PAGE 4, CROSS COUNTRY
VOLUME 104 • ISSUE 7 • OCT. 25, 2016
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THE MENTOR
Chick-fil-A partners with MHS, provides leadership opportunity to students Junior Bella Musselman watches senior Kinsey Levendofsky scoop rice into a bag held by sophomore Christian Vazquez. during the first Chick-Fil-A Leader Academy meeting Friday. All together, students make 75 food bages complete with instructions that will be going to families in need across eastern Kansas. PHOTO BY ALYSE MAENDER
DAVID FLITER ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
acknowledges overselling of parking permits
Security officer Randy Nivert writes a ticket for invalid parking. Tickets can be administered for anything from parking in the wrong lot to not having a permit. PHOTO BY CORA ASTIN
The recent issue of parking tickets has caused a civil studentsversus-staff dispute. With many of the school’s population driving, the parking lots can become hectic at times, especially in the morning when students are rushing to find a decent space to park before the first bell. The pressure of getting to class on time drives students to park anywhere available, including the faculty lot. Parking in the faculty lot then leads the staff to park anywhere available too, causing disorder among the lots. “If kids don’t get tick-
ets they think they can park anywhere,” security officer Randy Nivert said. Both parties are getting defensive over whose lot is whose. Students and staff are equally aware of the lack of spaces available and both undoubtedly know the lack of parking is inadequate. “It’s definitely not suitable for the number of students that want to drive their personal vehicle,” principal Grey Hoyt said. The frustration of the student body doesn’t go unnoticed, but the staff’s side of this isn’t all great either. “Can students see why staff get frustrated
Chick-fil-A is known for production of the Spicy Chicken Sandwich -- and now leaders. The local restaurant is working with Manhattan High School teachers Darren Allman and Kristy Nyp to establish a ChickFil-A Leader Academy. The national program focuses on impact through action. “I think it is something that students can benefit from. They won’t regret doing it,” Allman said. “After all, they are helping the community.” In monthly “Leader Lab” students develop leadership skills. The cornerstone of the pro-
gram is the “Impact Project” in which students plan and lead a project within their community. During the first meeting at MHS, students met with the owner of the local Chick-fil-A and put together 75 food packages for the community. “We’re doing it for people who need it and to help make a difference in this community that needs it so desperately,” member Christian Vazquez said. Though it was only the first meeting, junior Bella Musselman already feels she is making an impact. “We’re doing it for a good cause and it helps me not take for granted what I do have,” Musselman said.
Roberson wins award for student teacher work
Campus Parking: Administration
TAYLOR BULLOCK STAFF WRITER
ALYSE MAENDER STAFF WRITER
if students are parking in faculty spots?” Hoyt said. Some students are questioning the purpose for distinct lots altogether. “Why does faculty need three lots? There are way more students,” senior Hannah Johnson said. Students, along with their parents, have found a few loose ends in the rules of parking as well, including justice for those parking without a permit. “The problem is they’re giving people with actual parking passes tickets,” Johnson said. Many students have also pointed out the SEE PARKING ON PAGE 5
Accompanying teachers throughout two semesters, student teachers have become commonplace in the halls and classrooms of high schools. English teacher MaryKris Roberson has made it her goal to leave these student teachers with as many tools for education as possible. All of her hard work has paid off in the form of the award that she was recently nominated for and successfully won. “It’s called the Distinguished Cooperating Teaching Award,” Roberson said. “It’s an award for service to the profession of teaching, meaning that for my work with student interns and Block II students and all sorts of KSU students and the college of education as they’re on their path toward their goal of professional certification.” Over her long
teaching career, Roberson has had numerous student teachers who have both challenged and rewarded her, but what has not changed is her close bond with them. “I have had about 16 student teachers and that’s a big number for me because I don’t usually like to give up my students and let someone else work with them because I’m very maternal when it comes to my students,” Roberson said. Though on the surface the emotional attachment seems like the hardest part of having a student teacher, it also lies in the leadership side of it. “A lot of people when I tell someone outside of teaching that I have a student teacher they’re like ‘oh then your job’s super easy right now because you have someone else doing it for you’ but it really isn’t easy to have a student teacher and to work with a student teacher because you basically have to teach someone else your job and help them think about what they need to do to make sure
that nothing is lost for your students,” Roberson said. Even with this challenge, Roberson enjoys not only teaching the future teachers, but learning from them as well. “It’s just this symbiotic relationship where we all build our learning from each other and that’s what makes it so wonderful,” Roberson said, “Learning just isn’t a one way street, it’s a great experience for me as a cooperating teacher because it helps me construct and model and instill good teaching methods for my student teachers and to learn from them too.” Roberson has been brought up to speed on pop culture thanks to her student teachers. “They keep me current with pop references, with films, with literature and music and all of the things that seep into the classroom,” Roberson said, “That’s a good way to stay current and relevant for my own students, as well as teaching me about technology and technological advancements when it comes to teaching.”
Chess club officially back as interest group with new sponsor DAVID FLITER ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Chess Club started off the school year as simply a hopeful returning interest group, but now near the close of the first quarter, their status as such has been recognized and the game of chess lives on in the hands of the passionate students involved. While mostly a social
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club, Chess Club wishes to rank up to the full status as an actual fully functioning club by doing fundraisers and reaching out to the community. “We’ll probably do a concessions stand,” president Yusuf Cifcti said .”The middle schools don’t have a chess club right now so we’ll probably go to a middle school and talk to them about chess and get a club started there.”
Even with only two meetings under their belt, they already have a loyal following from chess connoisseurs throughout each grade. “ I did it at the middle school when [U.S History teacher Darren] McCoy was there and it was really fun whenever I went,” junior Michael Kovar said “I don’t get a lot of chances to play chess so it’s fun to have other people to play
chess with after school” Chess club is sponsored by McCoy, formerly a middle school chess club sponsor, and a passionate leader of his group of budding strategists. “Chess is awesome,” McCoy said “Students just want an area where they can compete, have fun, enjoy the game,
LIBYAN REFUGEES RESCUED
NEW DINOSAUR DISCOVERED
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES END
Organizations including the European Union Naval Force came to the rescue of an approximated 3,300 migrants off the coast of Libya traveling the Central Mediterranean sea route, a perilous path for the unstable boats.
The Savannasaurus, reported this week in western Australia, was a dinosaur species that roamed earth nearly 95 million years ago. Paleontologists determined that the dinosaur was between 12 and 15 meters long.
SEE CHESS ON PAGE 5
Wednesday’s presidential debate was the final one for this general election. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump squared off Las Vegas, Nevada and discussed topics such as the Supreme Court, border security and their respective charity foundations.
Seniors Erick Echegaray and Zachary Culbertson play a game of chess during a chess club meeting. PHOTO BY SAVANNAH CHERMS
CYBERATTACK TARGETS RUSSIA An American hacker under the alias of “The Jester” surpassed encryption and accessed the webpage of the Russian government ministry on Friday. He posted his own opinions on the website and sent threats to Vladimir Putin.
DEBATE RECAP
Topeka West -- Oct. 21-22 - Juniors Lily Colburn and Maeisha Hossain went 3-2 - Juniors Douglas Kim and Martina Hernandez finished 3-2 - Senior Sean McGimpsey and freshman Trinity Brockman ended 4-1 - Open Division made it to and got out in quarter finals