Friday, Dec. 11, 2019

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The official student newspaper of Battle High School

Volume 4, Collection 5 Muriel Williams Battle High School

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Shooting for Success

By: Jackson Meyer On Saturday night the boys basketball team played in front of a rowdy crowd at Mizzou Arena against Raytown South. This was the first time the Norm Stewart Classic was held at Mizzou Arena, as it was formerly held at Columbia College.

The Norm Stewart Classic lets teams see how they shape up against evenly matched opponents early in

Boys basketball competes in annual Norm Stewart Competition the season. The games are played to raise money for the Coaches vs Cancer Foundation.

Battle’s opponent Raytown South has been a powerhouse in the Kansas City area for the past decade and bring full-court pressure nearly all game. Raytown South continued that trend and gave the Spartans a fit on the offensive side of the ball.

The game was a constant back and

POLL UP TO VOTE

Battle students design “I voted” stickers for upcoming election

forth affair.

Battle struggled to find its shot early in the game due to Raytown South’s ferocious defense, but in the second half, Battle was able to find the bottom of the net with some consistency. Senior guard Maricus Grant stepped up late in the game with his speed in transition, as well as his ability to find the open man.

Senior guard Zh’Vaughn Ward also

had a few crucial baskets in the fourth quarter. With the game at 60-59 with 14 seconds to go with Raytown South in the lead, the Spartans had one last opportunity to win the game.

Unfortunately, the Spartans were not able to convert and lost the game in heartbreaking fashion. The game did not end without its fair share of controversy though.

Story continued on A7.

Above: Maricus Grant guarding Raytown South’s point guard (Colten Stone).

Crafts, Coffee, and Cold Weather Future Business Leaders of America hosts vendor fair

By: Ava Kitzi

The real incentive for casting your vote in local elections? The free sticker.

Columbia Public Schools (CPS) students had the chance to design their own “I Voted” sticker, one of which would be chosen to be the featured design on the 2020 Boone County voting stickers. Out of over 130 contestants, two Battle students, Audrey Cornell and Tanner Richardson, made it to the last round of selection, where students were then able to vote on their favorite design.

“I think it is very important to be an active voter,” Richardson, 17, said.

Voting stickers have been

proven to boost voters’ sense of community, contributing to participation in following years. “I’ll be voting when I turn 18,” Richardson expressed.

Cornell also said she is invested in voting and the democratic process in America. “I just learned about (the voting process) in history class. I just turned 17, but I’ll definitely be voting in the 2020 election.”

Not only did participants have to be invested in the voting process, they have to have an eye for art and design.

Story continued on page A2.

Hot Chocolate for Charity

Teaching class sells hot chocolate

By: Kalea Baker On Dec. 6, the Teaching Professions class at the Career Center sold hot chocolate to raise money for the Voluntary Action Committee (VAC) Adopt a Child holiday program.

This program allows groups of people to choose a child or family who is in need of gifts. The money they raised goes to providing Christmas gifts for that child or family.

Gillian Frazier, junior and member of the teaching professions class, along with a couple of other students, planned this fundraiser for the holidays.

“Everybody likes hot chocolate so it’s a super easy way to raise money for a good cause,” Frazier said.

Hannah Greenplate, Teaching Professions teacher, created a sign up sheet so that students could sign up and bring hot chocolate mix and other toppings such as marshmallows, chocolate

NEWS & FEATURES

chips, whipped cream, and peppermint sticks.

Several students walked around the career center stopping by each classroom asking teachers and students if they would like to purchase a cup of hot chocolate to support the adopt a child organization.

There are many benefits of doing fundraisers such as these to help children in our community who are in need.

“It’s really nice because we get to raise money for a kid to make their Christmas a little more joyful,” Frazier said.

According to the VAC, “We had over 950 families to be adopted during the 2019 holiday program and every family has been adopted.”

There are many ways to give back to the community and spread a little holiday spirit such as adopting a family or child for the holidays.

Above: Vendors chat with shoppers. The vendors sold a wide variety of holiday items including t-shirts, ornaments, wine glasses, and more (Kenny Miller).

By: Kenny Miller On Dec. 7, members of the Battle community came out to support the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) vendor fair. The fair has been put on for many years around Christmas time and allows people to shop for last minute gifts during the holidays. Among the vendors, people can buy health care items, decor, and other small items and help the FBLA chapter with their future projects.

The Battle FBLA has put on a successful fair for many years but for Sawyer Wade, the new lead adviser of FBLA, it was a nerve racking day.

“Melanie Leary established the FBLA Craft Fair. She set up a great tradition that was hard to

WASHINGTON, DC by Kenny Miller TEDX by Colten Stone LINK CREW by Leah Freeman HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN by Kaitlyn Bailey A+ by Andrew Madsen SENIOR APPS by Nic Myers VENDOR FAIR by Kenny Miller VOTING STICKERS by Ava Kitzi HOT CHOCOLATE by Kalea Baker VAPING LESSONS by Andrew Madsen PREFERRED PRONOUNS by Kaitlyn Bailey SNOW DAYS by Kenny Miller FINALS PREP by Jacob DeOrnellas FINALS CARTOON by Leah Freeman ACT SCORES by Kaitlyn Bailey GOODWILL EXCEL CENTER by Kaitlyn Bailey FINALS TIPS by Kalea Baker

follow,” Wade said.

Even though Leary was not there, Wade said he thought it was important to host the vendor fair and follow her footsteps.

“The fair is a great way for students to participate in a hands-on event,” Wade said. “Not only did FBLA students run the concessions, help vendors set up their booths, create marketing materials, and collaborate with their peers, but they also observed over 40 vendors run their own businesses.”

The organization strives to provide handson experience within the business industry through competitions, conferences, and more.

The money raised during the event helps students

IN THIS ISSUE...

SPORTS

attend those events. Cindy Thomas, customer, said she continues to come back for many reasons.

“I always love to attend the fair. It is nice to see all the crafts and to support the club. There’s always something interesting to find and it’s always a good time.”

John Hixon, member of FBLA, said he appreciates the people who continue to show support to FBLA. He said the money received has allowed him to have many opportunities within the industry he hopes to pursue in the future.

“FBLA helps me prepare for my future. I want to own a business someday, so FBLA means a lot to me,” Hixon said. The fair allows us to continue the club so

MIZZOU OPINIONS by Jackson Meyer & Kenny Miller FOOTBALL WRAPUP by Connor Parrish NORM STEWART BOYS by Jackson Meyer NORM STEWART GIRLS by Connor Parrish PAIGE MAGEE SIGNS by Connor Parrish

I’m happy we do it every year.”

Despite a few hundred shoppers and lots of positive comments, Wade said he believes there are still ways to improve in the future.

“I have heard many positive reviews from vendors and visitors at this year’s event. Every year, we receive constructive feedback for what to do next year. After listening to their ideas, it’s clear what needs to be done to make the event even better for the next holiday season,” Wade said.

There is no set date for next year’s Vendor Fair; however, Battle plans to continue the tradition for many years.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

TARZAN REVIEW by Colten Stone TARZAN TECH by Ava Kitzi DISNEY+ by Nic Myers AP DRAWING by Jennifer Pereyra PROJECT SMILE by Rachel Eaton NEW YEARS by Nathan Stever HOLIDAY TRAVELS by Aaron Melville

A2

News

By: Kaitlyn Bailey

Preferred Pronouns

Proper pronoun usage encouraged by experts

Kelsey Pegg is among the thousands of people who conclude their emails with four simple words: They/them/ their pronouns.

“Including your pronouns, whether or not someone asks, allows for two things. First, it makes it clear what your pronouns are right away. It doesn’t leave it up for discussion, and it doesn’t allow them to assume someone’s gender identity based off their appearance,” Pegg, a provisionally licensed professional counselor at the Counseling Hub, said. “Second, it allows for a space where people are comfortable to share their gender identity.”

International Pronouns Day was recognized on Oct. 21 and takes place on the third Wednesday of October each year. According to their website, they strive to make “respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.” Pegg noted, however, that even though there are advocates that promote inclusion for non-binary people, discrimination is still prominent.

“People are forced to pick between female or male bathrooms, some school systems refuse to change students names if they decide to change names, and people don’t always respect pronoun choice,” Pegg said. “It has a huge toll on mental health.”

41.8 percent of non-binary people have attempted sucide at some point in their life, and the numbers are expected to rise, according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Jessica Tappanna, a licensed clinical social worker in mental health at Aspire Counseling, said she can understand why this might be the case.

“When you don’t address someone by their preferred pronoun, you’re not acknowledging who they are and they won’t feel seen or heard,” Tappanna said. “When we affirm a person’s gender identity, the percentage of attempted suicides will come back to baseline because the person feels heard and seen in who they are, and they can go about dealing with all of the normal plethora of stressors that come with being an adolescent.”

Tappanna also added that they are more likely to focus in school because they aren’t worried about what people will think of them, or whether they will be heard and respected.

Columbia Public Schools (CPS), is among the many school districts taking action to prevent discrimination in classrooms. Michelle Baumstark, CPS spokeswoman, said the school district revised the district discrimination policy several years ago to include gender identity and expression.

“Columbia Public Schools believes in providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students so that they may be successful,” Buamstark said in an email.

The district policy states, “In accordance with law, the district strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment against employees, students, or others on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, genetic information or any other characteristic protected

by law.”

CPS also offers clubs such as Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), which provides a safe and supportive enviroment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students.

Pegg believes these support groups are a good first step; however, they said there is still a lot of work to do.

“When I was in high school, I feel like we had a GSA club, but I think the fact that I don’t remember it, is a testament itself that it wasn’t that big of a deal and that we didn’t really have those support groups,” Pegg said. “But I feel like we don’t talk about the importance of why we use pronouns and how to use pronouns in school. I think sometimes that can be as simple as teaching students like you would teach students in a normal classroom so that we can spread awareness about the topic.”

Jordan Richards, a support counselor at the Center Project, an organization that focuses on the needs of LGBTQ individuals, believes another step people can take to make non-binary members feel included is to stop viewing preferred pronouns, as “preferred.”

“It’s not a “preferred pronoun,” it’s just a pronoun. This is because it’s not optional, it’s my identity and it’s how I should be addressed,” Richards said.

If you need someone to talk to regarding gender identity, you can call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.

Poll Up to Vote

Story continued from page A1 By: Ava Kitzi While Richardson learned about the contest through his Career Center graphic design class, Cornell got the information from her history teacher Kelly Gaskins. According to Cornell, Gaskins offered extra credit to any of her students that submitted a design.

“Our entire democracy unit was designed to break down the election process,” Gaskins explained. “Through this I hope students were able to make connections through their own life and become interested in the voting process.”

“What really inspired me was my love for calligraphy,” Cornell explained on her intentions with her design.

Cornell’s design features sleek strokes of red and white in the background with a blue outline of Missouri on top. Then, in black

handwriting, the words “I voted” To get your “I Voted” sticker were written. “It only took me one next year, be sure to register to class period and all I did was hand vote at https://www.usa.gov/ draw it and submit it online.” register-to-vote.

“I tried to take inspiration from previous stickers. I tried to keep it simple and appeal to all people,” Richardson said about his design.

The sticker was indeed more simplistic, with a single red, white, and blue stripe in the background with the words “I Voted” in the middle with bold letters, on top of an outline of Boone County.

On Nov. 19, after community voting was closed, the winner of the contest was announced.

Cornell received the most votes, earning her design to be the face of the 2020 Boone County election stickers.

“I am beyond happy and surprised that I won and I couldn’t have done it without Ms. Gaskins and everyone who voted,” she said.

Tanner Richardson’s voting sticker

Audrey Cornell’s winning voting sticker.

Education: ACT Scores

ACT score improvements and declines from 2018 to 2019.

By: Kaitlyn Bailey Students in Columbia Public Schools (CPS) scored higher on average than their national peers on the American College Testing (ACT) exam in 2019; however, the district’s average decreased slightly compared to 2018, according to a report.

In the report, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) reported approximately 89.8 percent of CPS students took the district wide test in April, and received an average composite score of 21.4 on the exam. That average is slightly higher than the national average of 20.6; however, is slightly less than the average composite score in 2018. In 2018, CPS students earned an average composite score of 21.7.

In the individual testing categories, the report also noted that CPS students were above the national average in all four testing sections. The average ACT scores in CPS was 20.7 in english, 20.9 in mathematics, 21.7 in reading, and 21.8 in science. Nationwide that compared to 20.1 on english, 20.4 on mathematics, 21.2 in reading, and 20.6 on science.

Columbia Public Schools began administering the ACT test to nearly all of its high school juniors in 2016.

David H. Hickman High School’s average ACT score for 2019 was 22.1, a drop from 22.6 in the 2018 school year, according to the report.

Students at Hickman High School, scored above the national average on all four individual sections. The average score was 21.2 in English, 21.5 in mathematics, 22.6 in reading, and 22.6 in science, the report said. Among 346 students that were tested for 2019, 190 students qualified at or above the national average of 20.7, according DESE. The highest average composite score within the last six years was 2015, the report said. Hickman had an average composite of 24, with 51.3 percent of students qualifying at or above the national average of 20.1 during the 2015 school year.

Out of 67 testors at Frederick Douglass High School, four qualified at or above the national average. The average ACT score at the high school was 17.1, the report said.

That average is the highest it’s been since 2016, beating last

year’s average composite of 15.6, according to the report.

Students scored an average of 15.8 in English, 16.2 in mathematics, 17.6 in reading, and 18.2 in science, DESE said in the report.

At Battle High School, the report showed an average composite score of 18.8, a decrease from 19.6 during the 2018 school year. According to records collected since 2015, 2015 had the highest average composite score. The average ACT score was 20.7, according to online records.

Composite scores within the individual sections did not meet the national average in all four sections. In English, students received an average of 17.6, followed by an average of 18.1 in mathematics. In reading, the average was 19.4, and in science, an average of 19.5. Among 322 students who took the test in April, 90 students qualified at or above the national average, the records said.

Rock Bridge students received an average score of 22.8, a slight drop from 22.9 in 2018, according to the records. Among 451 students who took the April test, 57.4 percent of students qualified at or above the national average. 259 students were among those that qualified.

Test scores have taken a slight drop since 2017. The average composite during the 2017 school year was 24.1.

Students received a 22.5 in English, 22.6 in mathematics, 22.7 in reading, and 22.9 in science, exceeding the national average in all four sections of the test.

The report shows the state has an average composite score of 20.8, putting them slightly ahead of the national average. In Missouri, three individual sections are above the national average. The average ACT score was 20.3 on English, 21.3 on reading, and 20.8 on science. Mathematics is the only section that did not meet the national average, with a score of 20.2.

The reports also show only 25 percent

of Missouri graduates met all four ACT college readiness benchmarks, a measure of college and career readiness.

That’s down seven percent from the 2018 school year.

Still, Missouri students are reaching the individual benchmarks. 68 percent of 2020 Missouri graduates reached the English college readiness benchmark of 18. 43 percent of students reached the mathematics college readiness benchmark of 22. Likewise, 49 percent of students reached the reading benchmark of 22, followed by 43 percent of students who reached the science benchmark of 23.

According to Statista.com, Missouri’s ACT averages were ranked fourteenth among all 50 states. In the Midwest, Missouri is ranked seven out of 13. At the top is Michigan with an average composite of 24.4, followed by 24.3 in Illinois. At the bottom is North Dakota with an average of 19.9.

News A3

Goodwill Excel Center

Giving adults a second chance at a high school diploma

By: Kaitlyn Bailey While Goodwill is known for its thrift stores, Cody Chamberlain remembers Goodwill for something much deeper-the chance to confront a lingering regret.

“I’ve just been beating myself up about it. Like why did I quit, why did I quit,” Chamberlain explained.

A drop out of Fulton High School in Fulton, MO, Chamberlain has been working full-time at Waffle House. So when he heard about the Goodwill Excel Center, he couldn’t help but call instantly.

“I was wanting to go back to school, but it’s very expensive for people over 21,” Chamberlain said. “So when I found out I had an opportunity like this, I wanted to take advantage of it and it’s been amazing.”

In 2017, former Gov. Eric Greitens signed the bipartisan legislation that allowed MERS Goodwill, a nonprofit most commonly known for its thrift stores, to open four adult high schools in Missouri.

The Columbia school opened in October of this year, and is the fourth in the state of Missouri.

The school provides free daycare, free parking, free transportation, and access to a cafeteria. The school also has daytime and nighttime classes to accommodate work schedules, according to Mike Reynolds, the schools director.

“We want to take away as many roadblocks as we can so students can achieve their dreams,” Reynolds explained.

“I think taking away the roadblock of no childcare, no fees and no expense, and no transportation, has been very helpful when it comes to our enrollment.”

Currently 155 students are enrolled at the Excel Center. Students at the Excel Center are required to earn the same 24 credits as any student in the state of Missouri would, according to Reynolds. This includes one credit of physical education, and a semester of both personal finance and health.

Leeanne Hendrick, english teacher, says

“We want to take away as many roadblocks as we can so the students here can achieve their dreams.”

Let it Snow

Columbia Public Schools issues in a new Snow Day Rule By: Kenny Miller In 2018, Missouri saw an unusual amount of snow, causing Columbia Public Schools (CPS) to take more snow days then they have had in the last four years combined. Because of this, CPS has implemented a new snow day policy to help make sure students will still be in school and won’t lose learning hours due to snow days. According to the new policy, April 23, 2020 will be used as a full day if there is more than five snow days.

Currently, the day is set to be an early release day.

Assistant Principal Adam Taylor, said the district looked at many different factors before deciding to implement the new policy.

“The Department of Education looks at how many days and minutes students are in class. April 23 makes it, so if we have a bad winter, we will still have the required minutes

this is a good thing.

“Because we are focusing on mastery, rather than just come and sit in a seat and warm it, we are making sure our students are ready to either go into college or into another program,” Hendrick said. “We want to help our workforce, and part of that is making sure they know the skills they need to do well in the community.”

The school also provides life coaches, similar to counselors, for students to talk to about their life or classes.

Hendrick says much of what they do, other than teaching students content, is selfconfidence building.

“I hope when you talk to our students they tell you this is nothing like what it was in high school,” Hendrick said. “We work on the whole person, rather than just the education side of things. That’s really important because some of our students have drawn conclusions about themselves

of school time.”

Taylor also mentioned that he is neutral towards the new rule.

“I can’t say if I am for or against it until I see how it plays out. If it helps students stay in class then I will be happy with it.”

Some teachers are also in favor of the rule. Alexander Howell, an engineering teacher at Battle and the Columbia Area Career Center (CACC), is among the teachers that support the new policy.

“I think it’s a great idea. If this can get us out of going to school in June, I’m all for it,” Howell said on the new policy.

He added that he has kids of his own and if school gets pushed back to June it’s harder for him to get someone to watch them.

Howell said he also hopes CPS will keep finding new ways to expand this policy.

Howell said “Currently we are in school longer than other districts so I think finding more ways to trim down the year would make it better,”

Many Students are also in favor of this policy.

Gavin Lusby, junior, likes the rule.

“If it takes off a half day to makeup for a whole day at the end of the year, then I think it’s a good thing.”

Lusby also added that he is against going to school in June, and thinks the district can do more to make sure summer starts earlier. .

“If we use this new rule effectively then it would help keep us out of June,” Lusby said.

Families in CPS are excited about the new policy and hopes CPS will use it in the future.

that aren’t true, and we try to dispose of those things that they have believed about themselves for many years now and reassure them that they can do it.”

As for Chamberlain, he plans to attend Moberly Area Community College to study business.

“After all of this is said and done, I’m excited for what’s gonna happen after this,” Chamberlain said.

There are an estimated 500,000 adults, age 21 and older, without a high school diploma in Missouri. In Columbia Public Schools, 139 students dropped out of high school in 2017, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

You can find more information at mersgoodwill.com or by calling the Excel Center at 573-499-1220.

New Years

Celebrations across the country for the new decade By: Nathan Stever The end of the decade is quickly approaching with the resurgence of the 20’s right around the corner. The New Years celebrations will shortly begin. The strike of 12 on the clock will bring joy to many people’s faces as the new year begins.

New Year’s has always been something to look forward to. Many people in the United States will watch the ball drop in New York and open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the occasion. Soon after the clock strikes midnight, many people will fall asleep and wake up with new ambitions for the new year, also known as New Year’s resolutions.

These may consist of anything from eating healthier, or getting better grades in school.

Many people, however, will only be able to stay true to their resolutions for a few weeks.

China celebrates New Year a lot more than other countries. The Chinese New Year has no set date, but it is most commonly celebrated in late January. The celebration consists of many festivities like

parades, games, and meals. On the day of the celebration, the world’s biggest display of fireworks will be set off, despite a ban on fireworks because of the bad pollution in China.

France celebrates the New Year much like America does. They begin with a meal, and continue with french desserts, all while having champagne. Many go clubbing or spend their time with friends or family.

When the new year begins, the crack of fireworks and the cheers of people fill the air. The president of France makes his new years greetings on live television as a way of congratulating the French for making it another year.

With 2019 coming to a close, a new year full of new possibilities approaches. New Years is celebrated differently around the world and some countries share traditions, while others are very different.

Glimpses Around School Clubs and Activities around Battle High School

Spearhead Staff

Mina Chen focuses during Knitting Club.

Contact Information Post: The Spearhead Battle High School 7575 East St. Charles Road Columbia, Missouri 65202

EMT worker gives the Science Club a tour of the ambulance.

The Battle Show Choir perform during the eighth grade tour.

Visit: Room H214A. 3B Click: spartanspearhead.com Email: BHSspearhead@gmail.com Gram: @bhs_spearhead Tweet: @BHS_Spearhead

Staff Writers: Kalea Baker, Mackenzie Banks, Marazul Bullard, Haily Cook, Jacob DeOrnellas, Rachel Eaton, Leah Freeman, Daniel Groves, Angela Guillen, Sunkha Kimhang, Ava Kitzi, Andrew Madsen, Aaron Melville, Ian Melville, Jackson Meyer, Kenny Miller, Nic Myers, Connor Parrish, Jennifer Pereyra, Lillian Skaggs, Nathan Stever, and Madison Wiles.

Editor-in-Chief Kaitlyn Bailey

Managing Editor Colten Stone

A4

News

Journalism Heads to the Capital Journalism students travel to Washington, DC for conference

By: Kenny Miller On Wed., Nov. 20, high school students around the world traveled to Washington, District of Columbia (D.C.) to experience a whole new world of Journalism. On the trip students got to visit famous landmarks, memorials and museums in Washington, D.C. The students also got to go to a convention where they attended journalist sessions to learn more about the field of journalism and competed against other journalists in certain categories. According to most of the students, the trip was a dream come true and was an experience they will never forget.

For most students, it was their first time traveling to Washington D.C., but for Journalism teacher Anne Borgmeyer it was a familiar place.

“I have been to D.C. many times.

I used to go when I was their age, but I have never taken students to D.C., which made me a bit nervous,” Borgmeyer said.

This was the second time Borgmeyer has taken students to the Journalism Education Association ( JEA) convention. She said she believes the experience allows her students to grow as journalists, which is why she decided to come back this year.

“I took a group last year to this convention and they learned so much. It is a great experience and will help students grow as journalists,” Borgmeyer said.

Students have been waiting for this trip for many months and for managing editor Colten Stone, the wait was well worth it.

“It was a trip I will never forget. I got to hang out with some old and new friends and I will always have great memories of this trip,” Stone expressed.

As a third year journalism student, Stone added that it was a new experience that allowed him to meet a lot of new people.

“The fact we got to see all the famous landmarks wasn’t the best part, it was getting to spend four days with my best friends and favorite journalists,” Stone said.

La’Trell Dollinger, member of Battle’s yearbook staff also attended the trip. Dollinger stated that it was his first time leaving Missouri in over 10 years.

“Going into the trip I was so excited to get out of Missouri for a bit and see something new. I’m so glad I was able to step out of my comfort zone and go on this amazing trip,” Dollinger said.

Journalists on the trip attended learning sessions taught by current journalism teachers around the world.

Dollinger specifically took classes geared toward design, which he said was useful.

“The convention was great. I picked up some great things about design that

I will try to use this year,” Dollinger said.

Kaitlyn Bailey, Addison Gish and Nic Myers placed in their competitions. You can find more results at jea.org.

Left: Students pose in front of their hotel. Right: Kenny Miller and Sunkha Kimhang report from the Neweum news desk.

Bottom: Students pose in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

TEDx Returns to Battle

Students prepare to showcase stories and perspectives By: Colten Stone TEDx Battle last appeared in 2017, it is making its Production class has the opportunity to help design the set- only student speaker that still remains at Battle, as she was return to the high school. The conference, also known as up and props for the event. Those props will be showcased a freshman. Her story shared her story of moving to the the Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference, will to the audience on the day of, which is scheduled for April United States to Morocco. mark the third TEDx Battle held at the school. TEDx is 2020.

“When I did it as a freshman, I was really nervous because an event where people come together to not only come William Palmer, drama teacher, will not be involved in I didn’t know if I wanted to share my story to everyone, but together as one, but to listen to motivational speakers and TEDx this year, however, he has been involved in previous once I started saying it, I felt good and it impacted so many their personal stories on stage. two TEDx events.The props and decorations are diligently people. Even people who did not go to Battle heard my The theme is “Fueling The Fire.” Matt Leutchmann, prepared to help convey the theme in the best way, he says. story and that’s good that people know it,” Bellaoui said. gifted teacher, said students chose this theme because Wake “It works with the type of space required by TEDx,” Bellaoui does not plan to speak at the conference this Up Interact club members wanted to know the topics and Palmer said. year as of December; however, she hopes to still take part ideas students are passionate about in the community.

He also mentioned how that he is excited to see the in the event in any way she can.

Leauthmann believes there are many positives to the return of the event, an event that had an impact on his life “I might do it again this year, but if not, I would love to event, which is why he looks forward to the conference during the 2017 event. be able to host it if I can. I have people who actually come returning this year.

“I am extremely excited for it to be back, it gives students up to me about helping them out with their stories that “The community and ideas and inspiring stories that an amazing opportunity to share their life stories to the they want to tell,” Bellaoui said. “I tell them that you don’t come from it is special, what the students hear when they people here at our school. In the past, I’ve gotten to see the want to tell your story as if it were a script, but you want to are telling their stories -- it inspires us and it’s a good students really grow in their stories, and the development say it as it it it coming from inside you.” feeling,” Leutchmann said. “The students have taken it of their stories as they are presenting them. It’s a pretty TEDx Battle will occur on April 10 next semester. [organizing the event] with a heavy workload and I’m nice feeling,” Palmer said. excited to see it return.”

Aya Bellaoui, was among the many students who took Despite being several months in advance, the Theatre time out of their day to share her story in 2017. She is the

The Most Stressful Time of the Year Students and teachers weigh in on preparing for finals

By: Jacob DeOrnellas With only a month left in the first semester, finals are quickly approaching. The question is, how are finals affecting the minds and effort of students?

Susie Adams, U.S. history teacher, stated what she has noticed in her classes throughout the first semester.

“I always see a decrease in student effort between mid-October and the end of November. But then effort from students begins to spike after Thanksgiving break because of a panic right before final exams,” Adams said.

On the other hand, Hannah Nandor, chemistry teacher, said she notices the opposite. “The effort is always bouncing back and forth as effort at the beginning of a unit is poor, but once we start closing in on the unit test, the effort starts to bubble up again.”

Adams explained that students should start preparing as soon as possible for finals. She says it would help curve anxiety before the test.

“Students should start preparing early and finish missing assignments to get grades up so that they’ll be more ready when finals start,” Adams explained.

“Students will get overwhelmed

and frustrated when they try to get everything done at the last minute which should be avoided.”

Nandor, however, poised a second point of view, explaining that students shouldn’t start studying early. “I think that students should always keep studying on their radar, but it’s a bit early. Instead, students should just focus on the task at hand so that they’re not overloaded with information from the whole semester.”

Devan Kelley, junior, says he is finishing tasks as they have it, rather than preparing ahead of time. “ I honestly feel fine about finals right now and am focusing on keeping a steady pace with school work for my classes,” Kelley said, mirroring Nandor’s message.

Battle High Schools offers many opportunities to start preparing for upcoming tests. Teachers also give before-school and afterschool opportunities to get help.

Students can also take advantage of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) study sessions after school on Tuesday and Thursday in room G207.

Illustration by: Leah Freeman

News A5

Linking the High School Transition Link Crew leaders help freshman with tough transitions

By: Leah Freeman The transition from middle school to high school is one of the most challenging transitions a student will make.

It’s important for freshmen to know that their first year of high school is one of their most important years. High school holds students accountable for all of their work, and responsibilities in and out of the classroom. Guidance from older students, staff members, and parents could possibly be needed.

At first, high school could seem like a blur. In a new environment, it could be difficult to know who to trust when a problem occurs, or who to ask questions. Our staff understands that. Staff members like Samantha Symonds, Rebecca Wallace, Alexander Huck, and other representatives decided to introduce a program to help out the freshmen in our school.

The program is called Link Crew. Link Crew was made for juniors and seniors to guide, mentor, and be a friend to freshmen as they develop throughout their first year of

high school.

During advisory classes, Link Crew Leaders have lessons to present, and daily activities to do with their freshmen like reading for twenty minutes, grade checks, social checks, goal checks, and planner checks. These daily activities are to be done during each advisory class period. The daily activities help freshmen stay on task, stay productive, and introduce problems that might occur in their lives, so they know how to handle it. An important job a Link Crew Leader has is to help freshmen manage their grades. Alicia Weber, freshman, mentioned that having a Link Crew leader has helped her tremendously with her grades.

“I feel like we should have more Link Crew Leaders,” Weber said. Having more Link Crew Leaders in each freshman advisory class could indeed spread more knowledge and help freshmen stay productive during their advisory classes.

Even though it’s important as a Link Crew Leader to

AVID Seniors Prepare

Vaping Lessons

Seniors use skills from AVID for college selection

Biology students learn about vaping

By: Nic Myers

After a lengthy fall semester and applying to several schools, the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) seniors are beginning to narrow down their decisions in hopes of picking the best school for them. During the last portion of first semester, many colleges and universities require students to make a decision on whether or not they want to attend.

During the first semester of AVID 12, site coordinator and teacher Leslie Aguilar has students apply to at least five colleges. She said, “During the first semester of their senior year, Scholars can comb through the information they have gathered throughout high school and make a more informed decision on which college is the best fit with their intended major, cost, location, college size, and student activities offered.”

“I’m picking colleges that seem like places I could thrive and be successful at,” AVID senior Delaney Caton said about the

process of utilizing data gathered from past years.

Having information such as class size, tuition, and room and board options from past years helps students better understand the schools that they’re considering attending.

Once the process of finding and applying to colleges is over, then one of the five must be chosen.

Typically the student’s chosen major is the biggest deciding factor, but other factors may also influence such as tuition.

After the first semester ends and students have made their final decision, the search for scholarships begin.

“The biggest topics for second semester are scholarship applications and maintaining solid grades in their current classes.

Luckily we have volunteer mentors who work with our seniors to help them craft the best scholarship essays possible,” Aguilar said about what AVID students will be working on during second semester.

AVID senior Jania White

As the issue of vaping starts to rise, biology teachers around the school have come up with ways to teach students about the dangers and effects while also keeping the main lessons of the course at the forefront.

In biology, during the Homeostasis and Cell Membrane unit, teachers link objectives to vaping.

Teachers have students create diagrams on how vaping affects parts of the body. Classes talk about the culture, effects, problems, and mechanism of vaping, all while focusing on the main topic: body systems.

The reason for this is because it helps the students learn about the unit in a more interesting and informative way.

“There was so much information about smoking and nicotine and how vaping was becoming a major factor amongst students that we thought this would not only serve to increase student’s interest but also let them teach themselves about how their body reacts

Current freshmen who are interested in joining AVID should see Leslie Aguilar with questions about the application process. Seniors who are not in AVID but are attending higher education are encouraged to check out the counseling page on the Battle website for an updated list of scholarships to apply to.

Explanations of the program

By: Andrew Madsen The A+ program is a good way for students to get college tuition funds, which for only the price of effort and hardwork, could save you and your family thousands of dollars. Here is how it benefits you and how it might not.

The A+ program is a tool for students who want to save money on college by completing tasks, like having at least a 2.5 GPA. Like how an Advanced Placement (AP) class can save you money if you meet a certain requirement. But A+ is free, and you don’t have to take any advanced classes to meet the requirements.

“A+ is a great program that offers two free years of community college for Missouri Students who meet the program requirements. Students have to maintain 95% attendance and a 2.5 GPA by the time they graduate as well as meeting a math test requirement (through EOC or ACT), perform 50 hours of community service, and having good citizenship,” Anna McMillen, counselor, said.

Getting A+ funds requires that you spend at least 50

By: Andrew Madsen

said, “It’s stressful to find a scholarship that fits you and if you have all of the requirements to apply for one.” Many scholarships depend on certain qualifications that different students may have and finding the right one can be challenging since there’s an overwhelming amount of them to apply for.

All of the hard work that these AVID seniors are putting in does eventually pay off. According to the National Student Clearinghouse from 2016 to 2018, 42 percent of low income and first generation AVID students graduate with a four year degree.

Get A+

hours tutoring throughout your high school career, as well as scoring proficient or advanced on the EOC for algebra 1, or an approved higher level end of course mathematics exam. If you did not pass an EOC for mathematics, you can score a 15-17 on the ACT and have a GPA of 3 or above to meet the requirements.

Emily Madsen, a Battle graduate, said “The A+ program helped me with paying for college, and it was an easy way to make free credit. I think it is a very easy and useful tool to use if you want to have assistance when paying for college.”

For some people, though, the 50 required hours of unpaid tutoring can be a frustrating challenge. “The tutoring is the least enjoyable part, but since we are given 4 years to complete it, it’s not that bad, and well worth the reward,” Marcus Campbell, sophomore and A+ student said.

If you would like to be a part of the A+ program, you can sign up via an application from an A+ coordinator, or a counselor.

when exposed to nicotine and addictive substances,” Brandon Wagner, biology teacher, said.

By teaching students about the consequences of using nicotine and addictive substances, Wagner argues that students are more likely to understand the unit than in the past.

“We noticed that students really struggled during our homeostasis and cell membrane unit because it was so dense with concepts that felt disconnected to the students’ everyday lives,” Wagner expressed.

The age requirement for buying a vape pen is 18, so Wagner also thought of this as a way for students to be able to defend or attack laws/policies with the evidence that they learned.

Sophomore Logan Tinsley said he believes this was a good strategy to keep students more interested in the topic.

“I like how we are doing vaping and the main topic of our unit, because it provides a lot more info and helps us make important life decisions off

of the things that we have learned,” Tinsley said. “I also think it made the unit more interesting than it would have been without it.”

Another sophomore Marcus Campell also emphasizes the importance of talking about the subject.

“Although I feel like it is a waste of time to be learning about vaping, I think it is an overall good idea because it can teach us about more than just vaping, it can teach us important decision making and how drugs affect our body,” Campbell explained.

According to the Missouri Department of Health and senior services, one in five middle and high school students in the state is addicted to e-cigarettes.

Missouri recently launched their campaign, Clear the Air, to encourage and teach teens about the consequences of using e-cigarettes.

6 12 4 3 57 8 10 12 14 9 11 13 18 1920 20 15 16 17 21 22 23 24 26 25 TAKE A CAR TOUR OF YOUR CITY'S LIGHTS.

GATHER CANNED GOODS TO DONATE TO YOUR LOCAL FOOD PANTRY.

DO ANY EXTRA CHORE OR HELP MAKE DINNER.

READ YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY BOOK.

TRY NOT TO COMPLAIN. WEAR A HAIR TIE ON YOUR WRIST. WHENEVER YOU COMPLAIN, SWITCH WRISTS TO BREAK THE HABIT.

DRINK HOT CHOCOLATE OR ANOTHER YUMMY BEVERAGE.

AT BEDTIME, THINK ABOUT THE BEST PART OF YOUR DAY. SHARE ABOUT IT WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE.

LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. ASK YOUR PARENTS TO TELL YOU A HOLIDAY STORY FROM WHEN THEY WERE YOUR AGE.

PLAY A GAME AS A FAMILY.

LEARN HOW OTHER COUNTRIES CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS.

CALL YOUR GRANDPARENTS OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE WHO LIVES OUT OF TOWN.

WATCH YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY MAKE A MOVIE WITH TEACHER YOUR FAMI.Y. A GIFT.

DO A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS. (EX. HOLD THE DOOR OPEN, BUY SOMEONE COFFEE, SET THE TABLE, COMPLIMENT YOUR SIBLING)

CLEAN UP IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR SHOVEL A NEIGHBORS DRIVE WAY FOR THEM.

HAND OUT CANDY CANES TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

Holiday Countdown By: Kaitlyn Bailey

keep freshmen on task, relationships with the freshmen is the most important thing. Once a relationship is built with the upper and lower classmen, the freshman could be more comfortable with asking their Link Crew Leader for help, advice, and mentoring.

“Link Crew Leaders are way cooler than I am, and have made peer relationships that I could never have with these students,” Jill Villasana said.

“I enjoy being a Link Crew Leader, I love helping out,” Kali Powell, junior, said. Powell also mentioned how she, and other Link Crew Leaders she knows, really enjoy the bonds that are made between them and their freshmen.

If Link Crew continue for years to come, it could build an even better community at Battle. With knowledge being spread from student to student, Link Crew helps prepare freshmen for the rest of highschool.

START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL. MAKE A LIST OF FIVE THINGS YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR TODAY.

MAKE HOLIDAY CARE PACKAGES FOR A NURSING HOME.

HANUKKAH

"FEED" SOMEONE'S PARKING METER WHILE THEY ARE SHOPPING DOWNTOWN.

WRITE THANK YOU LETTERS TO A LOCAL FIRE OR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WATCH THE POLAR EXPRESS.

CHRISTMAS DAY

BUILD A GINGERBREAD HOUSE.

GO WALK OUTSIDE. LISTEN TO ANIMALS SOUNDS AROUND YOU.

KWANZAA

A6

Sports

Perspectives on Mizzou Opinions on the football season

Football Recap

By: Jackson Meyer It’s Aug. 31, 2019. The opening game against Wyoming is just hours away.

You have a sense of optimism about the upcoming season that you haven’t had in a long time. With a new graduate transfer quarterback in Kelly Bryant, loads of talent on the offensive side of the ball, and a scary defense, Missouri is projected to win nine to ten games. But at the end of the season, those predictions turned out to be very flawed.

At the beginning of the season, Missouri was projected to win eight games by Las Vegas and Global Booking Odds, which is relatively the most reliable betting company in the sports industry. Missouri fans, on the other hand, were a little more optimistic with common speculation being a possible ten-win season. But the end results did not play out that way. Missouri finished the season 6-6, which resulted in the firing of a four-year head coach, Barry Odom. Odom went 25-25 in his four seasons, which is the most wins a Missouri head coach has had in their first four seasons, other than 19781984 football head coach, Warren Powers.

The question is, what exactly happened?

The reason why fans ask is that Missouri started 5-1 to open up the season and even made their way into the top 25 in the Associated Press (AP) Poll, coming in at #22. They opened up the season to a heartbreaking loss against Wyoming 37-31, which left fans feeling much less optimistic.

Missouri then held a five-game home winning streak beating West Virginia,

Mizzou disappoints at 6-6 and fires Barry Odom Southeast Missouri State, South Carolina, Troy, and Mississippi.

Missouri dominated during that time, even leading the Southeastern Conference (SEC) East Division, ahead of Georgia and Florida, two of which are the top 25 teams.

The team looked promising as they traveled to a road game against Vanderbilt, carrying lots of momentum as the #22 ranked team in the nation. This seemed like an easy game for the Tigers considering Vanderbilt was 1-5 at the time. The Missouri Football Team was projected to beat the Commodore’s 4213 and had a 91 percent chance of winning the game. On top of that, Vanderbilt has been at the bottom of the SEC East for the past decade. However, the Tigers simply thought the game would be a cakewalk and went into the game underprepared.

Vanderbilt soon took the lead in the second quarter, leading 14-7 going into halftime.

Vanderbilt came out on top 21-14. For most fans, this seemed like the turning point for the team that led to a fast, steep decline to mediocrity.

Mizzou had to respond in a big way and had a perfect opportunity to do just that when they would go play Kentucky in Lexington. Odom has been known as a bounce-back guy, so fans felt confident that he could get the job done. The short answer is that they were wrong. Missouri had arguably their worst performance of the year, losing 29-7 to a Kentucky team that was playing a wide receiver at the quarterback position. Lynn Bowden Jr. had

never taken a snap at quarterback, but it didn’t seem to matter when Bowden ran all over the Tigers. Bowden put up 360 total yards, while Mizzou only put up 289 yards.

Missouri’s next opponent was Georgia, which if we are honest, nobody expected Missouri to even come close to winning.

With Kelly Bryant out due to a hamstring injury and backup Taylor Powell filling in, the Tigers fell short of the stick 27-0.

Heading into the last three games of the season, Missouri still had a chance to meet the Vegas predictions and win eight games.

Missouri would host seventh-ranked Florida at home, a team that they beat last year on the road 38-17. Unfortunately, Missouri continued to struggle offensively.

Missouri struggled to move the ball down the field which had been a common theme for the last few weeks. It was the same story as the rest: Missouri’s defense played well, but they could only contain Florida for so long without any offensive support. As the final whistle blew, the Tigers dropped a game yet again 23-6.

The loss knocked Missouri to 5-5 and pretty much all forms of optimism among the fanbase were gone. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) charges against the university for academic fraud were still looming and Missouri was at the point where even if they had won their next two games, Missouri would only be able to play in a low-level bowl game.

Missouri had given up and it showed.

Missouri hosted a mediocre Tennessee team

at home and ended up losing 24-20 leaving the Tigers defeated. On top of that, a few days later, the NCAA announced that they had denied the appeal against the sanctions for academic fraud that were handed down on Jan. 31, 2019. Tutor Yolanda Kumar had taken tests for 12 student-athletes in 2015, without the university’s knowledge.

Once the university found out what had happened, Missouri self-reported the case.

Even still, the NCAA felt as if Missouri deserved a penalty. The sanctions include a bowl ban, a seven-week recruiting ban, and a reduction in scholarships. Luckily, Mizzou ended the year on a good note and beat rival Arkansas 24-14 to close the year, which would have made them bowl eligible for the season.

As mentioned earlier, Mizzou had large expectations before the season. Mizzou ended up 6-6 which means they had a disappointing season. This resulted in the firing of Barry Odom on Nov. 30. Odom was 25-25 in his four seasons and players loved him; however, it was not enough for athletic director Jim Sterk to keep him around for one more year.

Sterk will be using these next two weeks to hopefully find a long term solution for the program. Sterk has a chance to make a splash but if he doesn’t, the decision of firing Odom could look very bad. It’ll be interesting to see who Sterk decides to go with for succeeding Odom.

Odom Fired after 4 Seasaons Barry Odom fired, but was it justifiable?

On Nov. 30, Mizzou ended its run with head coach Barry Odom. Odom had a decent four year career at Mizzou with a record of 25-25, but many fans wished their team could pick up more wins judging how much talent was on the roster. Now as Mizzou searches for a new head coach, fans are debating whether if it was worth it to fire Barry Odom.

By: Kenny Miller

Not Justified

Although the Tigers had a disappointing season this year, firing Odom at this point was not worth it.

Odom created one of the best defenses, due to his experience as a defensive coordinator before taking the head coaching position in 2015. The defense is ranked ninth in the nation.

The defense also had a great pass defense only allowing a 16.2 average, and had a great turn over defense.

That part of the game is ranked seventh in the nation. Mizzou has never been known as a good defensive school, so Odom’s ability to change that for the Tigers was exciting to see.

Odom also took his team to two bowl games and had three seasons with a record of .500 or better. Only a couple of coaches have been able to do that in their first

four years at Mizzou, which shows Odom did well in his first four years.

Odom also never had enough time to make Mizzou a great team, another reason Mizzou athletic director Jim Sterk pulled the trigger too early.

Previous head coach Gary Pinkel did not have a great first four years at Mizzou.

In Pinkel’s first four seasons he was 22-25 and was only 12-20 in their conference.

Odom was better than that, going 25-25 and 13-19 in their division. Pinkel turned Mizzou around in his later years, finishing with a record 191–110–3 and a total of 10 bowl games. If Mizzou gave Odom a few more years like Pinkel, he might have had the same success Pinkel had.

Odom also had one of the shortest times as head

coach at Mizzou. Coaches like Bob Stull and Woody Widenhofer had horrible years as head coach, but still got more time than Odom.

Despite an impressive record over his four years, Sterk believed it wasn’t enough.

However, this leaves the Tigers looking for a new head coach which means they are rebuilding.

Only two coaches in Mizzou history have had a winning season their first year, so Tigers fans shouldn’t have high hopes for next season. If the Tigers held onto Odom and gave him a few more years he could have turned them into something special.

The Tigers will continue to look for a new head coach and hope to have a better season next year.

By: Jackson Meyer Barry Odom has been fired after 4 seasons while going 25-25. Even though his record is decent, it was time for Odom to go due to his team constantly collapsing.

First, you have to look at the teams that Missouri is beating during Odom’s time as head coach.Throughout Odom’s four years, Missouri had enough talent on the team to play hard against anyone.

Odom was gifted with quarterback Drew Lock, a quarterback that would later play in the National Football League (NFL). Georgia and Florida are the only teams in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) East that Mizzou would have trouble beating, considering they are both top 25 teams.

So how did Mizzou stack up against teams that had more wins than losses? In Barry Odom’s four years, he was only able to beat four teams with winning records.

That means that four of his 25 wins only came against

vs.

Justified winning teams. That also means that 21 of his wins were against mediocre opponents.

A smaller stat we can talk about is that under Odom, the Tigers went 0-4 against Kentucky. Kentucky has never been a good football team and has been at the bottom of the SEC East for the past decade. But still, Odom was never able to win against them. The sad part is that Kentucky should be a team that Missouri can consistently beat. In Odom’s third season the Tigers nearly won against a ranked Kentucky team at home but lost the game after a horrible pass interference. After that play, Kentucky threw for a touchdown at 0:00 on the clock.

Fans’ main argument for keeping Odom is that they say that Sterk did not give him enough time.

They bring up the fact that Odom actually had more success than Pinkel did in his first four seasons. But the situations are much different. Gary Pinkel began

coaching at Mizzou in 2001 and was trying to rebuild a team that had just had one of their worst decades of football. Nonetheless, Pinkel showed flashes in his first four seasons. In his first season, Pinkel went 4-7 and in his first four seasons, he beat teams consistently with winning records.

Pinkel had many impressive wins with not much talent. So what’s the difference with Odom?

Well, Odom was gifted lots of talent and a future NFL quarterback. He has gifted a good defense as well, along with a good offensive coordinator Josh Heupel.

Odom won some road games as well but they were always late in the season against bad opponents.

Mizzou now has state of the art facilities that can attract top recruits and help develop their games. Now to top it all off, Missouri needs a new guy at the helm that can take the team to the next level.

Odom’s Successor Hired

By: Jackson Myer

Former Appalachian State head coach hired at Missouri

To say that the Missouri football program has fallen apart over the course of a few months would be an understatement. It all started on Oct. 19 with a 21-14 loss to Vanderbilt, which began a nose dive towards mediocrity after Mizzou lost five straight. After the home loss to Tennessee, the National College Athletics Association (NCAA) announced that the sanctions against Missouri for academic fraud would be upheld, which meant no bowl game for the 6-6 Tigers.

Due to not meeting the expectations set by athletic director Jim Sterk and many fans alike, head coach Barry Odom was fired after going 25-25 through his four years as the head coach. The coaching search began just a week ago with top names being considered for Mizzou’s head coaching vacancy such as Memphis’s Mike Norvell, Boise State’s Brian Harsin, and Florida Atlantic’s Lane Kiffin.

But after Norvell got hired at Florida State, and Kiffin got hired at Mississippi, the search became a concern. Athletic director Jim Sterk originally brought three names to the

board of curators that consisted of Arkansas State’s Blake Anderson, Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz, and Army’s Jeff Monken. When Sterk met with the board of curators, outside sources confirmed that the curators came to a consensus that Sterk needed to find a better name. Around 3:00 pm on Sunday, rumors swirled in that Mizzou had met with Appalachian State head coach, Eliah Drinkwitz.

Reports started to circulate around social media that Drinkwitz was emerging as a “strong candidate” for the job, as reported by Bleacher Report. Just three hours later, it was officially announced that Drinkwitz had been hired, reported by ESPN senior reporter Chris Low. It was reported that Drinkwitz will be paid around $4 million per year.

Drinkwitz served as North Carolina State’s offensive coordinator, Boise State’s tight ends coach and offensive coordinator, as well as Arkansas State’s running back coach.

This year was his first as a head coach but he finished the regular season 12-1 and won the Sun Belt conference

championship. When taking to social media, many fans are debating whether or not this was a good hire, due to his small sample size as a head coach. Fans question the hire because the team was successful before Drinkwitz took over when Appalachian State went 11-2 just two years ago. Due to him having an already loaded roster, it’s hard to judge what Drinkwitz can bring to the table as a coach.

The best part about Drinkwitz is that he has proven himself to be a good recruiter, and he is young with lots of energy, which could make him more attractive to athletes.

He has a shot at rebuilding a struggling Missouri offense.

As an offensive coordinator at North Carolina State, Drinkwitz’s offense was ranked in the top 20 each season, with yards per game and points per game. This hire is a good one, but nonetheless a risky one. Drinkwitz only has one year of head coaching experience, so only time will tell if Mizzou made the right move.

Sports A7

The Unsung Heros of Battle Athletics Battle athletic trainers come to the rescue when things go wrong

By: Ava Kitzi

High school coaches already have the immense responsibility of running daily practices, organizing games, events, fundraisers, and managing large teams, all on top of their regular teaching jobs. When an athlete strains a muscle or gets a twinge during practice, they can’t exactly use expert medical knowledge to make the athlete feel better. That’s where athletic trainers come in. Partnering with the University of Missouri Sports Medicine program, Battle has multiple athletic training students on staff to aid the needs of high school athletes.

“When you’re wrestling, odds are something is going to hurt,” Battle wrestling coach Kelsey Mescher said.

Mescher said that because wrestling is an intense, fullcontact sport, the coaches have had to find the balance between “hurt” and “injured.” If something just “hurts”, it’s okay to keep practicing. Once the range of motion

is limited, or the pain seems to be sticking around, the wrestling coaches have no hesitation sending the athlete to the trainers.

“We’re in constant communication with our trainers,” Mescher stated.

Athletic trainers roles change based on the time of the season the team is in. Game-day protocol differs greatly from practice. At a game, trainers are responsible for keeping athletes hydrated and safe, but their main job is to keep watch for any emergency injuries. During practice, trainers can be more low-key with athletes and spend more time evaluating injuries and ailments. Maisy Borden, athletic training student, says there are pros and cons to both.

“I really prefer practice more,” Borden said. “You get to develop more relationships with the kids.”

Also important to weight-class sports, like wrestling, is the required protocol for weight management.

“Our trainers are really intricately involved,” Mescher said. “Wrestling used to be known for sweat suits and really unhealthy weight cutting. Now we’re more about holistic, safe approaches to maintaining weight.”

Athletes also feel the immense effects that the athletic trainers have on their performance. Sophomore basketball athlete Imani Hopkins suffered an ankle injury at the beginning of the season. Hopkins said, “The rehab they’re having me do has helped me get rid of my (ankle) brace. I can move more and move better.”

From ankle sprains to concussions, the athletic trainers at Battle have the huge responsibility of keeping young athletes healthy and competition-ready.

Magee Agrees

Paige Magee commits to the University of Iowa By: Connor Parrish After a long day at school on Nov. 21, the football, girls basketball, track, girls swim and dive team and close friends and family came out to see Paige Magee sign her letter of intent to continue her athletic and educational journey at the University of Iowa.

Magee had three official visits, which ended up being her top three schools. Among those schools was the University of Nebraska and the University of Wisconsin. Magee said it was a hard decision, but that she knew Iowa was a top school on her list.

“All the schools I visited had a great atmosphere and had what I wanted athletically. But Iowa has a very excellent nursing program, and my event coach has a great track record of sending his athletes to big ten’s and nationals and he himself is a silver medalist,” Magee said.

Magee turned down an opportunity to go to her family’s school, Nebraska. Her dad Joseph Magee attended the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and her mom Sheri Magee attended the University of Nebraska College of Nursing. Growing up, Magee lived a few hours outside of Lincoln, Nebraska.

“When I was little I would run around the house saying like “Go Hawkeyes” jokingly to poke fun at my grandparents. It was a shocker to see them wear Iowa gear

for a change,” Magee said laughing.

“Athletically, Nebraska had everything I wanted. They invest so much money into their athletes and first-year athlete programs. But there will be a time where my track career will end,” Magee said. “Iowa had a great everything for what I want to do academically.”

Magee plans to follow her parents’ footsteps and major in medicine.

Joseph Magee said he supports Magee in her decision.

“I am a Nebraska alum, but at the end of the day, she is the star. It’s her walking on the campus at the end of the day, and it was her decision. But I’ll still support her no matter what,” Joseph Magee said.

Track coach Elizabeth Adcock said she believes Iowa gained a great student-athlete and scholar and looks

Photo Gallery

Norm Stewart Photo Gallery Top, bottom to right: Eliyah McCarthy catches the basketball and looks for her teammates. Cachao Gianquinto flicks his wrist after shooting a free throw.

Kylum Harper looks up at the basket. Michael Fernandez regroups the team after a half. Taryn Criblez looks at the court.

Zh’Vaughn Ward shoots a free throw. (Colten Stone & Connor Parrish).

forward to seeing how Magee does in college.

“They’re getting an excellent athlete and a great leader, and her great work ethic. If you have watched her throughout her time at Battle how much she has improved in her times and form,” Adcock said.

Magee has now officially signed to attend the University of Iowa next year. Magee now can focus on the upcoming

Norm Stewart By: Jackson Meyer Senior forward Abdi Ibrahim took the last shot of the game as it was a deep mid-range from about 15 feet out. As Ibrahim released the ball and began to come back to the ground, it appeared a Raytown South defender had hit him in the gut and severely altered the shot. This sent Mizzou Arena into a frenzy with fans screaming for a foul,

Continued from A1

but no fouls were called and Raytown South emerged victorious 60-59.

So what can fans expect from the Spartans this season? The first thing to expect is the Spartans will play fast. Any chance the Spartans get, they will look to push the ball up the floor on a fastbreak and get to the rim quickly. Also, expect a lot of three-point attempts. The

team will live and die from the perimeter and due to having lots of guards, many shots will be hoisted beyond the arc. Expect the Spartans to play tough defense and expect them to press past half court nearly every possession.

Considering how good Raytown South is, I wouldn’t worry about the team just yet.

A8

Sports

By: Connor Parrish Some people prefer to sleep in on their Sunday mornings, go to church, or just hang out. But this past Sunday, in the early hours of the morning, the Battle girls varsity team faced off against Vashon High School, at the annual Norm Stweart classic.

The game started out as a neck and neck battle between the teams, with a very slow pace with multiple fouls going mostly against Vashon. But at the start of the second quarter, Vashon put in a full-court press that caused the Spartans to start to rush and turn the ball over, which led to easy layups for Vashon. Vashon had a huge lead at half time. The second half stayed much the same for Vashon leading to a 59 to 25 victory and Rachel Jones winning Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the game.

Norm Stewart Girls’ Classic Basketball girls take on the 48 hour challenge

The Spartans struggled to beat the press which led to turnovers and easy buckets for Vashon, then were not able to rebound the ball which led to second-chance opportunities.

Head coach Michael Fernandez talked about Battle’s shortcomings in that area.

“I was a little surprised on how [the press] went, in the first two games we broke the press pretty well,” Fernandez said. “Right now we don’t have very much size, Anna Sisson is still recovering from her ACL injury, and some of our bigs are still developing.”

Senior captain Taryn Criblez went into more detail of how Vashon’s press affected the team.

“Their quickness and length helped them to close off passing lanes, which led to us throwing passes that were either late or to

unopen players,” Criblez said.

Vashon easily picked off passes in the press that led them to convert layups which is what opened the game up for Vashon to go up by 20 at half time.

“Vashon just seemed to be one step ahead of us, and with them being quicker, faster, and stronger than us made it hard to rebound.

So we knew we were going to have a problem with rebounding, but we did not box out well enough, leading to second chances,” Fernandez said.

An issue for rebounding is that the team plays a three-two defense which makes it harder to rebound since they’re guarding a portion of the court instead of guarding a man. This makes it harder to put a body on someone.

Even though the Spartans lost by 34 points, it’s not time to hit

the panic button yet for the season.

The Spartans starting center, Sisson, is still recovering from an ACL injury from early Feb. this year but is close to returning soon. Fernandez stated that the team will start running a nineman rotation as soon as Sisson gets back to playing. Fernandez commented on the preparation for the game.

“Going into the game this week, we knew what we had to do, we just failed to execute when needed. Like the press breaker, we did not execute right or running a great play and the shot not falling like it usually does,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez did have some players that really stood out to him. “Eliyah McCarthy played really hard, even though her shot was not falling, but she was

trying to affect the game in other ways, such as defense and hustle,” Fernandez said.

“I played really tough defense throughout the game, and I was being a vocal leader on the floor and being a leader,” McCarthy commented.

The Spartans will have a chance to fix what went wrong in the Vashon game, playing at Rolla on Tuesday, then going to Rock Bridge on Thursday.

Criblez said, “We definitely need to fix lazy passes and amp up our on-court communication, since both Rolla and Rock Bridge are very skilled and quick teams.”

The Varsity girl’s next home game will be on Jan. eighth against Father Tolton.

Polishing Off Football By: Connor Parrish The Battle football team was looking to go for their sixth straight district title this season; however, the Spartans came up just short of that goal. The Spartans lost against Fort Zumwalt North 63-20 in the Class Five District Four title game on Nov. 15.

This season had a head coach change in first-year head coach Atiyyah Ellison. Ellison believes the team did well under the new adjustments; however, he emphasized that there is still a lot more the team can do to improve.

“We struggled early and finished strong at the end, except our last game,” Ellison said.

The Spartans lost their opening game against St. Louis University 52-47 on Aug. 30. The Spartans then went on to win their next six out of eight games, which included beating Jefferson City at Jefferson City for the first time in program history. During the postseason, the Spartans grabbed a win against Francis Howell North 59-19 and lost by 43 points in a heartbreaking game against Fort

The football season comes to an end

Zumwalt North.

Ellison commented on improvements throughout the season. “The work ethic as a whole and the team coming together as brothers,” Ellison said.

Ellison recognizes the talent the underclassmen bring to the table, making him optimistic for future seasons to come.

“Every senior is a big loss, you can’t really replace any of those guys cause everybody is unique and brings a different skill set to the team,” Ellison said.

Darren Jordan, senior, talked about this year’s senior class being the first to not win districts.

“It was a letdown, to be the first senior class not to win districts, I feel like there could have been some things that we could’ve done better as seniors,” Jordan said.

Ellison has continued to uplift the team and has reminded the team of the importance of preparing for next season.

“Bring the young ones up and then they become leaders for the team next year,” Ellison expressed.

Junior Tommy Atherton talked about what the underclassmen need to do to get ready for next season.

“Hopefully more people will come out, we need a lot more juniors and sophomores to step up like in past years to be better than this year,” Atherton said.

Football workouts will start early next semester. Ellison believes workouts are an important part of cultivating a good team.

“Most people think they can start in Aug. and get ready for football, but nowadays you have to work out in the offseason. Then the teams we want to beat are still playing now,” Ellison said.

Football workouts start next week on Monday after school.

Arts & Entertainment A9

Tarzan Play Review

Tech Crew Shines Lights on Tarzan, The Musical

The big screen comes to life

By: Colten Stone On Nov. 8, the music department presented to a packed crowd their musical Tarzan inspired by the Disney movie. Tarzan is a story on how a child is left in an African jungle and is raised by the Mangani great apes, only for him to find out his civilization and for him to reject it and to continue living in the jungle.

By the end of the musical, the cast came out to bow to the audience with a standing ovation taking place for their performance.

Jaydin Froeschner, junior and Tarzan in the musical, said he was happy with everyone’s performance.

“The effort from the cast, the crew, and the pits music was all responsible for this amazing musical we were able to play out,” Froeschner said. “I’m so excited for all of us and can’t wait for next year to get to perform again.”

The cast members, crew, and pit had two months to prepare for the performance as tryouts were held in early September. Froeschner said he did not expect to get the role of Tarzan based off how little acting he had done in the past, but after three days of auditions

Froeschner landed the main role of the musical.

Tim Hercules, choir teacher and director of Tarzan, said the tryouts and preparation for the play was easier than last year.

“Our preparation this year felt pretty smooth.

We had a smaller cast and people at first were worried overall about forgetting their words, but everyone did a great job,” Hercules said.

Daisy Peterson, sophomore, was in attendance at the musical and said she really enjoyed the production. “I really enjoyed the play and feel it was acted out perfectly.

Every cast member did an excellent job and each actor played their roles very well.

I also really liked the set that was in place for the play,” Peterson said. “I am very excited for next year’s musical especially after how well thought out this years was.”

Students who are interested in performing in the spring play, She Kills Monsters, auditions will be held Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m.

By: Ava Kitzi

The behind-the-scenes of the latest musical

Without their help, the fall musical couldn’t go on. The tech crew, led

by William Palmer, is in charge of lighting, sound, and sets for every stage production at Battle. Though their work often goes unnoticed, it is integral to the success of the play, and this year’s production of Tarzan was no exception.

“Tech crew serves a lot of purposes,” Palmer said. “First they serve as set builders, decorating the stage and getting things ready, then they transition into being the backstage crew.”

According to Palmer, this year’s set was fairly static, meaning there weren’t many moving set pieces for the crew to move. That meant that the stage crew was able to focus their time on the finer details like music, lighting, and making things run as smoothly as possible for the actors.

“My job is just to teach (the students) how to do everything. After

that, it’s up to them,” Palmer said on the involvement of the students. “They really run everything. We try to make it as student-led as possible.”

Students in tech crew have to pick up on the lingo and pace of theater quickly in order to keep up. Dealing with the unforeseen mishaps on and off stage is just as important as knowing the original plan. “The more can go wrong during rehearsal, the better we know the performances will go,” Palmer jokes.

“We all picked up on things pretty quickly,” microphone manager Shelby Sappington commented. “The more we know what we’re supposed to be doing, the smoother it runs for everyone else.”

The Tarzan set only had one major moving piece- a giant tent that could be lifted on and off the stage as the story progressed. It proved to be a challenge for the tech crew, filled with hilarity.

“Oh, god, the tent,” microphone assistant Landon Kitner said. “The first few weeks, everything was going fine. Then as we started to move through the show, things kept getting crazier. But we always figured it out.”

While the tech crew got a ton of experience problem solving and thinking on the fly when working on Tarzan, the benefits run deeper.

The group not only learned about the functions and customs of theater, but also life skills, like perseverance and teamwork.

“I honestly feel like tech crew is almost like a family,” Kittner said.

“Hanging out before shows, it felt like we were all good friends, even though we had never met before tech crew.”

Tech Crew is looking for new members for the spring play, “She Kills Monsters”. Contact William Palmer for more information.

Tarzan Play Photo Gallery

Left to right to bottom: Jaydin Froeschner acts as Tarzan in the play. Delainey Brinegar speakers her lines holding a book. Jermon Lambert sings to the audience (La’Trell Dollinger).

Above: Actors pose together at the end of the play. The audience applaudes them.

Disney+ Review

By: Nic Myers Walt Disney Company has finally launched the long awaited streaming service, Disney+. The service comes in at just $6.99 a month and allows users to try the service with a seven day free trial, but a valid debit or credit card is required.

The experience of using Disney+ is very simple. The intuitive interface is very clean and sleek, allowing one to quickly skim categories and pick out their favorite show or movie. Just like Netflix and Hulu, Disney+ has a watch-list feature where shows or movies can be saved to watch later. The app version of this service allows content to be downloaded for offline use.

Content on the streaming service ranges

The new streaming service with classics. Is it worth it? from Disney classics, such as Lady and the Tramp and The Jungle Book, to more recent films such as Wall-E and High School Musical. Many Disney Channel Originals are returning as well including Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Lab Rats.

In addition to bringing back the classics, Disney also brought new storylines that expand on past ones. For fans of Star Wars, comes an all new series exclusive to Disney+, The Mandalorian. This show follows the storyline of an elite bounty hunter known as the Mandalorian, which takes place five years after Return of the Jedi, according to series creator Jon Favreau. This show really allows for insight into new characters that

aren’t seen in the original trilogies. Those who were wishing for a High School Musical 4 (HSM) almost got their wish.

Instead, Disney created an updated version of the show titled HSM: The Musical: The Series. This Disney+ Original is centered around the lives of the students at the school where HSM was shot and the troubles that come when they stage the musical for the first time.

Although the platform is home to fantastic new content and classics, there is a downside of Disney+. The lack of a resume shows section is absent, so content can’t be easily picked back up where it was last left off. While this is an inconvenience,

the feature should appear in the coming months once the overwhelming launch of well over ten million users is over and the system begins running smoothly.

All in all, this service outstanding.

Disney was able to make teenagers and adults feel as if they were a kid again by making hundreds of shows and movies easily available, including new and exciting stories, truly bringing magic back into people’s lives just like Disney sought out to do.

Edit: As of November 26th, the resume shows section was added to Disney+.

Drawing From Another Perspective By: Jennifer Pereyra Drawing up a storm, AP Studio Drawing is working on perspective drawings of our school and experimenting with the use of charcoal.

Students work on rendering of form, light, shade, and the illusion of space in their project.

As they pick an on-site location to begin their drawings, students use linear perspective to look at the physical location. Once

AP Studio Drawing class works on their perspective drawings

the composition is drawn, using H and B pencils to shade with graphite and create value to accentuate.

This project helps students make a visual sense of the three dimensional environments around them while drawing, causing them to really analyze and keep in mind how they’ll sketch it down onto the paper, finishing with a pleasing realistic look.

“The linear perspective

drawing is a fairly challenging project, but extremely important in helping students connect the three-dimensional world to a two-dimensional drawing surface,” Art teacher Jody Spriggs explained.

The students in AP Art spend time continuing to work on the project outside of class, using a level of skill, patience, and time well taken. AP Drawing

students create several outstanding pieces of art. “ It’s really tedious and requires a lot of time and focus,” AP Art student Kaitlyn Siegel said. “At first it can be tempting to just not do it, but the longer you work on it and the more detail you add into it, the more you can see it come together. ” Tydha Kimhang, senior, had the same feelings towards the project, as

she explained, “I felt anxious due to my lack of confidence in my art skills. I constantly felt art block and I felt like my level of skills weren’t showing any time of expression I felt onto my drawing,” Kimhang said. “Inspiration doesn’t come to those who wait for it. That’s a quote that Mrs.Spriggs told me while I was struggling with the perspective drawing and it was something that I felt a

lot during the project.”

Even though many students felt worried and anxious at the beginning of the project, they do believe in patience and supporting one another through the process. In the end, it all comes together and brings a big sigh of satisfaction.

Extras A10

HOLIDAY COLOR BY NUMBERS Use the colors to create a holiday drawing

By: Aaron Melville

Upcoming Events

Keep track of where to be this month!

By: Jackson Meyer

Wednesday, December 11: Boys V basketball @ Jeff City- 7:30 pm Thursday, December 12: Girls V basketball @ Rock Bridge- 7:00 pm Friday, December 13: Deadline for senior tributes Saturday, December 21: Boys V Basketball vs Limestone - 12:00 pm Saturday, December 21: Girls V basketball vs Smith-Cotton - 9:00 pm Friday, January 3: 2nd Annual Wonder Woman Classic Saturday, January 4: Girls V basketball vs Booneville- 11:00 am Monday, January 6: Girls V wrestling tournament Tuesday, January 7: Boys V basketball @ Rock Bridge - 7:30 pm Wednesday, January 8: Girls V basketball vs Father Tolton - 7:30 pm Friday, January 10: Boys V basketball vs Whitfield - 7:00 pm Wednesday, January 15: Boys V wrestling tri-meet vs Jeff City, Eldon - 5:00 pm Thursday, January 16: Stop day Friday, January 17: Stop day Tuesday, January 21: Girls V basketball @ Blair Oaks - 7:30 pm Friday, January 24: Course requests due

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Holiday Travels

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Students prepare for upcoming holidays

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By: Aaron Melville With the holidays in full swing, people are travelling all over the country to visit family and friends.

Since Columbia has a large population of people from out of state and outside of the country, it’s possible that you know somebody who is going out of town for the holidays.

Some of the most common places to travel are surrounding states to Missouri. Illinois, Kansas and Iowa are some of the most visited by people from Missouri, whether it be

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someone who is originally from one of these states or has family there.

Some people travel even further for the holidays.

Liam Barry, senior, who is originally from New York, has gone back to his home state several times since moving, especially around the holidays.

“We would take trains to New York and travel through the countryside.

Looking at the beautiful scenery was nice,” Barry said.

During this season,

the weather can also be an issue while travelling.

Barry experienced this himself. “We would catch the midnight train in Cincinnati to New York City, and once ran into a blizzard. We were stuck on the bridge into Ohio for hours,” Barry said.

With that, traffic can get intense during these times.

Just remember to stay safe, drive cautiously and have fun during your holiday break.

It’s the Final Countdown Strategies for preparing for finals

By: Kalea Baker

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Finals are right around the corner and many students are looking for ways to begin preparing for finals to finish out this semester strong. Here is a list of strategies that students may use to prepare for finals: 1. Start early When you start early you can study small amounts of material at a time and add a little more information during each study session. This also helps you avoid the stress of cramming the night before a big test.

2. Start a study group If you pick the right people to study with, they can help keep you on track and make sure you are actually studying. They can also be great people to ask questions to when your teacher isn’t available to help.

3. Create your own study guide Creating your own study guide is a good way to study the information in a way that makes sense to you so that you will be more likely to remember the information on test day.

4. Get lots of sleep It is recommended that high school students get eight to ten hours of sleep each night. Getting the right amount of sleep can help with memory and can also improve your ability to focus for longer periods of time.

5. Make studying fun If you come up with a way to turn studying into a game, you will be more likely to spend a good amount of time studying. You can use kahoot or some sort of matching game to help ease the process.

Senior Tributes Deadline Extended! Senior tributes are due this Friday, Dec. 13. Forms can be picked up in the guidance office or in Mrs. Borgmeyer’s room (H214A). Friday is the absolute last day to purchase a senior tribute.