M the MENTOR
Dec. 4, 2012
After hours of discussion and months of consideration, the school board decided to continue to offer early release as an option for second semester seniors. The decision was made at the Nov. 28 Board of Education meeting on a five to one margin, with Pete Paukstelis voting against the motion. Discussion over senior early release began with a recommendation from superintendent Bob Shannon. According to Shannon, principal Terry McCarty and the administrators at Manhattan High School strongly recommended keeping the option of early release. Shannon also brought up the results from the community poll, which, according to Shannon, leaned heavily in favor of keeping early release open. Based on the evidence and recommendation from the administrators, Shannon developed a recommendation for the school board. “Essentially, I agree with the recommendation,” Shannon said. “It’s true that ultimately, the time that a student uses in the hours is their choice. They’ve met the requirements for graduation.” Shannon suggested that in order to improve education, the board should develop a definition for ‘career and college readiness.’ “If you look at the ACT reports and look at the new standards, everyone is moving towards developing definitions of what is ‘college ready,’” Shannon said. “Times are changing.” Shannon suggested that creating a definition would help solve the proposed problems with early release and help move our district in the right
Volume 100 issue 12
Manhattan High School, Manhattan, Kan.
BOE says ‘yes’ to the continuation of senior early release Naomi McClendon Entertainment Editor
News
direction. “I’m not saying we make a definition and it must be the deciding factor for students to take early release, but it could certainly be a prompt for early release decisions.” Shannon said. “It would be more than just a slogan.” Shannon’s final recommendation to the board was “to continue early release as it is, but move towards developing a definition for ‘college ready.’” School board member Pete Paukstelis began the discussion, questioning why policy developed by the school board in the 1990s was being ignored. According to Paukstelis, the school board had previously disagreed with early release. No current school board members could recall a previous decision to eliminate early release. “I’m just shocked and disappointed that we’re ignoring a decision that we may not have known about,” Paukstelis said. Principal Terry McCarty responded to Paukstelis’s question. “I recall when there was a policy to eliminate early release, but I could never find a re-policy discussion on whether we moved to officially have a seven-hour day,” McCarty said. School board president Dave Colburn suggested that the school board hadn’t discussed the issue for years. “I’ve been following the board very carefully since 2001, and there has been no mention of early release since,” Colburn said. Board member Beth Tatarko changed the subject and spoke from personal experience. “My children all took advantage of early release,” Tatarko said. “They took classes at K-State, got jobs and volunteered in the community. It’s only rare cases in which kids aren’t using it wisely.”
Tatarko suggested that the structure of early release was “consecutive and made sense,” and then made a motion to vote on the recommendation to keep senior early release. The motion was seconded by board member Leah Fliter, but the school board continued to discuss the issue. Colburn spoke on behalf of board member Walt Pesaresi, who was not present at the meeting. “Walt’s not here, but I feel some obligation to voice his concern,” Colburn said. “Walt was concerned that taxpayers weren’t getting what they paid for.” Vice president Curt Herrman responded by saying that early release was not being misused. “It’s a good program, and I don’t think kids are misusing it,” Herrman said. “We don’t track early release, though, and I think we should.” School board member Darell Edie agreed that early release was a good option. “The school’s an education facility, not a prison,” Edie said. “I do like the idea of defining ‘college and career ready.’” In a final attempt to convince the board against the decision, Paukstelis brought up the point that the district doesn’t reduce the number of teachers or classes available despite the lessened number of students. “I’m disappointed that we have teachers and classes available and there are students, frankly, who need them, and we’re not making them take the classes,” Paukstelis said. Paukstelis was concerned that Manhattan High sets the bar too low for students.
See BOE on page 5
IPS shops for Adopt-a-Family
Senior Andrew Schultz picks out gifts for his Adopt A Family at K-Mart Wednesday, Nov. 28. The family included a 5-year-old girl, a 3-year-old girl and an 11-month-old boy. Schultz and his group had $400 to spend on gifts. For more in-depth coverage on Adopt A Family, view page 5. Kayla Dieker, photographer
High school rivalry goes national Julianne Harkness Staff Writer Rivalry. This is what every athlete and sports fan looks forward to every year. There is never a disappointing moment in any rivalry game, with few being the most emotional games. These few rivalries are what “USA Today” director of high school content, Derek Samson, loves about high school sports. Samson started a new tradition on the publication’s website. A contest on the nations best high school rivalry. Samson has seen and read about some interesting high school rivalries, which is how the idea came to him. “I have worked in several places and seen some really good high school rivalries,” Samson said. “I always thought it would be cool to do a package that features the best of these rivalries, with all their traditions and his-
tory. When I was brought on at ‘USA Today,’ I thought that would be the perfect place for it, being that we could make it a national project.” On the “USA Today” website there is a place to vote for which rivalry is best in the eyes of the viewers. Voting for the state round ends at 10 a.m. on Dec. 3. After the viewers voted for their favorite rivalry, one from each state will move on to a regional round. “The winners in each state advance on to a regional round, which is four regions,” Samson said. “Kansas is in the Midwest region. There will be a week of voting on the Midwest Region, and the winner of that is one of four advancing to the national round. The national round ends at 10 a.m. Dec. 19.” Every state has three best rivalries. MHS vs. JC was one of the top three. “The Silver Trophy had a lot to do with
it, and just the history to it,” Samson said. “We asked several people within the state of Kansas that have a history with high school football for their best rivalries, and Manhattan-Junction City came up repeatedly.” “No doubt it is a great rivalry,” football coach Joe Schartz said. “It is a bitter yet friendlyfun rivalry that brings out the best in both teams.” A lot of people inside and out of the city know a great deal about the rivalry between these two teams, and the competition benefits and is a good thing for both of the teams.” Not only will “USA Today” award the winners with $10,000, but they will also send a reporter to cover next fall’s rivalry game. The winner of that game will be presented with a trophy from “USA Today.” See Rivalry on page 5
Debate works hard to qualify for four-speaker State Naomi McClendon Entertainment Editor
Sophomores Angel Zelansky and Lisa Zhu research current events for the upcoming debate tournaments. Naomi McClendon, photographer
Clu b Notes Scholars Bowl
Members of the Manhattan High School Scholars Bowl team could appear on television soon. Along with competing, the team has been preparing to do something familiar to them. On Dec.1, the team traveled to Washburn University to take the qualified test for the QUEST TV show. The team has been on the TV show for the past four years. Around 60 schools took the test and only the top 16 schools were chosen to be on the TV show. Once chosen, the teams are bracketed and go head-to-head. Filming for the show starts in
January and the episodes will begin airing towards the end of March on KTWU. The J.V. Scholars Bowl team competed at Cair Paravel Latin School on Nov.19. The team went 2-5 and did not advance further. The J.V. team will be have two meets this week. Wednesday they compete at Shawnee Heights and Thursday at Salina Central. The JV Scholars Bowl team competed at Cair Paravel Latin School on Nov.19, the team went 2-5 and did not advance further. Along with competing, the team has been preparing to do something familiar to them,
As their regular season comes to a close, debate students have dedicated themselves to preparing for the biggest tournaments of the year. Last weekend, Manhattan High sent four of their best teams to the final invitational tournament of the season. The next four weekends hold the biggest tournaments of the debate year. This weekend, MHS’s four best teams will compete at the NFL tournament, where teams can qualify for Nationals. Next weekend, junior Robert Kobza and sophomores Angel Zelansky, Jina Ok and Lisa Zhu will participate in four-speaker Regionals, where they could qualify for four-speaker State. The following weekend MHS’s top team, which consists of seniors Jake Seaton and Jordan DeLoach, will compete at the Debate Coaches Invitational, which according to coach Shawn Rafferty, is essentially the “all-star game” of debate. “If you’ve done well enough in the season and you’ve earned enough points, you get to go,” Rafferty said. “We might have a few teams qualify, but we’re just taking one.”
on Dec.1 the team traveled to Washburn University to take the qualified test for the QUEST TV show. The team has been on the TV show for the past four years. Around 60 schools took the test, only the top 16 schools were chosen to be on the TV show, once chosen the teams are bracketed and go head to head. Filming for the show starts in January and the episodes will begin airing towards the end of March on KTWU. The JV team will be have two meets this week, Wednesday they compete at Shawnee Heights and Thursday at Salina Central. - Julith Perry
American Field Service Two students, one from
The season ends at the State tournament, where MHS’s four best teams will compete. To prepare for the upcoming tournaments, debaters have been researching and preparing during school and after school. Manhattan High’s top team, which includes Seaton and DeLoach, is currently ranked first in Kansas and has a winning record of 33-8. DeLoach and Seaton attribute their success so far not only to their research and preparation, but also to their years of experience and tutors. “We’ve had a lot of experience, as we’ve both been debating for four years,” DeLoach said. “We also learned a lot last year from that year’s top teams.” In addition to working to get ready for the upcoming tournaments, the team also has been preparing all year for the post-season tournaments. “We’ve gathered scouting reports throughout the season to see what we need to prepare for,” DeLoach said. “The reports let us create specific strategies against teams from different schools in the league.” According to DeLoach, the next four tournaments will be the most important and most fun of the sea-
Germany and the other from Norway, shared facts about personal lives back home as part of the American Field Service Foreign Exchange Presentations on Nov. 27. Senior Jakob Borgen discussed how the education system in Norway differed from that of America’s, in that high school is optional there, “but preferred if you want to go to college,” Borgen said. “ The different school system was something I wanted to experience as a foreign exchange,” he said. But he realized the U.S. education system was not the only thing that separated his European culture from here. “There are a lot of people who drive here. Back home we use public transportation to get places. Everyone also eats out
son. “We’re definitely excited for the chance to compete, but of course these next few tournaments are nerve-wracking,” DeLoach said. “At NFL, for example, you only get two losses before you’re eliminated, and that’s it.” Despite the difficult work and time commitment, DeLoach is not looking forward to the season’s end. “It sucks that it’s over, but I’m excited for DCI and State. We’re going to have good judges there,” DeLoach said. “I’m not too sad about the season’s end though — debate has taught me not to have any feelings,” he joked. According to Zelansky and Kobza, debate consists of a lot more than what most people think. “When people think of debate, they think of arguing back and forth,” Zelansky said. “But it’s a lot more work than that; there’s a lot more to it than just arguing.” Kobza compared the level of strategy in debate to a game of chess or a basketball play. “The biggest misconception is that debate is just debating,” Kobza explained.
more and gets more fast food in the U.S,” he said. As for his experience collaborating with Germany’s Louisa Friedrich on the presentation, it was like a creative work session. “It was good working with Louisa. We had a lot in common and we came up with some crazy ideas,” Borgen said. “It makes it easy to be an exchange student because we share the same experience of having a new family. We all experience what’s different here and what’s good here.” When deciding what they would put in the presentation, they pulled their information from past presentations as a foundation of what they would include in the AFS presentation. When they first met their
See Debate on page 5 host families, Borgen and Friedrich gave a similar presentation about themselves as well as their home town and country for them. “It wasn’t too bad,” Friedrich, a junior, said. “We do a lot of presentations in Germany for school.” “We just added some more things to it that we thought would be fun and interesting,” Friedrich said of the presentation on Tuesday. “We wanted to let them know more about ourselves and our country. Things that could be more relatable like politics and school stuff. I think it’s easier to know somebody if you know their background and family life. That’s what we tried to show them.” - Sarah Shi
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Dec. 4, 2012
the MENTOR
Americans assume everything Dheepthi Perumal
multimedia editor
In the society we live in today the number one instinct is assuming things about people. One thing most people just assume about me is that I am an American because I live in the United States of America. But sorry guys, I am not an American -- I was born in a small clinic in Madurai, India. Just to clarify for those who do not know about immigration, if you are born in another country you are a citizen of that country. When I was five
months old my father got a job at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. In 2001 my family and I moved to Ottawa, Canada and we lived there for four years which qualified our family to become Canadian citizens. So right now I bet you guys are pretty confused but that is my life so deal with it. In 2005 when we moved back to College Station, Texas, we started to apply for the Green Card, which is permanent residence. The process took over a year, consisting of monthly trips to the immigration office, paperwork and money. After living in the US for 10 years, this November my family qualified to apply to become American citizens. Those born and raised as Americans may not realize the importance of becoming a citizen in a certain coun-
try. However, for me it is an emotional experience. Going to Hindu Youth Groups, I was always required to state I am proud to be an Indian, but now I feel as if my pride is being taken away. Of course, my appearance still looks as if I am not a Caucasian but a piece of paper does state that I am no longer an Indian. The simple things fluster me -- changing my passport from an Indian one to an American one. Last summer when I visited India, I sat down and just thought to myself, this isn’t my country any more. I stared at everyone walking the streets and I realized that this will be the last time I probably will ever set foot in India as a true Indian. My grandmother had always told me I was a lucky child. I had the freedom to move to the United States of
America, home of freedom. I never understood why that was lucky until now. Watching Indian shows with my mom everyday I see many stories about students committing suicide from the stress the society has put on India. With academic and social demands put on the students to be better than one another, it turns into the survival of the smartest. But living in America I have escaped from it. In a couple of months I will soon be holding a piece of paper stating that I have changed to an American citizen. And to tell you the truth I have no idea what emotion I am going to feel -- happiness of becoming an American or sadness from losing my native country. But I do know I will always be proud to be an Indian and now I will be proud to be an American.
Refrain from judging John Rockey
staff writer
Judgement is among the first reactions a person will experience when they meet someone new. The first thing that they think about the new person may come across as soon as the person is right up close to them or the moment the person opens their mouth. Talking so fast and high pitched may come across to one as energetic or talkative. Slow speaking or an indirect gaze could indicate nervousness or even a disinterest in meeting new people. The worst part is how society this day in age handles how a person appears and then they back it up with whatever else the person has to say without getting to know the person. As the person goes on to speak about politics, modern issues, their source of faith, their sexual preference or just
their simple interests, already the new person they have just met has done near created a list of words they use to label that person and use to describe the person to their group of friends that will take said words and blow them out of proportion. Such words from what the person as said can be as general as queer or obnoxious or just a tad bit above the premise of ornery. Then there are words like bigoted, heavily biased, fanatical or just outright an ignorant waste of space for humanity. This is just from a conversation. People will get judged from how they talk, their style of dress, the way they walk, their physical traits, a medical condition or something as indirect as the type of people they spend time with. All these can open a possibly larger window of insults, slurs, and questions of character, all before the one that judges can even say, “Hello.” Faggot, confused, social abomination, terrorist, slob, inbred, trash and on and on. Then while the rumors are being spread, that person goes through dejection, fear for their life, hopelessness, left questioning their faith. Their
life is torn apart by the drastic decisions they make afterwards that can turn from hostility to drug use to a suicide out of sheer terror. All simply because society has taken generalizations or a few words from their mouth and painted a tapestry built on what they saw from a person they may or may not know very well. But then those rumors and judgements are all but false in terms of the true identity of that person. The guy who gets beaten and called inbred because of his accent had previously moved from the town he had grew up in his entire life. Everyone he ever knew spoke that accent there and now, since he is the only person around who speaks in that dialect, he is branded by whatever ignorant associations society has made for people that sound like him. A couple that makes their way through a department store is subject to whispers and glares because they dress in robes that most people associate with fanatical Muslim terrorists. That couple could very well have moved to this town to escape such prejudice and association simply at the
hands of a few people that distinguish themselves by a practice that has been followed by millions for centuries. They try to get jobs where they can, but no one will hire them either because the employer is misinformed, or because he or she will be at the mercy of the people who do business with them. As sad or as questionable as this may sound, very few people have not judged a person without getting to know them first. Think back to people that you may have made assumptions about, saying they’re retarded, poor, snobbish, sexually confused, or just thinking that they are a waste of your time and everyone else’s time. I myself am no person that should say otherwise. I have judged people’s intelligence based off of how they behave in public places. But does that make me a hypocritical white knight that foreshames those around him? No. It makes for at least one person that can say that they have mistakenly judged people before having gotten to know them as a friend, coworker, or as a fellow student.
Perfection a societal failure Maddie Ross
trending co-editor
As the end of semester is approaching I have finally caught my breath for long enough to reflect upon my time at the West Campus. This year I have grown to grasp the concept that my evenings can no longer consist of hours on the couch dwelling in the self-inflicted drama of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and fawning over recipes I will never be motivated
enough to make on Pinterest. Rather, they have been replaced with studying, trying to comprehend Algebra II and attempting to read my AP Euro textbook (which usually ends up with me trying to remember what I ate for lunch). I have adapted to navigating my way across the school, while impressively avoiding the countless PDA sessions and moments of awkward eye contact. I have conquered all the stereotypical fears of high schoolers which have fallen on all of us sophomores. But there is one still left on my list: failure. Failure is such a subjective idea whose interpretations are going to be different for everyone. This year’s stress of sports, school and extracurricular activities has brought
up the question, what does failure really mean? The definition of failure has been contorted and twisted by our perfection driven society. Failure, which used to be the inability to perform a duty or expected action, has been skewed to an unrealistic quest for perfection. I admit I am one of those hungry for this perfection and I am petrified of the idea of not achieving it. Yes, I am that annoying girl who sits next to you in your English class who will receive a 97% on an essay, take one look at it than sit and ponder on why I did so “bad.” I am constantly mistaking what would and should be considered accomplishments, and morphing them into nothing else but failure. Failure is inevitable in some
cases; it must be attained to create any sort of success. As much as this scares me, this year I have come to the realization that it will happen. But what will happen in response to it? No matter how much I think it’s true, getting a C on a test will not be the driving force to the end of the world, and having a bad race, game, match, whatever, will not ruin relationships with family and friends. So as we head into the coming weeks of studying and eventually finals, I challenge you, MHS, and especially myself to forget others’ expectations, ditch the ideas of perfection and erase the fear of failure.
The Mentor welcomes letters to the editor from students, faculty members or staff members from Manhattan High School. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words in length and must include your signature. Letters may be edited for length, grammar and AP Style and must meet standards of appropriateness generally accepted by the MHS audience. To submit your letter please email it to mhsmentoropinions@gmail.com or deliver a hard copy to C 107 or Kristy Nyp’s mailbox in the main office at MHS West.
Opinions
Question of the Week
You are given the chance to ask your parents any one question you wish. Your parents are given a truth serum and you have the option of clearing their memory after they give their response. What do you ask? “If you could erase one of your children, who and why?” - Carly Tracz, senior “What was your first date with each other like?” - Katie Proctor, senior “Credit card numbers and passwords.” - Shira Robersibon, senior “If they ever experimented with their sexuality.” - Maddie Colley, junior “Is there anything I don’t know about myself?” - Jesse Steinbring, sophomore “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” - Sarah Stewart, freshman “Am I pretty?” - Krista Burton, freshman
“What’s your definition of the perfect child?” - Justin Gittle, sophomore “Are you lying every time you tell me you love me or i’m pretty?” - Jessie Kujawa, junior “Where do cows come from?” -Kendra Chandler, junior “What’s my inheritence?” - Alex Richt, junior
“Why did you spell my name with an ‘A’ not an ‘I’?” - Dustan Whipple, senior “Were you pregnant before you got married?” - Kathy Davoudi, sophomore “I respect my parents.” - Emma Devane, freshman
Want to contribute a guest column to the Mentor? Contact Editor-in-chief Ben Shields at mhsmentoropinions@gmail.com. Columns MUST be 300-600 words and entries may be edited as the editorial staff sees fit.
the Mentor staff editor in chief/opinions -Ben Shields news editor -Sarah Shi entertainment editor -Naomi McClendon sports editor -Nick Bandy features editor -Liz Logback trending co-editors Connor Bliss Maddie Ross photo editor -Kaitlin Wichmann copy editor -Kayla Dieker multimedia editor - Dheepthi Perumal business manager - Jerry Sextro adviser -Kristy Nyp
writers/photographers - Alan Brown Tre Fuentes Julianne Harkness Tristan Knott Jordan Morris Julith Perry Nastajja Rivera John Rockey Seth Runyan Derrek Williams contributing writer - Eli Redeker editorial assistants - Danielle Cook Savannah Elcock Abby Githens Hannah Barnette Matty Mahan Kylie McCarthy Chris Klug Allison Olsen circulation - Kristyn Baker Leonard Castilow David Clinkinbeard Patrick Falcone Caorey Garrison Sam LeFleur Kasey Morris Mallory Morris Kendall Oatney Emma Rowley Austin Tatum Seth Wagner
The Mentor is published each Tuesday that school is in session at Manhattan High School, 2100 Poyntz Ave. Manhattan, Kan. Telephone (785) 587-2114. More than 1,500 Mentors are printed each week and distributed free of charge to all faculty members and students. MHS journalists are members of the Scholastic Press Association. The Mentor is an open forum that accepts contributions from the public. E-mail us at mhsmentor@gmail.com.
Entertainment
the MENTOR
Dec. 4, 2012
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mayor’s Holiday parade Freshman Jennifer Meierer, sophomore Julia Evans, and seniors Samantha Hillstock and Naomi McClendon merrily twirl flags to the tune “Jingle Bells.” Nastajja Rivera, photographer
Sophomore Justin Gittle plays festive tunes on a festively decorated instrument. Nastajja Rivera, photographer
Manhattan High performing arts students share holiday spirit Nastajja Rivera Staff writer “Five, four, three, two, one.” The voice of the Mayor could be heard by the loud crowd. When the countdown finished, the Christmas tree immediately lit up in a warm blue glow.
Each year Manhattan celebrates a Mayor Christmas Tree lighting and parade at the beginning of December. This year’s parade took place last Friday. The parade featured Santa Claus and a food drive for the Flint Hills Breadbasket. The Blue M Marching band, Color Guard and the
Dance Team participated in this year’s parade, which started at 6 p.m. at the mall and ended in Aggieville. Senior Holly Morris is on the dance team and took part in the parade. “I like how big the crowd was. It was a lot of fun being able to enjoy what you like to
do in front of big audience,” Morris said. The Dance team danced to a few Christmas songs performed by the marching band. After the parade, many people went to Triangle Park to watch the Chamber Choir perform. Approximately 60 choir students showed up for
the concert. The 60 students that showed up did Christmas carols. Some of the songs that were sung were “Up on the Rooftop” and “Deck the Halls.” The 6:45 p.m. start of the singing caused a lot of confusion. “I showed up after the parade to watch the choir sing,
but apparently they had already sung. Instead, I watched the lighting of the Christmas tree, which I had never seen before,” senior Kaitlin Wichmann said. Even though there was confusion people from the parade walked over to Triangle park to watch the choir students perform.
Varsity Donuts offers taste of Christmas Passionate musician drums up a plan Kaitlin Wichmann
photo editor
Nothing tops off a long day of school and winter parades better than the sweet, gooey taste of donuts. And donuts were plentiful at the Varsity Truck Holiday Party on Friday night. I had begun the night at 6 p.m. when I had met a few friends in Aggieville to watch the winter parade. Thanks to luck, the weather wasn’t too chilly and the parade hadn’t been too long, so I had made it through the parade without falling asleep or freezing to death. After the parade I chased the band around as it went from bar to bar playing K-State songs to get the students pumped up for the game the next day. Along the way I saw a sign about a ‘Varsity Donut Holiday party’ later that night that promised everything from food to movies. Before long, after chasing the band and a
Jimmy John’s stop, I realized that it was 11 p.m., and I decided to stop by the so-called Varsity Donut Truck. I had heard many stories about this truck but had never actually seen it. So, accompanied by my Austrian sister, we set off through a small alley way towards the back of the truck. The first thing I noticed were the people. I thought maybe a few people would be there. I mean, all the frats and sororities were having date parties, and with finals I thought everyone would be home studying. Initially I thought everyone was in line, and I wasn’t about to wait in line for an hour, but it turns out everyone was just standing around and mingling. Imagine that! Actual people having real conversations, and better yet, college students! The crowd didn’t just consist of college students, there were also older people and a few younger people, but the start time of 11 p.m. might have turned a few people away. I stood in line at the truck for a maximum of five minutes to order a hot, fresh cinnamon donut. Along with donuts were mac and cheese, corn dogs, bacon and a few other fair-priced foods. The night brought with it a few chills, and a worker walked around with a tray and
T hespians take on self-directed plays Ben Shields Editor-in-Chief Manhattan High School Thespians debut this year’s One Act Play Festival tomorrow night in the Black Box Theatre at 7 p.m. There will also be an encore performance Thursday. The annual One Act Festival features student-acted, -directed and sometimes -written plays ranging from five to 30 minutes in length. Student writers and directors are in charge of casting and scheduling rehearsals. No outside help is given from drama department head Linda Uthoff, normally the director of student plays and musicals. “It’s nice for kids to get that chance to work in a very intimate setting,” Uthoff said. “They can really hear and see the audience and still stay focused and learn how that style differs from the big stage. They have to be good at juggling lots of things at once, be real diplomats, visionaries and think positive. Being smart doesn’t hurt either.” The One Act Festival has been a Thespian Club fundraiser since before Uthoff began teaching at MHS 15 years ago. In addition to original student work, plays by wellknown writers are also performed. This year’s lineup includes material by Shel Silverstein, famous for his children’s poems. Thespian Club president, senior Ilana Budenosky, is di-
recting Silverstein’s comedic “One Tennis Shoe.” “It’s just a bantering comedy,” she said. “A married man and woman are in a restaurant. He is trying to confront her about the growing problem of her becoming a bag lady. She carries around plastic bags that she puts trash in. It’s sort of like hoarding that a homeless person would do, except she’s not homeless.” Senior Kayla McClintock is directing “HIV Positive,” a one act about a young man diagnosed with AIDS, with fellow senior Da’Merius Ford. “It’s really funny because I come from a technical aspect, and [Ford] is an actor,” she said. “When we talk, there are different things that we’re looking at. I’m looking at technical and acting, whereas he’s just looking at acting. Sometimes he won’t say anything and he’ll just sit there and watch and observe.” “One of my favorite [scenes] is when a reverend comes in and he’s kind of senile and old,” McClintock continued. “Jakob [Borgen] and him have a scene where they’re talking, and the reverend is like, ‘We’re both in the same boat, were all dying.’ The reverend is very snappy and witty. I just love that scene.” Cost of the event is $5 for adults and $4 for students with a $1 discount for canned food donations to the Flint Hills Breadbasket.
handed out free hot chocolate. A large white screen was set up and the movie “Elf” was shown as people enjoyed their food. I was able to witness a free T-shirt giveaway, in which T-shirts were given out to people with the best human supernatural feature (a woman licked her elbow, a man blew out smoke), and for the best dirty joke (a woman screamed out “KU football,” but the prize went to a man whose joke cannot be repeated). All this happened within the 30 minutes I was there. I had to make a quick getaway at 11:30 to walk home and meet my midnight curfew. Later on there was a corn-dog eating contest, a “snowball” fight, and at midnight a treelighting ceremony. My only regret is not being able to watch college boys stuff themselves the week after Thanksgiving with dozens of corn dogs. The Christmas Party was a splendid surprise and a great, safe alternative for a fun and cheap Friday night.
Sarah Shi News Editor Inspired by his love for percussion, senior Kareem Tippin initiated a new idea that involved the marching band drumline performing at basketball halftimes. “It was actually a collective idea. Kirstyn Norris and my older brother and I were all talking about doing something like this,” Tippin said. “I really enjoy drumming and I’ve always lead by example and experience.” Tippin previously suggested the idea to marching band director, Joel Gittle, but was turned down. “I think that [Gittle] didn’t say yes because he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to spend enough time with us to get us prepared,” Tippin said. “I told him that if he didn’t have the time we could make this drum line a student-
lead thing.” Tippin, who has about 10 drummers behind him on the idea, has been practicing drums after school with cadences written by students and MHS alumni who are drummers. “I thought it would be a really fun experience and being part of this drumline will help extend my time here,” freshman Sean Mirts said. “It would be pretty cool to experience what it’s like in the spotlight.” “Drumming is really enjoyable and it’s fun to do something that’s outside school related to drumming,” freshman Colt Joyce said. Tippin gathered the interested drummers last night and
got a head count of who was truly interested in joining the drumline. “I’m going to go ask Mr. Gittle again and see if he says yes,” Tippin said. However, if the idea isn’t approved by Gittle, Tippin has a different plan. “If it doesn’t work out then I’m still going to get the drummers together and practice to help me with Mr. MHS,” he said. “My friends last year wanted me to do Mr. MHS and I realized my only talent was drumming. This idea was just meant to extend fall marching band into winter. If it doesn’t get passed at least the younger drummers have practiced their skills.”
The very best of Manhattan
What is the very best Manhattan has to offer, according to Manhattan High students? Vote for your favorites in each category by writing in the name of a business or place located in Manhattan, and submit your responses in the main office by Friday, Dec. 7, or send in an email to mhsmentorbusiness@gmail.com. Restaurants: place to go for open lunch _ ________________________ place to take a date to dinner _______________________ ice cream ______________________________________ breakfast _______________________________________ hamburgers_____________________________________ buffet __________________________________________ Italian/pizza _____________________________________ Mexican _ ______________________________________ sandwich _______________________________________ bakery/donut shop _______________________________ barbeque_______________________________________ coffee _________________________________________ buffet__________________________________________ fast food________________________________________ Stores/retail: gym/workout ____________________________________ grocery ________________________________________ gas station _ ____________________________________ drugstore/pharmacy ______________________________ department store _ _______________________________ bookstore ______________________________________ haircut boys _ ___________________________________ haircut girls _____________________________________ clothes boys ____________________________________ clothes girls _____________________________________ shoes boys _____________________________________ shoes girls _ ____________________________________ sports and supplies _______________________________ music stores ____________________________________ accessories _____________________________________ art gallery_______________________________________
car dealerships __________________________________ cinema/theatre __________________________________ museum/history _ ________________________________ church/place of worship____________________________ dance studio ____________________________________ formalwear/tuxedo/Prom dress______________________ health clinics ____________________________________ orthodontic/dental clinics _ _________________________ recently opened business in Manhattan _______________ regional college _ ________________________________ USD 383: elementary school _ ______________________________ middle school ___________________________________ The Mentor writer ________________________________ section of paper/ feature ___________________________ Culture: local band ______________________________________ park ___________________________________________ track/field _ _____________________________________ area for fishing/hunting ____________________________ hill for sledding __________________________________ place to hike/jog _________________________________ place on K-State campus_ _________________________ place to eat lunch at MHS _ ________________________ place to study ___________________________________ place to “chill”/hang with friends _____________________ brand of candy, pop, etc. _ _________________________
Everyone who submits their survey by Dec. 7 will be entered into a prize drawing. Name:_______________________________________
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the MENTOR
Dec. 4, 2012
Sports
Lady Indians rout Derby Intramurals Tre Fuentes staff writer Head coach Scott Mall said before the beginning of the season that every game is important, and getting off to a hot start to begin the season is crucial. If this is the case, mission accomplished. The Lady Indians played their first game of the season Friday night in Derby, and with high expectations followed through in an impressive 60-36 rout of the Derby Raiders.
The remarkable play of the Lady Indians began with senior Elayna Spilker, who led the team in scoring with 20 points, more than half of the entire Derby team. That total also accounted for a third of her own team’s points, and her impressive play opened up opportunities for the other players on the team to make plays. “I am really happy with the way the entire team played,” Spilker said. “I think a lot of the younger players really stepped up and when the whole team works together,
that makes things easier for everybody.” Manhattan came in as the number 10 team in 6A due to coach Mall’s first trip to the State tournament and a Centennial League title last year. Based on their performance on Friday, a case could be made that they should be higher on the list. They played solid on the defensive side of the ball and were outstanding in the scoring department. “We played a pretty good first game,” Mall said. “There were some rough spots here and there, but that is to be ex-
pected in the first game of the season.” It may seem like tough criticism after such a great performance, but if the Lady Indians are going to be considered one of the best teams in their division, constructive criticism is probably a good thing. Spilker put it best when she said “I always want to have the mentality that every game we play is going to be the last one.” With that mentality, the Indians could be primed for a successful season.
Boys’ late rally not enough Nick Bandy sports editor Despite outscoring Derby 29-18 in the fourth quarter, the Manhattan High Boys Basketball team fell to Derby 78-67 after being outscored in the first three quarters. “We decided to never give up, that’s one of our goals for the year,” junior Winston Dimel said. Dimel was the team’s second highest scorer with 13 behind senior Jacob Holloway. Holloway scored 21, making six three-pointers total and four key ones in the fourth
quarter. “He did what we needed him to. We got him shots and he knocked them down,” head coach Tim Brooks said. Manhattan faced a 37-23 halftime deficit, mainly due the full-court press Derby used on an MHS team that was tired after Thanksgiving break workouts. The press caused several costly turnovers for MHS in the first half, but they managed to turn things around after halftime. “We needed to slow it down a bit, we got sped up,” Dimel said. Offensively, the team
scored well, but defense was an issue. MHS had a difficult time covering Derby’s biggest player, who scored 17, mainly due to the Indians’ lack of height. Brooks also noticed the lack of help defense and stopping guard penetration. “We didn’t score bad, we just had a hard time covering them,” Brooks said. All in all, it wasn’t a bad showing against a Derby team ranked seventh in the state. “We can’t quit, that’s not us. We battled and fought back,” Brooks said. The Indians got back to practice yesterday, and they
studied the film of the game. “It’s a learning process, and it’s hard to fully prepare in two and a half weeks,” Brooks said. The J.V. team was defeated 65-63 due to a last second Derby shot. Both J.V. and Varsity are now preparing for a busy week with a multitude of games in front of their home crowd. Varsity will play at MHS today against Word of Life for their first home game, and then both J.V. and Varsity will play Derby and Great Bend at home on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Freshmen boys off to fast start
Week 1 11/27 Team Pain 47 ................................................................My Dixie 17 Los Grande Basketbolistas 25 –........................................ JED 21 Elite 7 ....................................... The Wild Men YeeYee 0 (forfeit) Stiff Competition 49 . ........................................ eLemonators 47 The Monstars 56 .................................. The Flying Flamingos 41 Coconut Bangers Ball 48 ................................. Hydro Circus 10 Bandy of Brothers 59 ....................................Flyin Hawaiians 50 Dino Might! 43 . ........................................Baked to Perfection 32 Jesse Crawford & the Boys 45 ......................Rainbow Nation 19 Badgers 27 . ........................................Dirty Troy & the B Boys 20
11/28 Honey 49 . .....................................Hunter & the British Gents 18 Brickz 36 ....................................................................... The VP’s 11 The Jack Jacks 34 ..........................................Balling for Soup 25 The Lolipops 39 . ............................................Swagon Dragons 20 Hot Pockets 31 ..................................The Manhattan Ballers 23 Flying Squirrels 36 ...................................... The Whistle Pigs 30 North Star 48 ................................................Dumbledie’s Army 6 Quidditch Rejects 7 ..................... Divalicious Devils 0 (forfeit) The Runner Ups 32 . ...............................Yao Know What I Ming 25 The Pink Ladies 20 ................................................. Vatos Locos 18
11/29 Par’s Team 31 .................................................Team Meatballs 18 Hoopers 36.........................................................Dirty Cheetahs 11 Free Ballers 41 . ..........................................................Beaches 13 The Manhattan Ballers 38 . .......................... The Whistle Pigs 6 Hot Pockets 52 .............................................. Flying Squirrels 22 Balling for Soup 45 ......................................Swagon Dragons 37 The Lolipops 33 . ................................................The Jack Jacks 29 Dirty Troy & the B Boys 29 . .......Hunter & the British Gents 12 Brickz 32 .........................................................................Badgers 9 Honey 38 . ........................................................................ The VP’s 7
Left: The freshmen cheerleaders perform their routine at the freshmen boys basketball quad tournament at the MHS West Campus last Saturday. Above: A Junction player drives into the lane for a shot against the Indians. The day before the Indians defeated Derby 52-45. Below: Freshmen Zach Francis defends against a Junction City player at the quad tournament. The freshmen boys’ next game will be at Emporia this Friday. Matt Bandy and Jacob Bussman, photographers
Athlete of the Week Tre Fuentes Staff Writer
Cameron Beauregard All athletes want to start off the season on a high note. This junior swimmer has achieved that and more, building a reputation in and out of the pool as an aboveaverage swimmer. He finished with a time of 2:13.08 in the 200 Individual Medley, good enough for third place among some 24 swimmers from eight to 10 different schools.
Q:
When did you start swimming?
think there are nerves in every meet, but by keeping focus it is possible to overcome that nervousness.
Q:
What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
A:
I would like to qualify individually for the swim events, as well as help the team make State and do well in League meets.
Q: Do you have any goals of swimming competitively after High School?
A:
I thought about swimming in college, but right now I just want to focus on this year and do the best I can every day.
A: I started my freshman Q: year. I originally wanted to try out for the basketball team, but an injury kept me from being on the team. A friend of mine, Jacob Biller, convinced me to try the swim team. I liked it, and I have been swimming ever since.
Q:
Were you nervous before your first meet, and how did you overcome that nervousness?
A:
I was nervous, but it was useful nervousness. I used it as motivation to swim as best as I could. I
Who is your favorite Athlete?
A: Tom Brady. Q: What is your favorite meal before swim meets?
A:
pasta.
Chocolate milk and
Wrestling takes sixth Seth Runyan staff writer The Manhattan High School Wrestling team had their first tournament of the season at Gardner-Edgerton. The Wrestling team starts the year as defending State champs and senior Davis Matthews knows it. “We got a target on our back. We have high expectations and we need to perform at our best,” he said. The tournament consisted of 15 teams from the Southwest Region and this was the team’s first time at this tournament. Varsity head coach
Robert Gonzalez found the weekend tournament difficult. “In my 35 years as a wrestling coach, this was the toughest one-day tournament I’ve ever encountered,” he said. “We have never been there as a team and we had no idea what to expect.” The team placed sixth overall in the tournament with 127 team points right behind another Kansas team, St. James Academy. At the tournament, two nationally ranked teams were present. Gonzalez took this as an opportunity to see how well his team could wrestle against solid programs. “Our boys were wrestling
two nationally ranked teams and it was an extreme challenge for our wrestlers. It was an awesome tournament to take part of,” Gonzalez said. After this eventful and difficult weekend, the wrestling team now prepares for their archrival Junction City, tomorrow. The teams face off in their first dual meet of the year at Junction City. With Manhattan ranked fifth in state and Junction City right behind them in the sixth spot, Gonzalez is expecting a tough matchup. “Junction City is ranked right behind us right now,” Gonzalez said. “It will be ex-
tremely difficult to pull out a win here. Unless our boys wrestle at the level we did over the weekend, we will have a great chance at defeating them.” During the State competition, Gonzalez said Junction City beat some of Manhattan’s best wrestlers, which makes them extremely capable of defeating Manhattan in Wednesday’s dual meet. After the dual meet with Junction City, Manhattan then travels to Emporia on Friday and then to Abilene for another tournament on Saturday with the Varsity team. The J.V. team travels to Shawnee.
Swimming survives at Topeka, eyes first home meet of the season Alan Brown staff writer Last week in Topeka, the Manhattan High School swim team took part in their first swim meet of the year. The team was given their first look at League competition and competed very well, finishing second only to their rival Washburn Rural. Coming into Topeka, the meet was meant to serve as a reality check for the team.
Where did they rank among their conference rivals? If the results are an indication, then the team could be in for a special season. But they haven’t seen every fish in the sea, especially since the meet with Olathe looms ahead. “When we go to Olathe, that’s a chance to see the strongest teams in the state,” MHS coach Jerry Carpenter noted in the preseason. “Typically the Kansas City teams are the strongest. That’s a chance for
us to see what is out there is terms of competition.” The Olathe meet may be the highlight of the year’s swim meets, but the team will also take part in its first Manhattan meet of the season this week at K-State. Fans of MHS are encouraged to attend all home meets, and in some ways their presence can boost the performance of the swimmers. “It’s important for the kids when they know we’ve got
fans up in the stands cheering and stuff,” Carpenter said. “When it gets noisy and people are cheering, it gets them pumped up and they get after it. It’s fun.” MHS will compete at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at K-State and 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 7 in Olathe.
the MENTOR
Features
Dec. 4, 2012
5
IPS gives back through Adopt A Family Kayla Dieker Copy Editor For families who don’t have a lot of money to spare, the holidays can be a tough time. However, with the help of Manhattan High students and the Junior League of Flint Hills, Adopt a Family provides gifts for kids that otherwise may not get them. The Interpersonal Skills class has been adopting families for eight or nine years, and raised $1400 through bake sales last year to raise money for this year’s families. IPS was assigned four families -- three with three kids and one with two kids -- who they split the money and shopped for. A group of students then spent the evening shopping at K-Mart for the families. “It was a blast. I had so much fun,” senior Joe Coonrod said. “I’m not a very experienced shopper, but I had a lot of fun.” The families who benefit from Adopt A Family had to fill out a questionnaire about their children’s ages, genders,
sizes and favorite colors, they also included a few gift ideas. The parents could also make a wish list. “We always get something for the parents too,” Interpersonal Skills teacher Barbara Crooks said. While the program definitely benefits families in need, it also benefits the students in the class. “This gets us out of the school and into the community,” Crooks said. “It gives students a chance to interact outside of the school.” The students have fun while shopping too. “I looked down an aisle and saw Ryan [Williams] and Joe in the Barbie aisle trying to pick [one out],” Crooks joked. The class will spend the next week wrapping the gifts and baking goods for the families. Gifts were previously delivered to a central location, but last year’s family came and picked up the gifts and this year a small group will be sent out to deliver the presents directly to the families. “It feels good to give back,”
para Jamie Schnee said. Along with the items purchased being tax free, K-Mart added an additional 10% off all items -- regular and clearance. Also donating to Adopt A Family is MHS’s Cheer and Dance teams. They joined efforts to adopt one family with three kids; one of which is a newborn due shortly before Christmas. The girls and coaches all bring in gifts to wrap together as a group. The teams are using this as a way to give back to the community. “We did it last year and getting the reaction from the family inspired us to help,” J.V. coach Maddie Tritch said. “Such a big group can make an impact.” The cheerleaders and dancers also see the benefit of the work they put in. “It was really good for all the cheerleaders to get together and help somebody else during the holiday season,” sophomore Lakesha Johnson said.
Left: Seniors Jordan Hatley and Andrew Schultz and browse K-Mart for gifts for their Adopt A Family. Schultz, Hatley and the rest of their group had $400 to spend on a 5-year-old girl, a 3-year-old girl and an 11-month-old boy. They bought an assortment of toys, baby essentials and a gift for the parents. Below: Seniors Dre’Vel Taylor and Maddie Winkler try to pick out a pair of snow boots for the little girl in their Adopt A Family. Taylor and Winkler had one of four families and the IPS class was split into four groups to buy the gifts. Kayla Dieker, photographer
Donation stations
Tristan Knott Staff Writer
“Donate Here.” Located in the cafeteria by the lost and found table is a big box begging for student donations. Don’t be confused and drop money in there, but instead donate clothing. Gigi Cohen, Manhattan High School social worker, is responsible for collecting the donations in the commons. She attended a meeting where it was suggested, so she brought a box to MHS. The donations are not through a specific MHS organization, but are done to benefit the community. “Everyone has something to give, and it is a good way to help the community,” Cohen said. In addition to this Goodwill clothing drive, from Nov. 9 to Dec. 7, the Interpersonal Skills class will be accepting donations to give to our local Goodwill. For the IPS drive, with every pound donated, $.32 will loaded onto four gift cards, which will be given to the classes’ four Adopt A Families. Any donation is accepted but only clothing will be weighed. You may drop off your donations either in Barbara Crooks’ in E-102. You also have the options to drop off your donations at Goodwill, but have to mention IPS.
English as a second language Liz Logback Features Editor Moving to an urbanized, hustling-bustling country is a stressful situation to undertake, especially when you know nothing about the culture or language the inhabitants speak. Sacrificing the home he’s known his entire life and a supportive family, senior Alejandro Ochoa left Cali, Colombia, two months ago to experience life in the United States. And he did it on his own, without the benefit of being part of an exchange program. Ochoa is living with his sister who moved to Manhattan seven years ago, pursuing her own love story with an American man she met during his long term visit to Colombia. Alejandro felt full support from his family when offered the opportunity to venture to America, leaving only one barrier left to conquer: learning the language. That language barrier was, in fact, the main motivation
behind Ochoa’s desire to live in the United States. The first few weeks in the States were rough. Ochoa could understand one word at a time, but everyone spoke so fast it was difficult for him to comprehend a full conversation. Through daily interaction and the need to communicate, English became easier as time passed. “Now I can [understand English,] not hard. I have three hours [each day] of ESL,” Ochoa said. Similarities between his old culture and the American life helped make the transition smoother, too. In Colombia, Ochoa would hang out with friends at the mall and go to weekend parties. Harry Potter became an instant favorite of his after seeing it in the town’s movie theater, and swimming was an enjoyable pastime. Due to non-changing seasons in Cali, swimming is a yearround recreation. Every day is hot and sticky, and as a result Ochoa has never seen snow. Ochoa has also found some
P. E. department gets make-over Nastajja Rivera Staff Writer From the new cafeteria to the spacious classrooms, Manhattan High School has become a whole new creation in recent years. The big talk happens to be the new facilities for the P.E. department. The gyms have been completely redone and new platforms have been put into the weight room. The makeover of the gyms took a while, but the rewards are unending. The North gym before wasn’t as bad as the South gym was. There were only two bathroom stalls in the North gym and one of them was broken. “The North gym has made beautiful improvements,” senior Caitlyn Webb said. Before, the South gym floor was not even a gym floor, it was more like concrete -now it’s wood. “It was hard running on,” Webb said.
The locker rooms were yellow and smelled really bad and the locks were broken. They now have nicer lockers and they aren’t broken. The shower before didn’t have curtains and they were not usable so students are happier that they are now able to use them. Also, before the whole redesign of the gyms, teachers were sharing offices and they are glad they don’t have to anymore. “It’s good to have new gyms and to have better facilities,” P.E teacher and volleyball coach Lisa Kinderknecht said. According to MHS students it’s better that they have new gyms. Junior Taylor Thomas, a member of the dance team, appreciates the improvements. “I like the floor because it’s not slick and you won’t fall on your butt,” Thomas said.
things he likes better in America than his
former home. The school is one of his favorite parts, including the large structure and layout of the building. He also considers the people as more open and willing to talk. “The people very kind, and teachers [too],” Ochoa said. People are very important to BOE from page 1 “How many schools in China do you think have early release?” Paukstelis asked. “We set the bar too low. Apparently good enough is good enough for you, but in my world, it isn’t.” Colburn disagreed with Paukstelis. “I have no desire to send my kids through Chinese education. They are automatons,” Colburn said. “I think it’s a horrific education. Sure, they can turn out statistics and numbers, but that’s not what education’s about.” After their discussion, the board opened the floor to audience members. Nobody spoke. The board then moved to vote on the recommendation to keep early release. The motion passed almost unanimously, with just Paukstelis and “the spirit of Walt,” the school board joked, opposing. Debate from page 1 “Really, especially when you get to the more competitive post-season tournaments, it’s more like a game; there’s a huge depth of strategy to it,
him. In Colombia, neighbors gather for parties and gettogethers often. During these parties, food is abundant and reggaeton and salsa music can be heard blaring from the house. Parties were a great way for Ochoa to bond with people. He describes the month of December as a time w h e n eve r yo n e is happy and likes to celebrate with parties. A full week is dedicated to celebrating with parades and concerts. Food vendors flood the streets and people salsa dancing are seen everywhere. (Cali is well known for their salsa dancing and the numerous world salsa competitions they have won.) In English the week is
translated as “fair,” but Ochoa Christmas time. Christmas doesn’t feel like his country’s dinner and gift exchanges all take place during fe s t i v i t i e s that evening. a r e M o v i n g anything forward, Ochoa l i k e is excited to Amer ican learn more about fairs. the American M o s t traditions and to people continue learning r e l a t e English. After December high school he is t o unsure if he will Christmas, attend college and Cali in America, is sure to but ultimately include Ochoa is looking the holiday towards the in their army. If he jubilations decides to live as well. in the United H o w e v e r, States, Ochoa is instead of confident he will opening make numerous presents trips back to his on the Dec. home 25, the country evening Above: Senior Alejandro Ochoa moved to the t h a t United States two months ago. of Dec. shaped 24 is Upper left: Graphic from: downanddromore. his life. com selected Liz Logback, photographer as their
much like there is in chess and sports plays.” Zelansky and Kobza have spent the last few weeks preparing for the upcoming four-speaker Regional tournament. “We work every day, but Thursday is our big work night,” Kobza said. “We’re usually here until nine or ten o’clock.” Zelansky explained that debate is a time commitment. “It cuts in with things like homework. And we basically get one-day weekends, because we’re gone all day on Friday and Saturday,” Zelansky said. “There’s a lot less time for everything else.” Zelansky and Kobza’s choice to dedicate their time to debate results not only in a winning record, but also an improved education. “I enjoy it, and it’s something I’m successful at, but you also learn a lot about what’s going on in the world because of all the research you do for debate,” Kobza said. Zelansky agreed that debate is a learning tool. “I do debate because I get a lot of skills out of it that I don’t from many other classes,” Zelansky
said. “Compared to this work, they’re easy.” Immediately after the final four post-season tournaments, many debaters will switch gears to participate in Forensics, which begins its season second semester. “Moving on to post-season is the most exciting part of the year, and the most fun,” Kobza said. “But it’s not like it’s ever going to end -- we’re just moving on to forensics, which is a different activity, but the same atmosphere.” Rivalry from page 1 After the voting from the regional and national rounds
is over USA Today will award the winning rivalry with $10,000 -- $5,000 for each school. “If we won, the money would go back to the football department,” athletic director Mike Marsh said. “It would be used for the football equipment needs.” Once senior football player Sixto Melendez heard about this competition he was overjoyed. “It just shows that the hard work and pushing each other was worth it,” Melendez said. “We had to help everyone remember that they are a star and that we didn’t only have one ‘all-star’.”
$5 with drink
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the MENTOR
Dec. 4, 2012
Trending
‘Life of Pi’ smashingly effective No review could do justice the beautiful and fantastical experience that is “Life of Pi.” Director Ang Lee’s interpretation of the award-winning novel takes moviegoers on the soulful journey of religion while entertaining them with the magic and excitement of truly great cinematography -- not to mention the fantastic use of 3D animation that could
rival that of James Cameron’s “Avatar.” “Life of Pi” is a definite must see -- the sobering visual treat of the theatrical experience is worth much more than the nine dollars that you certainly won’t regret paying for the movie. The movie is narrated by the adult Pi, as he tells his story of survival to an author and religious skeptic. Pi’s adventure begins when he, his family and an assortment of animals board a ship in hopes to relocate their family-owned zoo from Pondicherry, India, to Canada. There is sudden and tragic turn of events when the ship runs into a devastating storm. The ship sinks, and only a few survivors are left on a small lifeboat -- Pi, an orangutan, a hyena, a zebra, a mouse and Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger. After
a few hours, the animals have killed each other, and Richard Parker has devoured the bodies, leaving Pi alone on a boat with a Bengal Tiger. The majority of the movie takes place in the ocean, where Pi and Richard Parker must learn to work together and trust each other in order to survive. Unlike most book-based movies, “Life of Pi” flawlessly captures the deep theme and meaning behind the novel, while successfully capturing an audience with entrancing cinematography. The two major themes of the novel are religion and storytelling, which go hand in hand. The movie is a story within a story -- Pi is reliving his experience as he tells his story to an interviewer. Since childhood, Pi had been infatuated with religion. He followed multiple religions
Nick’s Hits and Misses Miss- Chiefs player Jouan Belcher committed suicide. RIP.
Miss- Judging from this year and last year it looks like we will never, ever have a snow day again.
Hit- Fiesta time for the Wildcats. Hit- The Chiefs defeated the Panthers, snapping their nine-game losing streak.
Hidden away inside of Jardine apartment complex lives a restaurant that not many people know about -- but they should. Where “2 for $20” is overpriced and you’re not supposed to tip, this mysterious place is JP’s. JP’s is the perfect place for high school students to eat if they want to have a little more class than a Burger King dinner. When you walk into JP’s you’re supposed to seat yourself, which is strange considering most sit down restaurants force you to wait for a server to come and seat you. It was
T he life and times of Lindsay Lohan Julith Perry
staff writer Arrested. That’s what Lindsay Lohan has managed to get herself again. In the early hours of Nov. 29 she allegedly punched another woman in the face in a nightclub in New York City. Lindsay claims the woman was in her personal space. Oh Lindsay, when you do things like this it’s hard for the public to remember you as the adorable little girl who
captured our hearts with her outstanding performance in the Disney remake of “The Parent Trap.” Back in the good ol’ days Lindsay was a good actress. She did an outstanding job in films such as “Life Size,” “Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls,” which is still a big hit today. She even looked human; nowadays, she looks to be in her late 40s when in reality the girl is 26. She can thank plastic surgery for that, and whatever drugs she’s on. Everything started to go downhill for the child actress around the time she began the filming of “Georgia Rule.” Directors and cast mates began to call her irresponsible and a nightmare to work with. After seeing her performance in the movie, it was evident that something was wrong. She seemed drunk and so not like the Lindsay we had seen in
other movies. And her acting has been awful in her recent movies. She recently played icon Elizabeth Taylor in a Lifetime movie, which could not have been worse. It was disgusting to watch, and so was Lindsay. After her time in “Georgia Rule” Lindsay pulled a complete 180. She began to do drugs, alcohol, and a lot of plastic surgery. For a while now Lindsay has been grabbing the attention of the paparazzi for negative reasons. She has been arrested countless times for almost everything: driving under the influence, assaulting people and who knows what else. It seems like everything she does is for attention; she even went lesbian or bisexual (she can’t decide which one) for about 2.5 seconds. She’s lost her sexual appeal to men, her ability to per-
form well and her sanity. She once aimed to be like Marilyn Monroe (her icon), a triple threat -- an actress, a singer and a dancer. She also wanted to have an Oscar by 30. If she keeps this trainwreck going all she’s going to end up being is an old hag with a drug and alcohol problem -- oh wait, she already is. I’m waiting for her to pull a Britney Spears and shave all her hair off. If she thinks she can make a comeback like Britney did then she is seriously insane, only Brit can pull that off. Girl, just do yourself and America a favor, check yourself into rehab, and don’t come out until you are sane again. One thing Lindsay did manage to accomplish was to become a triple threat. She’s an alcoholic, a druggie, and a mug shot model. Gee Lindsay, what an accomplishment. Congrats.
late-comer could obtain a preorder was on eBay for a price such as $2,500 compared to the $299.99 and $349.99 price tag. Now that the console has been out for a couple of weeks, despite new shipments coming to nearly every retailer the Wii U has stayed sold out
game consoles, only three consoles are in-stock at the time of this writing. Two basics and one deluxe Wii U are all that are available in the area. Reggie Fils-Aime, head of Nintendo’s operations in America was recently interviewed by “The Wall Street Journal’s” Market Stock about the Wii U’s success. “Wii U effectively sold out at retail,” he said. Fils-Aime said that Nintendo is shipping more devices to its retail partners, but demand is outstripping supply. “As soon as Wii U hits the shelf, it’s selling out,” he said. There is also no telling when the next shipment of Wii U consoles will make its way into the Manhattan area. An electronic sales representative from Walmart commented on the time it takes for new shipments to arrive. “We cannot be sure when to expect when the next shipment comes because each shipment is automatic and we have no control over
when these occur,” he said. Since its release, Nintendo released data that it sold more than 1.2 million Wii U consoles in the past week, including the Wii, which sold more than 300,000 units, and its handheld consoles, such as the 3DS, which sold more than 250,000 units.
Wii U the hot holiday item Seth Runyan Staff Writer
With the holidays fast approaching, Nintendo has been dominating in the market. The hot item in all retail stores this holiday season is Nintendo’s new video game console, the Wii U. The Wii U is the successor to the Wii and is the first next-generation console to be released. What has made this such a huge item is its main selling point -- tablet controllers. The tablet controller is essentially an iPad with some added features such as joysticks, universal controls, dual screen capability and many other exciting features. Nintendo has two separate Wii U consoles, the basic which is white and has eight gigabytes priced at $299.99 and the black deluxe Wii U with a price of $349.99. When the Wii U became available for pre-order in early September, there was such an overwhelming demand that it became sold out in a matter of weeks. The only way a
Photo courtesy of nintendo.com in the majority of stores. Even Amazon.com, who seems to have a never-ending supply, stated that they are now running extremely low on supplies with only a handful of consoles left. It’ll be a difficult present to catch this holiday season for those residing in Manhattan, Kan. Out of the nine retailers in Manhattan that sell video
better word, trippy sequences of glowing animals and images of the universe. In the more standard scenes, the special effects made the movie realistic and believable. The outstanding use of 3D is unlike many others -- Ang Lee utilizes the effect to pull the viewer into the movie and deepen the experience, instead of creating silly pop-outs and flashy images. It’s easy to get lost in the magic of the special effects. “Life of Pi” is just really super fantastically awesome and everybody needs to see it. It’ll change your life, man.
JP’s: a hidden gem
Hit- The weather this week. Get outside!
Hit- 21 days until Christmas.
Photos courtesy of sbnation. com, pitch.com,cbssports.com
simply because he wanted to rather than their mind-boglove God. Pi’s unfortunate gling themes, “Life of Pi” does situation on the boat forces him to rely on his faith in order to survive. If you look for them, almost every scene has a metaphor for religion or explanation of life. Even the storytelling that takes place Photo courtesy of lifeofpimovie.com throughout the entire novel is not disappoint. The movie, an extended metaphor for the although deeply themed and way religions work. The movie thought-provoking, is not lackhas the potential to change the ing in theatrical appeal. The minds of those who are open plotline alone is interesting and emotional, and it is only to it. For those who prefer watch- deepened by the impressive ing movies for their aesthetics, use of special effects. A majorspecial effects, authentic act- ity of the film entranced the ing or adventurous plot lines audience with, for lack of a
no problem since when I went, there wasn’t a big crowd but I imagine it could be confusing during rush times. The menu at JP’s isn’t as large as other restaurants in it’s class like Applebee’s or Chili’s, but what it does have it does well. I tried the Margherita pizza and a bacon cheeseburger. Both were very tasty and unique compared to the way other restaurants serve them. The pizza had a surprising spice that I had never tasted in a pizza before and I really liked it. I wouldn’t say I liked it better than AJ’s, a place that specializes in pizza, but JP’s definitely did extremely well for a place that doesn’t focus on pizza. The burger didn’t have the traditional sesame seed bun but had a pretzel bun. I must say I prefer a traditional bun but it only beats the pretzel bun by an inch. The burger was full of flavor and the cheese and bacon definitely
helped too. The fries I chose as my side that came with the burger were seasoned and were very good compared to the other places in town that serve seasoned fries. But what’s best about the food at JP’s is the prices. My burger was $7.50 compared to Applebee’s where the bacon cheeseburger is $9.49. Another incredible plus to JP’s is that after you don’t pay much for your delicious food is that you don’t have to tip after the meal. The restaurant is technically part of Kansas State so the servers are paid in full. If you do tip the money goes to the Kansas State Scholarship Fund. Don’t forget to fill your pockets with Ande’s chocolates on the way out the door. JP’s is a restaurant more people need to know about and taste. The food is quality and the prices are low and it’s for a good cause.
Sonic Youth imperfect beauty Times” for what they did, especially not in 1985. This concert recording at times is a bit too coarse, but it’s still a joy. Indie rock is completely non-sexual and impotent now, dominated by cuteness and unamusing sensitivity. Moore and Lee Renaldo’s guitar playing, on the other hand, still sound morbid, ambitious and full of life over 20 years later. “I Love Her All the Time” “Smart Bar: Chicago 1985” is the unquestionable highis the musical equivalent of a light. At this point in my canostalgic look through an old reer of Sonic Youth-obsession, battered photo album. Dur- I’ve realized their ballads are ing this uncertain period of always the best; the intensity Sonic Youth’s future due to of this track, “Teenage Riot” Kim Gordon and Thurston and “Kotton Moore’s mariKrown” -- the tal collapse, a latter two probrough-as-hell, ably the peak unpolished of their entire live record is catalogue -- are the revitalizaunmatched in tion hardcore rock and roll, fans need. period. What’s There may most remarknever be anothable about Photo courtesy of sonicyouth.com er Sonic Youth “1985” is the studio album. fact it’s a hisThat’s okay tory lesson. It was recorded with me because a band like in a time when indie rock was this wasn’t supposed to end in still a dangerous experiment a farewell tour. I’m saddened that meant something. There by Gordon and Moore’s diwas no blues-rock spineless re- vorce, but not by what they hashing going on, no Dan Au- are leaving us with. Hear this erbachs or Jack Whites. Sonic wildly imperfect, uneven and Youth wasn’t getting any glow- beautiful record to hear that ing reviews in “The New York vitality for yourself.
Weather Forecast Tuesday: It is Dec. 4. How will this affect Mitt Romney's presidential chances? Wednesday: Either there is a lot of snow or Charlie Sheen sneezed. Thursday: Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. Friday: Chocolate Rain
Saturday: Raining Cats and Dogs. Someone call PETA.
Sunday: Hey, remember when there was an ice storm and we missed like a week of school? Monday: It’s like biting into the center of a York Peppermint patty.