M Club Dodgeball smash hit The
ENTOR
Manhattan High School Volume 101 Issue 17 Feb. 04, 2014
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Louis Melgarejo staff writer Manhattan High School’s clubs were at it again during this semester’s Club Dodgeball. There were blows to the head, stomachs were pelted and groins smashed mercilessly. In the end, the returning champion team, Spanish Club, took both first and second. Club Dodgeball, sponsored by Student Council, is a dodgeball tournament where all MHS clubs are welcome to compete as long as each player brings a canned food item for the Kansas Bread Basket. “The Thespians are my little tribe right now and we’re not doing so good,” sophomore Colin Beauregard said after his second game. But he and his club kept on fighting. “I believe we must break them,” he said. Thespians ended up pulling fifth place in Club Dodgeball. “Uh it’s pretty flippin’ awesome, that’s what I think about it,” sophomore Gardner Blanck of the second Spanish team said. When asked who he thought was the worst team there Blanc said, “I love all the teams equally.” “Except for our team above everyone else,” his teammate, sophomore Austin French, interjected. According to Sophomore Representative Ben Turnley, Spanish Club has been the returning champion for two straight years. “Spanish Club are the champs and we will be for the next four years,” Turnley said.
Sophomore Kirkland Lambert participates on one of Spanish Club’s two teams at Club Dodgeball. Spanish Club snagged the top two places, beating out the other clubs. Louis Melgarejo, photographer.
AFS plays match maker for annual fundraiser Kristen Batson Staff Writer Valentine’s Day is approaching and love is in the air. Those who are still seeking their soul mate might get a little help from the American Field Service club at Manhattan High School. AFS is contributing to the craze with their matchmaking survey, through which
students are prompted to fill out a questionnaire asking questions such as “If you were a car, what car would you be?” and “If you had the opportunity to have your fortune told you would…” When results come back, participants can pay a dollar to be matched up with those they seem most compatible with. The money raised is used
for various things for the foreign exchange students throughout the year including yearbooks, the flags seen in the commons, day-to-day costs and T-shirts. The fundraiser is something the club usually does every other year so students don’t get burnt out. “A lot of times students decide they don’t want to answer the survey questions,
Freshmen take part in anti-bullying campaign
then they’re disappointed when their friends get there’s back and they can’t because they never did it,” club sponsor Tony Wichmann said. The eccentric questions were chosen by junior Me-
gan Weathers from a website that has lists of questions and she chose the funniest and most unique ones that she saw. There has been some speculation about whether these surveys will actually find one’s “match.”
“I think if people took them seriously and actually tried to fill them out they could find someone they're compatible with, but some people just blow it off and they obviously will not,” Weathers said. Results to surveys can be picked up in the cafeteria during lunch the week leading up to Valentines day.
BPA prepares for upcoming state competition Jared Gebhardt Entertainment Editor
kind of their specialties that they teach,” McCarthy said. “We have old tests available to us that we bought that they can study from previous years, practicing speeches, if that’s their event, practicing interviews.” Students with pre-submit contests are already turning in their items. The categories range from resumes and letters of application to videos. “Things like that have to
Business Professionals of America, the club which focuses on honing business skills, has state competitions coming up near the end of the month and many members are using the time to prepare. This year’s business teacher Paige McCarthy has taken over as the club’s sponsor. “We’ve got about 21 students going We’ve got about 21 students going which is which is about about double of a lot of years and I think that’s double of a lot adding a little bit to my anxiety, being my first of years and year.” I think that’s -Paige McCarthy adding a little bit to my anxiety, being my be sent in early so the judges first year,” McCarthy said. Students have been given can critique them and then access to a long list of re- be able to ask questions of sources to use while prepar- them during -the competition,” McCarthy said. ing for their events. Motivational speaker Bill Cordes shares a message about interpersonal relationships with freshmen on ThursAlong with their usual “A lot of the other kids have day and Friday. Cordes was invited back to MHS after he took part in the Olweus anti-bullying kickoff earlier been working with some of events, some older memthe other business teachers bers are using this year as in January. Angie Moss, photographer to prepare for events that are a chance to branch out and
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try new things. Senior Caleb Price is taking on a new category, C++ programming. With his new skill comes some new worries. “I’m expecting not to do well but hoping for the best,” Price said. Price has competed as part of a video production team in past years. “I’ve done it every year I’ve been in BPA and I’ve gone to nationals every year I’ve done it in BPA,” Price said. He has placed second in each visit, but he doesn’t let it sway him. “As long as I go to nationals I’m okay,” Price said. Those hoping for some last minute assistance have been told to stop by McCarthy’s room. “I’ve told them they can come in almost any night, cause im here almost every night till almost 4:30, 5:00 and a lot of them are working at home on their own,” McCarthy said. The State competition is in Wichita Feb. 19-21.
Scholars Bowl organizes meet, places fourth Danielle Cook Copy Editor The halls of Manhattan High buzzed Tuesday afternoon with the chatter of 18 visiting J.V. Scholars Bowl teams, each invited to compete by MHS Varsity Scholars Bowl. To man the rooms in which J.V. teams competed, the home meet required
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about 24 volunteers there from Manhattan, inw e r e cluding members of just a lot MHS’ Varsity ScholIt was fun to be the hosting school, even though we of teams ars Bowl team. to get todidn’t place.” According to g e t h e r. -Emma Irvine T h e r e coach Ted Dawdy, the teams he invited were 18 to the meet were all teams, teams that had inso it was vited MHS to their pushing 1A to 6A. own home meets, and they “It was somewhat stress- a large meet, but it was fun ranged in school size from ful to organize it because for me once it started be-
cause I got to moderate this time,” Dawdy said. While Manhattan High’s Varsity Scholars Bowl team helped with various functions of the meet, the J.V. squad focused on the actual contest of the meet. In the end the MHS J.V. team, composed of freshmen, earned fourth place overall, while the team of mainly sophomores and juniors did not advance to
place, unsuccessful in pool play. “It was different being at home for this meet. It was fun to be the hosting school, even though we didn’t place,” junior Emma Irvine said. According to Irvine, Manhattan High’s J.V. team will work to improve its accuracy during pool play in order to obtain a placement at later meets.
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Politics mix with Letter to the Editor Winter Olympics The editorial is a compilation from a discussion held by the Editorial board. When 88 nations intend to compete at the Sochi Winter Olympics this month, there are bound be other factors that will cause mayhem besides the athletics. Politics is one of them. And as much as we might want for the games to be only about the sports, it is highly unlikely. Completely unlikely, actually. The Sochi Winter Olympics is floating in dangerous waters and have been since two suicide bombings, which have been identified as terrorist attacks, in Russia during December and January. While the attacks have not been associated with a specific party, they occurred several months after the leader of Chechen separatist group pledged violence to disrupt the Olympics. Since Sochi is located so close to the Chechen capital,
also a hotbed of extremism, there has been much concern over the safety of the games that will start Feb. 6. The region surrounding Sochi has a long history of bloody violence in which Russian authorities have battled violent forces. The Russian government carried on two wars against Chechen separatist in the mid-1990s and early 2000s and in turn, prompted a generation of radical Muslim youths. However, the Sochi Olympics are meant to be the New Russia’s coming out party, with the games showing Russia as politically stable, economically strong, and a world-player. For decades, the Olympic games have been used for political messages and this year is no different. From the protests of the anti-gay legislation to the suicide bombings of separatists factions, this Winter Olympics has had its fair share of political mes-
sages. While our editorial staff wishes that the Olympics could just be about the competition of sports, in reality, it most likely will not be so. Everything about the Olympics is political, from the location of the Olympics to opening ceremony to the amount of money spent on the entire 18-day event. Furthermore, President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the First Lady will not attend the Olympics and instead a U.S. delegation -- consisting of government figures and Olympic athletes -- will attend the Olympics alone. The selection of the delegation members may have yet been another political message from Obama as two the members picked by him are openly gay. Even when the Olympics is meant to be only about sports, politics always seem to find a its way into the big headlines.
Anti-surrogacy bill an attack on freedom Madeline Marshall
Sitting on a cold sterile hospital bed, in a paper gown that crinkles and rustles with every movement, a patient waits. The chilly air puts bumps on her arms and makes her anxious. The door opens with an intense whoosh and a bespectacled doctor, clipboard in hand, steps into the room. The patient balances on the edge of the table and the doctor sighs. “You’re infertile,” he says. As the news reverberates, a pain sets in. By the time she reaches her husband, outside the door, her breath is short and her face wet.
Thankfully, for this couple and many others with fertility and uterine issues, surrogacy is an option – for now at least. According to The Council for Responsible Genetics, surrogacy is a contractual situation whereby a woman agrees to become impregnated by either artificial insemination (traditional surrogacy), using her own egg and the sperm of another man (usually the intended father of the baby) or an in vitro fertilized embryo (gestational surrogacy). In laymen’s terms, a surrogate mother is ‘renting’ her uterus to an individual or couple that cannot have a child on their own. At least 1,395 children are born through gestational surrogacy in the United States alone (source: The Council for Responsible Genetics). While there are not exact numbers available on the number of traditional surrogacies that take place each year, it is estimated that at
least another 1,400 children are born through traditional surrogacy every year. Therefore, approximately 2,800 children are born through surrogate mothers each year. Unfortunately, if some Kansas legislators have their way, these numbers will drop and Kansas residents will lose surrogacy as a viable option to have a child. This past week, in Kansas’s legislature, Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook, a Shawnee Republican, decided that surrogacy should be illegal and is now pushing for a bill to be passed that would “void all surrogacy contracts and make it a misdemeanor to be involved in compensating a woman for being a surrogate.” A person violating the law could be fined up to $10,000 and sentenced to up to a year in jail. On its surface, this bill seems to contradict the “pro-
I personally am a strong believer in, if you’ve got it, flaunt it…tastefully. Sadly, we live in a world where girls are asked to grow up too fast. Some wear makeup by the time they’re 10, others are wearing heels before they know what a growth spurt is. In order to counter this, my parents gave my sisters and I “speed bumps.” No dangling earrings before eight, no nails polish or lip gloss until 12 and no makeup, with the exception of Halloween and theater events, until 14. I know some of those seem crazy and outrageous, but looking back, I’m grateful for them. Those “speed bumps” let me be a little girl a little bit longer until it was time for me to grow up and have made me confident in who I am. I was raised to respect others and require respect from those who I surround myself with. Dressing immodestly brings anything but respect. Short shorts, re-
vealing or low-cut shirts turn the thoughts of the people around us from us as a person to us as an object. I’m not saying there is no blame on those with the disrespectful thoughts, they are responsible for what goes on in their own heads, I’m saying why create a door for those thoughts? We as young women have a great influence over young men, and I want to help those men be the best they can be by being the best I can be. I personally want to be admired for how I look at life, my laugh, my stubbornness and headstrong opinions, along with my killer legs. That means I dress in a way that will depict that. I wear items that are fitted and flattering to my body type, work to stay healthy and surround myself with people who respect and care about me so that I feel comfortable and confident. Confidence in who you are brings more gentleman
to the yard than you would expect. Be confident in who you are. Don’t ask for attention using your body. Show the world you can be funny, fun and flirty. Make the world see you as a strong and radiant woman along with kind and foxy. I love Emma Watson’s opinion of sexy: “The less you reveal the more people can wonder.” Love who you are and embrace it. Young men should admire the strong and confident ladies and feel the need to make sure they know they are gorgeous. Don’t go after the legs or the low cut top. Go for the high heads and high standards. Girls, don’t tolerate a guy who doesn’t respect you. You teach people how to treat you by what you allow. Why allow anything less than what you deserve? We want a prince, so let’s be princesses. Kendra Chandler, senior
Question of the Week: What’s a phon e a p p that sho uld b e inven te d? ‘One where you can take a picture of a math problem, and it solves it for you.” - Madi Fellers, senior
“One to make me less addicted to flappy bird.” - Justin Gittle, junior
Next edition’s Question of the Week: What Win ter Ol y m pics s p ort will yo u b e watchin g? Submit answers to mhsmentor. com or tweet us at @mhsmentoronline
Be a voice for the voiceless Allison Olsen
see bill on page 3 20.9 million. That is the number of human trafficking victims worldwide. Since the Super Bowl happened and other world events such as the Olympics and the World Cup are coming up in the next few months, I thought I would help raise awareness about the hidden side of these events. For those of you who don’t
know, human trafficking is the trade of humans most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor, or commercial sexual exploitation. Basically, people sell other human beings to make a living. Their lives are taken away from them. They are alienated from their families and friends, and once they’re in some never get to go back. Victims span from a wide range of race, age, ethnicity, sex and nationality backgrounds. They are exploited and coerced into hard labor for little pay or forced into commercial sex acts, often through force or fraud. Some are promised better paying jobs; others are manipulated by their own family members.
In 2004, South Africa was awarded the rights to host the FIFA World Cup tournament. It took place between June 11 and July 11 of 2010 with 32 nations competing in the games. Almost immediately after the awarding of the host honors, the number of people trafficked into the country rocketed. It was estimated that during this time, 28,000-38,000 children were being trafficked. A study done by UNICEF looked at all of Africa and found that parents, especially mothers, were the main traffickers of children. They also found that 60 percent of all trafficked victims in the entire continent of Africa were children. see voice on page 3
Spend money more wisely Retta Lazaris
Halsey Camera, Cartoonist
The Mentor EDITORS:
Liz Logback, Editor-in-Chief/Trending
Maddie Ross, News Editor Sarah Shi, Opinions/Content Editor Jared Gebhardt, Entertainment Editor Greg Woods, 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: Kristen Batson Gage Benne Chris Klug Retta Lazaris Louis Melgarejo Madeline Marshall Madison Newman John Rockey Joseph Sell
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:
Gage Benne, Business Manager Kristy Nyp, Adviser
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. Email us at mhsmentor@gmail.com.
son is, are Americans losing sight of what really matters? Every year more funds are given to the Super Bowl, so that every year the media can claim that “This will be the greatest Super Bowl yet!” And as fans and sponsors alike willing buy into the bandwagon effect, can we say that every American even has the means of watching the big game? What about American citizens who are unemployed and don’t have the money to spend on that giant bowl of Doritos, because they can’t buy food? Not only is the Super Bowl one of the most watched programs on TV, but it’s one of the most expensive. Indeed those 80,000 football fans were extremely lucky to score tickets to the Super Bowl, because they’re not cheap. According to the New York Times, the aver-
age asking price for ticket is around $2,600. And that’s for a spot in the nosebleed seats. And if you’re sitting prettily in your hard back stadium seat, bring your own snacks and beverages! Or tailgate plenty before the game, because this year the concession stands blew up their prices. With this Super Bowl being outdoors, the forecast was that it would be chilly in the stands, so concession stands took special notice to this when they inflated their prices for simple refreshments, like $11 hot chocolate. The fans don’t stop at the stadium. According to “The Independant,” 100 million people were predicted to tune in to watch one of the most commercialized pro-
Grab your favorite Bronco/Seahawk jersey, dump those Doritos in a giant bowl and sit back in your most comfortable reclining chair. Turn your TV set on and you see Metlife Stadium, N.J., and a sea of 80,000 orangeand-green-clad fans lining the seats. You share a common anticipation with those die-hard fans. You’re about to witness one of America’s greatest annual events: The Super Bowl. Exciting as the end of the see money on page 3 professional football seaThe 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. • Letters are in response to content in this publication and are recommended to be no longer than 350 words. • Columns are a new topic, a call to action or a clear statement of an opinion regarding a school 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. E-mail ideas and submissions to Editor-in-Chief Liz Logback at mhsmentor@gmail.com. Staff meetings take place every five-day school week on Tuesdays during fifth hour and editorial discussions are Wednesdays during second lunch. Anyone is invited to come pitch ideas.
Entertainment The Mentor
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Winterlude inspires, motivates students Madeline Marshall Staff Writer Just after midnight on Jan. 25, a group of kids stumbled off a hot, stuffy bus and headed home, still in awe of what they had seen that day. From polyphonics to jublags, from classic Kansas City quartets to the main event concert by Arturo Sandoval, there was plenty to be amazed by when
the Manhattan High School Jazz Band travelled to Kansas City to take part in the Annual Jazz Winterlude at Johnson County Community College. The students enjoyed three concerts before heading out to dinner and coming back to see nine-time Grammy winner Arturo Sandoval. Students got to experience world music -- that is,
music styles originating from other cultures -- as well as classic jazz combos. “Some of it was really catchy and even though I’ve never listened to too much of it [world music], I get why people enjoy it, ” junior Krista Dix said. “But you can’t really compare it to music like Sandoval’s. It was just on a whole different plane.” “I thought the jublags [tra-
ditional Asian percussion instruments] were cool, but the music felt kind of repetitive,” sophomore Lily Marshall said. “I liked the combos a lot. The trio was my favorite because they had more soul, as opposed to the quintet that was more compositional.” The Sandoval concert was a very emotional and awe-inspiring experience for
all of the students. “It made me feel even worse about my range, and it kind of just made me want to cry, practice and pass out all at the same time,” Dix said. “He is a prime example of what you can become when you really live your dream,” junior Jay Garber said. “My lips were blown sideways even though I wasn’t playing,” Marshall said.
Flappy Bird spreads its wings over MHS, world Alan Brown Multimedia Editor
Ready? Tap. Tap. The game has set Twitter on fire, and it’s sweeping Manhattan High School like a storm. It’s often considered difficult, repetitive, stressful, and never ending. For students, Flappy Bird is the ultimate challenge. The game has been a challenge for teachers, and it limits the focus of their students in the classroom. Because of this, teachers have been more vocal about their cell phone policies. Parts of the math department have even established “no fly zones” where the game is not allowed. On a more global scale, game critics and creators have been baffled by the hysteria Flappy Bird has created during the recent month. Currently, it is ranked as the #1 free app on Google Play and the iOS shop. Originally called “Flap Flap,” Flappy
Bird was released in the spring of 2013, but only has now experienced a rise to prominence. Perhaps equally impressive is how Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen has kept himself out of the spotlight. Despite being an active member on Twitter and constantly responding to numerous fan tweets, the Vietnamese indie game maker had under 2,000 followers as of Friday (Number needs to be updated Monday night). Those that do follow him have the privilege to learn little known facts and updates related to the game. For example, Nguyen has confirmed that the game for an Android system is indeed easier than on an iOS system. He also plans to make the game available for Windows Phone, which could come as soon as a week from today. “I’d say Android is a lot slower and easier,” sophomore Cole Gritton said. In another interesting update, Nguyen plans to add moving pipes to the game. If players thought the original game was difficult, they could be in for some agony. “It’s already harder than opening a pickle jar with lotion on your hands,” junior Tyler Brennan said.
“There were times where I was sitting on the edge of my seat and times where I laid back, enjoying the soul of the music.” “I nearly cried when Arturo sang a song to Dizzy [Gillespie],” Marshall said. “I loved the energy shared between the musicians and the audience.”
‘This is How I Scream’s’ voice goes unheard Connor Bliss Features Editor Student writers and artists are once again without an audience for their creative works. “This Is How I Scream,” which had been Manhattan Highs art and literary magazine in the past, is now defunct, according to the activity’s sponsors. “There wasn’t enough interest,” co-sponsor Darren Allman said in regards to the decision to drop the literary magazine. Senior Grace HortonSmith was a member in the past and had submitted two short stories. “Not many people submitted stuff so it felt kind of pointless almost, if no one was going to submit all that stuff,” she said. “We worked hard to make it a thing but then people just weren’t all that interested.”
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We worked hard to make it a thing but then people just weren’t all that interested.” -Grace Horton
For a more in-depth look at the, gaming craze check out: http://storify.com/mhsmentor/rage-the-story-offlappy-bird
‘Rumors’ has Rezac buzzing Maddie Ross News Editor Rezac is filled with busy actors and actresses again as Manhattan High School students are preparing for this year’s winter play, “Rumors.” The show is comedy that centers around eight high-society New Yorkers and their adventures while attending a part held by mutual friends. “It’s pretty complex,” junior cast member Madeline Wilson said. “It is all about misunderstandings and rumors, thus the name, also secrets and lies. It is super hilarious.” The play is heading tobill from page 2 life” agenda that Governor Sam Brownback and many Republicans have been pushing since Brownback arrived in office and the Kansas Legislator has had such significant Republican majorities. “I am pro-life,” Brownback said. “When I campaigned I said that if a pro-life bill got to my desk, I will sign it. I am not backing away from that.” But isn’t this hypocritical? On one hand, they have a pro-life agenda, but on the other they want to prevent some from having children. It seems this hypocrisy is born out of the “types” of people that might use surrogacy. More to the point, it has remoney from page 2 The next World Cup will be in Brazil in June of 2014. As we get closer to this event, the number of child sex slaves in Brazil is over half a million and still climbing. The Summer Olympics is also set to be hosted in Brazil in 2016, so we can only imagine that this issue won’t be going away anytime soon. The Olympics is another big event where trafficking is an issue. The 2014 Winter Olympics will take place in Sochi, Russia, this February. In 2013, Russia was down-
wards its final stages as it will be performed on Feb. 20-22 “We are pretty focused on blocking right now,” Wilson said. Set construction has begun and technical crews have begun tackling areas of light and sound, in addition to set. With rehearsals everyday after school, the cast of “Rumors” has run into its fair share of individual challenges. “The most challenging part for me is the timing,” Wilson said. “ It’s all about when to say the line so it has the funniest effect.” Challenges aside, the winter play has brought together
a new family of sorts, a group working together for the success of the whole. “My favorite part of doing this play in being around the cast,” Wilson said. “Everyone is great, hilarious and very talented.” In the end the Winter Play is shaping up to be an accomplishment for all involved. “A goal of mine, with any show I’m in, I always just try to give it my all,” Wilson said. “All the energy, concentration, and effort I have to give, I try to implement that into my acting. I want to finish the play knowing I did the best I could do.”
cently been emphasized that surrogacy may give gay couples the ability to have a child of their own. This appears to be at odds with the beliefs of ‘good traditional Christian families’ that Pilcher-Cook, her Republican party, and Christian spokesperson Michael Schuttloffel, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, advocate. Schuttloffel told the House committee during a past meeting that “religious liberty means not only that people are free to worship as they please but are free to live out faith in their daily – and public – lives. For some Kansans, that means continuing to register moral dis-
approval of gay relationships even if society and the law don’t anymore.” “We have nothing but compassion for couples who have been struggling with infertility and miscarriage,” he said. “However, we don’t think that surrogacy is the answer. We think that people should look to alternatives like adoption.” But what about individual freedom? What about the rights of woman? According to Schuttloffel, “the threat to religious liberty is broader.” But the question for Schuttloffel and others like him is, whose religious liberty? Just his or his particular brand of religion?
Do Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists have the same rights? It seems Brownback, Pilcher-Cook, and Schuttloffel think their religion is the “right” religion and religious freedom really means protecting what they believe and forcing everyone else to live under their religious views. And, in that regard, the attack on surrogacy is just one more opportunity for them to exert their control and trample over the individual freedoms of others. So, this is more than just an attempt to keep infertile individuals from having a child that they want, it is an attack on the freedom of each and every one of us.
graded to the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report as a Tier 2 (out of a four tier system, four being the worst) but is still on the “watch list” for its ninth consecutive year because the local Sochi officials and the Kremlin have turned a blind eye to the trafficking. Obviously, trafficking is a huge issue worldwide and America is not excluded from this statement. There are estimated to be around 100,000 children sold in the sex trade every year in the United States. For the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami, 10,000
women and girls were trafficked, so we can only assume that the numbers will be around that, if not more, for this Super Bowl. The average age of girls being trafficked in America is 12 to 14 years old. It makes me sick to think that girls, who are hardly even women yet, are being sold into basically slavery. The average life expectancy for victims after being trafficked is seven years. Imagine being consumed by the constant fear of dying. You are forced to do whatever your boss tells you to do. I can’t even fathom it.
Spreading awareness about trafficking is one of the greatest things that can help stop it. So many people still have no idea that this is even happening. There are numerous organizations out there, whether part of the government or self-created, that are trying to prevent trafficking. Go research it, look at the statistics of how many people are trafficked a year, it will blow you away. If you decide to take my advice, don’t stop there, tell someone about it. Spread the word to help those who don’t have a voice.
Drama members finish up a day of rehearsals for the upcoming performance, ‘Rumors.’ Jared Gebhardt, photographer voice from page 2 grams to be aired live. With millions of eyes glued to their TV sets, big businesses use and abuse the media to convince people that they need to buy more, buy more, buy more! Predicted by ABC News, the costs for fans to buy their team clothing, decorations and football munchies as a whole would reach over $12 billion. And it’s not only the average Joe who’s pouring his paycheck into the Super Bowl every year. Big companies like Pepsico and Chevrolet have prepared for their 60-second commercial slots for weeks in advance, and they spare no expense. According to USA Today, an estimated $4 million is spent on a 30 sec ad. And not only is the entire event pricey for anyone involved, but the nation has ranked the Super Bowl to be a matter of National Security. Search dogs, high speed boats and even fighter jets and helicopters were stationed outside of Metlife days before the game. Any delivery made to the stadium had a police escort. As eager fans flanked the gates, searches had to be conducted on persons going in and out of the stadium. I ask the
question: “Does America focus too much attention on the Super Bowl?” So much so that the highest forms of security are used? However, I do recognize the Boston Marathon Bombing last year, so it is understandable that security precautions must be made. It’s better to be safe and protect American citizens, but where do you draw the line? Military ranked jets were probably not cheap to guide around during the game, and I’m not entirely sure I’d feel safe with a loaded weapon hovering over made head while Manning is being intercepted. Though I can’t agree the simple fact that more and more money is uselessly dumped into the Super Bowl every year, good things do come from it. The Taste of the NFL, a dinner held after the game, gives 100 percent of the proceeds made that night to hungry families in 32 NFL cities. Players, sponsors and celebrities alike make appearances as well. Let’s keep up the generosity by giving more back after each Super Bowl, rather than pushing more into it.
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Wrestling face off with teammates John Rockey Staff Writer A frustrating beginning on Friday night at the Manhattan Invitational yielded a coach’s dream when four pairs of teammates finished the night competing against each other for the top places in their respective classes. “Mainly, I was frustrated we weren’t doing what we were taught,” coach Daniel Farley said. Manhattan was facing down a tough start in the first round with some wrestlers having a difficult time scoring points and winning their matches from the very beginning of the night. While some found success, most would not end up their first match of the night. “A lot of people who weren’t succeeding realized that their mindset wasn’t right for the environment, and that changed how they wrestled,” freshman Iverson Robb said. As they readied for their second bouts, the team was
faced with the reality of where they stood in the tournament. “Starting the second round was when we realized that we’re just not the biggest and the baddest,” freshman Chance Henderson said. “And it needed to change fast.” Change came as the team started racking up wins to where many were able to compete in the finals. The finals match came and four pairs of teammates competed against one another for different places in their own weight classes. “Anytime we have teammates wrestling against each other, it’s exciting, but nerve wracking,” Farley said. Those that competed against each other included freshmen Chance Henderson and Jacob Ashmore for first in 120, sophomore Christian Fleury and junior Brian Coughlin for first in 145, sophomore Blake Wewer and freshman Alex Rodriguez for third in 138, and sophomores Max Dan-
daneau and Eric Boudreaux at 182 for third. “It’s just unique. You go up against them in practice everyday,” sophomore Blake Wewer said. “But when you get out on the mat, [during a match] it’s just a whole different atmosphere.” JV now goes into their last meets of the season starting on Thursday when they go to Lincoln with two JV squads for a tournament with Varsity opponents and they end their season on Saturday with at Junction City for JC’s invite tournament. The Varsity team looks forward to their dual at Seaman this week and the Centennial League Invite that will be held at MHS this Friday. “I’m looking to put myself on the mat against someone of equal or better skill and strength,” sophomore Alejandro Martinez said. A wrestler competes for Manhattan High Friday night. John Rockey, photographer
Boys roar back, down Emporia
Manhattan High School boys basketball defends against Emporia Saturday night. Greg Woods, photographer
Greg Woods Sports Editor Never bet on the first horse out of the gate. It’s a commonplace saying that the Manhattan High School boys basketball team kept true Saturday night against the Emporia Spartans. It took the Indians some time to keep up with Emporia offensively: Manhattan and Emporia traded baskets in the first quarter, resulting in a 1217 deficit for MHS after one quarter. “They came out with a lot of energy,” junior Pierson McAtee said. “We needed to match that.” The second half saw much of the same, but Manhattan was able to
stifle the high-powered Spartan offense to some degree. Emporia was held to less than half of its first quarter points in the second quarter as MHS trailed by just three at halftime, 25-22. Head coach Tim Brooks was suspended from coaching recently, so assistant coach Shane Sieben filled his spot Saturday night. “I can’t comment on [Brooks’ suspension],” Sieben said. “I just know that it’s been hard on everybody -- players, coaches, you name it.” Despite what could have posed a distraction, the Indians did not allow it to be so. Manhattan opened the second half on
a 10-0 run to take the lead at 32-25 halfway through the third frame. “[During halftime] we talked about the fact that you just got to believe in yourself, and just slow the game down,” Sieben said. The run was halted after two Emporia free throws, but the Indians kept their foot on the gas. Junior Garrett Francis made a three-pointer to give Manhattan a 42-34 lead, followed closely by junior Payton Stephens’ interception of an inbounds pass. Stephens made the ensuing lay-up and gave MHS a 44-36 advantage heading into the final quarter. “As a team together tonight, we played well.
We shot the ball well,” Stephens said. “We could get whatever we wanted as long as we shared the ball well.” The fourth quarter saw Manhattan extend its lead to double digits for the first time at 57-47. The Indians continued to shoot effectively as they closed out the game on an 11-6 run, capitalized by Stephens’ dunk in the closing seconds of the game. MHS came out on top, 64-52. “We wanted to have fun in the second half, and that’s what we did,” Stephens said. Manhattan’s next game is tonight as the Indians host Washburn Rural.
Girls win Mid-America Classic Chris Klug Staff Writer The Manhattan High Girls Basketball team won the 19th Annual Mid-America Classic in McPherson Saturday night. The Indians were able to top Hays and Shawnee Mission South and well as McPherson in the championship game. The Indians opened the tournament with a convincing 60-24 win over Hays in blowout fashion, forcing 18 turnovers in the first half and 30 total in the game. Senior Darby Price and junior Caroline Ballard led the scoring attack, Price with 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Ballard with 13 points and grabbed nine boards. Manhattan kept its strong defensive play going against Shawnee Mission South, forcing 21 turnovers and holding South to 35 points in a 31-point victory. Price
led the way once again with 18 points and eight rebounds while junior Savannah Roberts contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. The defense, however, was what was key to the victory. “We all talk and communi-
“
ans found themselves behind 23-25 at halftime. A strong halftime adjustment led to more success on the court in the second half. “We were able to take better shots and play smarter in the second half,” Price said. The Indians outscored McPherson 21-12 in the second half, taking home the Mid-America Classic championship by a score of 44-37. Price and Ballard led the team in scoring, both of them in double digits. “We really keyed in on who they wanted to get the ball to made them play a different than they are used to,” Price said. The Indians are now 12-1 and are riding a 10 game winning streak. They look to keep the streak alive this Friday as they travel to Topeka High.
When we play good defense, it usually leads to offense, too.” -Darby Price
Girls basketball coach Scott Mall directs practice Monday afternoon.
Retta Lazaris, photographer
Swimming continues to prepare Bowling takes two first place finishes Madison Newman Staff Writer In the middle of a more relaxed week, the Manhattan High School swim team can ease up a bit for their big invite coming up on Saturday, Feb. 8. “There will be, like, nine different teams there, so it’s a pretty big deal,” junior Nick Clark said. “It won’t be anything that we can’t handle. I think we will do pretty well. I am pretty excited to see how it goes. We’re still going hard in practice, but easing up a bit. We’ve been exhausted these past couple of weeks. We’re doing a lot of yardage right now.” “We really aren't doing a whole lot this week, just tapering,” junior Casey Hoffman said. “Tapering is when you cool down,” Clark said. “We are conditioning, but mainly tapering.”
Junior Tyler Brennan is looking forward to the next meet. “I expect a huge turnout. It’s going to be a long meet. It’ll be fun, and we are going to win. The whole team is going to put a lot of points on the board,” he said. “I think we’ll stack up on the breaststroke, the relays, and we will do well in the backstroke I’m sure,” Clark said. The team members are very positive about the meet. “I’m pretty confident we’ll win. You don’t go into a meet with a bad mentality. You know you want to do well, and you think positive,” Hoffman said. “I haven’t read up on the other teams yet, so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes.” The meet will be held at the Kansas State University Natatorium.
Joseph Sell Staff Writer The bowling team took two first place team spots at the Junction City tournament on Thursday with many bowlers finishing strong. Senior Meghan Dooley rolled a 642 to take first and sophomore Andrea Miller rolled a 616 to get second place. “I did better than I thought I would of done,” Dooley said. “I could’ve improved, but I think with what I got yesterday was pretty good.” “This was or best tournament finish thus far this year. For the girls, Meghan [Dooley], Andrea [Miller], Krystyn [Winiecki] and Harley [Roedel] all had personal bests or a series close to their personal record,” head coach Chris George said. Winiecki, a junior, scored a 551, junior Miller with a 480, senior Roedel a 454 and junior Kat Eimer a 440. The
girls’ total score was a 2,310 in the tournament. “For the boys side we had some who were hot or cold except for Alex [Huerta],” George said. The boys score was lead by senior Huerta with 673, then freshman Dustin Wichman with a 608, junior Smit Thirakul with a 601, sophomore Tanner Holen with a 557, junior Shon Eakes with a 547, and senior Lukas Hugunin with a 461. The boys’ total score was a 2,508 to win by one pin over Sacred Heart. “As a team we did great, we could’ve done a little better but we did good,” Thirakul said. The teams competed yesterday at Little Apple Lanes and will compete again on Thursday at Sacred Heart.
cate really well on defense,” Price said. “When we play good defense, it usually leads to offense, too.” After two convincing wins, the Indians were set to play McPherson in the championship game. This game was not as easy as the first two matchups, and the Indi-
Athlete of the Week Freshman Iverson Robb
Robb, a freshman, wrestles in the 138 weight class at the J.V. level. He placed first at the team’s tournament last Friday.
Features The Mentor www.mhsmentor.com Page 5
Auto Tech kids work with MHS vehicles Retta Lazaris Staff Writer Can they fix it? Yes they can! Students in Elizabeth Crooks’s Auto Tech classes spend their year gaining hands-on experience fixing and improving the automobiles of students and teachers here at MHS. “If teachers or students have problems with their cars, as long as they get the parts or tell Ms. Crooks about the parts that we need, and pay us back for the parts, that’s the only thing we charge for,” Donavon Bloom, junior said. “Besides that, they make a date with her, drop the car off and then we handle the rest.” Normally the Auto Tech classes receive cars from teachers, but they are ready
to work on the cars of students as well. Students like Bloom will work during class, and sometimes over lunch. According to junior Justin Van Dyke, there are usually enough open spots for the Auto Tech classes to finish the car in the same day it’s brought in, but it really depends on what needs to be fixed. “Last semester we replaced a clutch in Justin’s [Van Dyke] in his transmission -it has had a lot of work done to it,” senior Noah Johnson said. “I’ve also done oil changes for people, and have helped people replace brakes.” “Usually the Automotive Two and Three Classes are
working on the cars; not the Auto One, because they don’t know as much as we do,” Johnson said. “In Auto One, they mostly do a lot of bookwork to prepare to work on cars. And it’s not a right to be in the shop, it’s a privilege to be able to be in
the shop. First they have to work on the actual shop cars, before they work on other people’s.”
NHS serves community through ushering National Honor Society never ceases to provide students with volunteer opportunity. Many students already participate in tutoring at Marlatt Elementary, as well as babysitting at Parent/Teacher conferences at the high school. However, a lucrative volunteering position, for not only MHS members, but any high school student, is ushering at McCain auditorium. “It not only teaches leadership, and mannerisms, but you get to enjoy a McCain performance with no cost but my time,” junior Sachin DeYoung said. Those seeking to usher at a performance must sit through 30 minutes of training prior to ushering. If enough people are interested in ushering, the training could be 30 minutes before the show. There are also some meetings on selected days other than the night of the performance. Those interested in ushering at McCain, can speak to senior
54% said they would be interested in taking their cars to Auto Tech to be repaired.
82% said they weren’t aware Auto Tech fixed student cars.
Take your seat:
Gage Benne Staff Writer
38% said they drive their car to school.
Macy Lanceta. “They just show you around McCain, all the emergency exits and such, and once you’ve cleared that you can usher at any show you sign up for,” Lanceta said. “It’s a great way to get points for NHS and community service hours because you get to help people usher, and of course watch the show for free.” Each night volunteered at McCain awards NHS members five points. The Society will also be volunteering at Parent/Teacher Conferences next week. Hospitality and babysitting are two opportunities to earn points. Hospitality includes bringing a dozen or so cookies or treats and welcome the parents. Alongside passing out the cookies, members will also babysit young children, to let the parents meet with teachers uninterrupted. If you are and NHS member looking for points, or interested in volunteer opportunities, make a trip down to Robin Smith in room D-107, or talk to NHS president Marlee Evans.
This survey was given out to social studies classrooms and Ted Dawdy’s AP Statistics during 6th hour. A total of ninety-eight students were surveyed. Graphic by Tracy Le
Weekly Scroll Wednesday
Mr. MHS Auditions
Thursday
Mr. MHS Auditions (continued) 3 p.m. Chess Club 3 p.m. Boys and girls Bowling vs. Junction City/Hayden/Sacred Heart (Sacred Heart) 7:00 p.m. Choir Serenade Concert (Rezac Auditorium)
Friday
3:30 p.m. Boys and Girls Topeka High JV Invitational (Gage Bowl) 4:30 p.m. Freshman/JV/Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball at Topeka High 6:30 p.m. Boys Swimming/Diving Manhattan Invitational (KSU)
Saturday
ACT Test Regional Piano (at Lindsborg) 9 a.m. Varsity wrestling Centennial League Tournament (MHSW) 10:30 a.m Boys Swimming/Diving Manhattan Invitational (KSU)
The Mentor will not run a print issue next week. For updates on happenings around MHS, go to Correction
In the Jan. 28 issue of “The Mentor” in the “Survey revelas top vending machine choices of MHS” story it was stated that a sugar packet has four grams of sugar when in fact it has 1 gram.
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Seahawks
A replica Seahawks super bowl helmet is
$2,499.95. The Seahawks
Malcolm Smith was
named the Superbowl’s MVP.
5
accumulated points early in the first quarter. No other Super Bowl team in history has ever had five points on the scoreboard.
most expensive ticket on Stubhub was
$353,180
526,217:
The base salary, in dollars, made by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for the entire 2013 season.
The Seahawks
Word on the Street What did you do during the Superbowl?
36
scored points to start the game, the most consecutive points ever scored by one team to open a Super Bowl.
“I celebrated with several friends and danced in a circle because we were rooting for the Seahawks.” -Ben Stonebreaker, sophomore
11:41: The
This was the first Super Bowl to be played outside in
cold
a weather environment.
"I tried not to pay too much attention to the actual game, but I did like Bruno Mars." -Emma Brase, sophomore
amount of time in the first quarter that the Seahawks held the ball. Overall, Seattle ran 22 plays in the first 15 minutes. Denver ran six.
Each Superbowl ring costs around
"I don't really care about the NFL so I didn't watch much. I pay more attention to college football."Nick R. Clark
$5000.
Superbowl broncos
Sea Hawks
showdown
08 Broncos
82,529:
Fans consumed an estimated more than
325 million gal-
Peyton Manning’s salary is million.
$19.2
lons of beer during the Super Bowl..
The number of fans who jammed themselves into MetLife Stadium to watch the game.
3: The number
of times since the 1975 season, including Sunday, that a Super Bowl team has not scored at least 10 points in the game.
Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas
13
The Broncos have
5
lost times in the Super Bowl games. That's the most of any team in the league.
had receptions, the most of anybody in Super Bowl history.
The Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII in
1999.
19
A safety has been
3
scored consecutive seasons in the Super Bowl.
It took minutes into the game for the Broncos to get their first first down.
Bruno Mars steals halftime show Approximately 125 million people watched the halftime show
13: The number
of years it has been since a Super Bowl participant was shut out in the first half. That would be the Giants falling behind 10-0 to the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV.
Graphics by Madeline Marshall, Liz Logback and Nick Bandy
80,000 football fans wore hats with embedded LED displays The show consisted of 500 LED panels