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Manhattan High School Volume 101 Issue 12 Nov. 26, 2013
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Spanish Club pinatas ‘huge hit’ Alan Brown Multimedia Editor
Senior Austin Clark guides fellow spanish club member towards a pinata. The activity was part of the club’s meeting during activity period last Wednesday. Alan Brown, photographer
Fiesta time! Manhattan High’s Spanish Club celebrated the Thanksgiving season by having a piñata party in Rezac Auditorium during the last activity period. “I thought it was a huge hit,” sophomore Jacob Clark said. “We should do more fun stuff like that in the future.” During the meeting, randomly selected club members were given trivia questions to
answer, and if correct, were given the opportunity to take a swing at the piñata with a baseball bat. Once the piñata smashed open, candy was provided for all club members, and as a result, was a very popular event. “The piñatas were smashing,” junior Kaiden Fraiser said. “It brightened up my day.” Spanish Club has been active during the past month. Earlier in the year, the club came out victorious at the school dodgeball competi-
tion, and they have also conducted in multiple fundraisers. This included the selling of candy grams and skullshaped lollipops themed for Day of The Dead, a Mexican holiday. Officers have also spent time during club periods to prepare for future fiestas. T-shirt sales will be the group’s next priority. “The club is a great way to learn Spanish culture while having fun with friends,” sophomore club representative Ben Turnley said
NCYC brings Catholic youth together Liz Logback Editor-in-Chief More than 100 kids left the halls of Manhattan High last week to attend a conference with 25,000 other Catholic students in Indianapolis for the biannual National Catholic Youth Conference. The conference consisted of speakers, musician, workshops and large group masses. Evening and morning sessions were held at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Colts. There were so many students in attendance that they filled the floor and two center levels. “The first session, they had speakers come. There was a Matt Maher concert. He’s a Catholic songwriter and he has written a lot of worship songs, so that was really awesome,” senior Lane Sorrell said. “The staging and everything was really cool. I’ve never been a place with that many Catholics.” See NCYC page3
Manhattan Marlins proud of meet performances Nick Bandy Sports Editor Senior Cameron Beauregard has put in the work, and now he gets to watch it pay off. Beauregard and six other Manhattan High students on the Manhattan Marlins club swim team traveled to Columbia, Mo., two weeks ago to swim in a large regional meet featuring teams from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. After training with the Marlins for several years, Beauregard has swam three sectional-qualifying times this season, two of which came at the Columbia meet. “I put in the work this summer,” Beauregard said. The sectional meet is a large regional meet with very highqualifying times. Beauregard joins senior Pilar Dritz as mem-
Freshman Zane Smith rides one of the five new three-wheeled bikes belonging to the adaptive physical education class. The bikes encourage physical health for the students, and serve as a fun way to exercise. Courtesy Photo
Specialty trikes make goals achievable
See Swim page 3
Scholars Bowl places third Matt Bandy Staff Writer The Manhattan High Scholars Bowl team brought home another set of medals from their meet at Hayden High School on Tuesday, Nov. 19. They competed against 10 other teams from around the state. It was a round-robin tournament, where all the teams play each other. MHS took third place overall. “I was surprised. I knew we could do better,” junior James Walters said. He was one of the five students who competed. Washburn Rural and Lawrence Free State, two teams MHS had not yet competed against this year, also competed in the meet. “Washburn Rural had a strong showing,” Scholars Bowl coach Tim Ekart said. In preparation for their next meet, the team is now focusing on improving on the social studies and history questions. “We hope to win Regionals and then State,” junior Luke Wuri said.
Maddie Ross News Editor Even before the bell signaling the beginning of third hour rings, feet scurry across the South Gym floor towards the newest edition in the Adaptive PE department; trikes. The first bike was acquired only a month ago, and has resulted in a whirlwind of excitement and accomplishment. “The first bike that we got was at Anthony Middle School. One of the students there who was vision impaired filled out a grant and received it,” Adaptive PE teacher Terri Akin said. “Her mother allowed us to keep it at the school, and use it as a motivational tool, and that kind of spurred the idea of
getting the bikes, because they loved them so much.” The bikes were first introduced to students at Anthony, and the response was everything they hoped for. “Kids who had never had the opportunity to ride bicycles before, were riding. They were all so thrilled and so excited. The first day they were struggling, and I was thinking ‘oh no,’” Akin said. “But now every single student is riding the bicycles, both at Anthony and the high school. We are still working on stopping with a couple of the kids, but we are getting the hang of it.” With such a positive outcome Akin started looking into ways she could get more bikes for her students. “I got on Craigslist and
searched for ‘adult threewheeled bikes’ and I found two that were very expensive and brand new,” Akin said. “I was fully prepared to buy them with my own money but then the man selling them was kind enough to donate them to us.” Although the donated bikes were different from the safety bike, students still couldn’t keep their hands off of them. The fact that the students were able to ride less specialty bikes, made the goal of getting more bikes seem achievable. Akin began applying for grants to gain more bicycles. “We applied for a grant from the amtryke which is a more specialty bike and we received that grant,” Akin said. “That bike will stay at
Anthony most of the time, where there are students with more special needs.” I also applied for some bicycles from the Wal-Mart grant and haven’t heard from them yet.” Two bicycles were also donated by para Chris Blanton and his wife Heather Blanton. “We know how much the kids appreciate, and my wife and I completely love the kids and Mrs. Akin to pieces,” Chris Blanton said. The successes at both Manhattan High and Anthony made it apparent that the use of the trikes as an educational tool for students with special needs was effective. The trikes not only improve See Trikes page 3
MHS debate team sustains legacy, continues with successful season Rachel Beach Staff Writer An argument with rules, or a debate, may not sound appealing to many, but to the debate team at Manhattan High this is where they have chosen to devote an abundance of their time.
Debate is similar to a sport in that the amount of time students invest in debate is the same, if not more than that of some athletes. Like a sport, a student can debate as part of a team or as an individual. There are often terms associated with certain sports
and debate is no different. Terms such as an affirmative, a card, predictability, rebuttal, a warrant or a value are all important words to know in the debate world. A typical day at a debate competition is extensive and difficult. Each debate is about one and a half hours long. On
Family Studies teach valuable lessons Kristen Batson Staff Writer Some people learn by expeSome people learn by experience. Students in Karen Klein’s Family Studies class are learning by experience as they wear pregnancy profiles and take home fake babies to care for. Currently students are wearing a pregnancy profile that mimics the conditions of
being nine months pregnant, and later in the semester, students will also take home the babies for an overnight stay. The stomach they wear is filled with water and causes conditions a women who really was nine months pregnant would experience, such as shallowness of breath, fetal limb pressure, elevated body temperature, mild fetal movement, pressure on the bladder and 25-30 pounds of
weight gain. There are both males and females in the class, and they all wear the pregnancy belly. Klein feels many other students in the halls are judgemental when they realize a girl is “pregnant.” “The rude comments are endless. We had one girl last year who walked down the hall [wearing the belly] and a boy said, ‘You know, I bet See Family studies page 3
average, each team or individual participates in five debates per tournament. In between each debate, students try to gather more information and prepare for their next debate. Once the majority of the day is over, at most competitions, the top eight teams move on to out
rounds, or the final bracket to determine the overall winner. Scoring in debate is unique. The debaters are judged and scored with a single number starting with one for the best speaker on either team, two for the second best, and so on. The judges
then add the teams’ separate scores together and the team with the lowest score is the winner of the debate. There is a topic that is decided each year that every debate will pertain to. This year’s topic is US economic engagement with either See Debate page 3
FFA late, still successful Retta Lazaris Staff Writer Cold. Icy. Rainy. FFA members braved the elements last Thursday, to compete in Food Safety and Dairy Cattle judging. The competition was held in Linn, which is about a two and a half hour drive from Manhattan. FFA members knew they would need to be ready to go by 7:40 that
morning in order to make the long trip by 9 a.m. However, the morning started on a rough note, as senior Amanda Gross scrambled to get her emergency release form notarized before the bus left. Advisor Doug Muller made the decision to leave without her, rather than force the rest of the members to be late to their contests. The school called the bus back to MHS to pick up the
distraught student as the bus pulled onto Fort Riley Blvd. Her emergency release form had been signed only moments after the bus pulled out of the lot. After Muller and Amanda’s father exchanged some words, FFA was heading to Linn once again. “I’m glad we didn’t miss a part of our competition,” See FFA page 3
Opinion The Mentor www.mhsmentor.com Page 2
Question of the Week: Study abroad: looking into mirror What are yo u thankful for?
The editorial is a compilation from a discussion held by the Editorial board. Eclipsed by the intrigue and glamour of it all, the purpose of studying abroad can be romanticized based on personal impressions from movies and firsthand reports from friends who have vacationed abroad. Focused on the “abroad� part, we sometimes forget the “study.� But study what? The answer is not necessarily in the textbooks, but in the appreciation of diversity beyond the United States border. Learning abroad, especially during high school, teaches students to appreciate difference and diversity firsthand, and enables them
to recognize -- and then dismiss -- stereotypes they may have held about people they had never met. It’s easy to think that we’re all there is, that America is the center of the world, when obviously it’s not. Like looking in a mirror, meeting people from different ethnicities allows you to see your culture more objectively.
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While money may deter some from considering studying abroad, the benefits outweigh the costs. The economic price, the airfare, transportation money, the room and the food, can be overwhelming in numbers, but there are scholarships and programs that cushion the pricings. It’s possible. Learning abroad raises y o u r chances of success in the everglobalizing world that we live in -a world where bilingual is the international norm, and where multiculturalism is becoming the standard of our country.
“I’m thankful for my family, dance family, Varsity Choir family, band family and IPS family! You all are the best.� - Madi Fellers, senior
“The illuminati.� - The illuminati
Learning a new language brings to light how different people communicate and bond.� Furthermore, immersing yourself in a non-American culture fosters skills to communicate across cultures. Learning a new language brings to light how different people communicate and bond.
$POOPS Bliss
There are some phrases I hear that automatically turn my brain off because I know whatever’s coming next is going to be clichĂŠ and ignorant. One of those phrases goes along the lines of “Your generation,â€? followed by something negative. The thing is, every generation does this to the generation that follows them. They attack the technology and entertainment that isn’t theirs. This time around, it
seems to be cellphones and video games. In the past it has been movies and comics. These same curmudgeonly attitudes aren’t going to stop anytime soon. These attitudes even exist in the clichÊ high school social hierarchy, as upperclassmen tend to say the class below them is a bunch of punks. While these characteristics may be bred into us, that doesn’t mean our generation has to continue the trend. But with the use of social media, it’s even easier to look down on those below you in age. I believe our generation has a chance to do great things and be truly different. Generation Y has already done great things, like sparking revolution in Egypt, using the
new technology of our generation, such as Twitter and YouTube. Our generation seems to be one of forward motion and cooperation. The generation above us showcases their incompetence to work together in the “great� city of Washington D.C. Generation X is a generation of Bob Dylans that write songs about change and desperately want it but aren’t willing to budge when it comes to compromising. While our generation may not have great music, we are the generation of progress. One of the ways we can move forward is through an attitude of toleration and recognizing the good of the future, even if it looks bleak.
Golden rule treated like bronze Michael Melgares
Let me just start by saying that I’m no saint by any means, and I contradict just about everything I’m about to say in the rest of this column. However, after recently hearing about events that have occurred in places like Syria and the Philippines, which have been detrimental to the lives of many and have spread tears and sorrow throughout the world, I’ve come to the conclusion that it baffles me how one would spread this malevolence during one’s daily life here at home. What I’m getting at here is that all of us are so blessed here in Manhattan, Kan., to live happy, safe and healthy lives. So why would we try to taint this and the lives of
our peers by practicing enmity and alienation of others daily? Yes, I do realize I’m sounding like a priest and that this message probably will not be taken to heart by most people reading this. But just hear me out. Now, you might be thinking, “Oh, I don’t have to worry about that. I’m not a mean person. I’m always nice to people, especially those who are nice to me.� Well what about those who aren’t nice to you? What if someone treats you wrong, disrespects you, or (metaphorically) spits in your face? How do you react? We wonder how to make the world a better place and it starts with spreading kindness towards everybody. One major obstacle in the way of this universal kindness is selfishness. It’s something we all struggle with at times, especially myself. Selfishness manifests itself when one prioritizes their own happiness over another’s. It is a disease that people do not wish to be cured of because selfishness
Equality forgotten feminist ideal Madeline Marshall
Generations moving forward
Next edition’s Question of the Week: What big plan s d o yo u have for the last m on th of 2013? Submit answers to mhsmentor. com
Feminism is becoming useless. Not because it is somehow illogical or irrational, but because it is missing a key ingredient. Equality. In the minds of onlookers and many feminists, a stereotype has been molded. A new set of rules has been formed. To be a “true feminist� you must, first and foremost, be a female. You are never allowed to shave, wear makeup, or want to look “pretty.� You can’t want a boyfriend, children, or love Disney movies. In short, what began as a movement for equality has become yet another way to separate and exclude. In order for feminism to work, which it most certainly can, people need to realize some very basic ideas. Firstly, your body is your body. How can we justify this ideal to others if even among our own ranks there are judg-
ments being made? It needs to be accepted that you can braid your hair, wear floral dresses and paint your nails if that is what you desire. At the same time, you can wear all black and never shower; it’s your choice. Gender does not define style, and the amount of shaving you do has no correlation to your feminist-ness. Secondly, males can be feminists too. Feminism is not a pact made by a gaggle of girls who decided to hate men and attack them. In many supposedly “hardcore� feminists’ eyes, feminism is a no-boys-allowed club, and that simply cannot be. It is impossible to move against exclusion if we are doing the exact same thing. Feminism is a belief that everyone should have equal rights, and gender (or the lack thereof) should not affect how you are reacted towards. The goals of feminists aren’t restricted to women’s rights, they are working for equality for all. In short, to move forward hypocrisy needs to be eliminated. Misogyny is already running rampant throughout society and the last thing we need is an internal conflict to further damage any progress made.
In order to be taken seriously, to be respected, to have any chance to advance, we must first respect each other. Instead of tearing others down for their differences, we must raise them up. They are after all embodying the very ideas that we wish to advocate. In the end, this message can extend to far more than just feminists. In general without a strong, logical, inclusive base, no group can stand. Remember, even Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.� And last time I checked, the golden rule didn’t have any clauses excluding particular groups. In the end, equality isn’t simply a rallying cry to hold feminist groups together. It is the foundation of democracy and civil society. As an ideal, it has been the underlying reason for nearly every war in human history. Consequently, equality, just as politics and charity, must start locally. And in that regard, it begins with you. So take the time to look at your fellow students without a prejudicial eye. Who knows, maybe equality will turn out to be our cause and society’s great equalizer.
-- when one doesn’t think of the person whom their actions are affecting -- can make one feel happy and generally content. While the remedy to selfishness does not feel nearly as satisfying as its counterpart, it is well worth it. Trust me. Yes, it is a tall order to ask high school students to live selflessly every hour of every day, but I’m urging you to do something different. Live consciously and think of how your actions affect others. It is easy to push these issues to the side and act like the problem doesn’t exist, but it will pay off to place other people before you. Well, if you are one of the scarce few that made it this far, I applaud you for reading my soliloquy of recommendations for your life that I struggle to live by in my own. While we don’t want to acknowledge it at times, treating others how we want to be treated can not only make our school a better place, but the world.
The Mentor EDITORS:
Liz Logback, Editor-in-Chief/Trending
Maddie Ross, News Editor Sarah Shi, Opinions/Content Editor Dheepthi Perumal, Entertainment Editor Nick Bandy, Sports Editor Michael Melgares, Assistant Sports Editor Connor Bliss, Features Editor Kennedy Felice; Danielle Cook, Copy Editors Alan Brown, Multimedia Editor Tracy Le, Graphic Designer Allison Olsen, Photo Editor
STAFF WRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS: Matt Bandy Kristen Batson Rachel Beach Gage Benne Chris Klug Retta Lazaris Madeline Marshall Madison Newman
CIRCULATION: Kristyn Baker David Clinkinbeard Karl Drown Patrick Falcone Vincent Goss Karl Harmon Jordan Hatley Colten Kirk
Josh Kohls Kasey Morris Mallory Morris Megan Ritthisorn Jeremy Romig Zane Smith Austin Tatum
OTHER:
Jerry Sextro, Business Manager Kristy Nyp, Adviser Eric and Lisa Ross, Caterers Pam Stokes, Photographer
The Mentor is published each Tuesday that school is in session at Manhattan High School, 2100 Poyntz Ave. Manhattan, Kan. Telephone (785) 587-2114. More than 1,500 Mentors are printed each week and distributed free of charge to all faculty members and students. MHS journalists are members of the Scholastic Press Association. The Mentor is an open forum that accepts contributions from the public. E-mail us at mhsmentor@gmail.com.
)BMTFZ $BNFSB $BSUPPOJTU The Mentor is an open forum and accepts signed letters and guest columns from students, faculty members and parents. Letters and columns are distinct from each other. Ă&#x; -FUUFST BSF JO SFTQPOTF UP DPOUFOU JO UIJT QVCMJDBUJPO BOE BSF SFDPNNFOEFE UP CF OP MPOHFS than 350 words. Ă&#x; $PMVNOT BSF B OFX UPQJD B DBMM UP BDUJPO PS B DMFBS TUBUFNFOU PG BO PQJOJPO SFHBSEJOH B TDIPPM or national issue and are required to be within 300-600 words in length. Anyone interested in contributing a guest column is advised to clear the topic with the editorial staff prior to writing it in order to save time and effort. The editorial staff reserved the right to edit for length, grammar and clarity while preserving the original intent. All letters, columns and other guest content must be signed and must be free of copyright violations. & NBJM JEFBT BOE TVCNJTTJPOT UP &EJUPS JO $IJFG -J[ -PHCBDL BU NITNFOUPS!HNBJM DPN 4UBGG NFFUJOHT UBLF QMBDF FWFSZ GJWF EBZ TDIPPM XFFL PO 5VFTEBZT EVSJOH GJGUI IPVS BOE FEJUPSJBM discussions are Wednesdays during second lunch. Anyone is invited to come pitch ideas.
Features The Mentor www.mhsmentor.com Page 3
Nocetti enjoying exchange experience Allison Olsen Photo Editor Fitting in at Manhattan High is not hard for senior foreign exchange student Tomas Nocetti and his charismatic personality. Coming from Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, he is used to being around a lot of people. Living in Argentina and living in Manhattan, Kansas are obviously two completely different environments. “Houses here are really spread out. I live in a big city and they are more together there,” Nocetti said. Buenos Aires is the second largest metropolitan area in South America. “In Argentina, I could always get wherever I wanted to go, even if I had to take two buses and maybe a sub-
way,” Nocetti said. “Here I always depend on someone to get to places. There isn’t much public transportation, which kind of bothers me.” In Argentina, students are given certain classes that they are required to take. Nocetti enjoys the fact that he is able to choose which courses he wants to take at MHS. “Everything here is really organized. I really like the environment and this school.” Nocetti said. “It’s really big and you have a lot of options.” The grading scale is also different between America and Argentina. “Here the grades go by A, B, C, D and F,” said Nocetti. “But in Argentina the grades are by 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 and so on.” Another way that MHS differs from Nocetti’s school in Argentina is the absence and tardy system.
“I love my family. I couldn’t have gotten a better family.” -Nocetti
“If you are absent [in Argentina], they just call your parents. It’s not as big of a deal as in America,” he said. One thing that Nocetti dislikes about living in Manhattan is the fact that there isn’t much for teenagers to do after school. “Everything is more controlled,” he said. Some things that Nocetti said he would like to change are the drinking age and having more activities for teenagers to do. “The drinking age is high,” Nocetti said. “Twenty-one is kind of extreme.” Nocetti is currently living with the Kiracofe family. “I love my family,” Nocetti said. “I couldn’t have gotten a better family. I’m really, really happy with them and now I have two families instead of one.” Senior Tomas Nocetti carves a pumpkin with juniors Jillian Kiracofe and Katie Bussman. Photographer Maddie Ross
Junior accepts internship for technical college Loretta Lazaris Staff Writer It’s not very often that an internship will pay for a full year of college, let alone be given to a high school junior. However, Noah Johnson, 16, has excelled enough in his high school career that he was awarded a scholarship from ‘Fully Caterpillar
Corp.’ Johnson is 1 in 4 students who receive this honor every year. “I’m going to go to college in Bellot for a two year program and I’ll work for Fully [Caterpillar] in the summer,” Johnson said. “They [Fully Caterpillar] will pay for my second year in college and then I will work for them a year after that.”
Johnson is preparing for the switch from high school life to college life already by researching the full details of his internship. The internship extends out to technical colleges in Topeka, Kansas City, Wichita, Kobe and Bellot. Johnson plans to attend North Central Kansas Technical College in Bellot for a further education in diesel
mechanics. “It’s a big college. You can do anything from diesel to farm working to nursing,” Johnson said. “When I’m there, I kind of want to learn everything about a diesel engine: what makes it run, what makes it work.” The effort Johnson has put into his work is only matched by the love he has for what
he does. “I’ve been working on cars since I was in diapers,” Johnson said. He is evidently a person who believes that it’s important to love your job. This personal creed is part of what impressed Anthony Dahl, head of the internship, to consider Johnson for the internship. “He’s wanting people who
don’t think of it as a job to make money,” Johnson said. “He wants people who think of it as a career, that will wake up everyday and love what they do and not dread to go to work.”
Anime Club hosts bake sale to fundraise Anime Club’s bake sales last week allowed the club to reach some of its fundraising goals. The sales ran Tuesday and Thursday and both went towards the club’s Naka-Kon
trip. Naka-Kon is an anime convention held annually in Overland Park. According to club vice president, Meredith Gast, the club has almost earned enough money to take the current group on the trip. “We’re pretty close,
we’re doing really good right now, in terms of getting people to go,” Gast said. “We have enough to get people there, pretty much.” Club members who want to join in on the club trip are expected to put in their share of work with the
events that are hosted. “To go to Naka-Kon you have to participate in events, if it’s bringing stuff to the bake sale or sitting at the table,” Gast said. “They have to come to at least one meeting a month to be eligible.” With the onset of Thanks-
giving break, the club looks to find other ways to raise money in the coming months. “It’s just a matter of giving people money for meals and if more people sign up, have them come as well,” Gast said. “It was a pretty good
bake sale. We could have always more, it’s just a matter of reminding people.” The club will be back to its normal schedule by the week after break, meeting on both Tuesdays and Thursdays as usual.
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bers of the Marlins with sectional times. Freshman Kelly Wichmann and sophomore Matt Bandy were very close to making the cut. After hard training for months, the Marlins let up on the pedal so they could swim fast times in Columbia. For example Senior Amanda Buckwalter swam a best time in every event. Combining this taper with a bigger and deeper pool with a special gutter system on the sides created many personal best times for swimmers. “The waves go out of the pool instead of coming back and hitting you and slowing you down,” Dritz said. The Marlins have been going through intense training. Many have been swimming in the mornings as well as the afternoon three times a week for almost a year. “We’ve put in some pretty long hours,” Dritz said. “The hard work definitely paid off at this meet. This is the best we’ve done there since I’ve been in high school.” Dritz will continue with the Marlins until the spring and then join the MHS girls swim team. Beauregard, Bandy and junior Xavier Hayden temporarily left the Marlins to begin their season on the MHS boys swim team last week and look forward to a good season after their success in Columbia. Beauregard looks to qualify in multiple events for State and win the Centennial League meet for the first time in his high school career. “I’m looking forward to the high school season. I think we can get another relay in at State,” Beauregard said.
Mexico, Cuba or Venezuela. The debates are all based off of this topic but range from developing smart grids with Mexico to lifting the Cuban embargo. “It’s kind of just a bag of surprises,” junior Angel Zelazny said. “You never know what you’re going to debate.” Often philosophical arguments are presented by teams rather than facts which the other team can point out to the judges and have ignored. There are several rules of debate like that of philosophical arguments that debaters have to abide by. “I feel as though debate is the class I have learned the most in,” junior David Hazelwood said. This year the MHS debate team has competed in tournaments at Washburn, Olathe Northwest and Garden City. The team has a legacy of doing well and this year has been no different. The MHS team traveled to Topeka High on Nov. 23. The MHS team of juniors Lisa Zhu and Trevor Bashaw entered the out rounds in the eighth seat. The team fought their way to the top and won the tournament. On Nov. 30, the team will travel to Lawrence for its last regular season debate. Next will come the National Qualifiers where teams in each region attempt to qualify for Nationals. Nationals are held in the summer because unlike MHS, most schools have debate as a year-round class. Debaters at MHS are dedicated, and every Thursday members from the MHS team stay after school to prepare for the weekend’s competition.
“Rafferty challenges us,” Zelazny said, “but he makes us good at what we do.”
from the entire crowd of FFA members. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and sleet was carried around by the heavy gusts of wind. Once every scorecard was turned in, everyone hurried to their buses in order to avoid the cold and rainy weather. In the Food Safety group, senior Anna Jackson and sophomore Dawson Beffa explained that they weren’t judging anything but that they were doing a series of tests. Among the different tests were food tasting and aroma identifying. Jackson, who is in her third year in FFA, expressed her hopes that the MHS FFA chapter will have a good year. “We are really trying to build ourselves up,” Jackson said. “Everyone kind of looks over us because we are from a city. Most of us are serious about these contests. We are trying to schedule more study days after school.” These study days are for the members to coach each other through the material they will need to know for the contests. Everyone was soon together again after the dairy judges presented their reasoning for how they rated the cows. Each member was smiling and feeling good about what they had accomplished in their contests that day. They did not receive their scores until the next day.
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In between workshops and sessions, the students participated in various activities. The conference center in Indianapolis was filled with booths and vendors that handed out information. “They had all these booths with singers, seminaries, missions and schools set up. They also had activities you could do. Collectively over the three days, we packed 100,000 lunches to send to Africa through one of the booths. And I got an autograph from Matt Maher,” Sorell said. “It’s cool to see just a huge area totally covered in vendors and people
who will talk to you.” One of the most moving parts of NCYC for Sorell was the evening session. A Mass was held that allowed all 25,000 kids to participate in Communion, and 350 priests from around the country processed in and participated in the service as well. “Everyone said the Nicene Creed. It was so cool. Literally brought tears to my eyes. Just for me, personally, to hear 25,000 people say that statement of belief at one time was just awesome,” Sorell said. “It made me really proud to be Catholic. It was like we are all united.”
Jared Gebhardt Staff Writer
“It’s kind of just a bag of surprises,” junior Angel Zelazny said. “You never know what you’re going to debate.” Often philosophical arguments are presented by teams rather than facts which the other team can point out to the judges and have ignored. There are several rules of debate like that of philosophical arguments that debaters have to abide by. “I feel as though debate is the class I have learned the most in,” junior David Hazelwood said. This year the MHS debate team has competed in tournaments at Washburn, Olathe Northwest and Garden City. The team has a legacy of doing well and this year has been no different. The MHS team traveled to Topeka High on Nov. 23. The MHS team of juniors Lisa Zhu and Trevor Bashaw entered the out rounds in the eighth seat. The team fought their way to the top and won the tournament. On Nov. 30, the team will travel to Lawrence for its last regular season debate. Next will come the National Qualifiers where teams in each region attempt to qualify for Nationals. Nationals are held in the summer because unlike MHS, most schools have debate as a year-round class. Debaters at MHS are dedicated, and every Thursday members from the MHS team stay after school to prepare for the weekend’s competition. “Rafferty challenges us,” Zelazny said, “but he makes us good at what we do.”
Next edition’s Question of the Week:
What big plans do you have for the last month of 2013? Submit answers to mhsmentor. com
sophomore, Kyndall Norris said. She was in the group participating in the Food Safety contests. “I think that the trip took a turn for the better after that, except for the weather, because we got to do what we came to do then,” Norris said. “I think that food science was able to do their best, but the judges might have been a little frazzled from missing their quiz.” Upon arriving at the judging grounds 40 minutes late, the Food Safety group of FFA members rushed off the bus and were just in time for their events. The FFA members judging dairy cattle unfortunately missed their beginning test (which they were later allowed to make up) and had to hurry over to the barn where the cattle were being held. There was an enormous amount of students in the barn by that time and the MHS FFA members blended into their groups with ease. With six pens, each one containing dairy cows (and one having dairy calves), the groups were timed for each pen. No one was allowed to talk, so the only noises to be heard in the barn were the scuffling of feet and the groaning of the dairy cattle. By the time the final round of judging came, there was a collective sense of urgency Continued from NCYC page1
After the morning session, those gathered broke out into smaller workshop groups with 500-600 kids. “The first talk I went to was talking about sweatshops and Nike. He basically targeted Nike as someone who underpays their workers. The speaker actually tried living on their salary for a month. He gave us Nike’s email and told us to boycott Nike until they pay their workers in Indonesia a working salary. So I am going to participate,” Sorell said. “It was pretty cool.”
they don’t make cows that are that awkward and ugly’ and she was in here in tears,” Klein said. However, after 47 years of teaching the class Klein feels that most students realize how difficult it is to be a pregnant student or employee. As for the current decline in teen pregnancy rates Klein believes it’s a mixture of education and determination. “Today women start having career goals in kindergarten and they aren’t willing to give those up,” Klein said. Continued fromTrikes page 3
the fine motor skills of the individual but promote physical health as well. “The goal is to meet the physical needs, cardiovascular needs, muscle groups, coordination, balance and confidence that they can do something that they see other kids do,” Akin said. “For me it is so exciting because it is that developmental milestone that all kids have and watching these students who hadn’t already, achieve this milestone.” Adaptive PE now has five bikes and is hoping to get even more. Although the biggest need right now is a place to store all these bikes. “This is probably the most exciting thing that has happened in Adaptive PE,” Akin said. “I am thrilled.”
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‘Catching Fire’ redemption ‘Bastille’ hardly Connor Bliss Features Editor
I wasn’t a big fan of the first “Hunger Games” movie. It didn’t live up to the book, and the shaky camera style was a little obnoxious. Honestly, I walked into “Catching Fire” a little cynical after being disappointed the first time around, but I walked out completely blown away. The tone of “Catching Fire” is incredibly serious, and it should be; even it’s most basic premise is about young people murdering each other for competition. But in “Catching Fire,” the tone is so much more than a game. It is filled with political and revolutionary undertones. In fact, the politics and the starting revolution are a lot more interesting than the actual games. I was afraid the film was going to
fall apart once Katniss and Peeta re-enter the arena, but it maintains the same themes and really makes it much more than a game. “Catching Fire” is also much more visually stunning and the camera shows off the grittier tone. The environments are darker. Even the capitol, with its overwhelming opulence, is teeming with an undertone of revolution. With Gary Ross not calling the shots as director any more, Francis Lawrence has taken the liberty to get rid of the annoying shaky camera. As it goes for the more grittier tone it also adds more emotional moments which work quite well. Nonetheless, some of these emotional scenes are filled with rather cliche and cheesy dialogue. The love triangle back in District 12 really reminds you, “Oh wait, this is a teen novel.” The sloppy writing, which actually is only few and far between, interrupts a close to flawless film. “The Hunger Games” has officially redeemed itself with “Catching Fire.” The film keeps an incredibly consistent tone and conveys it with every tool it has. “Catching Fire” certainly has the odds in it’s favor.
revolutionary
$25 $135 $17
Alan Brown Mulitimedia Editor
Million on opening night
Been there, done that. Throughout Bastille’s album, “Bad Blood,” the band finds themselves safely wandering familiar frontier. Their music matches the demands of the radio like a glove, and that might not be a bad thing for their careers. The London-based band has had success throughout Britain and the United States, including a debut at No. 1 in the UK. It’s difficult to argue with their current success, but one has to wonder what will become of their future. The album leans heavily on contemporary indie pop, and it is musically interchangeable with songs from other bigger bands who pioneered the sound. The issue with Bastille is that they have no identity. Their sound is nothing new. Even at first listen, it’s easy to hear lead singer
Million & counting so far
Million to produce
Catching Fire is now in theaters: rated PG 13 Statistics from Wall Street Journal
Dan Smith’s vocal similarities to other famous British singers. Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, and even Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons have similarities to Smith’s vocals, but they emerged on the music scene much earlier. It’s not a problem to be inspired by other artists by any means, but there comes a point where it becomes too obvious. Hit single “Pompeii,” for example, has a similar grandeur to many of Coldplay’s hits of the last decade. While they may not be overly innovative musically, it is safe to say that Bastille has made good use of the instruments left at their disposal. With a background as a straight A student in the British school system, Smith is not a typical pop star. It’s obvious that he is very bright, and it makes a major impression on his writing style. His historical allusions and smooth words make the lyrics interesting, and are one of the lone signs of individuality the band actually has. Even though they can almost be coined as a Coldplay tribute band, they do have signs of talent. Whether it can be developed in the future is left to be seen.
Gold Orchestra celebrates 25 years Tracy Le Graphic Designer Created in 1989 by David Littrell, Gold Orchestra celebrated its 25th anniversary last Thursday with a concert at McCain Auditorium. “I can’t believe it,” Littrell said. “Well, I do believe that much time has passed because I put a lot of work into this over the years.” Gold Orchestra presented pieces varying from Finzi and Grieg to Hovhanness and Grainger and after the last song was played, the large crowd gave the students a standing ovation. Silver Orchestra also performed. Kristin Mortenson, its conductor, is a music theory and listening lab teacher at Kansas State University. Gold Orchestra was also given the opportunity to play with Dr. Nora Lewis, an oboe soloist and music teacher at K-State. Between songs, speeches were given reliving memories of how this group came to be. Littrell was awarded a plaque from Governor Sam Brownback, who recently proclaimed Thurs. Nov. 21, Gold Orchestra Day in Kansas. “It’s a great achievement,” senior Patrick Guvele said. “Obviously I haven’t been a part of this all 25 years but this shows the history, the honor, the prestige of Gold Orchestra.” Back when Gold Orchestra was first founded, Littrell had only just begun teaching music at K-State. “Some parents twisted my arm. That’s really the truth. They really wanted me to conduct an orchestra so I started off with ten kids and it just kept snowballing,” Littrell said. “After three years, we played in a national conference which is unheard of.” Gold Orchestra has been a part of the lives of about 400 students so far.
“I think it’s really great that it’s been so long since Dr. Littrell has conducted it,” sophomore Emma Brase said. “Gold Orchestra has challenged me to become a better viola player.” Sophomore Carter Nelson and Guvele agree. “I think it’s pretty awesome that it has been around this long. Dr. Littrell is a very good teacher and he has helped me become a better musician,” Nelson said. “He’s awesome,” Guvele said. “He has a great personality. He’s really passionate about what he does and he really cares about his students.” Violinist Guvele joined Gold Orchestra seven years ago. “I auditioned the end of my 5th grade year to get in,” Guvele said. “I remember I was pretty nervous, but once I made it, I was pretty new and looking up to the older kids and just wanting to be, one day, a 1st violin or concertmaster.” Now, Guvele has the honor of being concertmaster. “It feels really amazing. You have to be a leader but it’s just a great opportunity,” Guvele said. Although being the conductor of Gold Orchestra takes a lot of time and effort, Littrell looks forward to many more years. “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done with my life. One of the pinnacles of everything I’ve achieved. I just thoroughly enjoy it very much,” Littrell said. His students seem to enjoy being a part of this group as much as he does. “Gold Orchestra has been just a great experience, being able to learn from Dr. Littrell,” Guvele said. “It has taught me a lot. It has taught me leadership, it has taught me discipline, and I’ve just really enjoyed playing with a lot of my peers and a lot of great musicians.”
Senior Caroline Sagar performs during Gold Orchestra’s 25th anniversary concert at McCain Auditorium last Thursday. Tracy Le, photographer
Blue M Yearbook Senior Ads The 2014 Blue M Yearbook Staff is accepting “public display of affection” ads for any student planning to graduate this year.
Each double-page spread is 12 in. tall and 18 in. wide You may submit any photos or messages, but smaller ads limit the amount of content an ad can contain. Photos will be scanned and returned, along with a copy of the ad for approval. Digital photos are preferred and can be sent to mhsbluem@gmail.com in a JPEG format. Please include the student’s name and your contact information in the email. Jostens requires that we submit the advertising pages by winter break. We will not accept orders past the date of December 20, 2013 Please detach the form and mail it with payment to: MHS Blue M, 2100 Poyntz Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502, or bring to MHSW office. If you have any additional questions, please contact Kristy Nyp at 785-587-2114 Please detach form here
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