Issuu

M the MENTOR

Feb. 5, 2013

Manhattan High School, Manhattan, Kan.

Counseling office compiles local scholarship list Julianne Harkness Staff Writer

With graduation around the corner, Manhattan High School’s counseling department has compiled a list of area scholarships local students might qualify for. There are 50 different scholarships on the complete list; 17 of those are from the Manhattan-Ogden Public Schools Foundation. “The Manhattan-Ogden scholarships are all applied for at the same time,” counselor Dustin Duntz said. “You fill out one application and it applies

to all 17. The applications for that are due in March of 2013. The application is on the USD 383 website under the counseling department, subsection Post Secondary Planning.” When choosing a scholarship to apply for there are always things to consider: requirements, cut off dates, the amounts that the scholarship covers and what school they can be used for. Some scholarships that are on the list provided by the counseling departments are strict about what school recipients can attend with the scholarship. Others

Inducted

can be used anywhere in the state of Kansas. Thirty three of the 50 scholarships work at Kansas State University. With every scholarship there is an amount that is covered with it. The scholarships on the list vary anywhere between ‘to be determined’ and $50,000 per year. However, high-amount scholarships come with high expectations. The University of Nebraska Ruth Leverton Scholarship covers up to $8,500 per year. However, with this applicants

The Brown Bag Lunch Series met again on Jan 30; this time Dean Youngers was speaking about teamwork. Youngers was the construction manager for the three-year construction project at MHS. Youngers gave each student a list of the steps he uses

to undertake the task of working as a team. “A group of participants, trained and organized to perform the action or labor required to accomplish the task at hand,” Youngers said as he defined teamwork. Youngers is in a unique position to describe teamwork. “There’s a difference between construction and manufactur-

See Scholarship on page 3

ing,” Youngers said. “We only build one model.” Because of the teamwork Youngers’ construction group demonstrated, the project was completed far ahead of schedule and the project was done right, he said. They only had one chance to complete their job successfully, and they comSee Leadership on page 3

IPS narrows down next year’s class through interviews Maddie Ross Trending Co-Editor Interviews for Manhattan High School’s 2013-2014 Interpersonal Skills Class begin this week. The IPS class is designed to improve the social skills of special needs students by interaction with other students. The curriculum addresses areas such as self-esteem, friendship and volunteerism. In addition to interacting with each other, students also take field trips and participate throughout the community. In recent years, the class has gained great popularity amongst seniors. The increasing popularity results in a large amount of interest and applications. “Recently we sent out about 81 invitations for interviews,

and around 40 were returned,” special educat i o n t eacher K i m Schnee s a i d . “ W e will int er view those 40 and hopefully come out with about 25 to be in the class.” The interv i e w process is described to be similar to a job interview, with both spe-

cial educators and current IPS members present to screen candidates. “I look for students who are involved,” Schnee said. “We also look at grades and tardies. We are interested and ask about their knowledge about the class as well as what they can bring to the class. It is very similar to an job interview in the sense that we look at posture and presence. We want people who want to be there. I also really value the opinions of our current

“We are interested and ask about their knowledge about the class as well as what they can bring to the class.” -Schnee

See IPS on page 3

Shannon explains snow day plan Seth Runyan Staff Writer Students who hoped for a day out of class were disappointed about the school day after a snowstorm last week. Most students aren’t aware of the many factors and plans that go into preparing for a snowstorm, but plans are exactly what keeps things together as USD 383 Superintendent Bob Shannon tries to assure the roads safe for school to

take place. Shannon also knows that they need flexibility when snowstorms begin at night. “It is very rare when we make the call the night before the storm,” Shannon said. Preparation begins at 3 a.m. when the maintenance crew gets their equipment out. It is then where they go out to area assignments throughout the district stretching out as far as Pottawatomie County. After an hour of cleaning the roads,

Clu b Notes GSA

Anime

Gay-Straight Alliance is no longer on the active club list. Due to the lack of a sponsor, GSA had to close up shop and become a group instead. GSA is attempting to get their feet in the club door and become active again by next year. The only reason they lost all their sponsor offers was because of the fact students were taking advantage of the activity time and skipping meetings. “It is the students’ job to find GSA a sponsor,” athletic director Mike Marsh said. “Or the sponsor can come to me and volunteer to be a GSA sponsor. We advertised for GSA sponsors through emails during the summer and fall, and no one has showed interest in being a sponsor.” “We are looking for members and a sponsor trying to get things back up and running,” sophomore Aireauna King said. -Nastajja Rivera

Anime Club is hosting a cosplay tea party tomorrow right after school in club sponsor Regina Harden’s room, A-116. Cosplay is the anime term for the subculture they create by dressing as their favorite anime characters. The tea party, like all anime events, will focus on Japanese traditions (in this case, food) in addition to the anime characters. The theme is Twisted Wonderland, based on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice.” “I’m going as the caterpillar,” senior Riley Scherff said. “It’s a simple character to go as and I’ve always like the caterpillar in the original.” The party is open to anyone. Tickets are $2 and can be purchased from Harden. -Ben Shields

Debate As the Debate season ends, the Forensics season begins.

the Director of Transportation is on the road in “risk” areas in rural roads, highways, parks and downtown. Half an hour later, Shannon and his associate superintendent meet to make the call. “There are three factors that we go through before we make our decision -- what the weather has done, what the weather is currently doing and what it will do,” Shannon See Snow Day on page 3 Many students are pleased that debate is over. They’re ready for new topics, acting and public speaking. Forensics coach Shawn Rafferty says he excited for the change and is ready for the upcoming Forensics season. “With about 70 students total involved, 85 percent being made up of freshmen and sophomores, defending the State championship with them will be a fun process,” Rafferty said. The team went to their first competition on Jan. 25 and 26. Overall, the team took second place and came home with a total of 36 medals. “For our standards and how we like to do at competitions we didn’t do our best,” Rafferty said. Junior Robert Kobza broke in three of his events. He placed third, fourth and sixth. “Personally I didn’t do good,” Kobza said. Though he did not personally do his best, this will not slow him down for the rest of the Forensics season. “My goal is to nationally qualify. To do that I will just have to practice, and practice,” he said. The team competed again Saturday. Overall they got sec-

Volume 100 issue 17

Scholars Bowl ties second at Regional championship Julith Perry Staff Writer

Leadership in the bag John Riforgiate Staff Writer

News

Junior Liz Logback holds her candle lit from the “candle of truth” during her Quill and Scroll initition. Held Jan.31, the induction confirmed the members of the newspaper and yearbook staff into the chapter of the international honorary. Kaitlin Wichmann, photographer

FCCLA workshop hopes to encourage creativity skills Kaitlin Wichmann Photo Editor After winning a gold level award at nationals last year, the Students Taking Action with Recognition event team of sophomores Sierra Haug, Shaylyn Hubbel and Kristen Fraley are hoping to wow the judges once again. The team is a part of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. They have created a community service project that, if qualified, they will present at district, state and national levels. For their STAR event this year, the team did a creativity workshop for third graders from Amanda Arnold and Manhattan Catholic School. “We got the idea after doing a health and nutrition workshop with second graders last year for our STAR event and we made it all the way to nationals and got gold,” Haug said. “We found we really ond place, and placed a total of 32 times. -Maddy Sparks

Club Dodgeball Nine teams entered Club Dodgeball on Jan 29. One team left with the trophy -Spanish Club. The South Gym slowly filled with people in anticipation of the event, each team representing their club of choice. The gym buzzed with excitement. Some clubs decided to have a team uniform; Students Against Drunk Driving wore blue club shirts, Spanish club wore black and Thespians wore pajamas. “It’s casual. It makes a statement,” sophomore Trevor Bashaw of Thespians said. “We wore pajamas because we’re the dream team.” The pairings for the first game were handed out on yellow sticky notes, so students were excited to begin the competition between the clubs. The games slowly whittled down who was going to go on to the finals and who would be spectators of the conclusive game.

liked working with kids, and Shay came up with the idea of doing a creativity workshop.” Haug, Hubbel and Fraley plan to do workshops for three other elementary schools before the end of February. “We had a lot of fun and were originally just planning to do two schools,” Haug said. “But we had so much fun, we are doing as many as possible now.” The workshop wasn’t just about giving the kids something to do, it was about encouraging the kids to grow and expand their creativity skills. “We touched on aspects of creativity such as writing, drawing and problem solving,” Haug said. “We helped the kids realize that creativity is more than just the arts and that is more a mindset.” The team will present their project tomorrow at the district competition.

Many students were enthusiastic, even if they were eliminated before the last game. “We did pretty good, we made it to the semifinals,” Derek Wood of Black Student Union said. After many rounds of dodgeball, Spanish Club beat Key club in a close win. They cheered as they hoisted their trophy for a club picture. -John Riforgiate

Key Club In past years, Key Club has tried collecting recycling throughout the Manhattan High School campuses. Although they have tried many ways, none have been perfect solutions. Picking up recycling is time consuming, and additionally because the students pick up the recycling after school most of the rooms are locked with no way of opening them. Due to the cons in their current recycling schedule, the club has come up with new plans. “We have tried many different ways for recycling but none are efficient,” Key Club secretary Siera Haug said. Starting tomorrow, teachers

“This will be a hard group to say goodbye to. They are a fun group of guys to be around and they are good kids on top of that,” Scholars Bowl coach Ted Dawdy said about saying goodbye to the seniors on the team. Last Thursday, the Varsity team competed in Regionals at Lawrence Free State where the team tied for second place. There were two pools to start, the top three teams of each pool advanced to the championship pool. The team went 3-1 in the first two pools, then went 3-2 and ended tying for second in the championship pool. “ [I am] pretty proud of how we did, we had pretty good moments when we answered questions we didn’t think we knew the answer to,” Varsity team member Jack Hubler-Dayton said. Olathe South won the Regional competition with a 4-1 record, beating MHS with 80-70 on the two tie breaker questions. The top four teams qualified for the State tournament. The last time MHS won a state championship in Scholars Bowl was 1993. For the Varsity team members, last Thursday was the last time they will compete in a high school Regionals for Scholars Bowl, “[It was] a little bit of a realization that I wouldn’t be able to do [Scholars Bowl] for the remaining of senior year,” Varsity team member Nicholas Donohue said. “You have big shoes to fill, step it up if you want to live up to our reputation,” Varsity team member Logan Sutton said as advice to next year’s team. With a competition almost every week, the team has practices twice a week.“Practice every week, [it] pays off,” Varsity team member Austin Canady said. Practice helps the team improve but there is no telling what the outcome will be. “Go with your gut, there are a lot of questions to answer,” Hubler- Dayton said. With the seniors leaving there are spots open to join Scholars Bowl. “Don’t be afraid that Scholars Bowl is a nerd or geek event,” Dawdy said. “It is low pressure and I only ask for what time you have [available].” “[Dawdy] is an excellent coach, we are a handful and he knows how to work with us,” Donohue said. The seniors and Dawdy still have one more competition together as a team. On Saturday they will be competing in the State tournament for Scholars Bowl. “Hopefully the highlight of the season is yet to come on Saturday at the State tournament,” Dawdy said. who participate will have their own boxes for their classrooms. It will be up to the teachers to empty their box in the yellow Howie’s bin in the copy rooms around the schools. Then, Key Club members will empty the bins and take the recycling to Howie’s. “I really hope this works for the teachers and also the members of Key Club,” president Sophie Wang said. In their last meeting, Key Club watched a movie promoting Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and have decided to do Pennies for Patients as one of their spring service projects. However, some things still need to be finalized. “I think its a great way to raise money for a great cause,” Haug said. A large amount of Key Club members are interested in going to the District Convention in Wichita on March 15-17. In addition to the cost of lodging, food and transportation, Kiwanis has generously donated $400 to raise money for the students to attend. -Dheepthi Perumal

Feb. 5, 2013

the MENTOR

Coming to Haoran Yang

guest writer

Saturday, Jan. 19, I came to America. When I stepped out of the airport I smelled fresh air and was happy. I rode in a school bus to Manhattan. I felt very tired and slept most of the way. When I arrived at Manhattan High School I got

off the school bus and I was well received. I was excited. I found my host family, then we went to my new home. My host family is very nice, and they make delicious food for me. My favorite thing to do is play video games with my host brother Max. I feel very much indebted. On my first day at MHS I was paired with my mentor Maddie Ross. I was greatly anticipating the day knowing there would be many new and different things ahead of me. In Beijing I go to Luhe International School, a boarding school. In America I have seven classes a day; in China I

Opinions

Question America of the Week

have 10. I like being done with school in the afternoon as opposed to classes not ending until 9:40 p.m. back in China. My first class is PE. We studied yoga. I am very shy in this class because there are a lot of girls. My second class is English; in this class I went to the library to check out a book to read. The library is larger than the one at my school in China. My third class is math. The math is too easy for me... but I am able to help those around me, and it makes me feel smart. My fourth class is newspaper; I feel it will help me improve my writing and

help me learn to write better in English. My next classes are science, AP European History and Spanish. My favorite is Math because I think it is too easy. I don’t like science because there are too many special words I do not know. I will miss ending the school day early the most after I return back to China. After the school day I rode the bus home. Once I got home I played a video game on my phone. I ate Mexican food for dinner and watched the KU/ K-State basketball game. I have enjoyed my time in America, my home and my new school very much.

Are you more yourself with your best friend or when you’re alone?

T his question appeared in the last edition of T he Mentor. T hese selected answers were chosen from submissions on our website, mhsmentor.com “I am my own best “I think everyone puts friend.” on - Jack Hubler-Dayton, a face of some sort when senior they are around other people.” “I’m #swag all the time.” -Eli Redeker, senior - Sarah Mortenson, senior “I am going to be myself student around, take them to things and eat the same left- you mean and arriving late no matter who I am with all my classes while trying to overs for lunch. Now I have to to almost every single class. “I don’t change.” or where I am.” get them something beneficial explain what I am doing, why But these miniscule inconve- Geri Speaks, sopho- Zack Salem, sophoout of it. That’s really all there I am doing things and what I niences is to it, or so I thought. am eating. Doing this, I woke Pale in comparison the more more

Mentoring Chinese exchange student brings unexpected joys, challenges Maddie Ross

trending co-editor

Everyone has noticed the numerous new students wandering the hallways in a confused yet anticipated daze, iPhones and electronic translators in hand, following another not so new student in the same mental state. A week ago I was placed as a mentor for one of these students, and tomorrow I will switch and mentor someone new. The process is simple; I guide a

Two weeks ago when I arrived at school I was so excited to get started. I eagerly awaited Herry (who I met the night before at the welcome dinner) in the main office. We went to my first hour, PE. Little did I know when we grabbed our yoga mats I had begun what I can now say was the busiest, funniest, new experience of my one and a half years of high school. We went through class by class, for me just back to the everyday grind of novel days and math worksheets. But to Herry it was new, and upon realizing this it opened my eyes. I go to Manhattan High School everyday. I go to the same classes, do the same

up. I released myself from going through the motions and I learned things about myself and school from the Chinese students that I hadn’t known before. After morning classes we headed to lunch. A new experience for me since I had never stepped a foot in the cafeteria. This made getting lunch interesting, for I knew not much more than he did. We got our lunches and headed to find a seat next to his classmates. Here I learned about the lives left back behind in China, and met many new faces. Being a mentor presents its challenges in the sense of having to explain concepts, communicate exactly what

many memorable encounters I have come across in this experience. I have met 26 new friends, learned about the Chinese culture and even received an overwhelming amount of math tutoring. Over the course of the week I have had a blast getting to know the many personalities of Luhe International School. I have “wabashed” and “YMCAed” with the best while cheering on the Cats. Ate buckets of “too salty popcorn” given to me, learning the Chinese prefer it sweet. Jammed out to Kanye West during lunch and formed many friendships that I hope will last far beyond the week left in the exchange program.

Retire ‘retarded’ Kayla Dieker

copy editor “I think it’s retarded. I probably shouldn’t say that. I think it’s stupid.” Excuse me? The above quote by Raven’s quarterback Joe Flacco is the exact reason why we

“I’ll be whoever you want me to be.” - Mason Wheatley, senior

“With a friend because you can talk to someone you trust and be more yourself that way.” - Aaron Luna, sophomore

This week’s question... What is your ideal Valentine’s Day date?

submit answers at mhsmentor.com and it may appear in the next issue. Be sure to leave your full name and need to start educating people Ann Coulter, has frequently banned the use of “retard” early in their lives that using used the R-word with negative and “retardation” in federal grade. offensive slurs like “retarded” or “gay” are absolutely unacceptable. “Retard” is the most dehumanizing word still used today. Despite Flacco not directly insulting someone, he is still devaluing those with intellectual disabilities. It’s not okay. And this guy won MVP? Unfortunately, Flacco isn’t the only public figure who is unable to grasp the idea that “retarded” is not a synonym for “something I don’t like.” Conservative political pundit,

connotation, like in her tweet about President Obama -- “I highly approve of Romney’s decision to be kind and gentle to the retard.” What? People retweeted this, people favorited this, and it’s disgusting. She did this not once, but twice, later saying “If he’s ‘the smartest guy in the room’ it must be one retarded room.” This word is done. It’s over, and it needs to stop being used. In 2010 Congress

health, education and labor laws. The American Psychiatric Association is replacing the term “mental retardation” in the fifth version of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Clinically, professionals have moved past this word, and it’s time for society to do so as well. Using “retarded” to define something you think is stupid or that you don’t like is ignorant, it is offensive and it needs to stop.

Want to contribute a guest column to The Mentor? Contact Editor-in-Chief Ben Shields at mhsmentoropinions@gmail.com. Submissions MUST be 300-600 words in length and may be edited for space, appropriateness or other reasons deemed necessary by the editorial staff.

the Mentor staff

Naomi McClendon, cartoonist

The Mentor is an open forum and welcomes letters to the editor. Submissions must be under 300 words and in response to content written in these pages. Students or faculty wishing to raise concern about an issue should see guidelines for submitting a column above. Entries may be edited as the editorial staff sees fit for space, appropriateness, etc. Email all letters to mhsmentoropinions@gmail.com or hand a hard copy to Newspaper Advisor Kristy Nyp in C-107.

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 adviser -Kristy Nyp

staff writers - Tre Fuentes Julianne Harkness John Rockey John Riforgiate Seth Runyan Maddy Sparks Derrek Williams Haoron Yang photographers - Jordan Morris Kaitlin Wichmann cartoonist - Naomi McClendon 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 1,800 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

Feb. 5, 2013

Homecoming

Pep-Rally Kelsey Crawford Staff Writer A Homecoming parade on a different scale was one of the highlights of Manhattan High’s winter Homecoming pep rally on Friday -- a parade of shopping carts decorated for the week’s theme of one of the annual events. This year, SkillsUSA took home the gold for their design for the theme “SportsCenter.” Club members designed a cardboard race car complete with an engine in the back of the cart. “We thought it would be a good idea after we watched a race in class,” Payton Gehrt, sophomore, said. This idea

was what pushed FFA into second place and last year’s winners, Spanish club, into third. Other annual events that take place during homecoming week are dressing up in various outfits and decorating classroom doors. Usually there’s also a Sweet Feet and Sexy Legs contest but that category wasn’t held this year. Because of the SportsCenter theme, every day people dressed up for various sports. The door decorating contest hasn’t been judged yet due to getting photos of some of the East Campus entries but winners will be announced later this week.

A ‘ Chorus Line’ one singular sensation Liz Logback

features editor

One singular sensation! Off-Broadway’s production of “A Chorus Line” at McCain Theater was just that. From the opening song until the closing curtain, the show evoked pure entertainment in its audience. As a newcomer to the story line of “Chorus Line,” going into the production I wasn’t sure what to expect. After the first song and a few beautiful dance combinations, though, the production had sucked me in. With my dance background, I’m fairly critical of dancers and their routines. However, the 26-person cast impressed me with their unity, grace and ability to express pure emotion through their movements. With singing added on top of that, the final product was a well put together show.

Throughout the production, professional dancers shared their stories while auditioning for a broadway show. Many had overcome great trials in the world of performance where competition is cutthroat. Several heart wrenching stories were shared that tug on the heartstrings a bit and intensify the whole mood of the production. Paul (Eddie Gutierrez), a gay teenager who was shunned by his family and judged severely, pours out his heart on stage to the stage director played by Brian Dillon towards the end of the show. The story of the young man brought tears to my, and I’m sure many others’, eyes. The scene was both emotional and moving, rounding out all areas of the emotional spectrum in the show. “A Chorus Line” was a wonderful production and a great addition to McCain’s line up for the year. The dancing was beautiful, singing on pitch and the emotion thick. The singular sensation had me humming all the way home and bragging about the production to both family and colleagues.

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Crowning

Kennedy Felice Staff Writer

Emma Miller and Jonathan Taylor were crowned king and queen at winter Homecoming on Friday. Taylor said he was honored to receive the recognition. “It was great to realize that the people at this school respect you and think enough of you to nominate and vote for you,” Taylor said. Though only two could be officially crowned, multiple students were named as honorees and participated in the walk prior to the announcement of who were chosen as King and Queen. “I had a lot of fun. It was cool. We were almost like fa-

mous people,” senior honoree Da’merius Ford said. Other honorees were pleased with the results of the voting. “I was excited for Emma. She’s a great girl and I couldn’t be happier for her,” senior honoree Kathryn Everett said. There truly is something more to being named homecoming King or Queen that lies beyond the sash and the crown. Homecoming King and Queen may hold little weight to some, but the title is a tradition that will continue on at MHS. “Your King and Queen are the people that represent more than just the students here, they represent the entire school,” Ford said.

Q: What was your favorite

A: That moment when the

A: I would probably say the

part of today (Friday)?

crowd flooded the court, but then the officials stopped it. It was pretty psychedelic.

Q:How good is the food at the carnival?

A: It isn’t great, but it’s OK. The food took a really long time to make though.

game or activity at the carnival? basketball game. I want to try the hamster ball, though. It looks pretty fun.

Q: How rowdy or loud was

the crowd during the basketball games?

A: We were pretty crazy,

especially towards the end of the boy’s game. When we hit the game-winning shot in the last game, the place exploded.

Tug of War

Snow Day from page 1 said. After this, around 5:15 a.m., the Director of Maintenance, Director of Transportation, Associate Superintendent and Shannon convene in an office. While they are making a decision, the Communication Coordinator is on the telephone with a standpoint on busing and the street conditions. “School policy is that we make a decision by 6 a.m. Our target, however is that we make it by 5:30 for the parents that need that time,” Shannon said Many could argue that the weather and roads were bad enough to warrant a delay of start time. Shannon, however, disagrees based on a specific reason. “Those are their opinions,” he said. “The only time a delay is necessary is when the director of maintenance and his crew needs more time to clear the roads.” Shannon wants to make it clear that, at least in Kansas, winter weather can vary over 20 miles, with those 15-20 miles making a big difference. “This is why you will hear many people complain on how Junction City has a snow day and Manhattan doesn’t. The storm can move south or north of us with the 20-mile variation and that’s why every district is different,” Shannon said. Also, to those confused on why school was cancelled during finals week and not last week, Shannon has the answer. “During that storm, there was enough ice underneath to close schools since it threatened bus safety,” Shannon said.

CARNI VAL Q &A Sarah Gulker, Freshman CALE BENNE, senior

Michael Melgares Staff Writer On Friday, Feb. 1, in between the boys and girls varsity basketball games, the junior boys and girls had the oppertunity to sweep the tug of war challenge, and that’s just what they did. The junior boys were

matched up against the sophomore boys and won rather handily in a quick match. The junior girls were presented more of a challenge, being slotted up against the senior girls, yet they managed to hold them off. For the junior boys things seemed to be a breeze. “We didn’t really do any-

thing to prepare,” junior Eric Grey said. Grey participated in the semi-final round, but was unable to compete in the finals due to an injury. Grey’s brother, Adam, was listed as a substitute. All the juniors look to continue their momentum and finish strong in their senior year.

T hespians see ‘Salesman’ Ben Shields Editor-in-Chief “Nobody ever told the truth for 10 minutes in this house.” That gut-punching line, delivered by the character Biff, hit senior Ilana Budenosky both times she has experienced “Death of Salesman,” once when reading the play for English class and again when she saw it last week in Kansas City. It comes at the show’s climax, when the entire family has met their demise after years of deluding themselves. “[‘Death of a Salesman’] has held relevant throughout time. It has stayed relevant throughout history, and that’s what so amazing about Arthur Miller,” she said. Thespians were bused from school early in the day and drove to the Kansas City Repertory Theater. They sat in an audience made up of several other high schoolers who had also made a trip for the perIPS from page 1 members, and try to listen to those as much as possible.” Prospective members are both eager and nervous about the coming process and class. Scholarships from page 1 have requirements like “must have a 24 or higher ACT, and a 3.0 GPA.” Then there is the the lower end of the scholarships with the Manhattan-Ogden Public Schools Foundation -- TR PTO Giving back scholarship which covers $250 per year. With lower scholarships can

formance and afterwards were granted a Q&A. The play is an emotional one; as the title implies, it is a tale about the decline of an individual and a critique of the American dream. Willy, the protagonist, is elderly at the beginning of the play and constantly revisits the past. The title comes from his wish to “die the death of a salesman,” surrounded by many friends. It ends in tragedy. Senior Kayla McClintock became frustrated when the audience reacted in what she felt was an inappropriate response considering the events unfolding on stage. “I commented about it [during the Q&A],” she said. “The audience had, I guess, never seen a show. They were not from a privileged area I’m assuming, just because they seemed like that, so they wouldn’t really know how to respond. I asked [the cast] how they respond to a disre-

spectful audience. Despite that whole thing I was amazed at how they were able to suspend reality. We were all just sitting there crying. It struck me. “Salesman” sticks in the mind of those who see it. For McClintock, there is one scene in particular that she finds herself revisiting. “Theres a scene where Willy is going crazy and arguing with his brother, who’s dead,” she said. “He’s asking him if it’s OK to kill himself. He goes into the house and he and his son talk. He realizes his whole family loves him and realizes he can kill himself. I had a family member who committed suicide and it was really stressful on me, so when I think about it that’s the scene I go back to. “The tech for that scene was amazing as well,” she said. “It’s a good show to see if you’re in a place to understand it.”

“Being in IPS sounds great. It sounds like a fun learning experience for all students and everyone involved. I am nervous for the interview but I am still just very happy and thankful that I even have the

opportunity,” junior Emma Samenus said. Decisions concerning the class and its members will take place as soon as all interviews are complete.

come less responsibility and lower expectations. The Giving Back scholarship requires that students “attend Theodore Roosevelt for two full years and must have six community service hours at TR.” The complete scholarship list can be found at www. usd383.org/Schools/Secondary/MHS/HHS/PostSecondaryPlanning.aspx.

Leadership from page 1

Corrections Because of a Mentor error, Bev Fink and Kate Moore were not included in the Landon Lecture story along with Carla Johnston on page one in the Jan. 29 edition of the Mentor.

pleted it via teamwork. In addition to his wisdom regarding teamwork, Youngers made sure to let students know what people hiring in construction, his business and other businesses wanted to see. “I very much look for outof-the-box thinkers,” Youngers said. Youngers is a person who is outside school and willing to share his experiences. Each speaker for the series are here to teach students about real life. Another Brown Bag Lunch Series is scheduled for the end of February.

Feb. 5, 2013

the MENTOR

Sports

Holloway nails buzzer beater for dramatic win Nick Bandy sports editor

Down by one point with 15 seconds left, senior Jacob Holloway dribbles down the court, takes a tough shot, and misses. But the ball bounces off the backboard; Holloway grabs it and banks it in for the victory with two seconds left, and the crowd goes wild. “I was in the moment. I just shot it, a bad shot, but I was lucky enough to grab my own rebound for an easy

shot,” Holloway said. The Manhattan High Boys basketball team defeated Topeka for a Homecoming win. The crowd was rewarded with a dramatic last two minutes after a long defensive battle; the score was only 13-13 at halftime. “We weren’t scoring, but they weren’t scoring either,” senior Jonathan Taylor said. Before the game Taylor was named Homecoming King, and he played a big role as a leader in the final minutes of

Intramurals

Tournament round 1 Boys A Bracket

Bandy of Brothers 55 ..........................................................JED 37 Dino Might 7 ...................Los Grande Basquetbolistas 0 forfeit The Monstars 53 ..........................................................T Icicles 38 My Dixie 60 ..........................................................................Elite 34

Boys B Bracket Honey 57 . ....................................................... The Whistle Pigs 17 The Manhattan Ballers 43 . ........................Balling for Soup 36 Brickz 50 ........................................................ Flying Squirrels 44 Badgers 41 . ................................................................... The VPs 15 Baked to Perfection 38 . ............Hunter & the British Gents 26 The Jack Jacks 47 ...............................................Sucks to Suck 33 Flyin Hawaiians 7 ......................................The Lolipops 0 forfeit Swagon Dragons 42 ..............................................Hot Pockets 37

Girls Bracket Dirty Cheetahs 30 . ..........................................The Pink Ladies 20 Quidditch Rejects 45 ..................................Dumbledie’s Army 20 Par’s Team 7 . ........................................The Runner Ups 0 forfeit Hoopers 43 . ......................................................Dirty Cheetahs 18 The Basketball Team 24 ............................ Quidditch Rejects 15 Vatos Locos 34 . ..............................................Team Meatballs 21

the game. With two minutes the ball down by one with left, MHS down 26-30, Hol- less than a minute left. Taylor loway missed a three, continu- drove the ball in on an athletic ing a rough night shooting for drive but was fouled and sent him as he went 4-17 from the to the line with the chance to field and tie the game 1-11 from “It was huge for us to or give 3. The ball win at home tonight” MHS the went out lead, but he - Jacob Holloway missed both of bounds, and on the shots. inbounds play Taylor stole “It felt awful, but luckily the ball and hit a crucial three Holloway bailed me out,” Taypointer. Topeka was fouled on lor said. the other end, but missed the Topeka missed a free throw free throw, giving the Indians again with 15 seconds left, al-

On Monday, the Manhattan High bowling team hosted a tournament at Little Apple Lanes in Manhattan. In the four-team tournament, MHS competed with Washburn Rural, Emporia and Hayden. Washburn Rural won the tournament, taking first place overall -- their boys team with a score of 2,598 and their girls team with a score

of 2,458. The Emporia girls team took second place with a score of 2,287. The Lady Indians took third place, scoring 2,071 points. Following MHS, the Hayden girls team took fourth place with 1,679 points. On the boys’ side, the MHS team took second place, scoring a total of 2,589 points, and following Washburn Rural’s first place score of 2,598. Emporia scored 2,554 points, taking first place, followed by Hayden, who took fourth with

Alan Brown staff writer At the Manhattan Invite last weekend, the MHS swim team finished second overall, topping 18 other schools, including Wichita Heights, Hays and Washburn Rural. The team finished with 324 points, more than twice as many compared to last year’s total. “I think this meet shows how much we have turned around as a team from last year,” senior Jordan DeLoach said. “I credit the change in results to the hard work we have been doing in the pool and the improved work ethic we have had across the team.” As usual, swimmers Brett Bandy, Jordan DeLoach, Cameron Beauregard, David Woods and Levi Jones performed well. Many swimmers celebrated personal time drops as well. The diving team, which had their meet a day earlier, also had solid results. Evan Olson finished first overall. Nathan Mirts, Carter Nelson and Tre Gilmer also placed highly. “This was a fantastic meet for us,” coach Jerry Carpenter

2,083 points. MHS coach Chris George believes the team is coming along well, and hopes that they are able to turn close tournaments into wins with some more practice. “We’re always making small steps forward; we have a long way to go,” said George. With close scores between On Thursday, the MHS competed in Salina at the Sacred Heart Invitational.

JV wrestling season ends John Rockey staff writer The J.V. wrestling team finished their season last week at Washburn Rural with MHS Varsity and Junction City. “I think a lot of people are

wrestling coach Tim McCarthy said. “But they need to improve their skill set if they want to wrestle at the Varsity level.” Coming this far has left the team more able to handle themselves on the mat. Many

Varsity wrestling results Washburn Rural Triangular MHS 36Washburn Rural 32

Blue Valley Northwest 38MHS 35

Winners

Jase Stone (113) Kian Clemens (120) Dallas Vesta (126) Davis Matthews (145 Derek Forrest (152) Michael Leeper (160) Austin Chauncey (160) Jordan Price (220) excited about how far they’ve improved and they’re still wanting to wrestle after the season is done,” junior Derrek Forrest said. “There’s been lots and lots of improvement on the team and I’m extremely pleased with what they’ve done,”

Jase Stone (113) Kian Clemens (120) Dallas Vesta (126) Davis Matthews (145) Austin Chauncey (160) Michael Forshee (170) Jordan Price (195) of them started on the team for the first time this year and see themselves getting better for the remainder of this season and the next. “There’s been a lot of improvement. All of the freshman have improved,” freshman Ethan Hemmert said.

dians led 38-37 with 2:15 left, but they allowed Washburn to score nine unanswered points to put the game away. “We turned the ball over, we missed an easy shot right under the basket and we blew an assignment on defense and they hit a three,” head coach Tim Brooks said. Last week MHS played without junior Alex Stitt, who is on crutches with a hurt foot. His injury status is day-to-day and he hopes to return today’s game at Topeka West.

Swimming takes second at Manhattan Invite

Bowling makes progress at home meet Danielle Cook staff writer

lowing Holloway to make his historic play on the other end for the win. The win put MHS at 7-7 on the year. “We’re going to use it as a springboard since we were on a three-game losing streak. It was huge for us to get a win at home tonight,” Holloway said after the game. Earlier last week the Indians fourth quarter couldn’t have been any different as they allowed Washburn Rural to rally from behind for a 4540 victory over MHS. The In-

The JV finished overall with 16 matches won to 23 matches lost at Washburn Rural, with a number of people winning most or all of the matches they competed in. Blake Wewer was able to win all three of the matches he competed in, Nick Adams, Esteban Foster and Erick Sanchez each won their two matches and Dalton Jueneman won two out of three matches he competed in. This last Saturday, JV finished third overall with 201.5 points against 6 other teams at Junction City. Those who finished first were Dalton Jueneman, Blake Wewer and Eric Sanchez. Following in second place was Kendrick Riveria, DeShawn Horton, Alex Allen-Vinson and Alan Cain. What remains for a number of the JV is for them to continue to wrestle for the next season or even compete for a spot with their Varsity teammates for the upcoming Centennial League Tournament this Saturday and then the Regional Tournament Feb. 16 in Junction City.

said. “There was great competition, and to finish second was a big accomplishment.” Jordan DeLoach, a swimmer who participated in his final home meet as an Indian last Saturday, was a center of attention for MHS, and for good reason. He made the state cut in two events that day. His relay group, consisting of Bandy, Beauregard, Jones and himself, already qualified for state earlier in the season. After Saturday’s impressive times, he will participate in the 500 and 200 meter freestyle as well. His 200 meter relay team may also qualify if they perform well next week in Topeka. “It was really exciting,” DeLoach said. “I was a little stressed going into this meet as I wanted two cuts in one meet, which is a lot to ask for, but it ended up working out fine.” DeLoach already has planned how he will approach his training schedule. This includes intense speed work, pacing, and quality resting time. He is also looking forward to the crowd noise the State meet will bring. “[There’s a] crowd from

Junior Evan Olsen performs a back flip at the diving portion of the meet last Friday. Olsen’s first place finish helped lift the Indians to a second-place team finish out of 19 teams. Alan Brown, photographer

around 20 teams in one building,” estimated DeLoach. “Things are very intense and loud, but that is why it’s the most fun.” While qualifiers like DeLoach look ahead to the state meet, the team has its eyes set on the Topeka West meet coming up at the end of the week. The meet is expected to be challenging, and coach Carpenter points to tough league competition as the reason why. The meet will

feature rival Washburn Rural once again. “Washburn Rural will be our biggest competition,” Carpenter said. “They are a team that is not only talented, but very deep as well.” The MHS Indians will travel to Topeka West on Feb. 7 and 8 of this week. The diving meet will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday, and the swimming meet will take place 4 p.m. on Friday.

Girls basketball defeats Topeka on homecoming night Tre Fuentes staff writer The Manhattan High Girl’s were the first team called upon Friday Night to play against Topeka High on homecoming night and didn’t disappoint. After losing only their third game of the season in the championship game of the Mid American Classic last week, the girls bounced back against Topeka High in a shootout. The first three quarters were especially close, but the lady Indians proved too hot to handle for the Trojans, and pulled away in the fourth to a 51-36 victory to improve to 11-3 on the season. The Lady Indians easily won the first quarter, putting up the first six points of the game in less than four minutes. The Trojans put up four points the entire quarter. The Trojans found some momentum in the second quarter, scoring 16 points. By halftime the Indians were on top 22-20. The third quarter was where things got fairly interesting. Midway through the third quarter the Trojans knocked down a field goal to give them the first lead of the night. Then, in literally the last second of the third quarter, junior Darby Price hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Indians a four point lead going into the fourth quarter. With that momentum and the homecoming crowd really coming into it, the Lady Indians sprinted away from there. Outscoring the Trojans 19-8 in the fourth quarter, the Indians took complete control of the basketball. Sophomore Caroline Ballard, who was

relatively quiet the first three quarters, scored nine straight points for the Indians in the fourth quarter on her way to 13 points on the night. It was leading scorer Darby Price who also paved way for the Indians victory. Price had 17 points on the night and is also considered to be one of the best rebounders in the Centennial League. “We have so many people on our team that know how to score consistently,” said Price. “If you try to give too much attention to one player, then we have other players that will be open and score. We also get along really well. We have great chemistry and such good friendships

off the court and that kind of success translates well on the court.” Looking ahead, the Manhattan High Girls play Topeka West on Tuesday, and have a tough stretch of games that will follow. Head Coach for the Lady Indians Scott Mall is pleased with their performance so far, but stresses the importance of consistency. “We just need to keep working and getting better,” Mall says. “We are playing well, but there are always things we can get better at. If we just practice and try as hard as I know we are capable of, then hopefully things will go our way.”

Athlete of the Week Tre Fuentes staff writer

Jordan DeLoach This years’ swim team is one of the best in the state, placing second in the last meet out of nineteen teams. One of the key contributors to the Indians’ success is senior Jordan DeLoach. DeLoach placed first at the Manhattan Invitational in the 200 and 500 meter freestyle events. He will also represent MHS at the State meet after meeting qualifying times in those events.

Q: How do you contribute

to the teams success? I try to score as many points for my team as I can. The more points I score helps the teams, which is true for everybody on the team as well.

What are your goals League and State meets? For League we want to

place as high as we can. We just want to beat Hayden and Topeka High because they beat us last year. For State we would like to get as many events as we can to the finals.

Q: How to you prepare for

your meets? We practice really hard, and use a strategy called tapering. Tapering is when you decrease the yardage you do, but maintain your stride. Instead of going all out and being tired at the end of the race, we have enough energy to finish through at a reasonable pace.

Who is your favorite athlete? Missy Franklin

A: Q:

What is your favorite meal before a big swim meet? Lasagna

the MENTOR

Features

5 Feb. 5, 2013

Freezin’ for a reason Kayla Dieker Copy Editor Liz Logback Features Editor

With their eyes set on a higher prize, 13 students took a plunge in freezing waters at Tuttle Creek this past weekend. The “Polar Plunge,” hosted annually, is designed to raise money for Special Olympics. This year, team “Slippery When Wet” raised over $2900 to further awareness of their cause. The 37member team was made up of current and former Manhattan High School students, their families, friends and paraeducators. “[The Polar Plunge] is a good way to remind the community that we’re here and have financial needs,” para and “Slippery When Wet” coordinator Jamie Schnee said. “Slippery When Wet” joined over 260 other participants from the Manhattan community for the fifth year in a row. The condition of the lake varies between no ice, and a ton. “Two years ago the ice was two-feet thick and they had to use a chain saw to break through,” Schnee said. This year, a hole had to be shovelled through the inch-thick ice to make room for

the plungers, but it wasn’t big enough for the team. “There was so many people in our group so when I was going in everyone was leaving, and we were trying not to get trampled on,” senior Maddie Winkler said. Winkler was a first year participant who, despite the cold, enjoyed the plunge. “It’s important because no one likes to fundraise, but this is a great cause and needs to be known. And it’s fun,” Winkler said. Senior Colbi Brooks also participated this year. “It’s a good fundraiser for Special Olympics, it really helps them a lot,” Brooks said. “It’s just fun, everybody should do it. It’s a good experience.” “Slippery When Wet” had the team with the most plungers for the third year in a row. “Each year the number on our team increases,” Schnee said. “I think it’s a huge help that we announce it to the Interpersonal Skills Class. I think the first year we announced it there were only three mentors that came and actually plunged, and last year we had eight, and this year we had 13. So it’s a huge help.”

Team “Slippery When Wet” braves the 33 degree water and plunges to raise money for Special Olympics Kansas. The team raised almost $3000 for the organization. Jordan Morris, photographer

Above: Seniors Emma Miller and Anne Roberson run into Tuttle Creek Feb. 2 for the Polar Plunge. Below: Paraeducator John Smothers uses a waterproof camera to record the Plunge. Jordan Morris, photographer

Exchange creates lifetime bonds

Service dog doubles as friend

Seth Runyan Staff Writer When senior Tyler Hoyt got the news from her parents that a Chinese exchange student was going to live with them for three weeks, she was anything but excited. “It was awkward at first, but then it wasn’t too bad and we got to know each other,” Hoyt said. Her final reaction is exactly what Manhattan High School history teacher and mother Leslie Hoyt was looking for. “My husband and I both thought it would be a good cultural experience for us,” Leslie said. Bai Yatong, known as Sharon, is a 16-year-old student who is living with the Hoyts during her time in America. She wanted to come to America to see the difference in the students’

lives to hers in China. “[In China], we are very busy every day and study. America is different. Students in America can talk and eat in the classroom,” Yatong said. For Leslie, it was very interesting to watch Tyler learning about the Chinese school year. “It’s amazing how much harder these kids work in China and barely see their parents,” Leslie said. Yatong misses her family the most and the Hoyt family are trying to adjust to her being homesick. “We’re trying to keep her constantly busy, like last night, we took her to the grocery store,” Leslie said. Grocery stores are something Yatong has never experienced, with her saying she was amazed by the amount of food in the store. Leslie also pointed out how students in China never really have

downtime while they’re home. “Sharon is used to being at school almost all day,” Leslie said. “When she comes home she just doesn’t know what to do, which is also why we try to keep her busy and Tyler takes her everywhere.” She has even taken Sharon ice skating. At the moment, Yatong’s favorite pastime since she has been in America is watching her favorite show, “Gossip Girl.” With the last week coming to an end to the group’s stay, the Hoyt family do plan to stay in touch with Yatong. “We have really been enjoying her,” Leslie said. “We do really want to keep up when she leaves. She has to go to college in America as well so we’ve been telling her ‘You know you can come to K-State.’”

Kayla Dieker Copy Editor For those with diabetes, uncontrolled high and low blood sugar can lead to serious medical emergencies. Sophomore Brittney Sweitzer keeps control of her levels with the help of her service dog, Bruce. Sweitzer adopted Bruce from a 4 Paws shelter in January 2012 when her family decided it would be the best way to control her blood sugar. She worked with a trainer who is also diabetic with a service dog to self-train Bruce. “[We train] through bonding, like hand feeding,” Sweitzer said. “[Bruce] is pretty smart and focused.” Once the dog knows the owner’s personality and

behavior, it is able to detect when blood sugar is too high or low. B r u c e h a s

even been able to alert friends of Sweitzer who also have diabetes, and Bruce’s trainer’s dog was able to alert

Sweitzer. When she is alerted, she checks her blood sugar and takes the appropriate actions to control it. Sweitzer’s freshmen year, her blood sugar was at a dangerously low level of 33, but Bruce was able to alert her. “Either him or I will carry sugar tablets,” Sweitzer said. Despite having a service dog, Sweitzer’s school day is fairly normal. “We have a schedule of when we go out,” she said. However, at school Sweitzer has to watch her surroundings because Bruce is still young and easily distracted. “People like to pet him and it’s hard to walk around other people,” she said.

Emma Trapp: the loudest girl in the hallway Naomi McClendon Entertainment Editor If you’ve ever seen her in the hallways at school, chances are she probably gave you an enthusiastic “Hello!” And if she’s not at school, chances are she’s in the woods or on the lake shootin’ buck or catching fish. Emma Trapp, a senior at Manhattan High, has a passion for hunting, fishing and making friends. It’s pretty safe to say that she’s famous, amongst her friends and amongst strangers, for her outrageously outgoing personality. “I talk to strangers, I really do,” Trapp said. “They say ‘stranger danger,’ but everybody’s a stranger until you talk to them.” In every situation she’s in, Trapp lets her personality shine -- and during interviews is no exception. “Here comes another stranger,” Trapp exclaimed as a student walked by. “A potential friend.” Trapp attributes her

outgoing personality to her nature. “It’s my lifestyle; it’s just who I am. I try to make a new friendship every day.”

through the hallways and greet person after person by name. Fellow senior Kaitlin Wichmann isn’t close friends

Senior Emma Trapp poses with a deer she hunted.

According to Trapp, making friends isn’t hard. “I know so many people because I’m nice to everybody,” Trapp explained. But unlike most people, Trapp has the ability to stroll

Courtesy photo

with Trapp, but she definitely knows who she is. “She always has this energy and always makes sure to say ‘hi’ to everybody,” Wichmann said. “She walks through the hallways and calls almost

every person she sees by name.” Trapp’s unusual ability for friendliness can also be attributed to her nature. “I basically -- I think I have a photographic memory and an alphabetical dictionary in my head,” Trapp said. “It helps me; I’m good at names and faces.” In one case, Trapp’s outgoing nature to strangers led to a lasting, close, twoyear-long relationship. “My boyfriend -- I just one day started talking to him because he was throwing paper wads at my head,” Trapp explained. “I didn’t even know him, but I just started talking to him, and now he’s my best friend.” While Trapp can almost always be heard at school, when she’s in the woods, that’s not the case. This will be Trapp’s second year deer hunting, which she describes as a challenge, a sport and a necessity for the community. “I really like [hunting] a lot. I took a week off school and work when rife season and hunting season came out.”

According to Trapp, there’s more to hunting than fun and games. “The challenge is having to be quiet,” Trapp said. Being quiet may seem like an unfairly difficult challenge for Trapp. “It’s hard, I guess. I mean, I don’t really talk at all when I’m by myself. It all just depends on who I’m hunting with.” And that’s not the only challenge. “There’s also the shooting,” Trapp explained. “You have to try to stay steady and shoot in the right spot.” In addition to hunting, for four years, Trapp has been fishing in the summer. “I like fishing more than hunting,” Trapp said. “Your heart just starts racing when you feel fish tugging on your line, and it’s just like, oh my god. It’s the thrill of reeling something in.” And that’s not all. Trapp owns a few cattle and is involved with selling, trading and raising them. She also plans on trying out archery and trapping next season. According to Trapp, many

people have misconceptions about the hunting and farming community. “People just think ‘oh my god, you’re killing Bambi, how can you kill an innocent thing.’ They think slaughterhouses are horrible, but they’re not all like that.” According to Trapp, deer often harm farmers’ crops and are severely overpopulated, so hunting is a necessity that most people don’t understand. For Trapp, shooting an animal produces mixed feelings. “When I shot my buck, I was so excited and my adrenaline was running,” Trapp explained. “And you do feel sad, I mean, you just killed a living thing, but you have to realize that it has to be done. And then I feel happy.” Trapp thinks that hunting ties perfectly into her outgoing personality. “I’m intense, and when you get that deer in front of you, hunting gets intense. It’s also overwhelming, just like me,” Trapp said.

the MENTOR

Trending

Valentines day: a love/ hate relationship Well, it’s that season again. Convenience stores trying to sell sappy cards and candy hearts, an overload of flower and jewelry commercials consume TV and dinner restaurants publish special menus for Feb. 14. With some celebrating ‘singles awareness day’ and others looking forward to the romantic gestures from a significant other, Valentine’s Day is a day that is either hated or celebrated. “I just don’t like the holiday. It makes me upset to have one day a year dedicated to romance. If you're in a dedicated relationship that should

happen every single day of the year,” Abby Sarvis said. Sarvis sees nothing special about Feb. 14. Her plans for Valentine’s Day this year are no different than any other day. “I’ll probably be at the school working on forensics,” she said. While she has never been in a relationship on Valentine’s Day, she thinks calling the holiday ‘single’s awareness day’ is even more ridiculous. “I’m not single, I’m available,” she said. Junior Albert Cochrane enjoys doing unique things on Valentine’s Day. “One year, I bought a gerbil,” he said. “We made it a family event and all went to

Scaly Dave’s to get both me and my sister gerbils.” Cochrane doesn’t see much point in Valentine’s Day for older kids. “It was better in elementary school because we had parties and designed boxes,” he said. “Now it’s just about romance so if you're not in a relationship there’s no point.” Cochrane will take a math test on Valentine’s Day but doesn’t have any other big plans. Junior Caroline Sager, on the other hand, has high expectations for the day. “I hope I get a present and go to a nice dinner,” she said. Sager doesn’t see the point in the holiday if you're single. “If you’re not in a relationship [on Valentine’s Day] it Naomi McClendon Entertainment Editor

I LOVE YOU

Graphic by Dheepthi Perumal

lets you know you're alone. It doesn’t mean anything if you’re not with someone,” she said. “Single’s awareness day should be an official holiday. A lot of money could be made off of that,” Sager said. Sager is planning on attending “Safe Haven” with her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day while Sarvis is hoping for a different type of movie. “All the movies that come out around Valentine’s Day are terrible. I want a good cat movie to come out that I can go to,” she said.

Call Me

Hug Me

34.3% of the gifts given on Valentine’s Day are flowers

Liz Logback Features Editor

Valentine's Day Statistics 47.5% of gifts given on Valentine’s day is candy

Feb. 5, 2013

17.3% of gifts given on Valentine’s Day is jewelry

CHOCOLATE

Be Mine

Cutie Pie 6 billion Sweethearts are made every year during Valentine’s season

Statistics from http://www.statisticbrain.com/valentines-day-statistics/

1. 10 Things I Hate About You The classic high school love story. Though it’s not much more than the standard he-said/ she-said teenage movie, “10 Things I Hate About You” is charming, funny and easy to watch. And even if the movie itself wasn’t great, it’s got Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in it, which is certainly enough for me.

Wedding Singer

Adam Sandler plays a love song for Drew Barrymore on his guitar after he chases after her onto a plane. Perfect.

Knocked Up

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

The laugh-out-loud funny story of an unemployed stoner who after a night of mistakes “knocks up” an aspiring business woman. This movie is as good as romcoms get -- it’s raunchy and clever, but still manages to be an adorably sweet romance.

Best Romantic Comedies for Valentine�s Day

Jason Segel is hilarious and Mila Kunis is hot. What more could you ask for?

500 Days of Summer

Graphic by Dheepthi Perumal

The ultimate “indie” romance. Seriously. It has Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, bikes, abstract artistic scenes, a deeply thoughtful soundtrack and a realistic ending. As horrible as it sounds, “500 Days of Summer” is undeniably adorable and extremely well-done.

Courtesy of universalstudiosentertainment.com, imdb.com

Gyms offer exercise options Julianne Harkness Staff Writer In a college town like Manhattan, fitness is a big thing. Manhattan’s proximity to Fort Riley is also a factor. Because of the local fitness craze, there are three commonlyused gyms. “I go to Max Fitness mainly for the fact it’s discounted through my mom’s work,” ju-

nior Mary Ernst said. “They have a variety of equipment and are really friendly. Because of this my family and I have decided to use this gym and are not compelled to try any others. I mean I’ve used the school gym but no other gyms.” According to the Max Fitness website, maxfitnessclubs. com, a membership for this gym costs an average of $50

per month. Price isn’t the only consideration in a gym, though. Equipment, classes and availability also leave different impressions with those seeking a good workout. “I tried Max Fitness, then I went to Anytime Fitness and just liked it better,” junior Reece Wright said. “I actually tried Max Fitness and the gym by Wildcat Fitness in Aggieville. I liked Anytime

Super bowl by the numbers

1.25

4.4 mil-

Fitness better because of their hours. I am able to go work out at 4 a.m. if I so desire. I also found that the Anytime Fitness staff is very friendly, and I mean I pay maybe $55 a month for the gym and it’s so worth it.” According to the Anytime Fitness website, http://anytimef itness.com/ g y m s / 15 76 / m a n h a t t a n - k s 66502, gym memberships cost $40 a month. With this mem-

bership fee you get things like 24-hour access, tanning, personal training and a lot more. Another option that’s a workout place for some MHS students is Curves. “I used Curves for a while back in 2011. If it wasn’t for getting sick of paying the monthly fee I would still be there,” said senior Ariel Reich-Wille. “I loved the fact it was an all women gym. It made me less

self-conscious. I paid maybe $51 a month to be able to work out whenever and be in a strictly female environment. It was amazing and I loved the atmosphere.” According to the curves website, www.curves.com, a fee of $12.95 a week gets exercises, meal plan and coaching. However, Curves is a gym created for specifically females to exercise freely.

Derrek’s Hits and Misses Miss: Parent-teacher conferences

billion chicken wings eaten

lion pizzas ordered

Hit: It was 72 degrees on Monday.

Hit: “Identity Thief” comes out on Friday.

24 million tweets

about the Superbowl

34 minute

Miss: Not many funny Super Bowl commercials this year

power outage in the third

Hit: “Warm Bodies” has a zombie that cusses.

$4 million dol48.1 million viewers

Hit: No school on Friday

lars for a 30 second commercial Miss: We didn’t get a snow day on Wednesday.

Photos courtesy of identitythiefmovie. com, businessweek. com, imdb.com