180130 The Mentor Edition 14

Entertainment Choir

Features Homecoming

Choir holds annual serenade concert with student-chosen selections. Page 5

MHS begins Homecoming week with “Wake Up,” or pajama day. Page 3

THE MENTOR VOLUME 105 • ISSUE 14 • JAN. 30, 2018 VISIT MHSMENTOR.COM

Scholars Bowl continues winning ways Kami Bussmann Staff Writer

Photo by Hailey Eilert

Full focus. Freshman Koen Arthaud-Day works to solve a math problem during Scholars Bowl. Manhattan High School hosted for the Scholars Bowl competition, where three different teams from MHS competed against other schools.

All year Manhattan High Scholars Bowl has been working hard and has been striving for a win and has succeeded finishing in the top three each time. They continued their season Monday at a home meet at Flint Hills Christian School. The team went 9-2, getting first, once again. The regular Varsity team was not in attendance so freshman Alice Le; sophomores Brian Dudley, Styopa Zharkov and Roman Talbot; and senior Michael Kovar competed.

“None of my regular Varsity players were there,” coach Ted Dawdy said. “So those underclassmen and Michael did a great job.”

The loss of regular players did not stop the normal great finish.

In pool play, Scholars Bowl went 5-1, losing to FHCS. Then went on to the championship pool where they competed against Junction City, Council Grove, Seaman, FHCS and Cair Paravel High School.

“I decided to just trust in my teammates,” Kovar said, “and they pulled through, like always, to win us the round.”

Scholars Bowl just recently competed on Thursday and got second at Centennial League, with Seaman High School getting first and Washburn Rural High School falling at third place.

At Seaman High School, each school

in the league played 10 matches. MHS, Seaman and Washburn Rural all tied with 8-2 record for the day. Manhattan had lost to Shawnee Heights High School 30-60 and lost to Washburn Rural by 10. The three schools were sent into head-tohead matches.

Due to Seaman beating Washburn by 30 points, which was the most points a team won by in that tournament, in the head-to-head tiebreakers, they got first. The final round for Manhattan was against Washburn Rural and winning that round would have meant winning league.

“There were several questions that we definitely knew and could have answered,” senior Stephanie Fu said. “But we were all so nervous and didn’t do as well as we could have.”

The match was tied when it came down to the last question. One question paired with its answer was the deciding factor on who won league. It didn’t fall in Manhattan’s hands unfortunately.

“I think [the question] was about James Comey, but Washburn answered it and we lost the match by one question,” sophomore Josh Brandt said.

They will further their season at regionals in Wichita on Thursday.

Along with their season continuing the intensity does to. That doesn’t stop the team though.

“It’s all about towering above the tension,” Brandt said. “And providing all you can for your team.”

Forensics finds success at first tournament Students share about homeland Kaitlin Clark Entertainment Editor

After three weeks of preparations, the Manhattan High forensics team competed in their first tournament of the year, with many members of the team receiving high placements.

Senior Lily Colburn placed first in the International Extemporaneous Speaking category, second in Impromptu Speaking and third in Informative Speech, while sophomore Trinity Brockman placed third in Congress and the pair of junior Jacob Wineland and senior Martina Hernandez placed third in their duo event.

“My favorite part of the forensics tournament was seeing everyone being excited when we found out that so many people broke into finals,” Brockman said. “I think everyone was really proud of the team.”

The T-Bird Classic Forensics Tournament at Shawnee Heights High School set a high standard for the rest of the season, with so many students placing in their events. Team members, however, are ready to face the challenges that this season holds.

“This tournament certainly set a high bar for my performance the rest of the season, but I still hope to place better next week than I did this week,” Colburn said. “Since I barely missed out on qualifying to state in informative more of my focus will go towards that

event.”

While there was a great deal of success, the anxiety surrounding public competition can always enter the hearts of competitors.

“The best part [of the competition] was probably being done with the performances,” Wineland said. “It’s like a

“It’s like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I didn’t have to worry anymore.”

--Junior Jacob Wineland said weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I didn’t have to worry anymore.”

For some team members, including Wineland, this was their first forensics tournament. “[My favorite part was] watching the novices and seeing their excitement for the competition,” Hernandez said.

The 2018 forensics team consists largely of underclassmen competitors, which means that team members had to learn a great deal of information while preparing for their events, since they may not have as much preparation as older members who had been competing for

several years.

“While I’m proud I was personally successful, I’m ecstatic with how the team performed as a whole,” Colburn said. “With such a large group of underclassmen I’m really impressed by everyone’s work ethic and leadership.”

After receiving the results of their events, students were thrilled to discover that so many MHS competitors had places highly, including, in many cases, themselves.

“I was actually very proud of myself,” Brockman said. “I was not expecting myself to medal and when I was in the top six, I was very proud of myself. I learned at this tournament that I am a lot more capable than I hold myself to.”

Following the tournament, students plan on trying new methods of preparation in order to do even better at their next competition. This includes working on memorization and changing the process that they use when researching.

The MHS forensics team will be one to watch as their season progresses and students work even harder to do their best in their events.

“My favorite part of the forensics tournament was seeing everyone being excited when we found out that so many people broke into finals,” Brockman said. “I think everyone was really proud of the team.”

Aloera Ostermann Staff Writer

Every year Manhattan High becomes a host school for many foreign exchange students. While most of those are year long exchanges through AFS, this year MHS has five students on a month long exchange from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Most of the students are the same age and have gone to the same school which allows them to easily work together given their shared past.

“We are all from the same school and they are a lot of my classmates in the group so...we are all 16 to 17, but we are all starting senior year in March,” Abril Conde said.

There are three boys and two girls who have come to Manhattan High. They spend the 32 days of their exchange shadowing different students and learning how the schooling system in America works.

At the conclusion of their time at MHS, with the help of only each other, the students have put together a presentation about Argentina that they will share with the student body at MHS. While they are working on the presentation together they will eventually divide it up so each student gets an opportunity to present on their own.

“We are all working as a group in the presentation but I think that when we have to present it we are going to di-

vide it but we don’t know how,” Conde said.

The goal is to educate the students in MHS on how different aspects of daily life actually work in a foreign place such as Argentina. This is the second year that a presentation is going to be put together by the exchange students, while some of the topics are the same they hope to add their own unique twist to their story.

“We are working on a presentation to talk about Argentina touristic places, typical food,and music, sports,” Conde said. “We are going to show you a bit of our dances and we are going to bring one of our traditional foods.”

The first presentations will begin on Valentine’s Day and continue into the next day.

The students will start by going around to classes during first hour then move to a central location of the Little Theater for second through sixth hour. The presentation itself will only take half of the block period for each class. All teachers have been invited to bring their classes to attend, because these are the Argentinian students last days that they will be attending Manhattan High. Students who are interested can request that their teachers sign the class up to attend. Help add on to this amazing experience in America for all of the exchange students.

“I really like it it’s very different next to Buenos Aires but I really like it,” Conde said.

OPINIONS

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Time to end Hazelwood restrictions Hazelwood courtcase decision needs to stop censoring student journalists

This editorial is a compilation from a discussion held by the editorial board. To listen to the conversation that led to this piece, visit MHSMentor.com Freedom of speech -- protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution -has become a normality for almost every citizen in America. People have grown accustomed to being able to voice their stories, injustices and more.

However, that right is restricted from some Americans -- those of the student press. Student journalists in curricular publications are subject to a lower level of First Amendment protection, allowing virtually complete censorship of student publications.

One may ask, why? Why censor the voices of student journalists? To answer this question, one must go back all the way to 1988, the year of “Hazelwood School District et al. v. Kuhlmeier et al” -- the Su-

preme Court case that changed student journalism for an entire country.

According to United States Courts, Hazelwood first came to light when The Spectrum, the student newspaper of Hazelwood East High in St. Louis, Missouri, published an article on divorce and teen pregnan-

prior review and prior restraint -- where administrators have the right to oversee and censor content before publication.

Jan. 31 marks 30 years since the Hazelwood decision was made. Since then, many states, with the help of the Student Press Law Center, have fought for their own student-press

cy, prompting their principal to censor the article and run a blank page. The students of The Spectrum sued the school for violating their First Amendment rights; from there the case went from court to court until it reached the ears of the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the school, establishing a nation-wide law that allowed administration to censor studentmedia content by implementing

laws and, as of today, 13 have won, as Kansas did 25 years ago. Student journalists in Kansas, including those at Manhattan High, have almost full FirstAmendment-protection from administrative censorship due to the Kansas Student Press Laws. Administration can only censor content within reason, and student voices are free for publication. Thanks to the SPLC’s New Voices campaign, many other states are on their

Appreciate country music more

Kami Bussman Staff Writer

Kicker Country Stampede comes to Tuttle Creek, and when it does, Instagram is filled with people in country boots standing in front of the Stampede sign. There are people that go just to say they went, even though they don’t listen to country.

In fact, many of these people claim they listen to everything except country and rock. Why is that though?

There are a lot of benefits to listening to country music.

The genre of country music, unlike pop or rap, holds a variety of subjects within each song. The subjects range from love, family, religion, politics, abuse, divorce, loss and a good Friday night. For

example, Tim McGraw’s song “Humble and Kind” talks about norms in his family life and the morals he has that came with it.

Most songs in this industry have a storyline that has a meaning; instead of hearing “Gucci Gang” a hundred times in one song, a story is told. This can be seen in Thomas Rhett’s album “Life Changes,” all of his songs portray a story that can be easily imagined in one’s head. He

“Each song portrays a story and emotion and becuase of this, each song makes you feel. “ talks about how he met his wife, how their life changed super fast, how he lost the love of his life to another guy and he’s heading to their wedding and so many other emotions that have been felt

Question

by most people.

Each song portrays a story and emotion and because of this, each song makes you feel. No matter what mood a person is in, it is easy to find multiple songs that describe exactly how the feelings we may have felt or what we may have gone through change us. Country shows a specific emotion in each song that is brought up throughout the song, which makes it easily relatable to any age.

When you turn on the radio and pop or rap comes on, it’s not always appropriate for little kids to listen to or older generations to understand. Country music is family-friendly because there is rarely profanity sung in the music. The messages in these songs are clear. It’s not hard to decipher what the artist is saying in these songs because they don’t talk fast. In country music, there is an actual storyline being told and artists don’t want listeners to miss out on it.

Country music has an overall good feeling vibe and that’s why it should be appreciated and listened to more.

of the Week

How do you plan to beautify yourself for SubDeb? “I’m already beautiful.”

-- Parker Holborn @Parkerholborn09

“By bringing my girlfriend.”

-- Freshman Jarrod Wege @Jrwaggin

“By not going.”

-- Sophomore Stephen West @stevew1113

Next week’s question: What school-appropiate and inclusive Homecoming tradition should we start at Mnnhattan High?

Oldies radio stations should focus more on ‘50s music

Oldies music -- almost all of us have an understanding of what you can find in that type of genre. Most oldies playlists consist of music released in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s. However, when searching for music from the 1950s, you will often find only a small fraction of the other songs on those stations. This is a practice that needs to change.

In order to initiate a change in the oldies format, we must first find out why

‘50s music is even being ignored.

The reason for this is actually not as complicated as we might think. Even for a nostalgia-obsessed radio format, the original fans of ‘50s music are starting to age out of the demographic that is deemed necessary to advertise to. Basically, the target demographic for ‘50s music is dying.

So if most people who listen to oldies music aren’t interested in the 1950s era, why is this such a big problem?

Well, considering how most things we know come from being taught about them, eras of music (especially those that were very influential to society) should also be considered as educational tools -not in an academic sense, but just as something that newer generations should be aware of.

If you were to ask an older person when they considered

rock ‘n’ roll music to first come into existence, they would most likely say the 1950s. This is because the ‘50s did give birth to the wellknown genre. The ‘50s were the highlight of an era that shock and surprised many people. That new sound that was coming from their radios was something they had never heard before. Millions of people were astounded at what they were hearing.

They couldn’t even fit it into a specific category. That was when the term “rock ‘n’ roll” was first used for a genre of music.

As time goes on, less and less people from today’s past generations will be alive to tell others about how revolutionary the 1950s were for music. This is why radio stations that are dedicated to older eras of music should also make room for the most influential of those eras.

Jacob Clanton -- Print Editor-in-Chief John Ostermann -- Online Editor-in-Chief Meredith Comas -- Opinions Editor Sophia Comas -- Features Editor Micheal Simmons -- Sports Editor Kaitlin Clark -- Entertainment Editor Elizabeth Alexander -- Trending Editor

Aaron Hemby -- Photo Editor Dylan Higgins -- Business Manager Staff Writers/Photographers -- Javi Mercado, Dylan Thomas, Megan Klug, MaKenna Eilert, Hailey Eilert, Makenna Wollenberg, Kami Bussmann, Aloera Ostermann, Mason Alberto, Maddy Gleason, Leah Beyer and

Lauren Race Kristy Nyp -- Adviser Circulation -- Caleb Barnes, Angel Cid, Caleb DeLoach, Charlie Dickey, Karl Drown, Rachel Efken, Bon Fox, Terra Harvey, Colten Kirk, Joshua Kohls, Douglas McCaskill, Jospeh Myers, Allie Parker, Connie Santos,

Duncan O’Brate Video Producer

way to joining states like Kansas with their own studentpress laws.

It is the agreement of The Mentor editorial board that, while we have come so far from Hazelwood, there is still much to be done.

It is the job of the free people of America and of members

takes because they are learning. Student journalists need to have student-press laws to protect their legitimate reporting as well as their right to learn and make mistakes in a classroom environment.

The Hazelwood decision has silenced and censored student journalists for too long. Especially in this day and age, it is vitally more important to communicate the truth to the public.

Now is the time for student journalists to stand together, united in a viGraphics Courtesy of New Voices sion for the free people of the press, of America.

Unite in support of New of the press to voice injustices Voices so every state can adopt and wrong doings, especially in student press laws. our schools. While administraOn Jan. 31, keep in mind tion helps the school function, the outstanding students paired it’s not their school -- it’s the stu- with New Voices who work dents’. Students have the right, tirelessly and fight endlessly both as American citizens and for their schools to ensure to consumers, to know the truth the public the truth is told and about the place they spend the knowledge is no longer cenmajority of their time. sored but roams free. Three deNot only that, but it’s time cades of Hazelwood is too long, to recognize student journal- America; say hello to a new era ists are just that, students. in student journalism, the era They are bound to make mis- of the free.

NBA All Star draft needs to be televised

John Ostermann Online Editor-in-Chief

As the National Basketball Association All-Star weekend rolls around, the best players in the league are getting voted into the All-Star Game. This year the league decided to change the format of the teams.

In past years the teams would be split up into East and West and announced after voting closed. The top five vote getters would be named the starters for each side.

This year, however, the NBA announced that in the new format, players would still be chosen the same way, but afterward, the two players with the most votes would be captains and pick their teams, playgroundstyle.

The decisions struck up conversation throughout the entire NBA world. Fans and media started speculating who would pick who.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, the NBA announced that it would not televise the draft and instead announce the teams after captains LeBron James and Stephen Curry picked their teams. This sent the NBA world into a frenzy, as media and fans and even some players complained about not being able to watch the draft.

TNT reporter and NBA analyst David Aldridge wrote a column about how

the All-Star Draft would make for perfect TV. In it he discussed how the draft may work, being an hourlong broadcast on TNT with each player have some time to make his pick than the pick being discussed by a former players crew.

Doing it in this format would make fans around the world happy and generate lots of money that could be used for various different things. Aldridge suggests donating some money from fans to the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund and the Sager Strong Foundation.

This would also make for such interesting conversations with Curry and James, asking them to explain themselves after a pick.

A draft marks the first time the league has done anything for the All-Star Game in attempts to revitalize the competitive spirit of the game.

Last year was the culmination of the no defense game, with players not trying to stop the other team when they were on defense and it became a circus game with high flying dunks and three point shots being the primary scoring method for the game.

Adam Silver, the commissioner of the league, wants to make the game much more competitive and entertaining for the fans, and the draft is an attempt to do that. Pitting teammates against each other in what should be some entertaining basketball.

The league has taken a step in making the All-Star Game competitive again.

However they need to take the opportunity next year to televise the draft and give the fans what they want.

Are you a student with a story, with a vision for your school?

Are you interested in having your opinions heard?

Send in your Letter the the Editor or guest column to mhsmentor@ gmail.com or come see our staff in C-107 at West Campus!

David Sherwin and Zane Smith.

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 and National Scholastic Press Association. The Mentor is a public forum.

E-mail us at mhsmentor@gmail.com

FEATURES

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Homecoming starts off week with PJ day Sophia Comas Features Editor

Homecoming week not only celebrates school spirit and student involvement, but the dedicated Tribe members who plan it twice a year also consider it a rather large achievement.

The beginning steps to making spirit week happen require intense planning, as well as determining an individual theme for each day of the week.

“For the theme in both classes we discussed which would be better because we’re deciding between two,” Riley Taylor, a senior in Tribe, said. “We finally decided on the ‘What’s Up’ theme.”

Themes for the week started with pajama day and continued Tuesday with a Hawaiian theme. The rest of the week includes Disney day on Wednesday, retro day on Thursday, and will conclude on Friday when students wear the school colors of red, white and blue to show support for the basketball teams that will play later that night.

Homecoming also requires that the members of Tribe have adequately planned for the different games and ac-

tivities students and teachers alike will compete in during Wednesday’s pep rally.

“We all get together and vote on what we want to do,” Megan Klug, co-president of Tribe, said. “We have to plan the pep rally and make sure people participate.”

Tribe is also responsible for purchasing all the supplies necessary for the pep rally and making sure that the materials needed are ready to go when it starts.

“For actual Homecoming court and stuff I have to go get flowers,” Emily Armburst, a senior in Tribe, said. “We have to get the crowns from somewhere and actually go get them.”

Though usually focused on the athletic events occurring in the week, this semester’s spirit week is all about the different clubs Manhattan High has to offer to its students along with their representatives. “[In] fall you have all these people in sports instead of clubs and we have smaller ballots,” Armburst said.

Given the fact that each semester has a Homecoming event, one for football and one for basketball, Tribe has even more work when it

WEEK How long has music been in your life?

Photo by Javi Mercado

Anthony Rodrigues Music Javi Mercado Staff Photographer

seventh

How did music become such a big part of you life?

I just started playing and I just couldn’t stop.

favorite

What do you plan on doing with music in the future?

Probably jazz because in contraband you have to read all the notes exactly but in jazz you can play your own stuff.

To be a composer. I already wrote a song “In the Thunder and Cats” for K-State and they [K-State marching band] played it yesterday.

What’s your type of music?

pian Troupe. Often, fresh- “Salute to Broadway” comman over at East feel left out ing up as well, where any from activities and clubs, but students can audition to perWith a combination of having opportunity to travel form a theatrical peace in a cake, performances and down and encourage incom- compilation of numbers and dance parties, Manhattan ing sophomores who will scenes for an audience’s enHigh School Thespian Troupe soon be transferred over to joyment. The show will be #941 celebrated their 65th an- West to join Thespians is a running in late March, and great way to publicize the auditions are open to anyone niversary this past week.

On Friday, the club de- club. Thespian Troupe #941 and everyone, experience not cided to throw their own is a club full of passionate required.

The MHS Thespian Troupe little party for both East and students with a love for theater and are always willing to will also soon be seeing a West campuses. At the West change with the retirement of Campus, slices of cake were accept new members. “[Thespians] means a lot to their director, Linda Uthoff. passed out during lunch to me,” troupe president Emma Uthoff has been teaching at students who were also invitLansdowne, senior, said. MHS for over 20 years, and ed to few small performances held by the troupe in the Lit- “When I was a freshman in while MHS will miss her, the high school, I made it my troupe will stand with what tle Theater.

“Last Friday, we handed goal to become president of they stand for, and that is to out cake to students, had the Thespians my senior year, entertain through theatrical improv shows in the Little so I’ve been dreaming of [be- arts.

“Maybe you haven’t found Theater, and we were able to ing president] for years.”

With the 65th anniversary the right corner of theater publicize our group a little bit come and gone, club memfor you, but youcheck will find If you are ordering a yearbook with a Name Plate with a Mark, theit,” box to th up at East Campus,” co-mime bers still have a lot to look Lansdowne said.

“There’s a box o andMark improv president Kayla you’ve selected. If forward you want to purchase two marks, write a “1” in the to. Their spring play place for everyone in theater.

Semmel, senior, said. you want leftout of your name a “2”ininthethe That box of the Mark that you want “Rumors” is and currently advice will especially Being able to to the reach works and will be showing be true next year when the name to the Campus is someyourEast name.

If you are buying a single Mark, it will engrave to the left of your thing important to the Thes- Feb. 15-17. The club also has school transitions teachers.”

Elizabeth Alexander Trending Editor

OF THE

about

Photo by Kami Bussmann

Laughing in comfort. Junior Zach Mason and sophomore Hunter French share a laugh in wake-up wear on their way to class.

Thespian troupe celebrates 65th anniversary

ARTIST

Since grade.

comes to having variety within the two. Unlike last semester, this pep rally includes the parade of shopping carts uniquely designed and decorated by the different clubs offered at MHS. This allows them to display their skills and spread their publicity to people in the audience hoping to boost membership.

“We all get together and vote on what we want to do,” Klug said. “Then once we get decided we have to get shopping carts from Walmart.”

Homecoming also provides a different experience for Tribe in the planning process.

“This one doesn’t have a dance is the main thing because that took a lot of time,” Armburst said. “[In] fall you have all these people in sports instead of clubs and we have smaller ballots.”

Despite having to constantly prepare for events like Homecoming, Tribe has shown that nothing can stop their ideas from taking flight and embraced the challenges presented to them.

“I mean there’s not a whole lot [to worry about].

It’s just fun,” Klug said. “I guess it’s really busy and a hectic week but it’s really fun to be a part of.”

CAPTURE

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your memories with a personalized 2018 Blue M 2015

The steps are as easy as 1, 2, 3.

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1. Fill out the Personalization Line with the name that you wish to have engraved on your yearbook.

2. Select the icons you want by your name (see options on the back).

Bible Bowling 3. Fill out the order form. Deliver the form and payment to Mrs. Kristy Nyp in room C107 by 2/8/2018.

Your personalization helps support the cost of printing your yearbook.

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See chart for options and write names in the boxes provided.

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Total your order Blue M Yearbook, $78.00 Swimming Student Council Personalization, $5.00 Icons, $3.00 each Total (Tax is already included) Checks Payable to MHS Feb 15 Yearbooks will cost $83.00

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Young wrestlers step up to fill spots

Micheal Simmons Sports Editor

Manhattan High wrestling had several Junior Varsity wrestlers move to Varsity during the Shawnee Mission North Invitational, ultimately resulting in them placing second. MHS scored a total of 155.5 points, falling short of beating Maize who scored 226.5 points.

“I think it went good,” senior Jalin Harper said. “We didn’t have our whole Varsity there so it was an opportunity for some other guys to step up and I think they did that.

They wrestled really well and we competed really well.”

Although the team battled through the adversity of losing people to injuries to place in the top three, that is not to say that it met the wrestlers’ goals.

“Well we always we want to win,” Harper said, “but I think

for this one, the goal was to get Out of the 11 wrestlers who squad,” senior Hunter Christanthe injuries all healed up so we went, eight of them placed. sen said. “They have a lot more can get those experiguys back for ence and league and a lot more state, but for mat time, the people I think who wrestled that was our goal was the main to win and thing. better yourI think self, which I that we think everyare used one did that.” to havThe reing all of maining memthe same bers still were people all able to score the time a lot of points so having for MHS. All the new of the rekids there Photo courtesy of Makayla Larkin made maining Varit sity wrestlers Senior Abraham Sanchez attempts a pin during the Shawnee Mission Northwest Invitational. He would later feel a litscored a total place second and score a total of 20 points. tle weird of 141 points, but since accounting for over 90 percent “I think the main thing is we are used to practicing with of Manhattan High’s points. missing our normal Varsity them, it wasn’t that big of a dif-

ATHLETE OF THE

WEEK Photo by Jacob Clanton

•Placed first in weekend tournament •Scored a total of 26 points for MHS •Went undefeated in the Owasso

Jalin Harper Wrestling Micheal Simmons Sports Editor

To be extremely successful in any sport requires a certain amount of talent or passion, but in most case, it’s a mixture of both. In senior Jalin Harper’s case, it is a mixture of both.

“Wrestling makes me feel amazing,” Harper said. “It’s a different kind of feeling, you don’t have to worry about anything else. During practice or a wrestling match they’re are no other worries it’s just you and the other guy.”

Jalin Harper was one of the remaining Varsity members who participated in the Shawnee Mission Northwest Invitational. Not only did he participate, he was the high-

est scoring wrestler for Manhattan High. It’s usual for it to take several years to master a certain craft, especially wrestling.

“I’ve been wrestling since I was five,” Harper said. “My parents signed me up for the kid club and I went to one practice and loved it.”

Harper has continued to wrestle throughout his entire high school career and placed third in the state Kansas, during his last state championship run. Harper’s amount of passion and experience in the sport has earned him a full ride scholarship to Oklahoma State University where he will continue his wrestling career. OSU is currently ranked second in the nation for wrestling.

Boys struggle to finish defensively Jacob Clanton Print Editor-in-Chief

It was a game of two halves.

“We struggled on offense, [but] our defense was really good in the first half,” senior Nate Awbrey said.

“Second half, we came out and we were hitting all of our shots, but our defense was lacking. We just need a full game on both halves.”

Manhattan High (7-5, 2-3 Centennial League) could not get enough stops down the stretch, losing to Seaman (9-4, 3-3) 56-50 Friday night in Topeka.

“We just could not get a stop,” head coach Benji George said, “let alone string stops together. When things start clicking offensively, we got to be able to ride our defense like we have been all year.”

Though the Indians’ defense struggled late, the game began as a defensive battle. Seaman led late in the first quarter 12-5 thanks to MHS’ sub-20 percent field goal percentage. Senior Dawson Stewart hit a 3-pointer as time expired, cutting the led to just four.

Neither team would score for almost half of the second quarter as both teams settled in defensively. Time-

Swim team uses off-week for intense training John Ostermann Online Editor-in-Chief

Every sport has a tough training regiment that the teams must go through to prepare for the upcoming season.

The Manhattan swim team just went through their toughest training week of the year.

With no meets last week the team went through multiple days of training to culminate in their yearly 100 100s.

“Every season we have a hell week because we don’t have a swim meet for the next couple weeks and it’s basically just intense practices with a lot of yardage,” junior Kevin Kilner said. “The last day of the week we do the annual 100 100s which is the hardest practice of the year.”

The 100 100s has been a tradition at MHS for as long as they have had a swim team.

The swimmers on the team have an entire practice time -two and a half hours- to swim 100 yards 100 times. The swim-

mers do their best to finish in the allotted time. However most set their own goals and try to complete as many as possible.

“This is a good mental preparation for the end of the season,” coach Alex Brown said.

“Especially with the training

“This is a good mental preparation for the end of the season.”

--Coach Alex Brown said. we are doing right now. We have been working really hard and after doing this workout, the rest of the season’s workouts do not seem as bad. ” Having a tough week of training like this in the middle of every season could be a det-

riment to the team’s success; however the team has taken a different mindset on it, making it an advantage.

“It really does suck,” senior Adam Fisher said, “but I really do notice how much it really helps me improve. I have dropped six seconds off my 100 fly this year and I really think hell week is going to help me drop the last little bit off I really need before league.”

The swimmers will be back in action on Saturday at home in the Manhattan Invitational. This is the final meet before the Centennial League meets that will send swimmers to the state competition.

“We feel pretty good about the last part of our season,” Brown said. “Our kids have been working really hard and as we get into taper over these last few weeks, we expect that everyone will have significant time drops.”

Bowling places second, many girls stand out Mason Alberto Staff Writer

Manhattan High Varsity bowling is off to a good start after its second home meet, placing second at yesterday’s quad.

The Indians faced Washburn Rural, Emporia and Hayden high schools. The meet ended in victory for Washburn Rural boys as MHS trailed by eight pins.

Although the team fell short, they still improved their chances of winning.

Out of all the bowlers on

the team, the ones that stood out were the girls. Juniors Alex Newell and Zoe Johnson placed second as a team.

Johnson bowled a series of 651, finishing first individually. Newell finished second place with a 587.

At the home quad on Jan. 22, hosted at Little Apple Lanes, the boys Varsity team ended up getting awarded second place out of four other teams, right behind Shawnee Heights.

“I did what I could but I think me and the team have room to improve,” sophomore

ference. Some of the J.V. kids weren’t totally ready for a fullon tournament, they had a tournament the day before, but I think a little more mat time would’ve been better.”

Experience on the mat is an important quality and it shows on the statistics sheet, as the senior class dominated the scoring. With a total of 62 points accounting for 40 percent of the team’s total points.

“Everyone can always do better,” Harper said. “I think we could have done a little better and won some matches that we didn’t and were close, but for the most part I’m happy with how we competed as a team.”

The team’s next meet is the Centennial League tournament on Saturday at Topeka West.

Grant Terril said.

Despite not placing first, the Varsity bowling team still managed to rack up some pretty good scores.

On the Varsity team, junior Michael Moran got a score of 550 on his series and senior Nathaniel Chaput got a 686. Freshman Connor Weyand got a 659, while Terril bowled a 597.

Sophomores Brandon Bragg and Eric Challacombe finished with a 547 and a 514 respectively.

The team has their next meet on Thursday.

ly baskets gave Seaman a sixpoint lead, but a short Manhattan lead kept the score close at half.

Though the Indians seemed to struggle offensively, they kept their heads up.

“It seems to me like we’re still playing with confidence on offense,” George said. “I know that’s hard when you only score 15 points in the first half, but body language and all that was no different.

We were getting good shots, they just weren’t falling.”

Someone must have lifted the lids off the baskets at halftime, because both teams came out firing offensively.

Manhattan scored on its first seven possessions, taking a 33-27 lead with 2:45 left in the quarter.

However, that’s when Seaman senior Nathan Heinen struck. Heinen went on a personal 5-0 run to end the quarter, tying the game at 33.

He kept his momentum into the fourth quarter, ending with 23 points in the game, all in the second half.

“He was on fire,” Awbrey said, “and we didn’t really do the best job of keeping track of him. I think we could have stayed with him better, but he definitely shot the ball well in the second half.”

Even as Heinen dominated, Manhattan still had some

chances. However, it couldn’t create enough, losing 56-50.

Its defense was to blame.

“We’re going to have to lean on our defense if we’re going to be successful this year,” George said. “That’s the most frustrating thing to me. I don’t know what it was, it might have been fatigue a little bit, maybe we didn’t give them enough credit for how talented they are, but definitely can’t get broken down off the bounce that easily.”

Manhattan still had some bright spots, as senior Carson Marsh scored 11 points, making three 3-pointers.

“He’s really showing some confidence,” George said, “and it really adds another element to our offense, having a big that can stretch the floor. A lot of four-men can shoot the three, and he’s definitely one of them.”

MHS returns to action Tuesday as it travels back to Topeka, taking on Topeka High (8-5, 4-2). For the Indians, toughness will be key.

“We got to keep our mental toughness, just know that it’s going to be tough on the road,” Awbrey said. “We’re going to have opposite crowds, not hometown refs and stuff, so we’re just going to have to be tough and adjust.”

Girls basketball places second for second year in a row Micheal Simmons Sports Editor

For the most part, the Manhattan High Lady Indians had a successful tournament over the weekend in McPherson as they placed second, falling to McPherson in the championship game 52-61.

“McPherson is a good team,” junior Haleigh Harper said. “They have a good shooter and our goal was to stop her from shooting which we did a great job. I think we focused too much on making sure she didn’t score that we forgot to just have and play basketball like we know hot play. We did everything we were told to do, we hustled we played hard but they were just a good team. Unfortunately they came out on top this time. that loss will drive us to work even harder in practice.”

MHS started slow against McPherson, similar to other games during the tournament, finishing the half 22-30.

The difference in this game compared to others is that they were not able to bounce back in the second half, ending the game with a run of 30-31. MHS is now 10-2 and ranked second in the state for the class 6A. “I was upset,” senior Chrissy Carr said. “I knew I couldn’t be mad for long because we have to turn around and play Tuesday and we have to bounce back from this and learn from another loss. I feel like we have some things to work on, we definitely have to play harder and limit turnovers.”

Despite not winning all

of their games, MHS still won against both Shawnee Mission Northwest 41-40 and Wichita Northwest 46-29.

“I think the first game was really good,” junior Kia Wilson said. “[I] was worried in the beginning of the game but we came back in the second half to get a win. The second game I felt like we played really well as a team and the third game we played really great defense, but shots weren’t falling for us even though we had really good looks.”

During the first game, the team got off to a bumpy start by finishing the half 12-22. The Lady Indians came back finishing the second half by going on a 23-13 run, tying it up 35-35.

MHS won in overtime. In the second game, the team suffered the same bumpy start, finishing the first half 19-18. History repeated itself as they had a strong second half with a run of 27-11 to end the game. Carr was the overall highest scoring player for the team as she scored a total of 38 points over all three games. Wilson scored the most in the SMNW game with 13 points and junior Taylor Johnson scored the most in the McPherson game with 16 points.

“I’m proud of my team,” Harper said. “We played hard the whole game. You win some and you lose some. There are some things we probably could have done better throughout the game, but what I love most about my team is that we don’t quit, we tried our best and that’s all anyone could ask for.”

The team will have another away game against Topeka High on Tuesday.

The Mentor • Jan. 30, 2018

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Choir shows skills with annual Serenade Concert Sophia Comas Features Editor

The annual Serenade Concert, held by the Manhattan High choir department, gave many different participants an opportunity to display their musical talents through the use of strong vocals and compelling instrumental accompaniments.

The event, which occured on Tuesday, was the only fundraising opportunity for the choir.

The concert began with an acapella rendition of “Dancing Queen,” a catchy blast from the past with a unique twist offered by the Varsity choir. Their perfectly blended harmonies were soon followed with the single echo of the first solo as they dove into the individual pieces sung by the seniors.

“I thought it was really awesome,” Claire Todd, a senior in Pops choir, said. “It was really great to see a lot of people going through and doing their stuff… it was just a good time supporting other people.”

Her solo included “Maybe This Time” as well as “Duel of the Fates” with a group, which involved the use of lightsabers as props, and “Over the Rain-

bow” with the Pops choir. amazing tonight.” small groups rehearsing would The concert wasn’t strictHe sang a duet with Grace be nice but I think everyone ly for singing, as the audience Franke as well as performing did really great and it was realsoon heard multiple students with the Pops choir. ly fun,” Todd said. who played guitar, ukulele, and in one case, the violin. The audience also had the pleasure of being able to hear a select few original songs written by the performers, allowing them to show the aptitude they hold for music. Though unable to individually showcase their skills, those students not of this year’s graduating class still wonderfully expressed themselves in duets, trios, quartets and other group performances.

“I think that evPhoto by Elizabeth Alexander eryone who per- Senior Jordan Hayden performs a number during the concert. He performed an Ed Sheeren classic, “The A Team” formed, including for a solo act that he put together himself. the large group probably did their best,” Jacob Wineland, a junior in The ability to rehearse beDespite the few blunders Pops choir, said. “I can’t judge came a small difficulty for the and mistakes that were made, a lot of the varsity student’s choir students as they all prac- the choir never wavered from solos because they did theirs ticed during different class peri- doing their best and having fun during their own hour… but I ods throughout the school day. while doing what they love on think that everyone sounded “I know in a few of my stage.

“There was a little flub but it was funny and everyone was so light-hearted,” Wineland said. “It was excusable because the moments right after were of course amazing.”

Normally, the concert would conclude with the Pops choir performance followed by the grand finale, but instead they decided to defy tradition by ending with a duet before the larger group of all choir students came onto the stage. Emily Knapp and Alex Aramouni sang “The Prayer,” which featured Aramouni singing portions in Italian. The concert then ended with the grand finale, which featured all choir students singing a medley of show tunes written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. The brilliantly crafted mash-up included snippets of lyrics from “Oklahoma” and “The Sound of Music,” as well as other musicals produced by the duo.

“I thought it was great,” Chad Pape, choir director and teacher, said. “All the kids did terrific.”

Sigrid’s vibe isn’t going anywhere Riverdale mid-season comeback disappoints Leah Beyer Blue M Academic Editor

Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid released her first single “Don’t Kill My Vibe” in February 2017. Since then, she has only risen in popularity and influence.

Most recently, Sigrid was awarded first place for the BBC Sound of 2018. Some other artists that have won this same title include Adele in 2008 and Sam Smith in 2014. Needless to say, it seems warranted to expect big things from Sigrid in the future.

With the majority of Sigrid’s songs, such as “Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Plot Twist,” there is very clearly an edge of sass that’s almost aggressive. However, she opens up more with honesty in the release of her song “Dynamite.”

“Strangers,” her most recent single, released at the end of 2017, tackles the topic of the reality of love and the falsehoods created by Hollywood and media in general. Lines such as, “We’re falling head over heels for something that ain’t real,” make it clear Sigrid wishes to shine a light on lies told by the media. While the lyrics and tone of the song conveys plenty, the music video takes it a step further.

Throughout the video, the camera focuses in on one scene featuring Sigrid and then pans out, proving it to be completely staged. The mes-

sage from this is quite simple; everyday humans are being flooded with images from various medias displaying how to look, act and feel, but these messages don’t need to carry any weight because they are often over-exaggerated or complete lies.

Sigrid’s actions throughout the “Strangers” video show the immense amount of passion she has for this particular topic, motivating the viewers even further. Seemingly as another statement of her belief, Sigrid is depicted with little makeup and normal clothing, as opposed to something flashy just for the cameras.

At only 21 years old with just four years of making music under her belt, Sigrid has already accomplished many feats. The confidence with which she performs stands as a message to not be afraid to be yourself. In addition to this confidence while in front of an audience and being recognized as the BBC Sound of 2018, she was also able to record “Everybody Knows” for “Justice League” movie.

Sigrid has an undeniable energy that cannot be faked.

The vibe shown by her in both her voice and her videos gives her an edge that certainly will not go away. Emerging almost out of nowhere about a year ago, Sigrid has left her mark on the pop industry that will not fade away anytime soon.

Kami Bussmann Staff Writer

Riverdale, the show based on the Archie Comics, has been turning heads across the world.

Following the midseason finale in December, the show left us with a couple of cliffhangers, just like it always does. Betty Cooper, played

by Lilli Reinhart, ends the episode holding the black hood’s hood and not engulfing it in flames as she did with all the other black hood evidence she accumulated. The previous episode had me on the edge of my seat waiting for Jan. 17 to come so I could see what happens next. Rather than falling off my chair from excitement when it did air, I sat back with disappointment.

The returning episode brings back some characters that didn’t have to return.

For instance, Nick St. Clair, played by Graham Phillips, shows up in the hospital and Archie Andrews, played by K.J. Apa, challenges him for information and money, then proceeds to beat him up. The episode could have happened without St. Clair and Andrews having a feud. It was not a necessary scene for the plot of the episode.

Andrews also starts to help a bigger force in Riverdale on the

Grammy’s create buzz with political statements, stellar performances Kaitlin Clark Entertainment Editor

After months of waiting, it’s finally here. Awards season is upon us, and with it, many impactful performances from some of the nation’s top artists.

Sunday night marked the 60th annual Grammy Awards, where many artists used their public appearances to support the “Me Too” movement. White roses were worn across the red carpet by men and women alike to show their support.

This was not the only use of platform to show political opinion. During the show, Hillary Clinton made a guest appearance via video to read a few passages from Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” the novel that detailed the events occurring inside of the White House with specific regard to both Trump and his staff. This explosive novel received backlash from both Trump supporters as well as the president himself, so an appearance by Clinton reading from the novel certainly made a statement.

Performances were a huge part of the awards show. Artists ranging from Kesha to Ken-

drick Lamar performed for the audience with endless genres of music.

Kesha’s heartfelt rendition of her song “Praying” left many

Graphic by Elizabeth Alexander

marvelling at her powerful yet touching performance, during which she was accompanied by an all-female chorus including Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello and Julia Michaels. These women performed together to create an intensely personal performance in support of the Me Too movement.

The Grammys also saw the team-up of rapper Cardi-B and pop icon Bruno Mars for a re-

mix of “Finesse,” an upbeat pop song inspired by songs from the ‘90s. Their high-energy performance practically transported viewers into the past with the bright colors and bold actions associated with the ‘90s.

Bruno Mars not only put on a stellar performance, but he also managed to capture album, record and song of the year, while Kendrick Lamar dominated in the rap division, with an impressive total of four wins.

Jay-Z, however, was not as fortunate. After being nominated for a total of eight awards, the rapper went home emptyhanded. Following the awards show fans of both Lamar and Jay-Z have been questioning Mars’ win of Album of the Year, with fans of the performers taking to Twitter to debate the topic. Mars hasn’t seemed to let the controversy bother him. He even took to Twitter to express his joy, tweeting “Unreal!! I love you all!!!”

Overall, the Grammys was a night full of political statements and stellar performances that encompassed the music industry over the last year.

become such a relevant character due to that relationship.

The reasoning behind that is because Cooper challenges him to be better and he challenges Cooper and they helped each other uncover the truth of the Black Hood. They both play a big role in the core of the show.

Some basics of the new episode were easily predictable. The Serpents have to join Riverdale High School, as seen in the teaser trailer. The differences the two schools have is a obvious turn-out. It’s a basic “The Outsiders” rivalry and brawl. I think the writers of the show are trying to show that Jones has been changed after joining the Serpents because they’re making him more bad than he truly is.

Another odd thing that happens in the returning episode that wasn’t necessary is that Mrs. Blossom, played by Nathalie Boltt, has a weird character development in this episode. She took a turn for the worse, Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Televison and CBS Television Studios but she is not a big enough character for people to care.

What I did like about the reperson than his original character is meant to be is Jughead turning episode was the endJones, played by Cole Sprouse. ing. The writers didn’t fail at The original couple of Jones leaving us with a cliffhanger. and Cooper have not gotten It’s because of the cliffhanger back together and it doesn’t and the weird development of look like that will be happen- characters I was still caught siting anytime soon, which is de- ting, waiting for the next week’s pressing because Jughead has episode. examination of Hiram Lodge, played by Mark Consuelos. In doing this he becomes a bigger concern for people in town.

He’s more of a threat than ever before.

Another character who is finding himself to be a bigger

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So... How Did We Start Off 2018?

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U.S. Olympian physician sentenced up to 175 years Elizabeth Alexander Trending Editor

For nearly a week straight, women spoke up about the abuse they endured, a man who was supposed to be helping them.

Larry Nassar, a world-renowned U.S. Olympic physician, sat through a week’s worth of testimonies from over 150 women, accusing him of sexual harassment and abuse. He was also accused of possessing child pornography. While Nassar had pleaded guilty, he later wrote a letter stating

he had been “manipulated” into pleading guilty and that all the women accusing him were lying.

"I was a good doctor because my treatments worked, and those patients that are now speaking out are the same ones that praised and came back over and over," Nassar wrote. "The media convinced them that everything I did was wrong and bad. They feel I broke their trust. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina felt little sympathy for Nassar and was seen throwing his letter to the side in court. She

then sentenced Nassar 40-175 years in prison. “[The letter] tells me you still don’t get it,” Aquilina said according to CNN. “I wouldn’t send my dogs to you, sir.”

The majority of the women accusing Nassar, according to CNN, said that the first initial times they spoke up about his abuse, their cries went unheard and they were forced to suffer in silence.

These are the same women that, because of Nassar’s abuse, struggle with anxiety, depression and histories of self-harm.

"Michigan State Univer-

sity, the school I loved and trusted, had the audacity to tell me that I did not understand the difference between sexual assault and a medical procedure," gymnast Amanda Thomashow, according to CNN, said in court.

Thomashow was one of the many woman who spoke out against Nassar and his abuse. This is the kind of reaction too many victims of sexual assault receive; they are often told they misunderstand, were “asking for it,” or need to take assault as a compliment.

According to CNN, the U.S. Olympic Committee

CEO Scott Blackmun issued a statement, including an apology for not recognizing and stopping Nassar’s abuse in the first place. Because of this case, USA Gymnastics has cut ties with the training facility that Nassar worked for, the Karolyi Ranch.

“We are sorry for the pain caused by this terrible man, and sorry that you weren't afforded a safe opportunity to pursue your sports dreams,” Blackmun said in the statement.

Tide Pods: the obsession of 2018 Sophia Comas Features Editor r

Graphics by Elizabeth Alexande

Lowdown on the shutdown Kaitlin Clark Entertainment Editor

Confusion, frustration and panic surrounded the government shutdown, but as soon as it came, it was over, leaving many asking the same question: why did it even happen?

At midnight on Jan. 20, Congress failed to create a plan for government funding, marking President Trump’s hundredth day in office with a shutdown. This mainly meant that only essential government employees would be working, although they would not be paid immediately. There were, however, countless other repercussions, including the shutdown of many commissaries on United States military bases and the halt of experiments at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, according to CNN’s article, “the lesser-known effects of a government shutdown.”

It all began over the issue of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

This program allows the children of illegal immigrants, often referred to as “dreamers,” two years of protection from deportation and a work permit as long as they meet a series of requirements that can be found on the University of California at Berkley’s Undocumented Student Program page. Since Donald Trump’s inauguration over a year ago, he has rallied his supporters by declaring an end to the DACA program as part of his push to crack down on illegal immigration. He also pushed

for the border wall that he so fiercely defended on the campaign trail, insisting that a physical wall between the United States and Mexico would deter immigrants from crossing the border.

President Trump has maintained that the Mexican government will pay for the wall, despite their insistence that no deal of the sort would be made. All of this culminated in a Congressional standoff in which Trump’s allies said that they would maintain the DACA program if their opponents agreed to the border wall. No decision was reached, and thus, with funding running out, the government shut down.

With Democrats fighting for dreamers who have lived in the United States for the majority of their lives and Republicans insisting that since they didn’t go through the immigration process legally, they should be deported, a series of debates and deals ensued.

Eventually, both parties settled on a short-term solution, funding the government for a short time while negotiations continue. The funding that both sides agreed on runs out on Feb. 8, giving Congress three short weeks to come up with a better solution while the immigration bill still hangs in the air, according to Vox. Sure, the government is open for now, but if members of Congress can’t reach an agreement soon, we could very well be in the same situation once again.

As the first month of the year comes to an end, trendsetters and Internet users have been going above and beyond in determining how to start off 2018. According to medical experts, perhaps one of the more dangerous ideas is the consumption of Tide Pods.

W h i l e it’s easy to see why a small child would make the mistake of eating one, Tide Pods first became a danger to the older members of our generation through the Tide Pod Challenge. Though uncertain of how it started, it quickly spread across social media, daring people to eat them, calling them the “forbidden snack” after people discovered its resemblance to candy. Controlling the urge to bite down on these squishy packets of poison is a “challenge” within itself as more and more people continue to indulge in this risky behavior.

According to a press re-

lease given by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, 39 reports of intentional exposure to laundry detergent in teenagers occurred within the first two weeks of 2018. Just one week later, the number increased to 86.

The issues caused from ingesting

laundry soap of any kind can cause a number of health problems. Seizures, respiratory arrest, pulmonary edema, comas and death are all possibilities that await those willing to consume products that are essentially toxic chemicalcocktails with the power to destroy your body.

In an interview with The Seattle Times, Alfred Aleguas, managing director of

the Florida Poison Information Center, said “You’re really taking a chance -- and to what end? It’s pretty foolish behavior.”

To help combat this reoccurring issue, Tide took to Twitter to release an official statement saying, “What should Tide PODs be used for? DOING LAUNDRY. Nothing else. Eating a Tide POD is a BAD IDEA, and we asked our friend @ robgronkowski to help explain.” In support of their cause, Rob Gronkowski, a football player for the New England Patriots, helped Tide make an official video clip as a spokesman against eating Tide Pods.

Google and YouTube have also joined in the efforts against this dangerous new activity by taking down videos with kids eating the Pods as well as restricting certain users from uploading dangerous content.

Hospitals are urging people to consider the repercussions of ingesting inedible products before any extreme and serious harm befalls anyone.

Recent steps toward justice for women Meredith Comas Opinions Editor

So far, 2018 has been the host of many social trends, from the Tide Pod challenge to the continuation of the #MeToo movement and the Time’s Up movement.

Women in 2018 are already fighting and making change in our society. Here’s a recap of January 2018: year of women.

Women’s March: January 2018 saw the second annual Women’s March, a march on Washington D.C. -- accompanied by individual sister marches across the country -- protesting Donald Trump’s administrative policies on "immigration, healthcare, racial divides" and other issues. Hundreds of thousands of people came together in a sea of pink to support women and all those oppressed in our

current times. #MeToo: While the hashtag exposing sexual harassment -founded by Tarana Burke -soon became a movement in October of 2017, it has continued on into 2018. #MeToo has lead to the exposure of Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Louis C.K. and Woody Allen.

Time’s Up: The Time’s Up movement started in 2017, but much like #MeToo has continued on into early 2018. “The clock has run out on sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace,” the movement’s slogan says.

“It's time to do something about it.” The movement took over the red carpet and social media, with the famed and glamorous wearing all black and “Time's Up” buttons to support the cause.

Oprah: At the January, 2018 Golden Globe awards, TV personality Oprah Win-

frey received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. While the award itself took attention, it was Winfrey’s astounding speech in support of women’s rights, #MeToo, Time’s Up, among other causes, that took the spotlight. For weeks, buzz of Oprah’s speech was heard everywhere in media and in mundane conversation. It even was rumored she was running for president in 2020.

Larry Nassar: Throughout the last few weeks of 2018, Nassar has made headlines as the Olympic doctor for female gymnasts who got away with sexual harassment for years. Finally, over 150 women, such as Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, came forward to expose his crimes against women. Nassar has since been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison.