In Memoriam By: Abigail Miller
Volume 3 Issue 5 | November 3, 2023
Editorial Staff Abigail Miller Managing Editor Helaina Geoffroy Editor-In-Chief Marshall Jones Digital Media Editor Rawley Mydland Assistant Editor-In-Chief
Reporters Boston Burdette Maggie Hall Emma Pitts Shaylynn Coffelt Gavin Moore Ashlee Derry
Digital Media Team Sidnie Nance Nat Griffin Shelby Pinaire Brayden Bowen
Assistant Nathan Lance
Photo Credit : Mrs. Miller
One of the biggest losses De Kalb has seen this year just occurred here in the newsroom. Our dear friend and one of our amazing designers, Senior Kaylee Layton, left us at the end of the first quarter to finish her senior year online. It's still very fresh, and we're all still mourning, but what better way to commemorate her than to tell some of our favorite stories about her? “My favorite memory is definitely the time she drank all of my tea at IHop,” recalls Assistant Editor-inChief Rawley Mydland. Another favorite memory is “When Kaylee first moved here in sophomore year, and she memorized all of the European countries just to spite me,” says Senior Nathaniel Lance. Although she's gone, some of us still can’t accept it: “I refuse to accept that Kaylee is no longer here,” says Mrs. Miller. “I will never remove her from the Google Classroom for Newspaper, and I will still bring her books to read, though I’m not sure how that’s going to work.” All of us here at De Kalb wish her the best. “Hang in there and do your College Algebra,” says Mrs. Hansbrough. We're all going to miss Kaylee, and we wish her the best of luck with her online classes. Sincerely, The Newspaper Crew.
Photo Credit : Sidnie Nance
Middle School Girls Basketball Storms the Courts By: Maggie Hall If you haven't heard yet the middle school basketball season has just began. The lady tigers played their first game October 26th, and they lost 17-16. Although they didn’t win they played pretty good. Their coach Miss Ellifrits says that all together they have 8 players going out. They have six 8th graders and two 7th graders. They had another game this week wednesday November 1st. They won 20-18. They again played pretty good and this time took the W. ” Mrs Ellifrites said that they are looking good so far and are really looking forward to the season. Miss. Elifrittes says that one of their strong suits so far is showing up to practice everyday ready and willing to listen to her suggestions. She says they are a very determined team and are excited to show up and play. Something she said she would still like to work on is just moving on offense. She said that at times they do it really well but then at other times they get caught lacking.
Pictured: Kaylee Chatman Photo Credit : Sidnie Nance
Pictured: Syra Servaes Photo Credit : Sidnie Nance
Kaylee Chatman says that practices has been going pretty good and that they have been learning lots of new plays. 8th graders Syra Serveas and Shaylee Phillips also say that practice has been going pretty well and that they think the season will go pretty good. Miss Elifrites also added “ if your not busy the girls and I would love it if you came out and supported us. “ 7th grader kaylee Chatman says that she thinks that they will do pretty good this season and also said “ go lady tigers. The Newspaper staff wishes the Ladies luck this season as well.
NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Pictured: Miss Ellifrites Photo Credit: Sidnie Nance
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What to Play By: Boston Burdette Minecraft is by far the best game I've ever played and I have to say I love the game, but me and a lot of other people feel like they could have put better mobs in the mob vote like the Wildfire, Desert Hoarder, and Endermole. But, they did say they could come back in future mob votes, which I am really hoping for, but they will probably not be coming anytime soon. So until then I’m hoping for a new dimension like the warden dimension, aether, or even the endermites dimension. I'm also hoping for some new structures, maybe some floating temples. Anyway, I give it a 5-star rating while others give it 4 and a ½ stars.
Photo Credit : Minecraft.com
Listen to This By: Ashlee Derry
Photo Credit: Billboard.com
Olivia Rodrigo is a very well-known singer/songwriter who has released some great hits in the past few years. Among those, there is Drivers License, Deja Vu, and Good for You. After these songs became a hit she released her debut studio album Sour, which was a huge success that gained her three Grammy awards and secured her a documentary on Disney+. Recently Rodrigo released a new album called Guts. One of the most listened-to songs in this album is Vampire, which won an MTV Video Music Award for best editing. All together Rodrigo has won many awards and was named Entertainer of the Year back in 2021, and also was named Woman of the Year in 2022. She has made waves in the music industry and has a bright future ahead of her, we can't wait to see what is in store for us in the future.
NOVEMBER 3, 2023
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Parent-Teacher Conferences A Success
FBLA Trick-or-Eats Again By: Emma Pitts
By: Shay Coffelt This week we had parent teacher conferences and it went really well with 60% turnout. Our counselor, Mrs. Powell, has to plan out the students conference. Along with making sure it also fits the Elementary's schedule. So if there is sibling between both schools, the family has enough time to make it to the highschool and elementary school. “The conferences are important because the teachers really get to communicate with the parents and talk about the good or even the bad things that the student has been doing,” says Mrs. Powell. This is to let the parents know how their kids are doing in school and let the kids know what they need to work on. Some kids don’t like going to conferences because some parents already know how they are doing. But, many parents like to go so they have reassurance about how their kids are progressing and what they need to work on. Junior Brooklyn Frakes says her conference experience was “Good because I could talk to Mrs. Miller about everything.”
Pictured: Brooklyn Frakes Photo Credit : R.M. Mydland
NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Photo Credit : Mrs. Horr On Halloween, FBLA members held an event called Trick-or-Eat. The event was for the blessing boxes in Rushville and De Kalb. FBLA members went door-to-door asking residents for canned and other nonperishable food items to fill the blessing boxes. FBLA adviser Haley Horr said “The trick or eat event went really well”. The FBLA members also had a bit of fun with a scavenger hunt. For the scavenger hunt, they received a list of tasks to complete, such as taking a certain picture or getting a piggy-back ride. Freshman Kelsey Chatman said that “the trick or eat was to help individuals in our community” and Junior Tori Hawk adds that “it was a fun event” at the same time. Eight of the FBLA members showed up to participate in the event. They collected over 100 items in just an hour's time. Members got to dress up and they had people dress as sloths, cowgirls, Bob Ross, T-Bo from iCarly, and some other characters. The scavenger hunt winners were Camry Hanshaw, Kelsey Chatman, Rylie Burdette, and Tori Hawk. Their team name was “Da Spooky Goblins” and they won by just two points.
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Book Readers Roll Out By: Emma Pitts
What to Read
By: Shelby Pinaire
On October 27, the Rolling Hills Library Bookmobile came to De Kalb. The Bookmobile is a library on wheels. The librarians, Susan Sexton and Deb Ezzell, helped students check out books and get library cards. When they go to schools, they prepare for those schools. If they go to an elementary school, they get out children’s books, and when they go to high schools, they get out the books that are a higher reading level for them. The Bookmobile visits are good for kids because they can get a chance to get other books that they may not have in the school library and you can also request a book. You can ask your librarian to ask the Bookmobile staff to bring a certain book. To check out books, all you have to do is give a form to your parents to fill out so you can receive a library card.
Photo Credits: Shelby Pinaire NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Photo Credit : Wikipedia
With the spooky season coming to an end, it's time to find a horror book to snuggle up with and read during the cold days to come. If you like horror stories, you should check out the novel The Shining by Stephen King, an oldy but goody. This was one of King’s first novels, and it spawned two movie adaptations. The novel follows a family that is isolated in a hotel during the winter. The family's lives go downhill when they find out the overlooked hotel is haunted and is taking over main character Jack Torrance’s soul. This is a classic that keeps you intrigued despite King’s occasional overuse of detales. The Shining is a classic and a must-read. PAGE | 05
What to Watch By: Gavin Moore
Band’s Busy Saturday ‘
By: Boston Burdette The De Kalb Tiger Pride Band had a busy Saturday on October 28th. The Band hosted their annual 5K, also known as The Haunted Hustle, in Rushville, and then marched in the Atchison Halloween Parade.
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures On Friday, October 27, the long-awaited, highly anticipated Five Nights At Freddy’s movie finally arrived in theaters. Directed by Emma Tammi, the film is based on the cult classic horror franchise of the FNAF video games. The first Five Nights at Freddy’s was created by Scott Cawthon in 2014. The concept of the game is to use cameras and doors to stop possessed animatronics from getting into your office and turning you into one of them. The concept slightly changed in the movie, but is ultimately just as dramatic and suspenseful. If you’ve played the games and followed the timeline since the first game came out, you would know that there is a very intricate lore to it, and fans have been waiting and anticipating the movie for a long, long time. This was a great movie to watch with friends because even though it’s targeted as a horror movie, it can bring back a sense of nostalgia for all the people who grew up with this game. I personally enjoyed watching this movie. I'm glad it stayed true to most of the lore, but the small changes made were done very well.
NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Both events received the majority of it funded by the community. Next year, Mrs. King said, “We will definitely do the parade,” but “I have something else in store for the 5K.” They didn't get the expected amount of people they wanted, but they hope to improve more next time and get more people for the 5K. The Atchison parade went well, but the band did experience some cold weather as well as a fan wearing a duck costume.
Photo Credit: Mrs. King
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TIGERS PULL OFF FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON By: R.M.Mydland
The De Kalb boys walked into Districts at Stewartsville last Friday feeling like the underdogs. The team had lost once before to the Wildcards, 60-30, so the boys were looking for revenge. After some inspiring words from coaches and their number 1 fan, the boys lit a fire inside and came out of the gate scoring. It was an offensive showdown, with both teams slinging the ball downfield to open receivers. Every receiver for De Kalb held on to the ball for dear life as they crossed the end zone. Before long it was 2028 heading into halftime, and the Tigers almost lost their composure. With words of wisdom from their coach, the Tigers were ready to get back into action. In the first few plays, however, the Tiger’s QB was ejected after a ref with poor hearing misunderstood him. With worriy-filled hearts, the Tigers once again started to lose hope, but it didn’t last for long. With Luke Miller in at QB,
the
offense
fired
up
once
more.
Sophomore Landon Crockett, who had some rough patches throughout the whole season, could not be stopped, making catch after catch to help set up crucial touchdowns.
Photo Credits:R.M.Mydland
NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Photo Credits: R.M.Mydland
When asked about his performance, Landon said, “It felt good, but I could’ve been faster.” Another player who really showed his merit was Gavin Moore. Although he had an injury midway through the season, it didn’t stop him from making a crucial interception leading to Landon scoring and Blake Norton getting the 2-point conversion to put the Tigers up 4440. Gavin had this to say about the impact his interception had on the game: “If I hadn’t caught that ball, it could’ve been a touchdown that would’ve lost us the game. I was glad I was in the right spot at the right time.” The Tigers would go on to win 44-40 to upset the home crowd. With a fire in their hearts and a chip on their shoulder, the Tigers head to Plattsburg to face the Tigers this Friday. It’s highly recommended that you come support our boys!
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Cross Country Districts Sends De Kalb Student to State Competition By: Shay Coffelt
On October 28th Cross Country had their District competition at Platte Range Park, right outside of Platte City. Freshman Kaiden Myers and Junior Kasey Steiner both had the opportunity to go. Kaiden Myers says stretching helps him prepare for his races. His fastest time was 20:01 and that's the time that also took him to Districts. “I've had a good time doing Cross Country, but I'm glad the season is coming to an end.” Kasey Steiner did so well at Districts that he made it to the State competition. His time was 20:10. The Cross Country coach, Mrs. Taylor, is very proud of them and all the hard work they have put in. “They did better than I thought for such a young group.” Everyone is super excited for Kasey and the rest of the boys, and are wishing Kasey good luck this weekend.
Photo Credit: Shelby Pinaire
NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Pictured: David Strohman Photo Credit : Shelby Pinaire
New Faces at De Kalb By: Ashlee Derry
There have been a lot of new faces that have made their way to DeKalb this year. One of those new faces is David Strohman. David is originally from Montana and has also lived in Atchison. He attended Atchison High before moving here and attending DeKalb High School. David has said that he hasn't really had any hard adjustments so far this year and would say he likes being here more than he did at his old school. Some things that we have learned about David is his favorite color is red, and he really enjoys Physical Science because Mrs. McDonald is a really great teacher. In his free time, David likes to do many things like going outside, fishing, playing video games, and listening to music. His favorite genre of music is metal with his favorite song being Bad Country by Avenged Sevenfold. David said that Dekalb is treating him really well so far. One thing he can't wait to start is spring sports. He is really excited for baseball and track to start up because he really enjoys these activities. We have really enjoyed having David here these past few days and hope this year goes great for him. Welcome to the family David.
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Tigers Learn to Keep Paws Off Drugs By: Gavin Moore DeKalb High School participated in Red Ribbon Week from October 24-27. Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign for schools and other organizations to promote a drug-free lifestyle. Mrs. Powell and Officer Jo Collaborated to promote Red Ribbon Week at De Kalb. Every morning, there was a question read over the announcements regarding a fact about drugs and alcohol, and anyone who answered correctly was put into a drawing to win a prize at the end of the day. During lunch, there were small competitions for student volunteers to win a prize. For example, Officer Jo held a competition to see who could say the words “Red Ribbon Week” as many times as they could, as fast as they could. The winner was Sophomore Landon Crockett, who said the tongue twister 13 times! Another game they played was fishing for numbers. They used magnets on a small fishing pole to pick up pins with numbers on the bottom. Each number had a different prize, ranging from small pieces of candy to a RRW water bottle or a McDonald’s gift card. When I played, I won a new necklace. Powell and Officer Jo also brought in investigators from the Drug Strike Force to speak to students about the drug dangers and trends, as well as promoting healthy lifestyles. For example, they said one sugar packet-sized dose of fentanyl can kill up to 500 people.
Band marches with Benedictine By: Maggie Hall A few of our band members went to the Benedictine College to play with their band for Benedictine’s Homecoming. Nine band members played a variety of instruments, from the flute to the tuba to percussion. They played Benedictine’s fight songs, some of their cheer songs, “Seven Nation Army,” and “Sweet Caroline.” They also had the opportunity to practice some drills, march together, and eat pizza. Junior Helaina Geoffroy says that “It was overall a great experience.” Some advice that Benedictine’s Band Instructor gave to Helaina was that she played really well and that if she ever considered going to college for it, she should go there and get private lessons. Helaina played the tuba and she learned lots of new things and practices that she can do. Overall the Benedictine band camp was a great experience for those who went and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for new drills and practices they can do at home.
Officer Jo and Mrs. Weigel worked together at Rushville Elementary to educate students on the dangers of drugs. They taught the kids that they should stay healthy in their minds and never get pressured into using drugs. Officer Jo wants to remind everyone of one more thing: “Don’t do drugs!”
Pictured: Officer Jo Photo Credit: Sidnie Nance
NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Photo Credits: Ondrea Cardwell
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A Day In The Life: October 31
Photo Credits: Brayden Bowen