Junior Chloe Dorst tidies up around The Discovery Center after a day of volunteering.
PHOTO BY TRACY LE
READ MORE ON PAGE 3.
the mentor
Volume 103 // Issue 1 // Aug. 18, 2015
Students take part in Drill Down
BAND, TEN’HUT
Students from the Big Blue Marching Band, the Color Guard and the Dance Team march in the Drill Down July 31 at Bishop Stadium. The Drill Down was a way for students to show off what they learned during band camp July 27-31. During the Drill Down, students are required to stay focused, pay attention and move a certain way according to the different commands being recited by marching band director Joe Gittle. The maneuvers used at the Drill Down relate to the half time show performed at the home football games in the fall. “The forward marching and backward marching, four count turns and flanks come in a lot [in the half time show],” sophomore Meganne Morrand said. PHOTO BY CORA ASTIN
Budget’s future becomes more certain over summer MADELINE MARSHALL
Print Editor-in-Chief
After months of budget uncertainty last school year, this year’s budget has been finalized. “Development of the school district budget for 2015-16 be-
gan in January,” USD 383 Superintendent Bob Shannon said. “Concurrently with this process, the Board called for a special election to ask the voters for authority to raise additional revenue through taxes.” This election concluded on June 2 with approval by the voters. The final budget docu-
ments were developed and approved by the BOE for publication. “The Budget Advisory Steering Committee met after the Local Option Budget election results were known and final budget numbers for the 201415 school year were completed,” Director of Business Ser-
vices Lew Faust said. After finalizing numbers from last school year, Faust was able to propose the 201516 budget, taking into account the projected $3 million deficit due to state budget cuts. While many cuts and adjustments were made, the cuts weren’t as large as originally expected.
“When we knew the amount, we were able to not go as deep as we thought we might have to,” BOE President Marcia Rozell said. For a longer version of this story and information on the changes made to building temperatures visit mhsmentor.com
Sports start practices, look to build on past success GREG WOODS
Online Editor-in-Chief Just two months removed from the conclusion of last season’s spring sports, this fall’s sports are on the verge of starting up again. In fact, they already are. Yesterday marked the beginning of practices for fall squads, which are cross country, football, boys soccer, girls tennis, volleyball and girls golf.
CROSS COUNTRY Cross country kicks things off in 2015 on Sept. 5 with the Manhattan Invitational, a meet the team took first at last season. Junior Jackson Schroeder won State individually last year, leading the squad to an overall third-place finish, and will look to lead the pack this year with the departure of graduate Michael Melgares.
ent fashion -- two district losses ensued, knocking the team out of playoff contention for the first time since 2007. The team enters 2015 with a wealth of experience, though, as senior Blake Wewer, junior transfer Ian Trapp and junior Brady Woborny will compete for playing time under center. Manhattan will host Junction City on Oct. 9.
GIRLS TENNIS The girls tennis team took home a third-place finish from Regionals last year and is poised to make another postseason run in 2015. Though the squad lost three to graduation in 2014, it returns four seniors, among them Cathy Lei, who was one of two Indians to advance to last year’s State tournament. The team begins the 2015 season Sept. 1 with the Topeka High dual, a road meet.
BOYS SOCCER Boys soccer rounded out its 2014 season with a SubState loss to Washburn Rural, but not before the Indians captured a Regional championship and a 14-5-1 overall record. The team’s season-opener is Aug. 28 when Lawrence High pays a visit to Bishop Stadium, where a great amount of experience will be on the field for the home team: 12 seniors stack this year’s roster.
VOLLEYBALL The volleyball team heads into this year with a sour taste in its mouth, after falling a match short of the State tournament with a loss to Washburn Rural. Five members of 2014’s team won’t be on this year’s due to graduation, but seven seniors line this season’s roster. The Indians’ road to redemption begins at home on Sept. 10, when they are slated to face off against Shawnee Heights, Silver Lake and Seaman.
GIRLS GOLF
FOOTBALL The football team’s 2014 campaign was one of ups and downs. Graduate and would-be impact wide receiver Mike Settembrino went down in the offseason with a season-ending injury, but the Indians ripped off six straight wins to begin the season, only to end things in a much differ-
Junior Olivia Belin returns a shot with an overhead at a home tennis meet. Belin played with the junior varsity girls team last fall.
GLOBAL NEWS SUMMER EDITION MADELINE MARSHALL Print Editor-in-Chief
Global news is a vital part of news today and can directly affect MHS students. In order to inform our readers, The Mentor has compiled small summaries describing some of the largest happenings in the world today. We encourage the reader to read about these topics, and others, in greater depth. These particular stories are covering some of the most important events of this past summer.
Man open fires at Charleston church, kills 9 in racial hate crime On June 17 white 21-year-old Dylann Roof opened fire during a prayer service at the historically important Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina and killed nine people including Reverend Clementa Pinckney, the church’s pastor and a state senator. Roof was charged with nine counts of murder and possession of a
PHOTO BY CORA ASTIN
firearm during the commission of a violent crime. Roof confessed that his intentions were to begin new racial confrontations with the attack. Many other sources confirmed that this was a racially-based hate crime including white supremacist apartheid-era flag patches on Roof’s jacket, pictures of him posing with the Confederate flag and an anti-black manifesto in which Roof outlined the plan for the shooting.
Same-sex marriage legalized in U.S. On June 26, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have the fundamental right to marry and that states cannot say that marriage is reserved for heterosexual couples.
In a departure from what most of the other teams have going for them this fall, the girls golf team won’t enter this season with much senior leadership. In fact, there aren’t any seniors on this season’s roster. Instead, the Indians return six sophomores and one junior.
“Under the Constitution, same-sex couples seek in marriage the same legal treatment as opposite-sex couples, and it would disparage their choices and diminish their personhood to deny them this right,” Justice Anthony Kennedy said. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined Kennedy in the ruling. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito Jr. dissented.
South Carolina removes Confederate flag On July 10 the Confederate flag was removed from the statehouse grounds during a ceremony. This ended 54 years
of it being on display at the Capitol. A large crowd chanted “U.S.A.” while South Carolina Highway Patrol honor guards lowered the flag. Its removal came after a highly emotional debate in South Carolina following the mass shooting in Charleston.
Cuba, America agree to open embassies On July 1 Cuba and the U.S. reached an agreement to open embassies in Washington D.C. and Havana. On July 20 Cuba reopened its U.S. Embassy and the action was reciprocated on Aug. 12 when the U.S. reopened its embassy in Cuba more than 54 years after it was closed.
Opinions
The Mentor // Aug. 18, 2015 // MHSMentor.com
To: Manhattan High students Welcome back. It has certainly been more than a few weeks since you last picked up an edition of The Mentor. And while we just started a new volume and we definitely have a new ‘look,’ the general principle of our existence remains the same. We are here to inform you, to provide you with the clear, truthful and fair reporting and to depict our school and community fully, fairly and accurately. Through this student newspaper, we create a picture of our school and the happenings within and around it. Through our reporting, we work to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in public. And, even more importantly, through our news stories, columns and editorials, we provide our readers with the tools to think critically and make judgements on current issues. We hope that, in providing well-reported news -- from club updates to global news -- that we provide kindling for in-
dependent thought and heated discussions. Our newspaper staff is dedicated to ensuring that all of these goals are met and each year we set our goals higher than the last. So as this year moves forward, look forward to high quality coverage from The Mentor and The Mentor Online at mhsmentor.com. With our Editors-in-Chief at the helm backed by the rest of the staff we hope to interview, report, photograph and opine better than we ever have before and, hopefully, you’ll come along for the ride with us. So, please, keep grabbing copies of The Mentor, check us out online and on Twitter and take part in the Manhattan High experience. Form educated opinions and share them. Use The Mentor as a platform for discussion. And if you have a thought you want to share, write to us. We always love Letters to the Editor, and guest columns too.
-- The Mentor Staff
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Gratefulness key to appreciating way of life
Greg Woods
Online Editor-in-Chief You are rich. Rich is a pretty simple word, right? When I think of it, I imagine lavish, gold-plated cars, mansions big enough to be mistaken for Buckingham Palace and private jets. After all, a quick Google search returns pictures of people tossing money in the air, of folks posing in front of their personal yachts. I’m here to tell you that those images are skewed portrayals of the idea of being “rich.” Before you dismiss this piece as just another cheesy “be grateful, kids” article, hear me out. Yes, my goal for this column is to give you a greater appreciation for what you have, but it’s up to you to decide what you will do with it. I hope that is
something. There’s a website called Global Rich List, the premise of which is straightforward: type in your annual income, and the site compares your level of wealth to that of people around the world. According to the 2012 U.S. Census, the mean wage in the United States per person was $26,695, so I entered that figure on Global Rich List. The results I got back were astounding. To earn that same $26,695, the average laborer in Zimbabwe would have to work 26 years. That’s nearly half the life expectancy (57 years) in the country. That annual income boils down to $13.90 per hour in the United States. The average laborer in Ghana makes just eight cents in an hour. On that same salary, if you wanted to buy a quick can of soda, it would take you just three minutes to earn enough for the refreshing taste. If you were an average worker in Indonesia, however, it would take you two hours if you wanted the same. That’s 4,000 percent lon-
ger. And with that income, you could pay the monthly salaries of 164 doctors in Malawi. One hundred sixty-four. Think you’re rich yet? There’s more reason to believe you are. According to The World Bank, of the 7.15 billion people alive right now, 2.4 billion -- that’s billion, with a b -- live on less than $2 per day. More than one billion -- again, billion -- lack access to clean drinking water, and 800 million go to bed hungry every day. All of the sudden, that half-priced shake at Sonic feels like a luxury. In terms of GDP per capita, Malawi is the poorest country on the planet. Even if I switched things up and stopped comparing average U.S. wealth to the worst of the worst, as Americans, we remain incredibly rich. The 25th-poorest country on Earth, Tanzania, has a GDP per capita of, when converted to the dollar, $998. If you’re working for minimum wage in the United States, it would take you just over three
weeks to earn the GDP per capita of Tanzania. That’s an entire country. And we’re camping overnight in parking lots to be the first to buy cell phones? I’m typing this on my MacBook Pro in an airconditioned two-story house, with practically unlimited food and drink upstairs. My iPhone 5s rests on the desk beside me, while behind me, a 42-inch television silently displays the night’s sports highlights. When I finish this piece, I will brush my teeth and climb into my warm bed. I don’t deserve any of this. But I have it, and odds are, the way you live isn’t a whole lot different from the way I live -- rich. It’s fair to say that it’s time to stop complaining about how pricey the next iPhone is, how we didn’t get our Starbucks this morning, and how the wi-fi signal won’t reach to the basement. Maybe it’s even time to physically help out those thirdworld countries. Weird.
Human rights more urgent issue than animal rights
Elizabeth Underwood Features Editor How is it that a lion being beheaded in Africa is considered more inhumane than the burning of a child in Israel? Why has animal abuse caused more uproar than the abuse of humans? It is questions such as these that people need to be asking themselves, not statements of living creature equality. In the past couple of weeks the United States has been immersed in an uproar of animal rights protests. From the hunting and beheading of a lion in Zimbabwe by American dentist Walter Palmer to New York judge Barbara Jaffe refusing to extend human rights to chimpanzees, activists have been up in arms. These picketers spend their time covering the country in slogans of ‘animals have feelings
too’ and ‘I think therefore I am vegan.’ Those participating in these protests are not committing moral wrongdoings, besides that of naivety. They spend their time attempting to put the rights of other things over humans. As we ourselves are humans, our main focus should be on our own rights before we move onto other activisms such as environmental and animal. An example of the untouched problems of human rights is the fact that Mali has recently been rumored to have released terrorists, war criminals and gross human rights violators from their prison. Why are such blatant human rights violations being overshadowed by lions? Another example can be shown through the reports of human rights violations in Israel where there has
been use of excessive force against Palestinians, burning a child alive and beating other citizens half to death. Y e t those two
Andrea Lu
Graphics Editor It's your senior year and you're stressed out. The time has finally come for you to try to map out your future and what you've dreaded and held off for so long (college applications, majors, careers, college visits) is finally right in front of your face, vying for your attention. All of your classmates feel the same way and are hustling to get in their college apps as well. Suddenly you too feel the rush and the pressure and it becomes a competition. Can I get in a better college than everyone else? Who can send in more college apps? Are my scores/GPA higher than everybody else's? Who's ranked first in our class? Everyone around you is pressuring you and interrogating you on what your plans are. Frankly, you don't have an answer and would rather just
have
barely
caused any protest of exclamations in America. How is it that a lion named Cecil has gotten more publicity than 18-monthold Ali Dawabs h e ? Why d o
people show more care for a lion beheading than a burning toddler? When people show more care for plants and animals than other humans, a problem in our society is being clearly shown. For now, we need to put aside environmental, animal and other activisms to focus our attention on humans. For if humans can not retain the rights given to them, how are they supposed to protect the rights of any other living thing?
ILLUSTRATION BY TRACY LE
College apps do not define future tune them out and hide in a hole where all your worries and realities evaporate. While it may seem like your future is in jeopardy now, the end results of your apps aren’t going to determine your life success. Yes, college and everything that comes with it is scary and intimidating, but I'm here to tell you that regardless of where you end up at the end of the application process, you can still do what you want. Don't believe me? Allow me to elaborate. I feel like this is something we all struggle with (I know for sure that I do): People establish unreasonable expectations and set themselves up for disappointment particularly in college apps where, as hard as it may be to believe, it doesn't matter as much as everybody thinks it does. In fact, it doesn’t just occur in college apps but in many of the things we do. We take those standardized tests and don't get the score we want. We participate in a competition and don’t place. We apply to a college we really want to go to and don't get accepted. Obviously, applying for colleges brings along stress whether it be from high expectations we set
examples
for ourselves or the pressure we receive to try and make our parents proud by getting into the best colleges in the nation. And the application process can lead to a whole lot of disappointment. But why stress yourself out over something that doesn't really matter? The truth of the matter is you can still pursue your career, be it a teacher, scientist, doctor or anything in between, whether you get into your dream college or not. I'm not saying you shouldn't set goals or that you shouldn’t try and exceed your expectations, but rather that you should view situations with a realistic outlook and be aware of the situation at hand. There's a fine line between expecting too little and expecting too much to the point that you become disappointed. In other words, don't expect such high, unattainable goals or else you'll most likely be discouraged if you don't succeed. If the outcome is not what you wanted, don’t be disheartened. Persist through your goals, don’t worry about where you’re at, especially in comparison to others and you’ll be able to achieve your goals.
Question of the
week:
“get a Chaco tan” -Raegan Terrill, senior (@Raeg_Vball12)
What’s one thing you said you would do this summer but didn’t?
“get a job” -Corbin Sedlacek, senior (@csedlacek_97)
“Exercise” -Emma Lansdowne, sophomore (@epicemma55) “eat healthy” “stop being ugly & lazy” -Tammie Melton, senior (@_tmelton_) -Sarah Middendorf, senior (@MiddendorfSarah) EDITORS: Madeline Marshall -- Print Editor-In-Chief/Opinions Greg Woods -- Online Editor -In-Chief Tracy Le -- News Editor Savannah Cherms -- Entertainment Editor Erick Echegaray -- Sport Editor Elizabeth Underwood -- Features Editor Angie Moss -- Trending Editor Cora Astin -- Photo Editor Andrea Lu -- Graphics Designer/Copy Editor OTHER: Staff Writers -- Anna Hupp Kristy Nyp -- Adviser
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 1,000 Mentors are printed each week and distributed free of charge to all faculty members and students. MHS journalists are members of the Kansas 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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The Mentor // Aug. 18, 2015 // MHSMentor.com
Entertainment
Volunteerism gives summer purpose
Junior Chloe Dorst shows Reagan Asbury, age 5, how to create a sunflower bracelet. Dorst has volunteered at The Flint Hills Discovery Center since February. “Everybody loves to make the bracelets and we’re almost out of beads, which is really sad because these are great,” Dorst said. PHOTO BY TRACY LE
TRACY LE
News Editor Junior Chloe Dorst’s first day on the job was nothing short of fast and furious. “I had about six kids around this table that’s only supposed to have like four people around it. We were making flowers and I decided that it would be a good idea to have a bunch of pieces to these flowers,” Dorst said. “So there were petals and centers and stems and some leaves and I was trying to manage all of these kids, but it was really fun and at the end I was pretty much sold. It was really chaotic and hectic but I loved it at the same time.” Since February, Dorst has been volunteering twice a week on the Flint Hills Discovery Center’s second floor, supervising and interacting with the younger guests.
“Mrs. [Carla] Johntson had this big list of stuff you could do and I was kind of interested in the Discovery Center and she told me to just go ahead and apply; just do it. And I did. It all kind of fell into place and it’s been really fun ever since,” Dorst said. “There’s so much energy all the time and it always makes me feel good.” For many Manhattan High students, the cord that comes with attaining 100 service hours was a big incentive to take time out of the summer to volunteer. “I thought I was just going to get the 100 hours and stop,” Dorst said, “but I’m definitely going to volunteer well after the 100 hours. Volunteering is important [to me]. At first I was doing it for the hours, but I really like this place. It’s such a cool place for the kids; they really enjoy it. It’s all really
fun and they’re all learning a lot and there’s a lot of ‘Kansas culture’ here... that’s the best part.” MHS’s reward for attaining community service hours was also a motive for sophomore Kendra Geisbrecht. “If I didn’t have to get
sisting the guests. “If I wasn’t here than I’d just be sitting around my house doing nothing so it’s a lot more fun than that,” Geisbrecht said. “It’s neat when after you make a craft with a kid or something and they love it and they show their
“This area allows each student the freedom to use the resources and be creative with young visitors.”
-Adams
the service hours, I might not be volunteering. Since I was pushed to do the program, it made me go out and volunteer and I’ve realized that I really like volunteering,” Geisbrecht said. Geisbrecht began volunteering at the Discovery Center this summer. Like Dorst, she devotes eight hours a week to as-
parents and they’re so happy...that’s really cool.” The Discovery Center’s Volunteer/Visitor Services Manager, Susan Adams, believes volunteering is just as important to the students as it is to the community. “It could be their first opportunity to show off their skills and learn how to commit to a scheduled
time to be present other than school events. These skills will help them when it comes to future employment,” Adams said. “Most often they volunteer on the second floor in the children’s area. This area allows each student the freedom to use the resources and be creative with young visitors to make their visit a wonderful, lasting experience. I hope that their experience with volunteering will carry them to other experiences as they grow into adults and contribute their time to future organizations. Thrilled that I could be a part of their growth.” Both Dorst and Geisbrecht have come to value student volunteering. “I think, especially in places like this, volunteering is pretty valuable,” Dorst said. “A lot of towns our size don’t have stuff like the Discovery Center, because it’s just really
unique and really special and they need their volunteers because they can’t afford to pay every person to work in all the areas everyday. [After] going into something thinking I wasn’t going to enjoy it and be into it and then just getting really dedicated to it and caring about everything here and all the people here, I think, in the future, I’ll be more open to doing different things that aren’t necessarily something I think I’d be interested in and just doing things for the fun of doing them.” Geisbrecht agrees. “People should volunteer more. Here, they only have three high school volunteers, which is pretty surprising because there’s so much that can be done and it’s a great place to volunteer; you can do crafts all day,” Geisbrecht said.
Students jam out at summer concerts
Musicians attend summer camps
Savannah Cherms
Elizabeth Underwood
Entertainment Editor A popular asset of many students’ longawaited summer vacation are concerts. At the end of last school year, many bands and artists announced tours, some of which had rare dates in Kansas. One particular concert this summer that had many Manhattan High students in attendance was One Direction’s “On The Road Again” tour; the band made a stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Many students, including sophomore Hannah Religa, went with groups of friends. “I had a sleepover with [sophomore] Cailey Perkins... that night and we woke up and made signs that morning. We headed out around three,” Religa said. “After the concert was over, I honestly felt like I had been hit by a train.” Another band that had a show in Kansas was the popular ‘80s band, Tears for Fears. The band is most well known for their songs “Mad World” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
“They were mostly my mom’s band, so I wasn’t freaking out, but I was still pretty psyched,” sophomore Lacy Fisher said about seeing the classic band. Fisher spent the day in Kansas City after a busy day before the concert. “I had musical rehearsal and drivers education that day, so I didn’t get much preparation time,” Fisher said. “I packed in between drivers’ ed and rehearsal and then I left right after rehearsal.” Another artist that made his way to the midwest as Ed Sheeran. The “Photograph” singer didn’t make a stop to Kansas, but did hold a show in Des Moines, Iowa. Sophomore Jena Minocha traveled the distance with her family to see the England native. “We didn’t have tickets, but we just decided to go without them anyway,” Minocha said. “We went to the box office for tickets, and they were good seats.” Sheeran’s set included some singles from his first album, numbers off of his most recent album, and even a Drake cover or two.
Features Editor
@jenaminocha
@hannahreliga Above: Sisters Jena and Maya Minocha, sophomore and senior show off their signs at an Ed Sheeran concert. Below: Harry Styles of One Direction cracks a joke to the audience at Arrowhead Stadium. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JENA MINCHOCA AND HANNAH RELIGA’S INSTAGRAMS
In the heat of summer, many Manhattan High students attended summer camps to prepare for the upcoming school year. “[Camp’s] kind of like getting a leg up on the people who didn’t go,” sophomore colorguard member Meganne Morrand said. Band director Joel Gittle called together all of his marching band students to attend a camp July 27-31. “[Band camp is] always the best experience and you have the best time that you wish it would never end,” junior and clarinetist Mackenzie Reeder said. Over 100 students attended Gittle’s camp, which consisted of learning marching maneuvers and music to perform at home football games. “Even as a veteran, I feel that I could’ve used the practice,” Morrand said. “I can guarantee that [the freshmen] are doing loads better than my freshman year. They
are catching on with the marching really fast.” Similarly, choir teacher Chad Pape hosted two week-long camps for his small-ensemble choirs. “You show up [to Varsity Camp] if you can,” junior Josiah Wilson said. “It’s not like you get kicked out, it’s more you’ll just be confused and lost the first and second days of school.” Both Varsity and Pops met together Aug. 3-7 to work on their choreography and new numbers. “Pops [camp] mostly consisted of dancing,” junior Sydney Morrison said. “We actually barely touched any of the literature, as opposed to Varsity, which is strictly focused on that.” Although these camps took up the student’s freedom, participants enjoyed their time at these music based camps, claiming that it was one of the best times of their high school lives. “I love my band family and I love marching,” Morrand said. “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Lifeguards find family, friendship throughout summer work months Tracy Le
News Editor A legion of Manhattan High students spent a great deal of their summer directly under the sun’s rays, taking to the top of creamy-white lifeguard chairs. “I love the pool. I swim on the swim team and I’ve been known to swim before I could walk so the pool’s always been a sec-
ond home for me. I love the smell of sunscreen and all of that stuff,” senior Julie Golden said. “The tan’s pretty nice too. I think helping people [is what I enjoy most about the job]. I’ve just always loved helping people. It’s fun to see all the little kids having fun because I loved the pool when I was little and it’s just fun to share the love of the pool with other people.”
This summer was Golden’s first year as a lifeguard at CiCo Pool, and like many MHS lifeguards, she has enjoyed getting to know people she may not have met otherwise. “I actually love all of my fellow guards. It’s a lot of fun. It feels like a family,” Golden said. “It’s nice [to work with other MHS students]. I love meeting new people. As a mili-
tary kid, I’m used to new environments and new people so it really wasn’t a challenge for me.” Senior Robyn Burton took a lifeguard position at Northview Pool two summers ago, but she feels the same. “Most of us are really close so it makes it like having a second family to go to so I love the job,” Burton said. “I became close with people that I
would have never imagined being close with.” The annual Lifeguard Olympics has also brought lifeguards from all three pools together. “It was a lot of fun but it was also kind of stressful,” Golden said. “We have this event called the Iron Woman where you have to swim a 500, do five minutes of CPR, go up and down both slides at City Pool, go through
the lazy river backwards one and a half times and swim another 200. It was very strenuous. It was good team-building. You grow closer to the staff and you all come together to strive to be the best lifeguards.” Though the pools will soon close with the end of summer approaching, Golden and Burton both have plans to return next year.
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The Mentor // Aug. 18, 2015 // MHSMentor.com
IT’S OVER
Trending
That’s right -- summer has officially ended and we’re back to 6 a.m. mornings. Feel free to start crying now. Seriously though, you’re going to need to prepare yourselves because who actually takes time out of their summer to get ready for the school year? Luckily, you don’t have to worry. We’ve got your back. Here are some helpful things to get you through the beginning of the year.
19 totally rad things you can say you did this summer when you actually just laid around and watched Netflix all day 1. You went to a music festival. There were plenty to choose from and no one is really going to investigate enough to say you didn’t go. Don’t have pictures? Say your phone died. Or Photoshop yourself into some. You do you.
7. You made friends with people from a dif- 14. You went on a cruise. ferent country. You couldn’t have your phone because it You still can. It also sounds really cool to know didn’t work outside of U.S. borders. you have friends all over the world. 15. You went scuba diving. 8. You became Tumblr famous. Who can actually afford a waterproof camera This one is a little out there but you don’t have anyway? to prove it. No one is really going to check.
2. You went sky diving. This is something that a lot of people are scared to do and are impressed when they 9. You punched a shark. hear other people are doing it. A famous surfer did it -- why can’t you? 3. You finished a whole series on Netflix. This isn’t as cool as the others but it is still pretty impressive, and it’s not a complete lie. 4. You learned how to play an instrument. People get impressed by this and hopefully they won’t ask you to demonstrate. Just don’t pick an instrument that is easy to get access to. 5. You learned how to do a back flip on the diving board at the pool. Summer is over and no one can test you on this until next year. 6. You learned how to fly a plane. No one is going to ask for a ride so no worries.
16. You went on a road trip. Memories are better than pictures, right? You didn’t take pictures because you wanted to be 10. You saw someone famous. able to envision all of the places you’ve been When they ask to see a picture, tell them you without the help of technology. wanted to be respectful of their boundaries 17. You helped out a homeless person. and not be like everyone else. It makes you look like a good person and no 11. You hiked in the mountains for the week. one can actually verify it. You’re welcome. If anyone asks for pictures just say you left your phone at home because you wanted to 18. You got to swim with dolphins. It’s basic but it’s still pretty rad. Also just use have a spiritual experience with nature. the same excuse from the road trip. Look at you, being all nostalgic and stuff. 12. You learned a foreign language. Similar to the instrument, just make it really obscure so no one can tell if you make any 19. You learned how to parasail. You can’t take pictures while you’re parasailsense. ing because it’s completely impossible. You 13. You had a summer fling. were also alone so no one could take pictures Make up details and you’re set. of you.
The unbearable terror of back-to-school shopping Manhattan High students take on back-to-school shopping online or in the person and supplies or clothes ANGIE MOSS
Trending Editor Coming back to school requires a lot of tasks to be completed such as getting schedules, finding out what supplies you need and finding the perfect clothes to start the year off with. Shopping can be done in many ways. People can go out and buy their clothes
and supplies in person or they can have everything delivered to their door. For junior Bella Petri, having her clothes and some of her supplies delivered to her was her only option after being in an accident. Although she doesn’t have to go out and buy her things in person, there are some downsides to having to shop online. “You don’t get to see the clothes or how they will actually look on you or if the sizes run
big or small. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the true color or texture of the piece,” Petri said. “However, most stores will let you return the items and if it’s a brand I’m familiar with, then I can usually tell how the clothes will fit on me.” For some students, it doesn’t really set in that school is starting until the shopping begins. “I like how it’s the start of gearing me back up for school, and when I’m getting new sup-
plies it gives me a fresh start for the new year,” senior Suzanna Gevock said. Shopping for the right clothes can be tedious for some people but others look forward to it. “In my opinion it’s more fun to shop for clothes,” Gevock said. “With supplies you just go in and pick what you want and leave, but with clothes you get to try them on and the first time you wear it you just feel
great.” Other students are finding ways they can get back into the rhythm of being in class all day instead of hanging out at home all the time. “I guess that would have to be a caffeinated drink like NOS or Monster,” senior Jabes Cantu said. “If I don’t have that, I’ll fall asleep quick and I’ve been doing that in a lot of my classes.”
RIP Summer: here’s a rockin’ playlist to help you mourn the death of summer “Night Changes,” One Direction Does it ever drive you crazy, just how fast summer ends? Seriously, July is too early to see back-to-school commercials. “Budapest,” George Ezra Cling on to the last remains of summer vacation with this one. Whether you laid around and watched every episode of Greys Anatomy, or climbed a mountain in Europe, this song will still remind you of the warmth and fun of summer. “Summer Nights,” John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John This timeless tune from the musical “Grease” is the epitome of what everyone wants in a summer romance. No getting friendly down in the sand, though! “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” The Kinks A classic ‘60s jam, the Kinks sing about exactly what we are all thinking. “Let it be like yesterday, please let me have happy days.” Happy days include sleeping in until noon and accidentally staying up until 5 a.m. Oops. “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” Green Day While the song was originally written in memory of lead singer’s father, I believe this Green Day single could apply to the loss of our beloved summer. “Drenched in my pain again” -- the pain of waking up at six in the morning, or the pain of staying up until one, studying? “Campus,” Vampire Weekend This one is for everyone looking for love in all the wrong places. This indie foursome sings about that awkward moment when you see your ex across the hallway. High school is not the place for love, kids.
“We Are Young,” Fun. featuring Janelle Monae This song is perfect for endings and beginnings. Listen to this one when you want to remember all those weird summer nights with friends, laughing whole heartedly. Listen to this one when you’re realizing this is your last year and there’s only a short amount of time left until your ultimate freedom. “American Dreamer,” Alexz Johnson This is probably the best summer song ever. “The sun is coming up but our night is still young” encapsulates all kinds of summers. Maybe you stayed home binge watching a tv show until the sun came up. Maybe you were partying with friends until the sun came up. Either way, this upbeat jam will take you back to the best parts of vacation. “My Hair,” The Maine Everyone talks about “summer hair.” The chlorine-soaked, sun-bleached mess that you stop caring about until school comes around. This quick song by the Maine is exactly what that is. “You put the top down, let your locks blow around, driving through town without a care.” If that doesn’t scream summer, I don’t know what does. “High School Never Ends,” Bowling for Soup This pop punk classic is for the seniors. Ideally you’ll get out of high school and everyone’s attitude will change, people will mature. In reality, your coworkers are probably exactly like the people you were around in high school. Make the best of it.
Graphics by Andrea Lu