Feb 17

we are all immigrants Konopelko denounces Trump’s travel ban, advocates for acceptance of immigrants

The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th Street Pittsburg, KS 66762 Vol. 98, Issue 2 www.boosterredux.com

Friday, Feb. 24, 2017

black history day, every day

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Students, staff views on Black History Month JOURNEY JARAMILLO

‘For honor’ for serious gamers student recommends new game

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Junior Jesus Rojo works on a PowerPoint presentation in Stuart Perez’s biology class. Students are in the first month of implementation of the pilot program through the University of Utah. PHOTO BY MORGAN NOE

broadening scientific horizons Biology class selected for pilot program NICOLE KONOPELKO @nicolekonopelko

Lights, camera, action Behind the scenes of drama

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hen science teacher Stuart Perez discovered the high school would be one of 20 schools in North America to participate in Evolution: DNA and the Unity of Life, a pilot program conducted by the University of Utah, he was ecstatic.

“It’s a very unique opportunity for us to be a part of such a highly unique [and] pre-established program,” Perez said.

The eight-week pilot program consists of five modules including shared biochemistry, common ancestry, heredity, natural selection and speciation. “[The modules include] short video clips and science-related activities, but the modules span even further than that,” Perez said. “They make students connect the activities to the real world.”

The program offers a “DNA-eccentric view of the mechanisms behind evolution.”

Perez said the program’s emphasis on genetics makes it imperative to understanding the field of biology.

“Genetics is the foundation for biology,” Perez said. “We look at life from the basic foundation of the cellular and genetic level, which gives you the understanding of how everything functions and changes over time.”

Another key component of the pro- cause the program involves reading, gram is argumentative writing, an ele- finding material and lots of open ended ment that is often not associated with discussions,” Perez said.

Sophomore Maryroze Grimes bescience.

“The [program] spans more than just lieves the program makes biology science, because it also strongly incor- easier to understand. “ Yo u porates can pick writing,” to choose P e r e z how you said. w a n t Handsto reon activimember ties are [inforalso inmat ion] cluded. rather T hese that just activities rememdiver t bering a from the bunch of tradition- STUART PEREZ notes,” al lecture Gr imes and notes a i d . t a k ing “You get classroom to learn setup.

“The [program] is different from at your own pace.”

While the program is currently only your standard biology class,” sophobeing implemented in Perez’s biology more Myranda Alexander said.

After incorporating the program for class, he hopes to share it with other a week, Perez has noticed an increase teachers.

“I hope all of our teachers get to exin student involvement.

“Students are so much more en- perience the ongoing benefits of this gaged with what they were doing be- program,” Perez said.

“

Students are so much more engaged with what they were doing because the program involves reading, finding material and lots of open ended discussions.

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Distrct revamps Seniors school bond issue sign for USD 250 school board their presents new, modified bond future MADDIE BADEN

@maddiebaden

Four athletes to compete at collegiate level

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The city of Pittsburg rejected a $67 million bond issue proposed by the district last January. Knowing the district still needed updates, superintendent Destry Brown and the school board collected feedback from the general public to create a revised bond issue.

Proposed changes to the high school. Photo provided by DLR Group “After [the bond] failed, we still had a lot of needs in the district to be addressed,” Brown ty improvements such as Federal Emergency Management said. “We had to come up with a new plan, one Agency (FEMA) approved storm shelters and safe rooms. we felt the community could support. We spent Safety was the number one concern of the district, according a lot of time talking to people in the commu- to Brown.

The middle school will be adding a new gymnasium, locker nity and we put together a plan, which aligns rooms and weight room. with all of the reasons they have told us.”

The high school is the main focus of the bond, even though The main concern with the past bond was the cost. According to Brown, the community all schools will be receiving renovations.

“Over half of the bond issue will be spent at the high school communicated there were too many wants and not enough priorities contained in the pro- and I think we need to invest in our kids and need to continue to update and get new environments in front of them, which posal.

After putting these comments into consid- they are going to experience in the real world,” Brown said. eration, the board created a bond totaling $31 “[With the updates] when students leave [the high school,] they will be able to be competitive when they go away to million, less than half of the prior estimate.

Every school in the district will receive safe- college.”

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@journeybutcher After overcoming racial barriers in the past, some believe the 28 days in February given to African Americans only restricts equality.

Black History Month is the celebration of color, culture and heritage, something junior Chanse Estes believes should be celebrated every day.

“Having a month dedicated to us is just another barrier that holds us from being equal. Black history is American history and shouldn’t be treated differently,” Estes said. “We should celebrate our history in our own way, every day.”

When it comes to acknowledging his history, Estes looks on memorable people who inspire him.

“I remember people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X who fought for us to live equally among everyone else [to] prove our worth,” Estes said. “People who spent their time fighting for equal rights really stick out.”

Even those without that heritage in their background express why certain times in history stuck out to them. Junior Daniel Eichenberger trusts the history of African Americans should be recognized.

“The way King, Jr. changed racial tensions in the South showed there is always a different way to go about things instead of just resorting to violence,” Eichenberger said. “I feel as if Black History Month is something that should be appreciated more than it is. Americans should look back and see how African Americans have truly changed [how] we function as a society.”

As she looks on that history, social science teacher Anita White believes students should be aware of black history and that it should be recognized in school.

“It very much needs to be acknowledged in class because we have historically not presented the experiences, achievements and difficulties of lots of different ethnic groups in our country.

It’s important to address the experiences of African Americans, but also of Asian Americans and Mexican Americans,” White said. “We have historically tended to focus on European immigrants and not so much on others.

We are a diverse country and we need to see that and help everyone become more aware and comfortable with it.”

It is also important to junior Caleb Blansett that everyone learn about black history.

“If students are going to learn history, they should learn all sides to prevent a strongly biased future society that would eventually lead to a vicious cycle,” Blansett said.

White feels black history should be recognized throughout the course of the school year.

“I try to [incorporate it] more throughout the year. Of course, there are events that come up that require special recognition, like speeches we’ll draw students attention to,” White said. “I try to focus more on incorporating ethnic history throughout the courses opposed to just in February. Some material goes in one direction, so it’s up to the teacher to fill in those gaps. And that depends on our own education, experience, teaching and comfort level.”

Not only does junior Jasmyne Durden agree with White and Blansett, but feels as if it is essential to appreciate the color of one’s skin.

“I don’t care how people look at me, because I know I love my skin. No one else has to,” Durden said. “We all should appreciate how our ancestors fought for freedom and kept fighting for their rights. I’m glad to be a part of that and to have that history reflect a part of me.”

Accepting diversity comes with accepting yourself and all others, according to sophomore Dylan Jordan.

“We should celebrate what we’ve been blessed with because everyone is special and different and it’s beautiful,” Jordan said. “I honestly can appreciate diversity walking down the halls here, seeing and appreciating all the diversity in our school.”

In agreement with Jordan, English teacher Emily Rountree believes diversity is important.

“I think [we] need to celebrate diversity. Not just African American heritage, but all other forms of diversity, as well,” Rountree said. “It’s all important, especially to remember your heritage and where you came from, too.”

To PHS staff member Chris Owens, black history should be celebrated all the time and diversity should be addressed all year, not just one specific month.

“A lot of people have inspired me in black history, I look up to all of them [because] they did a lot for everybody and that’s where the problem is,” Owens said. “You can’t just put 28 days to side for something they have done for a lifetime. A month isn’t going to do anything. It’s black history day, every day.”

2 news

Friday, Feb. 24, 2017

News

INFO COMPILED FROM CNN

France:

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around the

North korea: Pakistan:

n Monday, Feb. 13, four snowboarders died after being buried in 100 feet of snow when an avalanche hit Tignes ski resort in southeastern France. The deceased include a 48-yearold father, 15-year-old son, 19-year-old half-brother and a 59-year-old ski instructor.

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or th Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile under the supervision of its leader Kim Jong Un. It was launched from Nor th Pyongan province and traveled 310 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan.

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n Pakistan, thousands gathered at Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine for the Sufi ritual of Dhamal on Thursday, Feb. 16. Using an explosives vest, a suicide bomber claimed at least 60 lives and wounded another 250. ISIS claimed responsibility for this attack, in a phone call to CNN.

www.boosterredux.com SECTION D

world

Russia: T

MOROCCO:

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he Senate is continuing its investigation of Russian interference in the presidential election on behalf of Donald Trump.

The CIA concluded Russia not only intervened in the election, but did so with the intention of giving Trump an advantage over Hillary Clinton.

early 500 migrants pushed their way from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, on Friday, Feb. 17. Over 700 citizens had gathered to storm the border, but only 500 made it. The others were stopped

by Moroccan and Spanish authorities.

Canada:

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ontreal, Canada is now officially the ‘Sanctuary City’ for undocumented immigrants as of Monday, Feb. 20 when it was approved by Montreal City Council. Canadians were prompted to protect immigrants from deportation laws that may be passed in the U.S. in the future.

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school district educating proposes new bond future educators One of the key complications to the high school is the overcrowding of kids. Assistant Principal and alum Kelynn Heardt had a firsthand experience with this problem.

“The building itself is almost exactly the same as when I went through here. The main difference in a couple of decades is there are a lot more students now than back in the 90s,” Heardt said.

“I will never forget my first day walking in as assistant principal and thinking ‘oh my goodness’ there is wall-to-wall people and this is what 900 some students looks like in this space and it is crowded. There is an issue of where to put students.”

The bond proposal includes the school gaining four new classrooms, a new band room, a new scene shop for theatrical set building, new administration areas, an updated secure entry to the school, a new kitchen and cafeteria area, remodeling the old kitchen to be used by the culinary arts classes and renovating the science classrooms.

Science teacher Mary Packard instructs Anatomy and Physiology (A&P), where class sizes can grow to as many as 25 kids, when dissecting cats there is a barrier with there only being one sink in her classroom.

“The state of Kansas [has changed] over the years from when our school was built in ‘79. They did not require many science classes for graduation. Now every student has to have three, and with our enrollment, we now have eight science teachers that are really only teaching out of four actual science classrooms. The other four are makeshift rooms,” Packard said.

“Three science rooms do not have any sinks, gas hookups, or chemical tables. The rooms are not equal in size so it depends on what classroom you have that depends on your experience with science. The renovations would allow everyone to have the same experience.”

Junior Andrea McCloskey, who is a student in the A&P class, agrees with Packard that the space is insufficient.

“I think the problems [science] classrooms face specifically, is we don’t have enough sinks.

Crowding kids around one sink isn’t efficient at all. Kids could just go to the bathroom, sure, but it’s unhygienic because you’re taking germs from one place to another,” McCloskey said.

“Another issue is the lightning. It’d be easier to dissect [cats] if I had a better light source. When

“

we invest in the schools, we invest in the future.”

With currently 28 students enrolled in culinary classes, space is limited in the kitchen for proper professional training. Culinary arts instructor Heather Horton wishes to run the course as a quality restaurant would function, but this is difficult due to the lack of efficient cookware utilities and appliances.

“The current work space is very ill equipped for the caliber of class I am teaching. I have to adjust my lessons to fit the space. In the course, I try to give the st udent s real-world restaurant exp er ience. That is difficult to do when we don’t even have restaurant qualit y pots, pans, - HEATHER HORTON trays, etc,” Hor ton said. “Not only would improvements benefit the culinary classes, they would benefit the entire school. The class could take on more catering projects to help out other organizations, they could hold fundraisers and the kitchens could even possibly be rented out for events. An update to the facilities would be a win for all.”

To vote for the bond issue, registered voters may cast their votes at the polls March 14. An absentee ballot will be available as well and results will be known that night after the polls close. The new bond will cost citizens $11 more a year which is $0.21 a week for a $100,000 valued household.

Brown and Heardt encourage all to go out and vote yes for the improvements in the district.

“Change is a good sign of a thriving community, and our community is doing well. I think [the city should] pass this bond issue because of the need to accommodate the new growth.

The city continues to grow more because [new improvements] draw more people to the community,” Brown said. “I think the bond issue helps the community with pride, with continuing development of a better workforce for our community through our school systems. There are a lot of possibilities for our community.”

I have to adjust my lessons to fit the space. In the course I try to give the students real-world restaurant experience.

New teaching courses available next year MADISON NAGEL @maddiebagel

In an effort to assist students with conclusion of the pathway. interests in teaching, PHS has added an Students would have the opportunity education pathway. to take the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Family and Consumer Sciences pre-PAC teacher Krystal Henderson will instruct certification exam at the completion of the Career and Tech Education (CTE) the pathway. If a student completes teaching courses, including Teaching [the pathway], they will have the as a Career and Teaching Internship, as opportunity to gain college credit, at well as some of the other prerequisites. no cost, without taking the course; The course teaching as a career will if they pursue an education major. be offered next year. The capstone The schools offering these agreements class, which is a teaching internship, are Emporia State University, Pittsburg will be offered the subsequent year.

State University, Washburn and Kansas In order to participate in the new City Kansas Community College. pathway, a student must enroll in PHS offers a club that coincides with various classes. The classes include the new pathway.

Career & Life Planning (or have “At PHS, FCCLA would be a already taken Freshman Focus), Human great group to join if interested in Growth and Development, formally education,” Henderson said. “There Child Development, Teaching As a are many opportunities for learning Career and leadership Teaching as well as Internship. opportunities The new to compete c l a s s e s using the will allow skills they students will gain in to develop education their new courses.” skill sets.

Henderson “Teaching feels that the Internship new pathway will offer would be students the valuable opportunity for students to go out w a n t i n g into local to prepare schools and to become o b s e r v e teachers of teachers all kinds. to practice “ T h i s - KRYSTAL HENDERSON some of the Teaching skills they p a t h w a y have gained would be from the great for any introductory student who a n d is interested technical level courses that they have in any facet of education,” Henderson already taken.” said.

Henderson is devoted to sharing her Henderson has advice for students fondness of teaching. interested in becoming educators.

“There seems to be a great interest in “During high school, I would the education career at PHS. Teaching recommend that students volunteer as is a passion of mine, and I love to share much as possible; especially with the that passion with students; especially age group that they are interested in if they are interested in the education teaching,” Henderson said. “After high field.” school, there are several great colleges Students will be eligible to obtain with education schools in the state of credit from participating colleges at the Kansas.”

“ ”

TThere seems to be a great interest in the education career at PHS. Teaching is a passion of mine, and I love to share that passion with students.

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www.boosterredux.com

Friday Feb 24, 2017

opinion

#hollywoodso white Mainstream awards still lack diversity trina paul @trpaul98

Maddie Baden Journey Jaramillo Gina Mathew Trina Paul Kali Poenitske

Staff

ART BY DAIN REILING

By shortchanging minority actors and actresses, representation in Hollywood falters and young people of color are left without role models and stories of people they envision themselves to be. When directors and creators begin creating more stories or narratives of non-white characters, new roles for minorities in film and television will allow for the true representation of people of color.

Seeing minorities on television or on the big screen allows youth and other people of color to have role models and heroes that mimic their own personal experiences or world view.

Although Hollywood in 2016 represented a screeching halt in the diversity in film and television award nominations, 2017 was marked by a greater selection of movies with diverse casts for filmgoers

to watch.

Movies like Lion, Moonlight, Hidden Figures and Fences all had non-white lead actors and highlighted the stories of people of color in otherwise unexplored avenues in Hollywood. These movies help personify some of the stories and struggles of minority America.

And when the Academy Awards are held later this month, the value of diversity will be recognized; seven out of the 20 people nominated in the acting category will be racial minorities. These nominations exhibit that audiences are willing to watch movies that highlight the stories of minorities.

While Hollywood still requires large strides for racial equality, incremental amounts of progress still show real change.

advocates acceptance of immigrants nicole konopelko @nicolekonopelko

crimination. They show prejudice against the Muslim faith and the facts do not support them.

The reality is, immigrants do not come to the U.S. to terrorize or obliterate.

They come to live the American dream.

And while they are at it, they bring their creativity, ideas and wide array of knowledge.

Sergey Brin, a Russian immigrant, founded the most popular search engine that you more than likely access everyday — Google.

Just imagine that. If Brin would not have brought his knowledge of computers to the U.S., we would not have Google, the multi billion corporation that we know and love today.

Muslims are also our sports stars. Take Muhammad Ali, the three-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, who converted to Islam and became a Muslim American. He was not a terrorist and nor was he a bad person. He gave the utmost respect to our country and represented it well.

It is time we get rid of this highly flawed connotation given to immigration.

Immigration is in our DNA. We are a land of immigrants. Without Christopher Columbus, a European immigrant, you would not even be reading this in English.

What does it really mean to be an American?

Believe it or not, you are an immigrant.

When you look through your family line, you will recognize that you have a family member from a different country.

Banning immigration is the equivalent of banning a voice, banning opportunities, banning growth, but most importantly — banning progress.

ART BY DAIN REILING

staff editorial:

Staff comments on reformed bond issue, hopes to meet community expectations, desires

booster staff @PHSStudentPub

For the past 27 years our school has not changed. With Pittsburg’s growing population, we see the need to enter the 21st century more than ever before.

This past year, our administration has addressed concerns from last year’s failed bond, and created more forms of publicity to improve awareness among the public. Our staff is hopeful that the community will vote yes on the new proposal.

Each year we have experienced an increase in students and a decrease in space. In lunches,

Editors-in-Chief

Lily Black

we are all immigrants Konopelko denounces Trump’s travel ban, From Miami to New York to Los Angeles, thousands of people stand amidst crowds, firmly protesting. Screaming at the top of their lungs while waving their signs in the air, they hold onto the one glimmer of hope that president Donald Trump’s executive ban on the immigration of Muslims into the U.S. will be reversed.

Trump’s decision is only one example of a new societal illness in our country: immigrants have become primary victims of verbal attack in both the media and government.

Ann Coulter, a political spokeswoman and commentator, called Mexican children “illegitimate.” Pat Buchanan, a political activist and columnist blamed immigrants for a “radical demographic transformation” that America “would not survive.”

Trump, our very own leader, genuinely believes all immigrants of Muslim descent are terrorists.

But how many times will political figures pinpoint immigrants for the problems in our country until they realize immigrants have nothing to do with them?

The problem does not lie in immigrants — it lies in the people who believe immigrants are the problem.

Immigrants are not bad people.

Immigrants are not terrorists. Not only is this common knowledge, but it has also been verified by statistics.

Trump’s temporary travel ban includes seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia. But according to the CATO Institute, zero refugees from those countries have killed anyone in terrorist attacks on American soil.

This only proves that those who oppose immigration are actually practicing dis-

Booster Redux staff and policy

Design Editor

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hen hashtags like “grammysowhite” and “oscarsowhite” erupted over the past year, people took to social media to express their discontent with the lack of diversity in film, television and music.

While the hashtag grammysowhite was used to show the disappointment with Beyonce’s snub of the album of the award, the hashtag “oscarsowhite” was used to illustrate the lack of non-white actors nominated for Academy Awards in 2016.

Yet Hollywood has long been guilty of not properly portraying the diversity of America in its movies and television shows.

According to a study done by USC, only 28 percent of characters with dialogue were non-white despite the fact that minorities make up nearly 40 percent of the American population.

The diversity in Hollywood has stunted in comparison to the real landscape of America due to the lack of roles offered to non-white actors and actresses. Several prominent Hollywood stars have spoken about the difficulty of finding roles, due to their race, in television and film.

Ken Jeong, star of the television show Dr. Ken, remembers an acting professor telling him to “stay the hell out of L.A. There’s not much of a future for you. Go to Asia,” in an article for the New York Times.

Hollywood’s directors and creators failure to create content that gives voice to people of color establishes a film and television industry solely dependent on the creation, directing and casting of whites. Last year many of Hollywood’s biggest hits, such as Spotlight, Joy and The Big Short were headlined by Caucasian actors and actresses, spurring backlash from numerous critics who argued against the racial homogeneity in Hollywood.

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many students find themselves without proper seating. Right now, our hectic lunchroom separates classes on both ends of the school and makes overcrowding a concern during mealtimes.

Designating a space for the lunchroom and kitchen in the back courtyard would allocate a division between the hallways and the cafeteria, creating more space for students to sit.

In the science department, the smell of dissected cats and gas lingers long after experiments

are concluded. Refurbished classrooms would minimize the odor, allowing for a more pleasant atmosphere.

Renovating our school is a significant factor of how we will continue to be competitive with area schools without flying under the radar. This also propels us and our peers toward college and career readiness. Our facilities reflect our ability to learn and, thus, we feel an updated learning environment is a must.

A vote for the bond is a vote for

the future of our community. The need to update our school’s facilities will not change, so making these changes as soon as possible is the only way to invest in our future Dragons.

Regardless if you have a student in USD 250 or not, everyone wins with the improvements because our students are and will continue to be members of this community.

Educating them is a win for all because they will be able to give back contributions to the community with an improved education.

Meghan Baker Connor Balthazor Amanda Bourbina Sophie Graham Jordan Hawkins Jorden Johnson Grace Kafka Alec Kangas Nicole Konopelko Alvaro Moncivais Madison Nagel Grace Palmer Lexi Palmer Katie Painter Dain Reiling Maddy Robison Patrick Sullivan Darius Tinsley Skyla Wallace Julie Wilson

Adviser Emily Smith

The Booster Redux Pittsburg High School Student Publications 1978 E. 4th St. Pittsburg, KS 66762

PHS Student Publications Department and newspaper class produce The Booster Redux.

Please call us with comments at 620235-3200. The Booster Redux’s purpose is to inform, educate, enlighten and entertain readers fairly and accurately in an open forum.

Opinions expressed in editorials or opinion columns do not necessarily reflect views of all members on the Booster staff.

Digital photos have not been altered to manipulate reality.

Photo illustrations are labeled to reflect any technical alternations.

Anonymity may be given in the following cases: the information is unable to be presented another way, the information warrants anonymity, the source’s privacy and/or reputation requires protection and the source must be protected from damages.

A student or faculty member death during the coverage period will be covered with a short obituary.

The Booster Redux is a member of Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Kansas Scholastic Press and International Quill and Scroll. The Booster Redux encourages letters from students, teachers and community members under 300 words and signed with a valid signature only.

The Booster Redux reserves the right to edit contributions if they are libelous, obscene and for length. Any grammatical errors at the fault of the writer will be printed. Corrections of errors printed at the fault of the Booster staff will appear in the appropriate section of the next issue.

4 A&E

Friday, Feb. 24, 2017

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SECTION D

‘Space between us’ down to earth Student enjoys new, non-cliched ` romantic teenage movie Jule WIlson @jlwilson

Asa Butterfield is a 19 year old actor who has played several roles throughout his career. Some of these roles include Nanny Mcphee and The Big Bang, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Recently, he played the role of Gardner Elliot in the film The Space Between Us. I have to be honest, before I saw this movie I was expecting to see one of those typical love stories, the kind where the love birds know it is not safe to be with each other but they stay together anyway because they are in love. However, this movie was not exactly like that, it was different.

The movie starts with six astronauts going on a mission to Mars for four years. Two months into the mission, one of the astronauts, Sarah Elliot (played by Janet Montgomery), finds out she is pregnant.

Sarah gave birth shortly after they got to Mars and she died not too long after Gardner was born. He has spent his whole life there because of his heart. It is a lot bigger and it can’t handle conditions on Earth compared to what he is used to on Mars.

The mission was originally started by Nathaniel Shephard (played by Gary Oldman) but he gave up on it after Sarah passed away. Throughout the 16 years, multiple scientists moved in and out of the facility.

One of the scientists was Kyndra Wyndham (played by Carla Gugino), who looked after Gardner and sort of played the mother role for him.

Kyndra noticed that Gardner was very lonely and should be on Earth where he belongs, so she arranges for him to be taken there.

When he gets there, he breaks out of the contamina-

‘for honor’ for serious gamers Balthazor recommends new game connor balthazor @connor71999 In the world of “For Honor,” Knights, Vikings and Samurai vie for control of land and power through both single-player campaign and multiplayer. “For Honor” was a game that was nearly forgotten after it was revealed last summer. The main reason for this was most likely skepticism on if the goals the game was shooting for could be achieved.

Just a week before the release, an open beta was released and the unique style captured many players’ attention, myself included.

One of the most unique and defining features of “For Honor” is its in-depth sword gameplay. One-on-one duels between players are not just swinging mindlessly at your opponent, they involve swinging at the right times as well as in the right direction, blocking in the right spot, dodging, stunning, reaction time and knowledge of your surroundings.

The first thing you will notice about the combat is that it is not easy. It takes dedication to learn the idiosyncrasies of each character and their strengths and weaknesses.

When you engage in a battle, you can block and attack in three directions; up, right and left. When your opponent swings in one of these directions, there will be an indication of which direction they are attacking, and you have to either block in that direction, or suffer damage.

This same concept is used for attacking.

You can use either light or heavy attacks in the up, right and left directions. Using light attacks take less of your stamina to use but do less damage. Whereas heavy attacks use more stamina but cause higher damage to your opponent. Knowing your location is also vital while in combat. If you are close to a ledge or a cliff, you can bash your opponent and knock them off a ledge or cliff, instantly winning the battle.

One of my favorite parts of “For Honor” is the use of “Heros” as characters for multiplayer. While the system used is similar to other games, such as “Rainbow Six: Siege,” the balance of power between “Heros” is outstanding. Every “Hero” that I have used so far can defeat any other hero if used correctly.

For example, “Nobushi” from the Samurai faction, a small and quick hero that uses a staff with a blade at the tip called a naginata, can hold his own against “Conqueror,” a Knight that utilizes slow and heavy attacks with his ball-and-chain weapon called the Footman’s Flail. The balance between heros leads to the deciding factor in most battles being the player’s skill level.

Another interesting feature of “For Honor”

is “Faction Wars.” “Faction Wars” are fought between the three factions of the game; Knights, Vikings and Samurai. Each faction is given a set amount of territory at the beginning of a season, and throughout the season, the borders of each faction can change drastically. You can help either attack another faction’s territory or defend your own by using “War Assets.” “War Assets” are earned by completing multiplayer matches. The amount of “War Assets” you receive is based off of how well you perform in-game. Also, “Faction Wars” is cross-platform, meaning that players from Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC are all contributing to the same fight, rather than separate wars for each platform.

“Faction Wars” was a feature of “For Honor” that I was not expecting to give much thought to, but joining a faction with all of your friends and contributing to a world-wide conflict in the “For Honor” community is a great feeling.

“For Honor,” does not only offer multiplayer. A relatively simple and straightforward campaign mode. The story mode follows three different arcs; Knights, Vikings and Samurai. The Knight’s story line follows a knight known as Warden, who joins a group of knights known as the Blackstone Legion.

The Blackstone Legion are led by the game’s antagonist, Apollyon. While I have always enjoyed single-player components to games, the story mode of “For Honor” felt rushed and bland for the most part. The best way to describe the story mode is an elongated tutorial for the different “Heros” of the game. The Knight and Viking story lines were extremely sub-par, and the Samurai arc was barely passable. The campaign of the game only helps emphasize “For Honor’s” main component; an enjoyable and replayable multiplayer.

“For Honor” is one of the more refreshing games that I have played in quite some time.

Not only does it provide an in-depth sword combat system, the game mode “Dominion” places computer controlled soldiers on the map that can be easily dealt with, but create a feeling of large scale combat. While the combat is difficult, it is not impossible. It is incredibly satisfying to improve your skills with it to where you can win almost any duel. The only thing that hampers the game is the weak story, but that can be overlooked due to stellar multiplayer. It is a game for everyone, and I would recommend getting a few friends to buy the game with you as “For Honor” is a great game to play with a group.

tion room he has to stay in to go find his friend, Tulsa (played by Britt Robertson). Gardner and Tulsa have been messaging each other back and forth for almost a year, Tulsa is the only person Gardner knew on Earth that was not a scientist.

Tulsa takes Gardner on a trip to find his dad.

Meanwhile, Kyndra and Nathaniel chase them around to get Gardner to safety.

This movie was a feel-good type of movie but watching other people fall in love just reminds me of how single I am. I also did not like how this movie took so long to build up to climax. I went with my sister to see this movie and she fell asleep three times because nothing was really happening yet.

I really recommend that you watch this movie, it is not just a great story but it is a great love story, too.

big hit for big sean New album meets expectations patrick sullivan @P_Sullivan15 Big Sean released I Decided on Feb. 3, making this his fourth studio album and best one yet.

This album features Big Sean’s signature style of rap along with up-andcoming group, Migos, and one of the most revered rappers in the business, Eminem. His work has continued just as Dark Sky Paradise did in 2015.

Big Sean released two singles that I personally enjoyed prior to the release of I Decided. “Bounce Back” and “Moves” are two songs released towards the end of 2016 and have been hits well into the new year.

These songs did a more than adequate job of providing solid, new material before the release of the album.

One of my favorite qualities about Big Sean is ability to be an extremely laid-back artist and a lyrical madman varying from song to song. “No Favors” features Eminem and once again, proves that his genius is unrivaled in the rap portion of the music

industry.

Eminem is also releasing an album this year and this gives fans a little teaser for his work to come.

“No Favors,” along with “Sacrifices” are two great examples of Big Sean’s flow and capability to rap quickly. The other dimension of Big Sean’s music is his slower-paced style featured on “Jump Out The Window.” This song competes for my favorite track of I Decided. “Sunday Morning Jetpack” is another song that Sean truly speaks volumes about his aptitude for storytelling in his music. This track features The Dream and is truly a beautiful tune worth checking out.

Overall, I believe Big Sean has produced one of the strongest albums of 2017. He sets the bar high for this year in music. Big Sean’s popularity is only on the rise for this 28 year old.

His next work will have high expectations from here on out, I decided.

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seniors sign for their future Maddy robison @maddyrobison19

NATHAN WOODS - Pittsburg State University Since he could walk, senior Nathan Woods has played football and playing in college is a dream of his.

That dream came true on Feb. 1 when Woods signed his letter of intent to play football at Pittsburg State University (PSU).

“Colleges started contacting me my junior year and it was really exciting to get that first call,” Woods said. “There were a couple colleges with good programs that I had to choose from. I visited PSU and really liked the program and the coaches.”

Woods has been recognized by his coaches as a leader and hard worker.

“Nathan has great work ethic and determination,” head coach Tom Nickelson said. “Even though he didn’t get to play a whole lot his freshman year he’s always put in so much dedication and work, he’s very much a team player.”

Woods isn’t expecting to be a star player right away, but he is excited to be a part of the team.

“It’s going to be really cool getting to play with past teammates who have also gone to play for PSU, but also play against some of my teammates that have gone to competing schools,” Woods said.

“I’m also looking forward to running through the tunnel and seeing all the fans and feeling all the energy right before a game.”

Woods is looking forward to starting his college football career, but he will never forget where it all started.

“I’m really going to miss the Friday night lights and getting to play with my family,” Woods said. “I’ll miss the coaches too, they’ve made me into a better player, student and person.”

Aside from Woods’ teammates and coaches, his brother Zach has also been a motivator in his life.

“My older brother has probably been my biggest motivator, he’s always been there pushing me to be better,” Woods said. “He’s shown me how to learn from mistakes.”

ELIJAH HARRIS - Pittsburg State University For senior Elijah Harris, being a college athlete has always been a goal. He is now one step closer to achieving that goal.

“I was excited to [get the opportunity to play sports in college], it felt too good to be true,” Harris said. “It honestly hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Harris signed to play football for Pittsburg State University (PSU), and has plans to sign in the spring for baseball as well.

“I didn’t have a ton of offers for football, but for baseball I had to decide on what school I thought had the best program for me,” Harris said. “PSU gave me the best opportunity to play both baseball and football, and I really wanted to play both sports in college.”

Being a multiple sport athlete has always been important to Harris.

“My mom really encouraged me to stay a three-sport athlete and I’m glad she did,” Harris said. “A lot of the sports help me with my other sports, like football helps me with speed for basketball, and basketball helps me [with different aspects of baseball.]”

Coaches took note of Harris because of his talent on and off the field.

“Elijah has pure speed, he is one of the most athletic kids we’ve ever had come through this program,” head coach Tom Nickelson said. “His agility, quickness and vertical are all tremendous and for only being 175lbs he’s one of the strongest kids on the team.”

Coaches also encourage athletes to be involved in multiple sports.

“We want every one of our guys to be a multiple sport athlete,” Nickelson said. “A lot of college coaches are looking for total athletes, they don’t just want a football player.”

Harris has support from family and friends.

“My mom is my biggest motivator, she always told me to stay humble and show people how I can play through actions, instead of words,” Harris said. “She is the one that pushed me when I was little, and told me to keep going.”

Senior Elijah Harris talks to a news reporter about signing to play at PSU. PHOTO BY SHELBY SMITH Senior Trevor Kent watis to sign to Northwestern University. PHOTO BY MOLLY JAMISON Seniors Deveron Duncan and Nathan Woods hug for a photo. PHOTO BY JORGE LEYVA

DEVERON DUNCAN - Washburn University With a fresh start in mind, senior Deveron Duncan signed to play football at Washburn University.

“It takes a tremendous amount of work to be able to play college football, a lot of it is God-given talent. We have a lot of kids that work really hard but they aren’t blessed with the physical tools that some of the other guys have,” Nickelson said. “Devron’s combination of size and speed is very rare, he had to work his entire high-school career to utilize and develop those skills.”

Duncan used self motivation to get to this point and is hoping that college offers new beginnings.

“My biggest motivator was just the thought of all the opportunities and just believing that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it,” Duncan said. “I’m looking at college as a fresh start, no one knows who you are all they want to see what you have to bring to the table.”

Even though he will miss high school football, Duncan is ready to start his college career.

“I’m looking forward to getting there and getting to play football,” Duncan said. “But I’m going to miss how close we are as a team here, I just have a huge amount of trust in my teammates and it’s going to be really different without them.”

Duncan hopes that his peers, and upcoming students won’t let their past alter their goals for the future.

“People say you can’t change, but I honestly think if you’re willing to work for it you can change as a person,” Duncan said. “I have changed for the better since my freshman year, not because I had to but because I wanted a better opportunities for a good life.”

TREVOR KENT - Northwestern University At an early age, senior Trevor Kent had not given college football much thought, but is now signed on to play for Northwestern University.

“I haven’t always wanted to play football in college, when I was younger I actually wasn’t very good at sports,” Kent said. “When I was a sophomore I became more coordinated, and so college ball became more of a possibility.”

Even though Kent could not see his potential right away, his coaches did.

“Trevor was noticed immediately because of his size. He was a 6’4’’ and 225 pounds. As a freshman, we knew right away that he was going to be special,” Nickelson said. “He’s really developed his strength and his footwork.”

Kent was also noticed by college coaches.

“Colleges started contacting me my junior year. It was cool to get to talk to the coaches that I grew up watching on TV,” Kent said. “It’s really crazy when [coaches] start calling you and coming to your house to visit you. It was just a very humbling experience.”

Kent looked up to other players but PHS alum Alex Barnes stood out to him.

“I was very self motivated, but watching Alex play was good motivation to get better. Seeing how hard he worked really showed me how much it took to become a college athlete,” Kent said. “Alex was one of my biggest motivators, but also my coaches pushed me a lot and my parents are really supportive.”

tumbling for the competition Students compete for Cheer Pitt, bring home hardware Katie Painter @_katie16katie Freshman Kamryn Bennett fell in love with cheer six and a half years ago while watching a parade.

“We were at a parade when I saw [the cheerleaders] tumbling across, and something just clicked. I immediately wanted to try it. It’s just something I really wanted to do. I wanted to do something different.”

Since that day, she has cheered at The Cheer Pitt (TCP), and committed to practices and competitions. Bennett enjoys the competitiveness of the sport. “[Competitions are] stressful, wacky and all over the place, but somehow our coach always ends up pulling it together just in time,” Bennett said.

Coaches Monica and Quentin Holmes opened up TCP in 2009. There are currently about 110 competitive cheerleaders who are involved with the program.

Monica didn’t cheer growing up, but began when college cheerleaders convinced her and Quentin to give it a try.

“While cheering in college we taught some clinics and worked with kids a lot, which is something we both really enjoyed,” Monica said. “We were contacted by a couple families that said Pittsburg needed a tumbling gym and heard we were the ones that would be good to start that. So, we went for it.

Some of the girls that tumbled at our gym talked us into getting an all-star cheer team. We fell in love with the competitive side of it.”

Monica isn’t the only one who has found her passion for competition through cheering.

“The atmosphere of The Cheer Pitt is very welParticipants of all ages and skill levels have the opportunity to attend competitions twice a month. coming and warm. All of the staff is very helpful They travel to places such as Kansas City, Dallas and considerate to all the athletes,” v said. “They make sure they do what’s in the best interest of and Tampa to compete.

They prepare for these competitions by keeping everyone at the gym.” up with their practice schedule and work outs every week. Normally practices are about twice a week, in addition to open gyms, but practices are different depending on what team the athletes are on.

Newcomers are always welcome to join, but make sure to be prepared.

“I would say to start taking tumbling classes and to go to open gyms that The Cheer Pitt offers,” said Grace Kafka, who has cheered with TCP for five seasons.

Available time is also something to take into consideration before deciding to join.

“Competitive cheer is a very big commitment. We highly encourage all athletes to make sure they can commit, time wise and financially, before joining,” Holmes said. “The athletes practice hard. It is a very rewarding sport. The athletes learn a lot of life lessons, and they also form a lot of bonds with kids from all over.”

Even though it takes some commitment, numerous athletes and families have found a second home and a new passion by taking a chance and getting involved.

Freshmen Grace Kafka, Carmen Kent and Kamryn Bennett show off their TCP awards. PHOTO BY MYLA TURNER

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Moving a set piece for “The Addams Family,” junior Matt Buck and sophomore Elisabeth Brown work off stage as a part of the technical crew. Students in tech crew are responsible for building and moving set pieces, lighting and sound cues, just to name a few. PHOTO BY MALAYNA BROWN

A look behind the curtains Students involved in technical crew fulfill invisible roles for plays Kali POenitskE @kali_poenitske he production of “Seussical” was attended by 3,218 people, but not everyone knew what was going on behind the scenes.

Technical crew is made up of 12 students who handled set design, hair, makeup, lighting and sound.

“We do tech nights for about six weeks before a show, and those are about two hours a piece [twice] a week,” junior Miranda Madden said.

“We probably [put in] about 30 hours or so before tech week. Then, tech week, we’re there from after school until about 7 or 8 p.m.”

Madden has worked behind the scenes for nine shows. Junior Hailey Denton just finished her fourth show, but if it were not for advice from her mom, Denton may not have wound up on tech crew.

“My mom was really big into light design when I first got interested in theater, so I wanted to follow in her footsteps. She told me whenever I started high school theater, that I

T

needed to have one show that I did behind the scenes. Then, I fell in love with the light board, so here I am,” Denton said. “It kind of started freshman year because I wanted to be in every show, but she said, ‘make sure you take time to learn about backstage because that’s important too.

That stuff is important as well, I just started freshman year, and now it has blossomed into me [working] backstage for every show.”

Denton is a part of the lighting staff, while Madden works with the sound effects. Both have challenges in their field.

“The hardest part is probably the time commitment. It takes a lot of time, and you have to have a lot of patience with your directors and your assistants and everything,” Denton said.

“Seussical” was no different. Madden believes the show brought its own obstacles.

“Normal shows don’t have monkey sounds that you have to do throughout

the show. We had all kinds of weird set pieces we were trying to make [for ‘Seussical’], and with the sound effects and the lighting, it’s all over the place,” Madden said. “[My biggest fear] was messing up. Especially since I do sound. [We] were worried something was going to go wrong.

We’re always striving for the perfect show. It’s out there, we haven’t gotten there yet, but we’re getting there.”

There was also the challenge of moving the show to Memorial Auditorium.

“It was different because I’m used to doing things on my own terms, but I [was] working with the Memorial staff, so I had to make sure I talked to the people who work there before I do anything on my own,” Denton said. “It is a little bit harder at Memorial because the facilities are really different. Their board is different than ours. Their lights are a little bit different than ours, and they have more lights than we do, so they have more that I had to get associated with.”

Madden disagrees. She believes there are simply more opportunities when performing a show at Memorial.

“There, we have better access to higher quality stuff,” Madden said.

“Our sets look absolutely amazing on their humongous stage, and I find it a lot more fun when it’s at Memorial because it’s a bigger space, and when you walk into the auditorium, you see the stage all put together and it’s kind of this beautiful thing.”

As Madden enjoys seeing the production on a bigger stage, she also enjoys the first public performance.

“The most exciting part is probably opening night,” Madden said. “We always say that if no one notices you, then you’re doing a good job. That’s my favorite part.”

Denton appreciates a different aspect of tech crew.

“I think tech crew is really fun, and we’re a big family,” Denton said. “It can be stressful, but the prize outweighs the stress in the end.”

best of the band Students selected for District Honor Ensemble GINA MATHEW @gmmathew13 Five students were selected for the district honor ensemble.

Senior Kristen Geiger, juniors Izabelle Lunday and Kiel O’Neal and sophomores Aidan Harries and Brittney Bramblett auditioned to become members of the honor band back in November.

“It’s a blind audition,” Geiger said. “There are three judges behind a curtain so we can’t see each other. They have no idea who we are so there’s no bias.”

The students were categorized by their respective instruments and tasked with performing excerpts from a rehearsed piece, a prepared scale and material to test sight reading.

“Because the music is different for each instrument, students have to do their own preparation,” band director Cooper Neil said.

“There’s some coaching from me, but the majority of the work is done by them.”

Geiger began practicing her repertoire back in August.

“I worked really hard,” Geiger said. “It is a very selective [process], so it meant a lot to be in the [honor ensemble].”

Being selected in the district honor en-

semble also earned the students eligibility for state honor band.

“It was more of a stepping stone to state auditions,” O’Neal said in regards to the district competition, “which was a completely different story.”

That “story” consisted of twice the number of judges, a more advanced selection in the repertoire and competition from both 5A and 6A classifications.

Despite their efforts, no student made it to state honor band this year, following a trend in which no student has qualified since PHS was classified as a 4A school.

“Our disadvantage at the state level is the culture of private lessons,” Neil said. “To be competitive with those schools, students really need to be in private lessons throughout their high school career. Also, a lot of schools have specialized teachers for each instrument group, such as a woodwinds or brass instructor. Here, it’s just me in the classroom all day.”

Neil is reassured, however, by the band’s progress.

“The number of students I have that are willing to work up that material on their own is indicative of the success of this program,” Neil said. “The fundamental level of music un- Sophomore Aidan Harries rehearses a piece of music while playing trumpet. Harries derstanding [for] my students is increasing.” qualified for the District Honor Band. PHOTO BY BRISA PFAFF

Vocal music students qualify for State Honor Choir KATIE PAINTER @_katie16katie @ On Nov. 5, hundreds of students auditioned for Kansas Music Educators Association’s State and District honor choir. Leading up to that day, these students spent months preparing the chosen repertoire for this audition.

“I am always optimistic with the number of students to represent PHS. We work hard and prepare well,” Susan Laushman vocal music director said.

Out of all of the students who auditioned in Southeast Kansas, 44 were selected for District Honor Choir, and 12 advanced to state.

Seniors Elizabeth Graham, Samuel Jamison, Olivia Joy, Andrew Ortolani and Alex Riley, juniors Daniel Bell Jr., Cassie Hurt-McLarty and Chloe VanBecelaere and sophomores Gabriel Abarca, Amanda Bourbina and Gracie Terry were chosen to represent Pittsburg at the state level.

“I did not expect 12 people to be chosen from our school, that’s for sure. I didn’t really know what to expect honestly, but I’m really glad that our school has such a good representation,” Jamison said.

Typically, vocal music has between eight and 12

members selected every year. There was only one other high school in the state of Kansas to have 12 singers selected.

Ortolani was confident in the group’s vocal music abilities, even before the selections w The students were not the only ones who spent time in preparation for honor choir.

“I have been preparing All State singers for a month.

Our state choir experience will be a three-day rehearsal process concluding with a Saturday concert. We will rehearse approximately ten hours a day,” Laushman said.

Terry agrees with the fact of being a part of state choir is an additional commitment.

“The difference between encore and state choir is that the music is much more difficult. The literature is very challenging, which is another factor in why I love it so much,” Terry said.

Each year, Laushman supports all of her encore students through the process of taking on the challenge of auditioning for honor choir.

“I require encore to audition because it is good practice to audition. If selected, an honor choir allows students to meet other singers in the district and in the

state and become familiar with the vocal music programs in our area. It is also an opportunity to sing under the direction of a guest clinician.”

“Encore and honor choir have both really stretched what I can do vocally,” Jamison said. They have allowed me to branch out in my vocal range and knowledge, and Mrs. Laushman has been a huge help for my voice.”

Being a part of honor choir as well as encore has impacted and improved students’ confidence and performance abilities.

“I wasn’t too surprised, honestly. We’ve always set the standard and Laushman always makes sure we’re the most prepared during auditions. All we have to do is actually put our best foot forward and try. I try for her because she does so much for us, why would I want to let her down?” Ortolani said.

“I’m honored that in the entire state of Kansas high schools, I was one of the few voices picked to be added to the somewhat exclusive group. It’s a great way to end my last year at PHS,” Ortolani said. “[Encore and honor choir have] made me strive to be a better singer and performer. Any auditions I do in the future will benefit greatly from my experience.”

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to read or not to read

Students, teachers weigh benefits, disadvantages of AR Connor Balthazor

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@connor 71999

n 1985, Accelerated Reader (AR) was created to help determine students’ understanding and comprehension of books.

“It is supposed to ascer tain that you are comprehending what you are reading,” librarian Samantha Warren said. “Kids are supposed to read a book, and then, by taking the quiz, it proves to the English teacher or a parent that you are comprehending what you’re reading.”

For some students, such as senior Annie Cor tes, AR is a helpful approach in English.

“I think [AR] helps with writing and vocabular y and grammar,” Cor tes said.

While the system benefits Cor tes, others have seen its disadvantages.

English teacher Abbey Cummings has seen firsthand the limitations students experience with AR. “As [my brothers] got older, they star ted to hate reading because they felt limited,” Cummings said.

While reading plays a fundamental role in education, AR may not be the best way to go about it, according to Warren.

“I don’t think [AR] makes anyone love to read,” Warren said. “It forces you to read and, anything you’re forced to do, no one wants to do.”

Some students, however, such as freshman Bo McDowell, believe AR is the easiest option for students.

“You’re going to get a grade in English anyway, so you might as well make it easy with reading instead of assignments,” McDowell said.

Never theless, the value of AR diminishes as students progress through high school.

Cor tes thinks it is easier as an underclassmen, but becomes a chore later in high school.

“I feel like AR is hard as an upperclassmen because you’re really busy,” Cor tes said. “But in freshman and sophomore years, you have more time to put in reading.”

Cor tes used to enjoy reading for pleasure, but now she only reads for school.

“I always met my AR goal. I always went over it because I love to read,” Cor tes said. “The only reading I do now is for actual schoolwork.”

According to Cummings, students often lose their ability to make choices due to AR, resulting in dissatisfaction.

“I hear that [dislike of AR] from a lot of students.

It’s the idea that they don’t have the choices that they would like,” Cummings said. “They feel like they’re really stuck and I think it makes them dislike reading.”

Cummings’ claim of students disliking AR is suppor ted by data of the school’s per formance with

“

ART BY ALVARO MONCIVAIS

AR. Out of 639 eligible students in grades 9-11, only 81 percent participate in AR. Even if the school were to eventually move away from the AR program, something would be needed to replace the 10 percent of a student’s grade that is comprised of AR. However, it is not possible to rid of AR without a proper substitute.

Students such as junior Cade Southard see possible replacements for AR, which would involve more dialogue.

“More reading in class and class discussions instead of an individual basis [would further our skills],” Southard said.

Cortes agrees that more class -MELISSA FITE JOHNSON time should be utilized for reading, but she sees a different end goal.

“There should be some time in [English] for reading,” Cortes said. “It’s hard to do it outside of class because there’s already so much work to do.”

Despite some students and faculty looking for a change, English teacher Melissa Fite Johnson does not see the AR program itself as the main point of the issue, but the reading that comes with AR. “To me, it’s not about the benefit that the AR system brings to the school, it’s about the benefit that reading brings to students and to ever yone, actually,” Johnson said.

To me, it’s not about the benefit the AR system brings to the school, it’s about the benefit that reading brings to students

”

English department chair Linda Barberich shares Johnson’s inclinations.

“As an English department, we would like students to find a book that they enjoy reading,” Barberich said. “Something that is appropriate for them (on their level).”

In English class, AR is 10 percent of a student’s grade.

According to Warren, this is a large portion that will affect students’ grades significantly.

“It’s such a huge part of your English grade that it’s going to hurt you if you don’t do it,” Warren said.

Warren feels that motivating students through force with a grade however is not the way to go about using AR. “[Students are motivated] out of fear. So is that motivation?” Warren said.

Johnson sees the conflict that some students have with obtaining their goals.

“I think some students struggle with meeting AR goals for a few reasons apathy, busy schedules, prioritizing other classes over English, etc.,” Johnson said. “However: I think the main reason is that many people don’t enjoy reading, which is unfortunate.”

According to Barberich, both students and teachers experience the advantages of AR. “You have the opportunity of doing what is appropriate for you,” Barberich said. “As a teacher, [AR] is another way of knowing the student has read the material.”

Despite some people such as Cummings showing concerns for the current system, the decision comes down to the English department and the majority of the department .

“At this point we weren’t ready to say ‘[AR is] not something you need to do,’ Barberich said.

“We’ll see what the future holds.”

Questions & Answers With...

Educators, teachers discuss intricacies of grading systems Madison Nagel

@maddiebagel

Traditional grading system W/ ASSt. PRINCIPAL CHRIS GARZONE Have we always used the traditional grading system?

PHS has used this type of grading representation since I have been at PHS, and I have been at PHS for 11 years.

Are there any drawbacks with our current grading system?

I do not know of any drawbacks to using a letter-based system. In a college or university’s eyes, a 90% and 99% are both an A.

What kind of grading system is most beneficial for students and/or teachers at PHS?

I think our current system works. Our teachers do a wonderful job communicating with their students on their academic progress. They also inform them of what expectations need to be achieved to receive their desired grade.

Have you received any feedback on the current grading system used at PHS?

I have [never] received any negative feedback concerning our [traditional] grading system. Communication is key between teachers, students and parents.

How do you feel the number-based system affects children’s academic experience at PCMS?

This is new at PCMS, so as a parent of two middle school students, I am learning this system. From what I have learned, this system has given me specific data to what my child’s strengths and weaknesses are academically and behaviorally.

standards-based grading w/ PRINCIPAL Terry Smith & ASST. PRINCIPAL Laura Earl When students receive a grade card, are all grades numbers?

TS: In each teacher’s grade book there are two different types of grades: there’s the grades based on standards and there’s also the behavior rubric.

What kind of feedback have you received regarding the new system?

LE: We did do some parent meetings and we gave out parent guides and most of the people who attended the parent meetings understand what going on. We didn’t have a lot of feedback from the grade cards.

TS: [From] teachers, what I’ve heard more often than any other comment is ‘I know my students now better than before. I know what they know and what they don’t know’. We have used traditional grades for a long time and it worked for a long time.

Now with this style of education it’s doing some things completely different. When you do something for a long time then all of a student you change, it takes people a while to get used to. If you give it some time and pay attention to it and you get used to it, really it’s a better system.

Is there a letter-equivalency to each number grade?

TS: We’ve been teaching standards for a long time.

We’ve just been tr ying to average them into a letter grade, and that doesn’t work. You cannot equate a letter grade to a standards grade because mastering a standard can be an “A” in letter grading, but it may not necessarily be a four. It is comparing apples to oranges, you cannot really do that.

How has the new system affected academics at PCMS?

TS: The shift we have noticed is at the upper end, our students are achieving higher.

The lower end they are not going back, they are just slow to achieve like they were before. Before for some of those kids getting an a might have been easy. They have to push themselves a little harder. I think the message we need to be sending to our students is ‘do it right’. We are going to give you as much time as you need, we are going to give you as much support as you need, but you’ve got to do it right.

LE: We can’t say, ‘I have taught it, now I’m done.’ If you haven’t learned it we are not done. It puts it back on us, if you have not learned it, we need to keep working because it is our job to make sure you master it or else you are not ready for high school.

project-based learning w/ english teacher Eric Flaton How does the project-based learning system work?

Students are working with a teacher one-on-one to develop something they are interested in. The students create their own assignments with the help of the teacher.

What are the benefits of project-based learning?

The student is on their own path. If the student knows what they want to do, they can go ahead and prepare for the necessities. We are preparing students for jobs that don’t exist. Ever ything is based around problem solving skills, which might be the most vital element to preparing students for their future.

With the project-based learning system, do students receive a letter grade?

You can still get an A or B because that is what people understand.

Essentially, there are a certain amount of standards that we have to hit as teachers. In [project-based learning], the student is responsible, with the help of the teacher, to hit those standards in a certain amount of time for the grade. The grade itself doesn’t matter; it’s really about understanding.

How does the project-based learning system prepare students for life after high school?

Students need life skills more than ever. In [project-based learning], an adviser can provide those individually based on student need. However, it will hurt a kid that lacks little self discipline or self discipline that the adviser cannot develop.

How does project-based learning affect students’ academics?

Schools that use it tend to show increases in graduation success. There are some schools that see an increase on the ACT. You have to have students that want to be there. They need to see it as a way to help them. It is not for ever yone.

How does project-based learning affect students with special needs?

Each student is different, each student has different interests, and PBL helps to hone in on those in the hope that it will help the kid focus. It also means that you could have students at both ends of the spectrum but you get to treat them and grade them differently, which in turn actually makes things more equal based on ability.

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SECTION D Friday, Feb. 24, 2017

PHOTO BY HEATHER MONTANELLI

Q/A with taylor muff

Pushing past a Labette County defender, freshman Kaydn Matlock looks to score during a varsity game. PHOTO BY HAZEL HARPER

1,084 points

freshmen suit up varsity

29 points to break school record Q: How long have you played?

A: “I’ve played basketball since I was really little and I love to play because I love to be with my teammates and it’s something that has always been a huge part of my life.”

Boys, girls teams welcome younger talent SKYLA WALLACE @skylawallace15

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Q: What motivates you?

A: “My teammates. They are always there for me and I can count on them.

They push me and make me better. I love being around them. ”

Driving into the paint, freshman Gavyn Elkamil puts the ball in the hoop to score against his opponent. PHOTO BY SHELBY SMITH

asketball player Gavyn Elkamil sits on the bench waiting to be put into the game. He is the only freshman varsity substitute. Elkamil plays as the sixth man and is one of the first players to be substituted in.

Although varsity is primarily made up of upperclassmen, head boys basketball coach Kiley Roelfs says grade level is not a factor in deciding who plays varsity. “[The coaching staff] does not consider what grade a player is in when determining who is playing at what level,” Roelfs said. “We treat all of our athletes as basketball players, and we determine what level is best for them to play at based on what will help them develop and what will benefit our program.”

Elkamil has taken basketball seriously since a young age to develop the skills needed to be on the varsity team as a freshman.

“I have been playing basketball since I was able to walk, and I play year-round.

The school team practices every day of the week and sometimes I go play pick-

up games or do drills on the weekend and some school nights,” Elkamil said.

“I’ve been playing against high schoolers and grown men my whole life.”

Even though the boys team only has one freshman on varsity, the girls team has four freshmen who suit up.

Head girls basketball Eric Flaton considers different skills when looking at potential varsity players. Flaton looks at the player as an individual and decides based on their respective skills and weaknesses what level of play would challenge them, regardless of grade.

“The coaching staff considers match ups, foul trouble, strength of the opponent and quarters available,” Flaton said. “The bottom line is can [freshmen athletes] help us win. My expectations are different for every athlete based on their individual needs. Each freshman has different expectations so that they are challenged to the level they need to be at.”

Kaydn Matlock, Rylee Johnson, Izzie Pinamonti, Sophia Pinamonti and Zoe

Pinamonti are the five freshman girl varsity substitutes. Among those five girls, Izzie Pinamonti expresses the role she believes practice has played in her being able to step up and help the team as one of the youngest players on the team.

“Practicing is an important way of getting time on varsity. I’ve played [basketball] since third grade. From third grade to eighth grade I played on a travel team. That has given me practice with many different types of competition,” Izzie said. “Practicing is what gets you better and more experienced to be able to play on the next level.”

Although coaches don’t consider grade level a factor, they do recognize freshmen haven’t had as many years of practice and will need to work harder to be able to play at the varsity level.

“Getting used to the speed and intensity of the varsity game is the biggest adjustment for young players to have to make,” Roelfs says. “They must be able to be productive in those situations under those circumstances.”

marque english: Working on, off court for successful season JORDEN JOHNSON @PHSStudentPub ince he was younger, junior Marque English has enjoyed the competitive nature and fun of basketball.

“I feel free when I’m playing,” English said.

Besides practicing with the team, English also works on his technique outside of school.

“I go to the gym and do different drills and see how many shots I can put up in a certain amount of time,” English said.

English plays for two different teams.

“I play for the school and I play for a traveling team out of Springfield,” English said.

Over the summer English practices with his dad or his summer coaches. He practices on a daily basis. Senior Elijah Harris, one of English’s teammates, thinks the best part about playing with English is how he works hard and brings diverse aspects to the team such as his height and ability to score and rebound.

English and Harris have played basketball together since Harris was a sophomore and English was a freshman.

They played JV together and then in English’s sophomore year they played varsity together.

Harris likes English’s multi-

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Going in for a layup, junior Marque English sidesteps his opponent to take his shot. PHOTO BY HEATHER MONTANELLI

faceted game.

“Because he is a big threat inside and a lot of people have to focus on him so it opens up a lot of other people’s

game,” Harris said.

Harris believes in English’s overall skills “He could be one of the best players in the state. He might be the

best player on the team so he can score and rebound a lot, I think that’s the strongest impact he has and plus he draws a lot of attention,” Harris said.

Head coach Kiley Roelfs has coached English for three years. Roelfs believes English is a leader in different ways.

“Marque has worked really hard at his game and basketball means a lot to him and he has worked very hard at it and he carries that over to the practice floor, as well he brings a work ethic to the practice floor and he sets an example for the other guys,” Roelfs said.

English can set the tempo for a game in different ways.

“He has great instinct, he gets a lot of hands on basketballs, blocks shots, he creates a lot of things on the floor that leads to a lot of positive things for our basketball game, that’s the biggest thing,” Roelfs said.

Roelfs sees something different from any other athlete in the past.

“He has really good basketball instincts so he can make a lot of things happen throughout a game and you don’t necessarily see in the stats and those kind of things, but he has an effect on a lot of different things because of his length and instincts.”

Q: How did you feel when you scored your 1000th point?

A:“I hadn’t ever really thought about it or made it a personal goal until I only had about 20 more points to get. I was pretty excited about getting the 1000 points.”

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