131210 Volume 101 Edition 13

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Manhattan High School Volume 101 Issue 13 Dec. 10, 2013

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School Board chooses to end contract with IQ Academy Madeline Marshall Staff Writer The USD 383 Board of Education’s unanimous vote to end Manhattan High’s contract with IQ Academy and several course additions, changes, and removals being proposed at last Wednesday’s meeting will mean some changes in the coming years around the school.

IQ Academy Kansas is an online high school with both full and part time enrollment options. In the past, it has been a way for students to take courses not available at MHS or add extra hours to a student’s school day.

“The contract was coming up for renewal at the end of the month and we would have been locked into another two years if we renewed,”

BoE vice president Leah Fliter said. “The IQ Academy staff wanted more flexibility than what the current company was likely going to offer on renewal. I supported ending the contract but am concerned that it will take a lot of work to start a ‘new’ virtual school. I do think, however, there are some options available through existing online programs at

MHS, so our students won’t be completely without those opportunities.”

Ending this contract will open doors to new opportunities in virtual education in these upcoming years.

“Before another contract is signed, it is always a good time to reevaluate the current programming and decide if we want to continue on with what we are pres-

Beating the rest Drum line wins Battle of the Bands

ently doing or make some changes,” Director of Secondary Education Jeanne Disney said.

“The Board decided not to renew the contract and to explore other options including the possibility of designing our own virtual school,” Disney said. “I am personally very excited about the opportunity the Board has provided us as we look to re-

defining and enhancing our virtual program.”

As far as course changes, many that were proposed were minor.

“The removals were mostly classes that hadn’t been offered for a while. The additions will give students additional choices,” Filter said.

See IQ Academy page 5

FFA student earns 5th place in horse judging Retta Lazaris Staff Writer Last week, FFA members ran with the horses -- or actually, watched the horses as they performed in an arena.

Members go to many competitions throughout the year and this time around they got to experience horse judging.

Junior Stormie Clemens took fifth place in the senior division.

“This is my second year [in FFA],” Clemens said. “I like it.

Last year I wasn’t all that involved, so this year I’ve been trying to go to more competitions, and it’s been fun.”

Aside from FFA, Clemens has shown horses in 4-H competitions ever since seventh grade. Her family currently raises four quarter horses, and Clemens has had years of practice with them.

“I like judging horses; I’ve gotten better at it,” Clemens said. “I’ve had a couple years of experience before this, because I did K-State Horse judging. The K-State equestrian team taught me how to judge horses.”

The FFA members were tasked to judge five different classes: Reining; Hunter Under Hack; Western Pleasure; and two halter classes, either a stock-type gelding and a hunter-type gelding.

See FFA page 5

NHS president implements new fundraisers Manhattan High School’s drum line takes the stage during this years Battle of the Bands. The event took place last Tuesday in Rezac. Turn to page 3 to read more.

Amy Levin, Photographer

Medical Explorers: more than meets the eye Retta Lazaris Staff Writer

Students are educating themselves on the broad spectrum of the medical world by attending and participating in the Medical Explorers club.

Club president and senior, Natalie Dick, is going on her third year as a member, and says Medical Explorers has helped her choose a career path.

“Medical Explorers is a great club, because, as a

sophomore, I was thinking about the medical field, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Dick said. “It gives you more of an idea of what is in the medical field. It’s not just the doctors that you see on ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ It’s not just the doctor that you go to when you’re sick. So I started going to that, and now I’m think about becoming a veterinarian,” Dick said.

The club allows student to explore their options in the medical field. Sponsor Pat Lamb schedules doctors

in all different specialities to come to their meetings and present what they do in their job.

“You also get to learn about a different field that you didn’t know existed. It’s a way that you can interact and ask them questions,” junior Mai Mizuno said.

Mizuno has been a part of Medical Explorers through her entire high school career thus far, and is now both the Vice President of Volunteer Services and Historian for the club.

“I love Medical Explorers, and that’s partially why I became an officer,” Mizuno said. “I mean, when you watch TV and stuff, you get this like idea about doctors that is not always correct.

And so, if you want to know about the reality of a doctor’s life -- you know to get a better idea of what you want to do in the future, or you don’t want to do that in the future -- then going to a Medical Explorers meeting is good.”

Tracy Le Graphics Editor Senior Marley Evans has been part of Manhattan High’s National Honors Society for two years and this year, she is the group’s president.

"It was an election [for president] so I'm really glad I won that,” Evans said. “I really wanted to make some changes.

Some changes didn't quite happen this semester but now I have a good idea of what needs to changed and how it can be changed."

Evans still has many ideas to help make NHS better. They have had bake sales and chocolate bar sales so far and already Evans and the group have come up with two new fundraiser ideas, one of those being a prom-related fashion show they plan on having this spring. The other is a water bottle sale that has already began to take place.

"I'm on the Manhattan Marlins swim team and we did it as a fundraiser and it went well. I think it's cool and everybody liked it [the idea],” Evans said. NHS started selling water bottles last week during lunch.

"It's for a good cause and I think they [the water bottles]

See Medical Explorers page 5 See NHS page 5

Scholars Bowl places 11 Student wins T shirt in trigonometry competition

Senior Hanna Hayden, sophomores; Sterling Edgar, Joshua Schwartz and junior Benjamin Lindsey pose after their Scholars Bowl meet. The team was missing two players, Kyle Weston junior and Luke Wuri, but still managed to pull through.

“We scored 1280 points which is very good without those two,” assistant coach Tim Ekart said. “We placed 11th overall in 6A schools.”

Courtesy Photo

FCCLA hosts Santa’s Helpers Rachel Beach Staff Writer A fun-filled busy day. Children from all around Manhattan congregated at Manhattan High on Saturday, Dec. 7 for FCCLA’s fundraiser -- Santa’s Workshop.

Several members of MHS’s FCCLA club watched the kids while their parents went out and did some gift shopping. The event was held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., which allowed the parents plenty of time to seek out the

perfect holiday gifts for their children.

With a fee of just $5 per hour, FCCLA’s fundraiser was still successful in raising money to help them travel to their National competition that will be held this summer. The fundraiser received a good turnout and allowed several families to purchase gifts.

“We didn’t have the number of kids we had anticipated,” FCCLA advisor Hiede Rippert said, “But we hope to expand the fundraiser

next year.”

Children who were left in the care of the members of FCCLA participated in crafts and received snacks throughout the time period they were at MHS. From Christmas themed crafting to making and decorating Christmas cookies, the kids had plenty to do.

“It was fun,” junior Shay Hubble said. “The kids were all excited to be there and their parents all seemed to appreciate the time they got to go shopping.”

Laura Sapp, Manhattan High School Trigonometry teacher, presents a T-shirt that senior Parfitt McNair designed. Students of Dedra Braxmeyer and Sapp had a competition using Trigonometry functions to create a T-shirt.“It was fun and purposeful at the same time,” Braxmeyer said.

A grand champion was chosen between both classes based on creativity and accuracy with the functions.

“The competition brought out creativity with students and helped them review for the chapter,” Sapp said.

Dheepthi Perumal, Photographer

Opinion The Mentor www.mhsmentor.com Page 2

Christmas at school Question of the Week: respectful to all?

What big plans d o yo u have for the last m on th of 2013?

The editorial is a compilation from a discussion held by the Editorial board.

We have found the issue that divides the staff.

Normally our round table discussions on editorial topics end in a majority rule, but this week the topic of Christmas in the public school system left us in two.

The dividing factor was determining the line of what was and was not offensive.

While many of us agreed it’s wrong to ignore other’s feelings and actively offend someone, the question was raised, how far do we go to insure no one is offended?

Some of the editorial board was on the far edge of the spectrum and felt that Christmas should in no way be brought into the public school system. Despite the fact that a majority of the school celebrates Christmas,

it is not worth risking the feelings of those who don’t.

If playing Christmas music in the classroom offends even just one student, the teacher should not play the music.

The society around us has made it feel like everyone in the United States is Christian and celebrates Christmas. The other holidays are ignored and desensitized.

Many cultures and religious groups outside of Christianity have adapted to the largely celebrated Christmas so their beliefs should not be in jeopardy in their schooling environment. Instead, the minority should be looked out for and extra caution should be taken to insure they do not experience discrimination.

The opposing viewpoint among the editorial board agreed with some of those points, yet didn’t feel it was necessary to take such ex-

treme measures in protecting everyone’s feelings. There is always going to be something that offends another in the community. While it is important to be respectful of all beliefs, is it really necessary to eliminate Christmas from the public school system all together? The question was raised, what if one finds it offensive that Christmas is not present in their school? If the minority is so minute that it only affects a few people, measures like eliminating Christmas celebrations and decorations from the public school system all together is too extreme.

In the end, we all agreed that being respectful is the most important thing. Students’ feelings should be taken into consideration when hanging decorations or playing Christmas music.

Deck the halls with holiday spirit Allison Olsen

‘Tis the season to be jolly -- or so they say -- but what does “holiday cheer� really mean?

The month of the turkey has come to an end. The stuffed turkeys and the plastic pilgrim figurines go back into the closet to make room for winter holiday decorations.

December is my absolute favorite month. Secretly (maybe not so secretly), I’m a really cheesy person. This month gives me an excuse to go out of my way and overload on holiday spirit.

I have been listening to holiday music since September. I make yearly playlists on my iPod (my favorite album is Michael Buble’s “Christmas�). I will proudly admit that I get ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas� movie times texted straight to

my phone. I watch “A Christ- through every aspect of Demas Story,� “Home Alone� cember is my favorite thing and “Elf� over and over. You in the world. I see people at could say that I’m a Christ- the mall picking names off of mas fanatic. the tree to send gifts to peoI have loads of ple who can’t afford them sweaters hanging in for their families. The my closet waiting Flint Hills Breadbasket to be worn in the does its annual Holiday wintery weather.

Food and Fund drive My lights are to help feed the hungry up at my house over the holidays. and I even set It doesn’t even up a miniahave to be feedture tree in ing the hungry. I’m my room with just saying that a a string of lights little smile goes a long and hanging snowway. We need to fill our flakes around halls with happiness my bed. this December. You The smell don’t even have to of pine and vacelebrate Christmas nilla candles to spread holiday waft through cheer. We just have my house during to remember what Illustration by this time of year. I the holidays are all scour Pinterest to find "MMJTPO 0MTFO about. all of the best holiday As Buddy the elf cookie recipes. says, “The best way As much as I love all of to spread Christmas cheer, is those things, nothing can singing loud for all to hear.� beat how much I enjoy the So I encourage you, put a fact that for one month ev- little holiday magic into everyone seems to actually eryone’s day and do someget along. Whether you cel- thing nice for someone. ebrate Christmas or not, the Let the season of pepperfact that holiday cheer runs mint begin!

“Find time to sleep.�

- Madi Fellers, senior

“Surviving.�

- Diana Chilton, junior

Next edition’s Question of the Week:

What’s on yo ur wish list?

Submit answers to mhsmentor.

Senior re-evaluates ‘dreaming big’ Sarah Shi

Cigarette smoke chokes my lungs and the city pollution fogs everything beyond the skyscrapers, even at night. I am five years old in Beijing, China.

After dinner my dad walks ahead with another businessman, the same man we just shared our Peking Duck with, while I hold hands with my mom -- until we see another mother and daughter.

This little girl digs through the trashcan for dinner while her mother, dressed in thin, dirtied rags, looks on from her blanket and then joins her. The corners of my eyes droop in sorrow; I stop, then tug on my mom’s arm for money. I place 20 yuan on their blanket and leave just before I turn my head and see the mother’s face -- an

expression of gratitude that stills stares back at me a dozen years later.

My parents told me if I didn’t want a life like that mother then my education would be my life. “If you work hard and go to a good college, you can take care of yourself,� they said.

While it’s extreme to compare my future life to the homeless, if my bachelor’s degree comes from other than Princeton, Harvard or Yale, the advice speaks truth. The probability my future will mimic Bill Gates’ or Mark Zuckerburg’s adds to one percent of one percent – I still need a college degree, preferably one from the top five universities.

However, my commitment to academics has faltered no doubt, with my decisions to spend hours in the journalism room, join extracurricular clubs, and meet up with friends on the rare occasions my parents grudgingly allow (I don’t have a “tiger mother� at home, but the core values still apply.)

I once viewed my place in

society as one who follows the rules, excel at one thing, and find my place in the assembly line. “Be practical,� my parents said. I held back from harboring post-high school and college dreams because I was afraid of what people would say, afraid of looking like an idiot. I think that part rings true if you don’t take practical steps along the way, but now I don’t see anything wrong with dreaming big.

I think us teenagers fall on one of two sides: we believe we’re not good enough to do great things or we think life’s successes will be handed over to us. I’ve been on both sides.

I owe it to senior year – months of college information sessions and tours – to realize that once I leave I’ll take my first steps toward my dreams and no professor will give me an A for participation along the way. I still vouch for a strong education foundation, but after that, I’ll reach for the stars because no one is going to hand them to me.

Referee rules need to change Alan Brown

“The refs cost us the game!�

How many times has a questionable call by the referees ultimately determined the outcome of the game?

Hits and penalties that are seen as clearly legal on high definition replay can be interpreted as illegal on the football field. Often, calls that are clearly incorrect, such as pass interference penalties, cannot be corrected. The obvious question arises: why not?

Just this Sunday, a questionable pass interference call on a defender for the Cleveland Browns against a New England receiver

ultimately handed a gamewinning touchdown to the Patriots. According to the announcers, who saw the instant replay, the outcome was a “terrible call.� Earlier this year, a defender from the University of Alabama was called for targeting by an official on the field. When reviewed as to whether or not he should be removed from the game, it was concluded that the hit was not targeting after all, but by rule the 15yard penalty would still be enforced.

Mistakes by referees should not determine an outcome of a game, and a change must be made to avoid these incidents. Why a plausible solution has not been put forth by the NCAA or NFL is puzzling.

Is it that referees are just so high and mighty that they must get the last word, regardless of what is the correct call? Perhaps they fear

the need to review every questionable penalty would significantly slow down game play.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick brought forth an interesting proposal during one of his recent press conferences to help solve this problem.

Why not keep the old rules, but allow coaches to use their challenges against any penalty they choose? This would keep reviewing of penalties at a minimum due to a limited number of challenges, but would ensure that penalties in critical situations could be reviewed and made correct.

Belichick’s reasoning makes sense, and he even goes so far as to suggest challenging should be open to all plays. Officiating crews would be wise to listen because the system in place simply isn’t working. It’s time for some change.

The Mentor EDITORS:

Liz Logback, Editor-in-Chief/Trending

Maddie Ross, News Editor Sarah Shi, Opinions/Content Editor Dheepthi Perumal, Entertainment Editor Nick Bandy, Sports Editor Michael Melgares, Assistant Sports Editor Connor Bliss, Features Editor Kennedy Felice; Danielle Cook, Copy Editors Alan Brown, Multimedia Editor Tracy Le, Graphic Designer Allison Olsen, Photo Editor

STAFF WRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS: Matt Bandy Kristen Batson Rachel Beach Gage Benne Chris Klug Retta Lazaris Madeline Marshall Madison Newman

CIRCULATION: Kristyn Baker David Clinkinbeard Karl Drown Patrick Falcone Vincent Goss Karl Harmon Jordan Hatley Colten Kirk

Josh Kohls Kasey Morris Mallory Morris Megan Ritthisorn Jeremy Romig Zane Smith Austin Tatum

OTHER:

Jerry Sextro, Business Manager Kristy Nyp, Adviser Eric and Lisa Ross, Caterers Pam Stokes, Photographer

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.

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Entertainment The Mentor www.mhsmentor.com Page 3

Battle of the Bands: small audience, big performance Maddie Ross News Editor Despite the small crowd, Rezac Auditorium was still filled with energy as four bands strummed, drummed and sang in pursuit of first place in this year’s Battle of the Bands competition.

“The show was a lot of fun to play,” senior and E.R. band member Lukas Hugunin said. “We had fun up there. The lights were really well done. The sound was good.”

The four bands that competed were E.R., The Hollow Earth, Toad and the Tundra and the Big Blue marching band drumline. In the end the Drumline came out on top with the coveted first place title.

“It is very exciting,” junior drumline member Danny Aramouni said. “We were not expecting it at all. We had only practiced three times.”

As the battle began students made their way to the front of the auditorium, right up to the stage.

“It was so fun, everyone

went up to the stage,” senior Oscar Serrate said. “It was cool seeing the bands put it all out there, and be a part of it.”

“To be honest, I feel the audience really enjoyed it,” Hugunin said. “My favorite part of playing in a band is the enjoyment I can give to the audience members and how much fun that my band members get to have by playing. The music is definitely an integral part to that. However, the music is only fun if everyone else is having fun.”

Each band played around three to four songs, some original and some covers of famous songs. The performances were judged by guests from one of the event’s sponsors Sisters of Sound.

After all the bands had taken the stage, the judges tabulated the scores and the results were announced.

“I must say I was a bit disappointed with how the overall outcome went but I mean with the drumline winning props to them,” Hugunin said. “Their sound was good, and I imagine that they put

on a good performance worthy of their position.”

“It was very fun. I would love to do more things with small percussion ensembles,” Aramouni said. “I think it shows us as percussionists that we can play percussion ensemble music, and people will enjoy it.”

In the end it was a rewarding experience for all the bands.

“Sure we would have liked to have placed higher but it doesn’t necessarily befall us, it doesn’t cause us to give up,” Hugunin said. “It is what it is and you have to keep on truckin.’”

Right: The Hollow Earth performs single that they wrote themselves. The group is made up of all sophomores that attend Manhattan High School.

Photographer Thom Billam

Right: The band E.R. suits up to perform at the annual Battle of the Bands. E.R. started the night off, playing from three albums.

Bottom: Lead singer junior Noah Schnee, of Toad and the Tundra sings in a two man band. The two juniors also wanted to try out for Battle of the Bands.

Photographer Thom Billam

Fine arts credits a controversial topic Kristen Batson Staff Writer Fine arts credits as a college requirement has become somewhat of a controversial topic. Some people argue that there are very few career paths it will lead to, but ceramics teacher Sara Rempel has taken a different stance.

Rempel found her passion for ceramics in high school and then went on to major in art in college focusing on ceramics. She and her husband traveled around the US going to various arts and crafts shows displaying their work for 20 years.

“I was very shy at that time and when you put your work out for the public to see

it’s really scary. I got over my the same. You have to think shyness and was able to You include the viewer and you think see the culture all over the ‘this isn’t just for me, someone is going country in different areas,” to see it’ and then you can talk about it Rempel said. with people.” -Rempel With math you have to memorize how to do it and with art it isn’t always about what you’re doing,” she

“

said. “You include the viewer and you think ‘this isn’t just for me, someone is going to see it’ and then you can talk about it with people. It’s really good for communication and critical thinking and also just expressing yourself.”

She feels that whether or not you pursue a career involving an art form, the classes offer students more

than just skill.

Currently, she is entering pieces created by students at Manhattan High to the Free Expressions art contest.

Early Expressions is an art competition and exhibition of works completed by students in USD 383. The works are displayed at Kansas State University’s Beach Museum of Art.

Chamber choir carols in the cold Madeline Marshall Staff Writer

At the annual Christmas tree lighting in Triangle Park, Manhattan High School Chamber Choir sings around the tree. The group of students’ repertoire included Christmas carols. Chamber Choir performed along side the Mayor’s Lighted Holiday parade that was happening at the same time.

Photographer Madeline Marshall

Friday night, the Manhattan High Chamber Choir bundled up and caroled at the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Triangle Park.

Their repertoire included classic Christmas carols, all of which were sung next to the unlit tree as parade floats passed by.

“I couldn’t feel my fingers or feet, but despite the cold, caroling was really fun,” sophomore choir member Emma Galitzer said.

“I thought it was really fun. My hands were frozen, but other than that it went well,” junior Levi Jones said.

Even in the face of belowfreezing temperatures, the students enjoyed the impromptu performance.

“It’s a big community

event and I think that just going out and showing the community what we do was is a really big deal,” Jones said.

“It’s also great for community service and really just helping everyone to just get into the holiday spirit,” Jones said.

Many parade-goers wandered by, most of whom stopped to listen. As the parade ended, Triangle Park was filled to the brim.

“I think the crowd enjoyed it, we sung before the mayor lit the holiday tree so that made the people stay and listen, even though it was so cold. They were drawn to us after the parade and the music made them stay,” Galitzer said. “It was a great bonding experience for the choir. The fact that we were huddled up like penguins certainly helped.”

Sports The Mentor www.mhsmentor.com Page 4

Down goes Derby Stitt leads boys’ high-powered offense in dominating win Nick Bandy Sports Editor Until last Friday, the Manhattan-Derby rivalry has been pretty one-sided. Derby beat the boys basketball team three times last year, including an end of the season win in SubState, and its football team recently ended the Indians’ season.

But the first basketball game of this season couldn’t

have been any different. Under a large and loud home crowd, MHS dominated from the first minute as they led the whole game and won 80-63.

“We played as a team and we did what coach wanted us to do and just got the job done,” sophomore Gabe Aubrey said.

Aubrey and junior Pierson McAtee were both first-time starters, along with return-

ing junior Peyton Stephens and seniors Winston Dimel and Alex Stitt.

“I worked hard in the summer and in practice,” Aubrey said.

Aubrey made the only three pointer of the game for MHS, as the Indians had no problem getting the ball close to the basket for easy layups.

“It felt good, it was good to get the first one out of the

way,” Aubrey said.

Stitt led the way for the Indians, scoring 27 points on 8-for-11 shooting and not missing a single free throw.

He was also the Indian’s key to breaking the Derby fullcourt press as he used his ball handling and speed to get past defenders and make layups, or set up his teammates for easy shots.

“We realized their mismatches and we pounded

them inside,” Stitt said.

Stephens did most of the inside pounding as he put up 25 points, almost all in the paint and including one dunk. He pulled down rebounds and the smaller Derby players had little effect on him when he got the ball and decided to take it to the basket.

Despite scoring 80 points, more than the Indians scored in any game last year, they

still found things to work on after the game. They committed 16 turnovers and allowed more points than they would have liked.

“We need to work on our defense. Allowing 63 points isn’t very good,” Stitt said.

Their next game is this Friday at Dodge City.

Defense, free throws help girls in close victory Michael Melgares Assistant Sports Editor With 45 total fouls in the game, the Manhattan High Lady Indians’ match up against Derby Friday night quickly became a test of depth for both teams.

“Defensively, we need to defend without fouling,” head coach Scott Mall said.

The Indians were forced to bench two of their top players, Caroline Ballard and Darby Price, due to foul trouble late in the first half. However, behind eight points from juniors Savannah Roberts and Savannah Thaemert, and help off the bench from juniors Amara Ehie and Kylie James, as well as senior Erika Hairgrove, the Indians were able to edge the Panthers 53-47.

“I thought that (help from the bench players) was a big key in the game,” Mall said.

“Every girl that came in off our bench did a great job.”

The game went back and forth for the first three quarters with neither team having a clear advantage over the other. This was the case until a momentum swing came early in the fourth from off the bench. Ehie stepped up

with six consecutive points to spark the Indians’ past the neck-and-neck trend that had manifested itself throughout the game. Ehie would finish with a team-high 13 points.

At that point, it was evident that the Indians had the upper-hand.

Starting the season off with a victory is rewarding for Mall.

“It tends to validate some of the work you’ve done,” Mall said. “We didn’t play as well as we would’ve liked to Friday, but still it kind of gives you a little reward for the work that you’ve done.”

While the Indians’ performance on the offensive end of the floor was sub-par, shooting 38 percent from the field, it was the team’s lockdown defense that helped the Indians hold off Derby for the win. The Indians held Derby’s star player, 6-foot-1 Grace Mitchell, to 14 points despite having two of their best post defenders in foul trouble.

The team will hit the road next Friday night to play Dodge City, before taking on Great Bend the next day in what will be the team’s first two road games.

Athlete of the week Junior Amara Ehie Ehie led the team in scoring with 13 points. She scored six straight points in the fourth quarter and secured their victory.

Junior Caroline Ballard prepares to shoot a three-point shot over a Derby defender. Ballard’s key free throws helped the Indians get a six-point victory.

Michael Melgares, photographer

Swim team starts with second-place finish Madison Newman Staff Writer The Manhattan High swim team brought home second place from their season opening meet at Topeka on Wednesday. The team scored 100 points behind Washburn.

“We did really good for our first swim meet. The new guys were a bit worried but we pulled through well,” Xavier Hayden, junior, said.

“We did really good. Better than I thought we would, actually,” Paul Wichman, MHS senior said. “Topeka’s pool and equipment was really nice, too.”

This year’s team has fewer members than recent years, which presents some problems.

“Our team is small this year, like 20-some people, which can have its drawbacks, because we can only

enter certain events and races,” Wichmann said.

The organization of the swimming team allows members to compete in areas that they excel in.

“I personally like the

“

yard, 100-yard freestyle, and the 200-yard relay,” Grenier said.

Grenier, an exchange student, is enjoying swimming so far.

“I like the swim team.

Everyone did a good job and a lot of people were surprised with their times.” - Hayden breast stroke. I competed in the 200 breaststroke relay, I swam the 100 freestyle relay, the 150 freestyle relay, the 200 breaststroke relay and the 400 free relay,” Wichmann said.

Senior Andy Grenier is on this year’s team and competed at the first meet.

“I personally did the 50

It can be intense,” he said.

“I prefer the dry land, you know doing push ups and things like that, because we get out of practice earlier.”

Hayden also has some reasons for liking swimming beyond the competition.

“I like swimming because you don’t get all sweaty like other sports, so that’s good

-- and you can eat a lot,” he said.

A lot of people know Hayden from the swim team due to his many years on the team, and his capability.

“I take that with a grain of salt,” he said. “Everyone always has room for improvements. Everyone did a good job and a lot of people were surprised with their times.

We pulled through and encouraged each other to do well.”

The team’s next meet will be against Lawrence High and Lawrence Free State tomorrow at Kansas State University’s Natatorium.

Hayden hopes the next meet will go at least as well as the first one.

“I expect better for relay and tech skills because we haven’t really covered that much,” he said. “I expect overall improvement.”

Wrestling takes eighth against tough competition Nick Bandy Sports Editor The Manhattan High wrestling team began their season with an eighth-place finish out of the 15 teams at the Gardner-Edgerton invitational on Saturday.

“It’s the toughest one-day tournament in Kansas,” head coach Robert Gonzales said.

Five out of the 12 wrestlers that MHS took medaled.

Freshman Mason Wallace, who is currently ranked third in Kansas class 6A, took fourth. Seniors Kian Clemens and Michael Leeper also took fourth after having a 4-1 record on the day. Junior Anthony Renteria took sixth.

“We did decent. We were in the top three to four teams in Kansas,” senior Austin Chauncey said.

Chauncey had the best finish on the team as he took second after losing in the fi-

nal match. He also had the most exciting match of the day. The three regular periods and three overtimes were not enough to decide the match. The match then went to sudden victory, where each competitor has 30 seconds to either escape or take down their opponent. Chauncey lost in sudden victory.

Gonzales thought the team’s eighth-place finish was good considering the competition. The meet included top-ranked teams from Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

The team immediately searched for ways to improve after the meet.

“We can improve by not giving escapes while on top and taking advantage of opportunities,” Chauncey said.

The Indians’ next meet is a dual meet this Friday against Emporia.

Features The Mentor

www.mhsmentor.com page 5

Students of the Month recognized Senior Marley Evans- December Optimist student Q: What do you think sets you apart from other students?

A: “I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to excel and I try to take advantage of them. I have very high expectations of myself.”

Q: What activities are you involved in?

A: “I swim with the Manhattan Marlins year round and on the MHS swim team in the spring, I’m the president of NHS and I’m in AFS.”

Peter Maier- November Rotary student Q: Is it difficult to balance academics, sports, and your social life?

A: “It can be stressful at times but if you set your priorities then it’s easy to balance things out. Sometimes sports can take over social life and academics but I need to get back on track”.

Q: What encourages you?

A: “Having a good group of friends to fall back on in times when I need someone to fall back on”.

Q: Who’s your role model?

Patrick Guvele- December Optimist student Q: What do you think sets you apart from other students?

A:“Community service. I like to do stuff for my church and academics are really important”.

Q: Who’s your role model?

A: “My mom because she works so hard. She’s getting her Master’s in Human Health with emphasis on infectious disease. I come home and she’s sitting at the computer studying and she’s been there for hours. She always says ‘you have to study to do well in life’ and she’s definitely a role model for working hard.”

Alaina Schroeder- November Rotary student Q: What do you think sets you apart from other students?

A: “I’m pretty outgoing and I like talking to people. I also play sports but so does everyone else.”

Q: What encourages you?

A: “People around me doing well, when I see them doing well it makes me want to, and my parents, obviously.”

Q: Who’s your role model?

A: “My grandpa. He’s the funniest person I know and he cares about everyone. I just want to be him but in a female version.”

A: “Tim Tebow because of his positive influence on people’s lives even though he puts up with a lot of stuff, he’s just a good model for me to want to live my life like”.

Marching band closes season

Above: Senior drum major Joe Haug directs the Manhattan High Marching band. Right: Danny Aramouni performs with the percussion pit. The concert marked the end of the band’s season and they played school songs and their festival show. Awards were handed out during the concert for most improved band members, the “Big Blue” award, and section of the year.

Danielle Cook, photographer From Medical Explorers page 1 And sometimes, students will find out that the medical field isn’t their calling.

“I did [want to be in the medical field], but after I joined Medical Explorers I changed my mind, because it just wasn’t right for me,” Mizuno said. “Even if you’re not interested in being in Medical Explorers, it’s a great way to get a better idea of what you want.

This spring should be a very active one for the club.

The students plan to coordinate a visit to the K-State veterinary clinic to tour and learn about a veterinarian’s daily life.

The club may also have some volunteer work up ahead.

“We’ve also tried in the past to do volunteer work,” junior Daniel Aramouni said. “A lot of the time, it hasn’t work out as well as we’ve hoped.”

“We’ve cleaned up hospital land before. We may do that again in the spring,” Aramouni said.

And on top of that, Dick claimed they may be able to see a real Cadavers.

“It’s kind of like dissecting a cat in anatomy, but its a human,” Dick said. “I’m actually really excited for that.

I just think that stuff is really interesting.”

From FFA page 1 “Reigning is basically where the horse is running fast, and doing a pattern.

And you have a pattern that you’re looking off of, and you have to make sure they are doing the pattern correctly,” Clemens said.

“And then, Hunter Under Saddle (Hack) is a type of English equestrian, and it’s basically like Western Pleasure, where they just ride on the edge of the fence. They do a walk, trot and a canter [a controlled, three-beat rhythm in the horse’s trot.]”

There are two other categories, as well.

“Western Pleasure is the same thing, only it’s walk, jog and a lope [a slower, and more challenging pace of running],” she said. “And then for the Halter classes; they have four horses, and each person brings a horse in, and there’s just this huge group of kids. We’re all standing around getting different views of them, and judging them, like their body conformation (how they look) and their balance.”

When all of the members had completed their task, they were asked to write out oral reasonings.

“You place the four horses from best to worst, then you give judges your oral reasonings,” Clemens said. “Oral reasonings are where you write why you placed them

that way, and then you have to give it in front of the judge.

And you only have 10 minutes to get it all together.”

Though she pulled through, Clemens had her doubts about the competition.

“And I thought I did terrible,” Clemens said, “Like I messed up right in the middle of my reasonings, but apparently I didn’t.”

The members were split into two teams: the Greenhand (first-year members) and Senior. The Greenhand team placed fifth with; the Senior team placed sixth.

Bella Petri, Brendon Kinsley and sophomore Tanner Sanders scored 786 points for the Greenhand team. Clemens, junior John Crowder, and senior Natalie Dick scored a combined total of 866 points for the Senior division.

“Well, horses are a tough category to judge. I’ve spent five years just to get where I am with horses right now,” Clemens said. “So, I think they all did pretty good since a lot of them hadn’t judged horses before.”

Clemens mostly works with horses because it’s fun.

“And it was just a blast having a group of kids, like actually a large group of FFA kids come to judge horses…,” Clemens said. “So, it was a fun day.”

From NHS page 1 are really cool,” Evans said.

The water bottles will continue to sell for a while and can be purchased for $12.50 each in the nurse’s room and possibly during MHS basketball games.

"We are fundraising for National Honors Society,” school nurse and NHS sponsor Robin Smith said, “and our goal is to be able to provide some type of assistance for a family in need here at Manhattan High School and also scholarships for National Honors Society members who are going to be going to college. I think it is important for the students to have a purpose to fundraising and I think it makes it more meaningful when students know that we’re going to actually help a family.”

From IQ Academy page 1 One of the newest proposals is for a Science Olympiad class, making the currently extracurricular program open as a class as well. While this may help some students fit it into their busy schedules, many students already have fully-loaded schedules.

“I won’t be able to take part in the class next year, because I don’t have any open electives. Luckily I can still take part in the program if I don’t take the class,” junior Krista Dix said.

AFS embarks on trip despite cold Sarah Shi Opinions Editor The cold weather didn’t hinder the foreign exchange students from spending Saturday outside in Kansas City.

The American Field Service students, along with a few host families, left in the cold at 8 a.m. from the high school and made their way to shop at Legends, then Crown Center to ice skate, and the Kansas City Plaza to see the lights.

For junior Tahir Gadimov, he enjoyed the Kansas City trip for multiple reasons.

“I loved it. First, I got to hang out with friends. Second, I got to go on a road trip with friends. Third, the shopping sales. Fourth, there was a huge ice skating rink,” Gadimov said. “We should organize more of these where a lot of people are involved.”

Junior Silvan Plattner agreed, but added that he Danielle Cook Copy Editor Thursday night Rezac Auditorium, nearly all of its seats occupied, buzzed with the chatter of concertgoers anticipating the show to come. From the moment Manhattan High’s Big Blue Marching Band was all set up onstage, it had the audience’s eager attention.

This annual indoor marching band concert is called “Turf Tunes,” the songs the band played including songs from its routine pre-game and festival halftime shows.

Also performing with the band, as usual, were the MHS color guard and twirlers.

However, not everything about this year’s performance was as usual. At this year’s show, gift baskets were raffled off to members of the audience, the profits from the sale of raffle tickets to be used to support the Big Blue Marching Band in fu-

was a bit disappointed that he didn’t have a chance to meet the mall Santa.

“My favorite part was ice skating. We tried to race each other,” he said. “I missed Santa, though, because the line was so long.”

Eric Ross, a host parent to Ana Dominguez, also traveled with the foreign exchange group.

“It was a nice opportunity to get out of town to hang out and do something fun. AFS families hosts were invited so we just went as a family,” he said. “Ana said it was ‘very cold’.”

Senior Amy Levin, although not a foreign exchange, went along with the group to shop and ice skate.

“I liked ice skating. It was fun and we bonded well. At Legends I followed Ana and Maddie and we shopped at Forever 21. After that we followed Tahir into Tommy Hilfiger,” Levin said. “It was just so cold outside.” ture endeavors. According to senior Mary Matthews, the raffle tickets were almost as much of a hit as the music.

“It [the raffle] was something new this year, and the crowd really enjoyed it. That was fun, and I think they enjoyed the performance, as well,” Matthews said.

The audience weren’t the only ones who enjoy the marching band’s final event of the season; members of the band, color guard and the twirlers shared in the fun of the concert, celebrating a season of great musical accomplishment.

“I always look forward to it because it’s kind of a ‘last hoorah’ for a great season,” junior Justin Gittle said. “It was really fun this year because we did a fun show that earned a one at our marching festival, and played even better at the concert.”

Trending The Mentor www.mhsmentor.com page 6

The very best of

Manhattan Vote for your favorites in each category by writing in the name of a business located in Manhattan, and submit your responses in the main office by noon on Dec. 16, or send an email to mhsmentor@gmail.com to be entered into a drawing for Chipotle gift cards.

Liz Logback Editor-in-Chief Manhattan is your town, students. And we want to know what you enjoy about it.

We have attached a form so you can share your opinion with us.

Where do you like to eat? What is your favorite place to hang out? What is the best place to buy a prom dress?

Junior Isaiah Koppes already let us in on his favorite lunch place.

“Jimmy Johns is absolutely my favorite lunch location. They make great sandwiches. I head there three to seven times a week, at which I order from a variety of items, including the delicious Pepe, the BIG JOHN, or if I am feeling risky, I order the

Billy Club,” Koppes said.

He also recognizes the value in supporting local places.

“I work at a local business, Manhattan Running Company, ergo of course I support them,” Koppes said.

Junior Reid Beer enjoys Golden Wok buffet for his lunch outings.

“The people there are wonderful, to the part of remembering my drink. The food is great, and I especially enjoy the noodle bar. I spend my money at the Golden Wok,” Beer said.

Take the time to fill out the form and give us the inside scoop on the best locations in town (and in case that isn’t enough, we will enter your name into a drawing for a Chipotle gift card when you submit your form).

ice cream ________________________________ breakfast ________________________________ open lunch ______________________________ hamburgers_______________________________ pizza ____________________________________ buffet __________________________________ Italian/pizza ______________________________ Mexican _________________________________ place to take a date to dinner _________________ gym/workout _____________________________ grocery _________________________________ gas station _______________________________ coffee __________________________________ bakery/donut shop _________________________ drugstore/pharmacy _______________________ department store __________________________ brand of candy, pop, etc. ____________________ book ___________________________________ sandwich ________________________________ haircut boys ______________________________ haircut girls _____________________________ clothes boys _____________________________

Staff Members wanted!

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