The Mentor: March 8

Senior Kevin Harper and juniors Abby Whitney, Gigi McAtee, Kennedy Wilson and Macie Condra read sheet music in preparation for auditions to get into Chamber, Varsity or Pops choirs.

PHOTO BY DYLAN THOMAS

VOLUME 103 // ISSUE 17 // MARCH 8, 2016

the mentor

Forensics takes first in team’s first Sweepstakes, continues with 15 State qualifiers ELIZABETH UNDERWOOD

Features Editor

Dominating the Junction City tournament on Saturday, the Manhattan High School Forensics team placed in most of the competitions and ended with first place in Sweepstakes.

Sophomore Lily Colburn, placing in the most events, got third in Extemporaneous Speaking, fifth in Impromptu

and second in Informative/ Original Oration.

Senior Sterling Edgar also placed fourth in Extemp and second in Impromptu, while sophomore Douglas Kim was awarded third in Impromptu and fourth in Prose.

“It was fun. It was actually the second one I’ve been to, ever, and the first time I broke,” sophomore Jenna Dominguez said. “We won Sweeps, so that

was good ... I’m just glad we got the opportunity to break and experience the final rounds.”

Continuing on in the tournament, junior Kriya Newfield won sixth in Impromptu and second in Poetry while junior Sean McGimpsey got fourth in Informative/Original Oration.

Seniors Olivia Groninger and Evan Heger also placed in Dramatic Interpretation, first and sixth respectively. Heger

also won seventh in Humorous Interpretation.

Finally, the partnering of sophomore Nicolas Paukstelis and Dominguez was awarded sixth in Duo Interpretation and fourth in Impromptu Duet Acting.

“It’s the first time I’ve actually placed in a tournament whatsoever, so, placing in two different ones was kind of crazy for me,” Paukstelis said.

The tournament provided for a celebratory time for the team as they won their first Sweeps and now have around 15 State qualifiers.

“It was a really good weekend and they had a great time, that was a big thing,” Sutherland said. “It was a beautiful day out, we had a really nice time, [the] kids had a good attitude so it was just fun.”

School reacts to suspicious odor Peterson becomes Kansas Youth of the Year runner-up Tara Magaña

Blue M Assistant Editor for Verbal Content Amongst annoyance and restlessness during Wednesday’s partial evacuation into Rezac, special education’s Terri Aiken broke out pink and blue balloons to entertain students with a game of Don’t let the Balloon Touch the Floor.

“Mr. [Randy] Nivert came in and told us that we needed to leave, and some people said they’d smelled gas, and we were just told to get out, so everyone was a little confused, but, I mean, it’s turned out to be a fun time,” senior Sydney Zafran said. “We mainly talked, and we played a game with balloons. It was fun; it was encouraging, and, I mean, it kept your mind off what was going on, so it was nice.”

During second hour, a suspicious gaseous odor made its way through the west end of first floor E-Hall, causing a maintenance worker to call Kansas Gas Service, which then alerted local emergency services before administration were notified.

“Officer [Jamie] Douglass, as soon as he heard that the call was coming here and why, Officer Douglass instructed us to evacuate the classrooms in the

west end of first floor to the auditorium to get everyone out of the area,” assistant principal Angie Messer said. “[West EHall] was the only part of the building where the odor was picked up by people. The rest of the building had no odor and no danger, so there was no need to evacuate those rooms.”

Firemen then went through the building with a carbon monoxide detector.

“As administration, [we] had to wait for word from the fire department that it was okay to then dismiss students, so I just think it was a good cooperative activity and luckily ended in finding nothing in the building, and so we were all safe,” Messer said.

Though there was no carbon monoxide, several faculty members and students began feeling sick while in the presence of the gaseous odor.

“I think I had a little feeling that there was a gassy smell in the building, but I didn’t pay enough attention to it because it happens quite often,” German teacher Elke Lorenze said.

FOR THE FULL STORY

VISIT MHSMENTOR.COM

Tara Magaña

Blue M Assistant Editor for Verbal Content After receiving the title of Boys and Girls club’s Manhattan Youth of the Year in December, senior Peyton Peterson competed at the state level in Topeka last Tuesday.

For the competition, Peterson was tasked with writing three essays and giving a speech to government representatives. “[The speech] was about how the Boys and Girls Club impacted my life, and since I’ve been with them 12 years, they’ve had a pretty big impact in mine. They were there for me when no one else was, and during the best and worst moments of my life they were always there for me. So they’ve always been second family,” Peterson said.

“They were able to teach me the values of education, so not only was I able to start valuing school a lot more, I was able to become more social, because back then I was even more pertinent,” he said. “I was excited [to make state] because it was the first time I had actually worked

hard for something. So it was nice to see that I was actually doing something good. That was my attempt to try to pay back the Boys and Girls Club for everything that they had done for me.”

At the state level, competitors gave a prepared speech before receiving an interview and critiques from judges. Next, they gave their speeches again, this time in front of a slightly larger audience, and judges determined their winner. Lastly, all competitors spoke for a third time, now in front of an even larger audience with government officials and Boys and Girls Club board members, before the winner was announced. Peterson took second place, receiving nothing, where the winner received a $5,000 scholarship and moved on to regionals in Dallas.

“The way the judges described it during the criticisms that my essays were well-written and that my attire was on point and that my speech was good, and I just needed to project more,” Peterson said. “So they gave me a lot of confidence, and then when you hear the other girl’s speech that won, it wasn’t bad, but it could’ve been better. So I was just won-

dering why because they did it on a point system for three columns: your essays, your speech, and then your attire and at five points each. So, somehow I did something that was enough to make me lose.”

Though bitter about his loss, competing wasn’t for

“There was a silver lining or two to [losing], so that was good.”

-- Peyton Peterson

nothing.

“There was a silver lining or two to [losing], so that was good,” Peterson said. “One of the judges was a member of DCF (Department for Children and Families), and what I was telling her was my passion for politics and the fact that I was in foster care. She offered me her card and things of that nature, so that way I could help her improve the foster care system, if that’s even possible, and to get me in contact with legislators.”

German students attend annual Schulekongress in Lawrence, win awards DAVID FLITER

Opinions Editor Each year, the German students of Manhattan High School and other schools around the state attend the Schulekongress conference in Lawrence on the Kansas University campus.

The event is made up of poetry and prose readings, as well as scavenger hunts and traditional German cultural activities.

The scavenger hunts even take

place in the various museums on the KU campus.

Students prepare weeks in advance for this event. Not only do the students need to be prepared to present their poetry or prose fully in German, they also must make a video and a poster to represent the school’s involvement in the German language program.

“I recorded and edited the video and helped with the poster,” junior Grant Williams 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.

Democratic, Republican candidates score wins on Super Tuesday and Super Saturday With more delegates at stake during Super Tuesday than on any other day, it is undoubtedly the most important day in the political primary season.

For Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it was a day of big wins.

Hillary Clinton won elections in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia while Bernie Sanders carried Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Vermont. Both candidates had landslide victories in many states, with Massachusetts being the closest race (Clinton won the state with 50.1 percent of the vote.) GOP frontrunner Donald Trump scored victories

“Of course, I also did poetry and prose and got awards for both of those.”

At the end of the event, there is an awards ceremony for the students and teams that participated in the various activities.

It went really well,” junior Leah Selman said. “I got two medals, and my team got second place in the culture quiz.”

The MHS students came out in force at Schulekongress, with almost every student win-

ning an award.

in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia and Vermont while rival candidate Ted Cruz came out victorious in Alaska, Oklahoma and Texas. Florida Senator Marco Rubio won Minnesota, his first state carried in the election.

On Friday, after a disappointing showing on Super Tuesday, Republican candidate Ben Carson suspended his presidential campaign.

On Super Saturday, the Saturday following Super Tuesday, Clinton carried Louisiana while Sanders claimed Kansas (with 67.7 percent of the vote) and Nebraska. Trump won Kentucky and Louisiana while Cruz took Kansas (with 48.2 percent of the vote) and Maine.

On Sunday, Rubio won Puerto Rico. As of March 6, Trump has 384 delegates, Cruz has 300, Rubio has 151 and John Kasich has 37, according to Bloomberg Politics.

1,237 delegates are needed to win the Republican nomination.

Clinton has 1,123 delegates while Sanders has 484 delegates

(including superdelegates.) 2,383 delegates are needed to win the Democratic nomination.

“I’m pretty sure everyone from MHS got an award. It was awesome.”

-- Grant Williams

“I’m pretty sure everyone from MHS got an award,” Wil-

North Korean impounded in Philippines

ship the

Following new sanctions on North Korea issued by the United Nations, the Philippine government prepared to seize a North Korean ship that landed on Thursday.

The Philippines will begin formal procedures to impound the vessel on Monday, according to the New York Times. The sanctions requirements issued by the United Nations, which state that all cargo arriving from or destined for North Korea must be inspected, were passed on Wednesday. Manuel L. Quezon III, a member of the Philippine president’s communications team, used a local radio station to broadcast the government’s position on the issue.

liams said. “It was awesome.”

Schulekongress overall has become a place not only for people to test out their knowledge of the German language, but also to form a community about it. Schulekongress has been taking places for years, and MHS will continue to attend.

“I will for sure be attending next year,” Williams said.

“The world is concerned over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and as a member of the U.N., the Philippines has to do its part to enforce the sanctions,” Quezon said. “Our obligation is essentially to impound the vessel and not allow it to leave port and the crew must eventually be deported.”

China announces plan to construct second railroad in Tibet On Saturday, the Chinese government announced plans to connect the capital city of Tibet with southwestern-Chinese city Chengdu. While the mayor of a Tibetan city embraced the news, many Tibetans saw the move as the latest of a series of attempts to undermine Tibetan culture. China forcibly took control of Tibet in 1951.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE NEWS CHECK OUT MHSMENTOR.COM

Opinions

The Mentor // March 8, 2016 // MHSMentor.com Page 2

Andrews fights for justice Inform students more over stalking scandal 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. It’s no secret that stalking, invasion of privacy and the blatant disrespect and lack of consideration of others are extremely wrong acts and yet, these sickening, undeniably horrific doings still happen to many individuals today, famous or not. One of those individuals just so happens to be sportscaster Erin Andrews.

It all started in September of 2008 when Andrews stayed at a Marriott Hotel in Nashville where she was covering a football game at Vanderbilt University. A stalker by the name of Michael David Barrett requested to have his hotel room right next to Andrews.

Hotel staff, without consent or permission from Andrews herself, fulfilled Barrett’s request, which later allowed Barrett to drill a peephole through the wall and record a video of Andrews nude. The video went viral, racking up a whopping 17 million views.

It’s now 2016, almost 10 years after the fact, and the case is still in court. While Barrett did plead guilty to three counts of interstate stalking and was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison (which he has now finished), there are still many unresolved issues. Barrett also testified on Feb. 29 that his motives for doing what he did were purely financial and he was “not proud” of his actions. If only that would fix every-

thing. Unfortunately, it does not make up for the destruction he left in his wake -- the irreparable emotional and psychological damage Andrews now suffers. Now, Andrews is suing both the hotel and Barrett for $75 million, which will be considered by a jury on Friday.

Since the incident, Andrews has faced unbearable public humiliation and has become what her father Steve Andrews describes as “depressed” and a “shell” of her former self. She has been haunted by what Barrett did and not only has to go through treatment but also take extra precautions wherever she travels, checking hotel rooms meticulously to make sure there isn’t anything suspicious. Furthermore, her desire to be a role model to younger girls was wrecked by the one event she had no control over. She was heckled at games and forced by ESPN, the network she worked with at the time, to talk about a situation she didn’t want to talk about.

While this case is tragic and unfortunate, it brings to the forefront a lot of questions and issues of privacy and inequality between men and women in society. What if this exact situation had in fact happened to a man instead of a woman? Despite all the emotional trauma Andrews has endured, some still say it’s a publicity stunt and defense attorneys have said that this was not the hotel’s responsibility and couldn’t have possibly been prevented.

Even worse, the defense team has stated that

Question of the

week:

“Play w/ @schxrms dogs” -- Lacy Fisher, sophomore (@lxcyfxsher)

Andrews doesn’t have a valid excuse; that she in fact helped with the filming to further her career and gain fame. They argue that Andrews’ career has been much more successful than it was before the video scandal, with her becoming a reporter on FOX News, signing multiple endorsements, being a contestant and host on Dancing With the Stars and earning a higher salary.

But what these people have perhaps failed to recognize is the fact that while the incident may not have harmed the career, it seriously damaged the victim. All of this added skepticism towards Andrews has further amplified her anxiety and has done nothing good for her mental health. Would a man in this situation be treated like this in court? Would he have to fight to prove this all wasn’t a publicity stunt? That he had no motives at all?

The Mentor Editorial Board strongly felt that, in this case, the court was not doing justice. After all the pain and hurt Andrews has gone through, the least she deserves was the money from a hotel and a man her systematically ruined her life. A simple phone call notifying Andrews of a man wanting to book a room right next to hers could have prevented all of the events that followed, but the damage has been done and will forever be something that Andrews will have to live with and seek therapy for. Although we won’t know anything until Friday, the most we can hope for is justice being done for Erin Andrews.

“Working at the bubblewash, come see ya boy!”

-- Chandler Mixon, junior (@Chandler_Mixon0)

--Emily Willi, sophomore (@emiilymaria)

“WATCHING THE BACHELOR FINAL WITH MY GIRL @emilyjean_8 !!!!!!!”

-- Jayme Hay, sophomore (@jaymesuee)

“Lift weights #gainz”

-- Kevin Kim , junior (@kevvkim) “Sleeping!!”

-- Gillian Nichols , sophomore (@gillian_belle)

One of the most annoying things in high school is that we are expected to act like adults but are treated like children. This comes into perspective when issues arise during the school day at school or in the community.

We have to find out about these events through other students, teachers or even parents.

Sometimes the correct information doesn’t come to us until after the event, causing us to question the actuality of the communication with the students and the staff members.

As students, we have a right to know about what goes on in our school and community. We keep getting told to grow up and be more responsible, but when there is a situation that arises, we are sheltered from it.

teachers or parents. The administration needs to inform the student body directly.

Let’s be real, most of the communication through the student body, parents/guardians and the administration is through email. But how many high schoolers check their email on a regular basis? Many of them do not; students check their phone more frequently. So how effective is this way of communication?

Many times, when there was something out of the ordinary that happened at school, I either found out through the grapevine of teenage gossip (which is often incorrect), or after school, when my mom informs me of it.

If you want us to act more like adults, then treat us more like adults and inform us more of what is going in the community during the school day. So please let us know what is going on and don’t leave us out of the loop.

Stay motivated, positive to finish

Jordan Lutz Staff Writer Three more days.

There are just three more days until Spring Break starts. We have been in school for about seven months now. Guess what that means. We only have a three months of school to get through.

I have noticed that as Spring Break approaches many of my fellow students are less motivated when it comes to school, myself included. When people get less motivated, their work ethic can suffer from it.

Procrastination can quickly become a habit once motivation has been

stolen from students. This is something we have to be cautious of. When procrastination sets in a your grades can easily start going down as you start to spend less time studying and doing homework in exchange for Netflix marathons.

We all have those moments when we just want to lounge about and do absolutely nothing; I certainly have those spurts of wanting to do nothing but sleep. Just do not let those moments overstay their welcome in your mind as they can be taxing on you mentally and, sometimes, physically.

A way to stay motivated during this small time before school ends is to stay positive. Smile, even if you do not mean it. Just the action of smiling can release hormones that make a person happier.

Researchers at Harvard

found a link that says positivity can lead to more productivity so create happiness for yourself.

Another way to get yourself motivated is to be proud of what you have done, even if all you did was get out of bed.

Staying on the idea that positivity helps people stay motivated, don’t forget to speak positively as well. Saying things like, “I’ll never get this done” or “This is impossible” will not allow you to get anything done. Thinking and speaking positive words can uplift your negative mood.

If all else fails, just think about summer.

School ends in a little more than two months.

Have you seen how quickly this school year has gone by? It is almost over. Keep that motivation and positivity up. We are almost done.

Kim K. the only one embellishing her life on Twitter and Instagram?

What about your friends you rarely see that look like they’ve got it all in their insta posts? Is it even possible to scroll through your feed without feeling a hint of jealousy or inferiority? There’s nothing wrong with a little envy of a multi-million dollar mansion or even the road trip your roommate is on, but do not let it affect how you live your actual offline life. It’s almost like the warning on most car mirrors: “objects online aren’t as amazing as they appear.”

I’m not saying to avoid posting the good times in your life; just be cautious that other people’s posts don’t make you feel bad.

Some believe that people who spend a lot of their time on social media are

more depressed due to constant comparison. Obviously, a vast majority of anything posted will be accomplishments, new babies or other exciting news. People aren’t going to brag about the struggles in their relationships or a failing test score. I beg you to keep that in mind next time you open Instagram or Facebook.

One other side-note: live in the moment. I promise that the best memories won’t be the ones where you’re hiding behind a screen. Does every single thought that comes into a mind need to be written online, or is there a better way to actually live? I’m not saying to go trade in your iPhone for a flip phone with an antenna; just every once in awhile, try to live in reality, and no, not the virtual one.

OTHER: Staff Writers -- Anna Alanazi, Lexi Bieker, Ale Flores, Anna Hupp, Megan Klug, Gavin Larios, Jordan Lutz Staff Photographers -Hasan Al-Basri, McKenna Eilert, Lauren Race, Dylan Thomas 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.

What are you doing for Social media not real life spring break?

“Going to Disney World !!!!!”

“Becoming Picasso” Camille Fellars, junior (@Camillieonn)

Cora Astin Photo Editor

For instance, this previous week we had a “shelter in place,” preventing the students present in the school from changing classes like normal. An incident dealing with a suspicious gas odor in the west end of E-hall caused the Manhattan Fire Department and the Kansas Gas Service to come into the school to try to contain the issue.

Unless they were directly involved in the incident, no one present in the school was informed about the gas odor or even what was going on.

There were firefighters walking up and down the halls, certain sections of the school being evacuated, and the front loop being blocked off, causing a small surge of panic amongst students.

Now, I realize that it might not be best to inform students about everything, and as the administration of the school, you have to pick and choose what is told to the students. But when it interferes with our school day, we should be given the right to know, not via

“Trying to solve a rubics cube in under a minute” -- Desiree Ehm, sophomore (@DesireeEhm)

Next week’s question:

Check back to see what our question of the week is after spring break!

Would you like to see your words in print?

Share them with The Mentor for a chance to have your story in the publication.

The Mentor is an open forum and accepts signed letters and guest columns from students, faculty members and parents. Letters and columns are distinct from each other.

• Letters are in response to content in this publication and are recommended to be no longer than 350 words.

• Columns are a new topic, a call to action or a clear statement of an opinion regarding a school or national issue and are required to be within 300-600 words in length.

Anyone interested in contributing a guest column is advised to clear the topic with the editorial staff prior to writing it in order to save time and effort.

The editorial staff reserved the right to edit for length, grammar and clarity while preserving the original intent. All guest content must be signed and must be free of copyright violations.

E-mail ideas and submissions to at mhsmentor@gmail.com.

Lexi Bieker Staff Writer It seems like celebrities are allowed to fake perfection on social media with no questions asked.

That’s what we crave as a society: effortless beauty, tropical getaways or photo-worthy hors devours.

The list stretches on. In the back of our minds, we know that a life that’s carefree and amazing is a hopeless utopia, but the glimmer of hope and entertainment it provides makes it socially acceptable, at least for Kardashians, VS Angels, and other Hollywood hotties.

Ask yourself this: Is EDITORS: Greg Woods -- Editor-InChief Tracy Le -- News Editor David Fliter -- Opinions 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 Alan Brown -- Copy Editor Rick Brown -- Copy Editor Tara Magaña -- Blue M Assist. Verbal Editor

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.

PAGE 3

THE MENTOR // March 8, 2016 // MHSMENTOR.COM

ENTERTAINMENT

Coffee House encourages creativity ALE FLORES

Staff Writer

Freshmen Talitha Pererill, Cherese Atchison, Bekka Efken, and Efken’s mother on piano perform a mash-up at the Coffee House, hosted by Thespians.

PHOTO BY ALE FLORES

nior Thespian president Emma Galitzer said. “It’s just to give people a good, safe and comfortable place to practice.”

This was the last Coffee

Salute to Broadway is coming right around the corner. The traditional Coffee House, hosted by Thespians, gave students “I think it’s important performing during to come because you Salute an opportunity to practice can encourage your their acts.

Apart from prac- friends to do someticing, students thing postivie ” were welcome to perform anything -senior Olivia Groninger they wanted, from singing their favorite song to telling a House of the year. Thesgood memory.

“It’s not necessarily pian club officers started merging it with Salute to planning it last week. The Broadway practice,” se- cost to enter the event

was $2 or food to share with everybody.

“I think is important to come because you can encourage your friends to do something positive,” senior Olivia Groninger said. “Some kids are out there and they are causing trouble all over the town, but we are here and we are reading poems and we are doing monologues and we are having fun. It’s a great time.”

The Coffee House seemed to have been a success, starting right after school and ending at 5 p.m.

The Coffee House performers received positive reviews from students as well.

‘Who What Wear’ for Target a solid collaboration ANNA HUPP Staff Writer

Overall Aesthetic:

Last night, a fellow staff writer, my entertainment editor and I went to Target. We met in the women’s section, under the sign “Who What Wear.” Our mission was to try on, photograph and asses clothing from the line, which became available at Target early this year and whose selection is updated monthly.

As I looked around, I saw that the sensibility of the collaboration, founded by former ELLE editors Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power, can be described as up-andcoming New York City

girl. It is similar to many Target lines in that the clothes are pleasing to look at and inexpensive, but not quite wellcut enough to ensure the wearer’s confidence.

Almost everything is black, white or dark green with a few hits of patterns like polka dots, florals or stripes.

The whole line is modern and wearable. Items look like they were made not only to be layered with other clothes from Who What Wear, but also with the pieces hanging in your closet. Still, seeing black leather jackets alongside frilly blouses gives

shoppers a sense of the brand’s real modern and edgy vibe. Who What Wear is youthful and fun in an early-twenties way.

This is a solid, fun collection worth exploring.

Clothing is available in a wide range of sizes, and prices range from $14.99 to $49.99.

(Savannah, the Mentor’s awesome entertainment editor, took the photos above. Ale, our awesome staff writer, modeled with me.)

Jackets:

Ale and I wore the same military green jacket and styled it differently to see not only how it looked on each of us, but also how it could be worn. The jacket was stiff enough to flare outwards like it was supposed to and worked with both Ale’s dress and my shirt and scarf (see photos

above). Later, I tried on a cropped black leather jacket (because, duh, it’s a cropped black leather jacket). This did not work so well. It fit awkwardly and the shoulders were too broad.

Tops:

Tops are Who What Wear’s strength. With a few exceptions, they flattered both Ale and I very well, and are modern and a little funky. Disclaimer: a good amount of Who What Wear shirts are white near the face, which may wash some people out.

I came home and asked my mom to buy me one.

Skirts:

I would give Who What Wear skirts a six

out of 10. They are definitely older and longer than most high schoolers are comfortable with, and the fit, like all Target clothing, is hit-and-miss.

The skirts I tried on didn’t fit my waist, and no smaller sizes were available in store.

Even though I wanted to make the skirt work with a knotted belt from the line, I wasn’t able to because it had no belt loops. However, the line’s skirts are easy to look at, and are modern and edgy without being too intimidating.

Dresses:

The dresses offered through Who What Wear are classic with a modern twist.

(Ale wears one above.)

They appealed to both Ale and I because of their

simplicity. It also is apparent that the line’s designers sought out youthfulness and eschewed delicacy when they collaborated on these dresses. Some people, however, may look too young in them.

Pants:

Who What Wear pants work well for some proportions. Try them, but your expectations shouldn’t be too high.

The waist on the pair of light-washed ankle jeans I tried on was too big and no smaller size was offered at the store, though they can be purchased online. The black pants Ale tried on fit her well (see picture above), but might be inconvenient for some people because there were no back pockets in which to hold your phone.

ARTIST OF THE WEEK How were you introduced to the Arts? -- “I didn’t have anything to do at home, because my mom was always gone. I just drew and kept drawing. I was always just interested in dresses and hair and just drawing and then I finally improved. Parks and Rec… they have a poetry class and I took poetry classes all the way from second to fourth grade and, then I started taking drawing and painting from there and then I took a break in middle school. I got back into painting, for classes sophomore year I took one class. Then finally I’m in the AP class this year”

Sophomore Emma Lansdowne auditions during her sixth-hour choir class. Lansdowne auditioned alongside three other choir members, while director Chad Pape observed and closely listened.

PHOTO BY ANNA ALANAZI

Choir’s auditions begin

PHOTO BY ANNA HUPP

How many school plays have you done? -- “I was in the seventh and eighth grade ones. Last year I was in ‘Leaving Iowa,’ and I’ve also been in the MHS musicals my freshman, junior and senior year. I took a break my sophomore year to do backstage work.”

3

What Instrument do you play? -- “Cello, I’ve been playing the cello for six years now. I actually started out with violin fifth grade. And seventh grade I met Mr. [Nate] McClendon and he’s like talking about like ‘yeah we can switch instruments… I need cellos’ and I was like, ‘I’ll switch.’ Since then I’ve been stuck with the cello and I love it so much, more than the violin. “

LYDIA PARISH

SAVANNAH CHERMS

Entertainment Editor

With spring break approaching, students and teachers alike have started thinking about next year. In preparation for the upcoming year, choir members have started the audition process to get into Chamber, Varsity or Pops choirs.

Students have a twopart audition process, consisting of a vocal and a written portion. From there, choir director Chad Pape will evaluate the students and make the placement decision.

“You sing the same song as everyone else four times, high and low pitch,” sophomore Emily Willi said. “Then we do a written audition where you get four measures of music and you have to solfege it, you diagram it.

Then you go and perform it for Pape.”

There is a large amount of students who are auditioning, so the process can take some time. Still, the process is not as stressful as one might normally think an audition is.

“It wasn’t too bad, considering you don’t have to sing alone,” sophomore

Lacy Fisher said. “It’s nice when other people are louder so you don’t feel like you’re out singing them.”

Fisher also reports that while the audition was low stress, there were still nerves.

“It was more having to get up and stand there that was more nerve racking. Not the singing itself, more just having your peers watch you.”

Auditions will finish out with the written auditions taking place after school, which students have to sign up for on their own time.

The 1975 point mirror at media in ‘The Sound’ video

SAVANAH CHERMS

Entertainment Editor The indie music genre is full of bands and musicians that listeners and critics alike either vehemently adore or passionately hate. Musicians know this, and popular band The 1975 used the video to their new single

“The Sound” to tell their critics they don’t care.

The video starts with the band in a large glass box surrounded by glowing pink light. For the majority of the video, the band performs the song in the box, and critics approach the box and evaluate the band. For me, the box represents the creative box musicians are placed in by the media. The band is trapped in this box for anyone to judge.

Throughout the video

there are shots of people talking to each other and pointing at the band, with breaks of text saying things like “annoying synth pop” and “basic emo lyrics.” These words can only be critiques the band has received for their previous album.

With this, I feel like the band is taking what critics have to say and turning it around. They are using the negative and showing that they don’t care. Towards the end of the video, all of the crit-

ics are in the pink box, showed by a big reveal after the bridge of the song. For me, this is The 1975 turning the mirror on the media and showing that by placing musicians in boxes they are in turn placing themselves in boxes.

Overall I think the video is creative and has a good message if you look for it, but I feel like it wasn’t enough for the song. Still, this video was exactly what I expect from the 1975.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERSCOPE RECORDS

Sports The Mentor // March 8, 2016 // MHSMENTOR.COM Page 4

Boys’ season ends in close loss to Wichita East

Senior Gabe Awbrey goes up for a layup Thursday night against Washburn Rural. The Indians beat the Junior Blues, but fell to Wichita East on Saturday.

GREG WOODS

Editor-in-Chief

In a rare uncrowded pocket amongst a sea of green Saturday night, amid a steady buzz of conversation, Gabe Awbrey embraced Benji George.

The senior guard/head coach combo, enveloped on all sides by fans clad in viridescent shirts, pants and socks, exchanged words of sobering nature, for a reason neither would have preferred: George’s Manhattan High boys basketball team’s season had just ended moments prior.

The duo share memories dating back to Awbrey’s freshman year, but Saturday night will remain a landmark, because the Indians’ season came to a screeching halt at the MHS north gym with a 7161 sub-state final loss to Wichita East.

A landmark, that is, because the loss capped a season Awbrey said he will struggle to forget.

“We’ve had a great relationship. I’ll miss playing for [George] a lot,” Awbrey said.

Awbrey was one of seven seniors to line the season’s roster, a band of players whose time with the program has been laid to rest, but one whose tradition George said will endure.

“When they look back on it, they’re going to carry a lot of legacy with them, because they have done things that haven’t been done before in the program,” he said. “They’ve represented our school and our community with the utmost in terms of pride and class, and that’s more important than any score on any scoreboard.”

The scoreboard, however, was what led to the Indians’ demise. And it shared no sympathy.

That, in large part, can be attributed to the Aces’ towering presence in forward Xavier Kelly, a 6-4, 260-pound center who totaled 20 points Saturday

night.

Six arrived in the first quarter, a frame that saw East connect on each of its first 10 shots.

“You tell your guys two straight days in film, and walking through and everything, that this guy’s not a shooter, and this guy’s not a shooter, and then they come out and everybody’s unconscious from everywhere on the court,” George said. “And then when they have somebody in the middle like Kelly, the solutions are few and far between.”

The white-hot Aces hit four triples in the first frame alone, good enough for a 24-17 lead on the threshold of the second stanza. By then, though, the Indians found themselves looking upward from a hole, and senior forward Grant Munsen, who spent much of the night defending Kelly, said the early deficit set the tone for the remainder of the contest.

“We’ve been down be-

Girls finish season with sub-state loss to Derby GREG WOODS

Editor-in-Chief

The Manhattan High girls basketball team’s season ended Friday night with a 37-25 substate final loss to Derby, a game in which the Lady Indians, who finish the season with a 14-8 mark, struggled to find a rhythm offensively.

Much of that can be attributed to the defensive presence of Derby’s 6-5 center Kennedy Brown, whose rim protection made it difficult for Manhattan to drive.

Junior Gigi McAtee, though, said it was her team’s persistence to keep shooting that led to the Lady Indians’ 9-of-43 shooting mark.

“The problem was we kept shooting,” McAtee said. “When you’re not hitting, you’ve got to find

another way to score, and we didn’t change anything offensively.”

The Lady Panthers employed a zone on defense, an arrangement McAtee said also contributed to Manhattan’s offensive inefficiency.

“With [Brown] in the middle of the zone, you don’t want to drive in there and get swatted,” McAtee said. “So I think we just thought, ‘well, all we can do is shoot.’”

Further plaguing the Lady Indians were their 13 turnovers.

A bright spot for MHS, however, laid in senior Madison Mittie.

She logged 12 points.

“We usually hit more of our shots from the outside,” Mittie said.

“But this game, they just weren’t falling.”

Derby built up a sizeable lead late, but the

Lady Indians went stridefor-stride with the Lady Panthers early. Mittie posted a quick five points in the first, but McAtee picked up her second foul, sidelining her until the final two minutes of the half.

By then, Derby had snagged separation.

Manhattan hung with Derby, but the Lady Panthers posted seven unanswered points for a 21-13 halftime advantage.

Mittie and McAtee opened the third with back-to-back buckets to pull their team back within 21-18.

The problem for MHS, though, was that those were its only baskets of the quarter.

Derby rode out the frame on a 5-0 spurt, and the offensive dry spell doomed Manhattan and its season.

fore, but I don’t think by that much,” Munsen said.

“So we knew we had to really fight.”

Manhattan did indeed fight, so much so that it tied the game in the fourth quarter, but before that, the situation looked grim for the home team.

That’s because Wichita East built up a 10-point lead in the second quarter, one that could have been sliced to less if not for the Indians’ inefficiency at the free throw line: MHS converted on just 8-of-16 attempts in the first half.

The MHS deficit was eight at halftime, at 3527. It stayed at eight after the third as well, but the third period is when Manhattan began to stage a comeback that — nearly — saved its season.

The Indians threaded four triples in the third, and two came off the hands of junior guard Tommy Ekart. Senior Robbie Ostermann logged the quarter’s final triple, a bomb that sent the gym

into hysteria.

Ostermann canned yet another triple on Manhattan’s first possession of the fourth, and after Kelly missed two free throws on the other end, Awbrey knocked down another three.

One possession later, and the game was knotted at 52 when Munsen converted on a baseline floater. The north gym shook with pandemonium.

“We played a lot harder on defense,” Munsen said of his team’s comeback bid. “Started boxing out more; going after rebounds.”

As it happened, though, rebounding served as the Indians’ Achilles heel Saturday night. And a lot of it had to do with Kelly’s monstrous presence under the basket.

“We couldn’t get a rebound to save our season, really,” George said.

Junior Cade Roberts used up Manhattan’s last gasp at a rally when he converted on an and-one

PHOTO BY JACOB CLANTON opportunity, bringing the Indians back within four, at 63-59, with just under two minutes to play.

From there, though, the Aces ripped off five straight points to slam the door shut on the game — and on Manhattan’s season.

“It was tough [in the locker room after the game],” Roberts said.

“Looking at all the seniors, seeing tears in their eyes, and hearing our coaches with cracking voices and everything. It’s definitely an experience no one wants to go through.”

But it is one Manhattan will have to go through.

But George said after the tears have faded, his team will appreciate their accomplishments.

“It’s hard to tell them that right now, because they’re as hurt as a group of kids could possibly be,” he said. “But when we get some time to look back, I couldn’t be any more proud of a group of kids.

This doesn’t change that.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Junior Dustin Wichman started bowling when he was little and kept with it all the way to high school.

“When I was younger I went to a bowling party and I was horrible at it and I just didn’t want to be horrible anymore so I joined a youth league and just kind of got into it and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Wichman said.

The results of bowling all that time let him win regionals in Olathe Feb. 26 and eventually place in state. Wichman brought home fifth place with a series score of 707 at Thursday’s 6A state championship at Northrock Lanes in Wichita.

“I was a little nervous at the start just because I wanted to bowl well, but then we started bowling I calmed down,” Wichman said.

After knowing what it’s like going to state this year, Wichman prepares himself for next year and its winnings.

“I’m just going to keep bowling in leagues, go around the state and bowl in some tournaments for next year,” Wichman said.

PHOTO BY DYLAN THOMAS

DUSTIN WICHMAN

Board of Education votes against swimmers, denies eligibility to Marlins competitiors ERICK ECHEGARAY

Sports Editor

In the aftermath of the Manhattan High boys swimming season and the dawn of the upcoming girls swim season comes a new update on an issue that Manhattan swimmers have faced for years: having to choose which institution to represent, their own high school team or the Manhattan Marlins, the local competitive swimming club.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association had guidelines that made it illegal for student athletes to compete for a club team during the period in which they were

actively a part of their school team, that is only until last year when they changed their guidelines.

“We want to train with our club team the Marlins and compete with the high school, which is legal, but they’re not allowing us to do that,” junior Izzy Dritz said.

Dritz swims exclusively for the Marlins.

“I feel disappointed, I feel like I’m happy doing Marlins and it’s probably what I’ll end up doing next year and of course this year,” Dritz said.

“We have a lot of similar things like we’re all swimmers swimming at the same pool at the same time. We’re both very focused on the team aspect

but I also think it would be a very good opportunity for me to compete for my school.”

As for MHS, who only had one swimmer qualify into state on the boys side, they currently have multiple students who compete with the Marlins instead of the school team.

“I would like to [swim for MHS],” Dritz said.

Since KSHAA changed its ruling, some Marlins swimmers have been striving to work out a situation where they could represent the school but not practice with the school team. However, some of their potential teammates disagree.

“If you’re going to swim

with the high school, and participate with the team, than you need to swim and practice with the team,” junior Trey Hafen said.

He competed with the Indians this previous season.

“The real conflict is they practice at the same time,” Athletic Director Mike Marsh said.

Both the Marlins and the Indians practice at the Kansas State Natatorium, at the exact same time, trained by two different coaches, Marlins coach Rob Putnan and Indians Coach Jerry Carpenter. “[It can’t be worked out between the coaches because] of the time the rental facility is available

for the pool,” Marsh said.

Carpenter declined to comment.

Sophomore Preston Harrison and junior Kelly Wichmann both have won medals and competitions with the Marlins, with Wichmann even advancing as far as reaching sectionals. These accomplishments could have been won in different competitions by MHS by the same students.

“Definitely. I would want to compete for MHS,” Wichmann said.

She and others have strived for eligibility even taking the matter to a vote in a meeting with the Board of Education where Wichmann and others were denied their

request by vote.

“We’ve done everything we can and it looks like we’re done now,” she said.

Harrison, who also swims for the Marlins, was also a part of the movement for eligibility. “[Mike] Marsh is 80 percent responsible for this, Jerry [Carpenter], the MHS coach, is probably about 15 percent and the school board who is ignorant enough not to consider the options is probably five percent responsible,” Harrison said. “[If I were allowed to swim] I would hold multiple school records, but I’m not allowed to swim,” he said.

Page 5

The Mentor // march 8, 2016 // MHSMentor.com

Features

Joyce decorates students with foreign ink TRACY LE

back up. I practiced a lot and started doing it all the time for fun; it really SAVANNAH CHERMS has become one of my Entertainment Editor favorite hobbies,” Joyce said.

In one day, sophoWith the art of henna more Neely Joyce can comes a lot of cultural apply henna on over 30 history, and Joyce has eager Manhattan High made the effort to edustudents. Henna cate herself on is the powdered it and use it to leaves of a tropi- “My henna doesn’t do justice at her advantage. cal shrub, used “I think [the as a dye to color all to the culture, but it’s kind history and culthe hair and decture] is really orate the body, of cool that we can bring it to interesting. My traditionally in America and do it even though henna doesn’t Indian cultures. do justice at all The powder is it’s typically done for religious to the culture, then turned into but it’s kind a paste with wa- reasons.” of cool that ter and once apcan bring -Neely Joyce we plied to the skin it to America leaves a stain of and do it even the intricate dethough it’s typisigns left. she said. cally done for religious “Whenever I bring [my Though Joyce recently reasons.” henna] to school that’s all started applying henna I do all day,” Joyce said. regularly, she was intro- Painting henna onto another “It’s a way to express art duced to the art when she student, sophomore Neely Joyce on your body for people was around 10 years old. works with dedication during her to see and it’s definitely “I have friends who free time to bring this part of Insomething I’ll continue to are missionaries in India, dian culture to Manhattan High do in the future.” and their daughter and I School. Above are photographs of When she does bring like to do henna. About Joyce’s other work. out her henna, Joyce is al- two years ago, I picked it PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEELY JOYCE

News Editor

most immediately flocked by classmates. However, the crowd of people begging for her attention doesn’t bother her.

“I love it when people ask me to do their henna.

It’s really a fun way for me to express my art and great practice as well,”

Model UN attends first conference DAVID FLITER

Opinions Editor The Model UN club accurately simulates actual international issues and occurrences for which students can try to pass resolutions. Not all resolutions will be passed, but at his first conference in Topeka, Manhattan High Model UN member senior Muhammed Ciftci’s resolution was accepted.

Representing Suriname, a South American country, he proposed a resolution of staunch anti-terrorism measures, effectively ending terrorism in several countries.

There were multiple bills that added up to 20 resolutions in total that student participants could vote on over the course of the conference that were based around conflicts relevant to this day and age. Whether these be about climate change or terrorism, the students had plenty of things to reflect on and be opinionated about.

“I voted on a global climate change bill,” senior and Model UN member Alan Brown said. “I thought it was very important, since it would end climate change. I also voted on the region of

Crimea that is being disputed between Ukraine and Russia. I voted in favor of Russia because I wanted to avoid a world war.”

The conference was the club’s first since it was formed earlier this school year. To help gain more knowledge of what they would be doing, the MHS Model UN team met up with the Kansas State University Model UN team. The K-State team, led by political science professor John Fliter, has been competing in conferences for more than two years in cities all over the country. Not only did

the K-State team give the high schoolers tips and advice, they also showed them how they were preparing for their upcoming trip to San Francisco.

With this collegiate help, Ciftci will continue to do Model UN well into the future.

“I am definitely going to do Model UN in college,” Ciftci said. “I had a lot of fun.”

While Model UN can be fun as a simulation, there is a fair amount of work that one must do in order to best represent a country. Knowledge of the demographic of the people and current and

past issues in the country is vital to being prepared for a conference.

For example, if someone is representing Germany they may draft a resolution based on the migrant issue or if it is a Middle Eastern country it would be about the recent increase of terrorism or the Syrian civil war.

Overall, the Model UN team not only gained knowledge on how the actual United Nations works, but they also learned debate and historical lessons that will help the students with future pursuits in those fields.

New Dallas-based pizzeria opens

ANNA ALANAZI Staff Writer

If you love Chipotle, you’ll adore Pie Five. With a wide variety of toppings, crusts and a drink machine with almost as many options as their pizzas, Pie Five opened Feb. 19 to hungry pizza lovers in Manhattan.

As “The Wichita Eagle” described it, “Pie Five is to pizza what Chipotle is to burritos.”

Depending on your order, their pizzas won’t cost more than $10 regardless of your choice of toppings.

Customers have the option to assemble their pizzas based on their desires by choosing a crust, sauce, cheese and toppings. Diners travel down the line pointing at what they like and by the time they’re at the register, the pizza is finished and in the oven. Being true to the “Five” in their name, the pizza is done in five minutes.

Pie Five offers four kinds of crusts: crispy artisan, thin classic pan, whole grain thin and gluten-free, which costs

a little extra. For sauces, your options are tuscan marinara, spicy Sriracha marinara, barbecue, buffalo ranch, ranch, olive oil and alfredo. To finish off your masterpiece, toppings include cheeses such as 100 percent whole milk mozzarella, feta, cheddar, Parmesan and ricotta; other toppings are meats and fresh veggies. After the oven, you have choices of vinegars to top it off.

When I visited the restaurant, I found their pizzas very flavorful and not at all disgustingly greasy.

The crusts are generally thin, mainly so you can enjoy your choice of toppings and cheeses.

If you are not a fan of “build your own,” they offer signature pizzas and salads as well. On the menu, there are 13 or so mixtures of classic and original pizzas including margarita and buffalo chicken. Salads are signatures or “build your own” in their famous pizza crust bowl.

Along with pizzas and sides, Five also offers pie desserts flavored as chocolate chip, turtle brownie and ultimate brownie.

Pie five is daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; the restaurant has customers leaving an hour after they close, proving their popularity truly exceeds expectations.

Kelsey fights in UFC ANGIE MOSS

Trending Editor Some girls compete in beauty pageants.

Others try boxing. Junior Mckenna Kelsey uses boxing as a way to quit beauty pageants.

“I box because at first, when I was little, I was doing beauty pageants and I was like ‘Well, this is really girly,’” Kelsey said. “I want to get into something that’s more me and I guess that’s what it is. That’s more me.

That’s more something that I want to do because it’s really technical and you have to be smarter than the other person and faster and stronger. It’s more fun for me.”

Not only has boxing been a way to avoid competing in pageants, but it has also been a way of coping with personal issues.

“When I was little I was going through some hard stuff so boxing, you know, helped me a lot with my anger and stuff,” Kelsey said.

“I find peace and calm and quiet out of punching somebody and not being in trouble for it.”

Kelsey enjoy competing, but she also finds joy in watching her friends compete.

“My favorite thing is going out and watching my friends compete,” she said. “I love to compete myself but my favorite is to watch my friends. Especially my friends that are super shy, and once they get into that ring they absolutely shine.”

Kelsey is based out of Arizona but recently moved to Manhattan. She competes in Laughlin, Nev. She has a fight coming up over spring break that is one of three mandatory fights for moving up to the next division. As of right now, she is in the 3AA division and hopes to move up to a 2AA class.

Page 6

The Mentor // March 8, 2016 // MHSMentor.com

Trending

SPRING

BREAK is finally here!

stay here for break tara magAña

Blue M Assistant Editor of Verbal Content Treat yo self. Get with some friends and Google different facials and skin masks.

Have a little spa day from home! Make some chocolate covered strawberries while you’re at it!

Binge watch Netflix until it asks if you’re still watching.

Drive over to Wamego and visit all of the Wizard of Oz attractions. We may be sick of people making Oz references when we’re out of state, but it’s still fun to immerse yourself in all things OZ. Head over to the Konza prairie to take a hike while enjoying Kansas scenery.

Wildcat Creek Fitness Center in Anneberg Park has a bunch of things to do: from foot golf and putt-putt to batting cages and a gym.

While you’re there, hang around the lake and take a walk on the trail.

Other trails in town include the Linear Trail, Hudson Trail, CiCo Park trail, Warner Park, Northeast Community Trail, Western Heritage Trail and so many others! Just Google it for a relaxing stroll/run/bike/ horse ride through nature areas.

We have a zipline park just outside of town now.

Visit wildwoodoutdooradventurepark.com for more information, and try to ignore the many typos/gramatical issues on the FAQ page.

Head on over to Tuttle Creek and go boating, fishing, camping and whatever else people do at lakes.

Visit the historical museums in town and learn what it was like to live here when Manhattan was first founded.

Museums include the Riley County Historical Museum, Wolfe Museum, Goodnow House Historical Site, Hartford House and the log cabin at City Park.

Discover new things at the Discovery Center. Current temporary exhibits include A

View From Space and How People Make Things. Make sure to visit all the other exhibits too!

Go to campus and visit the gardens, insect museum and nuclear reactor. Grab some Call Hall ice cream while you’re at it!

Get a taste of agritourism and visit the Lazy T ranch or River Creek farm.

Immerse yourself in culture by visiting the Beach Museum, Manhattan Arts Center and the Strecker Nelson Art Gallery.

Go look at unique things at the many antique stores we apparently have in town (The Prim and Proper Place, Vintage Gardens, T-La-Re and Pops Collectables, just to name a few).

If these options really don’t appeal to you, I suppose you can venture outside of Manhattan and explore the rest of Kansas and neighboring states.

Or you can leave megan klug

Blue M Sports Editor •Miami, Fla. If you’ve ever watched MTV during Spring Break then you know that this is one of the biggest spots for spring breakers to visit.

•Cancun, Mexico. Also well known for its many tourists, Cancun is filled with people from the United States during Spring Break.

•Denver, Colo. This one expands to other cities in Colorado, but skiing is a common activity for people to do.

•Myrtle Beach, S.C. Although it isn’t the warmest destination, it is still on the beach and has more sunshine than Kansas typically receives.

•The Bahamas. Sunshine and clear waters attract many spring breakers to this exotic destination.

•Austin, Texas. Most people don’t think of Texas when they think of Spring Break, but it’s a quick drive down and is warmer than most locations.

•San Diego, Calif. Mild temperatures and a busy atmosphere makes San Diego a popular spot.

•Orlando, Fla. Forget partying and visit the Disney parks and Universal Studios in Orlando.

•Go on a cruise. Many seniors decide to go on a cruise as their “senior trip” to the Caribbean or other exotic places.

•Stay home. Even though many people go on vacation on their week off, even more people hang in their home town.

please stay safe

Third quarter is coming to a close and it is now time for spring break. Some of us will be leaving the town, the state, or the country and some of us will be staying here. Regardless of where you go, you still need to stay safe. Here’s a list of ways to stay safe under multiple circumstances.

• Take turns while driving, especially if you’re going long distances. Driving can be very monotonous, and it’s better to rotate so you can stay rested than risk falling asleep behind the wheel.

•Take a map. We get it, it’s old school and our phones have navigation, but what will you do when your phone dies and you’re stranded without a charger?

•Be careful when hailing taxis. It’s recommended to call ahead and ask what the typical price is. Not all taxis have a meter, especially those in foreign countries.

•When at the airport, don’t take a ride from a stranger. Sex trafficking is a real and serious threat. Don’t get caught up in that.

•Keep track of your backpack or purse if you are carrying one.

•Try to travel in groups.

•When leaving the country, know the local equivalent for 911.

•Don’t carry large quantities of cash. There are ATMs almost everywhere.

•That being said, make sure there’s no one creeping you out. If there’s a chance you can get mugged, find another ATM. •If you are going to a country that allows people under 21 years of age to drink alcohol, be safe. Figure out your limit and stick to it. Getting your stomach pumped for alcohol poisoning will most likely put a damper on your spring break. Drink around people that you trust, especially if it’s your first time drinking.

•Know where the nearest fire exits are in your hotel if you’re staying in one.

•If you’ll be outside, stay hydrated and avoid heatstroke.

•If there is any possibility of you having sex, make sure you’re protected.

•Make sure whoever you’re with knows what consent means and whether or not you’ve given it. If it’s not a definite yes, it’s a no.

•Use the safe that is provided in your hotel room. Put laptops, phones, purses, etc. in them when you leave the room or while you’re sleeping to ensure protection of your valuables.

songs of spring break david fliter

Opinions Editor “Can’t Kick Up the Roots”

by Neck Deep: While a lot of people will be going on vacation, many are also stuck at home during the week long break. This song is for those people. With lyrics about being permanently stuck in your home town, it might just make you feel OK about not being able to be at the beach.

“All Signs Point to Lauderdale” by A Day to Remember: For the same group of people as the previous song, but for those wishing they could be somewhere else. After listen-

ing to this song, you will undoubtedly hate your hometown and your friends for being somewhere nicer than where you are.

“Anyway” by Moose Blood: There's usually a feeling of nostalgia when it comes to vacations. Where you go may remind you of where you have been in the past. With its lyrics echoing to the past, this song is perfect for those open stretches of road where it seems like it is just the road and your thoughts.

“Change Irreversible” by Turnover: One of the worst things is waking up too early during vacation. This song

perfectly reflects that moment when you wake up at six in the morning and rub the exhaustion from your eyes before sitting idly looking out your window at the rising spring sun.

The dream-pop and shoegaze guitar tones and the soothing melodies will calm your frustrations of not sleeping until noon.

“Where There is Fire We Will Carry Gasoline” by Evergreen Terrace: It is typical to get cabin fever during the end of a long car ride home. To get your frustrations out, listen to this bruiser in order to retain your sanity, because as the song suggests, “we’re halfway home, we’re almost home.”

“Promises Kept” by After the Burial: For those who have a significant other back home while you are on vacation. Don’t worry about being lonely, this song will get you through those moments of longing. This song will make you feel like you are right there with them.

“Ponder” by Knuckle Puck: This is a song for those who like traveling. Those scenic views of the mountains, the salty air of the ocean and the endless waves of trees, wherever you are this song will help build the atmosphere even more.

“I’ve Been Bored” by Superheaven: You know that feeling when you are sitting in a hotel room, watching reruns of episodes of Seinfeld. This song is a good song to just let your anguish out and chill back and let the stress of travel flow right out of you. The sludgy guitar tones and monotone vocals will sooth you quickly.

“Not as Bad” by Set Your Goals: The epitome of pop punk, this song will get you pumped to travel and to see new things. Upbeat, positive, it will make you want to hug a puppy and kick someone in the face at the same time. graphics by andrea lu and anna alanazi