The Skyline High School
Band director Bob Lee assists the flute quartet girls as they warm up for their performance at League Music Festival. Sophomores Miranda Ghumm, Briana Neifert, Betsy Giles and Payje Orler received a I rating for their performance. photo by l. cason
T-BIRD
Times
Volume 38 • Issue 5 • March 14, 2014
tbirdtimes.com
The T-Bird Times is an open forum for student expression. The mission of the T-Bird Times editorial page is to engage all students and patrons in a search for democratic solutions. The T-Bird Times’ editorial voice, expressed in the form of editorials, columns and articles, is a part of that search, but only one part. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of other students, the adviser, faculty, administrators or the Board of Education of this district. The T-Bird Times, a member of the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, is published by the journalism class at Skyline High School, 20269 W. Hwy. 54, Pratt, Kansas 67124. The T-Bird Times is printed in-house and distributed to high school students and staff. The pages can also be found online at www.tbirdtimes.com. The T-Bird Times will strive to live up to the highest standards of professional journalism. The T-Bird Times endorses the First Amendment of the Constitution and will not publish material that could cause disorderly conduct or invade the rights of others. Any material that is not original will be given full credit, and the T-Bird Times will acknowledge any mistakes by correcting any errors that are brought to the attention of the staff. The staff welcomes letters to the editor from patrons and students. Letters to the editor must be signed and the staff reserves the right to edit letters for libel.
WSU gains fair-weather fans
Wichita’s undefeated season forces out closet Shockers by Austin Gilpin
reporter
Kansas has become stricken with a terrible disease. Bandwagoning. Recently, the Wichita State Shockers have experienced this effect. They are still undefeated at 34-0. They became the first team to enter the Big Dance undefeated since UNLV in 1991. The Shockers have seen a massive increase in the number of Kansans calling themselves WSU fans. This is a textbook case of bandwagoning. Most of the outspoken Shocker fans were completely quiet about their apparent favorite team until the Shockers made it to the Final Four in Atlanta last year. So what’s my beef with all of these fair-weather fans? Supporting your team only while
they are winning and making everyone hear about it is very annoying. Especially in a case when a team like Wichita goes undefeated solely because they didn’t play a single top 25 opponent. Bandwagon or fair-weather fans show no loyalty. They root for a team just because they’re having one good season. Real fans watch, support and cheer their team on whether the team is undefeated or hasn’t won a game. Shocker fans, where were you in the 2007-08 season? I don’t remember hearing you when the Shockers went 11-20 and lost in the first round of The Valley’s tournament. Many new Shocker fans seem to be rooting against KU. Bitter K-State fans finally have another team to root for, since the Jay-
hawks have been the undisputed best basketball team in Kansas for years. “Since their tournament run last year I’ve become fond of them,” admitted bandwagoner Landon Lee said. “I want Wichita and KU to get in the same Regional and Wichita to just stomp them.” Harsh language like that is the reason that KU fans like myself have been turned off from WSU. Jayhawkers know better than to accept the propaganda being spread by Wichita’s fans. So Shocker fans, please keep your newfound fanboyism to yourself. The first step to getting over your sickness is admitting your team is overrated. Let the loyal fans enjoy their season. Get off the wagon.
Who would you root for?
Editor .................... Ascha Lee Adviser.............. Judy Hampel Staff Reporters....Alyssa Allphin Abby Giles Austin Gilpin Madison Golden Colin Little Kaitlyn Stark Photographers..Alyssa Allphin Lucas Cason Taryn Lange Lexie Maloney Brady McComb Caden Patterson Keigan Riggs
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Opinion | Friday | March 14, 2014
94 Skyline student and staff members surveyed
Amber Alerts, smart phones and you by Ascha Lee
editor
Six hundred and seventy-nine. That’s how many lives have been saved by the broadcast emergency response for America’s missing children, or more familiarly, the Amber Alert. The Amber Alert got its name from the kidnapping of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in Texas in 1996. Four days after her abduction, she was found murdered. The killer was never found, and the case remains unsolved. If the public had been more informed of the situation at hand, maybe justice would have been served long ago. The tragedy stunned Amber’s small community, and they promptly created an emergency broadcast system that was eventually adopted nationwide under Amber’s name. By 2005, all states had an Amber Alert system that broadcasted alerts on all radio
and television stations. Alerts are also displayed via electronic billboards, email and text messages. Today, smart phones allow for the quickest public notification. The Wireless Emergency Alert system is responsible for sending location-relevant alerts regarding extreme weather, local emergencies, national emergencies and Amber Alerts to all WEA-capable devices. Most cell phones newer than two years old will have this capability. The WEA messages appear as text messages on some phones, but make a different noise and vibration when received. For an Amber Alert to be triggered, the abduction must be confirmed, the child must be in serious risk of injury or death, there must be a sufficient description of the child and/or description of the captor’s vehicle, and the child must be under 18 years of age. The regulations
on the alerts are strict to avoid false alarms and hoaxes. Recently, the Kansas area has received two Amber Alerts. On Feb. 18, 10-year-old Hailey Owens was abducted near her home in Springfield, Mo. Amber Alerts are issued to citizens based on their location. Many Kansans received the Amber Alert that day, as it was issued for Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Tragically, Owens was found murdered, but she was found within hours of her abduction thanks to key eyewitness testimonies. Her abductor was charged with first-degree murder the very next day. One week later, another Amber Alert was issued for 15-yearold Nomei Velazquez who was abducted in Texas. Kansans received this alert because of an incorrect tracking on Velazquez’s cell phone. The alert was cancelled for Kansas shortly after it was issued. She was
Put it away people: smart phone smarts surf the web, check the weather and emails, communicate with It is common for this generation others and play games. It has to abuse the use of electronics, become a very handy and excittaking it too far in many cases. ing thing to have, but some may Technology has improved as use it a lot more than needed. the years have passed, starting There is a time and place for cell with the bag phones of 1973 and phone use. turning into the touch screen Many people have problems smart phones common today. putting their phone down and These inventions have become joining the conversation. worldwide and addicting to use. “When you’re using it when “I love them because you can you’re on a date, it’s really not a get on Instagram date,” junior Ailin and everything, Moreno said. When you’re using Leaving phones but don’t use them when it when you’re on a in the car before someone is date, it’s really not a walking into talking to you,” someone’s house sophomore Bai- date. can decrease the -Ailin Moreno, 11 chances of wantley DeClue said. Cell phones ing to pick up the have become a phone. Another very big part of peoples’ everysolution could be to put phones day lives, making it possible to on the table and just hang out.
by Alyssa Allphin
reporter
Even better, leave the phone at home when going to the movies, park, restaurant or mall. “Cell phones are a part of our generation and are going to continue to be a part of our future, but I think that we all need to realize when and where the right time to use them is,” senior Sammy Hoeck said. Hearing someone talking on the phone in public places about how they need to sign the divorce papers so they can claim their things and move on can be a little annoying for some. “If people don’t want other people to judge them about their personal life, then don’t talk about it in public,” junior Gunner DeClue said. With good manners and common sense, leaving the cell phone out of the picture won’t hurt.
found safe in Texas the next day, and her abductor was charged with aggravated kidnapping. These alerts have proven to be helpful in multiple situations, warning people about dangerous weather and emergencies, local and national. Currently, there is no way to opt out of the national emergency alerts, which are issued by the president in times of national danger. It is possible to turn the other alerts off, but keep in mind that they serve a very important purpose. Every cell phone is different, but in most cases you can turn the alerts on/off in the Settings, typically located under Notifications or Emergency Alerts. If you receive an Amber Alert, do not disregard it. Eyewitness accounts on kidnappings are perhaps the biggest leads into the investigations. Pass the information on to others in order to keep a look out for the missing child. It could save a life.
83%
of SHS students and teachers have a smart phone
54% iPhone
29% Android
53%
received an Amber Alert recently “At first I wasn’t sure what was going on, but when I figured out what it was, it was kinda scary.” -Blake Lee, 11 “I got online and spread word about her. It was all I could think to do to help.” -McKenzie Cason, 9 Friday | March 14, 2014 | News
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Band heads to Florida by Abby Giles
reporter
In 2011, as he accompanied Pratt on their band trip to Walt Disney World, band director Bob Lee never imagined that he would one day bring his own band back to Florida. “I didn’t see this opportunity coming along,” Lee said. However, three years later, it has come. The Skyline High School Band will be boarding the bus and heading for Orlando, Fla., early Wednesday morning. After a 28 hour bus ride, they are scheduled to arrive in Orlando at approximately 12 p.m. on Thursday. Lee chose this trip because of the opportunity to put the band in front of a lot of people. “A lot of it came down to the fact that we go to these wonderful festivals, but there’s just no crowd,” Lee said. “It’s just a lot more fun to perform in front of a big huge crowd.” The performance, which is what he is most excited for, consists of marching in the Magic Kingdom prior to the parade “Festival of Fantasy.” This parade is brand new and started on March 9. The marching route is about three-fourths of a mile and
will end on Main Street, USA. While marching, the band will perform the songs “Over the Rainbow” and “My Favorite Things.” Lee chose “Over the Rainbow” to represent Kansas and “My Favorite Things” because it is one of his favorite pieces. The band will have to play both the songs three or four times while marching. An audience of 18 to 24 thousand people will be watching. Other than performing in Walt Disney World, there are also many other plans in the itinerary. A few include getting to go to EPCOT, having time at Cocoa Beach, going to either Disney Hollywood Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and touring Full Sail University. “I’m most excited about getting to spend this trip with all of my friends,” freshman McKenzie Cason said. “Florida will be so much fun and I can’t wait to ride all the rides and meet Disney characters.” Right now Lee is preparing the band by holding mandatory after school and seminar practices. “We’re getting back out and getting ready to march,” Lee said.
Spri n g Bre a k Staying Home
Going out of Tow
Going out of Stat on the Band Trip
Going on the Ban
48 Skyline High School students survey
Going out of the
I’m most excited for Spring Break because...
I’m most excited for Florida because...
“I’m most excited for Spring Break because it means we are that much closer to graduation.” Kaitlyn Stark, 12
“I’m excited to hang out with my friends on the band trip but I’m not looking forward to the long drive down there.” Bryce McKennon, 10
“I’m going to help my sister get a wedding dress and get a Prom dress for myself. My sister is like a best friend to me. I’m glad that I can help her find her dress and she can help me with mine.” Montana Kocher, 9
“I’m excited for Spring Break because I get to go to the Florida beach and spend it with my friends and march in front of thousands of people.” Tiffany Timm, 11
“I’m excited to go see the Grand Canyon with my whole family.” Alyssa Swonger, 11
“I am the most excited about meeting the Disney characters and riding awesome roller coasters.” Briana Neifert, 10
“I am excited to watch college basketball and to see how teams do, and to watch Wichita State lose the first round of the tournament.” Colin Little, 11
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Feature | Friday | March 14, 2014
“Honestly, meeting all the characters at Disney, especially Peter Pan!” Miranda Ghumm, 10
an s
Condensed Orlando Itinerary Skyline High School Band March 19-24, 2014 Main Events Wednesday, March 19th 6 a.m. Load @ SHS 7 a.m. (or before) Depart for Sunny Orlando, FL Thursday, March 20th Approx. 12 p.m. Arrive in Orlando, check into hotel Lunch 1:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. EPCOT Friday, March 21st 9 a.m. 2:30 p.m.
Arrive at WDW- Magic Kingdom Perform in Magic Kingdom
Saturday, March 22nd 10 a.m. Tour Full Sail University, Winter Park, FL 1 p.m. Cocoa Beach and Shopping time at Jon’s Surf Shop 6 p.m. Supper at Downtown Disney Sunday, March 23rd 9 a.m. Disney Hollywood Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Approx 3:30 p.m. Depart for home Monday, March 24th Approx. 6 p.m. Arrive home- Pratt, Kansas Senior Taylor Tobin and junior Austin Gilpin play at League Music Festival in their saxophone quartet. Their song’s name was “Relax.” After practicing for about three weeks, the group received a I- rating for their performance. Also making up the quartet were junior Jenessa Corbet and sophomore Hayley Mendoza. Tobin, Corbet and Mendoza also participated in the sax quartet last year. photo by l. cason
Musicians gain helpful insight from experience at League Music by Abby Giles
reporter
On Tuesday, band and choir members left the school at 7 a.m. and headed for League Music Festival at South Barber. “It was a great experience to go and perform for judges to see what other people hear, and see what improvements still need to be made,” choir director Steven Novotny said. The band received three I ratings, and the choir got two I- ratings and one II-. The best rating that a group can receive is a I. For many, League Music Festival is a chance to perform in front of people so that they can practice for Regional Music Festival, which is on March 29. “The judges’ opinions help you know what you need to change for Regionals,” freshman choir member Montana Kocher said. “Now I just need to practice.” According to students and teachers, time spent practicing ends up paying off. “It’s a lot of time and energy to get prepared for, but the festival is the exciting part to go and listen to see how students perform,” Novotny said. The day went smoothly except for the schedule falling behind. “I think that we would have done better if the schedule wasn’t all messed up because it caused people to be more stressed,” freshman choir member Ashley Niblett said. “However, I learned from it and it was fun.” Other than the schedule, it was a day filled with music and a chance for band and choir students to show off their hard work. “I think that everyone performed to the best of their abilities,” Novotny said. Friday | March 14, 2014 | Feature 5
Sub-State Basketball First round brings upsetting losses by Colin Little
Giving freshman Kamryn Stark some advice during the Sub-State game, head coach Charles Young instructs her on what needs to be done on the court. Stark saw quality varsity minutes throughout the season. photo by k. stark
Stepping up to the line, sophomore Brady McComb shoots a pair of free throws at St. John during the first round of Sub-State. McComb started every game of the season. courtesy photo
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Sports | Friday | March 14, 2014
reporter
The boys’ and girls’ teams both had a tough first round at Sub-State. The Lady T-Birds were the sixth seed and went up against the third seeded South Central Timberwolves at South Central on March 3. The girls lost in a close game 4544. “I think we played like a team and left it all out on the floor,” senior point guard Brooke Fisher said. “The result doesn’t show it, but we played really hard. I am proud of how we finished our season.” The Lady T-Birds had a bumpy road and played some tough competition. Four seniors, Brooke Fisher, Taylor DeWeese, Kadi Richardson and Mycha Owens played their last game that night. “The thing I am going to miss the most is the team,” DeWeese said. “We had a lot of fun together. I enjoyed bonding with the team.” Even though the team loses four seniors, the other players have high hopes for the future. “I think we have a lot of potential and I think we will have a lot of fun together next year,” freshman Kamryn Stark said. The boys’ basketball team was the eighth seed in the tournament and went up against the number one seed and number one team in 2A, the St. John Tigers. The game was at St. John and the boys lost 63-19. “The game could have gone better,” senior Brandon Abbott said. “It would have helped us if Dustin wouldn’t have fouled out. All we could do was to go out and play our hardest and hope for the best.” The boys team played in some close games, and improved their point spread from last year. The boys lose one senior from the squad. “The thing I am going to miss most will be the family aspect,” Abbott said. “We were really close and have been through a lot the last two years.” With Abbott leaving, the T-Birds will have a lot of experience for next year that should help them. “It will be challenging to replace a big who could also play as a guard,” sophomore Brady McComb said. “We will have to look for more leadership from this year’s juniors and sophomores.”
Although I really wish we would have won, I think we played hard and had fun. I thought it was a good way to end the season. I will definitely miss the seniors next year. Betsy Giles, 10
I think SubState went pretty bad considering we were playing the number one team in the state and they got an alley-oop on us. Kasey Gilpin, 10
Track team sees increase in athletes
Additional coaches step aboard, bringing their expertise into each event
by Kaitlyn Stark
reporter
With a new season, two new coaches and new equipment, track and field is under way for T-Bird athletes. Starting out her 12th season as head coach of the high school, Summer Younie has also taken on the role of coaching the middle school. “This is something that Coach Little and I have talked about for a couple of years now,” Younie said. “We wanted to provide more instruction, not just for the middle school tracksters, but also for the high school track athletes.” In addition to assistant coach Steve Little, three more coaches were added to the staff to help the high school team. They include Lori Anschutz, Heike Beeson and Holly VanSkike. Anschutz and Beeson have coached the middle school for
the past five years. VanSkike was the assistant cross country coach last season. “I think sharing coaching expertise from all five track coaches will really benefit our track program,” Younie said. “I am hoping that we can get into a groove and really give each and every athlete some quality instruction and make our practices more efficient.” The team has about 40 athletes out, two of which are State qualifiers from the 2013 season. “This is the most high school track athletes we’ve had out since I started coaching here,” Younie said. Sophomore Jessica DeWeese and Roman Ibarra both made it to the state meet last year, where DeWeese placed second in the 200 meter run and Ibarra placed 10th in the 1600 and 11th in the 3200.
During a team workout, junior Ailin Moreno lifts weights at track practice. Moreno is one of the 11 juniors on the track and field team. photo by c. patterson
“I learned if you work hard and put effort into it, then you’ll have a better outcome,” DeWeese said. “It’s easier when you have a better attitude because you have more fun.” With such a big group of
underclassmen, Younie said they are trying to find some JV meets for them so they get a chance to compete against others at their level. The first meet of the season is on Thursday, April 3 at Kinsley.
Boys’ Track Profile
Girls’ Track Profile
Q: Are you nervous making the transition from middle school track to high school track?
Q: What are you looking forward to most about track?
Jarod DeWeese
Madalyn Owens
A: I’m looking forward to triple jump because it is fun to learn.
A: No, because I know if I work hard every day, it will pay off.
Q: Why did you go out for track? A: Mainly because it is my sister’s
Q: Why did you go out for track? A: I did track in middle school, and also
senior year and I wanted to do track with her and hangout with her.
I was strongly encouraged to do track so my sisters and I could be on the same team.
Q: What’s it going to be like being on a team with your older sisters? A: It will be fun for the most part. Q: What’s your favorite part about track? A: Be able to improve my abilities and competing with friends from not only Skyline,
but also the rest of the league.
Q: What are your goals for the season? A: To get a better throwing technique and also get stronger. Q: How do you feel about high school track compared to middle school track? A: I think it will be a lot more aggressive, but also more rewarding.
Q: How do you feel about high school track compared to middle school track?
A: It’s easier. There is less running and more time to do your events.
Q: Who motivated you to go out? A: Coach Anschutz because she said that it’s a lot of fun and I should just try it out my freshman year.
Q: Are you nervous making the transition from middle school track to high school track? A: No, because everyone tells me it’s fun and not to worry. Q: What events do you think you want to be a part of? A: Triple jump and a relay race. Friday | March 14, 2014 | Sports
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T-Birds catch Prom fever by Madison Golden reporter Long gone are the days of simply asking someone to Prom in the hallway before class. Lots of students are asking their date to Prom in a cute way. Whether it is stuffing their locker with ping pong balls, chalking their car or giving them flowers, “promposing” is a big deal. You have to admit it is adorable to watch, whether you are a fan of promposals or not. “I already knew we were going together. She just made me ask in a cute way,” junior Justin Holtz said about his date, senior Kaitlyn Stark. Creativity is a major element in the art of promposing. Junior Blake Lee asked his date, senior Mycha Owens, to Prom through a fortune cookie. “It was exciting when she said yes, because I wasn’t
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1. Senior Ascha Lee gives junior Katherine Ghumm a rose from her bouquet of flowers for her promposal from her boyfriend, junior Layton Kenworthy. The roses doubled as Kenworthy’s Valentine’s Day gift to her. photo by a. allphin 2. Seniors Brandon Abbott and Brooke Fisher hug after he drops a sign asking her to go to Prom with him at homecoming. photo by c. patterson 3. Senior Abby Giles puts together a heart shaped puzzle for her promposal and said yes to junior Dustin Weber. photo by k. richardson 4. Junior Colin Little promposes to his girlfriend Ashley Koirth with a word scramble. photo by s. koirth 5. Sophomore server Colin Kumberg asked sophomore Betsy Giles to Prom on her water bottle after a basketball game and with flowers and candy. photo by a. giles 6. Junior Blake Lee promposes to senior Mycha Owens at Dragon’s Den, popping the question through a fortune cookie. photo by a. giles 7. Junior Justin Holtz asks senior Kaitlyn Stark to Prom by putting sticky notes on her car and filling it with balloons. courtesy
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RION WESTHOFF ❤ ❤ ❤ WILL YOU GO TO PROM WITH ME?❣? ❣ -ALYSSA 8
Feature | Friday | March 14, 2014
sure how it was going to work and then when it worked well it was just really exciting,” Lee said. Other Prom grooms weren’t as fortunate. Sometimes promposals just don’t go the way they hoped or planned they would. Junior Joaquin Corona was told no when he promposed to his classmate Alyssa Swonger. “I will never do anything like that ever again,” Corona said. Corona is now taking Skyline alum Janessa Davis to Prom. “I was very surprised,” senior Brooke Fisher said about how senior Brandon Abbott asked her to Prom. “I thought it was a really huge and adorable gesture. I had no choice but to say yes.” You win some and you lose some, but no matter who you go with, Prom is always a night to remember. There are 28 days left until one of the biggest nights of the year. Are you ready?
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