160517 Volume 103 Edition 24

Sophomore Kenny Cecil launches into the sand as he finishes his jumping event at Centennial League last Thursday. The boys division finished in fourth place while the girls finished third. SEE PAGE 4 FOR MORE PHOTO BY HASAN AL-BASRI

VOLUME 103 // ISSUE 24 // MAY 17, 2016

the mentor Seniors prepare for final activity

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JORDAN LUTZ

Staff Writer

1. Sophomores Isaiah Glymour, Luke Nelson and Noah Shirk play the cello during “Meditation,” where the combined orchestra played together at the final orchestra concert. 2. Principal second violinist Kyle Thompson, senior, plays the violin during his solo in the “Meditation.” Music teacher Nate McClendon shared a little bit of Thompson’s responsibilty as leader of the second violins before his solo performance. PHOTO BY ANNA ALANAZI

Orchestra finishes with tribute to seniors ANNA ALANAZI

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Staff Writer

On a night filled with tears and silly percussion, the orchestra hosted their last concert tribute to seniors. The night kicked off with solo performances from senior Emma Brase and the cello quartet performing “Recuerdos de la Alhambra.” The two opened for Symphonic Orchestra as they played two pieces, one by B. Smith and the other by Grainger Arr. Dackow. Symphonic then proceeded to sit on stage quietly, waiting for Chamber Orchestra to play with as Manhattan High’s combined orchestra performance. “All of this was hard to rehearse,” Orchestra and Jazz teacher Nate McClendon said, “because those two groups don’t meet together. But you see how they come in prepared they already knew their parts, it’s just we’ve never done it together. So, they had 20 minutes

to play together one time and we performed it. We kind of live on the edge that way.” Alongside of it being the last orchestra concert, it was also senior night where the all seniors got to be recognized for their musical achievements and recieved a kind word from their music teacher via programs. The programs for the final show included a list of the senior class and McClendon’s personal message to each and every one of them. “What’s great about that particular group is ... it’s such a lively group,” McClendon said. “I’ll miss them all. We’ve been together for a very long time. The majority of those seniors I’ve had since seventh grade, so, what the orchestra program is right now ... they’re the ones that built that. They are the nucleus of students that changed this orchestra from what it used to be to what it is now. And so all of the kids that are coming up now, they have this

amazing orchestra to be a part of. But those are the kids that did the heavy lifting.” After Chamber Orchestra performed its pieces, it was time for the combined Orchestra part of the evening. Before the group played “Meditation,” McClendon shared a few words about the responsibilities senior Kyle Thompson, lead Second Violin, had during every concert. McClendon’s words had many orchestra and audience members reaching for their tissues as he took a few seconds to clear his throat during his speech. “I was crying. It was really touching,” Thompson said. “I was really happy about how I did. I thought we pulled the piece together really well relative to how much time we’ve had.” The seniors had a chance to show their character through their last performance of “Con-

SEE ORCHESTRA PAGE 5

Teachers omit final exams, assign projects CORA ASTIN

Photo Editor

Finals are around the corner, which means cramming a whole semester’s worth of knowledge into about a week, for most classes. However, there are some teachers who opt not to give a regular ‘pen and paper’ final. These teachers decide to assign projects instead. The reasons teachers choose not to give a test vary, from matching the class content to not fitting their teaching style. “I personally did not like having to memorize a lot towards the end. If there was clear purpose for it, it made sense,” English teacher Ben Sutherland said. “But in my classes it did not seem like there was much purpose in doing that. I would prefer something as low-key as possible and they could enjoy it.”

Taking regular finals aren’t always the best options for project-based classes, where it is harder for students to pinpoint a certain step or procedure of action. Teachers have realized this, and decided to give their students a project instead of a final test. “With the computer-based classes I feel it really gives them a chance to show me what they can do,” CTE teacher Tiffany Anderson said, “because in the computer class they’re on the computers all the time and if I just had questions on the final I think it’s a lot harder for them to -- like it’s easier for them to do it on the computer than to think about the question. It’s more applicable for them.” One of the perks that teachers have noticed is that students can learn from each other on projects or presentations.

SEE FINALS PAGE 5

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.

Russian yacht detained, then released by North Korea

On Friday, a Russian yacht was detained by North Korean authorities who suspected that the ship was a South Korean vessel. The yacht had been in South Korea for a sailing competition and was returning to Russia when it was captured. On Sunday, via Russian news source RIA, Russia’s consul general in Chongjin announced that the yacht had been detained “by mistake” and the yacht was released shortly thereafter. Russia is one of North Korea’s few allies.

After graduation, many seniors may think that the act of getting their diploma is the last school activity they will ever get to do. Well, that would be incorrect. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday, May 24, is a seniorsonly event called Project Graduation. “It’s for the high school graduating seniors only,” Kari Humes, Project Graduation’s coordinator, said. “It’s at the K-State [The Chester E. Peters] Recreation Complex on graduation night. Students will have access to pretty much everything in the recreation complex.” The event is completely free and features prizes throughout the night. “Everyone will get a Tshirt and all the graduating seniors’ names will be on the back of the T-shirt,” Humes said. “There’s tons of prizes. If you stay [un]til the end, we give away a $500 cash prize.” Seniors do not need their student ID for this event but they will need identification to check out equipment. To climb the rock wall, a waiver will need to be signed. “If they [students] are under 18, they have to have a waiver signed by a parent,” Humes said. “I have emailed that waiver out to parents. I will send it out again to make sure they [parents] get it.” For many years, the Chester E. Peters Recreation Complex has been the location of Project Graduation. The venue has changed in recent years and now offers more for their patrons. “They have a new game room,” Humes said. “I think they have a TV and movies or something on. Their facility has gotten better so our event has changed since their facility has improved.” This event serves as the last hoorah for the graduating class of the year. “They can hang out that evening,” Humes said, “kind of for one last time before everybody goes on to do what they are going to do for the summer.” Thursday, May 19 @ 4 p.m. All coursework must be completed, requirements met and financial obligations taken care of in order to participate in the graduation ceremony. Friday, May 20 @ 9 a.m. Graduation Practice -- Bramlage Coliseum (Arrive at Bramlage between 8:30 & 8:45 a.m. - park in the west side parking & enter in the southwest doors.) Senior Brunch -- Houston Street Ballroom after Graduation Practice (Seniors must have a ticket in hand to attend the brunch)

Junior Moriah Presley works on her stained class project in jewelry class. Presley is one of the jewelry students working in the more advanced projects. PHOTO BY DAVID FLITER

Italy legally recognizes same-sex marriage for first time On Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi signed a bill that would legally recognize same-sex partnerships. The bill had passed through Italy’s lower house earlier on a vote of 372 for and 51 against. The passage of the bill is notable in that it makes Italy the last major Western country to recognize same-sex partnerships. Though the new law allows homosexual couples some benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples, such as the ability to adopt the same last name and to collect pensions, it only recognizes existing marriages (presumably from outside the country) and does not legalize new marriages. The Catholic Church denounced the

law, with Archbishop Bruno Forte calling it, “an impoverishment of democratic life on a question that can have an enormous impact on the future of society,” according to PRI news network, while Archbishop Michele Pennisi, in an interview with La Repubblica, called the law “creeping fascism.” Vladimir Luxuria, a transgender politician, praised the bill during an interview with PRI news network. “We’ve been waiting for 30 years to have such a law,” Luxuria said. “Now I feel more proud to be Italian.”

Yellow fever present in Angola, could spread to other countries

Sunday, May 22 @ 2 p.m. Graduation -- Bramlage Coliseum (Seniors need to be in the tunnel by 1:15 p.m.) Project Graduation -- KSU Rec. Complex until 10:30 p.m.

Organization announced that 277 people had died and over 2000 had been infected by yellow fever in Angola. Yellow fever is a mosquitoborne disease that causes internal bleeding, according to The Economist. Though a vaccine for yellow fever exists there is a severe shortage of it, and no drugs capable of treating an existing infection currently exist. Yellow fever currently is present in Africa and South America and kills over 60,000 people per year. However, according to the WHO’s report, the disease has spread to China and could infect and kill many more people.

On Friday, the World Health

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OPINIONS

THE MENTOR // MAY 17, 2016 // MHSMENTOR.COM

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Surround yourself with good influences before college brings awareness

GREG WOODS

Editor-In-Chief

Sex! Money! Unless your name is Stanley Hudson, I should have gotten your attention with that first word. But just in case, I included a backup. Anyway, it’s wild that I’m writing this. It’s wild I’m graduating in a few days. It’s wild I’m about to embark on a new chapter in my life. I told myself countless times my sophomore and junior years I wouldn’t make my senior column a sappy one, but alas, here we go. I’ll probably look back on this in a

few years and be grossed out at myself anyway, so I may as well be genuine. I never planned on journalism. I didn’t. I wanted to enter the medical field because my dad did, and as a selfrespecting 14-year-old, I wanted to follow in Pop’s footsteps. But I took an anatomy class sophomore year, and I’m glad I did, because I absolutely detested it. The same year, I took a class called 21st Century Journalism, which eventually landed me on this staff. And in that weird year when I fused a class I hated with one the potential of which I was only beginning to grasp, I unearthed my calling. Along the way, I collected a myriad of memories. I will struggle to forget the Monday worknights I spent keeled over

in the journalism room laughing at nothing in particular; the evenings I spent as a sophomore frustrated by how a picture wouldn’t fit the way I needed; even the fifthhour class periods when I felt alone, hollow, desolate and godforsaken inside, talking and smiling but not feeling an ounce of it. My emotions have been stretched as far as the east is from the west by the journalism program and its many responsibilities, but the good news is that I made friends more than willing to accommodate them. I’ve made friends who are sacrificial and compassionate; friends who have refused to let me be alone when my selfish desires drove me to dwell on my overwhelming heartache and remorse. It’s reassuring

Don’t lose sight of the big picture

ALAN BROWN

Copy Editor

The way I look at it, the high school experience is like being given dozens of puzzle pieces and being asked to fit them all together. Each portion of the puzzle may symbolize friendships, school work, sports, work, standardized tests, relationships, etc. For some people, each piece seems to fall into place easily, and they find themselves in the possession of a perfect puzzle. Other people, like me, have solid bits in some areas, but struggle to make pieces fit in others. Unfortunately, once four years are up, most people won’t leave high school with a complete puzzle. I know I certainly won’t. I won’t pretend to reminisce on my time here in high school, because I cannot honestly say that I particularly enjoyed these past four years. While I could easily use this column to criticize the environment at MHS, I’ll resist the temptation. That would be disrespectful to the many amazing, influential people, both students and teachers, who have helped me grow throughout this chapter of my life. To them, I’d like to give a huge “thank you.” You have been

noticed. So rather than complain about certain aspects of MHS, I’ll take this opportunity to instead reflect on how my personal choices affected my experiences. After all, the buck stops here. For me, I took high school at face value, seeing it just as stepping stone on my way to college. I was the type of person who would head directly home after school, hang out in his room for a while, hit the books, go to sleep and repeat the process each day. As a naturally more introverted person who hardly ever found opportunities to see anyone outside of school, socializing was difficult to say the least. Often, I’d become lonely and wonder what experiences I was missing out on. I’d even question whether or not I’d made a mistake when choosing my path. Looking back on it now, I realize that I was both right and wrong in my approach to high school. On the one hand, my strategy paid off. I was accepted to the college of my choice (Stanford!) last semester and now I’m unbelievably excited and optimistic for the future that lies ahead of me. On the other hand, I feel a little bit hollow on the inside, as if there was something more that I was meant to take away from my time here at MHS. Despite the spectacular ending to my high school experience, I still have a long list of regrets I’ll carry with me to

California. To all of you underclassmen out there, listen up. During high school, I definitely believe it’s important to create one major goal you’d like to accomplish by the end of your senior year and to pursue it vigorously. It can range anything from getting admitted to an Ivy League college to being a starter on the varsity basketball team; the point is that it should be something that you are most passionate about achieving. This worked for me, and I honestly believe it can for others too. But at the same time, and I cannot stress this enough, don’t neglect the other things that make your teenage years worthwhile either. Be willing to try new things, take the time to form bonds with people and be on the lookout for ways to create lifelong memories. Live your life and do these things while you still can. Nothing comes from being idle and reluctant to try. After all, you won’t be a teenager forever. And now back to that corny puzzle piece analogy. You may not finish high school with a completed puzzle, and you shouldn’t necessarily be expected to. After all, that’s a lot of pieces to keep track of. But once high school is over, and you look back on what you’ve created, what will you see? Scattered puzzle pieces or an image beginning to take shape?

Question of the week: What are your best studying tactics?

“accepting defeat” --Robyn Burton, senior (@redrobyn_yuum)

“who cares school sux”

“crying while color coding my flash cards” -- Autumn Hatcliff, senior (@Sneaky-Marta Cantu, sophomore (@marta_ Autumn) cantu17) “going to the dog park so I can associate things I need to learn with various dogs” -- Hannah Park, junior (@whaylquene)

Greg Woods -- outgoing Editor-In-Chief Tracy Le -- outgoing News Editor Elizabeth Underwood -outgoing Features Editor Andrea Lu -- outgoing Graphics Designer/Copy Editor Alan Brown -- outgoing Copy Editor

Tara Magaña -- outgoing Blue M Assist. Verbal Editor Anna Alanazi -- outgoing Blue M Photo Editor Maya Minocha -- outgoing Blue M Organizations Editor Angie Moss -- Print Editorin-Chief/News Editor David Fliter -- Online Editorin-Chief Erick Echegaray -- Opinions

Editor Jacob Clanton -- Sports Editor Jeremy Woolever -- Entertainment Editor Savannah Cherms -- Trending Editor Anna Hupp -- Content Editor Rick Brown -- Copy Editor Elizabeth Riforgiate -- Copy Editor

to know they aren’t going anywhere. But by the same token, I’ve met friends both in and out of the journalism room who don’t fit that bill. I’ve made friends who are self-centered, toxic, fake and evasive; unwilling to make sacrifices that serve as the basis of any healthy relationship. The problem is that for a long time, I couldn’t tell the difference. I learned the hard way that some people, as charming, witty and enjoyable as they may appear, are not worth keeping around. Some people — not friends — may be there for you, but a second thought gives them cold feet. I learned via life’s greatest teacher, experience, and through its second-greatest: Mrs. Nyp.

I’ve gotten to know a Mentor or two (this wouldn’t be a column of mine without a good pun) in the tempestuous ride that is growing up, but Mrs. Nyp has, does and will continue to stick out in my mind. She is an excellent adviser and teacher, of course, but more importantly, a steady presence in my life. It is not every day I am able to meet a teacher as invested in both my success and happiness as she. It’s through Mrs. Nyp that I’ve come to grips with many an agonizing lesson, been bent into shape, voiced internal reflections I never imagined telling another soul and realized comfort. I would say thank you, but that would only make an infinitesimal dent in my efforts to articulate how much I appreciate her.

As remarkable as she is, however, she can’t be there for everyone. So find someone, preferably several people, who are, beyond a shadow of a doubt, genuine. Don’t waste your priceless four high school years chasing friends who you have doubts about, because I speak from experience when I say your happiness trumps the inevitable feeling of sinking regret when they hurt you over and over again. It is far from worth it. I’ve encountered friends both inside and outside The Mentor who are worth it, and it’s an unbelievably freeing feeling to be close with people who you are confident care about you. Invest in those people, because they will make all the difference.

classes and choose not to attend a postsecondary institution. It is up to you. Yeah, your parents may pressure you to work hard and do well in school, but they physically can not force it. With this in mind, underclassmen, take advantage of next year’s advisory period so you can plan for your future. Explore your options. Avoid stress and start looking at scholarships and colleges as soon as possible and create a list of obligations in the order of importance. For example, for those of you planning to attend a school known for its rigorous academic programs, put school and extracurricular obligations at the top of your list; taking long shifts at work to pay for college won’t matter if you can’t get into the schools you apply for. You have to take charge of your own future. No one can do it for you. I’m excited to move

out and be my own person. Yeah, I may miss working on the yearbook, but being one of the editors these past two years helped shape who I am today. It allowed me to explore the world of journalism while talking to people and learning about their choices and plans. I may not plan to major in the field, but journalism gave me a unique medium in which to explore my options. Not everyone takes the opportunity to look into potential career paths as recommended. But that’s just part of growing up and choosing your own path. While I am ready to be done with the pointless drama of high school, it taught me everyone is different. It’s okay to just skate by or set your sights up high for success. Just make sure it is your own choice and that you will be satisfied with the outcome.

Senior year isn’t as glamorous as people portray it to be. I haven’t felt like a “senior.” That could be because I’ve been confused for a sophomore ever since I got here, but still. The only thing I wish I have done sooner was join journalism. You realize by the time November hits that your time is limited, and you have to do a bunch of things to achieve that “high school experience.” It’s a lot of pressure on your academics and social life in the sense that you want to hang out with your friends and create those memories, but you also have to study for that test in order to keep your GPA. Senior year shows you the people that are always by your side and the ones that are using you. Granted, you’ll be seeing those people wherever you go, because that’s life and we’ll just have to suck it up. This year is pressuring us to live up to that “high school experience,” to re-

alize how we’ll act in “the real world” and make memories while maintaining a high GPA. However, that shouldn’t limit us. If you want to focus only on your academics this year, then go for it. If you realized that you don’t particularly like a certain club or organization that you’re in, then that’s okay. Don’t feel like it’s too late to find another passion or to create yourself. Don’t let the pressure of senior year overwhelm you. It’s okay to graduate high school having never gone to a football game or never been a part of a club; everyone transitions on their time, and it’s okay to take longer. Senior year can be bittersweet. Parting your friends and teachers isn’t an easy thing to do, but that’s also how life is going to be. This year helped me create myself and who I want to be. It made me see the possibilities of trying something new, the rise and the downfall. I have to say though, I have never imagined writing my final feature and sports story to be this emotional. I’m going to miss pulling kids out of their classes in the name of journalism. Joining the newspaper was the best decision I didn’t

make. It was so scary because I was mainly a yearbook writer, so adjusting to the newspaper style was nothing short of challenging. However, I’m glad I’m a part of this. I will never forget my days here. What started as a passion for photography transitioned to photojournalism and landed at designing and writing stories. I hope one day I’ll be writing or taking photos for a bigger paper, and maybe someday, I’ll hold a bigger position. I will never forget the time we all screamed for earning an All-Kansas award, or all the silly quotes we wrote on our signs. This paper will forever be a part of me. So with this column, I bid you my farewell. With this column, I sign off my Blue M account. Writing for this paper and for the yearbook will forever be the highlight of my year. Thank you for all the teachers that have helped me, not only academically but personally as well. Thank you for all the lost friendships for making me realize that I don’t need you. Thank you senior year for all the all-nighters and for helping me understand what needs to be done to succeed.

Lily Colburn -- Business Manager Ale Flores -- Page Designer Staff Writers -- Megan Klug, Gavin Larios, Jordan Lutz Cora Astin -- Outgoing Photo Editor 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 a public forum that accepts contributions from the public. E-mail us at mhsmentor@gmail.com.

Make it what you will TARA MAGAÑA

Blue M Assistant Editor for Verbal Content High school can be anything you make it. If you choose, you can be a straight A student, you can take all college-level courses and have no free time. If you choose, you can skate by, barely passing. No one can control you at this age, no matter how hard they try. High school is that last step before the real world, meaning your high school choices matter. You can be proactive and ease yourself into the amount of college-level work that will be expected of you once you enter college, as I did, or you can take all of the easy

Decisions led me here ANNA ALANAZI

Blue M Photo Editor

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THE MENTOR // MAY 17, 2016 // MHSMENTOR.COM

Life makes unexpected, yet wonderful turns

MAYA MINOCHA

Blue M Organization Editor While sitting down to write this, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to approach this the way Taylor Swift sat down and wrote “Wildest Dreams” with her soft delicate hands, or if I wanted to approach it the way Nicki Minaj wrote her 2015 VMA acceptance speech where she roasted everyone. So I think I am going to make it a little bit of both. You might know me as the girl that shows up to school 25 minutes late every day, or as the girl that runs a mildly successful Taylor Swift blog, or you may have been scrolling down a humor Instagram account and saw a beautiful Indian woman in squirrel pajamas and thought to yourself “wait is that my school?” Yes that is me. I am the meme that goes to your school. Anyways, I guess I am supposed to write a farewell column

or something to symbolize leaving the journalism staff. It is so weird to me to think about how much different my life is now compared to my freshman year. World-class 21st century philosopher Taylor Swift once said, “I know nothing now compared to what I will know someday.” I think about how different my life is now and how different it probably will be in the next four years. So many things have changed since freshman year. My iPhone doesn’t die within an hour, One Direction only has four members, I am six inches taller and I can drive. If you were to tell me as a freshman that by graduation I would be invited to Taylor Swift’s house and be hit with a golf club by her, I would have laughed in your face. But look where I am now. It is honestly amazing how much life can change in four years. Freshman Maya would show up to school 15 minutes early every day; now look at me. I haven’t been early to school since March of sophomore year. Although the person who entered MHS in 2012 is a different person than the one exiting this week, all of the things in between

have shaped me into a person I have learned to become proud of. One of my favorite characteristics about myself is that I am independent. Some of the best advice I have ever received was that people can say what they want about you, but you can be independent and choose to take it in or block it out. Because ultimately you are what you believe you are, and not the opinion of someone who doesn’t know you. I remember sophomore year a kid that literally looked like a stalk of asparagus told me I would be prettier if I didn’t have circles under my eyes. If someone were to say that to me now, I probably would have yelled at them and told them how they resemble a mediocre-tasting vegetable that can genetically affect someone’s urine. But sophomore Maya was weak. I spent so much time worrying about it and I let it affect my confidence. I remember one day I finally realized that there are things that we just can’t change. I feel like everyone spends so much time worrying about things we hate about ourselves, but most of the time, they’re things we can’t control.

It may have taken me 18 years to figure it out, but once I stopped hating the things that I didn’t like about myself, my life became much more beautiful. Moral of the story is don’t let a creepy sophomore guy that weighs like 98 pounds and probably owns a meninist shirt, but also One Direction’s entire discography, tell you how you should feel. There are lots of things I want to be remembered for. Maybe I’m the girl you will tell your kids about when they ask you who Taylor Swift is or maybe I’m the person who threw bread sticks onto the dance floor at SubDeb. But whatever I may be to you, I hope that I have made you laugh at some point over the past four years. If you want to see if I become a successful marketing manager living in a fabulous apartment overlooking a city, or fail out of college my first semester because I couldn’t wake up to my alarm, then follow me on Twitter @mayaminocha13. Sorry I had to get that last bit of self promo in before graduation.

working the system and an education that values grades above knowledge. I burned out. I was only just getting by. And for the most part, I was okay with it because I was conducting perpetual discussions in my mind on the fateful misstep that is human consciousness and the triviality of it all and convincing myself that nothing I did or felt here mattered. I deemed my time as a high school student trifling and that’s where I went wrong. In 100 thousand years, Aristotle, Shakespeare and Isaac Newton will vaporize out of existence. By then, no one will recall that I ever existed at all. In a couple billion years, our universe will whimper and stop. There will be nothing and no one will recall that any of us ever existed. Where does high school teeter in the grand scheme of things? It is evident that a lot of the relationships I manufactured during my time here will be reduced to soot by the time I turn 25 and it is irrefutable that there will come a day when I don’t remember who I went to school with let alone how derivatives and integrals work or who Henry Clay and Booker T. Washington were. In the future, I may remember nothing of my high school days nor may I care to, but that does not make any of my present

experiences meaningless. For years, I looked to the so-called future, always the future, and that’s where I went wrong. I made light of living in this moment to make more room for the future to wear the crown when the here and now is truly everything; it’s all we ever have. In an instant we can become enlightened, we can laugh with friends and family and feel at peace with it all. In an instant we can question impossibilities, plunge voluptuously into being. We can focus on an arm and see cottony cilia jut out like whiskers. In an instant we can recognize that beneath the skin there are tireless veins and nomadic vessels and layers of flesh and muscles and life. We can be exhausted by the vividness of our own experiences and suffocate in the beauty of the existence of trees and stones. It took me four years to sincerely realize this, but I am thankful for my time at Manhattan High. I am thankful for the compassionate, ethereal friends I made and the teachers who inspired and inflamed me and pushed me to think for myself. I am thankful I stumbled into this school’s 21st Century Journalism class my freshman year and fell into the newspaper and yearbook staffs. But mostly, I am thankful for the moments:

going on adventures with my friends and letting the wind caress our skin, seeing the smile on someone’s face when I complimented their Tshirt, choking on insuppressible laughter during newspaper work night, watching three yearbook editors dance the “Hoedown Throwdown,” welcoming a riveting disorientation spawned by the immensity of my love of literature and photography, listening to my teachers’ stories about their dogs, finding myself surrounded by people I care so much about. As a species, we effloresce under the illusion of having a self. Though we are frequently blinded by the nothingness in an impending horizon; we see colors fused with wonder and desire, golden tresses disturbing spring rain. In the grand scheme of the universe, our time here is trivial. But we are not the universe. We are human beings, individuals with thoughts, emotions and an incurable passion for life. And in defiance of our cynicism, we are disgustingly idealistic. A hail of empathy downs upon us like hyacinths hatching from muddied soil and though we discern that somewhere out there the world must have an end, we ache with it all. Somehow we know that just existing in this moment is a grand thing.

human nature, dedication and progress. Human nature hosts many aspects from controlling to loving. One such aspect that is ever present in people, especially us as adolescents, is the despotic attitude we host toward others. In short, we like to reign over and destroy anyone we look down upon or view as a threat. This nature has been drilled into all of our brains since birth as something that needs to be obliterated. You know, “don’t punch her” or “don’t call him fat” or whatever else people think they need to say to brainwash anyone under 18 into finding shame in themselves. The fact is, everyone has a moment of appalling nature -- including myself -- that turns us into a complete recreant. Whether we lack respect

and empathy, physically abuse our peers or gossip about whatever, it’s impossible not to show the ugliness that is really there in us. Still, simply because it is human nature to destroy everyone we know, does not excuse taking part in such actions. We all have this nice little thing called self control and all of us should start using it to help both ourselves and others. But all of us have dedication within our human nature. Whether it’s to academics, sports or relationships, we all aspire to succeed in something. These allegiances can only go so far though, and to truly succeed in high school, and life, we need to organize and distribute our devotedness to all aspects of our lives. If we only enhance our efforts in one area we will fail.

I’m going to use myself as an example because I know there are others who feel the same way. Dedication was, and is, hard. These past three years of high school have been, quite literally, a hell on earth. After contemplating ending my life due to issues with my peers, I came to a realization: why should I throw away my life when I can try to leave as soon as possible? We all know that a lot of the time school officials can’t, or won’t, take care of the issues at hand. “Kids will be kids,” right? Anyway, it was my dedication that has helped me succeed this much, and although it has been highly demanding, I have been able to achieve a level of happiness with my prosperity and greatly suggest taking those risks that accompany

Life simultaneously trivial, magnificent adventure

TRACY LE

News Editor As a species, we wither away under the illusion of having a self. We think and we are aware of it. We are so self-aware of the labors of our mind, too self-aware of our senses, our own cognizance. Perhaps we haven’t even the right to exist. Perhaps, like trees and stones, we exist out of chance alone. It is utterly foolish of us not to admit the smallness of our significance in a universe that snickers at our superiority complex. Why, even the dinosaurs that commanded the earth for over 180 million years slipped sprucely out of existence (our mere 200 thousand loses luster in comparison). Perhaps then, it would even be humbling to renounce any value to what we observe and experience and drift aimlessly through life like phantoms in one vertiginous dream. Throughout the course of my four years at Manhattan High, I drifted a lot. In between taking notes automatically and regurgitating answers, I lost sight of what I wanted, what I loved. I found my legs walking me to class after class after class and without even realizing it, I limited myself to

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High school, though difficult, ‘hero in disguise’

The time has finally come for me to graduate and it’s not how I pictured it. Frankly, I didn’t know what I had in mind to begin with, but I guess I thought I would feel different or somehow at peace with myself and accomplished. But, to be honest, I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary. I’m 18, a senior in high school and I’m about to head off to college soon. It’s all kind of surreal and I don’t think it’s set in that my life is going to dramatically change. It’s exciting but equally terrifying. There’s so much that I don’t know and so much of the world that I haven’t seen. My future still feels somewhat uncertain and the amount of college debt I’m going to rack up is something I’d rather not mull over. And yet, I feel oddly content knowing that I’m about to complete a chapter of my life in just a couple of days. It’s bittersweet knowing that my days at Manhattan High are short-lived. There will definitely be aspects that I’ll miss dearly but also cherish greatly. On the other hand, the countless homework assignments and projects I did, the all-nighters I pulled and days when I walked around like a zombie in sweats and a T-shirt won’t be missed, although they also won’t stop anytime soon. But enough about my all that; here’s to the past four years of my life. Everyone says that your high school years are the best years of your life and while I may not completely agree with that -- not even slightly -I can say that high school has truly expanded my horizons and made me more aware of the world. Of course, high school was a struggle in a myriad of ways but also a period in my life replete with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and eternal memories of sheer joy and bliss -- crying of laughter from hearing the weirdest stories on the late work nights with the newspaper/ yearbook staff, seeing

One Direction in Kansas City, meeting Harry Styles -- OK, OK, I waved at him and he waved back --, baton twirling down Main Street at Disney World and so much more. High school was a place where I gained perspective. High school allowed me to have these experiences that were essential to help me grow as a person tremendously. I look back on my ninth-grade self and see someone so innocent and ignorant as opposed to me now. In retrospect, these past several years have been invaluable because of the knowledge I’ve gained, the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve obtained. None of this would have happened without the teachers I’ve had who’ve encouraged me to try my best and willingly dedicated their time to help me succeed. And to my fellow journalism staff, who have been so positive and supportive, you’ve all been such a pleasure to work with. I’ll always remember those late nights when we were all delirious, when we’d talk about the most bizarre topics while always keepin’ it real. I’ve truly enjoyed my time on staff and I’ve learned so much, from AP style rules and graphic design to funny, absurd facts about some of you that allow me to get to know you in ways I never thought I would. In the future, I hope to continue to acquire new knowledge and fresh experiences. I know I’ll hold dear these memories I’ve created here during my time at Manhattan High. And as I end the last column and article I’ll ever write for The Mentor, I’ve realized that high school was, to put it bluntly, terrible but also a hero in disguise. High school may not be the best years of your life and not exactly the utopia you imagined but don’t throw these years away. While everyone’s high school experience is different, you can learn and take away ever-lasting memories and knowledge that will assist you later in life and will help shape the person you are. Use this time to learn and explore your academic and extracurricular interests. Your high school years are a time to discover yourself. Pursue your passions and fall deep into the unknown.

devotion. Although a lot of success stems from our own perseverance, no one can go about life and achievement without progress and support. Through our years here in MHS, we all have grown and progressed into individuals different from how we started. We discover and develop our personalities, find our passions and our breaking points. Despite the identity crises, mental breakdowns and pointless drama that we all probably go through in these four years; we create bonds and improvements in our lives that no one younger can. I mean, we’ve all made some great friends who have helped us through so much, and not to mention a few teachers who always know how to make the day seem brighter and help lead you onto

the right track. Despite hardships and atrocious people, just finding the good things and letting them push you and help you toward success is all that can help us. In the end, my final words of wisdom are that yes, high school is relatively terrible and so are the people, but to make this experience worth going through and a better memory, just do three things. One, find the people that brighten your lives, whether friends, family or teachers. Two, apply yourself to activities you wouldn’t always put effort into. And three, don’t let the actions of others drive you to give up. Prove everyone wrong and fight through the obstacles that are ever present in high school and life.

ANDREA LU

Graphics Editor

Negative experiences motivate to fight through obstacles

ELIZABETH UNDERWOOD

Features Editor Here it is: my final column for The Mentor and I have no clue what to write about. My high school experience was pretty terrible, but I won’t go too much into that because I’m not going to waste 700-some words just to go through my life story. Let’s just stick to people are sexual and violent animals and they motivated me to graduate high school as soon as possible (aka junior year). Anyway, I guess I’ll focus on three main ideas:

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The Mentor // MAY 17, 2016 // MHSMENTOR.COM Entertainment