VISIT MHSMENTOR.COM FOR COVERAGE ON SCIENCE OLYMPIAD’S SEASON SO FAR
LEFT: Juniors Owen Li and Erig Higgins work on building the Air Trajectory Machine for Science Olympiad. Their machine landed them the first place title at the regional competition. The pair continue practicing in their free time for the upcoming state competition in April. RIGHT: Juniors Saubhagya Shrestha and Eric Higgins fiddle with the robotic arm that got them second place at Regionals. “I would be ecstatic [if we got first at State],” Shrestha said. “We’re making a lot of improvements to the arm to make it smoother and we’re also practicing more with the competition set up.” PHOTOS BY TRACY LE
the mentor VOLUME 103 // ISSUE 13 // FEB. 2, 2016
Forensics triumphs at first tournament Enrollment heads online ELIZABETH UNDERWOOD
Features Editor
Over the weekend, Forensics competitors started their season off successfully with a total of two top point-getters, two top speakers and eight placements, four of them being first. Having gone to Shawnee Heights for this tournament, the students competed in Congress on Friday and the other, more known, events Saturday. “The kids did well,” coach Ben Sutherland said. “All in all, it was a fun and successful weekend.” In their House of Congress, junior Sean McGimpsey and sophomore Douglas Kim both were the top two point-getters. In the other House that hosted Manhattan representatives,
sophomore Lily Colburn and senior Cathy Lei received top speaker points, Lei also being the Presiding Officer. “It’s always strange, the first one. You never really know what people are looking for because it’s such a subjective event that you just kind of go out there the first time and hope that the best happens,” McGimpsey said. On Saturday, seniors Nathan McClendon, Toula Sweeney and Michaela Hayes all won first in their individual categories; McClendon in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking and Original Oratory, Sweeney in Humorous Interpretation and Hayes in Poetry Interpretation. “Getting first is pretty cool, that’s probably what I felt about it,” Sweeney said.
Additionally Kim doublebroke in Prose and Impromptu, winning third and sixth place respectively, Colburn gaining third in Informative Speaking, and Lei with fifth in Domestic Extemporaneous. “It was exciting to get out and compete again,” Colburn said. “I think we were happy with how we did individually, we all did pretty well.” This past tournament has given the team confidence and hope for the results for the rest of the season. “I think we definitely have some strong people on the team,” Sweeney said. “I think like any other year, it’s just practicing and getting better at everybody’s individual events.”
Scholars Bowl teams win first ANDREA LU
Graphics Editor Last week was a busy one for the Manhattan High Varsity and Junior Varsity Scholars Bowl teams. On Monday, Jan. 26, JV had a small meet in Junction City, followed by the Varsity Scholars Bowl attending a meet at Flint Hills Christian on Tuesday and then a JV meet at MHS on Thursday Jan. 28. MHS Scholars Bowl ended the week with members heading to Topeka for the taping of QUEST. Both JV and Varsity had successful weeks, placing first in their respectful meets on Tuesday and Thursday. Assistant Scholars Bowl Coach Tim Ekart took the Varsity team this week.
“We went 11-0,” Ekart said. “It was a round robin where you simply play every team
“We were undefeated.”
-- Eric Higgins
that was in attendance. We had a very strong showing and never really had any threats, so to speak, and we had a very good meet for us.” Although there wasn’t any particularly challenging competition, there were a couple teams that were close to winning first. “We won every match and the only ones that were close were against Wamego
and Hayden,” senior Joshua Schwartz said. Junior Eric Higgins also attended the Varsity meet. “We did pretty well,” Higgins said. “We were undefeated and the next closest team had two losses.” At the JV meet at MHS, there were a total of four teams: MHS 1, MHS 2, MHS 3 and Flint Hills Christian. MHS 1, who had been together since sixth grade, placed first, MHS 2 placed second and MHS 3 placed fourth. As for upcoming events, the Varsity Scholars Bowl team will have a regional meet on Thursday at Topeka High and another taping of QUEST, the televised high school academic competition on Saturday.
ALEJANDRA FLORES
Staff Writer
This year there’s a new way to choose the classes you want to take at Manhattan High School. Instead of having a booklet with all different courses and information, students can now access all that information online.
“The booklet is not going to be written out on paper, but [students] can access it online,” counselor Tony Wichmann said. “You can actually get it through our website. It’s all just virtual now.”
SEE ONLINE PAGE 5
FOR MORE ENROLLMENT COVERAGE, VISIT MHSMENTOR.COM
Families learn about porn addiction ELIZABETH UNDERWOOD
Features Editor
On the last Monday of January, students from seventh to 12th grades joined their parents at Manhattan High School to watch a presentation about the dangers of online pornog-
raphy. According to the presentation sponsored by local community group Relate 360, the Internet can corrupt a child from the start of adolescence, especially with advertisements and other
SEE PORN PAGE 5
Students compete as part of Scholars Bowl’s JV meet in Junction City. Out of four teams, MHS 1 placed first. PHOTO BY CORA ASTIN
Student Technology Leaders and Programming Club provide new opportunities MAYA MINOCHA
Blue M Organizations Editor This year, Manhattan High School has introduced many student interest groups. One of the new groups this year is the Student Technology Leaders.
“It is an opportunity for students to do such things as create websites or multimedia projects and then go to a competition at k-state and showcase what they created,” Student Technology Leaders sponsor Carla Johnston said.
GLOBAL NEWS RICK BROWN Copy Editor
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.
ISIS suicide bombers attack Syrian capital
A car bomb and two suicide bombers inflicted damage in Damascus, Syria, near the site of the Sayyida Zeinab mosque. A military headquarters building and a bus stop were damaged by the explosions. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks. In Geneva, Syrian government and opposition groups were present in preparation for a Monday discussion of ways to end the Syria crisis. Federica Mogherini, EU foreign Policy chief, told the BBC that the bombings were “clearly aimed to disrupt the attempts to start a political process” in Geneva.
With the multiple technology based interest groups that have been created this year, it has opened up opportunities for many students. “I think it gives students that are not able to fit a technology class into their schedule an op-
portunity to compete and get together with other students that have similar interests and showcase their skills and grow,” Johnston said. The future for the technology interest groups and clubs is only going to expand.
“We have talked about combining [these groups] ... next year [to have] more opportunities for all of those students together,” Johnston said.
Lead Oregon protesters arrested, demonstrations continue
people are going to fight back.” Residents in Burns remain divided over whether the armed protesters were right to take over the wildlife refuge, and an end to the anti-government rallies is not in sight.
low college students and professors to offer design proposals, with the winners being allowed to build a prototype and operate their design on a test track. A proposal from MIT students won first place at the competition, but at least 22 other teams will be selected to test their designs as well.
Ammon and Ryan Bundy, leaders of the armed occupation of a wildlife refuge near Burns, Ore., in protest of the federal government, were arrested on Jan. 26. Three other members of the protest turned themselves in following a request from Bundy to disband. However, the fatal shooting of the group’s spokesperson, Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, has continued to fuel anti-government sentiment in the area. “I’m angry,” BJ Soper, a protester in Burns, said during an interview with The Washington Post. “I don’t want to see any more bloodshed ... but at some point when American people keep getting killed by their government,
Hyperloop pod design competition kicks off Engineering teams from across the world presented pod designs on Jan. 30. The hyperloop is a proposed high-speed transportation system that would use pressure to propel pods at speeds as fast as 750 mph. Elon Musk, creator of the hyperloop idea, argues that it could be used to improve transportation across California and the world. Musk hosted the Jan. 30 hyperloop competition to al-
FOR THE FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY, VISIT MHSMENTOR.COM
South African drought hurts corn crop Suffering from the worst drought in history, the South African corn crop dropped 25 percent from 2015 levels. A shortage of white maize used to produce pap, a household staple, could necessitate the importation of corn. The drought has been attributed to the El Nino weather pattern.
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Opinions
The Mentor // feb. 2, 2016 // MHSMentor.com Page 2
Jason Flatt Act expected Commune, advantageous to Kansas not coerce THIS EDITORIAL IS A COMPILATION FROM A DISCUSSION HELD BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD. TO LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION THAT LED TO THIS PIECE, VISIT WWW.MHSMENTOR. COM. Senate Bill 323, also known as the Jason Flatt Act, has made its way into the Kansas Legislature. While there hasn’t been a ruling yet, parents all over the state have been advocating for it. The bill would require school officials and teachers to undergo two hours of suicide prevention training annually. One Kansas mother in particular, Cathy Housh, is passionate about the cause after losing her daughter to suicide in 2011. According to WIBW, the government would not be funding the training and it would be up to the city. However, An-
drew Brown of the National Suicide Prevention Headquarters later went on to mention that they would find resources to fund the program in the state. The Mentor editorial board discussed this bill a n d agreed t h a t the bill could p r o v i d e many advantages, as long as school officials are prepared for all possible outcomes or challenges. These challenges include backlash from parents of suicidal children, identifying all types of depression and how to confront suicidal teenagers without making them feel worse. School officials need to
be able to confront children who may be suicidal in a sensitive way but also be able to sense whether the child is really okay when they say they are or if they’re just uncomfortable with talking about the subject. They need to be able to identify the difference between a child who truly doesn’t w a n t to talk a b o u t their suicidal ideations and a child who wants to talk about it but feels like a burden and chooses not to talk about it. Officials would also need to be able to deal with any backlash that may come from the parents of a suicidal child when they are notified of the circumstance. According to the Cen-
“Passing the act could easily reduce the number of suicide among teens throughout the state.”
“dragons or poplars” -- Peter Gruenbacher, senior sophomore (@epicemma55)
Question of the
week:
“either the Chiefs or the Knights” -- Corbin Sedlacek, senior (@csedlacek_97)
“the killer whales, the blue whales, the polar bears, killer whales definitely and unhappy tortoises” -- Hannah Park, junior (@whaylquene)
If the MHS mascot were to change what would you want to be?
Next edition’s question:
“the Manhattan Major Keys” -- Colin Beauregard, senior (@epicemma55)
Human trafficking deserves national attention, now GREG WOODS Editor-in-Chief
It is not difficult to point out the urgent, pressing matters facing the United States in 2016. Of course it isn’t. Because they are all valid concerns — the idea of a Donald Trump presidency, gun control and abortion are all legitimate entanglements. But somehow, to my colossal antipathy, outrage and befuddlement, a similarly dire matter has grabbed hold of the country while — somehow — simultaneously flying under the radar: human trafficking. Human trafficking is, to present it in most elementary terms, the illegal, forced transport of people for the purpose of exploitation. That exploitation often translates to sexual exploitation, prostitution and slavery, accomplished by men who coerce, deceive and abduct women and children. I should not have to explain this, because it’s such a prevalent issue, but trafficking is rampant in the United States. In Kansas. It’s a problem that slides underneath our noses while our eyes are glued to the TV, scrutinizing presidential hopefuls that will inevitably mislead and disappoint. So my question is this:
ters for Disease Control, 16.9 percent of high school students seriously consider suicide and 8.4% percent have attempted. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death in 1519 year olds and parents aren’t aware of 90 percent of suicide attempts in teens. Passing the act could easily reduce the number of suicide among teens throughout the state. Since the bill has not been ruled on yet in the state of Kansas, USD 383 administrators say Manhattan High does not have anything in place. However, MHS faculty underwent a half day of training in suicide prevention tactics at the beginning of the school year. The Kansas Legislature will be addressing the bill this week.
what will it take for the dilemma of human trafficking to be recognized in the same light as the issues I listed above? What is it about selling 13 year olds into sexual slavery that the media decides will take a backseat to the chicanery that nearly all the presidential candidates spoon-feed the nation? Why are we not discussing more such a vile practice as human trafficking? Perhaps it’s because we don’t realize just how ubiquitous trafficking is. I’ll use Kansas as an example, since part of the problem seems to be reluctance to admit how close to home it is. In 2015, according to Polaris, 43 human trafficking cases were reported in Kansas, and 126 Kansasbased calls were placed to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center — and those are just the reported cases. Heck, two teenage girls in Wichita escaped sex trafficking by a 54-yearold man and a 38-yearold man last November. A man running a sex trafficking ring kidnapped a Kansas City woman and raped her last April. In the same month, two Topeka residents were arrested on aggravated human trafficking charges. The very streets on which we drive to school are the same streets that men deceive teenage girls, kidnap them, then proceed to force sex on them. But these streets exist worldwide, and they become jampacked this time of year, when the Super Bowl is played. The
NFL title game provides an annual hotbed for trafficking, but especially so this year, with the contest hosted in the Bay Area in California. This location, given its three international airports, streamlines the process for pimps to transport victims — all while unsuspecting Americans guzzle Bud Light and roar at the television set within the warm, comfortable confines of a heated house, a practically unlimited supply of food and a reliable source of income. This is not to excuse myself from the blame. I’m part of the problem too, as I don’t use my voice as much as I should for the purpose of calling attention to this nauseating affair. But I am also confident that the United States’ political leaders could be, but are not, doing their fair share in their attempts to eradicate sex trafficking. But several organizations exist for this reason: groups like the aforementioned Polaris Project, the EPIK Project, The END IT Movement, and others. All are searchable online and deserve your attention. In conclusion, I will leave with this question: If we acknowledge the repulsing nature of human trafficking, and the relatively short list of its reported cases within our own state stretches farther than any of us care to learn about, what is holding us back from pushing this issue onto the same platform of national attention that misogynists like Donald Trump stand?
How did you spend your SubDeb?
ANNA HUPP Staff Writer Last night, as my little brother and sister and I were in the kitchen, me typing an essay for AP Lang and Comp and them eating their beforebedtime meal, I heard the whale-like creak of the garage door opening. Oh, good, I thought. Babysitting time over. My dad walked through the door. “I heard a good definition today,” he said. “Can you tell me it?” “Sure,” he said. He sat on the stool and straddled it. He folded his gigantic, muscular hands on his lap. “Well, I learned the difference between coercion and communion,” he said. “Coercion is making someone agree with you. Communion is mutually agreeing to go somewhere with someone. So if you feel like I’m coercing you, let me know.” Though I didn’t know the words, I have been trying to live in communion instead of coercion for a while now. It doesn’t come naturally to me; I have that journalistic debate streak and judgemental edge. I constantly try to whittle off my friends’ and family’s’ perceived faults. For example, if my friend complains to me about something I consider trivial, I poke holes in her logic as soon as she pauses for breath. This is not healthy, and
it is not good for our relationship. The times I have lived in communion have been beneficial to my relationships. I think this is because relationships are healthy only when people relax into them, and it is hard to relax when someone is coercing you. Over the summer, I was upset with the lack of communion between my friend and I. I realized that the cause of that disconnection was that I was poking and prodding my friend, trying to pick away the things I didn’t like until she was carved into what I wanted. So, I decided to listen to my friend without coercing her. We hung out the next day, and I just listened. As I left her house that afternoon, she walked me to the door. “This was really fun today,” s h e said. This experie n c e has repeated itself several d i f ferent times with several different friends. It really is amazing how communing with a person shifts the dynamic of a relationship into something new. People in communion are more likely to open up to each other and feel safe to be vulnerable, instead of striving to compete. Dwight Schrute from “The Office” said that on-time delivery is the soil in which the seeds of business grow; I think the same can be said of communion and relationships. Communion is the soil in which the seeds of relationships grow.
“Coercion is making someone agree with you. Communion is mutually agreeing to go somewhere with someone.
Nestle soils both reputation, water
As if the lawsuit over child labor on the Ivory Coast wasn’t controversial enough, Nestle, one of the most well-known household brands in the world has openly admitted that their operations in Thailand have been fueled by slave labor. The worst part about this all is that they have been aware of this for awhile now. The official statement they made is that there is no possible way they could have prevented the slave trade from taking place. This
contradicts everything that Nestle has claimed to stand for. Over the last few years, Nestle has made it their mission to supply thirdworld countries with food and water, but they have proven that they want the opposite. India sued Nestle for over $100 million because the noodles that were sent to the country contained high amounts of lead. They also built their water bottle manufacturing plant on an American Indian reservation so that they did not have to adhere to government restrictions during droughts and so they do not have to report how much water they are using. They have been also sued for bottling water that they gained from drought-stricken areas. At
the onset of the drought, the question of whether or not to keep bottling water during the drought came up. “Absolutely not, I would increase it if I could,” CEO Tim Brown said. Their blatant methods of extorting native people has been going on far too long to be left unpunished. How long are we going to extort people off of the promise of false hope? This imperialistic way of business has been going on for centuries, but this should be the century it ends. I tend to mudsling a lot in my opinions, but I feel like that we have to stop the mudslinging and scrutiny and learn from this. Countries should have more restrictions on foreign industry.
STAFF MEMBERS: Greg Woods -- Editor -In-Chief Tracy Le -- News Editor Savannah Cherms -- Entertainment Editor Erick Echegaray -- Sports Editor Elizabeth Underwood -Features Editor Angie Moss -- Trending Editor Cora Astin -- Photo Editor Andrea Lu -- Graphics Designer/Copy Editor Alan Brown -- Copy Editor Rick Brown -- Copy Editor Anna Alanazi -- alternate Opinions Editor Staff Writers -- David Fli-
ter, Ale Flores, Anna Hupp, Megan Klug, Gavin Larios, Jordan Lutz, Tara Magaña, Maya Minocha Staff Photographers -Hasan Al-Basri, McKenna Eilert, Lauren Race, Dylan Thomas Kristy Nyp -- Adviser Circulation -- Kim Schnee’s fifth hour class: Kristyn Baker, Caleb Barnes, Dalton Blake, Wesley Cattanach, Charlie Dickey, Karl Drown, Rachel Efken, Logan Jones, Lynne Jones, Colten Kirk, Josh Kohls, Douglas McCaskill, Faith A. Parker, Alesha Pearl, Megan Ritthisorn, Bradley Rollins, Mythias Satterfield, Amissa Self, Tedi Stein,
Hannah Sullivan and Austin Tatum.
DAVID FLITER Staff Writer
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 // FEB. 2, 2016 // MHSMENTOR.COM
ENTERTAINMENT
Serenade concert raises money for choirs SAVANNAH CHERMS
Entertainment Editor
After nearly a month of student preparation, Manhattan High’s Serenade concert finally arrived. The concert was almost entirely directed by members of MHS choirs, leaving students to not only prepare pieces on their own but also to advertise. After all the hard work and preparation, the night went smoothly, raising over $700 before any group had even sung a
note. With this money the choirs pay for transportation to events, pieces, and other things throughout the year. The night ended with members from every choir singing a medley of songs from the musical “Les Miserables.” “That was a seriously wonderful piece,” sophomore and Varsity Choir member Trenton Lopez said. “The only problem was that there were only 10 tenors in a group of over 200 students on stage. That presents an interesting issue where
you have 10 tenors lined up in front of the horde that are screaming their parts and getting blasted by the spotlight.” Despite the imbalance of tones, Lopez reports that the piece still went off without a hitch. “I think we did well, I think the crowd really liked the fact that we did a medley of pieces from a popular musical,” Lopez said. “I heard a little bit of the performance and we did really well on pronunciation and finding our pitch.”
Junior Grace Gallagher, sophomore Wyatt Ballman and junior Kaylee Fritchen perform “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers at MHS’s Serenade concert. This concert is entirely student led. PHOTO BY MAKENNA EILERT
‘Death of a Bachelor’ beats Adele’s ‘25’ from first to second all over it. It has that swift jazz melody that is also in “Crazy=Genius,” This song has a “Great Gatsby” melody to it,
ANNA ALANAZI
Blue M Photo Editor Written before his wedding, “Death of the Bachelor” was Brendon Urie’s way to bid farewell to his bachelordom with his first number one album on the Billboard chart. Urie combines his original jazzy tune and pop-punk flare to create the number one album on the Billboard charts. This album combines their vintage album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” and the electricity from “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare To Die.” Urie truly goes above and beyond with songs that complement his wide range of vocals. Panic! At The Disco dropped a few singles that sounded like it was going to be a party album. And it is just that. “The Good, The Bad, And The Dirty” has Urie’s attitude
and if you listen closely you can hear the champagne glasses click. Old sport. “LA Devotee” is your classic party song; it has that electric beat that is bound to have you
reaching for the roof. The song embodies the classic Los Angeles archetype. It personifies the glamour and allure of the
“All the memories that we make will never change/We’ll stay drunk, we’ll stay tan, let the love remain.” “Victorious” is the popup wild song. It sets the p a r t y scene. It starts out with an energetic vibe t h a t ’s easy to d a n c e to, and was apparently inspired by Urie’s inability to be an athlete. “I was PHOTO COURTESY OF CRUSH RECORDS never reLA life with a slightly critical ally great at sports,” Urie said. flare. “Never picked first for the The colorful “Golden Days” team. But what I missed in that describes a summer filled with regard, I made up for in pasall memories that we never sion and intensity. That’s truly want to fade away. victorious. Giving it your all
when it’s all you have. Giving ‘em hell to get a taste of heaven.” Following right after, “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” tells the story of the aftermath of a wild, drunken night. The singer wakes having no recollection where he is nor where his clothes are. Urie’s husky and silky voice will lure you into the electric, punk beat. “Drunk pre-meds and some rubber gloves/Fivethousand people with designer drugs.” This lyric describes him as he walks around the house remembering the night before. Urie sums up his album as a combination of Beyoncé and Frank Sinatra. “Death of A Bachelor” tells an enchanting story with all the things you liked from the previous albums, but so much better. Though some of band members have left the scene, Urie makes up for that in intricate stories and a bewitching beat that will have you playing this album on repeat.
ARTIST OF THE WEEK
What kind of art do you do? --“Paintings, sometimes acrylic paint but mostly I paint with watercolors because water colors are my most favorite.” Where do you find inspiration? --“From the things I find to be beautiful or art in their own way. If I see something that I think would look pretty on canvas then I find inspiration from it and instantly want to turn it into a painting.”
PHOTO BY LAUREN RACE
SHELBY BARRON
Malik releases music after split from 1D
MEGAN KLUG
Blue M Sports Editor Zayn Malik was off the grid for months after the split with his former band One Direction. Now it has been nearly a year since Malik left. Rumors of original music and an album have been surfacing ever since. “PILLOWTALK” is his first original single. The timeliness was soon after One Direction’s “History” music video, with the appearance of old videos containing Malik. After recent interviews with Malik about the band, it was clear that he was not interested in making the same kind of music they were; this was obvious in his new single. Malik has strayed from the typical pop that One Direction is classified under and has landed on R&B. The smooth and relaxing vibe in “PILLOWTALK” is extremely different to One Direction’s album “Made In the A.M.” When Malik was addressed about
the songs One Direction had on the first album not including him, he expressed that it wasn’t his style anymore. As a first single, it hinted at what is to come from the inevitable music that will be released this year from Malik. With a powerful chorus and background music that accents his voice, the song is likely to be a success along with the music video. The music video was released along with the single last Friday. This was also a big step for Malik’s career. His video required Malik to have his own Vevo account, ZaynVevo. The video included famous model Gigi Hadid who is also Malik’s new girlfriend. For old and new fans, the new song was an adjustment for all and exceeded expectations. After the leaking of his “No Type” cover, people were on edge waiting for music. Although “PILLOWTALK” was a good launch to his career, when comparing the vocals to other songs he has been featured on he did not emphasize his vocal range.
Sports The Mentor // FEB. 2, 2016 // MHSMENTOR.COM Page 4
Wrestling wins big, prepares for home meet ERICK ECHEGARAY
Sports Editor
After a long tournament away from home hosted by Blue Valley Northwest HIgh, the Manhattan High wrestling team was scheduled came back to host a competition of their own, in the form of the BasehorLinwood Dual. “We [Manhattan] placed first in the tournament. I personally placed seventh in my weight class. I lost to two seniors,” sophomore Abraham Sanchez said. Manhattan came away by placing first in overall points and scored 261 points to win. “The overhead at Blue Valley Northwest said 291, guess I need my eyes checked. But 261 is still the most tournament team points in my 11 years at MHS and in my 38 full seasons 1/2 way through this year so not quite 39 years yet. I also had 13 placers out of 14 weight classes. These are bench marks for me. So a great weekend. Kids wrestled well, my assis-
tant wrestling coaches Shawn Bammes, Mike Miller & Rodney Robison deserve the credit. They are the backbone of this wrestling program,” coach Robert Gonzalez said via email. Coming off that win, the Indians were supposed to receive BasehorLinwood High at MHS for a dual. The competition was canceled suddenly and rescheduled for tomorrow here at MHS. As for Basehor-Linwood, the small school in Basehor, they come in with the challenge of trying to top the home team. “Beat them. They have two great guys in Mason’s [Wallace] and Devin’s [Norris] weights classes but I think we can win,” Sanchez said. Sanchez placed seventh in the 126 weight class in the Blue Valley Northwest Invitational. “Basehor is a small school but they have some really great guys’” junior Eldon Picou (27-3) said. Manhattan will compete against Basehor-Linwood tomorrow at MHS.
Sophomore Hunter Christiansen wrestles from the top at the Blue Valley Northwest Invitational. He placed sixth in his weight class. PHOTO BY DYLAN THOMAS
Staunch defense, big third quarter lift boys to win over Emporia GREG WOODS
Editor-in-Chief
As the final pregame buzzer sounded Saturday night in Emporia, before a thinly scattered crowd, Benji George implored his team to make the game “all about defense.” The Manhattan High boys basketball team’s head coach has made his message much the same over the course of the season so far, a message that, before Saturday, had done its part to earn the Indians an 11-1 start. It became 12-1 Saturday night when Manhattan ran over the Spartans, 54-35. And indeed, the Indians’ defense played an vital role, perhaps most personified by Tommy Ekart. On top of finishing with a game-high 14 points, the junior guard hounded whichever players Emporia assigned to the perimeter, just in line with the breed of player he has molded himself into as the 2015 season wears on. With the slashing personality he possesses, Ek-
art did his best to amplify the game’s pace, but the frenetic tempo the Indians prefer to play at didn’t reach its apogee until the third quarter. That’s when, after entering the intermission up just six at 26-20, Manhattan ripped off a 13-2 run to open the second half, including 11 straight — good for a 17-point lead late in the frame, due in large part to the heightened, full-court, swarming defense of MHS. “Our press relies on fatigue becoming a factor, and in the first half, fatigue’s not going to be as much of a factor,” George said. “But I think it really showed, as the third quarter wore on, that fatigue started to become a factor. And that’s where they made some mistakes, and we get some run-outs.” Manhattan’s lead ballooned even larger as the fourth period came to a close, but the Spartans did not cave after the Indians’ third-quarter run. Instead, Emporia clawed right back. Immediately following Manhat-
tan’s 11-0 run, the Spartans tallied nine straight points and closed the gap to eight, at 39-31, with seven minutes to play. A certain uneasiness hovered over the Indian side of the crowd. But it did not linger for long. MHS broke off the Spartans’ brief encounter with momentum by going on another run, this one an 11-3 surge in the final period. And by then, an Emporia comeback was an unreachable distance down the road. The Manhattan defense had, on an infrequent Saturday game, smothered its way to a win. “We’ve been pretty strong in the third quarter this year, and we kind of pride ourselves on that,” Ekart said. “We always want to put a run on top of a run.” But the relentless, staunch tendencies the Indians’ defense brought in the second half were only present in shades for the first 16 minutes. Emporia, though it missed its fair share of them,
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Two-first place finishes and a more than a successful season. Eldon Picou, only being a junior, has risen and excelled, not only in the sport of wrestling, but also academically emerging as an example of what it means to be a good student-athlete. Last week Picou was awarded the “KMAN Student Athlete of the Week” Award for his great performance in the Blue Valley Northwest Invitational that Manhattan won. Picou pinned all of his opponents and placed first in the competition. “I was really surprised and proud that I won. Yeah I was surprised and people came to congratulate me and saying I won and I didn’t know,” Picou said. Picou (27-3) will wrestle in the 285 lbs. division and will wrestle tomorrow in the Basehor-Linwood dual. “I hope I can go out there and win” Picou said. Picou was a sophomore when he joined the Varsity and he hasn’t stopped since. “I’m focused on Regionals before State. I want to place top 4,” Picou said.
GREG WOODS
PHOTO BY CORA ASTIN
Bowling takes another loss GAVIN LARIOS
The girls and boys bowling team took a hard loss in the four-team meet at Junction City last Thursday. The meet consisted of Junction City, Sacred Heart, Seaman and Manhattan. “It was not our best. Both boys and girls got last place,” sophomore Riley
Taylor said. Both boys and girls teams took last in the meet, and only senior Andrea Miller placed individually, bringing home third place. Despite the team results, the players still have remain positive towards the season. “It does not matter about how well we do as a team, like placing-wise or scores, I just want the
team to do well because a lot of them are young like freshmen and have never bowled before,” Miller said, “so I would rather them learn how to bowl this year and get better so that they can get better for next year.” Taylor agreed. “It’s getting better, we just need to practice a little more,” Taylor said.
ple with his quickness,” George said. “He’s probably the most competitive guy that we have, at least he shows it. He wears it on his skin.” Offensively, however, the night was one that saw a balanced scoring effort, as aside from Ekart’s 14, MHS was led by senior Grant Munsen’s 11. The Indians’ leading scorer in senior Gabe Awbrey, who has registered games with as many as 32, posted just 10 points. George, though, said the last thing on Awbrey’s mind is his individual yield, opting instead for his team’s gain. “Gabe is as selfless a leader as I’ve ever been around,” George said. “It wouldn’t matter to Gabe if he scored zero, 20 or 40 points. If the team plays well and we get a win and we play great defense, he’s going to be thrilled about it. I don’t think it truly matters all that much how many points he scores, as long as we play well and get the win.” Toting just a single blemish on the win-loss
record into February, Manhattan now turns its attention to a road contest against Topeka West Friday. And though his team’s defense was the storyline Saturday night, George’s attention will be on the Chargers’, who run the polar opposite of Emporia. “We’re going to have to get ready for all zone. Tonight, I don’t think we saw a possession of zone defense,” he said. “Friday, we’re probably not going to see a possession of man defense. It’s definitely going to be a shift.” For now, though, Manhattan can revel in what has been not only a remarkable beginning to the season, but, as junior Trevor Hudgins explained, an enjoyable one. “It’s been real fun,” he said. “There’s been some goofy times; some hard times with that Wichita East loss, but overall it’s been really fun.”
Girls take fourth at MAC Editor-in-Chief
ELDON PICOU
Staff Writer
converted on a number of looks inside in the first half, exposing a hole in his defense George was not pleased with. A back-andforth affair handed MHS a 16-12 lead after the first quarter. “I did not like where our defense was at in the first half at times. I felt like we got a little bit lucky at times,” George said. “I told the guys, ‘let’s be honest with ourselves: we got a little bit lucky. They missed some open looks at the rim.’ And so we challenged them defensively.” The Indians responded emphatically to the challenge. They allowed just 15 points in the second half, and the 35 total ties for the least amount Manhattan has allowed in its historic 12-1 start to the 2015-16 campaign. And at the core of the effort on defense has remained Ekart. His tireless, fever style of play keep whatever blueprint George draws up churning, and the head coach praised his efforts. “He’s so athletic. He’s so quick. He surprises peo-
Following its second loss of the season to Emporia Jan. 22, the Manhattan High girls basketball team got nearly a week to rest before the Mid-America Classic in McPherson last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Lady Indians took fourth at the tournament, with a quarterfinal win over Andale, semifinal loss to Olathe East and third-place game loss to host McPherson. The 2-1 outing puts MHS at 9-4 for the season. “I think we played really well overall. I think we struggled to put a whole game together,” junior Gigi McAtee said. “Obviously we don’t have very
much experience, and I think that ended up hurting in those close games.” Manhattan’s 44-30 win over Andale Thursday was one. A slow-moving, defensive affair characterized the contest for the first quarter, but MHS got separation in the second quarter, good enough for a 10-point lead at halftime, and rode the lead into the final stanza for the win. The victory set up a semifinal meeting with Olathe East. And it didn’t take long for East to jump on Manhattan. The Lady Hawks outscored the Lady Indians 19-4 in the second frame, and the large lead culminated in a 50-33 final score and proved insurmountable for MHS.
“The offense [went wrong],” McAtee said. “When we’re not hitting shots, instead of moving more like we should, we kind of freeze and look to everyone else, and I think that comes with the experience we have.” The loss put Manhattan in a matchup with host team McPherson in the third-place game on Saturday, but things didn’t swing in the Lady Indians’ favor — at least not in the fourth quarter. That’s when the McPherson built a cushion after a tightly-contested game for the first three quarters and edged Manhattan, 55-48. MHS now looks ahead to Friday’s road matchup with Topeka West.
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Features
Mr. MHS brings more laughter Boys that dance together laugh together
TOP: Holding hands in anticipation, Mr. MHS competitors junior Mitch Elliott, seniors Ethan Levin and Peter Gruenbacher, juniors Nate Clark and Gavin Larios, and seniors August Balman and Michael Everett wait as the awards are announced. “You make friends while you’re here,” Everett said. “Coming here with the guys, you kind of have fun with them. It’s all just for fun.” BOTTOM LEFT: Senior Emma Devane approaches senior August Balman to crown him as the 2016 Mr. MHS. “Let’s be real,” Balman said. “I’m your favorite person.” BOTTOM RIGHT: Proving his worth as the “Predator at Prom,” senior Ethan Levin answers pageant questions during the Evening Wear Competition. In the end, Levin was awarded Crowd Favorite. Photos by Hasan Al-Basri
ANNA ALANAZI Staff Writer
A night filled with laughter and unstoppable puns, the 31st annual Mr. MHS brought forth the expectably unexpected. The seven candidates competed in evening wear, talent show and swimwear categories.
Evening Wear In the Evening Wear competition, one memorable candidate dressed like a Netflix Marathon and ironically foretold his fate. “Let’s be real. I’m your favorite person too,” candidate August Balman said. Other noteworthy costumes included Promiscuous Donald Trump, Miss Universe and Alien Conspiracy Theorist. The constants expressed their creativity through their
Stitch.
The Talent Show The boys challenged themselves through the Talent Show, which was counted as 40 percent of the final score. Senior Michael Everett walked on stage with his “son” played by Ethan Balman, and “wife” Matt Bandy, and sang an original song about how he met his wife through the Tinder app. “When I was very young, younger, there was a guy and he wrote a song about Facebook stalking,” Everett said, “which kind of inspired my song, and during that, he had a video about Facebook stalking. And that’s why I had to have the projector. I just started setting up the projector and all of that [Friday]. It was very stress-
ful.” Junior Nate Clark performed the “Dance of the Black Swan,” with the help of junior Grace Gallagher and English teacher Andrew Lee. Lee was dressed in a French costume and had to decide between Gallagher and Clark, who was the better black swan. “Actually Grace Gallagher approached me and I didn’t know who I was performing with until later on,” Lee said after the show. “Nate, I think, was afraid that I was going to turn him down, [but] when I found out it was Nate I was even more inclined to do it.” Though he felt silly in his outfit, Lee was more than happy to do it. “Unfortunately, all of that stuff I own except for the hat and the scarf which were [owned] by [Linda] Uthoff [drama
teacher], she provided those,” Lee said. “I was definitely nervous, and there quite a few lines. I had to make sure I was pronouncing things correctly. French is a difficult accent to do.” Senior Ethan Levin performed a contemporary story called “Battle with the Devil,” where he played a violin for the first half. Then a guitar descended from above, and he went on to impress the audience with his guitar performance. Senior Peter Gruenbacher performed “From Finner” by “Of Monsters and Men,” assisted by seniors Nathan McClendon and Sam Morgan. “I think I did pretty well. Sam, Nathan and I had so much fun with it,” Gruenbacher said. Sweeping across stage, junior Gavin Larios danced to “Come on Ei-
leen,” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners, in a skit called the “Janitorial Jam.” “It was three guys: Marcel Chlupsa, Jack Matthews and I,” Larios said. “Everybody loves that song.” After declaring his love for Beyonce in the evening wear competition, senior Mitch Elliott lip synched to Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love.” Six comedic performances later, Balman performed a song that hits close to home for him, “Back to a Reason.” “I just love that song. It’s my favorite song,” Balman said.
hattan High School. “Departments that have elective offerings, so those [classes that] are not required for graduation ... are having tables to exhibit what they do within their classes or within their department,”
Career and Technical Education director Debra Kidd said. In previous years, the event was held down at the ninth grade center where it was known as “The Career and Elective Expo.” This year it will be
held at West campus to become more accessible to families at MHS. “We have never really have had individuals ... with the opportunities, so we actually brought that event which used to be hosted down at the ninth
grade center up to the West campus,” chairman of the Counseling Department Tony Wichmann said. Starting at 6:30 and ending at 8 p.m. parents and their children can come in and talk with
elective teachers about their classes and what they have to offer. “I think it is a great opportunity to showcase what’s going on,” Kidd said.
FROM ONLINE PAGE 1
evening we’re opening up for all parents and students to come in and have a better idea of all kinds of electives they can select, and the counselors will be available to show students; we’ll have student meetings. We actually want the parents to see what we are communicating to all the kids.” First, students will have to obtain a “course request worksheet” and complete it with the help of their teacher, counselor and parents. This sheet will have the name of the classes and their code. After they have completed
it, students will need to turn it into their academic counselor. Next, the online phase of the whole process begins through Infinite Campus. Students will login into their accounts, where on the index there will be a Course Registration option. After clicking that box, students have to select “Request Courses.” Find the course name box, and course number box and then type the name of 14 different courses, seven for each semester. Students will also select three different alternate courses. Once stu-
dents have gone through the whole process, they’ll just need to print their “request summary” to keep their records. “We live in a very digital age, and students are on their devices all the time, phones, iPads and laptops; things like that,” college counselor Katie Ball said. “We’re just getting away from paper because there is multiple places online where the courses are listed; it helps students because they are able to access it anytime, in any device, to see the options they’ve got.”
Angie Messer, attended the presentation as well to be better informed on how to help students. “There’s a group ... called ‘Fight the New Drug,’ and their presentation was about the addiction that people could get from viewing pornography, pornographic images or pornographic texts, and the things you can do to help them combat that,” Messer said. Around 100 students
and parents showed up for the Pornography: What Every Family Needs to Know presentation. “They have a site that they share with people to help individuals work through an addiction, any type of addiction, and in my role as an assistant principal I think that having the tools to give someone if they were addicted to anything [is important],” Messer said. “It was good information
that they shared about where, how people are gaining access to this type of media, and the ages at which people are accidentally getting exposed to it.”
outfits and their answers to some of the pageant questions.
Swimwear During the swimwear competition, the boys stretched the boundaries of the guidelines and their creativity. Costumes included a jellyfish, naked cowboy, and Lilo and
Awards Following tradition, 2015 Mr. MHS Trevor Bashaw paid a visit to pass on the title. He came out in a cowboy hat, pony shorts and black spandex overalls. Reading his speech from his phone, Bashaw succeeded in having the audience reaching for the tissue box. The Miss Congeniality award went to Elliot, the Fan Favorite award went to Levin, runner-up went to legacy Everett, and proving he is everyone’s favorite, Balman won the title of Mr. MHS 2016. “I honestly I had no idea,” Balman said. “Everyone was so awesome.” Though the show ended, the boys were happy to be in it. “It’s been fun bonding and dancing with these guys,” Gruenbacher said.
West campus to host Elective Fair Thursday GAVIN LARIOS Staff Writer
The Elective Fair will be held this Thursday for all of the eigth-11th grade students and parents who want to know what electives have to offer at Man-
Wineland challenges cheerleader stereotype SAVANNAH CHERMS I love them all to death Entertainment Editor
Cheer is a typically female-dominated sport. The stereotype of a cheerleader is a skinny girl in her short skirt and high ponytail. Freshman Jacob Wineland chose to challenge that stereotype and is the only male on Manhattan High’s cheer squad. “I saw the forum at the middle school and it looked interesting and I wanted to try something different,” Wineland said. “I wanted to be more involved in the school.” While getting more involved in school sports, Wineland has also gained new friendships with team members and coaches. “The girls have treated me wonderfully; I love them all. There are some of these girls, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, that I wouldn’t have talked to had I not done cheer, but
now. It’s hard to imagine life without some of them.” Any sport at MHS is a large time commitment, and with the cheer squad’s busy practice and game schedule, Wineland has had to find a way to balance school and sports. “We practice a lot throughout the week so academically it’s sometimes hard to fit homework in,” Wineland said. “I also do a lot of theater, so I’ve had to miss a lot of shows because of cheer, but cheer is my number one priority.” From the first summer practice to the pep rallies, Wineland has seen himself improve over the season. “My moves are definitely sharper from the beginning of the year, and I learn cheers and chants way faster. My jumps are higher too. I think I’ve improved overall as a cheerleader quite a bit.”
To access this information, students will have to go to their Infinite Campus account where they will have to follow some of steps.There will be an enrollment information meeting/elective fair for students and parents on Thursday at the MHS West campus with more information about the enrollment process. “There is not very much difference from last year; this is the same process as we’ve done before,” Wichmann said. “We actually have that
FROM PORN PAGE 1
suggestive content. To inform both adults and children better about that topic, a speaker was invited to present to both parents and students the proper usages for the Internet. “[It was] advice on how to avoid, I guess, Internet porn,” sophomore Brogan Holdren said. Including students, many school officials, such as senior principal
FOR MORE
INFORMATION, VISIT FIGHTTHENEWDRUG.ORG
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The Mentor // Feb. 2, 2016 // MHSMentor.com
Trending
The dreaded
cold and flu season
Prevention How to keep yourself healthy ANDREA LU
Graphics Designer No one wants to miss school and have to make up work, especially when they are in high school. And this winter season has not been made easy on students. This season has brought on a surge in illnesses, predominantly the notorious flu, and it’s important to make sure you’re taking all precautions to be healthy and prepared for the season with these tips: WASH your hands: You’ve probably been told to do this countless times and you’re probably sick (no pun intended) of hearing this, but it’s true -- washing your hands is the easiest
way to prevent illness. Make sure you always wash your hands with soap and water, and if that isn’t an option, use a sanitizer properly by vigorously rub your hands for at least 30 seconds after using the sanitizer. Washing your hands is also crucial after using a tissue to blow your nose. D o n ’ t TOUCH your face: Your hands are constantly in contact with various surfaces, be it desks or door handles. So, the least you can do is avoid spreading those nasty germs to your face. Touching your eyes, nose, or mouth is a great way for germs to enter your body and thus cause illnesses, especially those that deal with your respiratory systems.
Cough the RIGHT WAY: You’ve probably heard this a million times too, but for good reason. If you have a cough, make sure to cough in in your elbow rather than spewing it all over and spreading germs into the air that everyone breathes. L I S TEN to y o u r body: While you may want to toughen up and go to school because y o u d o n ’ t want to miss a test or make up work, DON’T DO IT. If your body is saying no, listen. Symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting are all indicators that you need to take the day off and rest up.
Eat, eat, EAT: Eating is crucial if you want to feel your best at school. There’s no way your bodily and intellectual functions can work if you don’t give them fuel. Just like you wouldn’t expect your car to run without gas, you can’t expect y o u r body to cooperate when it doesn’t have the energy it needs. If you don’t have time to eat breakfast in the m o r n ing, bring snacks to eat. Your brain loves glucose (sugar) and if you don’t give your brain glucose, you don’t feel good. Peanut butter or cheese crackers are great because they don’t have a
lot of sugar and have lots of protein. In addition, dairy products, like milk and yogurt, are excellent because they have a good source of calories and protein, but be cautious if you are sensitive to lactose. Granola bars can be a good alternative, although most only have 90 calories and won’t last you very long. DRINK water: It’s super important to stay hydrated, so bring a water bottle to school or wherever you go and utilize water fountains. Your body needs water to survive and perform basic, everyday functions. graphics by andrea lu
got the flu out to while you re dying Staying Alive tunes to jam
23 (relatively) fun things to News Editor do when you’re sick and bored. TRACY LE
megan klug
Staff Writer
• Party In the USA by Miley Cyrus. You might not feel well, but this song will definitely get you in a good mood.
• Don’t Stop Believing by Journey. Hold onto that sliver of hope that you’ll start feeling better soon.
• Stressed Out by TwentyOne Pilots. Let’s face it, you’re going to be extremely stressed out when you realize how much homework you have to make up.
• House Party by Sam Hunt. You’re home alone and sick, no one can judge you for shamelessly dancing around the house.
• Roses by The Chainsmokers. If you’re looking for a good song to just relax and unwind while feeling sick then this song is perfect. • Die a Happy Man by Thomas Rhett. Country love songs are good for your health, it’s a proven fact; but this slow song will allow you to doze off in peace. • Bad Blood by Taylor Swift. Whenever you start feeling a little better, jam out.
numbers
TO KNOW about the flu
• Crank That (Soulja Boy) by Soulja Boy. Youuu have to find something fun to do when you get bored; plus it’s a fun throwback song. • Fight Song by Rachel Platton. Lyrics encouraging you to fight off that illness that has rudely interrupted your life. • Where Are You Now? by Justin Bieber. A song dedicated to all your friends when they’re hanging out and you’re lying in bed.
• Same Old Love by Selena Gomez. Sing at the top of your lungs, if your throat doesn’t hurt, and embrace a sassy song like this one. • Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. Who doesn’t love listening to a sappy song every once in a while? • Ain’t It Fun by Paramore. You can still have loads of fun when you’re sick. • Hello by Adele. Just in case you don’t hear it enough on the radio, you can properly enjoy the song. • History by One Direction. Turn up the volume, clap along and jam out to this catchy tune to enhance your mood.
• Sleep so much you demolish any hope of returning to your “regular” sleep schedule • Scroll through Pinterest and fail at doing obscure crafts • If you feel up for it, trudge outside and go for a stroll • Cuddle with pets (or pillows) • Watch TV shows you aren’t the least bit interested in • Make a pillow fort, put on some headphones and read • Shop online and look at everything on Etsy • Check out random places on Google Earth • Stare at walls • Make music or write poetry • Marathon “Star Wars,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter,” or “Shrek” • Fortify your bed with snacks and beverages and a laptop • Set up a chessboard and play against yourself • Make conversation with telemarketers • Stalk people on social media • Complete a coloring book • Read up on urban legends • Fall into a YouTube wormhole • Learn to play the ukulele • Get yourself a lot of coffee • Visit an online museum • Feed birds • Learn the art of calligraphy and draw a gorilla
jordan lutz
Staff Writer
Number of population who die due to a flu-related cause
Average of U.S. population that get the flu each year Average of U.S. population that gets hospitalized due to flu symptoms
Days it takes for a regular flu to clear up weeks for flu vaccination antibodies to build up