The Booster Redux January Issue

INAUGURAL TRIP

PAGE 2D GAME REVIEW

PPAGE AGE 44DD TECHNOLOGY CLASS PAGE 6D

THE PITTSBURG

BOOSTER Thursday, January 31, 2013 ■ Vol. 97 ■ Issue 6

Pittsburg High School ■ 1978 E. 4th Street ■

DID YOU KNOW REP THEATRE Musical Rep Theatre Students will present a recital tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the PHS Auditorium. It is free and open to the public. Students will perform a variety of musical theatre selections prepared during the fall semester and for performances at State Conference.

HOMECOMING Friday’s Spirit Day is Purple and White.

The Coronation ceremony will be between the varsity basketball games.

The homecoming dance theme will be Psychedelic Night, which will feature glow-in-the-dark paint splatter. Dance tickets are available for purchase during Friday’s lunch for $3 or at the door for $4. The dance immediately follows the game.

SCHOLARSHIPS PSU Deadline for all PSU scholarships.

KU Hixson Opportunity A w a r d . T h i s scholarship is for students who have faced significant personal or financial challenges that may hinder their ability to attend college.

ART CLUB Art Club will have an art carnival at the south end of the cafeteria on Friday, Feb. 1, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

HOSA HOSA members attending the Spring Conference need to give Mr. Foresman a $20 nonrefundable registration fee.

Competitive events also need verified with him as soon as possible.

All money and verifications will be due by Monday, Feb. 4 at 3:00 p.m.

VALENTINE CANDY VASES Juniors will be selling Valentine candy vases made by Candy Connection Feb. 6-8 to raise money for prom. Contact Terri Sutton for information.

KEY CLUB Key Club will be conducting a toilet paper drive for the Wesley House during the next few weeks. Take toilet paper to 6th hour class. The winning 6th hour class will earn a cupcake party, provided by Key Club. The deadline for collection is Friday, Feb. 8.

STATE CHOIR On Feb. 21-23, choir participants will be attending the High School State Choir at the KMEA annual convention in Wichita.

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Pittsburg, KS ■ 66762 ■ www.boosterredux.com

Welding together opportunity New class offered by FSCC

FAFSA makes college accessible to all

BY ALLI BADEN The Booster Redux

A

s the new semester begins, Fort Scott C o m m u n i t y College(FSCC) is now offering a welding class in addition to the masonry and carpentry classes that have been available for high school students.

This new class offers students a chance to get more experience with welding than they have had before.

“I have been around welding since I was little,” said junior Loren Wettstein. “[The class] seemed pretty interesting so I thought I would take it.”

Wettstein also adds that she took the class to get more familiar with the welding terminology.

“I didn’t really learn the terms I just welded,” Wettstein said.

One reason that students have the opportunity to learn this skill is because of a federal grant given to the school. For every student who joins the program, the government gives the school $1,000 to help cover tuition fees and equipment.

Students involve in the class travel to The first class began on Jan. 14. and like many other classes the first few days were just an introductory to the course.

“Right now we are really only going over the safety stuff,” said senior Jake Creech, “so it’s not exciting but it’s part of it so you have to bare with it.”

Students have not had the chance to actually weld yet, they have been waiting for their welding booths to be built and for their equipment to come in.

Creech plans on making welding into a career after high school. According to the 2010 Kansas Wage Information, welding-based careers can make $29,870-$49,450 a year.

“I’d love to make a career out of welding because there is such a high demand for welders, no

BY EMILY BADEN The Booster Redux

A

Using a cutting torch, senior Jake Creech practices his newly acquired welding skills. Creech plans to make a career out of welding. FSCC now offers a welding class which is available to high school students. PHOTO BY HAYDEN PARKS

matter where you live, and they make pretty decent paychecks,” Creech said.

Wettstein also has intentions to tie welding in with a career in the future.

“I plan on tying welding into automotive like building frames and stuff like that for cars.”

Counselor Burl Powell believes

that these classes are a great way for students to get a job right out of high school.

“I think a lot of people think to be successful you have to go to college, but guess what? No you don’t. You can be a plumber or a welder or a carpenter and make very good money,” Powell said.

mmm, good: or is it?

Fast food’s effects on students

BY MIRANDA MOORE AND ABBI EPPERSON

E

Smart money

The Booster Redux

verday junior Shelby Bicknell leaves school with one destination in mind: McDonald’s.

“I always crave it [fast food] and it’s convenient. And I always eat all the time and when I’m bored. And at night,” Bicknell said, “I’m just like, ‘Oh, I should go to McDonald’s and get a cheeseburger with Big Mac Sauce and onions.’”

Her behavior may not just be caused by her boredom, but by an addiction.

According to a study done by physicians at Princeton University, hamburgers and french fries could be as addictive as heroin.

There are approximately fourteen fast food restaurants in Pittsburg that offer a wide range of food from pizza, tacos, Chinese, and even the traditional American cheeseburger. Something for almost everyone in taste, price, and time.

According to Statistics Brain, around 44 percent of Americans eat fast food once a week, at Pittsburg High School that number is around 38 percent according to a survey of 100 students.

Dr. John Hoebel, a doctor involved in the Princeton study, believes high-fat foods stimulate opioids or ‘pleasure chemicals’ in the brain causing the brain to constantly crave fat.

The UK Department of Health Estimated Average Requirements are a daily calorie intake of about 1940 calories per day for women and 2550 for men. If a person goes to McDonald’s for a cheeseburger, fries, and a medium soft drink for lunch. According to Calorie Counter, that is 510 calories for a single Quarter pounder with cheese, 570 for a regular size fries, and 210 for the drink. That adds up to 1290 calories just for lunch.

According to New York Times, eating these high-calorie items weekly can take a toll on short-term memory and exercise results.

This is due to extra protein release to offset higher amounts of fat. The result is a lessefficient metabolism.

In other words, justifying the consumption of high fatty foods because it can be exercised off later does not necessarily work as well as common belief.

“I have always known a lot of it was unhealthy, but it never really bothered me,” said senior Jimmy Ritz, an employee at Long John Silver’s.

When asked why she eats fast food, junior Mariah Monsour simply replied, “because it’s good and I don’t have to cook it.”

In fact, a poll done by BBC News showed that around 44 percent of Americans claimed they would not be able to give up fast food if they tried. Is it a

SEE FAST FOOD PAGE 2D

s the new semester progresses, senior students start making the decision whether to go to college. Many things may cross one’s mind when making this choice. One of the most common questions seniors ask themselves, counselors say, is how can I afford it?

According to sb-sa.org only 28 percent of parents with household incomes less than $50,000 can afford college.

However, Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) it makes it possible for anyone to afford college.

FAFSA is a national program that gives federal money based on a student’s income level.

Seniors can start filling out the forms at the start of 2013. There is one form that they fill out online with simple information.

Students use their previous years’ income information, so for the average student, they would use their and their parents 2012 income. Then, they list that information on www. fafsa.gov. The information goes to potential colleges they say they are planning on attending, that financial aid department then figures up a package deal for that particular student.

There are several different kinds of aid, but the main one is a grant, which is basically free money. The government gives the school the student is planning to attend a certain dollar amount to fund their student.

“It is almost like a scholarship, but it is based on financial need,” guidance counselor Gina Ulbrich said. “A good rule of thumb is if you are on free or reduced lunches here at the high school, chances are you are going to get the grant.”

There are also two other types of aid that a student can receive after applying. The first

News

■ Page 2D

SECTION D

BOOSTER REDUX

Thursday, January 31, 2013

I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more Wolgamott, 15 students travel to D.C.

BY MORGAN PLANK The Booster Redux

I

t is not everyday that you get to witness history in the making.

Fifteen students, plus social science teacher Gary Wolgamott, got the opportunity of witnessing history on Jan. 21 at the Presidential Inauguration.

This is the first and only time Pittsburg High School has been invited to one of the Presidential Inaugurations.

The non-profit agency Worldstrides called Wolgamott and asked him if students would like to attend the 2013 Presidential Inauguration. Wolgamott then talked to the administration and school board to get their permission to be a part of this. After they accepted, Wolgamott went around to the classrooms and figured out all the invitations for students.

As of last year, sophomores through seniors were eligible to take part in this, and fifteen students decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

“When I heard about this I knew Students gather in front of the Capitol with social science teacher Gary Wolgamott. This is the first time that I really wanted to go,” senior PHS has been invited to attend the event. PHOTO PROVIDED BY GARY WOLGAMOTT Christopher Huyett said.

Each individual student was as one of the guards.

Events like these put into perspective responsible for raising their own “We learn lots of things in the how they can affect the future. money. Usually a trip like this would classroom. We see pictures, we see film “Always have an open mind when you cost around $5,000 but the students clips, it’s a whole different experience to go to new places to learn new things,” only had to pay $1,700 thanks to the actually be there and witness it in person. Reece suggests. organization that sponsors it.

During the trip students encountered It adds a lot more realistic relevance to Throughout the four days, students what we do in the classroom,” Wolgamott an unexpected surprise. They were even got to see firsthand a number of said. closer to the President sites that they have only previously then they imagined they Over the course “It was a once in a lifetime heard about including: the Arlington of the trip students would be.

Cemetery, the Holocaust museum, not only experienced opportunity.”

“We were at the World War II museum, Ford’s history being made but Arlington Cemetery and -CHRISTOPHER HUYETT Theater, and several buildings of also learned of past when we were going in, the Smithsonian Institution, among historical events.

President Obama and his motorcade others. The group also got the “I realized how bad the Holocaust went by with him in it,” Huyett said. opportunity to watch the changing of really was. The pictures were terrible.

Throughout the trip students saw 24 the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown We got little identification cards...I was historical sites over a span of four days.

Solider. This is considered one of the the only one to survive out of our group,” “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” most prestigious honors to be selected junior Christin Reece said.

Huyett said.

FAFSA: Smart Money CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D that they can pay back after college, to make it still affordable by having fixed rate loans and lower rate loans. The other is called Work Study. This aid is for a student who applies for and lands an on-campus job. The federal government will pay their wages versus the campus, therefore making it easier to get an on-campus job.

The first step for receiving FAFSA is filling out the online application and, according to Ulbrich, if the person applying has all their information ready, it does not take more than 20 minutes to fill it out.

However, the overall process from beginning to actually getting the money at the college usually takes a couple of months. The student will get an award letter via email. It tells them exactly what kind of money offered from FAFSA. “I love [FAFSA] because it makes every student able to go to college,” Ulbrich said. “A pet peeve of mine is when you see sitcoms or TV shows and the kids and parents are saying they can’t go to college because they can’t afford it. That is absolutely untrue, so untrue, because of this FAFSA. If you truly can’t afford to go to college, if your family truly doesn’t have money, you are going to get your college fully paid for.”

If someone is having difficulty completing the FAFSA application, on Feb. 24, PSU will host “College Goal Sunday”. Students can come and go as they please to meet with financial aid professionals and get hands-on help with the FAFSA. They can take all their required forms/paperwork and the aids will help them fill out their information.

Students do not have to attend PSU to take advantage of College Goal Sunday.

Achieving is good eating: top students honored at annual banquet

BY MORGAN PLANK The Booster Redux

Every year since 1971 the University of Kansas Alumni Association (KUAA) has hosted the Kansas Honors Program (KHP).

The KHP gives recognition to the top 10 percent of high school graduates throughout schools in the state of Kansas. The event will be held February 4, 2013 at Pittsburg State University in the Overman Student Center.

“It was no easy feat to get to this point. Students who are in this top 10 percent should be very proud of themselves, their parents

should be proud of them, and they should go to this banquet and be honored for what they deserve to be honored for,” counselor Gina Ulbrich said.

The program will consist of a dinner along with remarks from a guest speaker followed by the recognition of students. This year, the speaker will be Rueben Perez, the Director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center at the University of Kansas.

The KUAA member will deliver remarks regarding the history of the Kansas Honors Program and

recognize the volunteers who are involved with coordinating this event.

Once the student’s name has been announced, they will receive a Webster’s New College Dictionary, along with the dictionary, they will be awarded a certificate as a reminder of their accomplishment.

The top 10 percent of this year’s Pittsburg High School’s senior class that will be recognized at the Kansas Honors Program include: Spencer Bernhardt, Andie Casper, Shannon Dial, Liza Erwin, Lauren Geiger, Haylee Moore, Ali

Orscheln, Jordan Redd, Megan Reed, Logan Rink, Jacob Rowley, Derek Scholes, Gracie Spencer, Nick Vacca, Brittany Wilde, and Lizzy Willis.

“It makes me feel pretty good.

It is a humbling thought for me to know I am in the top 10 percent,” Scholes said.

For some this is a personal goal, and for others it’s a result of hard work and dedication to their academics.

“I just kind of always strive to do the best I can do in school. It just kind of happened I guess,” Scholes

Fast food has lasting effects on students CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D a coincidence that this number is the same as the number of Americans that eat it once a week?

Convenience is often a factor in where, when, and what people eat, as Bicknell suggested earlier.

In fact, advertising is a $4.2 billion a year focus for the fast food industry.

“Great advertising makes food taste better...it changes the perception of everything,” George Lois, previous cover designer for Esquire magazine, said in the documentary “Art and Copy.”

The 30 second commercials depict different situations such as needing a quick dinner in a pinch or wanting what appears PHOTO BY HAYDEN PARKS to be a healthy meal. In fact, “I’d say it’s not very healthy. It’s ice cream, burgers the industry spends around 86 and fries,” Pollard said. percent of its annual budget on television ads alone.

In fact, the starch in french fries, when fried at high While it should be obvious that some options are healthier than others, which ones are actually healthier temperatures can turn into acrylamide, a chemical that is sometimes misleading. One of McDonald’s salads, has been linked to cancer.

Along with cancer, a long maintained daily fast food the Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken, contains around 450 calories, that’s not including extra diet can cause other repercussions. Registered Dietician dressing. Another one of their salads, the Premium Shannon Linder has seen patients who develop obesity, diabetes, or even Bacon Ranch Salad with Crispy hypertension from eating it Chicken, is about 390 calories. (the “I don’t usually eat fast food. It may constantly. average is around 250 calories) “A fast food diet is high “I don’t usually eat fast food. It sound cheesy, but I would much rather may sound cheesy, but I would much have my mom’s homemade cooking than in fat and calories. It does not typically include the rather have my mom’s homemade nutrients and vitamins cooking than go out to fast food,” go out for fast food.” needed for a healthy body,” sophomore Rachel Eaton said.

-RACHEL EATON, SOPHOMORE Linder said.

Just as Eaton has formed habits However, Linder went on to stay away from fast food Bicknell formed habits to eat it more often. However, being to say that a person can eat fast food less often and around fast food constantly can cause other habits to make healthier choices, and continue to live a healthy lifestyle. form as well.

“You could go to McDonald’s on a weekly basis and Senior Alycia Pollard, an employee at Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Store, is in an environment with choose some of your healthier options and still be fast food daily. While she used to consume hardly any okay. The key is just eating in moderation and trying to Braum’s food before she began her job, working there make good choices,” Linder said. “Do research, look at has caused her to form a habit of eating it for dinner nutritional labels, use good judgment when it comes to when she has a shift because she is not home in time eating lots of fruits and vegetables, and find out if the food you’re eating is the healthier choice.” for dinner.

stated.

For Moore it is something that she has always hoped to achieve.

“It has always been my goal.

Academics is important to me and I want to get into a good college.

So this should help my chances of getting in. There is a whole bunch of academic scholarships that deal with the 10 percent.

Nearly every college asks and in more prestigious colleges 90 percent of their students were in the 10 percent of their high school graduating class. It gives me a better chance,” Moore said.

Hawn, Mathew bring home the trophy Sophomores place third at state debate

BY RYAN TAYLOR The Booster Redux

After having the best state finish in recent years, the debate team was able to celebrate together late into the night due to harsh weather conditions prolonging the ride home.

“We got word that weather was getting truly bad so when we left Tonganoxie at 7 o’clock Saturday night and there was nothing on the roads,” debate coach Julie Laflen said. “When we got to Louisburg it was a solid sheet of ice and so it took a less than three hour trip, five in a half hours.”

Tournament wise state debate is made up of 4-speaker and 2-speaker teams. The 4-speaker teams have to qualify in advance while the 2-speaker teams need to finish the season with a 50/50 record or better.

The all-senior 4-speaker team was made up of Shannon Dial and Bryan Stebbins on the affirmative side with alternate sophomore Reagan Rink. The negative side had Garrett Brummitt and Taylor Cronister with alternate freshman Josh Lee. “It was four year seniors and altogether when you combine their record they were 8-8,” Laflen said. “They ended up 5th which is a lot better than they did two years ago at state.”

With the 4-speaker graduating, they will be looking to give experience to the students to follow in the program.

“It was a good learning experience,” Stebbins said. “It was also nice because we can take what we’ve learned at state and pass that on to the generation of debaters and allow them to learn from that and hopefully they will have a lot more success than this year.”

70 teams made up the 2-speaker tournament with three teams representing Pittsburg. Ethan Hawn and Joseph Matthew, Haley Uttley and Miranda Moore, Chad baker and Jason McDonald were the qualifiers.

Hawn and Matthew won their way into semis before capturing a third place.

“It was really neat with them placing and getting semi finalist,” Laflen said. “They’re only sophomores and to my knowledge we’ve never had a state trophy in debate.”

Laflen believe that Hawn and Mathew will push her to an all new level of coaching next year.

“They are hardworking boys. They will put a lot of hard work in,” Laflen said. “They will keep challenging me to find them harder tournaments and higher competition.”

Opinion

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Booster Redux staff and policy Editors-in-Chief Ryan Taylor Bethanne Elliott Katie Phalen Managing Editors Michaela Wagner Malory White Copy Editors Logan Rink Parker Matthews Photo Editor Hayden Parks News Editor Reece Burns Sports/Activities Editor Miranda Moore Feature/Opinion Editor Abbi Epperson Art Editor Duncan Willis Graphic Designer Reagan Rink Staff Emily Baden Caden Yantis Alli Baden Ashlee Beitzinger Macy Frasco Morgan Plank Joban Mendpara Suhani Mendpara Priscila Ruiz Evan Rajotte Rebeca Espadas Art Contributor Matt Tallie 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 620-235-3200.

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Corrections of errors printed at the fault of the Booster staff will appear in the appropriate section of the next issue.

SECTION D

BOOSTER REDUX

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Gran movimiento de Cancún Big move from Cancun Foreign-exchange student shares viewpoint Cambiaria acciones estudiante punto de vista

BY REBECA ESPADAS The Booster Redux

Espadas is a foreign-exchange student from Cancun, Mexixo. Her column is printed in English and Spanish.

Espada’s Wordly Words

F

rom the beach to the plains. Which one to choose?

The first thing Americans think about Cancun are the parties, the beach, and spring break; nothing else but having fun, getting a great tan and having the time of your life.

And I’m not going to lie to you. Visiting Cancun is a lot like how you imagine it. But what is it like to study there?

A normal day for me going to a private secular school in Cancun I would start with putting on my uniform.

Whether you go to a public or private school, uniforms are required. I’m always trying not to be late (school starts at 7:15 a.m. and, believe me, I’m not a morning person).

I start with classes the first three hours of the day.

Then, 30 minutes for lunch, I then go back for two more classes, another 20-minute lunch, finally another two classes, and depending on extracurricular involvement, a student could stay longer than 1:45 p.m. Not to mention that everyday is completely different, same schedule, different hours.

Each grade has five classrooms and each classroom has between 20 and 30 students, which is kind of cool, because I actually have the opportunity to get to know my whole class. The bad thing is that I don’t choose my schedule or classroom. This is

part of being adaptable! The only thing I can choose is the school.

Cancun has more than 20 high schools to attend, religious, languages, social classes, private and public schools. I have two big tests every bimester, a midterm in each semester, and a final, which I can pass with a 8.5 (B) or above. I don’t have a study hall.

But now that I’m going to school here, I can compare and realize how each culture involves education, no matter the religion, either private or public. Studying here has even changed what I think about myself. Since I’m able to choose my classes, I can see what my level really is, but also I try not to forget that English is not my primary language. I know I’m going to have some mistakes, and even if I study really hard, I might fail, but it’s all right.

So, which one is better?

School in Kansas or Cancun?

Neither. They are different, and both have really good things. Wearing uniforms is easy, cheap, and fast for sleeping 10 more minutes, but being able to express how you feel daily with your outfit is just great. Walking to your next hour class gives you time to clear your mind, talk, to your friends, or simply just stretch your legs. Two lunch breaks? I’m pretty sure we all agree how awesome that is. And I can continue comparing each school, saying what I like and what I don’t, but I think that it doesn’t matter what country you live in or what type of school you go, what really matters is how you enjoy being there, and if you don’t like it, how you can make it better.

BY REBECA ESPADAS The Booster Redux

Espadas es una estudiante de intercambio. Su columna está impresa en Inglés y Español.

Espada’s y sus palabras mundiales e la playa a los llanos ¿Cuál escoger?

Lo primero que viene a tu mente cuando piensas en Cancún, son las fiestas, la playa, y spring break; simplemente diversión, tomar un bronceado perfecto y pasar las vacaciones de tu vida. Y no, no te voy a mentir, ir a Cancún es muy parecido a lo que te imaginas.

Pero, ¿cómo es estudiar ahí?

Un día normal yendo a una escuela laica privada en Cancún, empezaría poniendo mi uniforme, y no importa a qué tipo de escuela vayas, ya sea pública o privada, los uniformes son obligatorios. Trato de no llegar tarde (porque la primera clase empieza a las 7:15 a.m., y créeme no soy una persona mañanera), empezando con las primeras tres horas del día, 30 minutos de lunch. Regresar, dos clases más, otros 20 minutos de lunch, y finalmente las dos últimas clases y eso, si no tienes ninguna actividad escolar, de lo contrario tu salida sería después de la 1:45 p.m. Debo mencionar, que cada día es completamente diferente, aún teniendo las mismas clases, pero en diferentes horarios.

Cada grado cuenta con cinco salones, cada salón tiene entre 20 a 30 alumnos, lo cual es bastante conveniente, ya que cuentas con la oportunidad de conocer a toda tu generación.

Lo malo es que no tienes la posibilidad de escoger ni tu horario o clase. ¡Es parte de adaptarse! Lo único con lo que Cancún cuenta para elegir es la escuela. Cancún cuenta con más de 20 escuelas de nivel superior (preparatoria/ bachillerato), como por ejemplo,

D

From expensive to expressive Picking a dress for your personality and purse

BY LOGAN RINK The Booster Redux

Rink’s reality check

It is that time of year again- oh god it is that time of year again... time for junior and senior girls (and a select few underclassmen girls) to start shopping around for prom dresses. I know that I dread this time of year.

Last year was a nightmare. My parents decided we should go shop around in Kansas City so I could find a dress and fall in love with it. After hours of driving around KCMO in desperate search of the perfect prom dress and hours of disappointment, we finally found a dress I liked. It was a real prom-y dress.

I’m talking a designer dress, Sheri Hill in all her sparkly, sequined, tulle-y grandeur. Not to mention it was outrageously priced. 500 dollars for a dress I would only wear once?

Looking back, I’m ashamed of myself for even considering it, much less purchasing it.

The thing is, I was tired of looking. Prom dress shopping is exhausting. I love shopping, but prom shopping is a whole different breed. Long story short, it’s miserable.

Anyway, I was ready to be done, my parents

were ready to be done, and I looked cute.

Seriously, I did. I still think the dress was a good choice for me. But this year, I’m going a whole new direction and I’m definitely saving a few bucks. I found a dress online that I love for less than 50 dollars- not to mention by purchasing a pair of earrings with it, I got free shipping.

That’s the kind of shopping I love, bargain shopping. So why not pair my favorite kind of shopping with my least and call it bargain prom dress shopping? I only had to make one sacrifice to make this dream a reality and that was to choose a more non-traditional type of dress. When I say non-traditional, I don’t mean it was a short dress instead of a long one or that it had an uber modern hem or something- it’s seriously not a prom dress.

But the thing is, I’m okay with that. Prom is supposed to be about me and although all the dresses at TJ Formal are cute, they’re just not me. The dress I wore last year was gorgeous but it wasn’t something I felt like myself in. This year, my dress is more of a cocktail dress than a prom dress but that’s just fine because I will feel like myself in it.

My suggestion to those who dread prom dress shopping as much as I do is to find a cheap, cute dress that you feel comfortable in.

Something that not only doesn’t break your budget but also makes you feel beautiful inside and out.

religiosas, idiomas, diferentes clases sociales, privada o pública. Tenemos dos exámenes bimestrales, y un semestral, por cada semestre y un examen final al término del año. Lo bueno es que cuentas con la posibilidad de exentarlo (no presentar tu examen final), teniendo una calificación de 8.5 (B) o superior. Lamentablemente no contamos con un “study hall” Pero ahora, que estudio aquí, puedo comparar y darme cuenta que la cultura influye demasiado en la educación, no importa la religión, o si la escuela sea pública o privada. Ya que, a los estudiantes se les enseñan dependiendo a las costumbres y tradiciones. Estudiar aquí, ha cambiado incluso la manera de cómo me percibo, pues yo tengo el poder de escoger mis clases y así medir mi capacidad dependiendo del nivel de dificultad. Honestamente trato de no olvidar que el Inglés no es mi idioma natal, y que puedo cometer errores, y aunque estudie mucho habrá la posibilidad que pueda reprobar, y es normal.

Pero, ¿cuál es mejor? ¿Estudiar en Kansas o en Cancún?

Ninguna de las dos. Ambas son diferentes, y cuentan con cosas muy positivas. Usar uniformes es fácil, económico, y rápido para aquellos que quieren dormir 10 minutos más, pero el poder expresarte como te sientes dependiendo al día, es simplemente genial.

Caminar a tu siguiente clase, te da tiempo para aclarar tu mente, hablar con tus amigos, o puede que solo te quieras estirar. ¿Dos recreos? Estoy 100% segura que todos acordamos que conveniente es eso.

Puedo continuar comparando cada escuela, y escribir lo que me gusta y lo que no, pero pienso que no importa en qué país vivas, o qué tipo de escuela vayas, si no lo que en verdad importa es cómo te adaptas y vives cada día, y si no te gusta, como mejorarlo. Está en ti como ves las cosas.

Resolving resolutions Sticking with the program

BY MALORY WHITE The Booster Redux

M

White’s wisdom

erely a month into 2013, I have already broken my New Year’s Resolution.

According to well.blogs.nytimes.com, four out of five people who make New Year’s resolutions will eventually break them. In fact, a third won’t even make it to the end of January.

This year, I vowed that I would (try) not to continue to be a statistic and at least make an attempt to improve my imperfections. I decided that I needed to start sitting up straighter as I have contracted a nasty habit of slouching when I sit. I thought, either make this change now or face the consequences later. I have managed to frequently catch myself slouching, however, I have not completely rid myself of my faux pas.

If accomplishing and balancing a New Year’s Resolution is becoming too difficult and the option of resorting to a normal lifestyle is looming, consider an alternative; the end of the year will be here before you know it.

Psychcentral.com suggests for individuals to first pick realistic goals and define those goals.

Next, set a schedule and once on the itinerary, don’t be upset by setbacks. Finally, enlist additional help or support such as a friend who will ensure that you will not consume that last piece of chocolate cake if you are trying to lose weight.

The most common New Year’s Resolutions of 2013, according to usa.gov, are to drink less alcohol, eat healthy food, get a better education, get a better job, get fit, lose weight, manage debt, manage stress, quit smoking, reduce, reuse and recycle, save money, take a trip and volunteer to help others.

Whether a New Year’s Resolution is located on the most popular list or not, it is achievable either way. Even if the resolution seems wayward and unfeasible, it may be not compare to what some individuals declared their resolutions to be on twitter.

One tweeter stated that her resolution was to “randomly sew one sequin onto every piece of clothing [she] owns.” Another individual tweeted her resolution was to “stop using [her] cat as an excuse for a boyfriend.”

If your resolution is becoming an overall healthier person, sitting up straighter, developing a relationship, or anything in between, the goal is obtainable. However, as humans, we are prone to making mistakes, so indulging in that chocolate cake every now and then will not be the end of the world. If your resolution is completely unattainable, it is never too late to alter it or change it completely to your benefit. Who would ever know?

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Arts & Entertainment

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Thursday, January 31, 2013

BY EVAN RAJOTTE

The Booster Redux Beats. Most teenagers have Beats and think that they are the best thing to happen. I am not talking about the kind of beets that you eat. I am talking about Beats by Dre. Beats are an audio headset that are designed to emit sound the artist hears, and listen to music the way they should. But it seems as though people are just jumping on the bandwagon and buying beats because so many people are buying them; they don’t understand what they are paying for.

There is a professional audio company that is dedicated to making professional grade headsets. This company is known as Sennheiser. Sennheiser makes a range of headsets that fit your budget. Their cheapest headsets, called the HD 201, are priced at 30 dollars and are better than the cheapest Beats, Solo HD, priced at 200 dollars.

The Sennheiser HD 201 provide a more comfortable padding for around the ear as opposed to the Beats Solo HDs leather padding that simply sits on your ear and can make long listening sessions very uncomfortable. The Sennheisers don’t look as fancy as the Beats, but that is for a reason.

The Sennheisers are more durable than the Beats due to flexible polycarbonate plastic thatt shapes the headband and the earcup. Beats use a cheap plastic that can break easily.

The most important quality in a pair of headsets is the sound. Beats do have a very rich bass, but that is only good if you are listening to bass induced music. If you want to listen to a song that has high and low frequencies, the bass from the beats can distort the music and reduce the sound quality.

Sennheiser headsets are equipped with a total of ten speakers, five in each ear cup. In the center of Sennheisers headsets sits a one inch subwoofer, designed for low frequencies.

Above the subwoofer on the left and the right, sits small speakers designed for high frequencies. Below the subwoofer on the left and right, sits small speakers designed for mid frequencies. Each speaker delivers crystal-clear sound quality, and with the other speakers in each ear cup, the sound is the finest, most clear sound ever produced by a headset.

If you plan on purchasing a pair of headsets,, I highly recommend that you save your moneyy and look into a pair of Sennheisers headsets.

Listening to loud music can cause hearing problems for the future. In your ears, there are tiny hair cells that line the inner ear that send signals to your brain and thus, interpreted as sound.

Wh hile listening to loud music, it While can damage these tiny hairs, and cause them to snap, resulting in tinnitus.

Information compiled from: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ healthy-living/wellbeing/keeping-your-ears-safe.htm

Can the Beats take the heat?

Late nights with the Office The perks of a

BY LOGAN RINK

The Booster Redux Everyone has a favorite pastime... Something they look forward to every day after school. For some, like me, this pastime can seem to consume your life. My favorite pastime- or perhaps, it should more appropriately be called my obsession- is watching TV shows on Netflix. I’ve watched every episode of a few dozen shows online and still have a long list of shows to start. I find nothing more satisfying than committing myself to a bunch of fictional characters in whose life I entangle myself, my emotions, and my free time. Every quirky, dark, twisted, or hilarious turn of events feels like a turn in my own life. I am not exaggerating when I say that I may or may not have a problem.

There is one show that will forever have my heart. My favorite TV show of all time. So many glorious hours of my life have been spent (wasted?) becoming attached to Michael, Pam, Jim, Angela, Stanley, Andy, Phyllis, Kevin, Oscar, Creed, Meredith, Kelly, Darryl, Toby, Erin, Ryan, Gabe, and, of course, Dwight. Yep, I’m talking about The Office. Eight full seasons of quirky, relatable goodness reside on Netflix and I have seen every episode. The show chronicles the daily lives of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’s eccentric and diverse employees.

From Angela’s excessive love of cats to Creed’s vaguely criminal remarks, this show will leave your sides aching with laughter. Not only is it quite possibly the most hilarious show on Netflix (or television in general), but throughout all the seasons you will gain an emotional connection to the characters. It almost seems like you will transform from an audience member to an onlooking co-worker at Dunder Mifflin. I can also say, without giving any spoilers, that I have shed a few tears on more than one episode.

Dedicating so many hours to this fantastically written show and its amazing actors is not something I will ever regret. In fact, it was an incredible life experience that I will not soon (nor ever) forget- seriously, I cannot gush enough about this show.

So watch it. 8 full seasons are waiting for you on your homepage- that is, if you have Netflix set as your homepage like I do. Season 9 is currently being aired on NBC and it’s the wrap-up of this beautiful comedy. Pretty soon, we’ll reach the end of COURTESY PHOTO an era: The Office has been gracing the TV and laptop screens of its fans since 2005 and we’ll be here to see its end in 2013- well, judging by how fast Netflix puts up the seasons, probably 2014. Unless you want to spend another 8 bucks a month to purchase Hulu, in which case, you can watch season 9 now.

Black Ops 2 goes futuristic

BY CADEN YANTIS The Booster Redux

The year is 2025, Raul Menendez has risen into power and now leads a terrorist group called Cordis Die. Due to the terrorist group’s recent activity, chaos has ignited a second Cold War between the United States and China. This is what Treyarch’s recent installment of the Call of Duty franchise “Call of Duty Black Ops 2” (BO2) is all about.

Nearly 2 years after the release of its predecessor, Call of Duty Black Ops, this new segment of the franchise takes our modern day technology in a whole new direction. BO2 is the first game in the whole Call of Duty series to feature a futuristic setting with future warfare technology in the campaign. Being an avid fan of the series, I felt that this change allowed the storyline of the game to be more enjoyable and more satisfying when I played.

Not only has the campaign gone through some drastic changes, but the multiplayer segment and the zombies segment as well. In the multiplayer segment, the series developer Treyarch, decided to include a new score streak system to better reward players after matches and also included the use of futuristic guns from the campaign.

As for the zombies segment, there are new modes you can play, one of them being TranZit. In TranZit,

COURTESY PHOTO

★★★★★

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (This game review has been brought to you by ZombieSlayerCJ)

the objective is to survive as long as you can against zombies and other enemies. As you progress and eliminate more enemies, you get to explore more of the map and you get to buy more efficient weapons to help you survive. I loved the changes made to the zombies segment and makes the game more rewarding in the end.

In the campaign, the storyline alternates between playable characters depending on the level, most the time you get to play as Alex Mason, protagonist from the first Black Ops game, and David Mason, his son. The other playable characters are Raul Menendez, Frank Woods, and other numerous characters.

Since the story focuses on two different timelines, you get to play as Alex Mason during the 1st Cold War which describes how the current situations in 2025 came to be, and helps you make sense of what is going on when you get to play as David Mason. The developers of the game felt that this would allow the players to get a better glimpse into the characters involved.

The campaign has 11 levels, the levels may take some time to complete or you may fly through them depending on your difficulty.

Once you complete specific levels, you unlock missions known as Strike Force missions, where you get to make decisions about what to do which impacts the ending of the game. I found these Strike force missions to be quite challenging during game play and I often felt frustrated.

The graphics in the game were more impressive than I figured them to be, but they failed to impress me as much as Halo 4 graphics did. As for the futuristic storyline, I admit that when I first played this game, I had no idea what was going on. However as the storyline progressed,the story made more sense and made me determined to discover what ending of the game I would have. Even though there are numerous endings to this game based on the choices made, the main objective of the game remains the same, win at all costs.

good book The Booster Redux Excellent books are becoming difficult to find nowadays, especially with new viral mainstream novels taking over our library bookshelves.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, however, proved to be an impressive novel. It is an easy read for anyone who enjoys young adult fiction literature. The Perks gave me a different perspective about my everyday routines with situations in life. At times I’d put down the book just to evaluate what I had just read: it was just that intense.

The book follows a series of letters written by Charlie, the protagonist’s false identity, to an anonymous person. The letters tell of Charlie’s life as a wallflower, a name later given to him by his friend Sam. He begins the book as a shy and awkward adolescent who walks a r o u n d overloading his mind with thoughts about simple things in life.

Charlie, just beginning high school, carries the weight of the death of his Aunt Helen and best friend Michael.

Soon enough, Charlie’s English teacher, Bill, begins to see a special kind of intelligence in literature in Charlie and starts assigning him books to read out of class and asks Charlie to “participate” in life. Incidentally, Charlie randomly introduces himself to a couple of people sitting up in the football stands, who would eventually become his friends. The book goes through Charlie’s mistakes and joys of losing the innocence of adolescence through sex, drugs, alcohol, depression and social interaction.

There are many other books of the same style and touch, yet Chbosky makes The Perks stand out. The book is frighteningly realistic, and anyone who reads will somehow find themselves relating to a situation in the book.

Charlie matures into the

Dragons in the crowd Q: What is your New Year’s Resolution?

Isabella Corp:

Freshman

“I want to become friends with better people. It isn’t pleasant when you’re friends with people who act one way around you and different around other people.”

Lexi Germann:

Proud sponsor of Pittsburg High School’s

Sophomore

“I want to focus more on school because last semester, I didn’t focus very much and I slacked.”

Josh Schooley:

Junior

“My New Year’s Resolution is to not get any C’s this year in school; my grades haven’t been the best.”

Jordan Daniels:

Senior

“My New Year’s Resolution is to graduate within the top third of my class; I’ve wanted to do that since I came into high school.”

Burl Powell:

Faculty Member

“This year, I really didn’t have one because I usually fail so miserably at them when I do.”

JEREMIAH JONES

REBECCA TURNBULL

BY PRISCILA RUIZ

life of art and music, and experiments with his life. This book depicts music, literature, and trends of the 20th century.

Chbosky’s choice of words is another reason why I have fallen in love with The Perks.

He uses the vocabulary of the modern-day adolescent during the 90’s. Since this generation of teens are “90’s kids,” the things Charlie mentions will be recognized and understood.

Anyone can find some kind of personal connection to this book. That is just one of the many perks of a good book.

The book was published in 1999 and is now considered a classic. The Perks won the American Library Association (ALA) Best Books for Young Adults award in 2000 and several others. Even nowadays, The Perks is one of the most read books by teens. The reasoning behind the s u d d e n attention towards the popular book could be caused by the movie version of the book which will come out in DVD on Feb. 12.

The Perks movie was a combination COURTESY PHOTO of a chick flick and comedy.

The movie proved to be extraordinarily astonishing.

I am typically disappointed with movies based on books especially when I have read the book before watching the movie. I’m usually the kind to rant on and on about movies not being at all like the books. However, I thought the movie was touching and I found myself wanting to cry numerous times. I was also in a pensive mode throughout the entirety of The Perks and discovered a few relations to one or more of the characters.

Not only was Chbosky the author, but he also wrote the screenplay and directed the movie. Even though there were a few discrepancies from the book, Chbosky did an amazing job.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, both the movie and book, are definitely worth watching, and especially a must for reading.

A rts & Entertainment Gaming victimized by the blame game

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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Video games get a reputation for violence

BY JOBAN MENDPARA The Booster Redux

We live dull lives. Our environment provides no excitement, no mystery, and no grandeur. We want to experience something foreign. So what do we do? We play video games.

We immerse ourselves in a world full of wonder, in a world where we can slay dragons from conquering an entire province of a ruling empire, where we become a super soldier designed to protect the innocent from a menacing alien species, where we must assassinate prominent figures in the revolutionary war to prevent the extinction of human freedom. It is our video games that let us escape our dull lives and experience a new kind of high. A kind of high the National Rifle Association (NRA) and many others look down upon.

The recent Newtown shooting has resurrected the controversial topic of violent video games and gun control.

“There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto [GTA], Mortal Kombat, and Splatterhouse,” Wayne LaPierre of the NRA said.

LaPierre is correct when he says games like Bulletstorm and GTA are violent, however he fails to recognize the awe inspiring abilities of video games. Violent video games are not about simply about senseless killing. Although I am allowed to kill random pedestrians in GTA, the game’s focus is not about the killing. Its main point is to entertain the player by letting him/her guide Niko Bellic, the main protagonist, to

achieve the American Dream, a goal for many American civilians today.

Violent video games are not only used for entertainment. They are also often used to let the player escape the problems of their lives and to take on the problems in the story of a video game which are often more repairable than those in reality.

Video games generally strengthen relationships, rather than weaken them.

Whether it is between the player and his/ her father/mother, or his/her girlfriend/ boyfriend, achieving the feat of surviving the longest in a zombie apocalypse, escaping an island full of pirates, or even building massive fortresses out of various types of blocks given to you by your environment, definitely strengthen the relationship of the player and his/her companion through the failures and the successes both of the players share.

For me, violent video games are a medium for me to escape the familiar reality of our world, and enter a different reality where I am transformed into a hero. Only in video games have I become a luminary among a brotherhood of assassins, a king debating whether to be philanthropic at the expense of my treasury or a tyrant at the expense of my reputation, and only in violent video games have I been able to save humanity from complete extinction or enslavement. Violent video games have allowed many, like myself, to experience a feeling unmatched by any other experience in the world.

Incidents like the dreadful Newtown shooting should not be attributed to violent video games. The Newtown shooting may have been tragic, but one man’s sin should not be punished by the banishment of another man’s way of life.

Killer new show comes to Fox “The Following” hits TV with a bang

BY CADEN YANTIS The Booster Redux

The moment you have been waiting for has passed, “The Following” has finally arrived.

On Jan. 21, FOX’s new drama/thriller series “The Following” premiered with its pilot episode. Starring Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy and James Purefoy as Joe Carroll, the twists and turns this show has in store will leave a viewer speechless.

The story of The Following is about retired FBI agent Ryan Hardy and his whole world being turned upside down when the brutal serial killer he pursued and captured escapes from death row with the help of his cult of followers. Forced to come out of retirement to recapture the killer, Hardy’s past comes back to haunt him when he finds out that the killer is targeting Sarah Fuller, his last victim who narrowly managed to survive. Fuller had narrowly been saved in the past thanks to the help of Hardy, who had been stabbed in the heart in the process and now lives with a pacemaker.

The recently escaped killer,Joe Carroll, is a brilliant mastermind obsessed with death who thinks of himself as a modern-day Edgar Allan Poe. Before his incarceration, Carroll was a former college professor who taught the works of poets like Poe and then had brutally murdered 14 young women before his arrest to honor his hero, Poe. Not everything however, is as it seems.

Nearly a decade spent in prison and with death row fast approaching, Carroll had devised a plan to help ensure his future escape by spending hours on the computer in the prison library. Carroll had spent hours on the prison library computer creating a network

The Behavioral Analysis Unity consists of an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country’s most twistd criminal minds and anticipate their next moves before they can strike again.

Hawaii Five-0 is a contemprary take on the classic series about a new elite federalized task froce whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the Islands’ sun-drenched beaches.

of his own devoted followers, followers so devoted to him that they will obey his every command, no matter the cost.

The pilot of the show did not fail to impress me. In fact, I had been looking forward to watching this show for sometime after seeing it advertised constantly.

The pilot of the show had some graphic scenes throughout the episode which was feared to scare viewers off, but it did exactly the opposite. It was recently announced by debut ratings that the pilot premiere of “The Following” had well over 10 million viewers tuned in. “The Following” tied with CBS’s “Elementary” as the second-highest rated new drama premiere of the season.

What drew many to discover this show was the works of movie star Kevin Bacon, who has never starred in a major tv series before.

Bacon has starred in successful movies such as Footloose and X Men: First Class, but has not ever had a major role in a tv series until now.

A lot of recent shows that premiered on FOX have not done as well as expected, and were abruptly canceled soon after. Hopefully, this show will continue to draw in more viewers as the show progresses.There is not an exact estimate of how many episodes the first season of the show will have, but it has been ensured that there will be at least 15 episodes.

I have high hopes for the show due to the select few talented actors who have been casted. I cannot wait to see what dark turns “The Following” has left in store for us viewers. Be prepared to expect the unexpected.

The Following ★★★★★ Mondays on Fox 8 p.m.

CSI is about forenisc inestigators who use high-tech science to follow the evidence and solve crimes.

Missed an episode?

Watch full episodes online at fox.com/the-following

“American Horror Story”revolves around The Harmons, a family of three who move from Boston to Los Angeles to reconcile past anguish.

Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the fictional Miami Metro Police Depatrment who also leads a secret life as a serial killer.

Footloose 1984 Kevin Bacon stars as an FBI agent who sets out to catch a serial killer. The killer has spawned an entire cult of serial killers.

The Following 2013

Apollo 13 1995

Tremors 1990

Crazy, Stupid, Love 2011

Celebrities have lasting impact on young adults Inapropriate behaviors deemed acceptable by loyal fans

BY JOBAN MENDPARA The Booster Redux

Humans yearn for acceptance, they want to be popular.

In order to gain acceptance, people adopt the fashion, speech, and many other aspects of a popular person’s life and make it their own. Needless to say, celebrities influence lives greatly. The love of celebrities drives many to stalk them to their hotel rooms, photoshop pictures of them to show their friends, and sometimes even flash indecent body parts to the celebrity they love.

While love motivates people to act irrationally, so does hate. Recently an incriminating picture of Justin Bieber allegedly smoking marijuana surfaced on 4chan.org.

As a response to Bieber’s drug use, many girls began to cut themselves as a plea for Bieber to end his drug use. A Twitter trend #Cut4Bieber began.

This Twitter trend showed pictures of many girls with their arms cut. The truth of the matter is, it is all a hoax according http://www.starpulse.com. Bieber does not smoke marijuana (as far as the public knows) nor are the original pictures posted on twitter true. Out of hatred, a user on a website named 4chan spread this picture as a joke, and out of love many girls truly did cut themselves.

One hoax relating to a celebrity drove many girls to inflict harm on themselves for a boy they don’t know at all.

Bieber isn’t the only one who has influenced the kids of America. Wiz Khalifa, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg and 2 Chainz are rappers who have glorified the use of illicit drugs by releasing songs like On My Level, Pursuit of Happiness, Young, Wild, and Free and Own Drugs, respectively.

But of course, not all celebrities are a medium for bad influence. Jonah Hill, who has starred in movies like

Superbad, 21 Jump Street and Moneyball , has recently attempted to rally his fans to donate to a cancer awareness organization. Hill has been able to raise $25,000 for the cancer awareness organization.

Bill Gates, probably the richest man in America, supports five different charities, not including his own Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“I saw Justin Bieber wear some really cool pants, so I bought ones that were similar to him,” junior Qualen Pollard said.

Good or bad, ordinary people are influenced profusely by those at the top of the social ladder. Some may inflict pain on themselves, while others might donate food to the hungry. Despite the extreme acts of love or hatred, humans will be influenced to adopt minor things such as fashion, slang, and maybe and even beliefs.

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BOOSTER REDUX Thursday, January 31, 2013

Youth strings it together before performance Kick into Student muscians prepare for approaching concert at McCray Hall

Club Soccer

BY PARKER MATTHEWS The Booster Redux

The wind section of the Youth Symphonic Orchestra of Southeast Kansas practices their parts in the Star Wars medley they will perform on May 4. PHOTO BY REECE BURNS

BY REECE BURNS The Booster Redux

All around the Southeast Kansas (SEK) area, high-school orchestra directors find their rosters declining in numbers with every new year. It seems that student orchestras and symphonies are slowly fading into the past. However, Fort Scott middle and high school string director Cody Toll is being proactive. With the help of PHS instrumental music director Cooper Neil, Southeast Kansas symphony director Dr. Raul Munguia, Pittsburg State University graduate Matt Carter and PSU student Taylor Ray, Toll has been able to bring together various musicians from local schools. Freshman tubist

Noah Braun has been given the fortuity to engage in a full symphonic orchestra with several of his classmates and groups of complete strangers.

“They [the instructors] really help us really improve our instruments and our playing skills; this is an awesome way to get better if you’re serious about your music,” Braun said. “I’m the most excited for being able to play with not just my school, but with people in my area that have similar interests in music that I do.”

“Mr. Toll contacted me and other area directors last semester about the idea for a Youth Orchestra (Youth Orchestra of Southeast Kansas),” orchestra director Cooper Neil said.

According to Neil, the idea behind the area’s Youth Orchestra is to give students the opportunity to play in a full symphonic settings as many high schools do not have high enough participation to have a full symphonic orchestra. During the 1960s, Fort Scott had a Youth Orchestra for the area and when Toll found an old vinyl record of their recordings he wondered why it was not around anymore.

“I performed in the Salina Youth Symphony when I was a kid and it was my favorite part of middle school and high school,” Toll said. “I wanted to provide an opportunity like that for my students today, but Fort Scott’s population is currently not large enough to sustain a community

program of substantial size, so I decided to pursue opening it up to the entire Southeast Kansas area...”

Senior bassist Morgan Ebbs also benefits from the Toll’s new program.

“Personally, the orchestra is great for me because it is preparing me for the full symphony setting I will be in at the college next year,” Ebbs said.

The Youth Orchestra will not only be playing typical classical symphonic music but will be spicing things up by taking a leaf out of John William’s score by playing a Star Wars medley for their first official performance on May 4.

“How can you dislike Star Wars?” Braun said.

Athletes often are presented with the question, “how do I train during the offseason?” Answers to this question differ from sport to sport. For a select few involved in soccer, Club Soccer is the best answer. US Club Soccer is a nonprofit, national organization with the goal to improve youth soccer.

Jose Ayala, Lucas McConnell and Patrick Ryan are currently involved in sub-organizations of US Club Soccer. Ayala plays for East Kansas Soccer Academy, while McConnell and Ryan play for Midwest United.

All join their respective Club Soccer organization when they can, which is usually after school soccer is over. However, Club Soccer is a year-round organization available to players of all ages. “[This will] be my eighth year in Club Soccer,” freshman Jose Ayala said. “It [pits] you against [athletes] that are the same... or better than you.”

Benefits of being associated with Club Soccer do not end with staying in good condition and improving skills, there is also the opportunity of earning collegiate recognition as well as meeting new people.

“At times Club is better, in high school you can get state rings, but in Club you go to tournaments,” McConnell said. “[college scouts] are often at the big tournaments.

There are usually two or three big tournaments a year.”

Application students contract with Dunekack To further technological knowledge students individually plan project

BY REECE BURNS The Booster Redux

S

enior Derek Scholes is involved in numerous school activities which include Technology Student’s Association, Drama Club and Theatre, and Encore, however, technology instructor Larry Dunekack has given Scholes nearly endless opportunities through his technology courses.

Like others who have taken the same path as Scholes, he started out in an introductory Foundations in Technology, then proceeded to take two of the four Investigations in Technology classes offered by Dunekack. After completing those prerequisites, Scholes moved onto the highest course Dunekack has to offer: Applications in Technology. Through his two years of taking Applications, Scholes has built to-scale models of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower, his most recent project, which took him nearly five months.

“It’s a great program,” Scholes said.

“Dunekack has really got it going, you don’t have any limits once you get to that level.”

It may seem like the Application course is demanding, however, Scholes and other students in the program choose what they wish to accomplish in the upcoming months of the course, before ever becoming approved to take it. According to Dunekack, Applications is taking a technical interest a step further.

Displaying his scale model of the Eiffel Tower, senior Derek Scholes (ABOVE) sits “Applications is almost like a senior in the room where he claimed “the magic happened.” Scholes used computer project,” Dunekack said. “These students software and the Universal Laser System to build the model over a near six month go a mile deep into their topic they’re span. While observing his plant growth, senior Jacob Rowley (RIGHT) examines the interested. It’s very personalized.” hydroponic system he built. Rowley is the first student to individually tackle the Aside from Scholes, Dunekack has other system Dunekack has had access to for years. PHOTOS BY MIRANDA MOORE seniors that have accomplished various students to design an Indian board game called Carrom. projects in the tech field.

Jacob Rowley has previously developed multiple digital Once the game was designed, the applications students electronic trainers, such as a random number generator teamed with Dunekack’s Foundations in Technology which replicates that which is used in a game, a model class who helped produce the game.

“It was the curriculum I enjoyed most,” Maiseroulle hydraulic-powered robot, and more recently has taken an interest in biotechnology and the growth of plants said. “It peaked my interest in technology through hands on learning. I feel Mr. Dunekack has the best job at without soil.

Seniors Kevin McNay and Trevor Maiseroulle teamed PHS and I wish to continue on the path of technology with Rowley and Pittsburg State University technology education.”

Acting out: taking the stage for experience and college Theatre students travel to Wichita for state conference and competition

BY EMILY BADEN The Booster Redux

Imagine going somewhere and being with thousands of people who all share the same interests as you. The Drama Club got the chance to experience that when they traveled to Wichita, for the annual Thespian Conference earlier this month.

“My favorite part was just seeing the students get excited about a workshop or a show they [saw],” drama club sponsor Greg Shaw said. “Also the fact that I think all the kids have moments in those three days where they get to experience something they either figure out they are really into, or didn’t think about before. It is just those discovery moments, I think.”

This year 42 students attended the conference. While there, Shaw wanted every one of the students to experience that “aha” moment when they see that there are other people out there that are doing things that they are also interested in. The kids that attended were offered a variety of workshops; for example yoga classes, african dancing, stage fighting and many others.

“For [the students] to get to come back and talk about how they were in this mask making workshop and then start suggest-

ing how we can incorporate things into and hopes to prepare another piece to sing our own shows...[The workshops] give us and then work harder on the performance new ideas and fresh perspective, and with aspect of it for next year. During the conregard to theatre, that is one of the most ference she took a few audition preping important things; being creative and not sessions, a yoga session, and a lot of dance just replicating the same stuff,” Shaw said. sessions to “help her improve on her danc“We always want to be on the cutting edge ing skills.”

“My advice [to a student wanting to do and see and do different things.”

Unlike previous years, Shaw said PHS an IE] is to shine your brightest, bring your turned the corner and started participat- best performance, don’t hold anything ing at a high level. Out of the 42 students back, and to work hard on your pieces until they are perfect.” that went, 10 participated in Besides participating the Individual Events (IE).

No previous, students have “Even though my portfolio in an IE, seniors stuparticipated in these events was small, it still made a big dents could also choose to do the scholarship before. They perform and impact on people.” program. Six seniors get feedback from two -ERIN O’DELL auditioned for a chance other people, they give the to get scholarships from performer their subjective colleges.Tech kids go opinion on what they could through an interview process and performdo to improve their performance.

Junior Lauren Sullivan is one of the stu- ers go through an actual audition. Then, they get feedback by the schools that are dents who participated in a singing IE. “Mrs. Laushman helped me prepare my interested in them or a callback.

Senior Emily Commons received 14 piece by playing the piano for me and helped me with notes until I got everything callbacks from different colleges, due to right,” Sullivan said. “Mr. Shaw also helped auditioning. Because she had audition callme with my performance and [the] acting backs she plans on going to the colleges for a visit and maybe receiving a scholarship part of the piece.”

This is Sullivan’s second year attending from them.

Along with Commons, Senior Erin O’Dell also got callbacks from colleges.

However, instead of being a performer like Commons, O’Dell is getting callbacks from the technology side. So far, she has set up college visits and interviews with the interested schools.

“I plan on doing technical theatre for a long time,” O’Dell said. “Conference helped me see that even though my portfolio was small, it still made a big impact on people.”

Shaw said he was very happy with the outcome of the conference and says since more kids participated in activities this year. He hopes that they will have that many participate in the future. He said the students received really good feedback and were told they were doing the right things and had talent.

“It was fun and it was interesting to hear comments from kids,” Shaw said. “They came up to me and said ‘Oh my gosh conference was so much more fun, I was so much more involved in everything.’ We have been trying to get everyone to be more involved and once we have, it really was a lot more fun because they had stuff to do. There were our people to watch instead of just watching everyone else.”

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Booster Redux Thursday, January 31, 2013

Different orientation, same situation, same high school experience Students with same-sex orientation preferences are treated as regular students

BY MALORY WHITE The Booster Redux

W

e are all different; our gender, our skin color, our age, our sexuality. This individuality can prove as a detriment to those whose differences are considered to be untraditional and against certain lifestyles. However, what would humanity be like without these differences?

Meandering through the sea of faces in the hallways of PHS will only provide a glance at a person’s appearance, but will not give insight to their personality. Gender, skin color and age can be obvious or assessed, but what about sexuality? Until an individual publicly announces their sexuality, there is no way to know by appearance alone.

“I knew about sixth grade,” sophomore Dustin Rakestraw said. “I kept it to myself because for my whole elementary career, I had always been teased and always called fag. I didn’t want it to actually be true so I was denying it to myself as well as everyone else that would ask.

January of 2012 is when I started telling people; I just got sick of the secrets.”

according to bullyingstatistics.

A few months later, another factors.

“Some hateful feedback that org. Out of the students that did student, junior Cole Hamblin, made his sexuality public as you could get is because of what report a harassment or bully[people] were taught,” freshman ing situation because of their well.

“I knew officially and I had Kirbie McMurry said. “Some sexuality, about one third of the my big epiphany last Easter,” people will be like, ‘Oh, that’s school staff didn’t do anything to Hamblin said. “I don’t feel like disgusting. Why would you do resolve the issue.

“Some people are accepting at people have to ‘come out,’ it’s that?’ I’m just like, ‘It’s not my PHS but some of the teachers are just something you’re expected fault, I’m just that way.’”

A common misconception old-fashioned,” Darnaby said. to do. If you’re diabetic or you’re a Republican, you’re not like, about those attracted to same- “If they’re going to be like that, ‘Guys, I’m a Republican.’ That’s sex individuals is that they are they have their own problems.”

On the other hand, PHS just silly. It’s just one thing has been deemed a generalabout me, it doesn’t make “When you’re honest with yourself, it any sense that I would have makes you feel better and when you feel ly acceptable place for other individuals who have made to do that.” better about yourself, other people feel their sexuality public.

According to bullyingsta- better about you. You’re born the way “There aren’t really any tistics.org, students who fall you are and if people don’t like it, then negative people,” Rakestraw into the gay, bisexual, les- they’re not really worth having in your said. “I have not gotten any bian or transgendered iden- life.” tity groups report being five -DUSTIN RAKESTRAW harassment for it. Most people, when they find out, are times as more likely to miss just like ‘oh, whatever.’ It’s school because they feel unsafe after being bullied due to interested in each person who easier, you feel a lot better.”

Along with those who accept their sexual orientation. About has their respective gender.

“In the locker room, people LGBT individuals, there are also 9 out of 10 LGBT teens have reported being bullied at school stare at me to make sure I’m not those who are against it. Like within the past year because of looking at them; just because I nationwide problems that have like girls doesn’t mean I like all arises in the past, conflicted their sexual orientation.

More and more schools are girls,” senior Miranda Darnaby opinions are always a possibility.

Despite these opinions, LGBT continuing to make an attempt said.

More unfortunate are the gay individuals have the opportunity to crack down on problems with bullying; however, teens contin- statistics that report a lack of to access environments that are ue to bully each other because response among those teach- accepting. Assistant principal of sexual orientation and other ers and school administration, Rhonda White hopes that this

Starting off the semester strong

Staying loyal to fashion

Scholars Bowl places third

Students are dedicated to favorite clothing brands

BY EMILY BADEN The Booster Redux

Some students are taking staying loyal to their brands to a whole new level.

Freshman Maiah Leonard is one of the students loyal to a brand.

Leonard is never seen without a pair of her Miss Me Jeans. Leonard first started wearing them when she moved to Pittsburg a year ago and her mom wanted her to purchase new jeans.

“I cannot wear any other kind of jeans ever since I bought them, they just feel weird,” Leonard said. “If I could not wear them I would probably wear sweat pants all the time. They are also more comfortable than any [brand of] jeans.”

So far, Leonard has 15 pairs of Miss Me jeans, along with other pairs of shorts and capris that are also Miss Me. “My favorite pair I just got last week. They have gold and silver sparkles on the back and on the pockets there are black diamonds.

I love them,” Leonard said.

Senior Spencer Bernhardt is also devoted to a particular brand, but instead of wearing just one type of jeans or one type of shirt, he only wears Nike. He wears only Nike shirts, shoes, pants, socks and anything else he can possibly wear that is made by Nike. Bernhardt gets free things from Nike due to knowing someone that works for the company, which is the reason why he first started wearing the brand.

“I like Nike because everything looks really nice, it is well made, sturdy and all the c o o l teams wear it. And I know a guy from Nike and I get free stuff.

I want to make that noted,”

environment is what PHS provides for LGBT students.

“The evidence that I see tells me that [the environment] is welcoming,” White said. “We try to focus on teaching tolerance and acceptance so I do believe we do have that environment that exists here. I would hope that if we have students that don’t feel that there’s an acceptance or tolerance, we need to address that and make sure that nobody feels like they can’t be welcomed and accepted.”

Different LGBT students that have attended PHS have been exposed to different experiences and situations. However, whether those experiences were negative or positive, they have been able to push through the experience after revealing their sexual identity.

“Do whatever you feel is right because it’s not always the same for everybody,” Hamblin said.

“For some people, it might not be the best thing to let everybody know. Do whatever makes you comfortable.”

In the future, the qualities that set each person apart could be overlooked: one difference and one person at a time.

BY SUHANI MENDPARA

Bernhardt said.

Bernhardt says if he could not wear Nike then he would wear offbrand things or even “nothing.”

“I don’t know what my favorite Nike item I have is,” Bernhardt said. “Maybe all my shoes and everything. It is like trying to pick a child, all my Nike stuff is awesome. All Nike stuff is awesome.”

PHOTO BY MACY FRASCO

The Booster Redux

Current events, math, arts, and literature, the Scholars Bowl kids know it all. Practicing every Wednesday, the Scholars Bowl team placed third in a recent tournament.

This year there have been some varsity wins and some JV wins, but not as many because of the smaller team that PHS has this year compared to previous years.

“Varsity has won some tournaments, and some tournaments haven’t gone as well. But it’s not really about your wins or losses so much as it is about how many questions you get right or wrong as an individual. It’s not to blame because the people in the club aren’t as good. It’s just that our club isn’t as big as it needs to be. If we had more members, we’d have people who would be more

prepared to win,” freshman Sebastian Johns said.

The club is encouraging more students to join.

Scholars bowl isn’t what most people think it is.

“I did Scholars Bowl in middle school; it’s just like a trivia game, so it’s useful but very fun too. Just the rush of knowing the answer and helping out your team is amazing,” sophomore Ashley Eckleberry said.

Some questions are basic curriculum, things students have learned throughout school, but there’s much more than that. There are a lot of new, interesting topics also.

“People view Scholars Bowl as a boring club for boring people, but it’s really not. There are many interesting and fun questions,” Johns said. “It’s more fun than people perceive it to be, and there’s just a misconception that it’s a boring club.”

Gossip spreads faster across social media

BY MICHAELA WAGNER The Booster Redux

Modern technology makes rumors spread faster and faster; from texting to tweeting, it only takes a matter of minutes for a personal secret to be revealed.

“Someone can post something about you and in seconds, it’s out there for everyone to see,” junior Nicole Broyles said. “And it’s next to impossible to take it back.”

When something is posted to a social networking site, only one side of the story is represented.

This could easily be why issues start so often over the internet.

“It is disturbing to see young adults put their life out there for everyone to see and not understand the consequences of their decisions,” Principal Jon Bishop said. “It’s like feeding hungry sharks. When just a little bit of information gets out there... people swarm to it.”

From forwarding a photo without

permission to spreading lies about a ‘friend,’ this high school faces the same issues as schools around the nation. Rumors can interrupt the daily lives of students in school and follow them to practice, the workplace, and even home.

“If students [do] realize that spreading rumors and gossiping is bullying, then they don’t care,” sophomore Jacob Hall said. “If they don’t know, then they might think ‘oh it’s not physical, so it can’t be bullying.’”

The students who spread these rumors may not understand the deep meaning behind their words.

“Being a teenager is extremely hard, but being bullied at school is even harder,” sophomore Marti Sinclair said. “Gossip and rumors can ruin a persons life.”

From stress to depression, gossip, rumors and bullying takes a dramatic toll on high school students who are still trying to figure out who they are.

“For people who are the subjects of gossip, it can lower their self esteem, cause depression, dropping grades, and cause them to doubt themselves,” freshman Shelbi Heikes said.

Gossiping in schools and on the internet is not just a problem throughout the student population, it becomes an issue among the staff as well. Bishop says he is approached almost daily about rumors.

“About 90% of the time, they are not accurate,” Bishop said.

“Most is heresay and [students] have gotten the story way out of context.”

According to Bishop, if the information is accurate, he and the assistant principals have “full authority to address the issue at hand.” That could mean “anywhere from conflict resolution, finding resources to help a student, to administering consequences if it is of negative

nature.”

Rumors and gossip can bring out the best in some people.

Heikes says that negative situations can help students learn more about their peers.

“You c a n learn more about what someone says about others than what others say about them,” Heikes said.

Sinclair offers her own advice to students

about how to halt the spread of rumors.

“If everyone in the school would just forget about titles, we might just get somewhere,” Sinclair said. “There would definitely be less bullying and more peace.

Forgetting about reputations is actually something that we need to start doing and also start basing our own opinions by actually meeting the person before we judge the book by its cover.”

PHOTO BY ASHLEE BEITZINGER

S ports Where there is a Will, there is a way

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DID YOU KNOW Varsity Basketball After losing games against Chanute and Sebetha, the boys varsity team was able to get back on track with a 58-52 win over rival Fort Scott. Senior Tanner Ellis led the team with 22 points with fellow senior Stefon Rich close behind with 17.

Girls varsity is on a four game losing streak, with losses coming from Santa Fe Trail, Sebetha, Chanute, and Fort Scott.

The girls will look to end the drought tomorrow against Columbus.

JV/Frosh Basketball The JV boys lost Tuesday in a dramatic 51-50 ending against Fort Scott, after playing Chanute last Friday. JV girls also lost to Fort Scott on Tuesday.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Freshman Will Mengarelli competes at varsity level

BY RYAN TAYLOR The Booster Redux

New to school, freshman Will Mengarelli instantly got involved in athletics, joining the football team and now wrestling varsity in the 170 pound weight class.

For the past five years, Mengarelli has gained the experience in order to make the varsity wrestling team.

“You get the crap beat out of you the first few years by the upperclassmen, but you learn as you go,” said Mengarelli.

“When wrestling varsity there is a lot of experience and you are in a group of people where everyone respects you.”

Last year Mengarelli stepped on top of the medal stand after capturing the As his father shouts suggested moves, freshman Will Mengarelli attempts to gain state 8th grade title in Arizona. the upper hand against Independence opponent DJ Kessler before pinning him “It’s a really good feeling. Kind of like later in the match. relieving, knowing that all the time and PHOTO BY MIRANDA MOORE

hard work you put in wasn’t just a waste, but that it actually paid off,” he said.

This past fall Mengarelli put on his football pads for only his third season ever. While some kids were playing football as soon as they could walk, Mengarelli was kept away from the sport to insure interest in the sport later on.

“My parents kind of held me out so I wouldn’t get burnt out. They wanted me to play for school, not club ball,” he said.

Mengarelli played special teams for varsity and was able to make his first varsity start towards the end of the season due to an injury of another player.

“It [sports] sometimes makes me feel good about myself, like getting varsity time is great,” he said. “It’s also just for fun. Some people lose track of that.”

Wrestling Last Saturday, the wrestling team participated in the Chanute SEK Tournament and placed eighth overall as a team. The team also had four individuals place: Levi Kester,106, fourth, Brett Cobb, 132, fourth, Gershom Avalos, 220, third, and Jeremiah Jones, 113, first. Their next competition will be a double duel with Parsons and Labette.

2013 Homecoming Candidates

Senior Malory White “If chosen, I think I would be representing various groups that don’t usually get recognized; I don’t think of myself as the typical homecoming type. Being crowned would definitely be one of the most exciting moments I’ve ever experienced. It would be something I would remember and cherish for the entirety of my life.”

About to pin his opponent, sophomore Willie Johns anticipates the ref’s count during a home match. Wrestling requires extreme dedication. “It takes a certain individual to do the sport,” coach Scott Rieck said. PHOTO BY HAYDEN PARKS

Athletes push it to the limit

Wrestlers endure challenging physical conditons during season

BY KATIE PHALEN The Booster Redux

E

Senior Andie Casper “It would be awesome to be homecoming queen. Vote for me!

Junior Loren Kutz “Because every Princess deserves their tiara.”

Junior Sarah Jewett “I truly care about PHS and the students here. I try to represent PHS to the best of my ability in athletics and in performing arts. I love making other people happy and plus, I smile a lot. I am honored to be a part of the 2013 winter homecoming court.”

Senior Kyle Untereker “Because I’m Jethrow and The Nick Vacca said so.”

arly morning practices before school, performing in front of huge crowds, and maintaining a healthy diet are among the many ways wrestlers are expected to dedicate themselves to their sport throughout the winter activities season, which is the longest of the school year. The wrestling season begins in mid-November and carries on until the end of February and is filled with weekend tournaments, two-a-day practices and early morning weighins, making the wrestling team one of the most dedicated and closely bonded teams at the high school.

“It’s hard to get them there at first because they don’t understand the sport. But once I get kids in it and they do it, they fall in love with it,” wrestling head coach Scott Rieck said. “It’s the one-on-one competitive nature of it.”

The sport of wrestling is a demanding one; athletes challenge their opponent in the center of the mat, alone with no one to depend on but themselves, and surrounded by a crowd of spectators cheering them on. The pressure of performing is great, especially on the enormous stage that is the state tournament, which is one the program has been familiar with for the past few years. The program has produced at least one state finalist every year since 2005, starting when Brandon Wise qualified.

“It’s always hard to get something at first, but once you get it then it gets easier,” Rieck said. “He kind of broke the ice for us. From that point on we’ve always had a state finalist.”

Jeremiah Jones, senior, has been wrestling since he was in elementary school. Jones says he likes wrestling because it has been such a big part of his life for so long.

“I like wrestling a lot because it’s pretty much the only thing I’ve ever stuck with, I’ve been in it

since first grade,” Jones said. “It’s a team sport and an individual sport. In wrestling, when you win, you know you did your part and did everything you could to help the team.”

Though Jones loves the sport, he says he does not have plans to continue on with it to the next level, which would be college wrestling.

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that I’ve gotten burnt out on it over the years. Especially in high school, it’s hard and it takes a lot of dedication,” Jones said. “Four months out of the year, it’s definitely tough.”

Though the program has seen a lot of success in the past decade, the sport of wrestling is still not as well known throughout the community as other sports such as football or basketball, and is often

“Anything that means anything to you you’ll have to sacrifice for. If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t have as much meaning to it, then everyone would be a champ.”

-SCOTT RIECK, WRESTLING COACH met with some negative perceptions dealing with the common practice of losing weight.

“To me, the only downside of high school wrestling that I see is that some young men are still growing and they’re not eating all that they might,” health teacher and football coach Merle Clark said. “But Coach Rieck does a great job of keeping a handle on that and not allowing our young athletes to go beyond what they should for a healthy, normal limit.”

Rieck puts the athletes on a healthy diet regimen at the beginning of the season. He says that though it is a tough thing to do for yourself and your team, it is beneficial in that it makes you want to work harder, and also teaches the athletes how to eat healthy and appreciate food.

“Anything that means anything to you you’ll have to sacrifice for. If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t have as much meaning to it, then everyone would be a champ,” Rieck said. “It takes a mentally tough person to do some of the things we do. It takes a certain individual to do the sport.”

There are rules put in place by the Kansas State High School Athletics Association to ensure that wrestlers do not lose an unhealthy amount of weight during the season. Athletes are only allowed to lose 8% of their Alpha Weight, which is taken at the beginning of the season. They also have to pass various hydration tests throughout the season to check that the wrestler is drinking an adequate amount of water.

“You kind of have to think of it as a car. If you put bad gas in the car it won’t perform very well,” athletic director Doug Hitchcock said. “It’s the same way with athletes. If they don’t eat good vegetables and fruits and things like that then they won’t perform very well.”

Jones, who has lost the most weight on the team this year (about 18 pounds) says that restricting your diet is perfectly healthy, as long as it is done the right way. He said he had to change his diet from greasy foods to healthier choices.

“I had to go from stuff like shakes and brownies and greasy burgers to things like poached eggs and bananas and kiwis,” Jones said. “Instead of going for the supersized meal, I go for smaller portions. It’s not too hard as long as you go about it the smart way.”

Those who have a negative perception of cutting weight and the sport of wrestling are typically the ones who do not know much about it, and with Pittsburg being predominantly a football town, those judgements are more common. Jones wants everyone to know how difficult the sport is, and how hard the team works.

“It’s really tough,” Jones said. “It’s definitely not for the weak.”

Girls basketball team makes cuts Senior Nick Vacca “Vote for Kyle.”

Two players, two surgeries, one weekend

BY PARKER MATTHEWS The Booster Redux

Junior Cole Hamblin “Because I would look awesome with a crown.”

Junior Adam LasKaras “Because I haven’t won anything in my life and it would be an honor to win.”

Injury and illness have plagued the girls basketball team recently, including the emergency appendectomies of junior Katie Phalen and senior Lizzy Willis.

Phalen’s appendectomy took place Friday, Jan. 18, while Willis’ was the following Sunday. “[Katie’s appendectomy] was so surprising. Especially when I heard that Lizzy also had an appendectomy.” senior Alaura Short said.

Due to the lack of players, some girls who originally played in C-team games are now being bumped up to the varsity squad, thus cancelling C-team games altogether. Saturday, at the Burlington tournament, in the game against Sebetha, the varsity

team was short of a playable team by one. Freshman Kaylie Curtis was added to the roster shortly before the game, or else the game would have been forfeited.

“It was almost comical in the way that you’re just thinking ‘can one more person get injured?’” assistant coach Bridgett Keating-Lancaster said. “The appendectomies were especially hard, since Lizzy is a starter and Katie’s first off the bench.

We had to start relying on freshmen.”

This is not Willis’ nor Phalen’s first time they will be coming back from a rather serious medical ailments.

Willis has torn her Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) as well as had four knee surgeries, yet she was able to make a quick full recovery.

Short has been a teammate of Willis since the sixth grade.

“She’s come back from injuries too soon in the past, I just worry that she’ll hurt herself,” Short said.

Despite the recent surgery and the looming pain, Willis played in the Fort Scott game Tuesday. She started the game and played a majority of it.

“It’s all up to my pain level, I wasn’t in very much pain during the game [as long as I kept my mind off it. I just had to focus on basketball,” Willis said pertaining to some people’s reluctance for her to play in the Fort Scott game. “I’ve had four knee surgeries and came back from them all. I find it harder to sit out than deal with the pain. And I couldn’t miss senior night, it means so much to me because it shows how much we have worked and it’s nice to get recognized for it” Phalen has had two ankle

surgeries, yet remains a three-sport athlete as well as a dancer.

“Coming back from the appendectomy will definitely be a lot easier than coming back from my ankle surgeries with the help of my family and friends,” Phalen said.

“After my appendectomy, I have been feeling improvement day by day, while after my ankle surgeries I didn’t feel improvement all the time.”

Now that Willis is back, the team can start getting back to its original form, but not entirely until Phalen is fully healed.

“I definitely do not regret playing,” Willis said. “It would have be more painful for me to sit on the sideline and just watch my teammates instead of being out there on the court with them.”