Issuu

KHQ

Kickapoo High Quarterly

KHQTODAY.COM @KPOOMAG VOLUME 53

ISSUE 2 WINTER 2023

Meet Our Staff

Editor in Chief: Lizzy Eike

Second Year Reporters: Braxton Liebert, Amiah Pierce, Savannah Summers, Zhana Owrey, Alex Walsh

Copy Editor: Nadia Warren

News Editor: Madison Turner

Opinion Editor: Keegan Bukovatz

Feature Editor: Alley Ackerman

Sports Editor: Cayden Harman

Social Media/ Website Coordinator: Emma Franklin

Business/ Advertisement Manager: Madison Bryant

First Year Reporters: Kessa Adee, Aaron Hardy, Jackson Hill, Ireland Kelsey, Evelyn Nelson, Ryan Roberson, Aubree Sims, Nyah Warren, Sophie Webb, Annemarie Wilhite

Social Commissioner: Kat Owsley

Photography Director: Abby Galyean

From the Editor LIZZY EIKE

t is finally time for Issue two’s distribution into to the hands of the student body. This issue is particularly exciting because it is contains a special holiday section that is just full of sweet treats, warm beverages, controversial takes, and more. I hope each and every one of you enjoy this specific section The production process that is put into this magazine causes plenty of frustration, stress, tears, and exhaustion, however, the moment that myself and my staff open those beautiful cardboard boxes, every tear is worth it. This issue is even more special to me than the last due to the bond that has grown between my staff since the beginning of the year. Not only that, but the progress that everyone has made. All in all, seeing the big picture makes our heavy eyelids and cramping hands worth it all. This time of year is so bittersweet. Although I am thoroughly enjoying the days off, winter decorations, and other holiday things, I am also hit by a wave of melancholy. The concept of experiencing my last winter break is simultaneously depressing and exciting. For us seniors, high school is eventually coming to an abrupt end. For some, graduation day will be sad and tearful. I view graduation as just the beginning of the rest of my life. For a while, I thought high school would influence everything. Luckily I learned early enough that it is just a window to bigger and better opportunities.

Photo courtesy of McGee Creative.

The Prairie Panel

THE PANEL

KACI PERRY REPORTER

ALLEY ACKERMAN FEATURE EDITOR

RYAN ROBERSON REPORTER

CAYDEN HARMAN SPORTS EDITOR

Are you on the naughty or nice list?

Nice.

Naughty.

Nice.

Favorite reindeer?

Comet.

Rudolph.

Comet.

Donner.

Giving or receiving gifts?

Giving.

Receiving.

Favorite holiday movie?

“Home Alone.”

“A Bad Moms Christmas.”

“Christmas Vacation.”

“The Grinch.”

NEWS

Table of Contents

06 Scholarship Bulletin BY NADIA WARREN

12 Uniting Brothers and Sisters BY ANNEMARIE WILHITE

17 Boston Recap BY IRELAND KELSEY

HOLIDAY 21 Decadent Delights BY EMMA FRANKLIN

27 Cold Hands and Warm Hearts BY ALLEY ACKERMAN

35 Gingerbread Bliss BY MADISON TURNER

FEATURE 38 Talk About Arguments BY KAT OWSLEY

41 Desk and Dispatch BY AUBREE SIMS

45 Behind Freaky Friday BY KESSA ADEE

OPINION 52 Getting Fit BY ANNEMARIE WILHITE

54 A Canvas of Discontent BY AMIAH PIERCE

56 Mind the Gap BY RYAN ROBERSON

SPORTS 58 Skating to Success BY NADIA WARREN

60 Women Can Play Too BY SOPHIE WEBB

64 Wrestling Preview BY EVELYN NELSON

NEWS

Scholarship Bulletin If you find yourself stressing over scholarships, look no further than our school’s very own counseling page.

BY NADIA WARREN

cholarships can be a harrowing hunt as students come closer and closer to graduation, but what many don’t know is that an ever-updating resource board resides on our very own district website. On the Springfield Public Schools (SPS) website, the Scholarship Bulletin can be found under the Counselor’s Corner in the form of a spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is an accumulation of scholarship opportunities offered directly by the district, of which our counseling secretaries update regularly. Along with the listings, the spreadsheet shows the value of each individual scholarship, its deadline, whether or not an essay is required, and the overall criteria to apply. The Scholarship Bulletin, albeit largely unknown, has actually been around with the newest scholarships for ages. In the past it would be refreshed every month, but around two or three years ago it was changed to an ongoing list as more and more opportunities started to roll in. While many of these scholarships are just emailed directly to the counselors, the creation of this bulletin is primarily thanks to our secretaries, who are constantly searching around for the latest scholarships. Aside from the district’s Scholarship Bulletin, a separate resource board specifically for our school is posted and sent out to seniors each and every February. Under the Counselor’s Corner you can additionally find a directory of helpful web addresses, many of which link you to further scholarship opportunities, grants, financial aid, and general college information to assist you through all the stress. While planning and researching financial aid can certainly be taxing, the counselors are always available to help. “I would encourage students to at

least once a month, maybe twice a month, check the Scholarship Bulletin and go through and figure out a few scholarships that you can apply for,” counselor Shawn Wallace said. Nearly anyone can find a scholarship they fit the criteria for. For example, some are offered solely to student athletes, those who partake in community service, or those struggling financially. As a matter of fact, there is even a scholarship given out simply for playing Minecraft. The list truly goes on and on, all you have to do is look and find what applies to you. “Think of it like a job, you’re gonna hopefully make some money if you’re putting in enough time and energy for scholarships, so set aside maybe an hour every couple of weeks to just apply for some scholarships and get some applications in,” Wallace said. As long as you keep your eyes peeled and utilize the available resources, there are a variety of scholarship opportunities awaiting you.

Much like a real life bulletin board, the online spreadsheet is constantly being updated with the newest scholarship opportunities.

N D

Journey To Freedom Wrongful convictions unfortunately happen. Learn about one group’s story and how they’re trying to fix our system.

id you know that eyewitness identification isn’t as reliable as people make it out to be? It’s a surprisingly unreliable way to prosecute a crime. “Normal people don’t understand how the brain codes information and then how the brain replaces and fills in what actually happened,” senior staff attorney Stephanie Hartung said. Hartung works for the Innocence Project, a group of attorneys that work tirelessly for the wrongly convicted. Many of the New England office’s Innocence Project cases date back from the 1980s and 90s. At that time DNA evedence was either not a thing or the science was unreliable. 70 percent of death row or life imprisonment cases are eyewitness misidentification along with official misconduct. This means a witness got it wrong, or police or prosecutors acted unlawfully. Eyewitnesses are often expected to identify perpetrators of crimes based on memory, which is incredibly malleable. Under intense pressure, through suggestive police practices, or over time, an eyewitness is more likely to find it difficult to correctly recall details about what they saw. The courts were relying on science from 1970 all the way up to the 2000s to say witness identification was valid. “In Massachusetts, the courts wouldn’t allow you to have an expert come talk about misidentification because they thought everyone knew about it,” supervising attorney Kari Cincotta said. In the state of Massachusetts and also in Missouri it is legal for police to lie to you during an interrogation. For example, a police officer could say they found your fingerprints at the crime scene when they did not. The New England Innocence Project (NEIP) is a non profit organization located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that works to overturn wrongful convictions. Hartung, a senior staff attorney at NEIP, talked about their mission statement. “Our mission is to represent individual clients who claim innocence,” Hartung said. The first ever Innocence Project was created in New York City in 1992.

New technology is constantly evolving that can help solve these cases, such as DNA. 575 wrongly convicted people have been exonerated because of DNA testing. DNA testing and analysis has become vital to exonerating innocent people and driving criminal justice reform. Decades of data on DNA-related and non-DNA exonerations expose systemic vulnerabilities. The Innocence Project fights to redress these systemic issues through strategic litigation, policy reform, and education. The goal of these organizations is to not only release the wrongly convicted from prison, but to have them exonerated. “The definition of exonerated is not just having your conviction overturned, but having your conviction overturned based on evidence,” Hartung said. According to the National Registry of Exonerations there have been 3,411 exonerations overturned based on new evidence since 1989 and more than 30,250 years lost. Another common factor for wrongful conviction is the prosecution did something improper like disclosing evidence that could’ve proven innocence. “This doesn’t happen all the time but it does happen in Boston,” Cincotta said. 19 year old Sean Ellis was wrongfully convicted in 1993 for the murder of a Boston police detective and his life was derailed by a corrupt police homicide investigation. He served 22 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. “I’m used to the system failing me because I’m used to the system failing my people,” Ellis said. If you are interested in learning more about Sean Ellis and his case, watch Trial 4 on Netflix. In late 2020, three Massachusetts exonerees Sean Ellis, Victor Rosario, and Ray Champagne officially launched the Exoneree Network, a peer-led initiative funded by NEIP, in collaboration with the Boston College Innocence Program. This organization’s purpose is to support the practical, emotional, and spiritual reentry needs of exonerees as they work to rebuild their lives in freedom. For example they will give housing assistance and psychological support, electronic devices and

BY MADISON TURNER

technological training, among other services. Prisoners do not usually have access to these resources. They need help to reintegrate into society. “The whole concept of prison is to dehumanize them and make them nothing,” Cincotta said. What people don’t know is that citizens have the power to help stop all these wrongful convictions. “We all think voting for the president is necessary, but you really need to know about your local prosecutors and judges. If they’re dirty the community should know and vote them out,” Cincotta said. Since 1973, at least 190 people have been exonerated from death row in the U.S, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC). The Innocence Project currently represents people on death row with strong claims of innocence and supports coalitions working to ban the use of the death penalty, but 27 states the federal government, and the U.S. military still allow the use of this arbitrary and brutal punishment. Together with other innocence organizations, they work to broaden the reach of the innocence movement, a coalition of more than 70 independently funded organizations that provide investigative support, legal representation, and assistance to people with claims of innocence in 50 states and 12 countries outside of the U.S. Innocence Network organizations have collectively exonerated more than 750 wrongfully convicted people since the Network was founded in 2005. DNA testing and analysis has become vital to exonerating innocent people and driving criminal justice reform. Decades of data on DNA related and non-DNA exonerations expose systemic vulnerabilities. We have a system whereby they’re rewarded for the number of convictions they get, and unless there’s change there is always going to be innocent people in prison. For more information and to stay up to date visit InnocenceProject.org.

All photos courtesy of New England Innocence Project.

Exonerees and family at a wrongly convicted convention.

Sean Ellis Netflix Documentary poster. Sean Ellis at the 2022 Wrongful Conviction Day Rally & March.

“If you are surprised by all this information, educate yourself on how often this system can go wrong,” Cincotta said.

Won With Flying Colors F

BY ZHANA OWREY

or the first time in two years, our school’s color guard took home the Best Guard award at the Branson Invitationals. Senior color guard captain, Makayla Trieu has been part of the sport since freshman year and was there for both wins. “Being given this award means that out of all of the guards participating that day, we gained the highest score. This score is determined by many factors, like performance and choreography. This was such an honor because it shows how hard our team has worked this season. Our school hasn’t won Best Guard in two years, and when we did, the guard only consisted of six members,” Trieu said. Since the last time they won Best Guard, Trieu believes the team has grown immensely through their hard work. “I’ve had the honor of being one of the captains of this team for three years now and seeing the team grow physically and

emotionally was surreal. Going from six members to 31 has its challenges, but I would never trade it for anything else. Having a bigger group to perform with creates great energy and memories,” Trieu said. Growing a team from six to 31 takes time and work, especially to form such a highly skilled team. Senior Ivy Ohrenberg witnessed the team flourish as well. “My goal when I stuck around after most of our team had gone was to help get the program back to what it used to be and we are definitely getting to that point. Our team couldn’t have been as successful as we have been if it wasn’t for our main color guard director Aleisha Beverly and our other color guard staff. They put in so much of their time and effort to keep this program going,” Ohrenberg said. The guard spends hours perfecting their performance to

Color guard and band went on to win Best Guard in Branson again after winning two years ago. “The team has grown into a group of beautiful young women and men but we have grown in size too. Over the years we went from 30 to six to 23 and finally 32,” Parks said. Photo credit to Emily Wand

Color guard is at it again winning the Branson Invitationals with their performance, the Butterfly Effect. This was a performance put on by the band and color guard, and was enough to win them Best Guard. build up to the point where they are with such a physically demanding sport. Freshman Abigail Washington remembers not only the work, but also the pressure of performing. “We competed against amazing bands and guards. We’ve been close several times, but this time we were really close. In prelims, we were under point five for Best Guard. Our coaches encouraged us to put point five more effort into our performance, [and] thanks to them we won. I will say, standing on the field, looking up at several people, maybe a hundred or more, you tend to get nervous,” Washington said. Washington thought that winning felt surreal and out of their reach. “Winning Best Guard was unrealistic. We’ve worked so hard and put so much time and effort into it. Once we got announced Best Guard everyone was in absolute shock. People

were crying, screaming, hugging each other, and just cheering in general,” Washington said. Makayla Parks, color guard captain and senior, has also seen the team grow and learn even through hard times. “The biggest event for band and color guard was going to St. Louis and competing at a super regional. It was really exciting. I remember walking on the field and knowing it could be our last time competing but being excited anyway because it didn’t matter if we made finals because we were all there as a team. I think we felt more confident if anything,” Parks said. In the end, winning the Best Guard shows the growth and coordination done by the color guard to create the performance they did. With this being many color guard members’ last season, it creates a lasting memory for them and a motivator for the future of our color guard.

N Free and Reduced Facts Beyond just reducing or voiding the lunch price, what other benefits does our school’s free and reduced lunch program offer to students?

BY BRAXTON LIEBERT

n our school, 27 percent of students are currently benefiting from the free and reduced lunch program. This is on the lower end compared to the 53 percent of students enrolled across the entire Springfield Public Schools (SPS) district. Along with having lunch prices reduced, the program has many other benefits that students may not even be aware of. It’s important to be in the know so that this help can be taken advantage of. Although most of the benefits are the same for every student, the namesake of this program varies. The school lunch costs can either be cut by 88 percent from $3.30, to $0.40 or simply made free. Generally, school lunches cost around $3 per meal, so if a student buys lunch every day then they could save up to $60 month. For many families, this can greatly assist in making daily necessities more affordable. Students can also receive two ACT waivers that allow them to take the test twice for free, when otherwise it would cost around $60. Additionally, it can help with college application fees, for example, just applying to Harvard University can cost $85. The free and reduced lunch program can provide further benefits for college bound students. Many schools have scholarships only available for students who qualify for the program. For example, Drury University has the Panther Scholarship that simply requires the student to be on free and reduced lunch in order to be considered. Additionally, Missouri State will give free and reduced lunch students six hours of dual credit for free. Individual colleges will have their own benefits for free and reduced lunch students, so it’s important to research to procure all the help available. The cost of athletics can also

be greatly reduced as part of the program. The $50 participation fee for all athletics can be waived for students who are on free or reduced lunch. The most costly school programs of all tend to be the band classes. Students have to pay for transportation, instrument rental, and hotels during band trips. Yearly band fees are $900, which can be nearly impossible for some students to afford. However, due to the fact that most of these costs aren’t fees directly from the school itself, students will need to search for other forms of assistance besides the free and reduced lunch program to help pay for their band classes. Many students hold fundraisers to help pay for the cost. The list of requirements in order to qualify for free or reduced can be found on the SPS website under student nutrition. Even if a student doesn’t buy their lunch from school, it’s still beneficial to sign up, as there are so many ways, even beyond what’s mentioned here. Taking advantage of this resource could potentially save hundreds of dollars.

According to 2022 goverment statisitcs, 13.2 percent of families are living below the poverty line in Missouri.

Uniting Brothers and Sisters SAAB, formally known as the Student African American Brotherhood, has now created the first chapters of the newly found sisterhood in SPS.

BY ANNEMARIE WILHITE

pringfield Public Schools (SPS) is the first school district Once Sister to Sister is established further, the leadership in the nation to create a sisterhood based on the nationwide groups of both Sister to Sister and Brother to Brother will be organization Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB). brought together. For now, until they develop the club, the SAAB is no longer going to have the title of the Student groups will remain separated. African American Brotherhood, but will keep the abbreviation Once a month, the organization has what’s called SAAB SAAB. Removing the previous name allows for more inclusivity Saturdays. This is when the middle school, high school, and towards the new sisterhood. college chapters will get together. So far, these events have not In 1990, the organization was founded by Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe been set for Sister to Sister to be included. after facing the academic and social challenges black men “This first quarter, we’re just gonna be getting to know experienced on campus. SAAB strives to provide men of color each other and working on what our strengths, abilities, and with the resources, mentorship, and support they need. leadership rules will look like. We’re going to build a blueprint They now have chapters in more than 40 states, but the headquarters are still here for what we want the in Springfield, Missouri. future to look like,” Although SAAB is a national Cannella said. organization, Brother to Within SAAB, there Brother is a club housed in are six committees, SPS. and each girl will take Betsy Cannella, who on a leadership role teaches Industrial in a committee. The Technology, will be the club committees include sponsor for the newfound service learning, spiritual sisterhood. Previously, and social, personal she has helped sponsor development, financial Brother to Brother with Jody affairs, academic, and Bilyeu, who’s apart of the membership/data English and Language Arts management. Each department. committee has different On October 16, the tasks and responsibilities. sisterhood had its kickoff “We will have a set GPA, meeting. They will have a study hall, and we will Students in the brotherhood and meetings every Monday hold students accountable sisterhood leaving for a field trip to during Chief Time. for academics. We will Southern Bank where they frequently visit. Cannella explained the do educational and organization has been seeking out inclusivity for everyone. professional experiences and talk to different people with “Over the last few years, they have been working on different career paths to discover the opportunities we have being more inclusive and making sure they’re hitting more here in Springfield,” Cannella said. demographics and providing an atmosphere for everybody to Sister to Sister needs 15 core leaders, so after establishing the be successful no matter your skin color, religious background, leadership roles, anybody can join. or gender,” Cannella said. “If you want to find a group to be a part of to help shape what SPS contains the first ever two confirmed chapters of Sister our student group will look like from the ground up, we are to Sister which will be at Parkview High School as well as ours. looking for anybody from any background who is willing to They are seeking out a third chapter but it is undecided so far help shape what it will look like at Kickapoo,” Cannella said. what school it will be at. This organization will be a safe space to hold each other “We are the first in the country to do this so there’s no accountable and empower each other. It is a great way to playbook. It will be structured similarly to Brother to Brother discover all of the possibilities and opportunities you have. If but we have a very different demographic,” Cannella said. you are interested in joining, talk to Cannella in room 136.

Though the FAFSA is typically done virtually due to the convenience, here is a look at a paper copy of the form.

Navigating the FAFSA Did you know there is a way to get free money for college? Let’s demystify the FAFSA with a step by step guide to securing financial aid for after high school plans. BY KACI PERRY

ollege choices can be hard, especially financially. We all strive to attend our dream school and receive a good education, but at what cost? Did you know there is a way to get granted free money, work-study funds, and loans? It is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Completing and submitting the FAFSA form is a free way to access the largest source of aid to help pay for college. The U.S. Department of Education utilizes the FAFSA to decide a student’s eligibility for financial aid. The form can also be used for state and school aid. FAFSA forms are released at the end of December. The state of Missouri priority deadline is February 1, 2024. To ensure the completion of the form, try to have it done in January. In order to complete the FAFSA application, you must first create a FSA ID, which will be your verified login for federal aid. It must be completed at least 72 hours prior to starting the FAFSA. A guardian must also create a FSA ID so they can work on the FAFSA with their student. They should create it first and share the form with the student. For your FSA ID, you will need your first and last name, date of birth, social security number, personal email address, and phone number. Fill out the form on the Federal Student Aid website. First, create an account and gather the documents stated. Then, provide your basic information,

list colleges to send the FAFSA to, determine dependency status, report your parents status, and provide financial information. Lastly, sign and submit the form. The website also lists the step by step process as you are filling it out. Once it has been submitted, continue to check your email for information on the application. Parents are encouraged to start the FAFSA and invite the student to complete their portion. Once the form has been started, you will have 45 days to complete it before it is deleted and must be restarted. The financial aid given to students by filling out the FAFSA will be given directly from the college or university. There will be a FAFSA Frenzy January 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at school. The frenzy will explain more about the FAFSA, how it works, how to set it up, and more. Many colleges and universities may invite students and their guardians to watch a presentation to learn about the FAFSA directly through the school. Therefore, if you have an idea of where you would like to go, make sure to look on their website for more information on how to get financial aid. If you have any other questions about how to get free money granted to you for college, visit the counselors as they are happy to answer any other questions about the FAFSA.

Senior sendoff has been planned to take over Project Grad for a new and improved graduation party.

Senior Sendoff

It has been heard through the grapevine that Project Grad has been canceled from here on out. Although that is true, not all hope for a graduation party is lost.

BY AMIAH PIERCE

roject Grad is a senior get-together after graduation where students spend the night at a public place of the school’s choice to see their friends one last time. They have games and raffles where people are able to win things like a TV, but all of that has made Project Grad very expensive. 2023 graduate Grace Keech expresses that she had a good time at the event. Many students used Project Grad to spend one more time with their high school classmates. “I went with friends. It makes it more fun. It happened to be the last night my friend group’s foreign exchange student was with us, so it was great to hang out with everyone one last time,” Keech said. A lot of people relied on Project Grad for money as well. Winning prizes was a big reason some students went. Senior Jordan Brooks was planning on going until she heard the news that it was canceled this year. “I feel like it’s sad because some students really need the money for college and I was looking forward to hanging out with friends I don’t have classes with anymore,” Brooks said. Dr. Cheryl Hall, assistant princiapl, said that many stakeholders were involved in the decision. She is also a part of

the group that is planning Senior Sendoff. “Senior Sendoff is going to be at each of the five high schools, anywhere we want but it is only two hours,” Hall said. Hall explained that there weren’t enough people attending Project Grad and it was quite expensive. The biggest problem parents faced was the fact that some students would have family visiting and they wouldn’t be able to see their graduate until the next day. The students were zombie-like after being up all night long at Project Grad. Hall wants senior sendoff to become an event and plans to pitch the idea to our student cabinet members in the hopes of making it happen this year. “I want the kids to launch it. That’s why I’m starting with cabinet and kind of getting a brainstorming session going because they’re gonna make the presentations at the parent night about the changes,” Hall said. Parent night is the first meeting to plan Project Grad. With these changes, it will have the same purpose but under a different circumstance. Senior sendoff should provide a good compromise at graduation time between friend time and family time.

N Making a Great Band Creating something worth watching is what the band and their instructors have worked on since the very beginning of summer. BY JACKSON HILL

ith hours of work put towards perfection, the marching band has been working tirelessly to continuously improve their craft. “We have worked 300 hours total as a band,” sophomore, marching Baritone, Nick Bauer said. The band’s show this year is in three parts all being filled with music and exciting movement. “Our show is called the Butterfly Effect and it’s about how one small thing can compile on itself and can cause something massive even though it started as something small,” Bauer said. The concept of the performance is different in a way never seen before. The color guard is dressed as butterflies and the band is the “effect” so they are half of the shows impact. Working on their craft and towards perfection is something most sports do. Sadly band can go unnoticed. “Usually, we start in warm up block [practicing music] then we’ll usually run sets or drill [parts of the show] and at the end we do a full run,” sophomore, marching French Horn, Olivia Davis said. The band makes sure to work on each section every practice to ensure they have the best performance possible.

“There are multiple different marching band techs [people who work with specific sections of the band] that have lots of experience in marching band. So they’re very good at what they do and very qualified,” Bauer said. With two contests won and finals made almost every time, the band is surely trying their best to make an impression. “We just had Columbia and we won state, and then we went to Branson and got second, and then we’ve also been to Ozark where we won, and then we went to Bentonville and got third,” Davis said. Having fun is something the band really tried to focus on this year along with working as hard as they possibly could and they achieved that. “Everyone has the right to have fun,” Bauer said. On October 27, the band competed in BOA (Bands of America) in St. Louis and they placed 16 out of 67 different bands. Making sure a team or band works well together is an important step in making sure the band is at their best. “We’ve grown a lot closer really making sure the new people in the band have grown and feel more like a family. Really making sure everyone in the band is having fun,” Bauer said.

Sophomore Alexander Ayres, Front Ensemble.

Junior Patrik Quinn, Bari and senior Chase Goocher, Tenor.

Freshman Ava Neally, Clarinet. Junior Sara Kimrey, Drum Major.

Senior Makayla Trieu, Colorguard.

Boston Recap The KHQ magazine staff visited Boston, Massachusetts in November to compete in a national journalism convention.

BY IRELAND KELSEY

he KHQ magazine staff visited Boston, Massachusetts this November entering their first issue of the magazine into a national competition. On November 5, 14 students arrived at the Springfield Branson Airport waiting to board the plane to Chicago, Illinois. A tiring day full of traveling led to exploring the streets of Boston and finding where our classes were going to be held. November 6, a majority of staff attended classes to learn about the tools and other things we use to make the quarterly magazine possible. After those classes, we all split up and we went our own ways for tourism. Some went to View Boston at the Prudential tower, some went to the aquarium and others went to the Sports Museum. Friday was a day full of seminars and learning new aspects about the field of journalism. They were also reqired to compete in an area of

their choosing in writing, graphic design, editing or photography. Five out of 14 students won excellent or honorable mention in their competition. Excellent in Photography Illustration; Liz Eike. Excellent in Editorial Writing; Madison Bryant. Excellent in Review Writing; Keegan Bukovatz. Excellent in Press Law and Ethics; Sophie Webb. Last but not least an Honorable Mention in Advertising; Danika McDade. These students in magazines and yearbooks worked hard for the few months that they had to create and write their pieces in order to compete. High schools around the country competed in this competition for their magazine or yearbook. This year, the first issue of KHQ placed second in the nation in the Specialty magazine category for large high schools. Palo Alto, CA took first prize. Sophomore Sophie Webb takes us through her morning

Excellent and honorable mention title holders. Photo courtesy of Leslie Orman.

Excellent title holder for Press Law and Ethics, Sophie Webb.

full of seminars and what she learned in those classes. Warning: Graphic Content “I learned to make my stories look visually appealing to readers,” Webb said. Even though the name of this seminar looks like it would be teaching you something bad, it actually taught students how to write their stories, to make them more readable and not boring to the naked eye. Webb learned the facts on how to make her story look good, which is to deliver the information quickly and make her writing piece easier to read. ABC’s of L-I-B-E-L “I learned what libel is and how to avoid getting sued for it,” Webb said. Libel is a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation; a written defamation. Webb gained an understanding of how to defend herself if she were to be accused of defamation. “If you can prove that what you published is a fact, you cannot get sued,” Webb said. According to mabgslaw.com.ph, generally, the constitutive elements of libel are: (a) defamatory imputation; (b) malice; (c) publication; and (d) identifiability of the victim. Where one element is missing, the libel action should be dismissed.

How to be the Best Reporter and Writer You Can Be “I learned how to have a conversation with the person I am interviewing and how to write a story that draws readers in,” said Webb She mentioned that she learned , if you are going to interview someone, it absolutely has to be in person. It cannot be over the phone or in an email. Student Press Law 101 “I discovered strategies to navigate around censorship by educators and administrators, as well as the factors that limit their ability to censor specific stories,” said Webb. Webb also highlighted that educators need a compelling and justified rationale for censoring a story. Press Law and Ethics teaches the rules and laws of journalsim such as freedom of the press. : the right to publish and disseminate information, thoughts, and opinions without restraint or censorship as guaranteed under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The journalism department is headed to Mizzou in the spring for their annual state competition, and then to Kansas City after that for another shot at nationals.

HOLIDAY

Controversial Christmas When it comes to selecting the best Christmas movie, we have different ideas on what constitutes a Christmas film. Here are four controversial Christmas movies. BY KEEGAN BUKOVATZ

The Nightmare Before Christmas is not a Christmas movie. This is definitely a Halloween movie. Those on Team Christmas say the holiday spirit is clear throughout the course of the entire movie. Even though the Halloween characters aren’t familiar with Christmas, they’re clearly all affected and moved by it. However, I think this reasoning is redundant. The fact that the film features an abundance of Halloween monsters automatically makes this a Halloween movie.

This one is a little less controversial, but trust me, Frozen has its Team Christmas members. I can see where people might pick up a Christmas vibe, especially from Sven, a reindeer that is a consistent presence throughout the movie. As for me, this is not a Christmas movie. I definitely would rather watch this around the winter season, just for the fact that there’s an overflow of snow and ice everywhere, but that’s the only thing that’s really going for it in the Christmas category.

Christmas Rating:

For this one, I think it honestly depends on which movie. The more action packed Harry Potter films definitely have less of a Christmas vibe, but the earlier films, with a few of the more recent ones definitely have a Christmas magic to them that’s hard to explain. Part of it is that most of these movies feature Christmas in some capacity, as each movie takes place throughout the course of a school year. I do think that as a whole, these movies lean towards Christmas, especially since in each movie the characters celebrate Christmas in one way or another.

I saved the best for last. Die Hard couldn’t be more controversial, but it also couldn’t be more of a Christmas movie. The story literally begins on Christmas Eve, with a classic airport Christmas scene. The soundtrack is full of Christmas music, and the Christmas vibes are present throughout the duration of the movie. Many people say that the movie is too brutal to be a Christmas film, but I think that that’s irrelevant. If you can tell me that Kevin McCallister’s traps from Home Alone weren’t just as brutal, you’d be wrong, and pretty much everyone agrees that the Home Alone films are Christmas movies.

Christmas Rating:

Christmas Rating: 20

Decadent Delights BY EMMA FRANKLIN

Cinnamon Cinnamon is most commonly found in Sri Lanka, right off India’s coast. To harvest the plant, they cut the trees at an angle and strip the bark, allowing access to the plant’s cinnamon ‘meat.’ The plant is used in recipes, incense, hair growth, and soothing nausea. Adding cinnamon to hot chocolate helps bring out the sweet chocolate flavor and adds a “kick” to it. Typically, hot cocoa is made with milk chocolate, which has milk and sugar to help make it sweeter. For some, the sweetness is too overpowering. Cinnamon helps to dilute the sugar flavor and mixes in an almost woodsy flavor. The cinnamon also helps bring out the cacao flavor chocolate has hidden away.

Caramel

Caramel is created when sugar is heated to the point of melting. Due to the sugar molecules breaking down, caramel gets its brown color. While you might pronounce it differently, chocolate and caramel are the dynamic duo of the century. The caramel melts into the chocolate to give it a smooth and silky texture with an extra sweetness. There is no right or wrong amount to how much you add; the perfect amount is up to your taste buds. To switch it up and make your cocoa extra sweet, drop some caramel candies and let them melt for a few minutes. Be careful not to get any on your hands, or you might get into a sticky situation.

Winter is a time for snowy adventures and becoming unfrozen with hot chocolate. Why drink a regular hot chocolate with bland toppings when you can spice it up with unique toppings and add-ins?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Candy Peanuts were initially developed in South America but quickly spread to different continents through European explorers. The development of chocolate also originated in South America but comes from a fruit called cacao. In 1928, Hershey created the first peanut butter chocolate candy bar called the ‘Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.’ This is the hot cocoa combination if you are a peanut butter and chocolate candy fanatic. The peanut butter melts with the chocolate, becoming a cup of warm goodness. If you’re feeling adventurous, add a dollop of peanut butter. There would be a more robust peanut flavor, but when is that a bad thing?

Orange

Florida is the United States’ largest producer and supplier of oranges, but oranges were originally from India and China. Some people like orange-flavored foods, and others are strong haters. If you prefer something other than orangeflavored treats, this is not the drink for you. Around the winter holidays, store shelves have a chocolate bar called Terry’s Chocolate Orange. It is shaped and wrapped like an orange with a chocolate-orange flavor. If you’ve enjoyed one of these, shave some orange zest or peel an orange shaving or two into your drinking chocolate for an almost identical taste. Squeezing orange juice is not ideal for this drink, but it’s your hot chocolate.

Letters for Santa

BY SAVANNAH SUMMERS

My name is Eloise. I am six years old. I want a phone so I can call people and play games. I would like a toy genie for three wishes. Thank you Santa! Love, Eloise

My name is Jorge. I am six years old. I like gifts. I like Christmas. I love toys. I love racecars. I like books. I love you Santa! Love, Jorge

My name is Zoie. I am six years old. I want slime and a cat for Christmas. Thank you Santa! Love, Zoie 23

As the holidays commence and temperatures drop outside, local kids from our neighboring elementary schools begin to write their lists and letters to be sent to the North Pole.

My name is Emma. I am six years old. I love you Santa Claus. What I really want for Christmas is a big princess doll. Thank you! Love, Emma

My name is Brock. I am seven years old. I want an Army game for Christmas. I love you Santa, you are a good person. Could you give my mom presents too? I just want to be nice to my mom. Love, Brock My name is Braylon. I am six years old. I want a Green Lantern toy. I like Santa. I like markers. Thank you Santa! Love, Braylon

Touchy Subjects

Max Krupa (9)

Evolet Pizarro (10)

Do you think mall Santas are creepy? “No, I don’t think they are creepy.” What does your family argue about the most during the holidays? “They always argue about where to put the decorations.” What is the worst gift you’ve ever received? “The worst gift I have ever received has got to be a pair of gloves”

Do you think mall Santas are creepy? “Yes, like why are they even there? To talk with little kids? That’s weird.” What does your family argue about the most during the holidays? “They always argue about the food we are going to eat.” What is the worst gift you’ve ever received? “A squeaky pig toy.”

Ethan Baltz (9)

Emma Pearcy (10)

Do you think mall Santas are creepy? “Yes, I think they are creepy because they like little kids.” What does your family argue about the most during the holidays? “The adults always argue about whose kid has the best grades.” What is the worst gift you’ve ever received? “Kum & Go socks.”

Do you think mall Santas are creepy? “No, I think they just want to make kids happy on Christmas.” What does your family argue about the most during the holidays? “Keeping the house clean and putting up the decorations.” What is the worst gift you’ve ever received? “Honestly, it’s a classic, but socks from my grandma.”

When the holiday season approaches, some touchy subjects spark passion and debate between students and their family members. BY SOPHIE WEBB

Helaina Parker (11)

Kinleigh Rose (12)

Do you think mall Santas are creepy? “Yes, no one is that happy in a mall all day with random kids that come sit on your lap.” What does your family argue about the most during the holidays? “Who gets to host Christmas.” What is the worst gift you’ve ever received? “My dad got me Nintendo DS games but no DS.”

Do you think mall Santas are creepy? “Yeah, in a way. It depends on what way you look at it.” What does your family argue about the most during the holidays? “Who gets to put the star on the Christmas tree.” What is the worst gift you’ve ever received? “My grandma thinks that I like to sew, but I don’t, so I get crochet kits and sewing kits a lot.”

Hannah Williams (11)

Malia Cook (12)

Do you think mall Santas are creepy? “No, I think they are just honest men who want to make a good living over the holidays.” What does your family argue about the most during the holidays? “Who gets to do the dishes after Christmas dinner.” What is the worst gift you’ve ever received? “A puzzle. I’m not really into puzzles, I think they’re boring.”

Do you think mall Santas are creepy? “Yes, they are kind of weird.” What does your family argue about the most during the holidays? “They kind of just argue about grades, that’s it.” What is the worst gift you’ve ever received? “I like getting gift cards, but I feel like there’s just not a lot of thought put into it.”

Cold Hands & Warm Hearts BY ALLEY ACKERMAN

Build a Snowman Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you don’t need to get outside for some Vitamin D. Playfulness not only reduces stress, but it also sharpens the mind, prevents cognitive decline, nurtures healthy relationships and communication, increases empathy, and creates a sense of belonging and community. You should never pass up an opportunity to build a snowman with your significant other.

Photo by Keegan Bukovatz

Ice Skating at Jordan Valley Ice Park Ice skating is a fun and romantic date regardless of the stage of your relationship. You and your partner can spend a night on the ice by renting open skates from Jordan Valley Ice Park. Whether you play games or hold hands while you glide through laps, this type of date is sure to make memories and strengthen connections. Just remember to dress warmly and be prepared!

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Takeout and a Movie

Photo by Alley Ackerman

Romantic films are often chosen during cold months in an effort to ‘stay warm.’ Set aside a night of the week to grab a to-go meal from your favorite restaurant and turn on a movie. One of you can choose the movie and the other can decide on the takeout. This classic date is ideal for the colder months and is more affordable than seeing a movie in theaters.

Let’s face it, winter is the time for romance. Don’t let the wintry weather prevent you and your love from enjoying yourselves. Here are six of the best winter date ideas.

Take a Winter Photo Shoot This is a cute reason to laugh, huddle together, and leave the house. The wintertime illuminations are gorgeous. Lighting in the cold season is delicate, subtle, and suits everyone. If there is snow, it acts as a natural light reflector to brighten a neutral scene and give your eyes more sparkle. Snuggling up next to your partner with the snowflakes falling is a staple couple photo.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Go Sledding Sledding is a popular winter date with a long and illustrious history that dates back centuries. It’s simple yet fun for hours. A hill, some slick snow, and a sled are all that you need. A popular sledding hill is by Academy. By the time you reach the bottom of the hill, you will be smiling and laughing wholeheartedly. Fill a thermos with some hot chocolate that will warm your bones after being outside in the chilly weather.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City From November 4 - December 30, you can go walk around in an old time winter wonderland. With over 6.5 million lights, there’s Joy On Town Square, Christmas In Midtown, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Christmas Light Parade, and Frisco Sing-Along Steam Train. SDC is very romantic during the holidays with the festive atmosphere everywhere you look.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Christmas Confections

Check out these two Christmas cookie recipes that will be sure to satisfy your seasonal sweet tooth with festive flavors! BY KEEGAN BUKOVATZ

Ingredients (Cookies)

- 1 cup butter (room temperature) - 1 cup granulated sugar - 2 tsp vanilla extract - 1 egg - 3 cups all-purpose flour - 2 tsp baking powder (Icing) - 3 oz egg whites - 1 tsp vanilla - 4 cups powdered sugar - Various food colorings

Royal Icing Directions

1. Whip egg whites and vanilla in a stand mixer until foamy. 2. Slowly add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time while mixing slowly. 3. When sugar is totally added turn the mixer on high for seven minutes. 4. If you want flooding consistency with the icing, add a bit of water at a time until it will flood easily. 5. For thicker icing, add a bit of powdered sugar at a time. 6. Scoop icing into separate bowls and add desired color into each. Take the icing in each bowl and place it into piping bags. 7. Pipe icing onto cookies, and create unique designs!

Decorated Sugar Cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Yield: 36 cookies

Sugar Cookie Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Cream together butter and sugar in a stand mixer for 3 minutes. 3. Scrape sides and add vanilla and egg. Mix until combined. 4. Add flour and baking powder into the bowl. Mix slowly at first, gradually getting faster and faster until the dough comes together. The texture should be like Playdoh. Add a little flour or water if needed to get a soft, pliable consistency. 5. Turn out onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin and roll until about a quarter of an inch thick. (The cookies will not rise while baking, nor will they get thinner while baking. Roll out to your desired thickness.) 6. Use cookie cutters and cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet. 7. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until the centers are puffy and no longer glossy. Pull the cookies out of the oven before they start turning brown. If they turn brown, the cookies will be dry and “crackery” instead of soft and chewy.

Using a needle, a toothpick, or a standard icing scribe is a good way to smooth out the icing and get the desired flat look.

Ingredients

- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened - 1 1/2 cup sugar - 1/2 cup light brown sugar - 2 eggs - 4 cups all-purpose flour - 2 tsp corn starch - 1/2 tsp salt - 2 tsp baking soda - 2 cups M&Ms (separated into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup)

M&M Sugar Cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 18 minutes Total Time: 33 minutes Yield: 24 cookies

M&M Sugar Cookie Directions Before sticking the cookies in the oven, this is how the flattened dough balls should look. The finished product of the decorated sugar cookies.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Place softened butter into a standing mixer with sugar and brown sugar. Mix together until evenly combined and soft and fluffy. 3. Crack both eggs into the bowl and mix again until soft and fluffy. 4. Pour flour, corn starch, salt and baking soda into the bowl and mix until fully combined. Use a rubber spatula to continue mixing the dough and help it come together. 5. Pour the 1 1/2 cup pile of M&Ms into the bowl and mix the dough with the spatula. 6. Using a cookie scooper, scoop 24 dough balls and scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 7. Press down on the dough balls slightly to flatten, and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of M&M’s. 8. Place the baking sheet into the oven to bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. 9. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for at least ten minutes on the baking sheet. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to allow the cookies to cool completely.

Sweet and Snug Blankets have been a staple in comfort technology since humans have existed. While boasting great versatility, they’re best used as a nap companion, travel buddy, and most importantly, nighttime essential. However, some blankets do these jobs better than others. Nap Time

On the Move

Who doesn’t love a good nap? However, it’s inconvenient when all you have laying around is a thick, sweaty blanket. Luckily, my experimentation has concluded that there is one blanket in the nap time contenders that stands out from the crowd in efficiency and comfort.

It’s a shame to travel without a blanket. On a winter trip, it’s inevitable that you will encounter shifty weather and uncomfortable cold. You wouldn’t want to be stuck in our negative degree winter weather with no source of heat. One type of blanket does a fantastic job of combating this issue.

Crochet Blankets

Heated Blankets

Crochet blankets are perfect for when the temperature is bothersome but you don’t exactly need something thick. These blankets are like a light snack; an ideal amount of warmth for a couch nap. On the other hand, they often feature beautiful patterns that make for a two in one blanket/fashion staple combo.

A battery-powered heated blanket can save you in the most unfortunate conditions. Once, I was stuck in a snowy ditch for hours after veering off the road in icy conditions. I wish I’d had a heated blanket then, because I was probably nearing frostbite.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

A patterned crochet blanket.

Recap

A chilly state of emergency in Serbia in 2012.

Recap

* Everyone needs a nap now and then.

* Winter temperatures are ruthless.

* Some blankets are too thick for naps.

* You need a warm blanket for winter.

* Crochet blankets are built for naps.

* Heated blankets are perfect for winter weather.

A “good night’s sleep” is not just a given, it is granted by the warmth of a quality blanket.

BY NICK JENSEN

Catching Z’s

Weighted Blankets

What’s a bed without a blanket? It’s no place for a sleepy individual, as all the warmth comes from the blanket. A mattress all alone is like a chocolate chip cookie with no chocolate chips. The thought really makes you appreciate blankets for what they are. Knowing the V.I.P. status of blankets when sleeping, it’s important to choose the best blanket for doing just that. By the way, there’s a clear winner.

Anyone who has tried a weighted blanket will likely preach to you how comfortable it is. As a result, it was my duty to form an opinion on the matter. I slept with a weighted blanket for a night, and I definitely understand the buzz around them. The added weight made it feel as if the blanket was hugging me. I believe I also remember it reading me bedtime stories and feeding me milk. It was truly a seamless, stress-free sleep experience that I would totally make an investment for.

Journalism Staff member Nick Jensen is tired because he tried sleeping without a blanket.

The Reason for the Season BY ZHANA OWREY

Xandra Chew (10)

Keegan Clark (12)

What is the best gift you’ve received? “I think the best gift I’ve received is just cherishing small moments with my mom, or my dog.”

What is the best gift you’ve received? “My computer that I use for editing. It’s a custom built PC my brother made for me.”

What is the best gift you’ve given? “Giving food to kids in general or giving small gifts back to the community.”

What is the best gift you’ve given? “I got my mom a ticket to her favorite artist. I think it was Amos Lee.”

Favorite way to package a gift? “My favorite way to package a gift is typically with gift wrapping.”

Favorite way to package a gift? “I’m pretty lazy so I just throw it in a bag and put tissue paper on top.”

The holiday season is here and people are rushing to fill their carts and write their wish lists. Here are some memorable presents students have received.

Emilie Cross (11)

Rachael Lawson (12)

What is the best gift you’ve received? “My new phone, the iPhone 14. I got it this year.”

What is the best gift you’ve received? “When I was in elementary, I got a little iPad. It was like the size of a phone and I almost died. It was like my favorite thing ever.”

What is the best gift you’ve given? “I’ve given blankets to teachers for their babies. I made them with my grandma and gave them to a bunch of teachers over the years.”

What is the best gift you’ve given? “Last Valentine’s I gave my girlfriend a really expensive giant teddy bear with chocolates, like a lot of chocolates.”

Favorite way to package a gift? “Wrapping paper.”

Favorite way to package a gift? “Personally, I just like wrapping it with gift paper, it just feels more special to me.”

Gingerbread Bliss One of the most classic holiday treats is a gingerbread house. Instead of buying a premade kit, here is everything you need to craft the perfect homemade gingerbread house. BY MADISON BRYANT

Directions: 1. First thing you will want to do is print off a gingerbread house template you like. After printing, cut it out, trace it onto a cardboard box, and cut that out. 2. Bring shortening, sugar, molasses, and vinegar to a boil. Let it cool then mix in the egg. 3. Mix dry ingredients and add to the molasses mixture. 4. Allow the dough to cool enough to where you can handle it with your hands. Roll and cut it.

Ingredients: Gingerbread

1 cup vegetable shortening 1 cup granulated sugar 2 tbsp white vinegar 1 cup molasses 1 egg (beaten) 5 cups all purpose flour 1 ½ tsp baking soda 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp salt

5. Roll the dough onto parchment paper. Place the template and cut out the gingerbread house pieces except for the windows and doors. On these items you will want to lightly score but not cut completely.

Sugar Glue

6. Place cut dough onto a greased cookie sheet.

3 egg whites 4 cups powdered sugar ½ tsp cream of tartar

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. As soon as the pieces come out, cut the edges again for straighter lines. 8. Cut out the windows and doors completely, then let cool. 9. Wrap a sturdy surface (a cardboard box works) in foil to be your base. 10. Make the sugar glue by cooking down two cups of sugar over medium heat. To see if its done, drop a small amount in water, if it turns into a ball the sugar glue is done. Turn off heat to avoid burning, if it cools too much just heat it up to become the desired consistency again. 11. Dip the bottom of the front piece of the house into your sugar glue and place on your base. Then, do the same with a side piece. Repeat for all pieces. When doing the door, make sure not to glue all sides so the door remains in an open position. 12. Next, icing is required. Combine the egg whites, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar. Beat on high speed for seven to ten minutes. Use immediately. 13. Lastly, decorate with any candy you want to make it more fun. (optional)

2 cups granulated sugar

Royal Icing

A gingerbread house decorated with candy to embrace the holiday season.

Holiday Helping Hands Different non-profit organizations provide families with extra support during the holiday seasons, but volunteers are needed to help everything run smoothly. Here are some ideas for ways to help out! BY MADISON BRYANT

Victory Mission: Through the holiday season, Victory Mission plans to serve over 1,000 individuals by way of drive-thru or seated meals. They are one of the biggest homeless outreach organizations in our area and need volunteers not only during the holiday season but all year round. However, with all the meals they have planned to provide to members of the community, people are especially needed to help out during Thanksgiving and Christmas time. Go to victorymission.com/holidaymeals to see all of the events listed and submit a volunteer application.

Crosslines: Crosslines is a branch of the Council of Churches of the Ozarks and is a huge help for families throughout the holiday season. During the week of Christmas, volunteers are needed to pass out food and work the toy store. However, if you are unable to work during the holiday season, donations are always welcome on the website. In addition to that, volunteers are needed year round to help with the food pantry. Our Kare Team works closely with the Crosslines food pantry during the school year. If that interests you, think about joining next year.

The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army is a common holiday volunteerism opportunity throughout the nation. If you want to sign up for bell ringing, go to registertoring.com. Not only can you sign up to ring individually, but you can bring your friends and make it a group affair. Also, if you aren’t able to physically ring you can virtually ring by asking people to donate to the online fundraiser. In addition to bell ringing, people wanting to donate directly to this cause can donate on the website into the online Red Kettle.

FEATURE

Talk About Arguments S

peech and Debate is an activity that combines public speech, arguing, and acting into a single extracurricular for students of all ages. Their hard work is often overlooked, especially during sports seasons, but the ambitious students put their noses to the grindstone and succeed in their matches. Our Speech and Debate team attended a competition in Blue Springs, Missouri, on October 6. Half our students from debate managed to make it to the elimination rounds. “It’s an impressive feat because we took a limited number of students to that tournament and half of the students performed and debated well enough to reach elimination rounds,” sophomore Jude Riemenschneider said. Riemenschneider was one of these students and he was able to reach fourth place with Cy Griffith in Champion Cross examination, and finals in Student Congress. “Student Congress is an event in Speech and Debate that resembles a legislative body like that of the U.S. Congress or the Missouri General Assembly. You essentially act as representatives of that congress and volunteer to give speeches in either affirmation or negation of bills and resolutions similar to a real Congressional body,” Riemenschneider said. The students in this team are dedicated to improving their performance during their events. “I prepare for my competitions by getting in the correct

The Speech and Debate team often takes a bus to their competitions, ensuring they all arrive on time and together.

Speech and Debate is a distinguished club at our school. Let’s take a look at one of their first accomplishments. BY KAT OWSLEY mindset and prepping the evidence I will need,” junior Hunter Maggard said. Evidence for events are an important thing to keep in mind when debaters are building their case. “Participating in competitions means you need to be ready for any possible arguments and research that’s needed to make a sound case. They’re long and they take time to write. I need to have evidence in a debate because I need to sound scholarly. I’m speaking to random people about politics and they need to trust what I’m saying so that I don’t sound like a conspiracy theorist,” Maggard said. After all the hard work, Maggard was able to win first place in Public Forum with senior Kassidy Ellis and third place for the International Exempt category. This is only the start of an amazing streak for Speech and Debate this year with the help of Ms. Stephanie Brotherton. The club has continued to exceed expectations, taking sixth overall at Republic’s invitational on the first weekend of November As the season progresses, there’s no doubt that our school’s debate team will continue to do their best in the competitions to come.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Brotherton.

Tatted Up Educators BY EMMA FRANKLIN

Ms. Wallace What is your favorite tattoo? “My favorite tattoo is probably the one on the back of my right arm. It is the Pink Floyd logo.” What is the meaning behind your tattoo? “I just got this a couple of weeks ago. It is a matching tattoo with my grandpa. I’ve always been really close with my grandpa and we’ve always bonded over rock music. It was such a special experience to do that with him, especially because it was his first tattoo!” Do you have plans to get any more tattoos in the future? “I have plans for many more tattoos. One of my next ones will probably be on my forearm. I plan to get a few small rosy maple moths. I love nature and I think these are some of the prettiest creatures I’ve ever seen! My fiancé and I are also playing with the idea of getting tattoos while on our honeymoon this summer. So, that could be a really fun experience. ”

Dr. Corn What is your favorite tattoo? “It is a quarter rest followed by the word ‘Breathe’.” What is the meaning behind your tattoo? “I’m a workaholic and years ago worked myself into burnout and severe depression. My tattoo is a reminder to take time to rest and breathe.” Do you have plans to get any more tattoos in the future? “Yes, I have plans for two more for sure; My mother’s signature who passed away in 2022 and Christian cross with a treble clef.”

Tattoos are a large part of society and many of our staff have them, lets take a deeper look into the meanings behind them!

Mrs. Bones What is your favorite tattoo? “My favorite tattoo is my sewing machine.” What is the meaning behind your tattoo? “It was my first tattoo, I got it in New Orleans the summer I turned 33. Although I teach sewing, this tattoo has a deeper meaning. It shows lots of thread stuck in the machine, which often happens when making a project. It represents that sometimes things get hard in life, so you just need to remove that negative energy and start over. I got it at a time in my life when things were hard, so I look at it and remember how far I’ve come.” Do you have a tattoo you would change and why? “I would change the black ink that I had added to my rose tattoo. I let the tattoo artist add on what he felt looked good, but once he did it I didn’t really like it. They’re permanent, so make sure whatever you allow your tattoo artist to draw on your body is something you’re happy with for the rest of your life!”

Ms. Moore What is your favorite tattoo? “I think my favorite tattoo so far has to be my newest one. I got a smiling mushroom holding a knife. I named him Melvin the Mushroom!” What is the meaning behind your tattoo? “I’m gonna change this question a bit and say that my favorite meaning behind any of my tattoos is one I have on my back. It’s ‘in omnia paratus’ which is a quote from Gilmore Girls, but it’s a tattoo I have with my sister. We got it because we didn’t really like each other that much growing up, but we bonded over the TV show Gilmore Girls, so we decided to get that tattoo together. ” Do you have plans to get any more tattoos in the future? “I do have plans to get more! Eventually I want to get a sleeve!”

Desk and Dispatch

A day’s work of two of our favorite staff members, Mrs. Danzer, our boys attendance office worker, and Officer Goss, our on site school police officer. BY AUBREE SIMS Jennifer Danzer starts her day in the school early around 7:15. She begins by cleaning her area with a quick wipe down, then gets settled. “The phone starts ringing right away when I get here. The whole rest of the day can be a total mess. Constantly getting phone calls and always calling classrooms to get kids called out,” Danzer said. Danzer continuously deals with parents calling to find their students. “I had a parent calling for their child today, where Life

360 said the student was in the building but every teacher marked them absent. So, we had to send a teacher to walk through every part of the building to find them.” Danzer is always on the phone with parents and teachers trying to make sure every student is safe and accounted for. “We’re lucky if we even get to take a drink of water every day,” Danzer said. Despite the thousands of students Danzer deals with each day, she never fails to keep a welcoming smile on her face.

Boys attendance office worker, Mrs. Danzer, on the phone with a parent letting them know that their student is marked absent for the day.

Mrs. Danzer writing a pass for a student to leave class and go home for the day.

Mrs. Danzer handing a student a pass that just arrived at school so that they can head to class and start learning.

School Resource Officer Dennis Goss arrives at the school between 7:30 and 7:45. Officer Goss’ mornings are usually pretty consistent day by day. However, Halloween week was different. “Actually, on Tuesday, I was a security guard at a Taylor Swift concert,” Goss said. Obviously joking, Officer Goss actually attended the teacher breakfast offered by our cabinet in honor of Halloween. “After that, I came back into the commons to start helping staff with tardy sweeps,” Goss said. “My day will usually consist of a lot of paperwork, filling out reports. I also get a lot of vapes everyday, and I have to test them all by the end of the day,” Goss said. Officer Goss is in charge of testing the vapes he has turned in and testing them for harmful substances. “I do get a lot of vapes everyday that I have to test, a surprising amount,” Goss said. The district requires reports for all of them that he confiscates.

He is always checking bathrooms as he goes by and making sure no students have vapes in there. Officer Goss also handles missing students or any misdemeanors teachers have with students. “I will usually get called into classrooms or into the parking lot for any issue students or teachers may have,” Goss said. Officer Goss and Officer Boxberger, another school Resource Officer, did have a student run out of the building and through the parking lot. “You saw me walking around, then Officer Boxberger was driving around the school making sure the student didn’t get too far before we found him,” Officer Goss said. The student was found then returned safely to their classroom. Officer Goss does daily checks of our security cameras and our doors to make sure all students and staff are safe. We can always count on Officer Goss to keep our school protected and running smoothly.

Officer Goss chaperoning the “Eras Tour” as a security guard in the library for a staff Halloween breakfast.

Officer Goss is constantly checking all bathrooms to make sure no students are skipping class or vaping.

School resource officer, Officer Goss, going over security footage to ensure everything is running smoothly in the hallways and that there is no foul play.

Grace Everett is about to enter her fourth year of swimming and she has some new goals for this season.

The World of Girls Swim Diving into the world of girls swim with what goes on in each practice and what occurs in each meet to make this such a unique sport.

BY SAVANNAH SUMMERS

s the temperature starts to drop and the holiday season begins, this also sparks the commencement of the girls swim team season. Due to there being several sports starting up during winter, the girls swim team tends to get pushed into the shadows. But over the years, they’ve proven to be a force to be reckoned with. Grace Everett is the only senior on the swim team this year. She currently has been on the team the longest and this means she has experienced the most practices and meets out of everyone. “I love the people in swim so much and the environment we have created. No matter what group you’re in, you can really get to know everyone by being on the

same team,” Everett said. Unlike other sports, swim meets consist of many different events at different times rather than just one game. Each meet is unique with their own races and relays and athletes are sometimes switched to different races in the last minute. “In swim, there is no personal space or time for yourself but it can be a blessing during big meets because you really feel bonded,” Everett said Ella Kristek is a junior on the team this year. Kristek focuses on the dive aspect of swimming and is always working to try and improve for her next meets. “I love the swim community. Everyone works hard to improve and be their best at meets and we all encourage

eachother to work harder,” Kristek said. Athletes have to train constantly to make sure they are always ready for upcoming meets and races. Typically, racers meet every day after school along with occasional morning practices and outside training sessions in the gym to ensure they’re fully prepared. “The hardest thing for me is the mental aspect. It’s scary when you’re competing with a new dive and it can be hard to really focus because there’s so much going on in the holiday season,” Kristek said. Each meet is designed to be different. Racers have to warm up and typically carbo load the night before to ensure they have enough energy. They also have to make sure they have enough protein to ensure they have enough energy for their races. “I can get tired at times with practices but I love cheering for everyone and trying to improve while also supporting everyone because I want the team to improve as well,” Everett said. Once the swimmers arrive, they must warm up with the rest of their team. This can include stretching, doing laps or even listening to music to prepare. “When I warm up, my main goal is to get focused and make sure i’m in the right headspace and stretched properly” Kristek said.

Prior to these meets, swimmers spend their practices working towards being the best in their race. This can be a certain stroke like Butterfly or Freestyle or it could be an IM which is an individual medley combining all 4 strokes. “I love cheering and almost losing my voice each meet because I love seeing people have fun and be successful in their goals,” Everett said. When it’s time for races, they must line up in their lane and then get ready to begin. Once they hear the starting beep, the race begins. Each athlete is timed during the span of the event. The amount of laps or strokes they do can differ depending on what it is but the goal is always to improve their race time. “Swim can be as easy or hard as you want it to be. It’s both an individual and team sport so you want to have a good dynamic that can support you,” Everett said. At the very end of their meet, racers are then given medals if they placed and are told their personal times and ways they can improve before the next meet and are given new goals for practices. “I love that everyone cheers for everyone no matter what. You can be from different schools or teams and everyone still cheers and encourages you and it’s truly an amazing sport,” Kristek said.

Ella Kristek (on the fifth block) is entering her third year of girls swim. She hopes to improve her diving this season and also beat her personal records.

F Behind Freaky Friday Take a look at the crew working behind our actors and actresses from this year’s fall musical. BY KESSA ADEE

he lights turn on, the actors bow, and the curtain falls for the last time, but wait, who are the people backstage that have been hiding in the wings? The tech crew works extremely hard to put on these plays every year. Senior Conner Rowe explained his role behind the scenes. “I’m an actor but I also do tech and design. I mostly paint but there’s also some sculpting. We sculpted frogs for the biology scene and then we painted those,” Rowe said. Like the actors, the tech crew puts in many hours to bring the play to life. Their work is crucial to its success. If they don’t do their job, things could quickly go wrong. “The hardest thing is the new people who don’t realize how important this is. We’re very on top of things and some new people are just getting the grasp on things and it can be frustrating,” junior Taylor Gerbrandt said. Senior Evie Royal, head of construction, adds to this. “We have some people who are new at this and it’s causing us to fall behind a bit. We’re really pushing the deadline for some things,” Royal said. Senior Haven Henry, stage manager, describes her

constantly active job. “The main thing that I have to do is watch the show from above and see everybody and what happens. I’m up in the light booth and I have two assistant stage managers on both sides of the stage that I communicate with by my headset. I watch everything to ensure nothing bad happens and if there is an issue, I tell my other stage managers and we have to fix it,” Henry said. However, it’s not all hard work and no play. Senior Annie Jenkins explains that the long lasting friendships are worth it. “Tech is such a big family, especially hair and makeup because you spend all the time together backstage and putting together the show and you just have a different bond,” Jenkins said. Seeing their months long effort turn into something so notable is junior Cadence Cowan’s favorite part. “The costume, tech, and everyone all get to work together. We all do our own things but then we work together to put on this whole show and it’s fun seeing it all come together at the end,” Cowan said. The tech crew, actors, and costume designers all put in work to make sure that the performance can run as smoothly as possible, while still having fun and making memories.

“It’s really fun, I love theatre so much it’s been a huge part of my life. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened, ever,” Cowan said.

Senior tech crew member Mason Harris, helps to build our school production’s first ever moving set.

Scholar Bowl has won first place in their district competitions over trivia for three years in a row.

The High Achievers Participating in extracurricular activities while also being in high level classes can be a struggle. Meet two students who rise to the challenge.

BY ALEX WALSH

hile it may be a lot to balance, many students will put forth the effort to achieve good grades and make time for extracurricular activities as well. Students taking honors or AP classes have a good chance of getting scholarships due to the skill it takes to pass the classes and still having fun doing it. Honor classes are for weighted credit and AP classes can get you college credit with a test and can help you achieve in getting scholarships. While only being in his second year in high school sophomore Nathanael Cummings is in Scholar Bowl, DECA, FBLA, National Honor Society (NHS), Kickapoo U, Spanish Club, and Key Club while also being in Algebra II Honors, Spanish III, and General Biology Honors. “If I have big test coming up, I typically prioritize those over everything else,” Cummings said. It can be hard to find a balance between schoolwork and clubs. When students find balance, it can feel like a weight is lifted off of their shoulders. “Balancing clubs can also be hard because sometimes I can’t decide if I know I need to get this done but I also have a big event coming up that’s really important and I can’t go,” Cummings said.

Students who are in lots of clubs or activities also may have difficulties with making sure they stay on top of their schoolwork. Clubs like DECA or FBLA help students get experience in the business field, which will help them later when they look for a job. It also will look nice on applications with all the events they do. Senior Hunter Rehkop is another student that is involved in a lot. He is in NHS, Cabinet, Peer Mediators, Speech and Debate while also being in Computer Applications, AP Calculus AB, and Capstone. “With cabinet I am doing a lot of helping with football games and helping with different club events and stuff like that. I am always needing to usually be after school for something. I always need to make sure that I know what I’m doing and know what I need to get done,” Rehkop said. While it can be difficult to maintain good grades and club activities, many students find ways to make sure they can balance everything, whether it be through a planner or remembering dates. This can help students by letting them know if they have things on the same day and at the same time. It can also tell students when assignments are due in which class.

F Brown and Gold Exchange Are you interested in spending a year abroad in the country of your choice? Here are the how to steps to going international! BY EVELYN NELSON family and find a school that accepts exchange students.” Holcomb said t our school we have many exchange students Hazel Fleming, a sophomore at our school, is planning from countries all over the world, yet not many students to spend a year abroad in Japan her junior year. are aware that they can also spend time studying abroad. Fleming is going through a nonprofit organization that Read this step by step guide on finding out how to is sponsoring some of the costs of her exchange. She is become a foreign exchange student, what requirements currently going through the interview process. you need, and the different programs that are available. “I have always been interested in Japan. I’m taking Step 1: Contact a teacher or talk to a student that is Japanese for my second year now and I just love it, planning on exchanging. specifically the culture, the mythology and food,” Fleming If you are interested in becoming a foreign exchange said. student, contact a foreign language teacher. Mrs. Step 2: Find an agency or program to sponsor you. Holcomb is one of our Japanese teachers who had a Holcomb suggested different options of agencies and chance to study broad in high school. programs, similar to what Fleming is applying to. “I did this search on my own when I was a high school One non-private agency to look into is Rotary Youth student in Japan,” Holcomb said. Exchange. It is sponsored by people in our area and try to Holcomb explained how to become a foreign exchange help cut costs a bit. student and why it is such a hard process. According to the website, candidates for the Rotary “It is hard to study abroad without having an agency Youth Exchange program are aged 15-19 and are leaders to sponsor you, because a student must apply for a visa in their schools and communities. There are also other to stay overseas, and you will want to live with a host private agencies you can apply to. Some agencies to check out are Education First (EF) Fleming says that she will miss student exchange programs, International Student participating in color guard at our school Exchange (ISE-USA) travel and study abroad programs, if she does get to exchange to Japan, but International Cultural Exchange Services (ICESUSA), she is still excited nonetheless. and the Council of International Educational Exchange (CIEE). These are all great websites and organizations to help you get started for your foreign exchange journey. Step 3. Consider requirements, and cost: While considering becoming a foreign exchange student, remember that rules vary depending on the agency or program you use and what country you want to study in. Also, keep in mind that most of these programs and agencies cost money. You have to have a 2.5 GPA or higher and generally at least two years of language classes. Fleming is currently going through the interview process to see if she is eligible to become a foreign exchange student further explained the process. “The interview is just a check on my grades and seeing how good of a citizen you would be in whatever country you want to go to,” Fleming said.

Students can choose from many different countries to exchange in. France is one place that students can go to and French is one of the language classes that is offered at our school.

You also need to make sure you have the documentation and required paperwork. According to the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the documentation you need to have depends on the country you are planning on visiting. Most countries require a passport and visa, but there are some countries that require that a traveler’s US passport be valid for at least six months or longer before you plan to travel. Some organizations such as Rotary Youth may facilitate exchanges at a lower price. Most exchange programs provide insurance, flights, visas, organization of schools and host families. To further cut costs, you can apply for scholarships. The US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Exchange Programs is an example of a resource that offers meritbased scholarships for American high school students to study abroad. It’s recommended to reach out to a foreign language teacher or counselor for additional information on

scholarships you can apply for. If you decide not to apply for a scholarship, most agencies and organizations charge about $10,000 for a year long exchange. This does not include spending money and any other costs, such as vacations with your host family. Costs may vary depending on how long you decide to stay in the country you are exchanging in. If you are serious about becoming an exchange student, think about the amount of time you want to spend in your desired country and your budget to choose an agency or program that fits your needs.

“If someone really wants to go abroad, one must be brave and ready for challenges,” Holcomb said.

F Secret Spots Uncovered Unveiling the hidden spaces of our school, where every corner tells a tale of knowledge and history. BY NYAH WARREN

The old performing arts center (PAC) currently serves the purpose of a storage spot for an assortment of items, a place for sports teams to meet to take role prior to their practice sessions, and for the band to use during school or when needed.

The costume loft serves as a dedicated storage area, housing all the vibrant costumes and props for the diverse range of shows put on by our theater and drama department.

The courtyard is currently closed due to a wasp problem. However, the courtyard was the front of the school before undergoing remodeling.

The overhead catwalk above the stage in the performing arts center is strategically used to manage lighting and spotlights during various shows. This includes those put on by the drama and choir departments.

The ‘slot’ is primarily utilized for wrestling practice sessions. It additionally serves as a storage space for various items, sports related objects and testing.

OPINION

Getting Fit

Obesity is now a rising national epidemic. Students need to know how to stay fit long term and PE does not adequately teach about the effects of physical inactivity.

BY ANNEMARIE WILHITE

n America, close to 42 percent of adults struggle with obesity. Throughout our years in school, we are not taught much regarding realistic physical fitness goals and how to stay healthy. This could be a prevalent component affecting the health crisis in our nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only a quarter of adults 18 and up met the physical activity guidelines in 2020. Among cancer and COVID-19, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in America. One of the main causes of heart disease is physical inactivity. Due to this being a prominent issue in our nation, I believe we should all be educated on realistic fitness goals and ways we can stay active throughout our lives to prevent serious health conditions. Physical activity can improve mental health as well as overall physical health. Some of the complications caused by inactivity include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. According to the Boston Children’s Hospital, a growing number of children and adolescents are being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. They believe this may correlate with the increasing numbers of childhood obesity. Although not all cases of obesity are preventable, I believe educating more students on the causes and preventative measures could help decrease the number of cases we are seeing. This would be more beneficial than the current Physical Education (PE) curriculum. PE focuses too much on how fit you are when taking the class. Most of the tests and assignments have something to do with what kind of shape you’re in. Instead, I think we should focus on different methods and ways to remain in shape. The only PE courses we offer here are aerobics, team and individual sports, PE one, walking PE, and physical and athletic fitness. I don’t believe any of these courses offer enough information on how we should strive to stay fit. Health class skims through a few important topics regarding lifetime fitness, but there should be more encouragement and focus to make sure students can apply healthy physical fitness to their lives. I have always dreaded taking PE. I feel like playing games and being in a competitive environment is not helpful for me. I would much rather learn about lifetime fitness and ways to stay healthy both mentally and physically, and others feel the same.

Sophomore Addilyn Hill dreads having to take PE class each year. “When I was in the class, they didn’t teach about staying fit. We would mostly just walk around the gym and play basketball and volleyball. We weren’t allowed to sit down or not participate if we didn’t want to play,” Hill said. PE should not be a class we are required to take. Instead of focusing on competitive games, we should address the importance of staying fit our whole lives and maintaining healthier lifestyles. I think a better alternative would be having health be a semester class and teaching all important health information there. We could integrate relevant information from all PE courses into one class while learning about our mental and nutritional health. We could also do physical activities in health. This doesn’t mean getting rid of PE completely, because I do think this can be an engaging class for certain people. It could instead be an option on whether or not you are interested in taking PE. It would be much more beneficial for students to have one class about their overall health to help the information stay relevant to them.

Students enrolled in weights, an elective PE class, trying to beat their personal records.

Hello Future, Goodbye Savings

Scholarships can be helpful to offset the overwhelming costs of college, but how can we stay ahead of the payments when we can’t afford to apply ourselves?

BY KAT OWSLEY

hile planning for college, people are already aware of the nerve racking chance for overwhelming debt after they complete their degree. However, students often ignore the amount they spent to get to this point. In 2023, the baseline amount to register for the ACT is $68. Money that students can use for gas, food, or bills is being used to sign up for a test that most colleges don’t use for accepting students. The ACT and SAT are being phased out of most schools for the admissions process. However, standardized tests are typically still used as a requirement for scholarships. I think this makes even less sense when taken into consideration because if you need scholarships to afford college, you might not have the $60-70 to take a test. While they do provide fee waivers, they’re difficult to get hold of and I couldn’t find any place to submit one online. Thankfully, the search for college application fee waivers is a bit easier, especially when using Common Application, a website that makes it easy to apply for various colleges at once. However, for many you need to be on free and reduced lunch or eligible for the Pell Grant or need-based grants for students looking for financial aid. I always pack my lunch since it’s cheaper to bring leftovers than buy hot lunch for about three dollars everyday, so I’ve never had to sign up for the free and reduced lunch program until I started to apply for colleges. My mom works two jobs and I also work to help support our household, so a grand total of $160 in application fees isn’t something we can afford. This led us to applying for the lunch program. Since she’s working two jobs, we don’t know if we’re eligible or if we need to cut back on other necessities to pay these outrageous fines to give myself a future in the career I have interest in. I don’t understand why colleges seem to be in a rush to put people in debt. If you have any doubts, just take a look at the statistics. According to the U.S. News and World Report, the average fee for a college application is almost 45 dollars. This means that even if you only apply to three schools with prices at the $45 average, you’re out $135 even if you don’t enroll. Frankly, making people pay for doing something as small as applying to a school or registering for a test seems like nothing more than a way for people with money to force high schoolers

and other possible future students to give them more money. The idea of paying an application or registration fee to improve and apply yourself is off-putting to say the least.

Students are ready to pay almost $70 for a test that most colleges don’t require for admission.

Teacher Jake Brown in his second year of teaching Art foundations.

A Canvas Of Discontent An insight on a student going through a high school art class with no artistic talents. BY AMIAH PIERCE

understand why some practical art is required. For example, having financial knowledge is something that will help you for the rest of your life. Also, understanding how businesses understand why some practical art is required. For example, having financial knowledge is something that will help you for the rest of your life. Also, understanding how businesses work and how to survive in the marketplace can save people a lot of time and money. However, I feel like students in high school have a sense of what they want to be when they grow up. If their career does not include an artistic touch, then they should not be put through the stress and challenging exertion that an art class comes with. Being in an art class myself while not being an artist is incredibly hard and embarrassing. It causes me to constantly compare myself to others. Why doesn’t my work look like my friends, or the person next to me, or the person across from me? I think that these teachers hold too high of expectations. They need to understand that every student has a different art level and style and should take that into account during the lessons. Teachers should be able to see if a student is

trying. Some students are better with one type of craft than another, so they should not base grades on the outcome of the art work. Artistic freedom is a problem that I’ve also seen while taking this class. When doing art, most students don’t like being told what to do and want creative liberty as people use art to express themselves when words aren’t enough. I strongly disagree with the way most art classes are taught. given the fact that it is a required course, it feels like just another class I have to survive. Once it’s done, I can forget all I learned because it does nothing for what I see myself doing in the future. I am not good at art in any way and I do believe that my lack of artistic ability does hinder my appreciation of the subject. Despite this, I do admire people who can take the time and perfect a beautiful piece of work with simply a pencil and paper. On the other hand, if art is an optional subject, it gives students room to breathe. It allows the students to choose what truly excites them. I believe that this can lead to more engagement and give art teachers people who are more willing to put in effort into the class. Again I see art as a very hard and impressive subject but I truly believe that it should not be required.

O Is Early Graduation a M

Good Choice?

any students have the goal of graduating early at semester, but is it truly worth it? Getting out of school as early as possible is something that a lot of people strive for, but you would miss out on so many opportunities and experiences. For example, your graduation ceremony is one thing to look forward to, as well as the senior clap out, and the overall feel of those events. However, a big graduation ceremony isn’t for everybody. Some people prefer small and quiet events, or they just want to get out of high school quickly without a fuss. So, what should you choose if you’re an upperclassman? I say you should go for it! It’s sad getting to miss out on your last remaining months or even your last year of high school, but early graduation is a massive academic advantage! These scenarios beg the question, do people who have taken that leap believe early graduation is worth it? McKenna Black, a junior graduate from last year, wants to share her personal experience and what she thinks of leaving high school early. “I graduated early because I knew what I wanted to do with my life after high school. I didn’t have any extra classes that I was dying to take, so I didn’t feel the need to stay,” Black said. Students who graduate early also get an early taste of

BY AARON HARDY

Is there a benefit to graduating early in your final years of high school, or is it all tearful goodbyes?

life, so they’re already in college, finding themselves, or working before their peers even know how to get started. Lydia Nevels is a junior who is planning to graduate this year. She’s excited to leave high school behind and get to college right away. “My favorite thing is the fewer classes I’ll have to take. Next year, I’ll just be working on my dance minor, so I won’t have to do a lot! I can do that and I’ll get more freedom, so that’ll be nice,” Nevels said. Something people complain about the most when they graduate is how lonely it is later on. Leaving early means leaving most of your senior and junior friends behind. It can be a little sad to see them living out their last few months of high school when you’re already gone. “College life is awesome. The only complaint is seeing all of the people I’ve grown up with posting their senior Sunday posts and hanging out at football games has been a little bittersweet, but I’m also going to games here on campus and hanging out with new people,” Black said. Nevels shares a similar sentiment to Black, “You’re kind of missing out on a whole year with your friends and doing extra stuff,” Nevels said. Even though it’s sad at times, it’s still an amazing opportunity to explore and at least consider. Black recommends and encourages other upperclassmen to graduate early.

“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made and being able to move onto the next chapter of my life has been so incredible. I’ve grown so much more than I could have ever imagined,” Black said.

Graduating early is like a fork in the road. It can be difficult choosing between two things that can both improve our life greatly.

I believe that early graduation truly is an amazing idea for someone who wants an early start in life. Whether you want a young college experience, want to work early, or just want to explore and find yourself. Either way, early graduation is something an upperclassmen should consider.

The hallway leading to the Performing Arts Center where all the students pass through to enter into the storm shelter during a tornado.

Mind the Gap

We should have emergency drills during third block to help prepare students and staff for emergencies during all classes.

BY RYAN ROBERSON

ere at school, administrators intentionally do not run drills during third block due to the constraint of lunch, but that leaves a gap in our readiness. The school prepares students for emergencies by providing them with drills so they know where to go and what to do. We can only be expected to be ready for an emergency if we know what to do in any given situation. Third block being the longest block, clocking in at two full hours, is when students should be most prepared for an emergency because that block has the largest time frame for one to occur. If schools are making an effort for student safety, why do we have a the massive gap in our training? With Tornado Alley currently moving to the east according to the US Earth and Energy System Modeling department, preparation is key for natural disasters. We don’t choose when or where they hit. Time matters in an emergency, especially if a tornado were to occur, causing us to have to move to the Performing Arts Center. The walk includes a hallway that has an exterior glass wall. Another major issue with the lack of third block drills would be the possibility of an intruder entering the building. With the lack of rooms to go into and the openness of the commons, the result would be devastating if people did not move quickly.

A key example of the true level of unpreparedness was during the 2022 school year when a fire alarm went off during the first lunch of the day. Lots of screaming and panic broke out immediately. Amidst the confusion and fear among students, it took staff nearly half a minute to start giving effective directions. In addition to the difficulty managing the crowd, the staff had to use the intercom and speaker systems in the lunchroom, this likely would be universal with any emergency that can cause damage. A possible emergency that could occur that would cause this kind of damage would be tornadoes. Since tornadoes often cause damage to power lines, the intercom may not always be available for usage, slowing down evacuation efforts in the commons, putting students in exponentially increasing danger. So with the potential impact identified, how do we exactly fix the issue? A solution would be to allocate extra time to third block and each student’s lunch. This would provide more time to run drills while students are at lunch, without cutting in to the limited time students have to eat. Drills could be ran, having one drill each lunch. This closes up the gap, making students prepared for an emergency at all times of the day.

SPORTS

Skating to Success Gliding into the world of figure skating, freshman Elsi Rector-Current has furthered her skills in only three months of practice.

BY NADIA WARREN

reaking out into the figure skating scene, freshman Elsi Rector-Current has found her passion on the icy road of both triumphs and tumbles. Once merely a side hobby, Rector-Current made the decision to hone further in on these skills of hers around three months ago. Improvement has certainly been seen along the way, though it wasn’t easy at first. “When I first started figure skating, it was really scary. I fell over a lot and there’s a lot of little kids who play hockey there and they’ll skate really fast and I got hit by them,” Rector-Current said. Rector-Current skates regularly at Jordan Valley Ice Park, a multi-purpose arena home to the Missouri State Ice Bears. Hockey teams and ice skating lessons are offered there, though Rector-Current has been strictly self-taught up until late October. Aside from the more private and personalized practices, Jordan Valley Ice Park also features open play hockey sessions and public skating for anyone interested in learning the sport, much like Rector-Current once was. What Rector-Current appreciates most about the ice park is its care and diligence towards creating a safe space for everyone, junior hockey players aside. “At the end of every hour, they even out the ice so it’s easier to skate because skates cut through the ice and after a while, it can make the ice really bumpy,” RectorCurrent said. Taking these precautions to maintain the ice is highly important to the success of any figure skater, as a cracked or uneven surface may quickly result in an accident. Rector-Current’s fondness for the ice park and accompanying sport dates as far back as childhood, as a friend of hers from elementary school inspired her to continue skating. “[It was] my friend Melanie from fifth grade. I would go ice skating with her and she would teach me and stuff,” Rector-Current said. Since then her skills have improved exponentially, mentioning one in particular she’s most pleased with. “Right now, I’m most proud of my scratch spin. It was really hard for me to get and I’m still kind of working on it, but I started learning it before I did any lessons or

anything and I was able to figure it out on my own. It was my first self-taught skill,” Rector-Current said. The aforementioned scratch spin is done in an upright position with the toe pick scratching the ice’s surface as the skater twirls around. In only three months Rector-Current was able to perform this move, showcasing her strong dedication to learning the sport. Though most importantly, Rector-Current enjoys figure skating due to the joy and fulfillment it brings her. “I like how you can kind of just glide on the ice. It’s like when you have socks and you run through the kitchen in socks. It’s just fun,” Rector-Current said. With all her passion and perseverance towards the sport, Rector-Current certainly shows a bright future of figure skating ahead of her.

Elsi Rector-Current on the rink of Jordan Valley Ice Park, sharpening her skills. Photo courtesy of Noah Current.

S NBA Playoff Predictions The 2023-2024 NBA season has tipped off, with many teams eying the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Here are a few teams that will make waves this season. BY CAYDEN HARMAN

he NBA’s postseason hosts 20 teams; the average fan sees the play-in tournament as a marketing ploy, so they push on to the core 16. Realistically, only six or seven teams will ever have relevance at a given time. You could meticulously select this handful of teams yourself. But why would you when there is basketball to be watched? Here are the top five teams you should keep an eye on come April 20, 2024. Milwaukee Bucks: With the arrival of Damian Lillard through trade, the Bucks left the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers in the dust. Lillard is a deadly weapon, ranking top 10 in pick-and-roll points per game. The Bucks have locked Giannis’ into a three year 186 million dollar deal, extending his tenure with the team until the 2027-2028 season. While Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez have the potential to be solid performers all season long, the bench does not have the same ability. Cameron Payne is not much of a game-changer and Jae Crowder only likes to play basketball occasionally. Let’s just hope Giannis

can keep his Derrick Henry impression going. The Bucks haven’t missed the playoffs in the past seven years and they plan to keep that streak alive. A number one spot is virtually guaranteed. Philadelphia 76ers: James Harden has departed Philadelphia, leaving the Sixers’ future in question. As a replacement, Kelly Oubre rose to spearhead the bench unit. Unfortunately, his recent pedestrian accident left the team with a huge hole at number two. Tyrese Maxey has been forced to take the leadership role. This isn’t to say Maxey is bad, but if I’m in the position of 29 year old Joel Embiid, I would be praying to James Naismith for the most veteran starting lineup possible. Embiid may have secured the scoring title for the past two seasons, but he’s not Hakeem Olajuwon. A veteran who can shoulder the load is Tobias Harris, who has put pride aside to serve as the franchise’s 39 million dollar glue. Although he may not play to his contract, he is an amazing third option at 18 points per game. With the departure of Harden, he’s the only choice they have. The Sixers are coming off a second-round exit for the

third consecutive season, which is a disappointing path for a franchise with top-tier talent. If they finally put the pieces together, a potential conference finals berth could be in their future. Maybe Embiid can escape the fraud title after all. Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler can’t keep this up forever. He’s scrapped and clawed his way to many conference and NBA finals appearances. Eventually, he is going to run out of steam. As for the rest of the Miami Heat organization, they haven’t improved much. The additions of Thomas Bryant and Josh Richardson differ little from those of Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo the year prior: patchwork solutions to lasting problems. Tyler Herro hasn’t made any drastic changes, which is why he should have been traded. Team president Pat Riley refused to give up the pieces, primarily Herro, to acquire the aforementioned Damian Lillard. Therefore, he placed the roster in purgatory. They have good players, but their offense is as consistent as Missouri weather. Mentally prepare yourself to see the Heat rain 25 threepointers on your favorite Eastern Conference team, then consequently laugh when the team comes crashing down against the New York Knicks. They are and will continue to be a dysfunctional franchise. Who doesn’t love a good underdog story though? New York Knicks: I will admit that the Knicks are my favorite team. Despite that slight admission of bias, this team deserves to make this list. The Knicks were able to fend off the number-one defense Cleveland Cavaliers in the league during the playoffs and hold their own against the Heat, losing two to four in the conference semifinals. Coach Tom Thibodeau’s conditioning and defensiveminded approach has paired with Knicks president Leon Rose’s hesitance to make large trades. New York is a center for trade rumors, which typically involve poor defenders. Rose doesn’t want to trade assets and Thibodeau makes lazy defenders unhappy, so it is a perfect match. Regarding the players themselves, Jalen Brunson spearheads the team as a top-ten point guard in the league. He provided the solution to both of the Knicks’ largest problems in the 2000’s era: A consistent floor general who can score the ball. In terms of Julius Randle’s abilities, he has managed to play the best basketball of his life and also struggled at the same time. He has taken a backseat when it comes to ball control, which has been helpful for his durability and off-ball movement. However, it allows reversion into the “Dubious Handles” form, a comical nickname describing Randle’s occasional habit of taking ill-advised shots,

becoming stagnant in his effort, and spinning akin to a top. The Knicks have made solid pushes toward playoff success, a far cry from the damage caused by former executive Phil Jackson. This team has a chance to go somewhere this postseason, but they need to focus. This team has defensive grit resembling the 2004 Detroit Pistons, a top three NBA defense since the NBA-ABA merger. Golden State Warriors: This is everybody’s favorite team to hate. When Stephen Curry hits a 35 foot threepointer, it feels like your joy has been sucked out of you. When he passes to Klay Thompson, who bricks a gamewinning shot, the excitement comes rushing right back. Stephen Curry is the head of the snake for the Warriors, leading them to the playoffs with his video game-like shooting abilities. Besides that, Curry also has a fantastic eye for a combo guard. His defense has been net zero status, which is great for a small guard with a great scheme anchored by Draymond Green. Steve Kerr has taken Curry, Thompson, and Green from young inexperienced athletes to four time NBA champion status. Although some may question his coaching effectiveness without these three, he has continued to achieve success throughout his career. Evidence shows he can do it again. When Green commits to trying on offense, he is the perfect Swiss army knife type of player for the team. Specifically, his defense is the anchor for the large ship that is the Warriors. If Green can keep his often flagrant attitude in check, he will provide great contributions to the team. As for Thompson, buying in to a role player spot can’t do him much. His shooting is shaky and his defense has become sub par. Unfortunately, it seems his ego has become his downfall. The addition of veteran point guard Chris Paul is a worthy gamble. He could provide Curry and Thompson with the ultimate off-ball experience. Paul could also perform just like expected, get an injury late in the season, and show his age like every other 38 year old. Speaking of age, the Warriors’ core is extremely old. Curry is 35, Thompson is 33, and Green is 33. This may be the last dance for a previously dominant core. This team’s future is rooted in Curry. Hopefully, they can capitalize on a league with no clear favorites. Let the three-pointers rain! Each organization may possess its fair share of issues, but that hasn’t stopped great teams before. When April comes around, know that these teams will make the playoffs with the same aforementioned struggles. That’s just the way basketball is.

Year Long Triumph The extraordinary journey of a dual sport athlete and how he makes time for football, baseball, and a personal life. BY KACI PERRY

rom Friday Night Lights to home runs, Senior Andrew Ellis describes how he balances being a year long athlete while also maintaining a personal life. Ellis plays offensive lineman in football and catcher in baseball. Both of these positions are demanding and risky. Football season is from late August to early November, while baseball runs from the end of February into the beginning of June. This leaves little time for breaks, both mentally and physically. All athletes start training in the summer before school starts. This is typically called summer pride, with workouts Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It prepares athletes for the season to come. “Football training starts during the summer with summer pride and then in July, we started our training camp which was from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Once football ends, it’s straight into morning weights and catcher workouts for baseball,” Ellis said. Training takes up a lot of time in Ellis’ life. Throughout half of his summer and most of the school year, he has been training to become better. Practices for football start after school and sometimes do not end until 5:45 p.m. Baseball practice often does not end until 7 p.m. Many people assume the most important part of football is practicing plays on the field. However, what people do not realize, is that it is just as important to watch the film from previous games to study what worked and what did not work. “Football practice takes place on the field but also in the film room as watching film is just as important as practicing,” Ellis said. Athletes are not given much time off during the season as they have to focus on bettering themselves and their skills the whole time instead. There are also things called dead weeks which means they do not have any practices or games. This gives athletes a small amount of time to take a break and breathe. Other than that, Ellis is used to constantly practicing. “We have our given dead week periods before the season but during the season for football, we are practicing every day. For baseball, since there are more games, we will occasionally get a day off here and there, but normally there is something that we need to fine tune and get better at,” Ellis said. It can be very hard to find time for family whether you play a sport or not. However, it is even more difficult when you play two demanding sports while also trying to make time for yourself.

“When I get home from practice, I try to spend a good amount of time with my family knowing that time during season with them is limited,” Ellis said. While also finding time for family and friends, he also has a part time job at Go Burrito. Ellis only has time to work on the weekends due to his packed schedule during the week. Many athletes have to learn how to handle getting home late even on school nights. It can be exhausting especially when they have homework that needs to be done. “Getting home late is difficult but is something you have to deal with during sports. It’s even more difficult because we might even have a game the next day,” Ellis said. Even though Ellis is used to getting home late from games, it can still be hard. We are all told to get enough sleep every night but it is not always possible, especially as an athlete. Ellis has to get enough sleep to hold him over, sometimes enough for a game the next day. All students are asked to do so much, get their homework done, go to practice, keep their grades up, get some sleep, earn money, make friends, and so on. For an athlete involved in both a fall and spring sport, it can be difficult to meet every expectation. However, Ellis and other year round athletes prove it is possible, even with a full schedule.

Varsity football player, Senior Andrew Ellis, ready to play against Rolla and win 45-6. Photo courtesy of Maverick White.

Female students playing on the powderpuff flag football team.

Women Can Play Too Are you a female student interested in joining the football team? Well guess what, you can! Female students have played on the football team for years and the coaches are very open to girls being a part of the team. BY SOPHIE WEBB

ince 1975, federal regulations have required that schools provide equal athletic opportunities for all students, regardless of their gender. Our highschool football team follows this regulation and while most female students might not try it out, it’s true that if you are a female interested in football, you are more than welcome to join the team. This is nothing new, of course. Women have been playing on the football team for years. Coach Thomas says that a lot of girls come out to play for their freshman year, but they don’t come back sophomore year because they’re not playing against people their own age anymore. They would potentially be playing against students three years older than them. “We really enjoy having girls on the team. They keep the guys on their toes, making sure they follow the rules and stay focused on the field,” Thomas said. Unlike basketball and volleyball, football doesn’t have tryouts. They assign students a position based off of the students’ skill and physique. Flag football has been brought to our school as a way for female students to play something similar to football. Although football and flag football have similar positions, coaches have stated that it’s not at all like flag football. The

reasoning behind that is because players can’t tackle other players and they don’t have to wear pads or a helmet. “Once you put the pads and the helmet on and you have to get ready to tackle someone, then it’s a completely different game than flag football,” Thomas said. We are not the only school in the district that has had female players on the team. Last year, Glendales’ kicker was a female player who happened to be Grant Wistrom’s daughter, Charlie Wistrom. Grant Wistrom played as a defensive end in the NFL on the Rams team when they were in St. Louis. Hillcrest and a few other schools in the Springfield district have also had female players on their teams. All of the female players have done an amazing job and they always try their best. “Every girl that has played on the team has done a fantastic job,” Thomas said. Football coaches are always trying their best to push their players straight towards success no matter their skill, position, or gender. The football coaches are always welcoming to any female students interested in playing on the football team. “We always try to push our football players in the direction to be successful,” Thomas said. If you are interested in joining the football team, talk to our athletic director, Scot Phillips, or talk to Coach Thomas directly. Any of the other football coaches are welcome to talk to students as well.

S Super Bowl Predictions Super Bowl LVIII is coming up and who will represent NFC and AFC? Who will be the last ones standing holding the Lombardi?

BY ABBY GALYEAN

ith the 2023-2024 season coming to an end, which NFL team will end with the Lombardi Trophy? The Super Bowl is one of the most watched games with around 60 percent of people in the United States watching. The big question is who will make it to the Super Bowl. In the AFC (American Football Conference), it’s hard to choose between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins. Both of these teams are great contenders. On one hand, the Dolphins have a strong offense this year with the duo of Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill, but will they outdo Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce? The Chiefs have proven themselves they are capable of returning to the Super Bowl by winning the Super Bowl LVII, but the Dolphins haven’t played in a Super Bowl since losing in 1985. I think it would be nice to change things up and see the Dolphins go all the way.

usually start the season strong and then choke in the playoffs. If they can outlast the other teams, I believe they can go all the way and win the Super Bowl. With all these teams having strong rosters, it’s hard to make a solid decision on who will be playing in the 2024 Super Bowl. My first pick for who will win would probably be the San Francisco 49ers. They have outstanding players like Christian McCaffery, George Kittle, and more. Because of this, I do not see them being eliminated from the playoffs. Then, from the AFC, I can see the Kansas City Chiefs blowing through the playoffs and going all the way. My only worry is that their defense will not be enough to win the Super Bowl. My final prediction for Super Bowl LVIII is that the San Francisco 49ers versus the Kansas City Chiefs. These two played in the 2020 Super Bowl and the Chiefs defeated the 49ers, but this time I have hope in the 49ers to overpower the Chiefs and win the Super Bowl LVIII.

As for the NFC (National Football Conference), there are a few teams this year that appear ready to go all the way, starting with the San Francisco 49ers. They have been fighting hard to make it to the Super Bowl. Last year they made it far, but their backup Quarterback (QB) at the time, Brock Purdy, got injured in a playoff game and this lost their chances of winning. I think that the 49ers have one of the strongest rosters in the NFL. It will be interesting to see how Purdy handles the pressure. Next, we have the Philadelphia Eagles who lost against the Chiefs in the 2023 Super Bowl. They are a strong team and have some star players, but for the last couple of years they have had a dominant team and haven’t received a Lombardi Trophy for a while. As for the Dallas Cowboys, I think this honestly depends on Dak Prescott’s health. Chiefs fans celebrating the Super Bowl win Cowboys fans have been disappointed against the San Francisco 49ers in 2020. Photo a lot in the last couple of years, but will Munt iis Tem que pellorr umquia cuptatur alllut mis. courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. this finally be their season? The Cowboys

Wrestling Preview BY EVELYN NELSON

ur school’s wrestling team has already began spending hours dedicated to practicing and perfecting their skills for this year. As the wrestling season approaches, students like sophomore Jahan Hunh reflect on why he wrestles. “I’m really passionate about wrestling, I’ve dedicated six nonstop years of my life to this sport,” Hunh said. The season begins in November and ends in the early spring. “We have wrestling practice every weekday. It’s after school until around five,” Hunh said. With practice starting up again, in order to make sure that our school’s wrestling team is ready for this season, wrestling is doing their best to improve and perfect their skills. “During practice, we usually run for around five minutes and then practice with drills and all the other wrestling moves,” sophomore Dakota Cox said. Some of our school’s wrestlers shared their favorite parts of wrestling, their goals for this season, and what they think this season will look like. “This is my fourth year doing it. It’s fun, you get to meet loads of people, and great coaches. Competitions are nice. You get to go with your friends and do fun stuff,” Cox said. “I personally enjoy wrestling because I feel like I have a chance to prove that I can do greater things. I want to also help girls get out of their comfort zone and try something they never thought of or maybe did and got scared to try,” sophomore Lyndsey Young said. Young is part of our school’s girls team. She believes that the girls team doesn’t get the recognition it deserves compared to the boys. “Honestly, guys wrestling is more popular than girls wrestling because people think it’s a manly thing to do. But really, girls can do the same things that guys can do, if not better,” Young said. This season our team is hoping to have some wrestlers make it to state. “I have done wrestling since the 7th grade. I think we are going to have a pretty decent season. We have a lot of kids that have been wrestling for a while and doing some off season stuff.

How some of our school’s wrestlers are preparing for this season, and a preview of whats to come in this year. I think it will be fun. It will just be a breakout season for some of our kids. Hopefully a couple will go to state,” Junior Beau Benton said. Benton also shared his goals for this season, “My goal this year is to go to state. Being a junior, I really need to get there. I feel like I’m at that point where I can,” Benton said. Hunh was close to placing in state last year, but lost by just a single point. “I am most definitely hyped about the state series this year. Last year, I was prospected to be a state medalist but lost 9-8 in the semis so this year I’m going after my state title. My goal this year is to go undefeated and put wrestling up with other big time sports,” Hunh said. “It’s awesome that people like you are seeing the sport and almost advocating for it,” Hunh said. A lot of wrestlers feel like their sport doesn’t get as much attention as other sports, so as students, we should make sure to support our school’s team this season.

During practice, drilling and conditioning is essential in order for our wrestlers to be the strongest they can be at their meets.

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