voters. Kelly will be the third woman to occupy the governor’s office in state history. Kelly took over about 48% of the states voters, leaving Kobach with 43%. Although Kobach had promised to crack down on immigrants, and to cut the size of the state government and reduce taxes, some of the most controversial issues for voters, Kelly still took the lead. Kelly won over several populated counties, including: Harvey, Lyon, Riley, Shawnee, Douglas, Johnson, Wyandotte, and Leavenworth. Kelly even won the hearts of voters from Kobach’s own hometown.
A large group of travelers from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras have made their way to the southern border to seek asylum. These men, women, and children are leaving their homeland to seek out more opportunities to support their families, but also because to live there is too dangerous. This region having one of the largest murder rate in the world. Trump states on different occasions that these people are invaders, aliens, and criminals. Trump has sent over 6,000 troops to the border to keep the immigrants out. The Trump administration has gone further to restrict the asylum applicants, applications will be denied if they cross in between ports of entry. Thousands of people are already waiting to seek asylum. There are more than 3,000 names on the waiting list. Shelters are more than 90% full, and other public spaces are being looked at to shelter the incoming groups from the caravan. The caravans organizers claim there to be over 7,000 people that make up the group.
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107 N. Broadway, Sterling Sterling High School | December 2018 3
+ 04 News
A Night to Remember
SHS Seniors Perform 1776 as Their Last Musical Performance +BY RILEY RICHTER
(Photos by Grace Rowland) Above: Senior Bryce Wilson gets surrounded by congress members while singing in the opening number “Sit Down John.”
F
or every senior, there are lasts for everything. Whether it is a spot or an art, there will always be one final hoorah. This fall musical will be the seniors last hoorah for their high school musical theatre career. The musical 1776, a theater performance based on the signing of the Declaration of Independence showcased 12 seniors. “ They are talented kids who come on time, memorize their lines, and show good leadership,” theater director Betsy Dutton said. “They are a good group.” The main characters of the musical are portrayed by three seniors, Jacob Pieplow as Benjamin Franklin, Bryce Wilson as John Adams, and Max Dutton as Thomas Jefferson. The lead roles filled by experienced actors can add a good leadership aspect to the show. “Being the lead actor makes you take on a bigger role and you have to be a role model for younger actors,” Wilson said. While some of the cast have acting experience, others have never been in a musical before this year. This causing some concern for students playing one of their first roles. “It’s been an experience I have loved so much,” senior Morgan Anderson said. “I work with a wonderful cast who are always so helpful and kind. Since it is my first musical I am a little more nervous to perform because I have to perform at the same level as everyone else.”
www.sterlingcubreporter.com
+Artwork By Abby Riffel
Aside from seniors, freshman Noah Svaty will have his high school acting debut in this musical. Svaty will be portraying the role of Andrew Mcnair the custodian. “It was intimidating at first, but now it just feels normal,” Svaty said. “ I felt a huge pressure to get down my lines quick.” Along with pressure to memorize lines there comes pressure to create a successful musical like ones from previous years. Learning a lot about theatre from being in shows with SHS alumni. “I looked up to Kyler (Comley) and Will (Dutton) because they were both directly involved in the program and were very experienced,” Wilson said. “Watching and listening has got me to this point.” Agreeing with Wilson, Pieplow has found his role in being a good leader for underclassmen, “I really looked up to upperclassmen as people, and I tried to set as good as an example for the current underclassmen,” Pieplow said.
(Photos by Grace Rowland) Above: Senior Max Dutton portraying Thomas Jefferson leans into senior Bryce Wilson’s character, John Adams during the musical, Nov. 9.
+ 05 Feature
Sending A
Message +by Andy Norez
I
magine you’re driving, jamming out to your favorite tunes when you glance down for a split second to answer a text. When you look up and find yourself on the opposite side of the road with a car coming right at you. Sound familiar? Texting is the main way people stay in touch with one another, whether they live across town or across the continent. So it comes as no surprise when we hear stories of driving accidents with people who were on their phones. This happens so often most of us don’t even think about it anymore, it has become so common that it’s accepted as a way of life. That should not be the case, most of us have either texted while driving or been a passenger to someone who did. The consequences of this decision can be fatal, not just for you but for other people on the road, according to DMV.org over 1,000 people are injured every day because of distracted drivers. “I understand how dangerous it is and I make sure there isn’t anybody else and I’m not on a curve,” senior Ryan Birzer said. “But because nothing bad has happened to me yet I still continue to text, but the one time it will happen to me is when it’ll really click.” Texting isn’t the only reason people are on their phones, although it
Sterling High School | December 2018 5
+ 06 Feature
is the most common. Work can give people a reason to be on their phones, to check their work schedule or to just know what to expect for the coming day. Recently teacher have started posting their assignments online so that everyone can check up on assignments as soon as they are posted online. The world is becoming more digital and it only makes sense that people spend more time online. “I’ve not texted while driving but I have changed music while driving, if I don’t like the song I change it,” junior Junior Silva said. “My car can connect to my phone through Bluetooth, I can answer phone calls through my car.” The list keeps on going, it is so intertwined with everyday life that we hardly even think about it. Which makes it even more surprising that the first time texting became available to the public was in 1993, according to mashable.com. It has been around for only 25 years and yet it has become so important to people that they struggle to go a day without it. “I have texted while driving before but I don’t do it when there’s other cars on the road and I constantly look up,” Birzer said. “I have a device from Verizon called Hum, you plug it in and it hooks up to your phone so you can make calls without using your hands.” The reason people might struggle to put their phone down is because they themselves may have never grown up at a time when texting didn’t exist. Their phones are their way of staying informed in the world, this is something companies are aware of. They are constantly pumping out new inventions to help prevent people from being on their phones. The easiest way for people to take advantage of these are through apps, there are an innumerable amount of apps out there dedicated to helping people stay off their phones. They range from disabling your phone while driving, this happens when you’re moving faster than humanly possible, to whenever you receive a text the app will reply back letting them know you’re driving. “My car itself doesn’t have any built in features that make my phone hands off,” senior Audai Holcomb said. “I have an app called Call Bliss, you turn it on when you drive and if you receive a message or call it’ll send them a message that you’ve made.”
26%
of all car crashes in 2014 involved cell phone use
www.sterlingcubreporter.com
Statistics from dmv.org
+ 07 Feature
69%
Of people surveyed in the U.S.A. admitted to having been on their phone the month before
29%
Of people surveyed in the UK admitted to having been on their phone the month before
59%
Of people surveyed in the Portugal admitted to having been on their phone the month before Statistics from personalinjurysandiego.org
Sterling High School | December 2018 7
+ 08 Feature One way phone companies are trying to reduce the death toll has taken the form of Voice Recognition software. The idea behind the software is to help keep people’s hands on the steering wheel. Most smartphones come with built in voice recognising software to make it more convenient to type up messages on your phone. They even allow you to look things up without using your hands, this combine with apps specifically designed to prevent you from texting and driving leaves little reason to not be able to keep your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road. This problem has become so mainstream that according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it has become the number one cause of death for teenagers. “I’ve had family friends die from texting and driving or have gotten into car accidents because they were texting and driving,” Holcomb said. “I also work in a hospital and I’ve worked in the ER and the number of people who have come in from accidents, makes it so it’s not worth it to me.”
Texting While Driving Affects:
1. Attention
Your attention is divided, making harder to detect threats and/or surrondings
2. Vision
Your vision is no longer on the road, so you’re unable to see hazards
This QR code leads to Lifesaver, an app made specifically to help keep your hands off your phone and on the steering wheel. It also gives you a rating based on how often you get on your phone while driving. It also allows you to create a group which allows everyone in your “group” to see your rating. www.sterlingcubreporter.com
3. Control Your control of the vehicle becomes impaired, making it harder for you to correct yourself
+ 09 Sports
IN FULL SWING
Senior Isabelle Christensen stays active in the winter playing club softball +by Christina Voth
ISABELLE W
hile students playing school sponsored sports is common, it’s not the only way to play sports. Senior Isabelle Christensen isn’t out for a fall sport but still wanted the chance to play her favorite sport: softball. “I started playing softball, because my step-dad wanted to have something him and I to share, so I started playing softball and he coached me,” Christensen said. Christensen has been playing softball since she was seven, since then she has played in REC leagues, triple crown tournaments, club teams, high school, and this year Fall Ball. Her current Softball team is called the Kansas Crushers, who practice in Inman at 365 Academy. Christensen and her team practice one night a week, doing things like fielding and hitting drills, along with working on their teamwork . “The overall feelings and emotions of practices are really awesome. It is just like we are a huge family and we laugh and all enjoy what we are doing no matter how frustrating some of it get sometimes,” Christensen
CHRISTENSEN said. Games are another matter. College recruiters come to watch them play against college teams. “The tone kind of changes to something more serious and shows the recruiters that we are a family, but we definitely mean business and are serious about furthering our softball careers,” Christensen said. Along with furthering her softball career, Christensen has too focus on furthering her academics, and both together can often make for a packed schedule. “It definitely makes a lot of things harder, I only have practice one night a week. With my school life, I do debate on Saturdays so I’m going to softball games to debate or to debate to softball games, so it’s just really hard to just balance it all out. All of it’s really packed and I’m always busy,” Christensen said. Although Christensen isn’t playing for her school or with classmates, she still reaps benefits from playing Fall Ball. “I just like being with the girls and getting the chance to play softball is just something I’ve always enjoyed,” Christensen said. “So always being with the girls and sharing the wins and the losses, is just something I love to experience.” Sterling High School | December 2018 9
+ 10 Sports
THE SHS
The Cub Reporter strives to cover everything we can, but with so many things going on in fall it can be difficult. And so: The SHS Extra Inning was born. Here we cover everything we can fit in this space.
Men of Iron
+By Christina Voth
onship style,” senior class StuCo representative Brett riffel said. while Ironman volleyball is a one night event it still manages to bring the students of Sterling High School together in a fun recreational activity as a school. “It was a fun experience. I thought that honestly I wouldn’t have as good of a time as I did, but the sense of playing with all the people in your grade was kind of a good sense of community,” sophomore Caleb Brownlee said.
Q&A
Basketball Player Debi Schmidt
CUB REPORTER: What does it feel like to be a senior on the team? Debi: Every year the coaches stress that the seniors will lead the team. It is a big responsibility and is pretty intimidating,but I think the other seniors and I will be up for it. Basketball has taught me so much more than the sport itself. CR: What are you most excited or nervous for this year? D: Most excited to play with the new freshman. I’m excited to see how we play with so much of a team change, we lost a lot of talent from last year’s senior class but gained a ton from the freshman. I’m pumped to see what they bring to the practices and the games. CR: What are your hopes for the season? D: This summer, Grace and I decided we wanted to be league champions this season, we’ve been working hard towards that goal. I think it’s do-able. www.sterlingcubreporter.com
Freshman Joey Hartman
Sophomore Tyus Wilson
Junior Kiah Zambo
Freshman Makenna Linden
Winter favorites
Ironman volleyball, a school tradition popular among the school’s students, gives the men the chance to try their hand at a sport they might not have played with out this fun activity. Because of this Ironman has steadily become a school favorite. “It is (Ironman) a round robin competition between the classes, so freshmen, sophomores, juniors , and seniors are all on their own individual teams, where we play each other. Kind of like a champi-
EXTRA INNING The Cub Reporter looks at your favorite sports brands.
53% 15% 6% 25% Ni ke
Adidas
U n d e r A r m o ur
Other
Ironman Volleyball Senior Dylan Stewart serves during a volleyball match in ironman. The seniors won the ironman tournament for the second year in a row.
(Poll taken by 39 students.)
(Photo by Riley Richter)
+ 11 Opinions
POINT / COUNTERPOINT
Shop ‘Til You Drop Shopping in-store provides benefits in the holiday season +by Grace Rowland As the holiday season approaches one of my favorite hobbies becomes more important. SHOPPING! Picture a brisk Saturday morning browsing through isles of Target or TJ Maxx looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your family and friends. Although online shopping may seem appealing, physically shopping in a store is more enjoyable than doing it online. First off, when you shop online you miss the enjoyment of getting to see the item physically before actually buying it. I can’t tell you the number of times I have ordered something and it hasn’t turned out the way I wanted it to. It was the wrong color, size, or the wrong item in some cases. Yes, you can return the item but that requires you to get a box, find shipping information, and wait even longer for the new item to get shipped back to you. Shopping in the store you can immediately tell if the item is too big without the hassle of shipping back boxes. Another advantage to shopping in a store is getting to take home the item right away. In an emergency you might need an specific item right away and most of the time driving to the store is the fastest way to get it. No need to wait for the free three day shipping because you can take it home right then. When you
buy in-store, you can avoid overpaying one day shipping costs, saving you money in the pricey holiday season. When you shop at stores in your area you are supporting your local businesses. If everyone starting shopping for everything online, all of the local businesses would go out of business. If there are no stores in town, you would have to drive farther to go to an actual store. If there was no stores around they couldn’t employ people, affecting the economy in a negative way. When you shop this holiday season, don’t shop online, or you might lose the luxury of it.
E-Commerce allows easy access for hassle-free gift shopping +by Lucas Gilmore Shopping during the holiday season is always a pain. No matter where you go, you have to take time out of your day. Not to mention all of the other inconveniences that come along with it. If someone mentions going shopping around the holiday season, the first thing I think of is all of the people. We’ve all seen the videos of the infamous day that happens every year, Black Friday. You see hundreds of people in the store, fighting others to get that discounted TV. No matter how good the deals are, it’s just not worth it. I know that every day is not Black Friday during the holi-
day season, but the closer you get to Christmas, the more it starts to look like it. Plus, you have to travel at least half an hour to go Christmas shopping around our area, which is a huge time consumer! The solution to these problems is online shopping, and it’s becoming a big part of how we shop today. Online shopping provides an escape from the crowds, the travel, and the time consuming nature of shopping. You can be at home, relaxing when you realize you need to get a gift for your friend. You can easily go on Amazon, spend as much time as you want browsing, then buy anything with one click. Days later and it’s on your doorstep. There are so many benefits to shopping online! One benefit that is rarely mentioned is purely financial. You’re not spending money on gas or other transportation to get to a store, and there are tons of online exclusive sales. Many websites also offer free shipping. There is rarely any financial downside to shopping online, and in many cases there are huge benefits. Shopping in-store is just too much of a hassle around the holiday season. Shop online to escape from the crowds and time-consuming nature of traditional shopping, and you may even save some money! Sterling High School | December11 2018
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