THE CLIPPER
VOLUME 30 | ISSUE 4 | MARCH 2021 | PLATTE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
BEST OF KC pages 8-9
A Look Inside Table of Contents
Features
03
Giving Back Many students involved in community service activities By Emilia Wisniewski
04-05
PirateVision Students share opinions on popular show By Jacob Flynn
06
At-Capacity Classes Students attend school full in-person, every day of the week By Victoria Sanders and Emilia Wisniewski
Opinions 07
Someone Call the Fashion Police! Consider risks of popularized fast fashion By Tatianna Tafolla and Emilia Wisniewski
08-09
Best of KC
Guide to Kansas City landmarks, places to go By Audrey McCoy and Sophia Zimmerman
10
Shelf Awareness Reading improves personal growth, well-being By Audrey McCoy
Sports & Wellness 11
Wrestling Mania Girls wrestlers journey to state competition By Alison Baker and Peyton Gann
12-13 Keeping Spring Season Alive Spring athletes recover after losing 2020 season By Peyton Gann and Victoria Sanders
14
A Different Kind of Workout Unique ways to stay in shape By Sophia Zimmerman
On the Cover Kansas City’s most memerable landmarks and buildings come together in a collage. Photo illustration by Sophia Zimmerman
Staff Staff Writers Alison Baker Jacob Flynn Peyton Gann Porter Schoen Victoria Sanders Tatianna Tafolla Emilia Wisniewski
Editor-in-Chief Audrey McCoy Page Editors Sophia Zimmerman Photographers Allen Ainsworth Claire Graves Adviser Kari Johnson
Who We Are
The Pirate Clipper is a student-run newspaper dedicated to informing students on current issues without bias. Opinions and editorials do not reflect the views or opinions of the Platte County staff, school, administration or adviser. For questions or concerns, contact adviser Kari Johnson at: johnsonk@platteco.k12.mo.us.
03. March 2021
In downtown Platte City, sophomore Jessica Donley and junior Spencer Hay scrape paint off businesses’ windows. Pirates Serve members helped remove the murals the Art Club painted in December. Photo by Emilia Wisniewski
Giv ing Back
Community service activities provide way for students to help those in need
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Written by Emilia Wisniewski
ith the ever-growing community in Platte City, many students have taken part in local service efforts to make their community a better place for everyone. PCHS recognizes the importance of community service for students, and many clubs provide opportunities for students to take full advantage of community service work. Senior Ryan Dye participated in Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, Pirates Serve and Parent Teacher Student Association. “I would say I’ve been doing community service since childhood,” Dye said. “I grew up [going to] church, and my parents strongly enforced that we’re always doing something to help our community. I would say my most impactful project would be during my freshman year with Partnership with a Business project. This lady created her own business for creating blankets for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia.” Operation Breakthrough, a non-profit organization that senior Grayson Walton volunteered at for nearly a year, strives to provide a safe and educational environment for children in poverty and helped families in regards to emergency aid, advocacy and education. “At my old school, we used to do a ser-
vice week, so we took a week off of school, and we would go to a service agency and volunteer there,” Walton said. “I worked at Operation Breakthrough and I [played] with kids ages 3 weeks to a year and a half. I would probably do this after college and in the summers, and maybe even take my siblings or my own children there someday.” Pirates Serve began this year when teacher Gail Martin and counselor Heather Brown wanted to have a club where students could have more opportunities to volunteer within the community. They reached out to Interact Club sponsor Rebecca Strobbe and transformed Interact Club into Pirates Serve. More than 90 students are currently part of the club. “For the next couple of months, our plan is to do individual projects and outdoor things,” Martin said. “The leadership committee came up with their own ideas, [like] cleaning a conservation area and tutoring opportunities. Hopefully, by the end of the year, we can take a busload of kids to Harvester’s or Salvation Army to have some outside-of-the-area experiences.” One of these leadership team ideas came from junior Tessa Magee, who suggested writing cheerful cards to patients at nursing homes because their families are not able to visit them due to their high risk of contract-
ing COVID-19. “The nursing homes don’t have a lot of interaction right now, and through [writing] cards, maybe we could interact with them in the ways that we can’t physically do,” Magee said. “For Valentine’s Day, people made cards, and we’re hoping to make cards for other holidays, and there’s about five nursing homes through PC and down in Barry that we’re going to deliver them to.” Pirates Serve also gave a lot of other community service opportunities throughout the school year, such as organizing clothes, toiletries and making blankets for Day of Hope, removing paint off of windows in downtown Platte City and the recurring opportunity with Feed Northland Kids. “Every Monday night, we go to Feed Northland Kids, which is over by the airport,” sophomore Abby Banark said. “There’s a bunch of food in bulk, and we just put it on pallets, and then the pallets go to schools, and the schools will hand out the food to kids that need it. Ever since I was younger, I did community service because my sister, who’s a senior, was in NJHS [National Junior Honor Society] when she was in middle school, and so my parents would drag me along to volunteering with her, and I thought it was fun.”
04. Feature
Photos via Disney+ and Marvel Studios Graphics by Jacob Flynn
PirateVISION
Students share opinions on popular show
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Written by Jacob Flynn
he Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become a pop culture phenomenon, building upon the release of the first “Iron Man,” movie in May 2008. In the past 13 years, Marvel Studios has released a total of 23 movies, and while there were television series that were meant to be connected to the MCU, like Marvel’s Runaways and the Netflix Defenders universe, it was recently confirmed by Kevin Feige, the president
of Marvel Studios, that Marvel’s new show “WandaVision,” is the first television program to be directly connected to the MCU. “WandaVision’s,” release made headlines as the most expensive television show ever produced, costing about $25 million per episode and is the first in a long line-up of MCU TV shows to be released. This mystery sitcom-based show had a lot on its shoulders. Stepping away from traditional superhero action movie tropes, “Wanda-
Average amount of TV watched a week at PCHS
9 Hours and 12 Minutes
Vision,” tells the deeper story of Wanda Maximoff and the Vision as well as a few recurring and new characters three weeks after the fallout of “Avengers: Endgame.” “I think it’s a great idea to expand the universe and explore different characters from the main MCU that don’t get the attention they deserve,” junior Zach Sill said. “It’s also a great way to transition the main MCU films into a different direction.” Although “WandaVision,” has gained a lot of
Do you have cable, streaming or both? Cable 8% Streaming 46% Both 46%
Information from 50 person survey
y
05. March 2021
Have You Watched WandaVision?
Yes 50% No 50% PCHS WandaVision Ratings
PCHS Average WandaVision Rating
60 55 57.7% 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10
15.4%
5 0
7.7% 7.7%
5
4
praise for its unique style, some decided to stop watching the show after the first couple episodes when the show wasn’t what they expected. “I feel like a lot of people don’t like it solely based on the fact that it’s made differently than their other projects, but I quite like it,” freshman Sydney Sullins said. “I also like how some things are being kept a secret.” Junior Brennan Cline shared similar
3
2
11.5%
1
opinions when it came to the new show. “I’m glad that it’s not just a boring action superhero show like you would expect; it has a lot of twists and has a really cool aesthetic,” Cline said. “WandaVision’s” release schedule was set up on a weekly basis, so each new episode was expected to air every Friday at 2 a.m., Central time. “I love ‘WandaVision,’” senior Raena Sinclair said. “I think it was so smart for
Marvel to release the episodes by the week because watching fans on Twitter or TikTok making theories about what could happen next is so much fun.” Like many Marvel movies, the finale for “WandaVision,” includes two end-credit scenes, both leaving the viewers with questions about what’s to come and setting up an opening for future MCU projects.
What’s Your Favorite Genre? 24%
Action
20%
Comedy
12%
Drama
Movies Vs Television
Movies 51%
Television 49%
06. Feature
Students work at tables six feet apart. Marketing teacher Jerri Spores had to move her classes to the hallway in order to keep them socially distanced. Photo by Emilia Wisniewski
At-Capacity Classes
Teachers rearrange their rooms to follow COVID-19 guidelines. Spanish teacher Mary Dickson created “pods” in her room to lower the amount of students who get contact-traced. Photo by Victoria Sanders
Students attend school full in-person, every day of the week
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Written by Victoria Sanders and Emilia Wisniewski s 7:30 a.m. approached, a herd of students started filing into the main building to start the day. But the hallways looked more crowded than earlier in the year; passing conversations and footsteps became twice as loud, and classrooms looked smaller than ever. The Board of Education decided to send students to school full in-person after being on a hybrid schedule for most of the school year. “I’m excited to see all the kids together,” teacher Jerri Spores said. “We’re going to move out in the hallway, and we’re going to be as far apart as we can. I don’t know if everyone will be six feet apart, but it will limit the amount of exposure.” The student body reacted with mixed emotions to the decision; many students voiced their concerns for going full in-person, worried about the number of students that would contract COVID-19 and therefore contact-trace other students, but others looked forward to the beginning of a “normal” school year with events such as Prom on the horizon. “I’m not really worried about [going full in-person learning] because I’ve been putting myself around people that I know play
sports, so they’re trying to be safe about it and not get contact-traced,” senior Sam Peterson said. “I’m actually pretty excited to come back full person to see all the people that I haven’t seen all year.” Having classes with more than 20 students, teachers have to be creative on how to space out students in the most efficient and safe way possible. Concerned for the spring athletes and other students having a higher chance of getting contact-traced for COVID-19, English teacher Mary Martin is allowing her students to design their own seating charts so they feel comfortable in their classrooms. “All of my classes are working with collaborative teams to design their own space, to set up the table in such a way that they feel safe and are six feet from each other and from other groups. It allows them choice and freedom to design it so they feel safe,” Martin said. “I wish the people making these decisions about this had listened to students and to teachers’ concerns and took more time to understand them.” With the new decision in place, more than 1,000 students came back to PCHS on a regular daily schedule. The Board of Education tried to make the same decision
at the beginning of February. But now, with fewer COVID-19 cases in the area, the decision was approved. “What really made me want [to go full online] was because of how set they are of going back full in-person, and I’m just not comfortable being around everyone because I know some classes have a lot of students,” senior Alyssa Schulz said. “I’m worried about losing that face-to-face with lectures, especially in math.” Several students made the decision to switch to an entirely virtual schedule because of the decision from the school board. Those students, including senior Georgia White, felt their health would be at jeopardy with every student attending classes every day of the week. “I was honestly really stressed, and I went to the counselor and said, ‘I can’t do this,’” White said. “I don’t understand why, when none of the teachers are vaccinated, and we’re not prepared in any way, shape or form, we are going in-person and risking the lives of children and all the teachers. I had to give up a lot of my classes [to go virtual], like AP Biology and French IV, and I really wish the school was more prepared because it’s leaving a lot of kids behind.”
07. March 2021
The Waste Cycle
Graphic by Tatianna Tafolla
Someone Call the Fashion Police! Consider risks of popularized fast fashion
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Written by Tatianna Tafolla and Emilia Wisniewski it their goal to push out a clothing piece to ashion trends have evolved for decades, from the tracksuits and bell a store in less than two weeks, according to bottoms in the ‘70s, to the crop tops Good on You, a website meant to show the ratings for sustainable and ethical fashion and denim of the 2000s. Fashion brands. Although this type of production trends are influenced by celebrities, pop sounds attractive, with its low prices and culture, the environment and other factors. accessibility, the behind-the-scenes of the Sometimes, fashion pieces are rehashed industry is not as pretty. from the past and worked into a modern Diving into the underbelly of where context. For example, scrunchies were very popular in the 1990s as a good alternative to fast fashion comes from and how it’s made gently put up girls’ hair. Scrunchies resurged is not as glamorous as it may seem. Information from the The Battered Women’s in the 2010s, commonly being used as a Support Services show that there have wrist accessory instead of a hair tie. been many devastating side effects coming Teenager’s fashion sense is influenced by many different factors. One major factor from the industry, with some of the larger known concerns being its damages to the that impacts a teen’s style is the environment and people they surround themselves environment, the amount of waste being with. They often “mirror” the way that created from its mass production, as well as their friends dress as a way to fit in. Popular some companies practicing unethical work stores among teens are Forever 21, Amerconditions such as “sweatshops.” ican Eagle, H&M and many more. These Fast fashion’s retail strategy of reeling stores are included in the large and unsafe the shopper in with affordability towards industry of “fast fashion.” trendy clothing items and materials aimed Fast fashion describes companies that at a younger audience encourages younger replicate current fashion trends and mass generations that partaking in mass spending produce items at a relatively low cost. The habits through the industry is okay, when term was first coined by the New York in all reality it’s not. When looking at the Times describing fashion company Zara’s damages of the industry, there shouldn’t mission in the 1990s. The company made be blame on the consumer, but rather the
industry itself and the companies within it. Companies should be held accountable for aiming to such an impressionable audience and not making their unethical practices more known to their consumers. While fast fashion and practices similar to it can at times not be completely avoided due to the affordability appeal and accessibility, as a consumer, exploring solutions to fast fashion is something that should be looked at. A few solutions to help lower the impact fast fashion has would be to turn away from popularized clothing trends altogether and if that is not easy to do, turn to ethically sourced clothing brands. Another course of action that the Environmental and Energy Study Institute prompts consumers to do would be to take the initiative to donate clothing to shelters or nonprofits, stray away from excessive purchases and when possible, shop second-hand. Taking action to make these changes in shopping habits is something that will have a positive impact environmentally, ethically and socially. Consumers should choose to shop smarter and become more conscious about purchases. If action is taken, real change and a positive difference has the potential to occur.
08. Opinion
Old buildings and famous landmarks create the iconic Kansas City skyline. One Kansas City Place is the tallest building in the state of Missouri, and it is located in Downtown Kansas City, Mo. Photo by Sophia Zimmerman
BEST OF
KC
Graphic by Audrey McCoy
Guide to Kansas City landmarks, places to go
K
Written by Audrey McCoy and Sophia Zimmerman
ansas City, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Royals, and the “City of Fountains,” is known for many iconic landmarks. When people think of Kansas City, they often think of Union Station. Built in 1914, Union Station was a working train station that accommodated hundreds of thousands of passengers each year, until 1985. Union Station was renovated in 1999, with the intention of turning the station into a tourist location that would honor the history of the building. Union Station draws tourists from all over the world who come to see the Grand Hall’s 95-foot ceiling, the three 3,500-pound chandeliers, the six-foot-wide clock hanging in the central arch, or any of the attractions such as Science City in the basement. Union Station also displays Kansas City teams’ colors, lights and photo
props during each team’s season. Kansas City’s most visited landmark is Crown Center. Crown Center was built in what used to be abandoned warehouses, old worn-down parking lots, and a limestone hill in the early 1960s, and was one of the nation’s first mixed-use redevelopments. Now it is an 85-acre complex that has over 5 million patrons a day. The complex has two world-class hotels, many restaurants, workspaces, entertainment and lots of fountains. People go to Crown Center to shop, eat, work and celebrate. Another popular shopping and dining location is Country Club Plaza, opened in 1923. The Plaza was built in the early 1920s and used inspiration from Spanish architecture. The Plaza was the first shopping center in the world designed specifically to accommodate the auto-centric shopper.
On a late Saturday morning, the World War One museum sticks out against the blue sky. The grand opening celebration was in 1926 when President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the memorial and the national monument to the Great War. Photo by Sophia Zimmerman
Wispy clouds hover over the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. The Kauffman was named after Muriel McBrien Kauffman, a Kansas City-area philanthropist who shared her vision for a center for the arts. Photo by Sophia Zimmerman
Now people come to take pictures, shop at over 100 stores such as Made in KC and eat at over 30 restaurants like Jack Stack Barbeque. The Plaza is popular to go to during the nighttime because of its pretty lights and great view of the cityscape. North of The Plaza is the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. The Center first started construction in October 2006 and was a major part of redevelopment in downtown Kansas City. The Kauffman is a performing arts center that showcases a wide range of education programs that promotes and develops creativity; it also showcases high-quality entertainment that includes operas, symphonies and plays. Their vision statement is “to enrich the lives of everyone in our community through extraordinary and diverse performing arts experiences.”
09. March 2021
KC LOCAL Adorned in Kansas City Chiefs banners, Union Station hosts different kinds of exhibits. Union Station was recently awarded “Favorite Attraction,” “Favorite Family-Friendly Attraction,” “Favorite Historic Attraction,” and “Best of KC.” Photo by Sophia Zimmerman
Standing at over 70 feet tall, the Western Auto Sign looms over KC. The building and sign was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Photo by Sophia Zimmerman Similar to the Kauffman Center, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was the combined dream of William Rockhill Nelson, founder of The Kansas City Star, and Kansas City school teacher Mary McAfee Atkins to bring art and culture to the city. Today, the museum holds collections of over 35,000 works of art that feature many famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet. Admission is free and more than 500,000 people visit the museum and the grounds each year. Four 18-foottall badminton shuttlecocks lie across the grounds, which are iconic KC landmarks in their own right. It is popular to picnic outside of the museum in the summertime. Kansas City has a few popular museums, but the other well known one is America’s official World War One museum. It opened in 1926 as the Liberty Memorial Museum and was declared in 2004 by the United states congress as the World War One Museum. It is home to the largest collection of WWI objects in the world. Now people
come far and wide to visit the museum and view the memorial on top of the Museum. The memorial also has one of the best spots to view the Kansas City skyline, if not the best. An iconic piece of Kansas City’s skyline is the Western Auto Sign. The structure that the Western Auto Sign is built on was originally built in 1915 as the Coca-Cola building but in 1951 it became the Western Auto Building; the sign was built in 1952 a year later. The sign is made of 1,000 feet of neon glass tubing and around 2,500 glass bulbs. The circular arrow sign is a statement piece in the Kansas City skyline and the bright lights make it hard to miss. Whether it’s shopping, spending the day at a museum, attending a professional sporting game, walking around the city, or viewing the lights and skyline, Kansas City has so many things to do and interesting places to visit. These are only a few of the many things that make Kansas City, Kansas City.
Made in KC - Made in KC is Kansas City’s destination for local goods, gifts, apparel and more. There are seven locations you can shop at, including the Made in KC Marketplace on the Country Club Plaza and online.
Messenger Coffee Co. - Messenger is located in downtown Kansas City and has a variety of coffee and tea drinks, as well as food and baked goods provided by Ibis Bakery. The coffee shop is three stories high and includes seating on the roof which overlooks the Kansas City skyline. You can also view the mural on the back of the building which was painted by a local artist. The City Market - The City Market is the largest farmer’s market in the region, with more than 140 farmer stalls. City Market merchants offer a wide variety of fresh and local produce, meats, baked goods, flowers, specialty foods and other items. The City Market is also home to a unique collection of gift shops, authentic restaurants and the Arabia Steamboat Museum. The City Market is open seven days a week, year-round. Kansas City is popularly known as having the best barbeque as it stands as the city’s signature cuisine. So much so, that it attracts people from all over who want to taste it for themselves. A few popular places to go are Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Scott’s Kitchen, Gates Bar-B-Q, Jones BBQ and many more.
10. Opinion
Shelf Awareness
Reading improves personal growth, well-being Written by Audrey McCoy
R
eading is important. We read all the time on our phones, at school, throughout our lives, but there is so much value in picking up a book and reading for pleasure. Books can provide endless knowledge on various topics (depending on preferred topics and genres) while keeping the mind active and entertained. Reading helps the mind to learn faster, sharpen perception skills and understand the world and its people better. It can help significantly expand vocabulary and thinking skills, improve focus and concentration, as well as critical thinking. Reading helps prepare individuals for their futures. Reading can also easily help an individual develop their own way of thinking and point of view. Research from The Reading Agency found that reading for pleasure can result in increased empathy, improved relationships with others, reduction in the symptoms of depression and improved overall well-being. In short, reading simply makes us smarter and better. Reading is important, but so is picking books that you will enjoy. The endless options could be freeing for some people, but the many choices could be intimidating for others. Librarians Rachelle Handke,
Valorie Stokes and Dawn Diaz want to help students find the “right books for them,” by providing reading advice to those who seek it, and also by displaying book recommendations around the school, in the library and on social media. They recognize the longterm benefits reading has on kids, whether it’s for college, jobs or personal benefit. Stokes said that the little snippets of reading that come from our daily lives or from social media have no stamina and kids have to be able to read, comprehend and then apply the material in their lives. The librarians also hope students will read because it will better them as people. “There’s so much going on in the world right now,” Handke said. “We’re in a very small section of the world, and we’re a small piece of that puzzle, so just exposing yourself [through reading] to different kinds of people, different cultures, different experiences is so important for growing empathy.” Now more than ever, in the age of COVID-19, reading can be a good escape from daily life. Yes, it provides so much value to the mind and to personal development, but it can also be a powerful tool for the imagination. Pick up a book about something you’re interested in or in a genre you enjoy– your mind and future self will thank you for it.
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Graphics by Claire Graves
11. March 2021
Wrestling Mania
Girls wrestlers journey to state competition
G
By Alison Baker and Peyton Gann
irls wrestling in Platte County has become more and more popular in the past few years. Girls wrestling has been hit harder by COVID-19 than the average sport because wrestling requires close contact, and there isn’t much opportunity for social distancing. Senior Sarina Bertram said she puts in 100% effort into wrestling, knowing she’s done everything she can at practice and striving to improve each year. She has goals for how the wrestling program can improve. “[I] want to see more state titles, girls putting themselves out there and challenging themselves,” Bertram said. An important part of the team’s success is their teamwork and bond with their coaches. This gave them a chance to make
memories throughout the season. “[One of my favorite memories was] winning over Kearney at KC Duels despite being the smallest team,” Bertram said. “[Athletics director] Gabe Middleton bought us ice cream afterwards, it was great. Any time the coaches are involved is great.” Coach Joseph King is new to the school district and both wrestling teams this year. “As a coach, I have loved coming into the room with this being my first year at Platte County,” King said. “Both teams work hard, and continue to want to get better. As a coach, that’s all I can ask for.” The team finished up their sectional tournament on Feb. 20, and they are sending two girls to state, Bertram and junior KayLyn Munn.
“Both girls are returning all-state medalists and both have goals,” King said. “And the potential to place higher in their brackets this year.” Munn has gone to state every year of her high school career. Munn has a record of 29-1 and went to state her sophomore year, placing sixth. Bertram has a record of 42-1 and went to state her junior year, placing fourth. “I feel prepared and ready to take home a state title,” Munn said, “Burress, as well as my other coaches, have pushed me to be the wrestler I am today and I couldn’t be more ready to go to state this year.” Both Bertram and Munn finished in second place at the state tournament on March 9 at Cable Dahmer Arena. Junior KayLyn Munn (top) pins an opponent in the heat of competition. Munn’s success at sectionals sent her to state. Photo by Allen Ainsworth
Senior Sarina Bertram tackles the competition. Bertram was the first two-time district champion for Platte County. Photo by Allen Ainsworth
12. Sports & Wellness
Keeping Spring Season Alive Spring athletes recover after losing 2020 season
A
Written by Peyton Gann and Victoria Sanders
s a student athlete, junior and senior seasons are vital for the college recruitment process. The last two years of student athletes’ careers in high school are spent talking to and impressing college coaches. Spring season athletes lost their 2020 season after having it canceled due to COVID-19. Losing a sports season cost many students their chance at a scholarship and a chance to update their personal records. Having one more season to go, upperclassmen prepare to show off their skills one last time to college coaches. “Junior year is critical for recruitment,” senior Abbie Schwieder said. “It was really hard to give colleges my sophomore year statistics when I had been planning to break my PR [personal record] by a lot in my junior year.” When the final months of school were canceled last year, all the spring sport athletes were affected. Athletes had put in years of training into their sports for this exact moment, and it was gone in an instant. Training for track season, a lot of
concentration and preparation are needed. Schwieder trains for track all year round. She prepares by being on a club pole vaulting team so she can be ready for her high school season. “It affected my team pretty greatly because we had been preparing for the season since May 28, 2019. So hearing that our season was cancelled was heartbreaking to our entire team because there was nothing we could do about it,” Schwieder said. This year, the school district sent lengthy documentation of COVID-19 protocols and guidelines to each team to follow. During practice, athletes must be masked up anytime they are not physically exerting themselves, and anytime at practice where students are standing around. Athletes are supposed to be masked up and social distanced as much as possible. The track team has come up with creative ways to socially distance themselves while practicing and preparing for their upcoming season. The coaches separate the athletes into groups of people they will be running with or in close contact with.
“During winter workouts, we always wear a mask, and we separate into smaller groups based on what event we do,” senior Aly Anderson said. As the track team separates based on what events the student competes in, some of the spring sports players have mixed emotions about going back to full in-person. These students fear the possibility of their seasons being canceled once again. Some are even taking precautions to switch to virtual learning so they can ensure that they are able to compete. “I personally am staying in-person, but I think going full in-person that there will be a bigger chance of spring sports being canceled again,” Anderson said. “A lot of the athletes are worried about being contact traced.” After the disappointment of losing a season last year, the soccer team is preparing for their upcoming season. The soccer players wear their masks while sitting out of plays and spreading apart anytime they are not physically exerting themselves, so they can make sure to have a season.
Spring Fun Has Begun
Farm Market & Gardens Opening April 1 Annual Flower Sale Online Ordering Begins 03/22/21 Pick Up April 16 & 17 www.shopthefarmershouse.org 23200 N. Highway 273 | Weston, MO www.thefarmershouse.org
Getting ready to steal the ball, junior Paige Chase comes in from the side to help defend. Chase has played center for the past three years of high school. Photo by Allen Ainsworth Running from end zone to end zone, senior Thomas Guthrie runs a 100 meter sprint. Guthrie ran solo to prepare for the season. Photo by Allen Ainsworth
“I was very upset because we had a promising season,” senior Kylene Loy said. “We lost a lot of good seniors, and we had some players who didn’t get a chance to play vasirsty, so now they lack experience.” Accepted to Park University with an athletic scholarship, Loy said she is excited for her final season as a high school athlete. “I am excited to play because I haven’t played school soccer for a while, and I am excited to play with all my senior friends because we will all be on varsity together, and I know the potential that we have as a team,” Loy said. The girls soccer team is taking many precautions to keep their season going and making sure they limit the number of the girls being contact traced. To do so, the team was given a list of protocols which include proper mask wearing and social distancing on the field. They must follow the rules in order for them to play in their games this season. “The rules are: masks on at all times while on the field and school grounds,
besides during practice,” senior Allie Corbin said. “We stay socially distanced as much as we can, and we have to bring our own water bottles.” Having only two weeks of practice before school was shut down last year, senior Alex McClure played summer baseball to help him recover from his season being canceled. “It affected [my college decision] a little bit because I didn’t have stats from junior year, and I’m sure other people didn’t get to show off their stats for college coaches,” McClure said. “But I played summer baseball, and that helped a lot.” This year, the baseball team prepares for a new season in a new way to keep their players healthy. The baseball team plans on separating their varsity and junior varsity teams so they have more space to be socially distanced. Any time the team is not in play, they are wearing their masks. McClure said he is excited for his final season with the high school team, and he is setting goals for himself and his team.
13. March 2021
“Some goals are to win conference and win districts,” McClure said. “I think we will win our conference, and then we’ll see how this season goes. I don’t really have any concerns about the season. I think it will be pretty good.” Practicing social distancing and properly wearing face coverings will lower the number of students who are quarantined. Athletic Director Gabe Middleton said he is eager for spring to come around, and he is confident there will be more kids who commit to play at a higher level once the spring season is over. “The senior class and just our school in general right now have some very talented students who compete in athletics and activities, so I see no reason that fall and winter success will stop,” Middleton said. “Personally, I have coached kids in track for the past 16 years, and I know the potential of this year’s track team. I will say that I am very excited for spring because of the potential I see out there. I hope we have a really good spring.”
Setting up to kick, senior Ryanne Rhude passes to a teammate during the first week of practice. Rhude plays center defense. Photo by Allen Ainsworth
Taking the attention of the team, coach Courtland Ingram shows the proper pole vaulting form. Breaking the school record her first year, Ingram coached senior Abbie Schwieder to success. Photo by Allen Ainsworth
14. Sports & Wellness
A Different KIND OF WORKOUT
Unique ways to stay in shape
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Written by Sophia Zimmerman
taying in shape or doing physical activity regularly could be a challenge for those who haven’t found an activity that best suits them. Common sports and activities may not be best for everyone. Finding interesting or different ways to stay in shape may be difficult for some, so here are a few unique activities students do. Yoga is a practice that includes breath control, simple movements and certain posture. According to the American Osteopathic Association, yoga is beneficial to physical health by increasing flexibility, muscle strength, tone, reducing injuries and weight reduction. “I like that it’s very adjustable,” freshman Sydney Sullins said. “You can do what feels comfortable for you, and that makes it more of a personal experience.” There are different types of yoga that can fit different people’s styles of physical activity. “I think there is something for everybody,” Sullins said. Another activity that has something for everyone is CrossFit. CrossFit is a fitness program that mixes elements from different sports and exercises. “It’s a mix of strength and endurance workouts,” senior Halle Magee said. “There is running, rowing, rope climbing and rock climbing.” According to the CrossFit website, CrossFit training focuses on improving health, adaptable workouts and community. CrossFit training is done in classes or organized groups. “It’s like a workout community,” Magee said. “Since you are working out around other people, it makes you want to go more to talk and hang out with people.”
On the tennis courts at Seven Bridges, senior Raena Sinclair takes a picture with her roller skates. Sinclair bought herself skates for Christmas. Photo contributed by Raena Sinclair
Unlike CrossFit, chopping wood is an activity often done alone. According to James January, Marshfield Clinic Health System physical therapist, chopping wood engages your abdominals, glutes, muscles along your back and triceps. “It’s very stress-relieving,” senior Owen Wilkins said. “I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who would get scared because you have to hit the wood hard, and it can be dangerous.” Roller skating is an activity that can be done alone or with other people. According to the International Roller Skating Association, roller skating is equivalent to jogging in terms of reduction of body fat and leg strength development. It’s also a lot easier on the joints than jogging or running. “It’s not my main source of exercise,” senior Raena Sinclair said. “It’s something relaxing I do for fun, and I like that I get to go outside.” Sinclair also said she listens to music because it makes her feel like she is at an actual skating rink while skating rinks are closed due to COVID-19. “I have a roller skating playlist,” Sinclair said. “It has a lot of disco and pop on it.” “Just Dance” is a video game that features many popular songs. Players mimic the dance moves to try and beat their friends or their own high score. “I really like playing ‘Just Dance’ because I break a sweat while having fun,” sophomore Hannah Mand said. “It’s more fun than other physical activities because you have more room to do what you want.” “Just Dance” has a lot of fast movements that make for a good cardio workout. Mand also recommends this game for anyone who enjoys music or dancing. Rowing is a great activity for people
Dancing to the beat, sophomore Hannah Mand works out with “Just Dance” on the PlayStation. Mand said “Just Dance 2017” contained the best music. Photo contributed by Hannah Mand
who enjoy being outside enjoying the scenery. According to the Better Health Channel, kayaking improves cardiovascular fitness, increases muscle strength in mainly the upper body and is a low-impact sport. “It’s really fun to go out on the water and enjoy the view,” senior Abbey Rolofson said. “But it also is a good workout. It doesn’t feel like a lot of work, but I’m always sore the next day.” This activity might be a little more challenging to learn and initially get into. “Fencing is like sword fighting but no one gets hurt,” sophomore Isabella Hughes said. Fencing is a sport that involves the use of a sword; it’s a competition involving mental and physical combat. “I highly recommend fencing,” Hughes said. “It keeps your body fit and your mind sharp.” Hughes also said that she loves that she gets to explain fencing to people because even if someone knows what fencing is, they don’t know what all goes into it like she does. “When you find a unique sport, it’s a common language,” coach Courtland Ingram said. “It can connect you with people from other cultures.” Hands on the paddle, senior Abbey Rolofson kayaks in the lake at Lakes of Oakmont. Rolofson used her brother’s kayak after he left for college. Photo contributed by Abbey Rolofson