Oct. 8, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
THE MENTOR TRUTH & EDUCATION
‘Nowhere land’
Volume 107 Issue 5 MHSMentor.com
INSIDE THIS EDITION
‘Joker’ reveals the madness within Story by Kyla Barnett Features Editor
Soccer takes fifth loss of season to Emporia Story by Kris Long Opinions Editor
“It’s kind of a heartbreaker... My hope as we [had] four minutes [was to] hold tight... ” -- Mike Sanchez
“The release of the new movie ‘Joker,’ directed by Todd Phillips, has left many fans shocked...” See more on Page 5
Junior Micheal Ohler takes in Manhattan’s loss Thursday night while out on the field. Despite efforts to combat another loss, the Indians ultimately lost to the Emporia Spartans by one goal in the last minute of the game.
SPORTS
Photo by Andrew Adams
M
anhattan lost 2-3 to Emporia High in the last minutes of the match last Thursday night. The team has been down on their luck so far this season, with only three wins out of eight games played. Despite the series of losses, the team remains optimistic about their improvement going into a series of matches against less competitive opponents. “It seems like we’re … struggling this year,” junior Caleb DeLoach said. “But we can fix that.” After the loss to Seaman and Washburn, Manhattan was expecting Emporia -- one of the more successful teams in the league -- to be a challenge. “We … knew Emporia was a good team [going into the match],” senior Carter Wiens said. “[We knew] it was going to be a good game.” MHS changed their starting line-up from the previous games in the season. While many of the players switched positions during the match, some of the major position changes were moving senior Roberto Maysonet Perez from forward to left back and Wiens up top to number nine. Junior Easton Roberts also got his first start of the season in defense. “We moved … Carter up top to just give us a little bit more of a threat,” head coach Mike Sanchez said, “and then Roberto’s tenacious so he’s going to … take a lot of pride in what he does in any position he plays. I just wanted to try something new [and] I think it worked. We’ll probably end up sticking with [this formation].” Though Manhattan had a few chances, Emporia largely dominated the match, keeping play on Manhattan’s side of the pitch. DeLoach kept the game at 0-0 with a multitude of saves, including two back to back. Over the course of the match, DeLoach faced 25 shots from Emporia. Despite the disappointing first half, Manhattan gained a bit more of dominance during the second. “In the second half we were all working together,” Sanchez said. “Sometimes I think we can get a little bit individualistic [but] I think in the second half we were really working as a unit.” A defensive error by Emporia with 20 minutes left allowed Wiens to score and Manhattan to take the lead, but Emporia’s number seven came back to tie it with 10 minutes left. The
match continued to go back and forth until Emporia added another three minutes later. Both teams defenses’ lost composure in the last minutes of the match and Manhattan tied it again just minutes later from a well-placed free kick from Wiens. There were five minutes left in the match before the game would go to overtime. However, Manhattan gave up the winning goal to Emporia with just a minute left and were unable to equalize. “[In] the second half we came out a little bit more determined so it’s kind of a heartbreaker to [lose the match],” Sanchez said. “My hope as we [had] four minutes [was to] hold tight and … go to overtime.” MHS plays Hayden away today. According to DeLoach they are expecting a challenge from every team. However, Manhattan brought them to mercy last year so are likely to end their losing streak.
Senior Roberto Maysonet Perez shuffles the ball across the field during Thursdays game against Emporia. Perez was moved from forward to left back in an attempt to heighten MHS’ defensive play. Photo by Andrew Adams
MHS renews wolf mascot talks Story by Sophia Comas Online Editor-in-Chief
Manhattan High has opened up the discussion surrounding the mascot yet again, making an attempt to finally give the student body what was voted upon during December of 2017: a secondary mascot. During the vote, students were given the option of choosing no mascot, a sunflower, a bison or a wolf. A total of 889 students, or 63%, voted to have one of the mascots, while 37% voted “none.” The highest vote getter was the wolf. Now, StuCo is working with principal Michael Dorst to finally begin the process of executing the vote, which was similarly voted upon by the school board. According to student body president Hannah Higgins, the first steps they plan to take are with Tribe and the cheerleaders. In order to follow Kansas State High School Activities Association rules,
all mascots must be a part of the cheer squad, meaning that they need to have the team’s approval for the process to continue. “[Dorst] wants to implement the wolf more than we
“As long as we can get started on it... then that’s our goal.” -- Hannah Higgins have been doing,” Higgins said. “There’s a few things we have to figure out.” Although the process for the mascot was started years ago, the school has needed time in order to follow through. With the new change
in school leadership, getting the wolf to actually exist has taken more time than most expected. “[The process] kind of started and then it stopped,” Higgins said. “I think starting it back up again is going to be the goal in the next year.” Along with taking the beginning steps to making the wolf mascot, StuCo and administration have similar goals in what they want to accomplish. They want to make sure that the right people approved it while also making sure that students and teachers are happy. They also want the process to be quicker than what it has been so that students have an opportunity to see their vote in action. “Hopefully we can get started this year,” Higgins said. “Obviously, I don’t know what it might look like next year but as long as we can get started on it and be in communication with the cheer team then that’s our goal.”
STAFF EDITORIAL:
“School justified in closing vending machines during school day”
HALO spreads diversity among students Story by Sophia Comas Online Editor-in-Chief
The Kansas State Student Union filled with high school students left and right as each person fought for a spot on the dance floor within the main ballroom. Past the banquet tables full of tortilla chips and Qdoba-brand taco fillings, the floor pulsed to the beat of loud music made by men playing saxophones, guitars and accordions. It swelled around the swaying crowd of students who flowed to the sounds created by the band decked in sequined jackets, screaming their “gritos” into the mics. That ballroom held hundreds of people who came to experience everything offered at the 13th Annual Midwest Hispanic American Leadership Organization Encuentro hosted at K-State last Tuesday. See more on MHSMentor.com
The Breakdown In November of 2017, StuCo took a poll of Manhattan High students to determine the student body’s voice on the issue of implementing a physical mascot in addition to the current Indian mascot. Because the combined “in favor” votes made up 63% of the total -- while a third of the votes came out as a “no” to the establishment of an additional mascot -- in communication to the school board, StuCo cited the choice of “wolf” as a physical mascot as the student choice, sparking confusion in MHS.
No mascot
505 Students
Wolf
448 Students
441 + Bison
Students
889
Votes in favor of a physical mascot
Pre-ACT to be required of freshmen Story by Kris Long Opinions Editor
All members of the freshman class will be required to take the Pre-ACT Oct. 23. Teachers were notified of the new requirement after school on Monday in an email from East Campus principle Dave Holloway. The change comes just in time for the fall testing season under new requirements from the Kansas Commissioner of Education, Randy Watson, and the Kansas State Department of Education. All districts are encouraged to provide the test to students with a student option to opt out. USD 383 will require all freshmen to take it and students are to report to their advisory next Wednesday morning to take the test. See more on MHSMentor.com
OPINIONS
Oct. 8, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
Volume 107 Issue 5
Page 2
School justified in closing vending machines 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
Recently, signs appeared on some of Manhattan High’s soda vending machines stating, “This machine is available from 3:05 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. --per federal regulations off from 12:00 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.” Much of the student body was annoyed by their being denied the ability to consume soft drinks at school without planning ahead far enough to bring it from home. The student body hasn’t realized yet that administration had no choice in the matter. It is the opinion of The Mentor Editorial Board that the school was justified in closing the machines. However, the way the administration is going about it is inefficient and unfair. In closing the machines, building principal Micheal Dorst was following federal and state standards that require food sold at schools to follow the same nutritional guidelines as school lunches put in place before the 201415 school year. The school had been failing to meet guidelines for five years. The school’s current policy
is an attempt to meet state guidelines but doesn’t actually meet requirements. According to pewtrusts.org, the definition of “school day” in relation to the Smart Snacks guidelines the school is adhering to is: “The period from 12:01 a.m. until 30 minutes after the end of the instructional day.” While these times seem arbitrary -- as it’s unlikely students regularly buy sodas from school vending machines at 2 a.m. -- this is a federal requirement under the United States Department of Agriculture interim final ruling on the Smart Snacks requirement. MHS has to follow these guidelines to receive funding for free and reduced breakfast and lunch. Currently, the school isn’t following these guidelines; in order to be in compliance, the vending machines shouldn’t open until 3:35 p.m. Not following these guidelines lessens the intended impacts of the legislation -- to keep teenagers healthy, a goal that is generally agreed upon to be an admirable position -- by making all snacks available directly after the school day ends. If administration is going to cite federal regulation in making this change, they should be obligated to cor-
EDITORIAL POLL:
rectly follow the guidelines given to them. Presently, the vending machines are standing in the commons. Students aren’t allowed to use them during the school day, and the hours the machines are operational, students aren’t even allowed on campus. So why do we still have the vending machines? All they are doing at the moment is racking up the school’s electricity bill. The
Halloween celebrations unnecessarily banned
Story by Rachel Edie Buisness Manager
In elementary school, I remember Halloween day being one of my favorite days of the year. We all got excited and dressed up in costumes that we would wear later that night. The night before my parents and I would go shopping for some fun Halloweenthemed snacks that we would make in order for me to bring them to school the next day as a treat. I would arrive early in the morning to help my teachers hang up streamers, tie balloons, and set up the games that we play and, when the rest of the students arrived, we would begin the party. Everyone ate until they
were stuffed and we all anxiously awaited the announcement for us to start the parade. Looking back, the parade was nothing more than just walking around in our costumes and pointing at the ones that we liked but it was one of the best events of my childhood. I can’t remember when all of that stopped but it was around the fourth or fifth grade for me. When USD 383 announced that we wouldn’t be allowed to dress up or bring candy anymore I remember my entire class, along with my teacher, loudly protesting against the new rule. It was almost like a symbolic end to my childhood when the class Halloween parties stopped. Most schools are stopping the celebrations due to religious activities. This reason is more prevalent in the midwestern states considering more families are stereotypically religious here. Originally, the holiday was banned so that it didn’t favor Catholics over other religious denominations. Most people don’t associate
Halloween with the Catholic religion. However, during the late eighth century, Catholics began to celebrate All Hallows Eve or All Souls Eve on Oct. 31, which later shortened to be called Halloween. Of course, it has transformed to include other things besides the original meaning but schools still use this as their reasoning. Another major contributor to the cancellations is students feeling left out because they’re unable to bring food to the party or they were unable to have a costume for various reasons. This is definitely an issue and a valid reason for why it could be stopped; however, there are other solutions. What I believe could be the solution is for schools to lessen the celebrations but not completely cancel them. For example, a school could ban costumes but still have the party, or it could ban the parades but not the costumes or any other mix. There is a way to still make the day special without anyone feeling left out or having it raise concerns.
Negative media coverage of films unnecessary
Story by Gavin Gaston Staff Videographer
In light of the release of DC Comics new film, “Joker,” media coverage has been overwhelmingly negative since its debut. Unlike the media, I don’t see any reason for such negativity. The plain truth is that media isn’t the main cause of violence at all. In the film, we see failed clown and comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) dissolve into madness and become the villain we all know as Joker. Arthur’s dive into insanity and terribly violent
crimes are all based around his abandonment issues and his feeling of not fitting in due to a neurological disorder that causes him to laugh at uncomfortable times. The movie truly has some disturbing themes, and that has both some people and the media scared. In a recent CNN article, the author argues that the movie could lead to potential copycat violence spawned from the film represents. The worry the article mentions is made to spread fear and create a public disapproval for the movie. Over many years politicians, reporters and media companies have tried and tried to make it sound like movies and video games are the reason behind violent attacks, such as shootings and murders. Sure, people may get upset about losing a round of Call Of Duty and be in a bad mood, but they’re not going
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
to go shoot a random person on the street because of it. That would be a product of mental issues, not the game itself. An article published in TheWeek, titled “Video Games and Violence, Explained,” they showed research in with three groups. One group was playing a violent game, one playing a non-violent game and one not playing any games at all. They found that between all three groups, there were no differences in their aggression or anxiety levels. But media companies want to use these as their excuse to not talk about the real issues behind an event, such as a shooting, to help spread their own ideologies. They may want to push their gun control agenda, or make you believe, even in this case, someone will be inspired by the Joker movie to commit horrible acts against people.
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, Madison Ritz, Katya Tarabrina Video Production -- Mbofho Ndou, Gabe Jernigan, Declan Weixelman, Gavin Gaston, Kevin Breedan, Giuseppe Maioranna, Tristan McLaughlin, Grace Wilson
school should at least unplug them to be more efficient. The best response would be for the school board to put them in a place where they could be used or just get rid of them. Students could claim that removing vending machines denies them access to drinks. And, as there have been complaints about the quality of water in water fountains and some students are lactose intolerant and can’t drink the
school’s milk, these claims are -- to an extent -- justified. However, not all of the vending machines are closed, meaning students can still buy water, certain diet sodas and coffee. Students are being given --at least supposedly-- healthier foods and beverages, making the state and school position difficult to contest despite students being annoyed about the change.
Burnout cause of senioritis
Story by Hannah Heger Trending Editor
Students nowadays have stress coming from everywhere, whether it be from college applications, homework, jobs or just simply existing in a more stressful world. Modern students are coming up with more and more ways to justify their inability to complete tasks. By far the most popular and joked about excuse has become associated with high school seniors, “senioritis.” Senioritis is a supposed condition of students in their final year of high school or college, summed up by a decline in motivation or performance. But senioritis is nothing more than an excuse for seniors to believe that they are entitled to being lazy. This joke condition even has a description in the Urban Dictionary as a crippling disease that strikes high school seniors which features a lack of studying, repeated absences and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known “cure” is a phenomenon known as graduation. But this entitlement often gets confused with an actual condition called burnout. Even I have gotten burnout and senioritis confused throughout my time at the high school, but the signs and feelings of both these seem very familiar but are decidedly different. Burnout as described by the Mayo Clinic as a special type of stress, which causes the person to fall into a state of physical or emotional
21st Century Journalism -- Ashlyn Cassel, McKayla Clarksnodgrass, Alexus Forsythe, Emmarae Hayes, Lasirra Hines, Hannah Loub, Marley Blue Neel, William Robben, Taryn Robinson, Aubrey Strother, Aspen Tallent, Adam Wollenberg Kristy Nyp -- Advisor
exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. Some experts believe that there are other conditions like depression and extreme amounts of stress that can be the cause of this state of mind. But while stress can cause the feelings of having too much happening at once, burnout is the result of feeling that you have nothing else to offer, it causing a significant amount of hopelessness in the people affected. Compared to stress, which is the feeling of drowning in work, burnout can be the unnoticeable sense of being dried up. After learning the difference between senioritis and burnout I realized how well I knew the feeling of burnout because that was what I mostly felt through my junior year. My classes I took up too much of my time and made me constantly tired and stressed, I was unwilling to accomplish everything that needed to be done. I felt lost in the endless waves of homework I couldn’t complete and in the end it made me feel utterly defeated. The one thing that would anger me while I was in this state of mind was when my classmates and seniors themselves would joke around with their friends by claiming that they are suffering with their senioritis and how it was taking control of their schoolwork and causing them to feel miserable. While senioritis can be a fun little joke to have with your friends, the real symptoms lead to the much worse feeling of burnout, so the next time you want to claim you are experiencing the “dreadful” senioritis, ask yourself if your feeling like you physically can’t accomplish anything or if you’re just trying to make up excuses for being lazy.
The Mentor is published each Tuesday that school is in session at Manhattan High School, 2100 Poyntz Ave. Manhattan, Kansas. Telephone (785) 587-2114. More than 1,000 Mentors are distributed each week free of charge to all faculty 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.
SPORTS
Oct. 8, 2018 Visit MHSMentor.com
Volume 107 Issue 5
Page 3
Girls golf tours all week MHS
Athlete of the week
golf ladies compete in three golf tournaments Story by Hannah Heger Trending Editor
T
Photo by Andrew Davis
he Manhattan High’s girls’ golf team played multiple tournaments last week to accommodate the amount of tournaments they have a chance to participate in, placing second as a team at the season’s invitational at Stagg Hill. “Because the competition is so great, I think it’s important that we keep this ... busy week, like last week, so that they know where we stand ... against the other good teams in the state,” head coach Paige McCarthy said. “We got to see some teams that we don’t normally see throughout the season … Everybody was ... very tired by Thursday night … but the tournaments are so valuable, we hate to give up any of them.” After hosting the Stagg Hill Invitational the team members were left with a better understanding of what they need to improve for upcoming regionals. “It didn’t go the best it could’ve been but it also wasn’t a terrible day. We all had some good aspects of our game and some that we know we need to work on this week before regionals,” Andi Siebert, junior, said. “It definitely made me tired by the end of the week and I don’t think I played my best at the last tournament because of that. My short game was pretty good today but I definitely need to work on hitting the
Tennis team welcomes back injured player Story by Madison Ritz Blue M Student Life Editor
Varsity girls tennis won back-to-back matches last week, playing against Blue Valley West, Salina Central, Olathe West, Topeka Seaman, Topeka West, Junction City and Leavenworth in the Topeka West Invitational. Freshman Jill Harkin and junior Kayla Lei both played one singles match, placing first (3-0) in their respective matches. Senior Kate McGee with doubles partner freshman Maura Wiens placed fourth (1-2). Seniors Joanna Park and Kira Schartz came back as doubles partners, placing third (2-1). “I didn’t really know what to expect going in,” Schartz said. “I was kind of expecting the worst when it comes to my performance. However, I think I did pretty good overall -- it felt natural.” Schartz was out from
Tennis because of an ACL injury during last year’s soccer season. Varsity placed first again for the fifth time in a row, keeping up the season’s success. “Schartz and Park returned to action for the first time this year,” head coach Tony Ingram said. “I was really happy and proud to see Kira and Joanna back on the courts together.” Their happiness was reflected in their success as well as the two’s close relationship with each other through the sport. “[Park and Schartz] both have been such an important part of the success that our MHS tennis program has had the last four years,” Ingram said. “They have played doubles together since seventh grade and to have them both together competing again -when we weren’t sure it was going to happen -- makes me very happy to see.”
Volleyball goes 3-2 in Lawrence Story by Rachel Edie Business Manager
Early Saturday morning, the volleyball team traveled to Lawrence to play five matches against Olathe Northwest, Blue Valley, Lawrence, Blue Valley West and Garden City. The first set ended 25-18 in favor of Olathe, second set went 21-25 in favor of Manhattan and the third set ended up breaking the tie at 19-25, which means Manhattan High took the game. Blue Valley was their next game where Manhattan lost both sets, the first set being 25-12 and the second 25-19. “We got to see some great competition [all day] and [ultimately] went 3-2,” sophomore Monroe Say said. Next, they played Lawrence High. This game also went into a third set with the first set going 25-17 in favor
of Lawrence. The team was warmed up by their second set at 18-25 and then they also took the third set with 15-25. Their next game had slow start for the first set where it went in favor of Blue Valley West at 25-16. They picked up in the second set, winning 2426. In the final set they won by five points at 20-25. “The highlight of the day was fighting back in the second set against Blue Valley West after a slow start,” Say said. “We came back with energy and a strong finish in the third set.” Their final game was played with Garden City High and was taken by Garden City in two sets. The first set went 2518 and the second was 25-20. For their next game, the volleyball team will play against Emporia, Highland Park and Washburn Rural today at 5 p.m.
ball straighter.” The group plans on practice diligently to prepare for the upcoming regionals and state tournaments coming up in late October. “[We] practice short game and skill work quite a bit and hope that it relates to the course ... We just work so much on putting and chipping at practice, because that’s something that a lot of people don’t think is very much fun,” McCarthy said. “It’s fun to go to the driving range, and beat ball ... but we don’t work as hard on things that we’re not as good at. And so we really tried to get them to focus on the short game and understanding that ... if you’re good at the short game, your scores are going to drastically drop.”
Junior Rhys Phipps putts the ball toward the hole. The golf tournament was at Stagg Hill yesterday and the team placed second overall.
Photo by Andrew Davis
Photo by Julianna Poe
Ruth Schinstock Senior; Volleyball
• Played 5 consecutive sets without giving up on team Q: What is the most important aspect of volleyball to you? A: “The most important aspect of volleyball is probably that practice really does make you better .. When you work hard and ... you’re in shape it’s going to show .. It’s reassuring that you can always get better.” Q: Who is your volleyball role model? A: “I think my volleyball role model would be my cousin Joanne ... Going to watch her play was always so fun when I was little”
Football defeats Emporia Story by Cole Schmitt Social Media Manager
Manhattan High football (4-1) defeated the Emporia Spartans last Friday night away from home in extatic fashion. The Indians put the game away from the Spartans in the first quarter on their way to a 35-12 victory. “We played well as a team,” senior Tyce Hoover said. “We were a 14-point underdog heading into last Friday night and that really motivated us.” According to MaxPreps, -a site that ranks schools -- the team was lined up below Emporia before the game earlier in the week. The team used this as an inspiring factor in the game. “We believe in a humbler environment,” senior Ben Bolte said. “If we see posts on social media towards us we do not respond, we do not brag, we do not make a fool of ourselves, we practiced hard with the mind set every
team should have. And when adversity struck during the week we adapted, overcame and executed.” The Indians got the train rolling early with it on the ground. Senior running back B.J. Young got the Tribe on the board first with a rushing
us to the biggest success that night, which was the win.” Aschenbrenner found the endzone two more times that night, which put him at four rushing touchdowns in the game. The second year starter will look to help the Indians against a similar opponent this Friday night. The Manhattan Indians will return home this Friday night for the historical Silver Trophy Game against Junction City. The Indians will look to avenge a loss against the Wildcats last year at Bishop Stadium in front of the home crowd. “Now that I am a senior, the Silver Trophy means more than ever,” Bolte said. “As a sophomore and a junior, I didn’t have a full meaning set in my brain on why it was so important. This game will not only determine what our playoffs will look like but it is a game our fans, students and teammates all expect in a different way of how we perform.”
“When adversity struck during the week we adapted, overcame and executed.” -- Ben Bolte touchdown. It was followed by two rushing touchdowns from junior quarterback Dayne Aschenbrenner. That put MHS up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and the Indians never looked back from there. “I believe the main success consisted of multiple things, which consisted of how much focus we had throughout the week, how we loaded the bus, how we presented ourselves,” Bolte said. “All [of] which [we] would call small details helped
Cross country sweeps for third time Story by Sophia Comas Online Editor-in-Chief
The Manhattan High Cross Country team swept their latest meet for the third time this season, dominating each division race with first-place finishes across the board. The team ran at the Bob Schmoekel Cross Country Invitational yesterday evening as a result of rescheduling because of weather concerns. According to junior Daniel Harkin, the meet was very low-key. “It went really well,” Harkin said. “The weather was perfect and there weren’t many teams, so it was a very fun and relaxed meet.” Harkin led the boys Varsity race with a time of 16:46.6, just 15 seconds before the
second place runner. He was followed by senior Luke Wichmann, who ran with a time of 17:30.2, and sophomore Ben Mosier, who ran a time of 17:34.6. Their times contributed to an overall team score of 26 points. The girls Varsity team raced in a similar fashion, placing with an overall team score of 25 points. Sophomore Jenna Keeley was Manhattan’s top runner, taking second place with a time of 20:13.5. She was followed by freshman Amelia Knopp, who placed third with a time of 20:34.2, and senior Ella Rosenkranz, who placed fourth with a time of 20:39. “Everybody was cheering everybody else on,” Keeley said. “Everybody’s been super supportive and that was really
fun.” While the team is happy with the results of last night’s meet, they still wish to improve on their times and personal records. According to Harkin, the main goal is to gain confidence for Centennial League and State even though he’s comfortable with his status. “[The meets] are great because they’re stress free,” Harkin said. “I can run without too much pressure.” Other members of the team still look to gain progress, whether it’s through personal records or placement improvements. “It feels good,” Keeley said. “I’m just going to move on from here and keep getting better.”
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FEATURES
Oct. 8, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
Volume 107 Issue 5
Page 4
QUESTION OF THE WEEK Should participation be a part of your class grade? “Students need those extra points.” Junior Dil Ranaweera. “It’s pretty circumstantial!! Yes and no!” Junior Michael Clark. “Because kids can participate every day and still not do well on tests or assignments and it brings their grade down, getting a participation grade also encourages kids to pay attention in class.” Sophomore Eden Westfahl.
A paraeducator pours a drink for a student as part of the “Special Edition” shop. The shop began with special education and life skills teacher Sarah Rhodes as a way of encouraging student to use their social and interactive skills.
Photo by Lauryn Maxwell
‘Special Edition’ Shop encourages social interaction by delivering drinks Story by Brianna Carmack Entertainment Editor
S
pecial education and life skills teacher Sarah Rhodes, along with some of her students, progresses into their fifth week of running the “Special Edition” shop where the students will deliver coffee to teachers every Monday during their fifth and sixth hours. The idea came up when Rhodes envisioned her students interacting and using their social skills with their peers and faculty members. “I just had a vision of getting my kids out in the school, so that they could work on social skills, because that’s something that they lack, and just practicing interactions with other peers and just other people,” Rhodes said. “At previous schools I’ve taught at, we’ve done different things like this, like making food and selling brownies, so I just thought the easiest thing for us to do with the population of kids I have would be to do a drink store.” In order to get the correct orders for each of the teachers, Rhodes sends out an email to a Google Form link that shares all of the various amounts of options for drinks that teachers can order from. Although the students are enjoying running “Special Edition,” they have just started and plan on practicing more to get the hang of things. Once the students are more comfortable with placing orders, making drinks and delivering them, Rhodes hopes to add more options to their menu or add more days of the week in which they will participate. “That’s the plan is to do it [continue with “Special Edition”] throughout the whole year,” Rhodes said. “Right now it’s just on Mondays since we’re just kind of starting out. As the kids continue to get used to it, and just grow with it, and get a routine of it we may add on a couple more days, so we’ll just see as the year goes on.” The plan for “Special Edition” is to not only encourage the students to practice simple interactions but also to help incorporate counting and managing money as well. “[The students are] required to deliver the drinks to teachers when we go out and then they’re also
required to gather the money from teachers, then figure out based on the money they received, how much change they get back,” Rhodes said. “That’s a big skill that we work on in my math class to something that they lack and they just need to practice and a good life skill.” As of right now, “Special Edition” has helped the students who are currently struggling with social interaction to now feel more comfortable, and that is all thanks to “Special Edition.” “That social interaction piece is a big thing for them and for the program,” Rhodes said. “Just learning how to navigate the school and talking with peers that they come into contact with as well as teachers to set their staff in the school has definitely improved.”
A student prepares a mug of hot chocolate for the “Special Edition” shop. Teachers had the ability to order a variety of rinks and cookies from the shop as kids delivered them on Monday.
Spanish class uses points to motivate Story by Kyla Barnett Features Editor
Last year, many new and returning Spanish students were in for a surprise as they walked through the classroom door. Spanish teacher Olivia Leon implemented a new class participation policy focusing on respect, participation and preparation. This year Leon has decided to continue this policy, challenging students to focus and participate to succeed. “I noticed a change in students behavior, so I thought ‘I’ll try it again,’” Leon said. As well as a change in behavior, Leon said she also saw an increase in grades. With their grade on the line, students are motivated to focus and participate, leading to better learning. The policy requires students to do things such as greet Leon in Spanish, volunteer and show curiosity, stay organized, and be positive to receive all of their points during the school week. All of this adds up to 50 points a week, either saving students’ Spanish grades or crushing them.
Leon made the classroom policy change after noticing an extreme lack of participation and respect among the students in her classes. She wanted to bring good practices and work ethic into her class to prepare students for their future jobs and responsibilities. “I always thought that their respect and all those little like values that are important when you go and work is very important,” Leon said. According to Catherine Hawkins, a junior in Leon’s first hour Spanish 2 class, the new policy has helped many students who work hard in class. Hawkins has also noticed a large increase in her Spanish grade, with over 100% in the class. “It helps level the playing field because I show up to class and work really hard where as other students don’t,” Hawkins said. “And you can see her in class marking points off and it’s like, well, at least I’m not trying hard for nothing.”
Photo by Lauryn Maxwell
ARTISTS OF THE WEEK
Photo by Hannah Heger
Maggie Fontanini
Photo by Hannah Heger
Joshua Brandt
Photo by Hannah Heger
Jayna Schwartz
Senior; Drum Major
Senior; Drum Major
Senior; Drum Major
Q: How do you express yourself artistically while doing music? A: “I think that music helps me to express myself because it’s always been a part of my life since fifth grade. It’s a really good way for me to kind of relax and do what I enjoy doing.”
Q: How do you express yourself artistically while doing music? A: “Though every piece of music is written the same, all of them have the same notes. We learned that it’s a lot more than the notes. You have to add your own personal little touches on it... and that’s a big way you can express yourself is through the music.”
Q: How do you express yourself artistically while doing music? A: “[Scott Freeby] told us to go watch a bunch of old videos of like the Drum Corps International performing. The music that we’re playing is pretty emotional and in order to kind of get the rest of the band into it, you have to really throw a lot of yourself into it. It’s a little bit like dance in a way.”
ENTERTAINMENT
Oct. 8, 2019 Visit MHSMentor.com
Volume 107 Issue 5
Page 5
Sophomore Tanner McIntosh plays his trumpet during the marching band performance at the festival hosted by the Bill Snyder Stadium. The festival took place on Sept. 28.
Photo by Meredith Comas
Marching band performs at Bill Snyder Family Stadium Story by Rachel Edie Business Manager
B
ringing home a “I” rating was the highlight of a long day at band festival on Sept. 28 as the Manhattan High Marching Band, accompanied by the color guard and dance teams, competed at the Bill Snyder Family Stadium against multiple other schools with this year’s wild west-themed show. Bands came from Kansas, Nebraska, and one school from Oklahoma. To prepare for the competition, the band started to practice their piece at the beginning of the school year during band class. More recently, they’ve come to school earlier to practice. They arrived at the stadium
at 4:30 p.m. to gather all of their supplies and set up as much as possible. Since the theme was Wild West, every member of the band, color guard and dance team wore flannels and bandanas to fit the western theme. Other schools had themes for their pieces such as “Harry Potter” or “Batman.” The immensity of the band this year prohibited them from getting their usual uniforms in time for the competition so they improvised and instead were diverse while still remaining relevant to the theme. When the time was ready to perform, the three drum majors, seniors Josh Brandt, Jayna Schwartz and Maggie Fontinni set up on the field
with the dance team and percussion pit section directly before the performance began. Once finished setting up, the remaining members of the band ran onto the field, shouting and yelling in order to entice the crowd with the performance. As the marching band settled into their spots on the field, the drum majors danced with stereotypical wild west movements before being signaled to break into their spots, which were on mounts in front of the band. On the drum majors’ signal, the band commenced into their first piece. Throughout the performance, the band changed positions on the field multiple times and went through
Featured
‘Joker’ reveals madness within The release of the new movie “Joker,” directed by Todd Phillips, has left many fans shocked and marveling at the incredibly disturbing, but magnificent, portrayal of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) and the insanity he embodies. “Joker” is fantastic and has you on the edge of your seat from suspense. The movie shows the slow descent into madness Fleck faces when struggling with mental illness and trauma. “Joker” is focused very strongly on mental illness as well as political issues and societal faults. We watch as Fleck reaches out for help but is ignored and suffers as he loses access to his medication and therapy while living with his also mentally-ill mother who convinces him her delusions are real. Throughout the movie we’re introduced to Arthur’s own delusions in the forms of relationships and his comedic aspirations, leaving it hard to tell what is real and what isn’t.
dering where Phillips was going to take the movie but he did not disappoint. Phillips introduced a completely different side of the Joker, though he kept his personality as close Story by Kyla Barnett to what we know Features Editor as possible. Phillips showed less of the ‘evil’ we associate the Arthur is harassed Joker with and more of and physically asthe mental illness he sufsaulted for his illness, fered with. making him angry and Throughout the film, bitter. He lashes out Phillips also incorporated and dives into the role scenes from the old comwe all know as “The ics, such as the talk show Joker,” complete with scene, taken from “The the green hair, funky Dark Knight Rises” comsuit, and killer smile ic series and other little we love to hate. snippets through the movie. Other than these scenes, the movie was completely original and found new takes and ideas on the Joker and amazing ways to keep the audience entranced and on their toes. Though it is a lot darker and more disturbing than expected, the movie keeps the audience entranced with awe as we watch Fleck become who he believes he’s meant to be: “The Joker.” As a stand-alone film, many were won-
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an array of songs while the Colorguard waved their flags and the dance team performed continuously with multiple props, one of which were silver poms. To end the performance, the drum majors turned toward the audience and began to dance to the song “Happy Trails” and were accompanied by the band singing along and the dance team swaying to the song. Eventually, they waved goodbye and sauntered off as their performance came to a close. They strolled off the field with smiles on their faces as everything they’ve been working so hard for came to pass. The performance was filmed in order to be analyzed by a judge in a group critique
immediately after the performance. So, after walking off the field, the band and the other performing teams went to Bramlage Coliseum where there was a screen set up in front of the students. A director stood at the front near the screen with a microphone while the students sat crisscross on the floor. As the director gave notes, the students could see their performance and enjoy it, as the crowd did. The “I” rating MHS received was the highest score given for the event. For the band members who have spent months in preparation for the event, it was worth it. “It’s hard work and sweat,” sophomore Joe Efken said.
Netflix’s ‘The Politician’ a cinematic victory
Story by Meredith Comas Print Editor-in-Chief
Politics: it’s the drab, dull and down-right dirty wheel that keeps democracy alive and well. Vividly imaginative, cinematically thrilling and eye-catching? Maybe only to those in a love-love relationship with CSPAN or to the producers of Netflix’s “The Politician.” The binge-worthy, comedy-drama hybrid is the brain-child of producers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan -- all previously of the widely popularized “Glee.” The three have created a combination of voice-overs and scene-to-scene jumps both widely outrageous yet hilarious in their plotline, much like their work with “Glee.” Released Sunday, the series follows Payton Hobart (Ben Platt) -- a high school student council candidate in the fictitious Saint Sebastian High School -- who idealizes the presidential office to an almost obsessive, embellished degree. With the help of his campaign team/ best friends, the first season follows Hobart through the ups and downs of the campaign trail, the victories, the scandals and the failures of a 21st century politician. The producers smartly utilized the meta-plot technique to build up suspense in a story entirely about a high school student council race. As a member of student government, I can guarantee the only time a high school campaign is this intense or in this intriguing is in “The Politician.” The dialogue and storyline themselves are so brilliantly done, you’d have thought it was Kennedy v. Nixon.
Even better is the cast list of “The Politician.” The acting is absolutely the star of the show. Performances from Platt -- previously of “Pitch Perfect” among a list of various Broadway leads -- are humorously breathtaking alongside Hollywood A-listers such as Gwenyth Paltrow. God bless America and whoever got Paltrow -- also a previous “Glee” member -- to star alongside a cast with diverse acting experiences to create comedy with such refreshing grace. It was genuinely invigorating to watch a show that was funny without the need to invoke the surface-level nothingness of the current-day “try-hard” comedies. Instead, the humour was subtle and eloquent in presentation, yet obvious to the viewer, all at the hands of cast’s content delivery paired with a fantastic understanding of film and cinematography by the crew. While my love for “The Politician” almost can’t be outweighed by any negatives, there is one issue I had that I simply have to address: what in the world was the last episode? I’m all for a good cliffhanger; it’s a sure-fire way to get me to tune into a second helping of whatever it is that is being performed or shown. However, a cliffhanger, a weird time-jump, a misplaced drinking problem and the stripping of character integrity -- which is suddenly regained in the last five minutes of the episode? No, I refuse to accept that. For the quality “The Politician” offered, the last episode was a disappointing monstrosity just like the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was to the Democratic party. Despite all that, the real question remains: will I be watching season two of “The Politician?” If the cast returns with the same vigor and the plot is handled with the grace of season one -- minus the blip that was and forever will be the last episode -- well, it’s got my vote.
TRENDING
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Volume 107 Issue 5
Page 6
Recognizing famous Native Americans Story by Julianna Poe Sports Editor
In 1992, exactly 500 years after Christopher Columbus knocked on the New Land’s doors, Indigenous People’s Day emerged to counter-celebrate Columbus Day. Due to the fact that Columbus is not the “founder” of America, but rather the Native Americans, Indigenous People’s Day was born. Officially, only four states -- South Dakota,
Vermont, Minnesota and Alaska -- recognize this holiday. Remember to mark this coming Monday on the calendar and take a moment to honor just a few of our famous Native Americans in celebration.
Graphic by Brent Yancey
Jim Thorpe (1888-1953):
Squanto (1581-1622): When the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Squanto taught them how to catch fish, grow a successful crop and survive the harsh winter. Additionally, through his learned English, he assisted in establishing a treaty between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims.
Thorpe was a star player -- considered one of the greatest athletes in history -- in basketball, baseball and football. In 1912, he won two Olympic Gold Medals in the pentathlon and decathlon.
Sacagawea (1788-1812): Sacagawea guided explorers Lewis and Clark on their successful two-year expedition -- from 1894 to 1806 -- to the Pacific Ocean.
Pocahontas (1595-1617): As the daughter of the Powhatan tribe’s chief, Pocahontas saved Captain John Smith of Jamestown’s life by volunteering herself to be executed in place of him. She continued to keep nearby citizens safe by warning them of approaching attacks from her father.
Infographic by Hannah Heger Trending Editor
Charles Curtis (18601936):
KSU Indigenous Alliance hosts Indigenous People’s Day conference Story By Anika Nyp Blue M Editor-in-Chief
Kansas State University’s Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance will host an Indigenous People’s Day conference on Monday at KSU Union. The all-day event will feature three speakers and information on how to help educate and preserve the indigenous people’s culture while talking about the problems that need to be solved. “Sarah Deer, one of our first speakers, if you look up, the term missing and murdered Indigenous women, there’s a long history of issues with domestic violence by non-native men against women on reservations,” CoChair Dr. Alex Red Corn said. “And the tribes don’t have the power to prosecute those nonnative men and they get away with it.” Not only do they talk about their governmental problems in the law enforcement range but as well of the cultural shift in schools causing the Native American culture to be ridiculed in the past and now. “They attempted to eradicate American Indian culture,” Red Corn said. “One of the things our other two speakers talk speak to the idea of even though it’s obvious, those types of things are still happening. American Indians are being stripped of their culture through our educational systems.” This conference will educate people of any ethnicity. “I think one of the things that I would say that it’s important for people to take away is this, American Indian culture and existence in the modern world is much more complex than fancy demonstrations,” Red Corn said. The IFSA is an alliance between the faculty and staff for all of the students part of the Iowa, Kickapoo, Prairie Band
Pottawatomie, and Sac and Fox tribes. “One of the things we try to do is try to go beyond that and bring academic research into conversations to the campus,” Red Corn said. “A lot of people, because of the educational system, never learned much about American Indians. And so they’re left to learning in the media or through sporting events. They learn a narrow view of native Americans are and they don’t necessarily see what American Indians are in this modern context.” The IFSA was formed in 2015 to help support the growth and visibility of the indigenous people and tribes at K-State. The IFSA works to help educate people on the importance of knowing about the indigenous people who came before the European settlers to Northeast Kansas and how their issues should be heard more by the modern world. According to Red Corn, most people think of the cultural shows using drums and feathers instead of the academic conversations that they could be having. “That’s what they see as Native American. Not academic conventions but cultural shows and presentations,” Red Corn said. This is also to help voice the problems going on in the Native American reservations and to help people understand that Native Americans are more than just a culture but are also people. “A lot of Native American events that are on campus tend to be what I call German tether context,” Red Corn said. “Like it is kind of the only way that people see native Americans. And they aren’t able to build a more complex understanding about what being a native American is in the modern context.”
Attorney and Republican politician from Kansas, who was elected in 1928 on a ticket with Herbert Hoover, and served as the 31st vice president of the United States from 1929 to 1933.
Sources: ducksters.com, kidskonnect.com, time.com, wikipedia.com
Manhattan High’s Mascot: Origins, past, controversy Story by Jeremy Emberton Staff Writer
We all know about our school’s beloved mascot, the Indian. Our mascot is respected all around Manhattan High. However, people haven’t always appreciated having the Indians as a mascot. Several times over the years there has been a discussion about whether to continue to use this representation of our school and activities. Most recently, in 2015 a crowd of students, alumni and community members entered Rezac Auditorium for a public forum with the Board of Education to discuss whether the Indian should continue to be the mascot. Many people went there to make statements to the Board or to make written comments about Manhattan High’s mascot. “I personally believe the
mascot is offensive because of our depiction of it, the chief with the head-dress,” 2016 graduate Kathy Burton said, according to a 2015 article in The Mentor. “In that depiction we are generalizing the entire race, a race which has been oppressed and misrepresented throughout history. We are depicting them in an aggressive warlike state, which in my opinion dehumanizes them.” While many people were for getting rid of our mascot, there were also many that wanted to keep it, from football players, a Student Council committee, and even some teachers and community members. A commonly-state reason for keeping the mascot is that it was made in honor of Frank Prentup, former coach and educator at Manhattan High School. “The honor bestowed on
my father and consequently to Manhattan High School was never meant to be, and to this day is not meant to be, denigrating, demeaning or insulting,” Duke Prentup, Frank’s son, said, according to The Mentor article. “In my opinion, it’s only denigrating, demeaning and insulting to those who, in fact, want to be denigrated demeaned or insulted.” There are other problems with changing the mascot as well, including money. In an article published on The Mentor in 2016, the state costs of changing everything that involves or has the Indians logo on it would cost as much as $318,690. That includes uniforms, gym floors, football jerseys and score tables. Following the 2015-16 discussion, the Board of Education voted to retain the Indian as the mascot for the foreseeable future.
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