MHS Mentor Issue 18

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M the MENTOR Feb. 19, 2013

John Riforgiate Staff Writer Six candidates for the position of Manhattan High principal were announced last week, and formal interviews for the job started yesterday. These candidates and their interview schedule are: • Dustin Dick, assistant principal at Topeka Highland Park, yesterday • Angie Messer, assistant principal at Junction City Middle school, today • Greg Hoyt, principal at Eisenhower Middle School, Thursday • Shelly Swayne, principal at Solomon High School, Monday, Feb. 25 • David Holloway, assistant principal at MHS, Tuesday, Feb. 26

• Michael Dorst, assistant principal at MHS, Thursday, Feb. 28 A committee of teachers, staff members and parents will conduct the interviews. As to the personality and goals of our new principal, the hiring committee will be factoring in many ideals. “There is not a specific trait I will be looking for in the candidates,” Ted Dawdy said. “It will be their ability to clearly and concisely explain themselves, their strengths and their goals for our school.” There will be a public meeting from 3:15 to 4 p.m. on each principal candidate’s respective day. Parents, teachers, students and community members are invited to meet the candidates and ask questions.

After a series of applications and interviews, the Interpersonal Skills class released its roster of 26 students for the 2013-2014 school year. The previous weeks saw 52 interviews before the lucky students made the cut. The IPS teachers has something specific in mind for the students selected to participate. “We were looking for those willing to learn about disabilities, people who had time after school, diversity, nice people and kind hearts,” IPS teacher Barb Crooks said. Those who made it see it as a positive opportunity and are ready to get started. “I want to be in it to be helpful and to be a leader. I want to be a positive influence as well as a friend to these students,” junior Jesse Kujawa said. Although the next school

year is still a ways away, many of the new mentors are already thinking of next year and how

“It is a very caring group and a diverse group. We are excited to work with them.” -Crooks they can be productive participants in the class. “To this class I can bring a positive outlook to the mentees and of the mentees, I can bring fun to their lives,” Kujawa said. “It is a very caring group and a diverse group. We are excited to work with them,” Crooks said.

‘39 Steps’ challenges actors

The position of principal will be vacated at the end of this school year when Terry McCarty completes his doctorate and moves on to prepare for a superintendent position. McCarty has been at MHS for 16 years. This change in staff will, of course, bring changes in policy as well. “There will be things about how Mr. McCarty ran things that will be missed and the new principal will have new ideas that really make things better,” Dawdy said. “I will miss being able to pop into his office and talk about anything.” McCarty is enthusiastic about his moving forward, and wishes the best for students and staff at MHS. “Thank you for being such an extraordinary student body,” McCarty said.

IPS determines future class Maddie Ross Trending Co-Editor

Volume 100 issue 18

Manhattan High School, Manhattan, Kan.

Changes in leadership

News

2013 IPS Class: Morgan Dreiling Nick Bandy Pilar Dritz Tyler Belin Kennedy Felice Jacob Biller Madison Fellers Jesse Crawford Sammi Grieger Ethan Fabrizius Aubrey Jung Patrick Guvele Jesse Kujawa Peter Maier Liz Logback Chris Melgares Parfitt McNair Alex Richt Megan Neipert Ethan Schmidt Alaina Schroeder Lane Sorell Phoenix Sparks Wade Stroda Aleise Williams

Jonah Webber

Seniors Alex Tolar and Ilana Budenosky play the framed protagonist, Richard, and German spy Annabella, respectively, in the Hitchcock-spoofing “39 Steps.” For more, see page four and five. Savannah Elcock, photographer

Students win top dollar in art competition Seth Runyan Staff Writer More than 30 hours of work on her first independent piece of art ended up yielding a big reward for junior Emily Andrews. It also earned top dollar for the Beach Museum of Art. Andrews was one of several Manhattan High School artists who took part in a district-wide competition. The fifth annual “Early Expressions” event shows off the artistic abilities of students in the Manhattan area where the best art pieces are chosen to be displayed at Beach museum. Approximately 1,900 pieces were submitted for the competition this year. Andrews won Best of Show. “When I found out I won, I was hoping it was my ring and

it was,” Andrews said. She was still surprised about her win since it is more often a painting or drawing that wins Best of Show. Two other MHS students also brought home awards. Sophomore Peter Sang won the Middle School/High School category and senior Bailey Snyder won the 3-Dimensional category. Sang submitted a ink drawing of a cat and Snyder submitted a sculpture of a dolphin. Sang likes both drawing cats and in ink. “I like how much you can control it and cross-hatching with it,” Sang said. He was genuinely happy when he found out he won a category. “When I found out I won, I was like ‘Oh cool, do I get paid?’” Sang said. Snyder nearly threw her

piece away from all the stress that came out of it. “We had to pick an animal for class. A dolphin seemed like it would be easy but it isn’t,” Snyder said. She was surprised when she found out she won but instantly became sad when she found out it was selling. The winning pieces were displayed at a public reception on Feb. 9 at the Beach Museum of Art for the students and families to witness the artwork being featured. The next day, a fundraising gala was held in the museum where each piece was auctioned off to the public. Andrews’ Ring piece sold for $150 at the auction, Sang’s ink drawing sold for $130 and Snyder’s sculpture sold for $50. Both Sang and Andrews are interested in competing in more art competitions with their newfound success.

Governor supports educational exchanges with China Sarah Shi News Editor

Gov. Sam Brownback met with exchange students from LuHe High School on Feb. 5. These students from Beijing, China, stayed in Manhattan for three weeks to learn more about American culture. As part of the capital tour, the Chinese students were able to learn more about Kansas history and U.S. government. Courtesy photo

Clu b Notes FFA

Three students from Manhattan FFA were among more than 30 students who took part in a poultry judging contest in Linn last week. Junior Wade Stroda was the top placer for MHS, finishing just outside of medal territory in 11th place. As a team, Stroda, junior Megan Lundin and freshman Dawson Beffa placed fourth. “Basically the judging and points are based on impurities and problem that you find in the egg shells, interior and exterior parts on the chicken, carcasses and broiler,” Lundin said. Examples of impurities to look for are feather qualities and marks on the inside of the body. The scorekeepers at

the contest keep track of the impurities that the contestants find and do not find, and contestants gain points for impurities found and lose points for impurities that are not there, but do not lose points for impurities not found. -Derrek Williams

Medical Explorers A trip to Mercy Hospital for the Feb. 7 meeting of the Medical Explorers gave them the chance to learn about and interact with a surgical robot arm. On Feb. 7, in what was the Medical Explorers’ best meeting of the year, Dr. Pauls, a surgical technician, demonstrated the use of a large, three-part robot that costs $1.5 million.

Gov. Sam Brownback recently told 25 Chinese exchange students from LuHe High School in Beijing, China, that the prospects of future Kansas-China education exchanges are “very good” and expanding. The Chinese students, who plan to study at American universities after high school and are spending three weeks at Manhattan High School to learn more about American culture and the U.S. education system, toured the Statehouse and met the governor on Feb. 5. “Fort Hays State University has a very large exchange program right now,” Brownback said. “Now, there are many people from China who are getting their degrees from Fort Hays. I guess the relationships grow, and people travel more and see more.” Brownback encouraged Kansas students to study in China, adding that his son, who is getting a doctoral deRobots of this nature are very precise and greatly reduce risk during surgery. Club members, all dressed up in scrubs, were shown in a very interactive presentation how this robot is used and got to try their hand at a 3-D simulator performed by the robot. Pauls then performed a demonstration where the board game “Operation” was set up in front of the robot and the robot was used to remove the pieces with precision. “I think it was a breath of fresh air that a doctor didn’t just talk, but we all go to experience some really cool technology,” club president Mohana Chakrabarti said. -John Rockey

Scholars Bowl Improving over last year’s performance at the State meet and qualifying for the televised

gree in economics, is looking at future study opportunities in that country. According to the governor’s office, the Kansas State Department of Education has educational exchange programs established with Spain and China. The memorandum of understanding with Spain was executed in 2005 and with China in 2006. The programs allow teachers from those two countries to come to the United States to teach in Kansas classrooms for up to three years. The teachers are hired primarily to teach Spanish, Chinese and English as a second language, but they also may teach other subjects, such as art, mathematics, science and elementary grades. Several dozen Chinese teachers have come to Kansas to teach Chinese since the memorandum of understanding was signed in 2006. There are currently 17 teachers in Kansas as a direct result of the memorandum. Likewise, many Kansas teachers have traveled to

China on trips organized by Hanban, the Chinese ministry of education. The trips have encouraged administrators to offer Chinese language classes in Kansas schools. In 2006, there were only a handful of Kansas school districts teaching Chinese in high school. Today, there are more than 20 districts offering Chinese courses. China also is one of the top five countries for Kansas exports, with more than $642 million in exports to China in 2011. “(Trade) has been growing. It’s taking place now, I think it will in the future,” Brownback said. “You’re seeing now more investment from China in Kansas with Wanda Group that bought the AMC Theatre.” In May 2012, Kansas Citybased AMC Entertainment and Dalian Wanda Group, a Chinese conglomerate, announced a $2.6 billion deal for Wanda Group to acquire AMC’s screens and theaters in the United States and Canada. “There has been more in-

vestment in energy and potentials in manufacturing, particularly aviation,” the governor also said. To help Kansans become more competitive in an increasingly global economy, Brownback said “the state has invested in targeted areas: increasing number of engineering students 50 percent, investing more in veterinary medicine, human medicine and aviation.” Brownback said exchanges such as the one between LuHe and MHS will help strengthen Kansas-China trade. He stressed the importance of relationship building and advised the students to make connections now. “This is a great time to do that. Really reach out for a broad set of experiences,” he said. “It’s a good chance in life to really learn and experience different things that you can use later on.” The visit of LuHe High School students to MHS was

QUEST competition were highlights of the end of the Scholars Bowl team’s season. The Varsity team went to the State tournament on Feb. 9 at Washburn Rural. The team went 3-4 in pool play beating Maize, Hutchinson and Wichita North. Blue Valley ultimately won State. “We were very close in all of our losses with the match coming down to the last question in three [of the matches],” Dawdy said on the loses that prevented the team from advancing further. Working well as a team may have been a factor in the accomplishments the team had this season. “We all get along really well. We are all friends,” senior Austin Canady said. For Dawdy, the team’s accomplishment at State was a season highlight. “Making it back to the State tournament

and improving our position was the biggest accomplishment,” he said. “Placing second in the first ever Centennial League tournament was an accomplishment as well.” Starting the League tournament has been a goal of Dawdy’s for a while, and he hosted the inaugural meet at MHS to make it happen. But for some of the team members, getting into the QUEST tournament at KTWU television was the highlight of the season. This is the fifth consecutive year that an MHS team has made it into the broadcast. “Going to QUEST. [It] was very nice to be able to participate,” senior Nicholas Donohue said. Canady and Donohue, along with seniors Jack Hubler-Dayton and Logan Sutton, junior Hanna Hayden, and sophomore Kyle Weston,

were among 70 Kansas teams who took the qualifying test at Washburn University back in December. They scored in the top 16 to qualify for the TV show and went back in January to tape an episode vs. Wichita Independent. The episode will air on Feb. 24 and March 1 and 2 on KTWU stations. The State meet may have been the last time the seniors participate in a Scholars Bowl competition, unless they decide to participate in something similar in college. “If I have the opportunity [to do it],” Jack Hubler- Dayton said. “I would hope so, definitely [If I have the chance],” Donohue said. Dawdy remained confident that his team members will do well whether they continue in academic competitions or not. “I wish my seniors the best

See Exchange on page 7

See Scholars on page 7


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