Sterling Cub Reporter: February 2019

CUB REPORTER

February January 2019

VOL. 5 ISS. 54

STERLING HIGH SCHOOL

THE Modern Relationship +pg 5

Born To Ride +pg 5 Sterling High School | February 2019 1

+ 02 EDITORIAL

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 PHOTO This month reporter Riley Richter looked into freshman Talee Thompson’s life outside the classroom. She also participates in rodeo competitions. See more coverage on pg. 05. www.sterlingcubreporter.com

Percentage of High School Athletes that took seroid pills or shots without a doctors perscription Male Female

5% 4% 3%

4.5

3.9

2%

4.1 2.3

1% 0

4

9th Grade

10th Grade

3.3

3.7 1.9

11th Grade

12th Grade

Drug testing in student athletes must take action Drug usage in high school athletes has been a reoccurring issue in schools for years. How can schools effectively lower the percentage of athlete users? In 1995 the United States Supreme Court ruled it was constitutional to drug test athletes.

Many high school students abuse synthetic growth hormones or also known as steroids. The number in users has doubled in the last year from 5% to 11%.

Legal steroids are a prescribed drug, but athletes are getting their hands on them easily. Athletes could be using the steroids for performance enhancing in sports but also for a weight loss plan and their appearance.

Steroids can have serious side effects on teens like diabetes, heart problems, and halted growth and development.

Drugs can also cause social or even family issues. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, teens bodies are still developing and drug usage makes their bodies more vulnerable to the effects of drug usage. Their studies show the earlier a teen begins using drugs, the more likely he or she will develop a substance use disorder.

According to Drug Enforcement Administration getting ahold of illegal steroids is rather easy. There are several sources the most common illegal source is from smuggling steroids into the United States from other countries such as Mexico and European countries.

Smuggling from these areas is easier because a prescription is not required for

the purchase of steroids. The most common way to take steroids is administering with a shot or orally.

Those abusing steroids can take anywhere to 1-100 times more of a dosage than their bodies can handle. Athletes are known for stacking steroids to reach their maximum goal. This amount of abuse can lead to death. The amount of pressure the steroids put on teens moods it can lead them to take their own lives.

High schools across the country should all implement drug free policies in their districts to lower the amount of users, but also for the safety of the athletes.

If drug testing is implemented in schools, athletes will fear being caught and begin to say no to drugs.

If an athlete tests positive and is a heavy user and addicted the drug free program could refer them to other programs that could help with their addiction. Regardless the program would be beneficial to the school community.

One it would lessen the amount of users in the district because athletes will begin to say no to the peer pressure. Two if athletes test positive they would receive the proper treatment they need to get back on their feet. The main purpose would be to prevent future drug use and to help students already using become drug-free. — For the Editorial Board

+ 03 Briefs

BRIEFLY STATED +SHS

Sterling High School hosts sub-state

+LOCAL

Bill to get rid of Daylight Saving Time proposed

+nATIONAL

This year Sterling will be hosting the sub-state basketball tournament. The tournament will be held as a series of five games all being held at the Sterling High School.

The games will begin Feb. 25 and will last until March 2.

Head girls basketball coach Jill Rowland is looking forward to hosting.

“As coach, I’m excited because you get the home court advantage, and the last time we hosted, several years ago, we won it,” Rowland said. “I think it’s advantageous. I think it’s good fan support. It’s less travel time, and you can get your kids focused.”

Head boys basketball coach Derek Schneider agreed.

“Obviously the perks of being home are that you’ve got your own locker rooms, you don’t have to travel so you get plenty of rest between, you have a good crowd, and a little bit more energy in the building,” he said.

The teams competing in sub-state are Bennington, Ell-Saline, Canton Galva, Ellinwood, Ellsworth, Inman, and Salina Sacred heart.

After being adopted by the U.S. in 1918, Daylight Saving Time has been in use for 101 years. There are a few states that do not follow Daylight Saving Time, such as Hawaii and Arizona. Arizona goes by Standard Mountain Time and Hawaii Aleutian Time.

Though there are some that no longer want to keep “jumping forward and springing back,” Kansas Rep Kristey Williams is one official who agrees that it needs to go.

After drafting bill called HB2008, a bill that would keep Kansas in central time all year-round, Williams makes it clear her stance on the issue.

“Many other states have brought the issue forward, and I thought it might be time for us to take a look at it because of health and costs reasons to move to not switching back and forth,” Williams said.

This is not the first time that states have tried to get rid of daylight savings time, but Williams is confident that the timing for the bill is perfect. Sedgwick county fully agrees with the idea, putting it as one of the issues they would like the Kansas legislature to deal with.

Black History Month began in 1926 when Carter G. Woodson created “Negro History Week,” the chosen week began in February and was made to coincide with Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays.

The cultural movement became a month long in 1976. From then on every U.S. president has designated February as Black History Month.

The purpose of the Black history month is to highlight lesser known African American historical figures.

Each year there is a different theme for the Month. February’s theme has been announced to be “Black Migrations” and is meant to show the migration of African Americans to different countries and social realms. It will be featuring events such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

It will also be focusing on the different cultural influences that African Americans have brought to different places throughout the years. It will also be taking special notice of the twentieth century. Including different music styles like ragtime and the musical genre of Jazz.

February’s new Black History month theme

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107 N. Broadway, Sterling Sterling High School | February 2019 3

+ 04 News

New Stat Panels In ora Odens donate stat panels for gym scoreboard +By Riley Richter

Our past scoreboard was just a regular scoreboard. It kept track of the time and total points for each team as well as the last player who fouled. On Jan. 3 the school received a donation from John and Heather Oden. Sterling was presented with four new stat panels that will keep track of individual players scores and fouls.

“The scoreboard itself is the same. All we did was add stat panels to it,” Athletic Director Wes Laudermilk said.

The Oden’s had been talking to Laudermilk since late September about donating something to the school. One thing they discussed was a new scoreboard. They decided on stat panels instead of an entirely new scoreboard because it would be more cost friendly.

“We wanted to use a portion of Jacob’s memorial money to do something that would invest in the basketball program in a way that the community could enjoy,” Heather Oden said. “Jacob’s passion was basketball and our gratitude to the community, schools, and program were the motivations for the donation.”

Although the new stat panels are pricey, the Odens donated all of it and paid for the labor as well.

“They paid for the installation of it, which was part of the package we had talked about, and there was no cost to the school,” Laudermilk said.

Since the school had a regular scoreboard and scoreboard control, they had to upgrade the scoreboard controller to be able to communicate to the new stat panels.

“We had to buy a new scoreboard controller, which was included with the package because we upgraded the technology inside our scoreboards. We had to upgrade the controller to be able to ‘talk’ to the stat panels,” Laudermilk said.

Throughout the month of January the board was used during 22 games in Ora Shields. The stat panels were used throughout the entire Sterling Invitational Tournament and added new aspects to the tournament that were absent in previous years.

“I think it will make it a better experience for both the fans

(Photo by Riley Richter) The new stat panels were installed Jan. 3 and were purchased through a donation from John and Heather Oden.

and the players. Players are always wanting to know how they are doing or how many fouls they have, and now if they are in the game, they can look up and just see how many fouls and points they have,” Laudermilk said.

Being able to see the players points and fouls helped the players know what was going on at all times.

“While we are playing in the games, the scoreboards make it very convenient to check to see who is scoring the most on the other team, and who has fouls,” junior Kinzie Comley said.

“Before the new scoreboard we couldn’t do that, and we had to ask the bookkeeper and now we can do that on our own.”

The Oden’s donation was officially approved on Jan. 14 at the Board of Education meeting.

Debaters take third in state tournament +By Megan Roelfs

On Jan. 11-12, 12 debaters went to Fort Scott and competed at state debate — six people on four-speaker and six on two-speaker. Of those 12, seniors Brett Riffel, William Weiner, Max Dutton, Jeremy Thorpe, and juniors Alaina Madden and Josh Curtis all placed third in four-speaker. Aubrey Anderson, Isabelle Christensen, Luke Harding, and Jordan Mullins all went 4-3 and placed fourth in two-speaker.

“Our affirmative was the only undefeated affirmative team in four speaker, so that was good,” Weiner said. www.sterlingcubreporter.com

The affirmative team had taken a new case that nobody had seen before, which helped lead them to going undefeated. The negative team went 3-5 overall throughout the day, but Weiner still thought that it went well.

“To get three wins out of the eight, we were happy,” Weiner said. “Especially since we beat TMP who got fourth place, so that was one of the things that helped us to get better.”

Coach Betsy Dutton said she was happy with the placings.

“It was a one loss split,” Dutton said. “I was pleased with that.”

+ 05 Feature

The Modern Relationship

The Cub Reporter takes a look into relationships and how they are affected by today’s technology

+By Lucas Gilmore

Luv U! :)

Awww :)

(Photos by Lucas Gilmore) Freshmen Noah Svaty and Ashlyn Spangenberg text each other while back-to-back.

Sterling High School | February 2019 5

+ 06 Feature

A

Love

fRESHMAN aSHLYN sPANGENBERG

s we move closer to Valentine’s day, it seems that everyone wants to talk about relationships.

You see couples all around the school, doing your normal run-of-the-mill modern relationship stuff, Snapchatting, FaceTiming, and texting each other. You look around and wonder, how have relationships changed from the past? How have they been affected by the digital age?

Freshman Noah Svaty is experiencing a relationship in the digital age first-hand. Svaty is dating freshman Ashlyn Spangenberg. Both live in Sterling and see each other almost all the time.

“We have known each other since fourth grade,” Svaty said.

“We talked for a few months and then started dating about 8 months ago.”

A big thing in modern relationships is the use of technology to communicate with one another. Digital age relationships are much different than previous generations’ relationships.

Technology has become so advanced and so portable, that it is used for about everything, including relationships.

“We use technology when we’re not together a decent amount,” Svaty said. “We use Snapchat every day and also text fairly often.” www.sterlingcubreporter.com

Many couples see technology as an essential part of their relationships.

“I would say that technology is important to our relationship, but we could definitely survive without it since we’re around each other so often,” Svaty said.

Since both attend SHS, they are around each other almost constantly in classes, lunch, and around the hallways.

“The best thing about seeing her everyday is the face to face connection,” Svaty said. “I feel like it’s more special to see the other person face to face than through a screen.”

With seeing each other constantly there are big benefits, but there are bound to be some downsides.

“We just get into a lot more arguments since we’re with each other so much,” Svaty said. “I think that people in long distance relationships don’t get themselves in as many little arguments like we do.”

It’s safe to say to say that relationships have changed through the years. A type of relationship that seems to have changed the most in the digital age is the long distance relationship.

Long distance relationships are much more common than they used to be. There are many students that are in a relationship with someone who lives far away.

+ 07 Feature

cONNECTION

fRESHMAN nOAH sVATY Senior Jasmine Bates is currently in a relationship with current Kansas State University student Kevin Colle.

Colle is involved in the marching band at K-State, making him busy. This causes the two to not be able to see each other in person much during the school year.

“I had already known Kevin for years from scholar’s bowl, jazz band, and debate before we started dating,” Bates said.

It seemed unlikely at first, but the two have grown close in their relationship because of many similar interests.

“I thought I hated him at first because he seemed stuck up and he was good at everything,” Bates said. “I saw him at district choir and Natalie Schweizer told me that he was nice, so we started texting and then went on to start dating a few months later.”

Many people meet through school activities and since people can communicate much better at distance than they used to, relationships are then formed.

With the rise of social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and not to mention texting, people can now communicate with one another remarkably well at distance.

Senior Cooper Galyon is involved in a similar kind of relationship. Galyon is in a relationship with Claire Gardner. Gard-

ner lives in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota called Wayzata.

She is a junior at Heritage Christian Academy in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

The two have been dating for about six months.

“We met at a church camp five years ago in Wisconsin,” Galyon said. “Every year I went to camp I asked her out, and she always said no. Until this year when she said no, but then decided to say yes a day later.”

Wayzata is over 650 miles away from Sterling, presenting challenges for their relationship.

“Not being able to see her a whole lot is honestly very difficult,” Galyon said. “I just think that couples who see each other every day take what they have for granted.”

Finding time to see their significant other can be a struggle in long distance relationships.

“We try to see each other once about every month and a half,” Galyon said. “It really depends how long we are together for. Over break we saw each other for a week, but one time I drove to Minnesota to see her for twelve hours” Bates is in a similar situation. During the school year, she doesn’t get the opportunity to see her boyfriend too often.

“It’s hard when I don’t see him for like three weeks at a time,” Sterling High School | February 2019 7

+ 08 Feature Bates said. “I feel like it just makes time go by slower when we don’t see each other often enough.”

With technology so common in our everyday lives, it’s fair to ask if teens would rather text or FaceTime than see their significant other in person.

“I would definitely rather see her in person than on the phone screen,” Galyon said. “That’s the whole reason I make so big of an effort to see her every month. If I couldn’t see her in person, I would choose to FaceTime her over other ways of communicating,” Bates has a similar opinion to Galyon on this issue.

“I would rather see him in person because text never conveys what you really want to say,” Bates said.

Bates’ relationship has not always been long distance, making it different than Galyon’s.

“We saw each other almost every day in the summer, but since school started we haven’t been around each other as much,” Bates said. “About three or four days a month is how much we’ve seen each other while school is going on.”

With long distance relationships, there is a big focus on trust.

It is seen as essential to make the relationship work. If you trust the other person, it can make a long distance relationship much easier.

“Trust and loyalty mean so much more in a long distance relationship than a relationship where you see that person every day,” Galyon said.

Trust issues can break a relationship apart and these issues are amplified by distance.

“Some people have trust issues when involved in a long distance relationship, but I don’t really have them,” Bates said. “I think it’s because we had already been dating for seven months before he went to college. Whenever we call each other, it’s not like ‘what are you doing?!’ because we trust each other and know what the other is doing.”

Communication is key in any relationship, but even more in long distance relationships. Today’s technology helps people communicate through many platforms.

Both Bates and Galyon use FaceTime to stay in touch when they are away from their significant other. This is true for many teenagers, as FaceTime has become a very popular communication tool.

“She and I have FaceTimed about every night for three or fours years now,” Galyon said. “There have been times where we wouldn’t as much, but there was never too long of a gap between calls.”

Many couples try to get on a nightly FaceTime schedule.

“FaceTime calls were a really big thing for us during the first semester,” Bates said. “We would usually call from nine to ten at night, and that would be how we talked.”

Long-distance relationships are made much easier today than they were even twenty or thirty years ago. People in long-distance relationships back then did not have the platforms we use to stay in touch. The main way people could communicate would be phone calls.

“I think that now that I know how to use it, technology has become essential to our relationship,” Galyon said. “I think that if I had it pulled from me now, a relationship like would be made very hard, but not impossible. It would definitely not be as strong, but there are ways we could make it work.”

Bates also explained what it would be like without today’s technology.

“We first started talking using Instagram, so it would have been difficult to ever get in contact with him if we didn’t have the technology we have now,” Bates said, “I think I would be feeling a lot more disconnect throughout the first semester of the school year if we couldn’t message each other.”

Galyon believes that he and Gardner’s relationship would be able to survive without today’s technology.

“If our relationship started off without today’s technology, it would definitely be harder than it is now,” Galyon said. “As crazy as it seems, I think that we could write letters and be okay as long as we still got to visit each other every month.

Because I’ve discovered that not a whole lot changes in a month.”

Bates tells us what it would be like without technology such as smartphones in her relationship.

“If we had just phone calls, I think that we could still stay pretty close,” Bates said.

“If we only had letters to communicate with, it would definitely be different, but I wouldn’t say having our relationship would be impossible.”

Texting SlANG The Cub Reporter decodes texting slang used by teens

Really mad Very K. GTG Got to go v TTYL Talk to you later IK I know <3 Love you WYA? Where you at? BBY Baby www.sterlingcubreporter.com

+ 09 Sports

The Duality of Man Dylan Stewart shares the experience of his high school wrestling career +by Andy Norez

S

enior Dylan Stewart is one of a few students going out for wrestling this year, something he has done consistently since freshman year. Dylan practices with Nickerson through a co-op program between Nickerson and Sterling, a common practice with 3A schools throughout Kansas.

“In the past we use to have a suburban to drive us to Nickerson but now I drive myself to Nickerson for practice.

I also take Christopher Hartman and Matt Snow,” Stewart said. “After that it’s really just us working with Nickerson coaches instead of Sterling.”

Stewart’s practices primarily focus on increasing the athletes stamina and endurance.

“There’s practice every single day, most of it is running and burpees which we do a lot of,” Stewart said. “I start preparing halfway through the football season, I started running after school, working out and just trying to keep myself active.”

While exercising is important for ones wrestling career,

it is not the most grueling part of wrestling.

“You have to really watch what you eat,” Stewart said.

“You can’t drink pop, it’ll slow you down on the match and you just have to eat health and watch what you drink.”

Despite the strict rules regarding eating habits, along with the demanding practices Stewart has remained in wrestling since his freshman year, further supported by his past achievements.

“Last year I placed at every single tournament except for state. I still went to state and made it to the second day putting me in the top 10 wrestlers before I got beat,” Stewart said.

This year has started off differently for Stewart, despite his past record, he isn’t going to let that deter him.

“I started off this year without a rank but I’m not looking for a ranking this year because it puts a target on your back early on,” Stewart said. “I’m even kind of happy I’m not ranked right now so I can prove to everyone at the end of the season that I’m going to place.”

Sterling High School | February 2019 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.

+by MCKIAH SAN MIGUEL

Cheerleader Haddie Boeken

CUB REPORTER: What is your favorite thing about cheer?

Haddie: We have an incredibly talented team this year and us girls have grown so close. They have become some of my best friends.

CR: What are some challenges you face in cheer?

H: The hardest thing we do in cheer is trying new stunts. This can be really difficult because throwing people up in the air isn’t easy.

CR: What is one of your goals for this season?

H: My goal this year is to have a stable lib, I have already hit it, but it’s a little rocky still.

CR: What has been the best part about being a cheerleader at SHS? H: The relationships I have built over the last two years.

Student Section Students of SHS cheer for the boys as they played against Hugoton during the Sterling Invitational. (Jan. 15) (Photo by Morgan Anderson) www.sterlingcubreporter.com

Who does what?

Q&A

EXTRA INNING The Cub Reporter takes a look at post Friday night game plans in the winter.

33% 50% 9% 7% Home

Friends House

Fifth Quarter

Hutch for food

(Poll taken by 42 students)

Freshman Kali Briar

Sophomore Chris Hartman

Senior Grace Rowland

Junior Brady Myers

Balancing Basketball and Family

Basketball coach Derek Schneider has to find the perfect balance between his coach life and family life. It can be difficult.

“It is hard balancing the two, because you’re trying to find time for both, but obviously there isn’t an infinite amount of time,” Schneider said.

Making time for both can be a struggle, but at the end of the day he makes time for both.

“I have to make enough time

to keep basketball a priority, while also making my family my number one priority,” Schneider said.

Schneider has made it a point to make a schedule to be able to interact with his family, and maintain his position as head basketball coach.

“No matter what I am home by a certain time after practice,” Schneider said. “I make sure to communicate with my family.”

+ 11 Opinions

POINT / COUNTERPOINT

The Valentine’s Day Debate Flowers always make the perfect gift for anyone

Chocolate is a great way to the heart on holidays

+by Grace Rowland

+by Megan Roelfs

For centuries people have been giving loved one’s flowers on Valentine’s Day and to this day they haven’t gone out of style.

Valentine’s Day is meant for people to show their love for each other. What better way to do this by buying them flowers? Who wouldn’t love to walk to their desk on Valentine’s Day and find a large bouquet of red roses? I know that anytime I have received flowers on Valentine’s Day it has instantly put a smile on my face. They are beautiful and sentimental making them fit any occasion, including Valentine’s Day. Flowers make the perfect gift because they aren’t something that you receive everyday. When you receive flowers it makes them a luxury that you get on special occasions. They can also be a great gift because you can buy them to fit your budget. Flowers can be bought in many different kinds, quantities, and colors all ranging from different prices so you can spend exactly what you plan to on your significant other. When you decide to buy flowers you can even buy them from your house. Buying flowers online saves you from driving to a shop, standing in line and taking up your time. When you order them online you can get exactly what you want without

having to go to the store. Other gifts like candy and stuffed animals often require you to shop in the store to ensure that you get what you want.

Flowers can be the great gift for someone you are unsure about what they like.

They are perfect for people on a diet and are trying to avoid eating sweets or for people with a food allergy. Instead of buying them something they might not like or can’t have, buy them flowers so they can at least enjoy the gift.

So, this Valentine’s Day before you buy a gift, think about buying flowers. They are meaningful, beautiful, and perfect for your special someone. Buy flowers, you can’t go wrong.

When Valentine’s Day rolls around every February, the typical gifts are flowers, candy, chocolate, cards, and the occasional stuffed animal.

The one gift that outshines all of the rest is the chocolate.

Sure, flowers are pretty but after about two weeks they start to die. When one receives cards, they just end up in the trash can.

Receiving chocolate can make anyone’s day. And who doesn’t love food that is given to them by their significant other?

They vary in shape, size, and flavors so they can fit to your own personal preference.

For me, the best kinds are the ones that are filled with peanut butter and I also like the co-

conut ones. The peanut butter and chocolate combination is a good choice since chocolate and peanut butter is a really good combination.

But the coconut chocolates are by far the best. Coconut reminds me of my grandparents house, where my grandma and I would eat it when we were alone.

So by combining a sweet from my childhood and putting it with chocolate, it’s a guaranteed for me to like it.

Shape may be a big deal to some people, but not to me.

If it comes in a rectangular box or a heart-shaped box, it doesn’t matter; they both hold the same contents. I would prefer to have my chocolate shape vary to make things interesting. My favorite shape are the little ones that look like peanut butter cups, because they don’t have your typical chocolate shape.

Chocolate can be manipulated into a variety of different treats and make the dessert taste good. It’s always a good feeling to receive a gift from someone; but when the gift turns out to be food, it makes the person feel even better.

This day is a day where people love to be surprised with different gifts, and chocolate is no exception. Whenever I receive chocolate, I get excited, and that’s why is a great choice for Valentine’s Day. Sterling High School | February11 2019

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