Sept. 17, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
THE MENTOR
Volume 107 Issue 3
TRUTH & EDUCATION
MHSMentor.com
BPA expands, plans for D.C. Story by Katya Tarabrina Blue M Organizations Editor “With the new school year comes new agendas, as seen in last week’s mass scheduling of club meetings. “ More on MHSMentor.com
To see stories on Black Student Union and Red Cross Club, go to MHSMentor.com
A CSI officer from the Riley County Police Department inspects the Oak Street parking lot of Manhattan High for evidence where the crime happened Thursday night.
Photo by Madison Ritz
Crime on Oak Street
SPORTS
Cross Country Crushes at Emporia
Investigation of Oak Lot shooting ongoing Story by Sophia Comas Online Editor-in-Chief
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anhattan High’s West Campus south parking lot turned into a crime scene on Sept. 13 around 6:45 p.m. when the Riley County Police Department responded to multiple reports of gunshots. According to a press release issued by the RCPD, officers found shell casings along with “other information” on the scene that indicated an altercation between two cars who met in the school lot before the shots were fired. They also say that a house in the 200 Block of Ridge was hit by a bullet before both vehicles fled the scene. Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers found one of the vehicles located on I-70 heading east and the driver and three others were arrested by Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers from the Kansas Turnpike Authority. According to a report by “The Mercury,” the driver in question was Francisco Valdez-Garibay, a resident of Kansas City, who was taken in on charges of fleeing and eluding law enforcement. KHP claims that there will likely be additional charges against Valdez-Garibay and he is currently being held at the Leavenworth County Jail without bond. As of now, the RCPD has made no arrests, no reports of injuries have been made and there has been no indication that the people involved are affiliated with the school. During the shooting, the volleyball team, Thespians and football players were inside the building. District director of communications Michele Jones reportedly told “The Mercury” that the shooting did not affect them because it happened on the far side of the lot. “I was scared because I usually wait with my friends outside,” senior Rose Carter said. “If we had waited 20 more minutes it would’ve been so scary.”
Carter says that along with the worry for her friends, the incident left her with nightmares about being trapped in a similar situation without any protection. In addition to the Thespians working on play rehearsals, the football team had just finished up with a team dinner when police arrived at the school. “I didn’t really know what happened,” senior Jacob Hirschey said. “It was just like a normal day.” According to Hirschey, officers came as he was walking out of the building to where his truck was parked. He also says he didn’t hear any gunshots; he found out later that there was a shooting when he received texts from other football players. “I couldn’t believe that there was a shooting and that that just happened,” Hirschey said. “It was kind of scary knowing that I could have died if I walked out of the school a couple minutes earlier.” RCPD is working to find the second vehicle and the investigation is ongoing.
RCPD and CSI officers investigate senior Madison Ritz’s car around 8:30 p.m. after the shooting happened in the Oak Street lot. The shooting occurred 6:45 p.m.
Story by Gage Mingo Staff Writer Manhattan High Cross Country swept their latest meet yet again, placing first in all six of their division races in Emporia Saturday morning. Although this was the second time this season the team has accomplished this feat, they considered it to be easier than their first meet last weekend. “Some athletes from the team really stepped up their game on both the men’s and women’s side, which is what allowed us these team victories,” Gavin Erickson, junior, said. Before the meet began, the team took measures to prepare themselves for a new track. “Emporia, they always keep it really organized and really efficient,” sophomore Rachel Corn said. Freshman Amelia Knopp, who has garnered attention running Varsity, placed
second. She was followed by senior Ella Rosenkranz, who placed third. Overall, the girls contributed to a first place team win of 38 points. For the boys Varsity race, Daniel Harkin, junior, placed first with a time of 16:31.1. He was followed by freshman Jackson Tanner. The boys team placed first overall, scoring a total of 45 points. Many of the cross country members grouped up and pushed each other though the race. This helped some members keep up with the rest of the race. “It was a good course for a cross country race, not that many hills, it was difficult for me and some of my teammates because of the heat,” Tanner said. “But other than that, we stuck together in a group the whole race and pushed each other til the finish line.” See more Sports om Page 3
Photo by Madison Ritz
Freshmen StuCo officers elected Journalism students meet Governor Story by Brianna Carmack Entertainment Editor Last Wednesday, the freshman class found out who had won the Student Council positions students had long campaigned for.
“I don’t really feel any different. I just know there’s a responsibility on my shoulders...” -- Neo Kim
Using various campaign strategies, ultimately the vote for class officers went to Neo Kim for president, Wesley Zeka for vice president, Amelia Knopp for secretary and Eddie Bruegger for treasurer. “I don’t really feel any different,” Kim said. “I just know that there’s a responsibility on my shoulders instead of being a normal guy.” Students running promoted their candidacy through social media to help engage with their fellow students while also spreading posters throughout the
school and other campaign tactics. “I spread around an image online on my Instagram about kind of what I believe in why I would be a great candidate for vice president,” freshman Ava Reese said. “I made my posters and put them up around school and I also made stickers and gave them to students.” In order to win a position in StuCo, candidates must campaign beneficial ideas for the school and to the students that will get the most votes. “I’m just thinking about how to make school more enjoyable for both students and teachers,” Kim said. “And giving both parties a reason to wake up excited and not think ‘man, I have to go to school today.’” Giving a good speech is also equally as important as well since it is the main way of getting your ideas and beliefs out to the students. “I’ve been complimented on my speech as well,” Kim said. According to Kim, trying to get people to vote for a leader and role model can be tough, so it’s important to be confident in what is being delivered to the audience in order to win in the StuCo elections. “I think all candidates that went for president are great people,” Kim said. “And, I think everyone who ran are brave, spirited and talented people.”
Story by Brianna Carmack Entertainment Editor Last Thursday, staff members of The Mentor staff and the Indian Insider participated in the Scholastic Press Corps State Fair competition in which they were able to get an unexpected interview with the state governor, Laura Kelly. “[Meeting Kelly] wasn’t the original plan,” senior Meredith Comas said. “We had started coming up with what our ideas were because this was a competition to make a small little newspaper type thing in like a day. So, we were planning stories for what we were going to do with that.” While meeting Kelly isn’t the most exciting thing in the world for some kids, these student journalists were ecstatic to meet an actual government official. “[Kristy Nyp] our advisor was like ‘Laura Kelly’s here, we need to go [get an interview],” Comas said. “We sprinted all across the State Fair and I’m not a physical activity person and I sprinted.” The students got the opportunity to see some of the daily activities that a state governor does on a normal day out in the public. “It was just interesting seeing how meeting a government official works
because I had to wait for her to finish what she was doing,” senior Hannah Heger said. “I had to go through a complete security check. I had to talk to the people helping secure and run her time at the State Fair. One thing some of the students were nervous about was actually meeting her and getting to know her personality as a politician. For some, it can be quite nerve-racking to meet someone with such a high understanding of how government and politics work, but when the students met Kelly, their opinions were changed. “It was very casual actually,” junior Gavin Gaston said. “It wasn’t super formal super like, ‘Oh, you’re the governor,’ you know, it’s just like a sudden, ‘Oh, hi. It’s nice to meet you,’ sort of thing.” The students enjoyed their time at the state fair. Their experience from meeting Kelly impacted some of their views on student journalism and journalism as a whole. “We [student journalists] get in our head and say, ‘Well I can’t go talk to that person, they’re this big media person,’ when really it’s like these people that want to reach out to you,” Comas said. “It’s just a matter of putting yourself out there.”
Sept. 17, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
OPINIONS
Volume 107 Issue 3
Page 2
StuCo clubs rules unnecessarily complicated This editorial is a compilation from a discussion held by the editorial board. To listen to the conversation that lead to this piece, visit mhsmentor.com
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tudent Council’s new regulations for club reports might make sense to StuCo leaders but it is the opinion of The Mentor Editorial Board that the rules passed last week are unfair to smaller clubs and those with fewer events. StuCo passed reinforced legislation building off of previous rules requiring clubs to participate in one fundraiser and one community service event per year. According to an email distributed to club sponsors, club representatives will now also have to fill out a club report in time for every StuCo meeting and send a representative to the meeting. If the StuCo club representative isn’t available they can send the report via email. However, it is assumed that this won’t be allowed regularly. If clubs don’t follow these requirements, they will be demoted to an interest group. If interest groups don’t follow requirements, they could be ordered to disband. To add to the pressure, the beginning-of-year report is due today along with the first report. It’s understandable that StuCo
wants clubs to report back more often as issues with clubs following none of the previous guidelines were common last year. However, simply making more specific guidelines for different
don’t always meet every week, so they wouldn’t have much to say in their club reports. Another issue is some clubs only meet during FlexTime, so it’s difficult to send one of their senior
EDITORIAL POLL:
clubs and interest groups would be less intrusive on clubs’ ability to serve their purpose in the school. StuCo might want some clubs to give reports in time for each meeting, but the newly enforced rules are unfair to smaller clubs, who don’t have the membership to send a representative to every StuCo meeting. Clubs
members to a StuCo meeting that takes place at the same time. Clubs like Model UN would also struggle to meet this requirement because they have only one event a year. It’s pointless to have clubs like these report to StuCo and send a representative to every meeting. For many clubs funding isn’t re-
quired as all that’s needed is a sponsor’s room . Clubs that are co-curriculars like Debate, SkillsUSA and Quill & Scroll don’t often hold fundraisers because they don’t need to. They are sponsored by donors or the school. This presents a useless hoop these clubs will have to jump through. In addition, the community service requirement makes sense for some clubs, like NHS and Key Club. However, the community service value in most clubs is the opportunity it gives to students to get to know likeminded peers and learn more about a subject they’re interested in. The rules are also confusingly vague. It’s not clear how many times a club can simply email it’s report -- or not do its report at all -- before demotion. What will happen if a community service project or fundraiser doesn’t work out, whether this is due to ill management or problems out of the club’s control? The vague rules will create confusion and give opportunities for clubs to find loopholes in the rules to do less work. To prevent future problems the requirements for clubs need to be more specific to individual clubs and clarified to avoid confusion.
Mike Pompeo inadequate for Senate School continues to run out of lunch
Story by Sophia Comas Online Editor-In-Chief Because the current political climate has dictated that our generation have a newfound focus on voting, it seems more than necessary for us to examine who we’re voting for. It seems even more prevalent now, given that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came to Manhattan last week. Although he hasn’t said so yet, it seems safe to assume that Pompeo -the top pick for Senate majority leader Mitch McConnel -- will announce his run for the Senate and as a Kansan, he will become the new voice of our state in Congress. That can’t happen. In Pompeo’s speech last week, he claimed that “Kansas is the heartland of America.” In a sense, that’s true. However, Kansas is not the heartland of unoriginal politics and ignorant ideas. When Pompeo said that our politicians have avoided “normal political process” in an effort to push “pet causes,” it became clear that not only has Pompeo never understood what it means to be an American leader but he also hasn’t understood anything about American history. To say that we’ve “blurred the distinction between fundamental, universal rights and mere political or personal preferences” is disgusting. Political preferences are in deciding what party a person belongs to. Political preferences are in exercising the rights we are guaranteed as Americans -- rights that are
not blurred or misguided. Human rights have evolved beyond what Pompeo can comprehend. He has stared in the face of the oppressed and told them that oppression is in the eye of the beholder. It’s not. Minority groups are not fighting for “political preferences” just as the majority is not recognizing that is exactly what they’re doing themselves. Instead of telling his constituents to ignore an obvious reality for millions of people, Pompeo needs to acknowledge that he works for the people, because of the people instead of the conservative agenda. Saying that “history shouldn’t be revised” is just as foolish. Without revisions to what he defines as history, such as unalienable rights rooted in our nature, slaves, women and impoverished men would still be in the same positions they were forced into on June 21, 1788. Pompeo is also completely unaware of the current society we live in. Saying that unalienable rights are our responsibility to preserve and protect is true in some ways, but it most definitely is not our responsibility to protect what discriminates. His belief that the Constitution should be upheld and enforced as it originated is destructive to the entire growth of the democracy we’ve built and attempted to perfect. Politicians like Pompeo hold their positions of power because their voters are blind to the hypocrisy behind their words. They disrespect the election process by openly misleading those who unknowingly support it. Rather than being the misguided voter, have a well-informed decision on election day. Our national and state offices will become -- have become-the consequences and we’ll continue to be plagued by people like Pompeo for years to come.
Story by Madison Ritz Staff Writer In September 2018, I wrote the article, “School lunch needs to change.” I explained that school lunch needed more options for vegetarians and vegans, along with needing to change how much food we are supplying for the students to eat. Almost exactly a year later, I’m here to explain to you that Manhattan High needs more food in general. Two Tuesdays in a row, I left the classroom about five minutes after the lunch bell rang, assuming that food wasn’t going to run out before I got my turn. I got up to the counter, and the main entree ran out, pizza ran out, and the salad was mainly gone. So I grabbed a half of a roll and a scoop of mashed potatoes -- scooped from a Styrofoam tray, because that’s what was left for me. I paid full price for the meal -- $2.90 -- and I’m upset about that. My mom emailed Stephanie Smith, USD 383 Child Nutrition Director, to talk about it. Smith replied via email. “Unfortunately since we do not do any type of lunch counts at our secondary schools, we try to estimate about how many servings to prepare for the day based on the menu, last time served. (in this case, last year)...” Smith said. There are more students enrolled
at MHS this year than last year. The school should have the option to have too much food and not too little. The school should give every student a chance to have a full meal. For kids on free and reduced lunches, the school’s breakfast and lunch are all they’re served. When lunch runs out, those students don’t get to eat until the next school meal is served. They shouldn’t go hungry. “...Sometimes at the beginning of the year we may be a little short on one of the items. If the school has more on hand, then they will prepare and cook more. However, sometimes students do not want to wait for these items to finish cooking,” Smith wrote. This wasn’t the case when I got my food. When I got up to the line, they said the words, “This is all we have.” Here, Smith explains that they have more, so where’s the food? Last Tuesday, I was told that the chicken would take 14 more minutes to cook and be ready. This was about halfway through lunchtime and I didn’t wait, so I just grabbed a scoop of fruit and that’s it. I once again, didn’t eat until 8 p.m., because I went to work after school. After the email was sent, I started noticing there were signs on the windows of the counters, in the lunchroom, saying “Are we out? Please ask a server for help.” I’m frustrated at the part where it says, “Please ask a server for help.” I asked the lunch lady if there was more food and she said no. The district should supply more food to the students. We’re constantly running out of food. We can stop this by making more food from the start, even if their supply goes over a little.
Adventure needs reintroduction into modern life
Story by Meredith Comas Print Editor-In-Chief Once again I find myself as I usually am on afternoons such as this, wondering just what to write, how to impact and change perceptions so excalibur-ian that King Arthur himself submits defeat in 600 words or less. I promise if any such adventure ever occurs to inform you in the boldest, Meredith Comas -- Print Editor-in-Chief Sophia Comas -- Online Editor-in-Chief Anika Nyp -- Blue M Editor-in-Chief Kris Long -- Opinions Editor Julianna Poe -- Sports Editor Kyla Barnett -- Features Editor Brianna Carmack -- Entertainment Editor Hannah Heger -- Trending Editor Joshua Flickinger -- Photo Editor Jennifer Sadler -- Assistant Photo Editor
above-the-fold means as possible. I suppose that’s what I’m here to talk about today: adventures. I fear we have lost the art of the adventure. We have ceased to wonder, to explore the unknown, to risk comfort and instantaneous commodity. Do you remember the tomfoolery of Huck and Jim, the comicality of Anne and the Cuthberts and the witty intrepidness of Bilbo and the 13? Whatever happened to our yearning to join these tales with every new quest and fork in the road? Which infectious disease of the imagination clawed its way around our minds and hid the calls of adventure so swiftly we didn’t even see the symptoms? How have we become so averse to the experiences that have shaped life since the first
stories were told? We have paused our own plot and blamed it on the inconvenience of picking up a pencil. Our world has changed and we have allowed it to do so. This change is not an abstract delusion but a veridical effect of what we have permitted ourselves to be blinded to. One day that no one quite remembers, we stopped believing in adventures. We closed the chapters and left Huck on his raft and will never know what Frodo did next. No one explicitly told us to, instead, we looked up from a black-inked page and followed the quotidian masses around us. It is my firm belief that every mistake can be rewritten and we must rewrite this change we’ve so uncriti-
cally induced upon our world. It is as simple as refinding our adventurous selves, reopening our books and taking in the stories that inspire education and life. We have to continue to explore what we don’t understand -- whether we find it through physical experiences or words on a page that so vividly articulate perspectives that we find ourselves caught in new senses previously uncharted. It is our duty to preserve the art of the adventure not only for future generations but for those who seek to understand life and it’s complex divergences now -- us, the writer and the reader at this very moment. This actionable change is imperative to the preservation of the creative and expressive life.
Cole Schmitt -- Social Media Manager Rachel Edie -- Business Manager Staff Writers and Photographers -- Andrew Adams, Paris Burgess, Andrew Davis, Jeremy Emberton, Sammara Jacobs-Brown, Lauryn Maxwell, Gage Mingo, Madison Ritz, Katya Tarabrina Video Production -- Mbofho Ndou, Gabe Jernigan, Declan Weixelman, Gavin Gaston, Kevin Breedan, Giuseppe Maioranna,
Tristan McLaughlin, Grace Wilson 21st Century Journalism -- Ashlyn Cassel, Mckayla Clarksnodgrass, Alexus Forsythe, Emmarae Hayes, Lasirra Hines, Hannah Loub, Marley Neel, William Robben, Taryn Robinson, Aubrey Strother, Aspen Tallent, Adam Wollenberg Kristy Nyp -- Advisor
school is in session at Manhattan High School, 2100 Poyntz Ave. Manhattan, Kansas. 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.
The Mentor is published each Tuesday that
SPORTS
Sept. 17, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
Volume 107 Issue 3
Page 3
Senior Hunter French dribbles past two Junction Center players during the game on Thursday. The game went 10-0 with Junction City falling to mercy rules.
Photo by Jennifer Sadler
Boys soccer brings JC to mercy rules
Manhattan High continues seven year win-streak against rival Story by Kris Long Opinions Editor
V
arsity boys soccer beat Junction City High 10-0 away on Thursday night, ending the game on mercy rules 28 minutes before full
time. Manhattan High has beat JC in every game for the past seven years, or since MHS boys soccer has been recording its scores online. “Everybody usually knows how [the Junction City] soccer game is going to go,” senior Carter Wiens said. Coming out of the Titan tournament -- in which they lost two of their games but came back to win their last 3-2 -- the team had four games and two wins under their belts. “I think in the Titan tournament we weren’t really … playing as a team,” sophomore Ibrahim Ciftci said. “We [hadn’t found] ourselves yet, but against JC … We … found ourselves as a team.” Manhattan dominated Junction throughout the game. The match started with an early goal from senior Hunter French off a deflection, then Wiens put one in with 33 minutes until the half and things took off from there. Manhattan was 8-0 up by halftime. French scored a hat trick in the first half alone and Ciftci earned a brace in his debut start for the Varsity team, from two consecutive goals within a minute of each other.
Juniors Josh Lee and Gabe Effiong both scored their “I think [Ciftci] did a good job,” Sanchez said. first Varsity career goals. “And having … French up top is nice because he’s a “I think we moved the ball really [well],” Wiens true finisher … The boys kept up the intensity and said. “When we lost the put forth ball, we’d win it back. We the effort were really aggressive that … the and we didn’t really… coachgive JC a chance.” ing staff Manhattan finished has been the game with another asking for … [and] I goal from French and think it rethen one in the back ally helped of the net from senior us dictate Roberto Maysonet-Perez play.” to win it in the 52nd MHS minute. plays Great “We knew that we had Bend away to finish them as soon next Thursas possible and not … day. get loose after a couple “We goals,” Ciftci said. “[We] just ke[pt] on … scoring expect to do well goals until we finish[ed] Junior Gabe Effiong shakes hands with Junction City team players. Effiong scored [against the job.” the seventh goal of the game -- his first of his Varisty career -- on Thursday. Manhat- Great Manhattan changed tan High beat JC 10-0 with 30 minutes left till game. its starting line-up goPhoto by Jennifer Sadler Bend],” Sanchez ing into the game. They said. “[If] we come out how we’ve come out the last started the match with Ciftci in midfield, moving two games I think we should get the result that we’re junior Connor Turner forward as well as returning looking for.” French to a forward position.
athlete of the week Ibrahim Ciftci
Sophomore; Boys Soccer • Scored brace against JC on first Varsity start of MHS career
Photo by Jennifer Sadler
Q: Who is your role model concerning soccer? A: “My role model [is] my brother because he [i]s always there to like push me. I like to think of myself as better than him but he’s like pretty good, so I ... base how I play off him.” Q: What goals do you have for this soccer season? A: “[This] soccer season [I hope] to go back to state and win state.” Q: How do you plan on going
about achieving those goals? A: “Well we really have to put in hard work as a team. We have to push ourselves.” Q: How do you feel about getting your first Varsity start as a sophomore and performing well? A: “At first I was kind of surprised ... When he called me, I got really excited and I was like, I have to show [them] what I can do.”
Girls tennis teams work together Football falls for the first time Story by Madison Ritz Blue M Student Life Editor Girls Varsity’s top six players and Junior Varsity tennis squad played in Emporia on Saturday, Varsity played against Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission East, Conway Springs, Derby, Andover, Emporia and Lawrence High. For Varsity, freshman Jill Harkin played one singles, sophomore Ava Bahr played two singles along with senior Jo-
anna Park, who played one doubles with sophomore Hannah Loub, and senior Kate McGee and freshman Maura Wiens played two doubles. For J.V., freshman Jessica Zang played one singles, freshman Erin Craft played two singles, sophomore Jecca Park and freshman Lauren Wesely played one doubles, and freshman Sophia Evangelidis and freshman Emma Thurston played two doubles. “All in all, the girls
played really good tennis at times,” head coach Tony Ingram said. According to Ingram, the team spoke a lot about consistency and finishing easy scoring opportunities. “As a team, I think we did pretty well,” Bahr said. “It was a competitive tournament. I thought I personally played okay.” Harkin placed first (3-0), Bahr placed 13th See more on Page 4
Girls Golf continues winning streak at Seaman Story by Hannah Heger Trending Editor Coming off of their unusual match at the Seaman Invitational on Sept. 4, the girls Varsity golf team continued their winning streak by placing first as a team at Salina Central. With the team’s first place win a lot of the individual members placed well with senior Kami Bussman placing third and juniors Rhy Phipps and Andi Siebert,
placing eighth and ninth individually. “It was only a ninehole tournament,” Phipps said. “Varsity normally does 18. So it was shorter than normal.” Even with the shorter tournament the varsity girls didn’t hold back on practicing to play at their best for the tournament. “We all worked extra hard,” Phipps said. “In practice we have Friday practices which are
optional. So I think we all try to go to the Friday practices that we can get in that extra practice to prepare.” To help both varsity and J.V. teams, the group have also been participating in join practices. “We’re doing this new thing this year where we haven’t in the past, we did separate practices with varsity practicing on their own and J.V. See more on Page 4
Story by Cole Schmitt Social Media Manager The Manhattan High Varsity football team (1-1) fell 27-32 to the Topeka High Trojans (2-0) last Friday night. The game was back and forth and the Indians were unlucky to depart Hummer Sports Park with a loss. “It was obviously tough to lose that one because of how hard we worked for it,” senior running back B.J. Young
said. “I thought we played well as a team but need to eliminate some mistakes. To bounce back after the loss we will need to get healthy and get ready for the next one. It’s obviously going to stick but last week is history, we can only go up from here.” Young was exceptional for the Indians, putting up two rushing touchdowns for the second consecutive week and racking up a couple
deep balls along the way. Young gives credit to his offensive line for the protection. “It feels pretty good, but I [want to] give credit to my o-line because all of the work starts up front,” Young said. “We got to keep growing as a unit and once we get that down and get into a rhythm it’s going to be very hard to keep up with us.” The Indians started See more on Page 4
Varsity volleyball plays first quad of season Story by Rachel Edie Business Manager This past Thursday, the Varsity volleyball team travelled to Silver Lake High to play a quad. One of their games was against Silver Lake High and ended up going into a third set. The first game win was procured by Silver Lake at 16-25. After their first set the team picked up the pace and beat Silver Lake at 25-19. By the
third set the team was on a roll and secured the third set 25-16. “Almost all the teams ... we played were ranked and we managed to play really hard and keep the score super close,” senior Jazmin Johnson. Tired from that grueling first set, their second match, against Shawnee Heights, ended with a loss. The first match was very close officially ending 22-25. The second game against their oppo-
nent was narrowly closer at 23-25. After that it went slightly more downhill with their next, and final, game of the night being against Seaman High. The first set was still extremely close ending at 22-25. Their ending set of the night didn’t go much better and was completed at 21-25. “We fought hard and overall I think it’s going to be a really good season, “ Johnson said.
Sept. 17, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
FEATURES
Volume 107 Issue 3
Page 4
Business relationships Seniors start new ‘Sticker Scrunchies’ business Story by Brianna Carmack Entertainment Editor From adding stickers to a fancy new water bottle to matching scrunchies to an outfit, these trendy accessories have taken over the teenage world. Due to such a popular growth for the love of scrunchies and stickers, seniors Carter Wiens and Alayna Girard have co-owned a business called “Sticker Scrunchies” since the summer. They make and sell stickers and scrunchies to locals in Manhattan. This idea to begin a business came from Girard’s love of scrunchies and stickers and Wiens’ driving force to start a business selling to interested customers. “I wanted them for myself. I wanted to make a certain scrunchie and then I just kind of got more interested in it,” Girard said. “Same with my water bottle. I wanted some stickers for it and couldn’t exactly find what I wanted.” Without previous experience of making stickers and scrunchies, Weins and Girard have successfully sold a few orders since they began in the summer. Their affordable prices make buying a sticker or scrunchie accessible to many students throughout Manhattan High and also around town. “Stickers are $2 and scrunchies are $3 and that’s the same for all of them,” Girard said. Though their experience in making stickers and scrunchies is nonexistent, Weins has managed to use his business knowledge from the past to help ad-
vertise and publicize “Sticker Scrunchies” for more engagement with future customers. “I used to fix people’s phones, so if your screen was cracked I could fix your screen,” Weins said. “I did that for a little bit and then stopped.” Their inspiration comes from the latest trends and Instagram posts, which help them make stickers and scrunchies that everyone will have an interest in. “[The inspiration comes from] what the trends are, like stuff we find on Instagram and like seeing other people’s interest really helps a lot,” Girard said. Even though making scrunchies and creating stickers is more of a hobby to them, the pair still has motivation to make more. “It’s just the thought that like other people are enjoying what we’re making and… they’ll get something out of it,” Girard said. Not only are the customers motivating Girard and Weins’, but the two themselves have also motivated them as well. “Alayna motivates me a lot,” Weins said. “We’re just getting started so we hope this is just the beginning.” Although it hasn’t not started off completely successful with constant orders, it still has impacted Girard’s and Weins’ relationship. “It’s bringing Alayna and I closer while we are doing something that we love,” Weins said.
Teenage actor stars in Lithuain movie “Motherland” Story by Katya Tarabrina Blue M Organizations Editor And Jeremy Emberton Staff Writer Often when children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, there comes a slew of fantastical responses: princess, astronaut, movie star. The later became an unexpected reality for sophomore Matas Metlevski this year when he landed the lead role in the Lithian film “Motherland.” “I was doing my sixth grade [in Lithuania] and I was at an Easter party and one of the people at the Easter party… they were taking a casting for the movie and they thought I might fit in,” Metlevski said. “Two weeks later they met up with me and asked me to act out a few things… then about a year later they told me I was chosen for the movie.” This came as a surFrom Football on Page 3
the game out strong, putting up 14 points early thanks to junior quarterback Dayne Aschenbrenner’s two rushing touchdowns. They got answered by senior Ky Thomas, who had two touchdown runs. Thomas, a running back committed to the University of Minnesota, had himself a night with over 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the game. Young would then knock on a touchdown run before some controversy set in. Right before the half, Thomas had a long touchdown run. But be-
prise to the new actor. “I was sort of shocked,” Metlevski said. “Later I felt really happy but right when I was told I just felt
in post-Soviet Lithuania and follows Kovas and his mother throughout their dramatic return to their homeland. Metlevski had never
Photo courtesy of IMDb.com
weird.” In the film -- the debut feature of filmmaker Thomas Vengris -- Metlevski portrays the main character Kovas, a 12-year-old American boy of Lithiuanina descent. The plot is set
acted before taking the starring role. “I had to be there every day for 12 hours and sometimes we’d film at night,” Metlevski said. “I’d have to come back home at six in the morning and sleep during the
fore he reached the end zone, he taunted Manhattan players following him from behind. It took about 10 or 15 minutes for the referee’s to set things straight before they deemed it a penalty and Topeka had to settle for a field goal. From there, it was back and forth before Topeka would put up a touchdown late with a minute left. The Indians couldn’t catch up from there and ended the night with a loss to the Trojans. “We all have watched film and realized what mistakes we made down to small details,” senior Ben Bolte said. “We will
continue to practice hard and prepare for our next opponent.” Not only will the Indians return home this Friday for the home opener, nut they will also play for the annual homecoming game. Manhattan will look to light up the lights both on and off the field as they take on the Seaman Vikings. “All of us are setting higher exceptions of not only our team but ourselves,” said Bolte. “And plan prove that we will hold ourselves to a higher standard for the rest of the season.
Support the MHS student media family at the Downtown Farmers Market this Saturday morning. We’ll be selling brownie and cookie mixes to help pay our way to the national journalism convention in Washington D.C.
day.” The process, which began when Metlevski was in sixth grade, only wrapped in 2019. Metlevski took time off from Manhattan High to attend the premiere and introduce his work to the film industry. “It was really fun. I got tired sometimes… but yeah, for the most part it was actually really enjoyable,” Metlevski said. Since the film’s premier, Metlevski, for the most part, has returned to being a typical American high school student. He is a member of Manhattan High’s German club and despite his already-established acting career, does not plan to pursue further roles for a while. However, the experience will be one he keeps forever. “If I wouldn’t have gone to that Easter party, they would have never thought of me being in the movie right,” Metlevski said.
From Golf on Page 3
practice on their own,” Phipps said. “This year, we’re doing a combined practice. So we’re all getting to know each other a lot better. So I’d say that our Varsity and J.V. are a lot closer than they have been in the past years.” As a whole the team is working together to have multiple first place wins through the season by teaching each other. “I know a lot of the younger girls can learn from the older girls and vise versa,” Phipps said. “We learn just as much from them as they do from us. So we just get them excited to play and excited for you know, starting golf, a lot of them haven’t played before.” The team’s next tournament will be at the Salina South Invitational on Monday.
Senior Alayna Girard shows off one of the many homemade scrunchies that are included in “Sticker Scrunchies.” Photo courtesy of Alayna Girard.
Local author lectures on K-State book read Story by Lauren Maxwell Staff Writer Adib Khorram -- the author of “Darius the Great is Not Okay” -- is just a man with many words and a great sense of humor, who also likes tea. The Kansas City native came to Kansas State University last Thursday to give a lecture on his novel, which is the selected group read for K-State this year. The book follows the story of Darius Kellner, an Iranian-American teenager who struggles with depression and sexuality throughout the book, similar to the author himself. “I was diagnosed with depression when I was about 13 years old,” Khorram said. “And that really colored in a lot of my school years, from middle school to high school. Every three to six months, I would check in with my psychiatrist and check my medications and try to manage this disease, which really kind of had a big impact on my life.” In high school, Khorram took a drama class. While he was doing that, he also fell in love with the tech world and decided to become a tech major in college in Southern Missouri State University in Springfield. Khorram decided that that university wasn’t for him, so he looked at another college for graphic design but the same thing happened. Although that was a challenge for him, it made him realize his true desire -- to become a writer. The book was inspired by close, personal experiences From Tennis on Page 3
(2-2), Joanna and Loub placed ninth (3-1), and McGee and Wiens placed eighth (1-3). Zang placed fourth (2-2), Craft placed fifth (2-2), Jecca and Wesely placed third (3-1), and Evangelidis and Thurston placed third (3-1). Overall, the Varsity and J.V. teams placed
of Khorram’s life through the story of how Khorram and the main character, Darius Kellner, are similar but different at times. Both struggled with depression at a young age, as well as discovering their sexual orientation. Khorram, a gay man, created Kellner to be different from him. “I think above all, [he was] way more put together [as a] teenager,” Khorram said. “I think he knows his questions about his life, he knows who he wants to be.” According to Khorram, Kellner was more sure about things in his life than Khorram himself. He knew what he wanted to move into in the world, unlike Khorram who “floated from one thing to the next.” “He knows how he wants to move to the world and I didn’t. I was very kind of wishy washy as a teenager,” Khorram said. “I was never really sure of anything.” Khorram created this story about Kellner so more people would understand the perspective of being from another country and helping people around the world relate to his own personal experience. “There can be a story out there about a Irainin boy who is confused about his own sexuality,” Khorram said. “[He] goes back to Iran to meet his family and learn his own heritage, which it’s perspective on these types of things [that’s] different from the U.S.”
third for the whole tournament. Varsity tennis will play next today at their first home meet, competing against Junction City, Washburn Rural and Marysville. J.V. will also play today at Salina Central against Salina South, Junction City, Salina Central, Sacred Heart and McPherson.
Sept. 17, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
ENTERTAINMENT
Volume 107 Issue 3
Page 5
Educator Hallie Hatfield shows students what to use to catch vertabrates in the creek.
Photo by Katya Tarabrina
ARTIST OF THE WEEK Story by Katya Tarabrina Blue-M Organizations Editor Students bend down to look for anything living in the creek. They went as part of a field trip to learn about nature’s impact on art.
Photo by Katya Tarabrina
Art in nature
Art students visit Konza Prairie to broaden skills Story by Katya Tarabrina Blue-M Organizations Editor
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t’s not usually normal for students to be looking for vertebrates as a class assignment, but for Rachel Fontenot’s first-hour Sculpture class, that was the case. On Wednesday, Fontenot’s class visited the Konza Prairie, something Fontenot only did once before with her Drawing and Painting class. The trip took place from 9 a.m. until about 11 a.m. Students took a bus to the prairie and were
“The interest level in what we were doing, , and like getting things done, and like finding things, it was fantastic.” -- Rachel Fontenot said.
greeted there by Hallie Hatfield, Jill Haukos and Jen Spearie, who are educators working with the Kansas Environmental Education Program. When the students got to the creek, which comes from a spring water source, Hatfield started show-
ing them which equipment to use to capture the creatures. The water was shallow but also deep in different areas. As they were walking through water, rubber boots were provided for every student by the Konza Prairie. After the students finished, they traveled back to a small cabin that had classrooms inside. The students went inside to examine what they had caught. Many were surprised by what they had found. “[I enjoyed] seeing the different types of nature,” junior Taryn Johnson said. Afterward, they had a picnic outside. Everybody had to bring a packed lunch with them on the trip as they would be missing lunch at school that day. Many students get tired sitting in a classroom all day, so being outside and walking around was really enjoyable for those who participated. “It was like carefree and it was a break from school so that was nice,” junior Mario Caycedo said. Often, students prefer doing something more interactive and that was shown in the feedback Fontenot had. The class did so well that Fontenot plans on taking more classes on field trips like this in the future. “[The class] rocked it today,” Fontenot said. “The interest level in what we were doing, and like getting things done, and like finding things, it was fantastic. [The class] blew away my expectations of what would happen.” Students got to enjoy getting out of school and being outdoors, as well as enjoy spending time with other classmates, whether they are new or returning. “My favorite part of visiting the prairie was definitely hanging out with other people,” Caycedo said. The trip was a favorite to students and a break from the regular school day. “I think it’s a beautiful area that I think a lot of students should come see,” Johnson said. “Just being out in nature, you feel lifted.”
Lead actors prepare fall play Story by Hannah Heger Trending Editor Preparing a play about a girl playing a Dungeons and Dragons game designed by her deceased sister can be difficult for any ensemble, but the Manhattan High School drama department is taking it in stride. The Drama Department is producing “She Kills Monsters” by Qui Nguyen, a story about a girl who stumbles onto her sisters’ Dungeons and Dragons notebook. “We have a really small cast and they all get along really well and we’ve been able to work through the show very quickly,” Ginny Pape, drama instructor, said. “We should be finished blocking the show in the next week or so and then after that, we’re going to spend a couple weeks with a fight choreographer from K-State.” With lead actors Ivy Auletti, Rose Carter, Nathan Paukstelis and Nathan Pickands-- all seniors -- the play will have very personal touches from the cast. “I think they’re really enjoying it. I think that it is stretching them,” Pape said. “I mean, the role of Tilly is a lesbian and Rose working with that, and trying to feel how that would feel, it’s all so very touching. I think that
they’ve become deeply connected to their roles and feel really positively about the show as a whole.” Some actors even found personal connections to the play and their characters as a whole. “In all reality, I have a ton of family members I never really got to know,” Auletti said. “Especially my grandmother, so I think looking into her and finding out about her life [will help me connect.]” This play will test the actors and their portrayal of certain themes present in the show, from bullying and sexuality issues. “This play is about kind of the people on the outside looking in, who read a lot of comic books and draw anime and play Dungeons and Dragons,” Pape said. “It’s an interesting play about kids that are not always as celebrated in high school culture.” Stretching the actors’ capability to represent different themes not usually expressed in a highschool play will add up to a great production. “I just I think it’ll be a really good show. I think that this show will have a lot more stage combat than anything that we’ve seen at Manhattan High recently,” Pape said. “So if people are interested in that, It will be a really fun show for them to watch.”
Alyx Glessner
Junior; Mixed Media • Has been creating art since the age of five Q: What kind of art do you like to do the most? A: “I do mixed media art, so I don’t really have a specific favorite type of art, but I’m probably most talented in charcoal drawings.” Q: How long have you been doing art for? A: “Since I was around five or six.” Q: What made you want to be more serious with your art? A: “Actually, my elementary school teacher told me that I was pretty good at it. She told me I should stick with it, so I guess that’s where I am now, just kind of doing my own thing with it.” Q: What motivates you to continue doing art? A: “I like seeing the teachers’ expressions and I like wowing people with my talent.” Q: What are you trying to express with your artwork? A: “I express emotion in my artwork. It’s more of like... you have to think about it to realize what it is and it’s like your own interpretation of what it could be.” Q: Would you consider art as your passion? A: “Well, I find it as a hobby, not really as a passion. But, I used to think of it as a passion until I got into more of like a sports phase. So, right now, it’s just a hobby. Q: What is something you would like to eventually achieve with your artwork? A: “I want to achieve perspective and that no matter what you see, you can see something inside you.”
TRENDING STUDENTS AND SUNSET ZOO Volume 107 Issue 3
Sept. 17, 2019 Visit MHSmentor.com
Page 6
Sunset Zoo provides overflow parking Story by Kyla Barnett Features Editor
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t is 7:40 a.m. and students are continuing to circle around the parking lots. After two or three loops, they make their way into the next parking lot. Their frustration grows as they endlessly circle every parking spot MHS has to offer. After making their rounds once again, they signal their way past other drivers who drudge to their 9-5 jobs. They turn into Sunset Zoo, finally accepting their fate, ready to begin the menial task of school. The zoo parking lot has saved many students, whether they are late and cannot find a parking spot, can’t afford a parking pass or just want to park closer to their sports field or court. One such student is junior Kathryn Hyde, who used to park in the zoo lot everyday. “I could not afford the parking pass being a new car owner,” Hyde said. Other students share the feeling of not wanting to pay for a pass they either don’t want or can’t afford. “I park in Sunset because it’s better than getting a ticket,” senior Elise Mitchell said. “I am late and I don’t have a parking pass.” According to the marketing director of Sunset Zoo, Melissa Kirkwood, Sunset Zoo and Manhattan High have a symbiotic relationship. Sunset Zoo is happy to let the students of MHS park in the parking lot and they appreciate the students who do park there. According to Kirkwood, MHS students are very respectful and responsible about using the space. Sophomore Kaitlyn Stone talks to senior Elise Mitchell through her car window after school in the Sunset lot. Photo by Meredith Comas
Sunset Zoo provides volunteer opportunities Story by Julianna Poe Sports Editor Look no further than Sunset Zoo for the opportunity to receive volunteer service hours and care for animals. In addition to having a convenient location in relation to Manhattan High, Sunset Zoo offers two volunteer programs targeted toward teenagers -- Zoo Crew and Zoo Teen. “[Through Zoo Crew, volunteers receive a] very all-encompassing look at what the field of animal husbandry is about, especially in zoos and aquariums,” Programs and Education Animals Manager Nicole Wade said. “[Meanwhile], our Zoo Teen program is our volunteer program for anybody who’s interested in working in zoos or aquariums.” According to Wade, Zoo Crew “is a stem-based, after school program” that gives students learning opportunities in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and math. Volunteers will be expected to measure out food, take the temperatures of the enclosures and give educational animals enrichment among other tasks. “[Zoo Crew is] very structured on animal husbandry,” Wade said. “Once a week … you’re making a commitment to come in for [two hours for] the entire semester to do that shift. You’re working with those animals doing animal husbandry, and that’s the entire focus of that program.” On the other hand, the Zoo Teen program offers a much wider variety of volunteer opportunities. “We do all sorts of things, from caring for the animals -- education animals, not like tigers or anything -- to helping with birthday parties and summer camps,” senior and Zoo Teen member Madi Perkins said. “You can kind [of] do whatever you like to do, which is nice.” The goal of the Zoo Teen program is to provide volunteers with experience in an animal handling field, as well as give them leadership skills, educational skills and interpretation skills.
“Working at the zoo not only gave me the opportunity to work with animals and have a good time,” Perkins said. “But it also really boosted my work ethic and taught me how to work with other people from a young age so I feel like it prepared me for future jobs.” One of the many benefits of volunteering at Sunset Zoo is the opportunity to work with and care for animals. “My favorite animal that I’ve gotten to work with are the ferrets because they are really cuddly and they’re fun to watch,” Perkins said. “They like to run around in tubes and stuff. My favorite animal in the whole zoo is the otters though for honestly the same reasons as the ferrets.” Another benefit of becoming a volunteer at Sunset Zoo is the many, wonderful friends and memories. “[My favorite memory as a Zoo Teen is] working with one of the little kids,” sophomore and Zoo Teen Bella Lane said. “He told me he wanted to be my friend because I was small like him.” Before making the commitment to become a volunteer at the zoo, both Wade and Perkins advice to be prepared for manual labor. “You won’t just be playing with fluffy animals the whole time,” Perkin said. “You’re going to get messy and it’ll be hot and you’re going to work your booty off but it’s definitely worth it.” Additionally, it is important to remember to treat others with appreciation as volunteers are both representing themselves and Sunset Zoo. “Animals need to be treated with respect, kids need to be treated with respect and guests need to be treated with respect,” Lane said. Registration for Zoo Crew in the spring semester will open in January, with Zoo Teen enrollment in the following months. “I think anybody who has a passion for animals or has a passion for conservation, or just wants to learn how ... they can help our world [should look into our volunteer programs],” Wade said.
Students expand horizons with animal presentations Story by Anika Nyp Blue M Editor-in-Chief At Manhattan High School, students have the chance to become even more hands on with animals through the Wide Horizons class. It allows them to interact with different animals as they learn about how to work as a team. “Right now they’re starting to narrow in on what their topics are going to be for the school year,” Wide Horizon teacher Leslie Campbell said. “We have been doing small presentations with a variety of different partners, we’ve been mixing them up. That establishes more of a large team mentality instead of just with your partner.” Throughout the years, Wide Horizons has gone out to all the Manhattan elementary schools to present about their animals. “It really helps with your presentation skills,” Campbell said. “Being able to get your message across to a variety of different audience members gets you more comfortable with your speaking.” With all the presentations they do during the school year, they are required to have a lot of animals to study, but none of their animals are bought from the school district. They are either all donated or personal ani-
mals from the students. “We are our own little zoo in there,” Campbell said, “The science department helps support them but the animals that have all been donated to us.” Right now, the program has around 15 animals, not including the personal pets that were brought in. Some students even took the initiative to care for some of the animals over the summer. During class time, the students are preparing for their presentations and researching, using Manhattan’s Sunset Zoo as a resource. But lately the program has not used the zoo as much as they have in the past. “We used to do a lot more with the Sunset Zoo,” Campbell said. “There was one person over there in education that I used to bring over and have them basically interact with Wide Horizons to tell them what it was like to work with kids.” It became difficult to schedule that meeting with the Sunset zoo, so Wide Horizons only had time for a field trip at the end of the year. “It was animals that we already kind of had in hand and it wound up not benefiting us as much as I would have liked,” Campbell said. “There’s not a lot of interaction with the Sunset.